said Article viz. The Catholike Church As if Romane Church and Catholike Church were vniuocall and conuertible tearmes equally betokening one and the same Vniuersall Church That the Addition of the word ROMANE vnto the Article of the Catholike Church is no true Exposition and Declaration but a notorious Alteration and deprauation thereof proued by diuers Arguments The first Argument in respect of the Church Triumphant SECT 4. CHurch Catholike or Vniuersall as it is prescribed in the Apostles Creed is a comprehension of all the members of the mysticall bodie of Christ which is his Church Now in your Romane Catechisme authorized both by the Decree of your Councell of Trent and the Bull of Pius then Pope there are acknowledged Two parts of the Catholike Church the one called Triumphant in heauen the other Militant here on earth Accordingly S. Augustine The whole Church of Christ saith he is here vnderstood to be not onely that part which is in pilgrimage here vpon earth but that part also which is in heauen Which sence of this Article is grounded vpon diuine foundation where it is written Christ loued his Church that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church without spot or wrinckle Where by the word CHVRCH to vnderstand onely the Church militant was the heresie of the Pelagians who peruerting the meaning of this text concluded that the Church of Christ here vpon earth doth consist of them that are Perfect in this state of mortalitie that is of such who in this mortall life are not tainted with sinne To whom S. Augustine as you know replied As though saith he the Church of Christ throughout the world doth not pray and crie Forgiue vs our sinnes Therefore must this Text be vnderstood of the Triumphant part of the Church whether alone as Saint Augustine you know and Saint Hierom haue expounded it or iointly with the Militant according to the interpretation of the profoundest Doctors in your Romane schooles saying that The Catholike Church is indeed without spot or wrinkle within the Militant part thereof by grace and in the part Triumphant by glorie So vndoubted a truth it is that the Article of Catholike Church as it is prescribed in the Apostles Creed doth comprize as well the Triumphant as the Militant part thereof CHALLENGE THat then which comprehendeth not as well the Triumphant as the Militant part of the Church cannot be a Declaration of the Catholike Church as it is contained in the Apostles Creed because no one part can expresse the whole But in the Romish Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church without subiection whereunto there is no saluation the word ROMANE vtterly excludeth the part Triumphant Therefore it cannot possibly be a Declaration or exposition of the word Catholike as it is vnderstood in the Apostles Creed except some of you shall be so blasphemous as to subiect Saints which are the members Triumphant and Conquerors now in blisse to the members Militant and mortall here below Saint Peter to your Pope and heauen vnto earth Wherefore euery Christian man who doth as seriously studie the Celestiall spheare of the Saints in heauen as others do the Terrestriall globe of this corruptible earth must call in this your Article The Catholike Romane Church the word ROMANE a false deprauation of the Article of our Apostolicall Creed From the Triumphant part of the Catholike Church we descend to the Militant The second Argument to prooue that the Addition of the word ROMANE cannot be any Declaration but rather a Deprauation of the Article in our Creed in respect of the Church Militant SECT 5. A Double consideration is to be had of the Catholike Church Militant one in respect of her essentiall estate as she is said to haue being the other in respect of her accidentall estate as she is said to be outwardly Visible be it in more or lesse degree of Visibilitie In the first respect when Protestants say that the Catholike Church doth essentially consist onely of persons regenerate in this life and predestinate to life euerlasting They do not as they are by Some slandered to do make two Churches but one Church in a different habitude relation and consideration For as Christ when he was on earth although he commonly appeared euidently visible vnto men yet sometimes he is said after a sort to haue vanished inuisibly out of mens sights notwithstanding in that his Inuisibilitie was he still the same Christ because vsuall Visibilitie and Inuisibilitie are but outward accidents so Christ his mysticall bodie which is his Church being considered in her Essentiall estate is Inuisible and the obiect of Faith and not of Sense According to which Consideration we affirme this Article in the Apostles Creed I beleeue the Catholike Church to be more peculiarly vnderstood And this we prooue first by the nature of Faith it selfe which as the Apostle hath defined it Is the demonstration of things not seene Next by the whole tenor of the Apostles Creed wherein the obiect of euery Article of that Symbol from beleefe in God vnto beleefe of life euerlasting is vnto vs inuisible and so farre as it is beleeued is without compasse of Sense as may be obserued in the faith of Thomas the Apostle to whom albeit Christ said Thomas because thou hast seene mee thou hast beleeued yet the sense of Thomas saw onely the Visible humanitie of Christ but his faith which was his soules sight beheld Christs God-head So that Thomas could no more properly be said to haue beleeued that which hee saw than to haue seene that which hee beleeued Lastly diuine Scripture in positiue doctrine doth manifest thus much as namely to omit many others in that speech of Christ to Saint Peter Mat. 16.19 Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Where the word CHVRCH by the iudgement of Saint Augustine and the accordance of your owne Doctors doth signifie Onely the number of Predestinate And good reason because the godlesse and gracelesse are so farre from being the true members of the Church against which the gates of hell shall not preuaile that those Infernall gates stand continually wide open as being desirous and iustly appointed to deuoure them The same may be said of the Church as it is called the flocke of Christ Iohn 10. My sheepe heare my voice where by Sheepe are onely ment The sanctified elect of God as the testimonies of your owne Iesuites the iudgement of Saint Augustine and Saint Chrysostome doe confirme A third Scripture we finde Rom. 8.9 where the Apostle saith Hee that hath not the spirit of Christ the same is not his Which sheweth that none is truely a Christian but as hee is regenerated by â—he Spirit of Christ. And so your Diuines as well Iesuites as others both ancient and moderne haue determined that All that are not sanctified with the holy Spirit of Christ although outwardly neuer
so seeming members of the Catholike Church yet are they no true and proper but onely equiuocall and titularie members of Christs Church like as spittle flegme and other excrementall humours are said to be in the body of a man whereof notwithstanding they are no essentiall parts All this agreeth with the Doctrine of ancient Fathers among whom Saint Ambrose All that are in the Church saith he fight for Christ intimating that the wicked fight against Christ. Likewise Saint Augustine The Catholike Church saith he is so called because it is in euery part perfect And againe Onely the Predestinate cannot be diuided from this body Whereunto the aboue-cited testimonies of Hierome and Chrysostome doe consent And in this Harmonie Clemens Alexandrinus will be knowne to beare a part calling the Catholike Church a Catalogue of iust men according to the purpose of God and a Congregation of the Predestinate Of which Church of Christ as his Spouse S. Bernard arguing from the Apostle inferreth as a thing without doubt that the Elect are the Church of Christ. Lastly lest that we may seeme to neglect the iudgement of the Fathers of the Romane Church and the Bishops of Rome Pope Gregorie for his singular wisedome and deuotion calâ—ed The Great obseruing a proportion betwixt Christ the Head and his Mysticall Body called the Catholike Church As Christ saith he was coÌ„ceiued by the holy Ghost so is his Church which is his body replenished with the same spirit and addeth that All the Elect are within the compasse of this Church and all Reprobates without it The very same doctrine for which Iohn Husse was condemned in the Councell of Constance So that Augustine Chrysostome Ambrose Bernard yea and Pope Gregorie himselfe may seeme to haue beene condemned and burned with him Thus much be said in Thesi to prooue that the Catholike Church as it is considered in the essence thereof is an inuisible Obiect of Faith and not a visible Obiect of Sence CHALLENGE AN Addition which hath no other consideration of the Church than as it is Visible cannot be a Declaration of a Church which is in the essence thereof considered as Inuisible But the Addition of the word ROMANE is vsed only in consideration of the Church as it is Visible that is consisting of a number of persons visibly knowne and discerned to professe the Christian Faith and subiect to a Visible Romane Pope as the visible and essentiall Head of the same Church So as to vse the words of your Cardinall Bellarmine If wicked and carnall Professors are not to be esteemed properly but equiuocally and onely in name the members of the Catholike Church then must it follow What Heare I beseech you the Consequence of your Cardinall that a wicked Pope cannot be the Head of the Church So he But that all carnall Professors of the Catholike Faith are no essentiall members of the Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed you haue heard it already prooued by plaine places of Scriptures by the expresse iudgement of ancient Fathers by your owne Confessions by the nature of Faith which beleeueth that which it seeth not yea and by the tenure of the Apostles Creed which teacheth vs to beleeue with a diuine Faith onely Them to be infallibly the members of this Church who as it is in the Creed can Beleeue according to the Article to obtaine Remission of sinnes in this life and after death Life euerlasting Whilest that therefore you doe discerne the Catholike Church by the eye so farre onely as it is visible Subiect to one visible Head the Pope who may happen to be as All of you will confesse as wicked and monstrous in his life as any in the line of Caiphas as desperate in his death as Iudas and after as damned in hell as that Glutton in the Gospel who cried out I am tormented in this flame and seeing that the profession of the Church as it is onely Visible and an obiect of sence can be no true Declaration or Exposition of an Article signifying the Church of Christ as it is also and that more principally Inuisible it plainely appeareth from these Premises that your word ROMANE depraueth the Article of the Apostles Creed by incorporating the limbes of Sathan together with the vitall members of Christ in that one mysticall body which is his Catholike Church and consequently that you haue forfeited your Head of the Romane Church in euery damned Pope that hath at any time professed that Romane Chaire The third Argument to proue that the Addition of the word ROMANE cannot be any Declaration of the Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed is in respect of the visible parts of the same SECT 6. TWo sorts of persons there are within your Romane Church which you your selues denie to bee any visible members thereof one is of them you call Catechumenists who as it falleth out in the Conuersion of Heathen and Iewes before they can be baptized are exercised in learning the principles and rudiments of Faith The other are Excommunicates who by the publike censure of your Church happen to bee vniustly Anathematized and disioyned from all Communion therewith Of the Catechumenists who are instructed in the Catholike Faith and bring forth the fruits of Repentance and yet depart this life without Baptisme you pronounce saying that They are saued albeit they are not in the Church In like manner haue you resolued concerning such kinde of Excommunicates who may happen to be vniustly Excommunicated saying that Because the Church cannot iudge of things that are secret it may happen that some are vniustly Excommunicated and excluded out of the visible Church and neuerthelesse receiued of God and certainely saued So you We cannot but approue of both your Positions as hauing Instances in both for in the number of Catechumenists is reckoned that Christian Emperour Valentinian a zealous Professor and Patrone of the Catholike Faith who died vnexpectedly before he was baptized whose Exequies and funeralls notwithstanding Saint Ambrose did solemnize and in his Sermon did honour the memory of that renoumed Emperour as one who had beene as the same Father speaketh Indewed with the spirit of God in his life-time and now after his death aduanced vnto ioyes eternall Touching Excommunicates we reade in the Gospell of the Blind man healed by Christ and by the malice of the Priests against Christ Cast out of their Synagogue whom neuerthelesse Christ did visit and take into his grace protection and Saluation Tell vs now if your Romane Church be that Catholike Church without which as you beleeue none can be saued how then it commeth to passe that these two sorts of Christians are saued albeit they be without the said Romane Church Your Iesuites doe answer that Such Excommunicates although they are not of the Communion which maketh a man to be properly of the Visible Church yet neuerthelesse they are saued by their
Professors who are kept hood-winck't in the beleefe of so Imposterous Schismaticall and Damnable an Article by which all the Churches begot by the preaching of Saint Peter and all the other Apostles in the compasse of seauen yeers before the begetting of Rome must be iudged Damned for not beleeuing the Romane Church as you teach to haue beene the Catholike Mother-Church without which Faith there is no saluation Thus much in respect of the Time BEFORE Rome was a Church CHAP. IV. Of the Time about when the Church of Rome had her Foundation Arguing from the Faith of three Apostles Saint Peter S. Paul and S. Iohn and of the Apostolicall Churches in their daies SECT I. THese three Apostles than whom what witnesses can be more competent in this case Wee appeale to your selues The Popes of Rome say you acknowledge both Peter and Paul for their Predecessors because both of them did found and gouerne the Romane Church And as for Saint Iohn his long continuance in the Church Militant will Minister some matter of resolution heerein I. That Saint Peter the conceiued founder of the Church of Rome was not of the now Romane Faith concerning the Article of the Catholike Romane Church SECT 2. WE not to interrupt you by questioning the truth of Saint Peter's residence in that See as Bishop thereof doe punctually inquire whether it entred into his Faith to Beleeue the same Roman Church to be The Catholike Church without which there is no saluation nothing doubting but that you will thinke that He of all others would haue plainely vnfolded thus much whom your Popes assume to haue bene the Founder of that Church together with Saint Paul And because all the pretended Soueraigntie of the Romane Mother-Church is according to your faith deriued from the supreme Father-hood of your Romane Pope and this is as originally descended from the transcendent ordinarie Pastorship of S. Peter ouer all the other Apostles we begin to enquire into the faith of S. Peter Whatsoeuer Prerogatiue Saint Peter might challenge ouer all the other Apostles must appeare either by some promise made singularly to him by Christ or else by some practise of Saint Peter himselfe in the exercise and execution of such his Iurisdiction The due examination of both these would easily cleare the Cause That the Faith of Saint Peter did not conceiue any Monarchicall or supreme Iurisdiction promised vnto himselfe by Christ in the most pretended speech of Christ saying Matth. 16. Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church SECT 3. THis this Scripture in it the word ROCK you haue still obiected as the rocke and fortresse of your now Romane Faith concerning the Article of your Romane Catholike Church because From hence say your Iesuites is proued that Monarchie of S. Peter Insomuch as that whē Luther Caluine and others aduentured to expound this of Christ and Faith in him as the Sonne of God your two grand Cardinals oppose the One his owne passion calling it an Impudent madnesse in Protestants to expound the Rocke to signifie Christ The other obtrudeth the Consent of your owne Schoole saying That by Rocke is meant Peter it is the Common opinion of all Catholikes An Exposition approoued by your Bishop and that not without some insultation saying In this Truth triumpheth as if it were as cleare as the Sunne which Sunne-shine as some call it we Protestants alas our blindnesse cannot discerne but rather iudge that it hath bene and is mistaken by you for Moone-shine through some defect in your faculties or instruments of sight A large Librarie I suppose would scarce containe the bookes that haue bene written vpon this Text whereas the briefe of all that need be said may farre more easily than Homers Iliads be comprized within the shell of a wallnut The Protestants Exposition vpon this Scripture auouched by many excellent Witnesses in the Romane Church yea euen by the Popes themselues SECT 4. OVr Exposition hath euer bene to vnderstand that by ROCK is meant the Confession of Peter when he said of the Godhead of Christ Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God and consequently signified by a metonymie Christ himselfe Where we meane not the Confession of Peter in Concreto as you would haue it vnderstood With relation vnto Peter but as the said Confession of the Godhead of Christ may be the Confession of euery Christian to which truth many of your owne Authors will beare witnesse To which purpose we alleage among your Preachers Ferus saying Vpon this Rocke That is the Confession of Peter and not vpon Peter Among your Glossers the Romane Glosse it selfe saying That is vpon the Article then Confessed concerning Christ and so our Lord Christ built it vpon himselfe Among your Friers Lyranus Vpon the Rock Christ. Among your Iesuites Pererius Christ is the Rock vpon which the Church is builded Among your Bishops Abulensis Not vpon Peter but vpon his Confession and he speaketh absolutely of the Confession it selfe in Abstracto without relation to Peter and giueth this reason because after this Confession thus made Peter himselfe failed in his faith by denying his Lord. Among your Cardinals Hugo and Cusanus By the Rocke is signified Christ. Among your Councels the last Councell of Trent speaking of the Nicene Christian Creed and pointing in the margent at this Text it saith that It is the foundation against which the gates of Hell shall not preuaile Therefore faith in Christ in Abstracto is the foundation for there is in that Creed no mention of Peter Lastly and chiefly among your Popes for now we are clymed vp to the pinnacle of your Temple no fewer than Foure Leo the first Agatho the first Nicolaüs the first and Adrian the first all of them Firsts and therefore more ancient than all others of their names haue as your selues witnesse expounded the Rock to meane the Confession of Saint Peter in acknowledging Christ to be the Sonne of God I. CHALLENGE from the iudgements of the fore-cited Authors IN these former Allegations although most of the Testimonies themselues do sufficiently shew that by ROCK is meant the Confession deliuered by Saint Peter really in it selfe and not personally as it had Relation to him yet for the better clearing of your iudgements you may take these Confirmations I. None will denie but that there was meant in Peters Confession that matter which he confessed but Peter confessed not himselfe but Christ saying Thou art the Sonne of the liuing God Ergo his Confession had Relation to Christ and not to himselfe II. You grant that Saint Peter confessed no more than that which he knew The other Disciples to haue beleeued before he spake because Christs question being generall What say yee He answered as the mouth of the rest True as may fully appeare in our Margent But the Apostles before he spake beleeued Christ confessed and
none but Ignorants For your fuller Satisfaction herein We thought good vpon Contemplation of the Premisses to descend vnto this DETERMINATION of the Cause which wee shall performe punctually by certaine Theses or Positions by which are repelled those Popular Obiections which you vsually cast as Impediments in our way This Tractate then we diuide into foure parts I. Concerning All Churches in generall II. Particularly comparing the Romane Church with other now Remote Churches III. Comparing her with the Churches of Protestants at the time of LVTHERS departure from her IV. Comparing her with the Churches of Protestants at this day The first part of Comparison which is by Generall Theses I. THESIS An Absolute Decay of the Catholike Church was neuer defended by any Protestants SECT 2. MAny Papists in their aduersnesse to Protestants whom they seeke to traduce do impute vnto them this faithlesse Paradox as to say that the Catholike Church is sometime extinguished whereas Caluine and other Protestants grant saith your Cardinall that the Catholike Church cannot perish And therefore he telleth those MANY that they do but Loose their time in proouing the perpetuall existence of the Catholike Church Hee might as well haue noted in them a Losse of good Conscience by their falsly imposing vpon Protestants a false Doctrine which they neuer taught as you may more perfectly see afterwards by a Sentence of Caluin himselfe II. THESIS The Church Symbolicall and properly called Catholike cannot erre in Faith SECT 3. THat wee call the Symbolicall and properly Catholike Church as it is Militant which is set downe in the Apostles Symbol or Creed beleeued of all Christians viz. The multitude of all Christian Beleeuers whensoeuer and wheresoeuer dispersed through-out the world vnto which belong all those Royall Promises made by Christ vnto her of being Led into all truth Ioh. 16. Of hauing his residence with it Vnto the ends of the world Matth. 28. Of Hell-gates not preuailing against it Matth. 16. Neuer shall you find any Protestant gain-saying this Truth III. THESIS How the Church Representatiue improperly called the Catholike Church may bee said to be subiect to Errour SECT 4. THe Church improperly called Catholike is the Congregation of Christians assembled in a Generall Synod as being the Representatiue body of the Church in the Symbol properly called Catholike whereof wee say no more than Saint Augustine spake to wit that Sometimes former Generall Councels may be corrected by the latter Vnto which sentence of Augustine you could not hitherto giue any Answer but that which Saint Augustine if he were aliue would say is directly contradictory to his meaning For Augustine saith your Cardinall spake not of matter of Faith but of Fact nor of a point of Doctrine but of Manners Whereas the whole dispute of Augustine in that place is about a Doctrine of Faith Whether there can be true Baptisme in a false Church And what hath Saint Augustine said herein which Some of your owne Romish Schoole haue not thorowly auouched viz. that Generall Councels rightly gathered haue erred and that A Generall Councell so erring doth not preiudice the Catholike Church Because A Generall Councell is not the Catholike Church but onely a part thereof Which erring yet notwithstanding Some of the Church shall be still assisted to vphold the truth So they Nor doth this any whit impeach the Promise of Christ to wit * Whensoeuer two or three shall be gathered together in my Name there I will be in the middest of them For Christ promising his presence to all Christians Assembled in his Name did not thereby promise that all Christian Assemblies should be gathered in his Name duly that is with sincere hearts to inuocate him and to subscribe to his reuealed Truth It was an Academicall and Scepticall Paradox to say that because one Sense might be deceiued therefore no Sense was to be belieued Whereunto the Answer was that euery Sense as it might be deceiued so might it also be not deceiued if requisite Circumstances were duely obserued as namely if the Organ and Instrument were sound the Medium rightly disposed the Obiect proper the Distance due and proportionable Accordingly in Councels if the persons assembled as it were the Organs be sincerely affected to Gods glorie with desire of Truth as their proper Obiect and in the maior part thereof not led with the spirit of Contention and Faction which is the Cause of vnequall difference and Distance and if their Diaphanum and Medium be illuminated with the true light as Saint Peter calleth the holy Scripture Then is it not possible for such an Assembly to erre in any principle of Faith So then the difference betweene the Romane Church and the Church of the Protestants is no more but this that the Romanists say that all Generall Councels may erre except they bee confirmed and authorized by the Pope but Protestants say that all Generall Councels may erre except they be directed by the Spirit of Gods word as our Church of England hath truly defined In which difference we seeke no other moderation than the iudgement of the first fiue Generall Councels which in points of Faith propounded to themselues the holy Scripture as the onely Rule of their Doctrines esteemed of the Popes iudgement no otherwise than of a particular suffrage and in it selfe but equall excepting the Dignitie of Order vnto the voices of other Patriarches and Bishops as hath bene prooued IV. THESIS Protestants hold not any greater Inuisibilitie or rather Obscuritie of the Church Catholike than that which the Romanists themselues are forced to confesse SECT 5. NOt but that many of you pretend and boast of a Catholike Church not onely Visible but also Conspicuously and notoriously Visible alwaies both in the Amplitude of compasse and in the Multitude of Beleeuers as the Perpetuall note of the Church which our Sauiour Christ compareth to a Citie set vpon a hill And you are not ignorant of the Epistle which Mr. Fisher a Iesuite presented not long agoe vnto our late Soueraigne King Iames of blessed memorie wherein he professeth a Catholike Church to be alwaies so conspicuous that The whole knowne world may take notice of her yea euen in the dayes of Antichrist shall she be visibly vniuersall for she shall be then euery-where persecuted which she could not bee except she were euery where Visible So He Who neuer regarded that the Church of Christ as it is sometime in lustre glorious as the Sunne so againe it is according to the iudgement of Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose sometime as the Moone which hath her encreases and decreases In which respect we are to obserue two Seasons of the Church the one long since past in the dayes of that Deluge of the Arian Heresie the other prophesied to happen in the dayes of Antichrist Of both which as well Fathers as your owne Authors say as much concerning the Ecclipse and obscurity of
be called Vnio Leonina as when beasts for awe of the Lion goe in troopes and follow at his becke The Second is Vulpina a craftie combination made and maintained by Foxes The Third is Asinina the heard of seely Ignorants Loud and frequent are the boasts of your Catholike Vnion neuer regarding whether it haue the Characters of these kindes of Vnions now spoken of although that none can bee more Tyrannous than that which as you haue beene instructed by Pope Paul the IV. vseth the extent of the Inquisition as the onely Fortresse and support thereof None more craftie than that Church which is fed at home as with naturall sustenance with false Legends and fained Miracles and preserued abroad with Aequiuocations and Mentall Reseruations and specially by Politike Maximes for alterations of States Lastly there can be no greater blockishnesse than to be wholly guided by an Implicit faith of beleeuing you know not what according to your COLIERS FAITH which because it seemeth so commendable vnto your Cardinall Hosius I will deliuer it in his owne words It will be most safe saith he to follow the Example of a certaine Colier of whom when a learned man asked him for his soules behoofe what he beleeued hee repeated the Apostles Creed and being asked what hee beleeued more said that which the Catholike Church beleeueth But what quoth the other doth the Catholike Church beleeue that which I beleeue quoth the Colier The other being still vrgent the Colier vsed the same Circle and made no other Answer than that hee beleeued as the Church beleeued and the Church the same that hee beleeued Some while after it happened that the same learned man was by sickenesse in danger of death at what time Sathan tempted him vrging him what was his beliefe insomuch that he poore wretch was not able sufficiently to expresse himselfe but calling to minde the Coliers Answer hee himselfe made no other Answer to the Diuell than this AS THE COLIER Confessing afterwards that hee had bin dangerously assaulted had not this example of the Colier holpen him Thus farre your Cardinall of your Colier like an Horse in a Milne going all in a round as if he would teach you that this Implicit Faith were the onely safe Circle God blesse you to keepe out the Diuell Wherein you are little inferior to the Iewish Rabbines who taught their Disciples To haue rather regard to the words of the Scribes than to the Law of Moses the word of God Whom also they instructed that in case the Iudge once passed sentence hee must be absolutely beleeued Though he say that the right hand is the left or the lest the right In all this you crye Pax Pax when as indeede it is nothing else but a paction and accordance in Error and Idolatrie The whole Colledge of Priests were against Ieremie All the Priesthood with the Scribes and other Sects conspired against Christ So little cause haue you to glorie in the nature of your Vnion As for Vnion with the Church Catholike there is no other difference than this Protestants as you haue heard stand in Christian Vnion with Graecians Aegyptians Asians Assyrians Aethiopians and all Churches Christian that haue not ouerthrowne the fundamentall Articles of faith Whereas the Romane Church by Excommunicating all other Christian Churches from her hath Excommunicated her selfe and made a Separation from all other Christian Churches And therefore being alone is nothing lesse than Catholike Vae Soli THESIS V. The Protestants granting it possible for Some to be saued within the Church of Rome and the Papists denying that any can be saued in the Churches of the Protestants is but a Sophisticall proofe that there is more Safetie in the Romane Church SECT 27. MAny Protestants grant say you that some may be possibly saued within the Church of Rome whereas the Papists absolutely deny that Any adhering to the Churches of Protestants can be saued This Argument to the Ignorant may be an efficacious inchantment to perswade to Poperie which to the iudicious and Discreete Reader will appeare to bee but Childish and ridiculous whether we consider your Deniall or our Grant The first because your Deniall proceedeth not either from Truth or Conscience Not from Truth because first our Separation from you as hath bene prooued out of your owne Authors was for Truth and equitie-sake And secondly what Conscience can it be in such Obiectors which the more Ingenuous among you will gain-say acknowledging it possible that such as are diuided from the outward Communion of your Church if yet they ruine not the Foundations of Faith May by their inward will otherwise be ioyned vnto her Such as was saith he the case of Cyprian from the Church of Rome Now what Christian is there opposite to the Church of Rome but he hath a desire and will that she were as Orthodoxe in faith and as sincere in worship as euer she was that so he might be vnited vnto her Nay we dare herein appeale to many of your owne Consciences nothing doubting but that many of you conceiue Saluation towards all Protestants that in faith and repentance finish this their earthly pilgrimage accordingly as Some we speake from knowledge euen of the Society of the Iesuites haue done in desiring the prayers of Some Protestant yea and to vse their owne words Ex animo desiring the same And yet did these also as bitterly inueigh against Protestants as did other of their Sect which sheweth that your Authors tongues and pens are not directed by the same spirit Howsoeuer you your selues will condemne your Obiector of follie after that you haue heard some Instances First then in the Donatists They held all men damned that were not of their Church Whereas Saint Augustine their principall Aduersarie did thinke that Some of them were in the state of life Would you suffer your Obiector hereupon if he had liued in those daies to haue perswaded Saint Augustine by reason of this odds of opinion to leaue the Catholike Church and turne Donatist Secondly in the Grecians They you know at this day condemne the Church of Rome for consecrating the Sacrament in vnleauened bread for which cause they call them Azymites and Heretikes as impugners of the Gospell But yet you excuse Them in their Consecrating with leauened bread saying They may lawfully do it Here is then great odds also in these Censures Would you thereupon aduise your Fathers of the Councell of Trent necessarily to confesse that the Church of Rome hath for a long time bene Hereticall in that point and therefore ought to forbeare to Consecrate in Azymes any more A third Instance you may receiue from Pagans The Indian Priests called Bramenes beleeued and taught that to take bread from the hand of a Christian is Sacriledge whereas Christian Doctrine saith to the Christian If an Infidel bid thee to a feast whatsoeuer is set before thee eate c.
THE GRAND IMPOSTVRE OF THE now CHVRCH OF ROME Manifested in this one Article of the new Romane Creede viz The Holy Catholike and Apostolike Romane Church Mother and Mistresse of all other Churches without which there is no Saluation Proued to be a New False Sacrilegious Scandalous Schismaticall Hereticall and Blasphemous Article respectiuely and euerie way Damnable The Last Chapter containeth a Determination of the whole Question concerning the Separation of Protestants from the present Church of Rome whereby may be discerned whether Side is to be accounted Schismaticall or may more iustly pleade SOVLES SALVATION By the B. of Couentrie Lichfield LONDON Printed by George Miller for ROBERT MYLBOVRNE TO THE HIGH And Mighty PRINCE CHARLES By the Grace of God King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the FAITH c. YOur Maiesty may bee pleased most gratious Soueraigne to call to minde the Dedicatory Preface of Saint Luke by him prefixed before the Gospell of Christ and directed to a Lay-Magistrate in these words I thought good to write vnto thee most excellent Theophilus Where the name THEOPHILVS signifying a Louer of God manifesteth the interest that euery Deuout Christian as well Laick as Ecclesiastick hath in the Gospell of Christ to reade and enioy the comfort therof as the foundation of his Faith and diuine Charter of his Saluation And the Attribute of MOST EXCELLENT being ascribed to Temporall Gouernors pointeth out his Magistracie to note the Obligation that bindeth euery Christian Gouernor to professe the same Gospel and according to his power to promote and protect it As soone therefore as I thought to finde a Parallell to this so honourable an Example no-one appeared in this age of Christianity either more Worthie for religious Deuotion of the name of THEOPILVS or for Protecting the Gospell of Christ more deseruing the Attribute of MOST EXCELLENT than your Sacred Maiesty For I could not conceiue where to finde a more faithfull Professor among I say not onely Princes but euen Persons Christians than Him who in a time of Iealouzie and greatest extremity resolued to resigne his dearest Choice his inheritance of a Regall Scepter yea and life it selfe rather than to inthrall his precious Soule to Romish Superstition And as for the protection of the same Gospell of Faith to none can this be more proper than to Him who not to question the first beginning thereof most iustly possesseth the Royall Title of DEFENDER OF THE FAITH Now hauing said thus much of this Right I beseech your Maiestie gratiously to vouchsafe a briefe yet cleare Representation thereof The same THE FAITH so called by the Apostle is taken by way of Excellencie to signifie onely that Profession of Christianity which containeth all things Necessary to Saluation euen as he calleth it The Gospell of Faith And this Faith which is called but One Saint Iude in his Catholike Epistle will haue knowne to be onely that which was when he writ but Once deliuered vnto the Saints Which one particle Once must necessarily condemne euery diuers After Faith for euer For Saint Paul against all other Gospels Besides that which then had been Preached is peremptory pronouncing Euery one be he Man or Angel that should suggest or teach it Anathema and Accursed To which Apostolicall Censure Antient Fathers against the Heretikes of their times haue All subscribed according to that Comment made by one of them vpon the same words of the Apostle thus To deliuer any thing among Christians BESIDES that which was once receiued neither was nor is lawfull nor yet euer wil be This one speculation may be as good as a thousand to discerne which kinde of Professors at this day may most properly be said to professe THE FAITH The now Church of Rome hath composed a new Romane Creed Faith consisting by exact disquisition of moe than twenty Articles each one of which is prescribed to be beeleeued vpon Necessity of Saluation Among which are mentioned Transubstantiation Worship of Images Indulgences the like notwithstanding they be as newly-old as were the Gibeonites pretences of torne-shooes and mouldy-bread by which they feined themselues to haue come from farre For Some of these doctrines were not Deliuered vntill fiue or sixe hundred and some not till more than a Thousand yeeres after that Once-prescribed Time of the holy Apostles as diuers Doctors of the same Church are ready to confesse from point to point And although Some few of Them had obtained an opinion of Probability in the daies of antiquity yet can it not be shewed that any one of them had stamped on it the opinion of Necessity of Beleefe vpon losse of Saluation Which is a Character as proper to the Gospell of Christ as was to Caesar's coyne the Image of Caesar. Wherfore euery new Article of Faith by S. Pauls Anathema being no better than a new Heresie although the Romish Opposites dart against our Professors as they did in the Councel of Trent their many Anathema's and Curses yet stand we secure knowing that as the Serpent of Aaron deuoured the Serpents of the Magitians in Aegypt euen so That one Anathema of S. Paul must needs cōdemne all the Anathema's which they denounce in Defence of That which is not THE FAITH once deliuered to the Saints in the dayes of the Apostles But because as the first mooueable Sphere aboue turneth by it's rapture all the inferior Orbes daily about the world so one Romish Article to wit The Catholike ROMANE Mother and Mistresse Church without which there is no Saluation carrieth and maketh current by the violence thereof all other Romish Articles albeit otherwise neuer so New False Idolatrous or Pernicious and for that this One is found by Experience to bee in that Profession their strongest Enchantment This this ARTICLE therefore haue I selected to be the Subiect of this Treatise Proouing her Addition of the word ROMANE to the CATHOLIKE or Vniuersall CHVRCH to be by many confessed Propositions the Deprauation of that our Christian Article in the Apostles Creed viz. THE CATHOLIKE CHVRCH Her pretence of an Vniuersall Motherhood to all Catholike Churches to be a manifest Derogation to diuerse ancient Churches among others the Church of Britaine which are confessed to haue bene before that euer Rome had so much as any face or name of a Church and her Challenge of Vniuersall Mistris-ship and Dominion thorow-out all Christendome to bee in effect a blasphemous Condemnation of most godly Generall Councels Churches and Bishops of Primitiue ages diuers whereof are by name Registred for Saints and Martyrs in the Calendar of the now Church of Rome it selfe who as is Confessed haue consented Some to impose Lawes vpon the Romane Church Some to contemne her Excommunications and All to haue denyed absolute Subiection vnto Her euen in the times of her purest Integrity And because all Temporall Estates at this day are included in the same Romish Article of Vniuersall
Departure of Protestants from the Church of Rome occasioned by M. Luther I. Thesis Luther was vniustly Excommunicated out of the Romane Church Sect. 15. II. Thesis Luther had necessary Cause to depart from the Church of Rome Sect. 15. III. Thesis Luther and his Followers are farre more safe for their Soules state in that Separation from the Church of Rome and lesse Schismatikes than They whom they forsooke Sect. 16. IV. Thesis The Romish Obiections vrged against the Separation of Luther are notably friuolous Sect. 17. V. Thesis Their first Oiection in respect of Luthers former Vow to the Pope or Church of Rome is vaine and idle Sect. 18. VI. Thesis The second and most Popular Obiection against Luther in his Opposition to the Romane Church vrging him to prooue his Doctrine by immediate Succession and by naming his Teachers before him is as fond as the other Sect. 19. VII Thesis The Obiection That all Changes of Doctrines haue bene notorious in the Persons and Places of their Beginnings is false Sect. 20. VIII Thesis The last Obiection Of Cōtinuall and personall Succession in all ages is frustrate Sect. 21. The fourth and last Part of this Determination concerneth the state of the Churches of Protestants after the daies of Luther and their more iust Cause of continuing this Separation from the Church of Rome Sect. 22. I. Thesis Protestants are Generally Excommunicated by the Church of Rome Sect. 23. II. Thesis Protestants are vniustly Excommunicated Sect. 24. III. Thesis In the Continuance of this Separation Papists are rather Schismatikes than Protestants and consequently in the Heresie of the Donatists Sect. 25. IV. Thesis In the Continuance of this Separation the Vnion of the Protestants with the Catholike Church is both more true and more Vniuersall thā is the Vnion of the Romanists § 26 V. Thesis The Protestants granting it possible for some to be saued within the Church of Rome and the Papists denying that any can be saued in the Churches of the Protestants is but a Sophisticall proofe that there is more safety in the Romane Church Sect. 27 VI. Your common Obiection what is then become of the soules of our fore-Fathers more iustifieth the Protestants Separation from Papists than it can the Separation of Papists from Protestants Sect. 28. VII The Protestants at this day stand more Iustifiable in their Separation from Rome than did either the ancient Primitiue Churches in her Excommunicating of Them or yet Luther and his Followers in their Departure from Her Sect. 29. THE GRAND IMPOSTVRE Of the now Church of Rome Manifested in this ARTICLE of the new Romane Creed Viz. The Catholike Romane Church c. Without which there is no SALVATION THat this is the fundamentall ARTICLE of your Romane Church as it is called Romane We cannot bee better enformed than by the Bishops of Rome Heads of the same Church than by the Bodie thereof which is the Church of Rome it selfe in her Councell of Trent together with the Confirmation of the same by Pope Pius the IV than by your publike Catechisme ratified by the like authority Lastly than by her principall Doctors and Diuines in their most approoued and priuileged Books written vpon this Argument of THE CATHOLIKE CHVRCH All which you may read in their owne expresse words CHAP. I. The expresse Profession of the now Church of Rome concerning this her Article vz. The Catholike Romane Church c. without Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation is absolutely and peremptorily proclaimed by the Authority of the Popes SECT 1. IT wil be a good Decorum that in this case we begin to consult with the Heads of your Church the Popes of Rome themselues Gregory the VII in the yeere 1073 decreed thus The Church of Rome saith he was founded only by God and the Pope thereof is rightly stiled The vniuersall Bishop insomuch that whosoeuer consenteth not with the Church of Rome cannot be a Catholike After him in the yeere 1192. Pope Innocēt the 3. distinguishing of the Word Catholike or Vniuersall decreed as followeth If the Church saith he be called Catholike as a cōpany consisting of al Christian Churches so the Church of Rome is not to be termed The Catholike Church but a part therof but take the word Catholike a◠God is called vniuersall Lord because al things are vnder his dominiō so we say that the Church of Rome only hath al other Churches vniuersally subiect vnto it So he More than an hundred yeeres after him Boniface the 8. would needs be heard not speake but roare thunder by peremptory decree in this tenor viz. We declare define pronounce that it is Necessary for euery one that is to be saued to be subiect to the Pope of Rome Thus much for the testimonies of the Popes The iudgement of the late Romane Church SECT 2. SInce those times the Church of Rome her selfe in her Councell of Trent and by the Bull of Pope Pius the IV. set forth for the Confirmation of the same Councell in the yeere 1556. did impose vpon her Professors a new CREED consisting of more than twentie Articles of the now Romane Faith which shee hath prescribed vnto you and all other Ecclesiasticall persons of what denomination or Title soeuer to be professed vnder the tenor and forme of an Oath to wit I N. doe firmely beleeue sweare and professe that the Catholike and Apostolique Romane Church is the Mother and Mistresse of all Churches and I doe vowe promise and sweare true obedience to the Pope of Rome the Vicar of Christ Successour of S. Peter c. And this I hold to be the true Catholike Faith which whosoeuer beleeueth not cannot bee saued So your new Creed The now Romane Catechisme SECT 3. VPon this ground was founded that which you call the Romane Catechisme and published by the authoritie of the same Pope Pius and his Councell of Trent whereby yours as well as other Catechumenists are instructed to beleeue that The Catholike Church is One both because of one Faith also for that it is subiect to one inuisible Gouernour which is Christ and to one visible Head the Pope So your Catechisme The iudgement of Romane Doctors of singular Note SECT 4. IN the last place we are to consult with your publicke Readers in Schooles where by the testimonies of Three you may iudge of the faith of the rest especially these being as fully accomplished with all furniture of learning as any other The first thus The Church of Rome is the vniuersall Catholike Church not as it is a particular Bishopprick but as it comprehendeth all Beleeuers vnder the subiection of the Bishop of Rome And againe Wee must saith he hold it as a point of our Catholike Faith that this indiuiduall Congregation which professeth the Romane Faith and is vnited to the Pope of Rome is the true Catholike Church which I proue first by the Apostles Creed c. The Second thus We define saith
he the Church to be a Companie of men obedient to the Bishop of Rome for the time being and we affirme the Church of Rome to be alone the Catholike and Apostolike Church The Third and last thus None doth communicate saith he with the Catholike Church except he subiect himselfe vnto the Pope yea although otherwise he professe the Catholike Faith For vnion with the Head is a note of the Church So standeth the now Article of your Romane Faith Foure remarkeable Points more distinctly to be obserued in your former Romane Profession concerning the Article of The Catholike Romane Church SECT 5. FIrst obserue that the word ROMANE is not added only for distinction-sake to discerne it from other Churches which in respect of the Catholike doctrine of Faith professed in them haue equally had that Addition as to bee called the Catholike Corinthian or the Catholike Ephesian the Catholike Thessalonian or as we now the Catholike English Church because so it could be no more Catholike than other particular Churches as your Iesuite confesseth and consequently there could be no matter of controuersie But now the word ROMANE is added to the Article of the Catholike Church by way of Transcendencie and as the same Iesuite resolueth supreamly comprehending all other Churches professing the Catholike faith vnder the obedience of the Pope of Rome as the vniuersall Vicar of Christ. So that this Article is become not onely one point of Controuersie but indeede the chiefe Head of all the Controuersies which are between the said Romane Church and all other Churches at this day Secondly you conceiue this Appropriation to be Diuini Iuris in a strict sence ordained by Christ himselfe and not onely by Ecclesiasticall Institution Thirdly vpon this pretended Ordinance you exact from all other Churches Christian a Necessitie of Vnion with your Church of Rome and the Bishop thereof both in Faith Subiection Fourthly this Necessity of Subiection you beleeue to be Absolute as to exclude from hope of Saluation not onely all them that shall refuse to be subiect to the Romane Primacie but euen all them also that do not beleeue euery soule of man to be vtterly Damned that is not subiect thereunto The GENERALL CHALLENGE against this your former Romane Profession and the Summe of our contrarie Defence SECT 6. IF therefore wee may giue credit vnto your now Romane Church to your later Romane Bishops to your Romane Councels and Creed to your selues and other sworne Professors of the same Romane faith then must wee beleeue all the seuerall points and as it were the Particles of this one Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church without subiection whereunto there is no saluation Which notwithstanding wee hold and beleeue to be respectiuely False Vnconscionable Scandalous Schismaticall Hereticall Blasphemous and euery way Damnable And this we coÌ„fidently hope God assisting vs to proue from such your owne Grounds and from so manifest Demonstrations as that you shall fully perceiue vs to plead not so much our owne Cause as the Cause of the holy Apostles of the renowned Martyrs and Confessors of Christ of the most Orthodoxe Christian Professors of the holy Faith euen in the Primitiue Times of other innumerable Churches of Christendoâ—e still partakers of the Common Saluation yea and of the Catholike and Vniuersall Church of Christ it selfe Our proofes for the maintaining of this Challenge may be reduced vnto two heads The first is the Consideration of the common Article of our Christian faith to wit The holy Catholike Church The second from the state of the Visible Church of Christ it selfe as well Primitiue as Successiue CHAP. II. The first Generall Foundation of our CHALLENGE is taken from the Article in the Apostles Creed viz. The Catholike Church SECT 1. WE lay the first ground of our Challenge vpon the Apostles Creed and Symbol so called you know as being A forme of Faith composed by the Apostles accordingly as the ancient Fathers haue commonly taught Which the Schollers of Christ ought to get by hart as a watch-word in our Christian discipline whereby the faithfull Professors as by a perfect Shibboleth may be distinguished from the Iewish and Hereticall Which Christian Symbol although it be called the Apostles Creed yet it is so termed not because they were Deuisers but onely Collectors thereof by reducing the fundamentall Articles into one Briefe euen as a posie is called his that gathered trimmed it not that he created the flowers but because he composed the bundle and like as the writers of the Gospell were not Inuentors and Dictators but onely Pen-men of the holy Ghost and Scribes of Christ as the Fathers vse to speake Which the Euangelists themselues do sufficiently teach by inscribing their worke The Gospell of Iesus Christ. And accordingly all the Apostles in receiuing the doctrine of saluation are called Disciples not Doctors or Masters in respect of Christ. So then we haue in this posie a briefe Collection of those flowers of sauing truth which spring in the Paradise of God the Gospell of Iesus Christ. That the Church hath no power to ordaine any new Article of faith SECT 2. HE onely can make an Article of faith as necessarily belonging vnto the saluation of soules who can create a soule and after make a Gospell or Testament to saue this soule and then giue vnto that soule the gift of faith to beleeue this Gospell and next institute a Sacrament for confirmation of that faith and in the end bestow saluation vpon the same faithfull beleeuer This we should prooue from Scriptures and from the constant iudgement of the Fathers if it were not a doctrine acknowledged in your owne Schooles and professed by all Christians I proceed to that which followeth That the false Additions to the Creed are new Articles SECT 3. THere are two kinds of additions vnto the Apostolicall Creed the one is of Explication the other is of Deprauation The addition onely of Explication is iustifiable as appeareth by the addition of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consubstantiall filioque which haue bene set downe in Declaratiue Creeds composed by ancient Councels for the clearer vnderstanding of the great mysterie of the Trinitie In which case those additions may be truly called as Lirinensis saith of the like Non noua sed nouè dicta But the Addition of Deprauation of the sence of the Creed in any essentiall and fundamentall part thereof which is to be beleeued as necessary to saluation must needs be a new Article and euery such new Article in true construction a new Heresie Now what one Professor is there in the Romane Church who whensoeuer he repeateth that one Article of our Christian Creed The Catholike Church doth not vnderstand thereby the Romane onely And againe what one is there among you that hearing mention made of the Romane Catholike Church doth not take the addition of the word ROMANE to be a Declaration and exposition of the
to the true Successor of Peter or otherwise we could not know that this is a true Councell and iustly confirmed by the Pope c. But with what degree of Faith do you beleeue this With that Diuine Faith saith the Other wherewith we beleeue Iesus Christ with the same ought we to beleeue this Paul the IV. to be the true Pope and not with any humane Faith which is subiect to be deceiued Behold a Iesuiticall Faith both grosly false and also wickedly blasphemous because that there cannot be an Infallibilitie in the Election of any Pope is manifest by two confessed and vncontrollable Consequences taken from two possible defects the one in the Popes Ordination the second in his Election First for his Ordination your Councell of Florence defineth That the truth of euery Sacrament dependeth vpon the intention of the Minister But None can be sure by certaintie of Faith saith Bellarmine that any such receiued the Sacrament of Ordination because none infallibly knoweth the intention of him that Ordaineth And Vega more vehemently It is as certaine saith he that we are not infallibly certaine of the receiuing of any Sacrament as it is certaine that we now liue Thus of the Popes Ordination Alphonsus à Castro is as bold with the Pope about his Election Which because it may not be Canonicall we are not to beleeue it saith he with a Catholike Faith Whereof your Cardinall giueth some Examples In which two respects many of your Schoole Doctors haue concluded that In the knowledge of this man to be a true Pope you haue no more but a morall certitude Whereof we shall speake more hereafter CHALLENGE THat Addition the beliefe whereof is onely humane morall and fallible cannot be a Declaration of an Article of Diuine and Infallible faith such as is that of the Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed But the word ROMANE is an Addition the Beliefe whereof is onely humane morall and fallible Ergo the Addition of the word ROMANE to the Catholike Church cannot be a proper Declaration of that Article in the Creed So vaine and vniust is your appropriation of the word Catholike to your Romane Church The eight Argument to proue that the Addition of the word ROMANE can be no Declaration of the Article of The Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed because it makes all periured that do professe it vpon Oath besides the heresie and blasphemie thereof SECT 11. THat in your profession of the Catholike Romane Church the word Romane is an Article of Faith challenging thereby a necessary subiection to the Bishop of Rome we haue heard already both in the Decrees of Popes and also in that Forme of an Oath which euery Ecclesiasticall person in your Church of what condition soeuer he be is enioyned to take swearing that The Romane Church is the Catholike Mother and Mistris Church vowing Obedience to the Bishop thereof and in the same Oath that this Romane Article with others is The Catholike faith without which there is none can be saued which is the proper tenor of an essentiall Article of faith Now in as much as the word CREDO in the Apostles Creed doth import A constant and infallible persuasion of the Christian Beleeuer as your owne Romane Catechisme doth truly instruct you and because to speake in the words of your owne Bozius These things which are propounded in the Creed are the Principles or foundations of all other things that are to be beleeued and ought at all times to be in themselues infallibly true in euery part otherwise they should be no Principles in as much as their truth is but doubtfull We by this your appropriating of the Article The Church without which none can be saued are constrained to pronounce you guiltie of a new Heresie in your faith Periurie in your Oath and Blasphemie in your excluding out of the state of Saluation the most vndoubted members of the mysticall body of Christ which is his Church I. CHALLENGE EVery new Article of Faith that is to say new Doctrine made necessary to saluation is an Heresie as you your selues will confesse But this Article The Catholike Romane Church without which there is no Saluation is a new Article as hath bene amply prooued because it is repugnant to the Article of The Catholike Church professed in the Apostolike Creed as hath bene made manifest in the Premisses by many Arguments Therefore your Article of The Catholike Romane Church without which there is no saluation must needs be esteemed Hereticall II. CHALLENGE EVery one bound to beleeue and to auouch vpon Oath any Doctrine as necessary to Saluation which is not of an infallible truth is thereby made guilty of Periurie But euery Romish Priest by the Bull of Pope Pius 4. is bound to beleeue vpon Oath that the Romane Church is the Catholike Church without which there is no saluation Albeit you yourselues haue confessed at large that this your doctrine standeth not vpon any infallible grounds of truth either in respect of Time past at the founding of the Church of Rome which was not instituted by any Diuine Ordinance or in respect of the Time present wherein you haue no full assurance of your Catholike Head the Pope or yet in respect of the Time to come when as you Confesse a Possibilitie that the Catholike Church may cease to be Romane because it may possibly be translated to another place Therefore are all Romish Priests necessarily inuolued in the crime of Periurie by swearing that to be a necessarie Article of Faith which is in so many respects defectiue and commeth short of all the Essentiall grounds of Faith III. CHALLENGE THat Article which excludeth from Saluation the vndoubtedly essentiall and liuely members of the Mysticall bodie of Christ which is his Church that is a doctrine vndoubtedly Blasphemous But your Article The Romane Church without which there is no saluation doth exclude from Saluation both those which before the Church of Rome was a Catholike Church suffered bonds imprisonment and Martyrdome it selfe for the profession of Christ next all Catechumenists and persons vniustly Excommunicated albeit departing this life in true faith and repentance and lastly all them who in the dayes of Antichrist when the Church as it is Romane as you say may peraduenture but as we thinke will Apostate from the Faith shall persist the constant and glorious Martyrs of Christ Iesus c. Therefore this Article cannot but be manifestly Blasphemous Thus much concerning our Proofes taken from the Consideration of the Article of Christian Faith in the Apostles Creed viz. The Catholike Church By which we haue euicted your Additiō of the word ROMANE to make an Article of Faith to be New False Scandalous Pernitious Hereticall and Blasphemous respectiuely CHAP. III. A Second generall Head of Confutation of the former Article is from the Consideration of the Iudgement of the Church by Examples of seuerall
to iudicious Professors To trie all things and retaine that which is good that is to say True For if Truth were not good no Goodnesse could be True Next is the Bond of your Profession who will be thought to be the onely Catholikes that is the Professors of the Catholike Faith and possessors of that Fold of Christ which in the Apostles Creed is called the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH the defence of which truly called Catholike Church without which there no Saluation is the Subiect of this whole Treatise Wherein you may finde that your Romane Church quà Romane is excluded from the Prerogatiue of The Catholike Mother Church as by the Iudgement of the Catholike Church it selfe so also by the same Catholike Theoreme which you so Commonly obiect and glorie in viz. HE HATH NOT GOD FOR HIS FATHER WHO HATH NOT THE CHVRCH FOR HIS MOTHER according to the plaine and euident Sence of that Catholike Father who was the first Author thereof A Third Obligation ariseth from your owne Practise who are so vrgent vehement and in a sort violent in defending a Necessarie Vnion with the Romane Church and in inueighing against our Separation from it as against a deadly and damnable Schisme Wherefore it were in you a perfidious Tergiuersation to heare as hath beene partly pointed at your Answers refuted and your Obiections retorted vpon you and not to make Triall whether you haue beene able to stand vnto your Defence and Defiance or no. Lastly in your asking HOVV this Assertion can be made good your owne Interrogatorie exacteth of you a Diligence to vnderstand the Answer to the same HOVV Whereunto for this Present I shall Answer but in a Generality to wit that I haue endeuored to Insist 1. Concerning the Antecedents vpon Grounds immoouable such as are the Common Rules of Faith and good Conscience 2. Vpon Consequences vndeniable such as are your owne Principles and Conclusions 3. For Testification of both the former vpon Witnesses least partiall to vs-ward such as are for the most part your owne Writers and 4. Concerning the Credit which you may require in alleaging your Authors vpon such an oculata fides as whereunto you will take no Exception and although some of them may happen to bee vrged Iudicio errante yet sure I am animo reluctante not One. But What needs more Prefacing These and the like Questions which may appertaine to the Article in hand may bee more particularly satisfied in the Discourse it selfe which I shall desire you to accept with the same Right-hand of Christian Affection wherewith it is offered vnto you and that if Any shall addresse an Answer thereunto that then he iudge and censure it vpon the same Caution and Condition wherewith it is written and tendred vnto him euen as for his Sayings or Gain-Sayings he will answer God at the day of Iudgement Fare-you well Yours still a Debter vnto you in Christ Iesus THO. COVEN LICHF A SVMMARIE OF THE seuerall CHAPTERS CHAP. I. THe Profession of the Romish Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church c. imposed by the Romane Popes confessed by their Councels Catechismes and Iesuites Sect. 1.2.3.4 c. CHAP. II. OVR FIRST CONSIDERATION is of the Generall Foundation of our Confutation of that Romane Article by prouing it to be a sacrilegious Deprauation of the Common Article of our Christian Creede THE CATHOLIKE CHVRCH Sect. 1.2.3 I. Argument Because the Word ROMANE excludeth that part of the Catholike Church which is called the Triumphant Confessed Sect. 4. II. In respect of the Essentiall Parts of the Church Militant by comprizing in it those that are but Excrements and no true Members thereof Confessed Sect. 5. III. In respect as the Church Catholike is Visible by Excluding the Essentiall Members thereof viz. faithfull Catechumenists and vniustly Excommunicated Persons Confessed Sect. 6. IV. Because the Article of Catholike Roman Church as ROMANE is voide of all Catholike foundation which is Diuine authoritie Confessed Sect. 7. V. In respect of the Time Past because the Catholike Church was long before there was so much as a Romane Church Confessed Sect. 8. VI. In respect of the Time to Come because the Church Romane as it is ROMANE may possibly be altered from the Catholike Church Confessed Sect. 9. VII In respect of any Time Present because alwayes vncertaine of her true Romane Head Confessed Sect. 10. VIII Because this Romane Article is to all that Beleeue it Necessarily a matter of Heresie and of Periurie to All that which all Romish Priests are compelled vnto sweare vnto it Sect. 11. CHAP. III. A SECOND CONSIDERATION of the Catholike Church is by obseruing a Second general Head of Confutation from the Iudgement of seuerall Councels Churches and Fathers in a Different Respect of Time Sect. 1. I. In Respect of the Time Before the foundation of the Church of Rome that Church is falsly called the Mother-Church of all Others Sect. 2. 1. Proofe from the rottennes of the foundation of her Mother-hood which is the false Pretence of Peter his Ordaining all other Apostles to be Pastors Confessed Sect. 3. 2. Proofe by Instancing in the Examples of Churches which were Mother-Churches before Rome and some also to Rome Sect. 4. As Hierusalem Sect. 5. Caesarea Sect. 6. Antioch Sect. 7. c. The Greeke Church in Generall Sect. 8. And the Church of Britaine Sect. 9. CHAP. IV. II. IN Respect of the Time about When the Church of Rome was first founded because 1. The Romane Article of the Catholike Romane Church is Contrarie to the faith of Saint Peter the pretended Founder of that Church Sect. 1. to Sect. 8. 2. Contrary to the Faith of Saint Paul the supposed Co-founder of the same Church with Saint Peter Sect. 8.9.10 His account of the Romane Church Sect. 11.12.13.14 3. Contrary to the Faith of Saint Iohn who taught that the Citie of Rome was to be the Seat of Antichrist before the second Comming of Christ. Sect. 15. And because he could not be accounted Subiect to the Pope § 16. CHAP V. III. IN Respect of the Time When the Church of Rome was first founded the same Article is found Contrary to the faith of the Church of Christ. Sect. 1. An Argument from the Tyrannous Domineering of the Church of Rome by Two Instances Sect. 2.3 CHAP. VI. IIII. IN Respest of the Time After the foundation of the Romane Church Sect. 1. First in the Primitiue age Prouing that the now Romane Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church c. is Contrarie to the Iudgement of Antiquity Sect. 2. I. Argument from the Contrarie ancient Sence of the Word Catholike Church Sect. 3. By the iudgement of Saint Augustine Sect. 4. of Saint Hierome Sect. 5. of S. Gregory Sect. 6 CHAP. VII II. ARgument is taken from the Comparisons betweene the other Churches and Bishops with the Church of Rome and her Bishops by the iudgement of Irenaeus Tertullian Athanasius Vinc. Lyrinensis Sect. 1. The same Comparisons proued by
desire to be vnited with the Church So they which is full enough for your fuller conuiction CHALLENGE IF without the Romane Church some may bee actually saued then the Addition of the word ROMANE caonot be a Declaration of The Catholike Church without which there is no Saluation But the Romane Church is such without which as you confesse some may be actually saued Ergo the Addition of the word ROMANE to the Catholike Church cannot bee a Declaration thereof For although All agree in this as your selues confesse that Without the Catholike Church there is no saluation yet haue you confessed two sorts of Christian Professors namely Excommunicates and Catechumenists to bee actually saued albeit no Members of your Romane Church As for being Saued only by Desire or Vâ—we of being in your Church it is but a wilde and extrauagant piece of learning in the iudgement of your owne Iesuite But we will reason the matter with you Know you not that the Church Catholike is compared by Saint Petor to the Arke of Noah that as all which were within that Arke were saued all without it were drowned although they Desired neuer so much to haue been admitted into the Arke so it is in the Church Catholike whosoeuer are essentiall members thereof cannot possibly perish and contrarily whoseuer is not a reall and vitall member therein cannot but perish The fourth Argument to proue that the Addition of the word ROMANE cannot be a Declaration of the Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed In respect of the Diuine Authority of the Article SECT 7. IT hath alwaies beene the Profession of the Catholike Church it selfe not to esteeme any Doctrine an Article of Faith which is not constituted and to speake with better Emphasis Created by Diuine authority This being a Truth vniuersally consented vnto you if you will make good the Addition of the word ROMANE to the Article of the Catholike Church are iustly challengable either to proue that the Romane Church as it is the Romane Church was constituted by diuine Authority to be rather than any other transcendently THE Catholike Church or else to confesse your Article of Romane Church without which there is no Saluation to be but new and consequently a Doctrine rather of fancie than of Faith The necessity of this Consequence was well foreseene of those your Popes who were the first Authors and Patrons of this Article and therefore haue published in their writings and decrees that The Romane Church was by Diuine Authority ordained to be the Catholike Church This Question dependeth vpon the reason of the Pope of Rome his succession to Saint Peter to wit whether it were allotted to the Bishop of Rome to succed Saint Peter as Head of the Catholike Church by the institution of Christ or else by the fact of Saint Peter himselfe For if it were by command and appointment of Christ then it must be allowed as a Diuine Ordinance but if it issued onely from the fact of Saint Peter then by your owne Confessions it is no doctrine of Faith This being the state of the Question as it is propounded by your selues hereunto we desire to receiue your owne Resolutions To this purpose when wee consult with your choisest Doctors as namely Bellarmine Suarez Soto Paludanus Bannes Augustinus Triumphus Cordubensis Armachanus Waldensis and Others they that speake more ingenuously doe freely grant that the pretended Pontificall Dignity Romane as it is Romane is not from diuine authority because onely from the fact of Peter They that are more affectionate to the Romane See although they attribute it to the Institution of Christ yet dare they not say that this is to be beleeued vpon certainty of Faith but onely as a matter Probable and Coniecturall Nay if you shall haue but a little patience vntill we descend to that point you shall perceiue by the iudgement of the Catholike Church it selfe in a generall Councell of primatiue Antiquity that The Prerogatiue which the Church of Rome then had was but from Humane authority CHALLENGE AN Addition standing onely vpon Probability and Coniecture cannot be infallibly a Declaration of an Article of Faith founded vpon Diuine and Infallible authority But your Addition of the word ROMANE standeth as you confesse vpon probability and Coniecture onely Ergo it cannot be an infallible Declaration of the Apostolicall Article The Catholike Church without which there is no saluation And consequently your word ROMANE added to the Christian Creed thereby to make the Romane Church The Catholike Church without which there is no saluation must necessarily be iudged Antichristian The fift Argument to proue that the Addition of the word ROMANE cannot be a Declaration of the Article The Catholike Church as it is Visible in respect of the Time past whereunto the word CATHOLIKE hath relation euen before Rome was founded a Church SECT 8. WHo knoweth not that your Addition of the word ROMANE vnto the Apostolicall Article of The Catholike Church is to infuse an opinion into the mindes of Christians that Catholike and Romane are termes vniuocall and conuertible which is as much as to say that whensoeuer there was a Romane Church it was The Catholike Church and whensoeuer there was a Catholike Church it was Romane Scarce shall you finde any Romish Professor especially among the vulgar who haue not this conceit of that Article of Christian Faith Notwithstanding your more learned Doctors are not ignorant that this Apostolicall Article The Catholike Church was published before that in Rome was founded a Church and that the Apostolicall Church it selfe was Catholike before the Article of the Catholike Church was proclaimed Which name CATHOLIKE or vniuersall was first attributed to the Church Christian To distinguishit as you know from the Synagogue of the Iewes which was circumscribed and confined to one only nation whereas the Church Catholike is not limited to any one place but is as broad in succession of place as is the whole world Now concerning the Catholike Church in the time of the Apostles Card. Baronius whose History you honour as an heauenly Lampe or torch telleth you that The Creed of the Apostles wherein is the Article of The Catholike Church was composed by them in the yeere of Christ XLIV and that the Catholike Church was extant sometime before this Article was put into the tenor of the Creed Which he demonstrateth from the act of Saint Peter who in the yeere of our Sauiour XXXIX is found Visiting the Churches in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia c. That the same Apostle Saint Peter Constituted the Church of Antioch in the same yeere and after that he had gouerned the See of Antioch seuen yeeres hee in the yeere XLV translated his See from Antioch to Rome Your other Chronologer Genebrard yeeldeth vnto vs eleuen yeeres betweene the Composing of the Apostles Creed and the first foundation of the Church of Rome by the Apostle Saint
Peter We adde that S. Paul whom all the Romanists teach to haue beene a Co-founder with Saint Peter of the Church of Rome had been before that time A Persecuter of the Church of Christ as he himselfe confesseth when Saint Steuen suffered Martyrdome But the Church of Christ as it is called Catholike comprehendeth say you all times CHALLENGE THe addition of a word which betokeneth onely a part of Time of the Churches being cannot be a Declaration of the Church which is called Catholike on respect of the whole and vniuersall Time of the being of the Church But the addition of the word ROMANE doth betoken but a part of Time of the being of the Church namely after the first constitution of the Church of Christ Catholike Ergo It cannot be any true Explication of the Article properly called the Catholike Church except you will exclude out of the Church of Christ without which there is no saluation S. Stephen the first Christian Martyr and all other blessed primitiue Martyrs and Confessors who died the faithfull members of Christ before the Church of Rome had receiued her first life or breath Wherefore the word ROMANE cannot be added to our Christian Creed as a Declaration of that Article The Catholike Church without which there is no saluation without intolerable blasphemie against Apostles Martyrs and other Confessors and blessed Saints of God vnder the persecution of Saul afterwards Paul who because they were before the Church of Rome and consequently without it must be iudged by your Article to haue beene at that time without the state of Grace Of whom notwithstanding our Sauiour Christ gaue testimonie by this voice from heauen saying to Saul in their behalfe Why persecutest thou Mee So false and impious is your Addition of the word ROMANE to that Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed The sixt Argument to proue that the Addition of the word ROMANE cannot be a Declaration of that Article in the Apostles Creed The Catholike Church In respect of the Time to come SECT 9. AGaine the word Catholike or vniuersall mentioned in the Apostles Creed as it comprehendeth as you haue said the Time past so doth it you know implie The time to come vntill the ends of the world according to the promise of Christ Mat. 28.20 Whereâ—ore our next Question must be whether the Church of Rome which will needs be the Catholike Church can infallibly professe a Prerogatiue of continuing the the same pretended Catholike Church vntill the ends of the world and whether her owne principles doe not vtterly confute this vsurpation It is a generall principle of your Doctors aswell Iesuites as others that If the succession in the gouernement of the Catholike Church were not allotted to the Bishop of Rome by diuine authority then the same gouernement may bee transported from the same Bishop and the Church of Rome may depart from the Faith as well as other Churches and by name the Church of Constantinople haue done This Consequence being so vniuersally receiued and approued in your owne Schooles our next endeauour will be to proue that it cannot appeare infallibly that the Church of Rome hath a Priuiledge of continuing The Catholike Church to the end of the world by any diuine authority This hath bene briefly touched already but here is the place to handle it more at large Your Canus with some Others lest they should bee compelled to confesse that the Church of Rome may possibly Apostate in future times haue contended to defend that It was constituted the Catholike Church by the Institution of Christ. Which if it were true then would there appeare some euidence thereof either before or else after the Ascension of Christ. But Before the Ascention of Christ saith your Iesuite Suarez Nothing appeareth of any such Ordinance either in Scripture or from Tradition And that which is commonly alledged out of Egesippus of Christ his appearance after his Ascension vnto Peter Commanding him to fixe his seate at Rome vntill his death in the iudgement of your Iesuite Valentianus is of no force to proue that the Romane Church was to continue Catholike We draw nearer our marke There is no certaintie of faith saith Bellarmine with whom the Iesuite Suarez consenteth that the Sea Apostolike is so fixed at Rome as that it cannot be separated and remoued from that Church because there is neither Scripture nor Tradition to proue this Nor these onely but Sotus with diuers other Schoole-men directly and peremptorily consent that The Priuilege which Rome doth challenge is onely by the ordinance of Saint Peter and therefore from humane authority Yea and Some yeeld not so much as the Institution by S. Peter but by the Church so farre that If the Church in a Councell should choose the Arch-bishop of Treuers or of any other place to be Head of the Church he should be rather the Successor of Peter than the Bishop of Rome Furthermore we reserue vnto it's due place your Confession that The Citie of Rome shall vndoubtedly bee the Seate of Antichrist CHALLENGE AN Addition which notifieth a Church that may possibly be translated else-whither and depart from the Faith cannot bee a Declaration of that Article in our Christian Creed which signifieth a Church infallibly continuing in the Faith to the end of the world But the word ROMANE as it signifieth the Romane Church betokeneth a Church which may possibly be Translated and depart from the Faith Ergo it cannot be a Declaration of the Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed So then to make the word Catholike hereditarie to that Romane Church which possibly may be as truly Antichristian as Rome it selfe is sure to be by your owne Confessions The Seate of Antichrist doth plainly discouer an Article New False Antichristian and Blasphemous The seuenth Argument to proue that the Addition of the word ROMANE to the Catholike Church cannot be a Declaration of the Christian Faith mentioned in the Apostles Creed in respect of any Present Time SECT 10. THe Certainty whatsoeuer it is of your Article The Catholike Romane Church is built vpon this foundation that the Pope of Rome is the Catholike and Vniuersall Bishop of the Church of Christ as the Popes themselues haue formerly defined Now because no structure can be more firme than is the foundation vpon which it is built wee make bold to demand with what faith any of you can beleeue any Pope whatsoeuer he be that is elected to be the True Pope that is as you call him The Catholike Bishop of Rome without which the Church of Rome cannot be acknowledged The Catholike Church This Consequence Two of your Iesuites did truly discerne which made Them resolue thus As the visible Church saith the one is this indiuiduall Church so the visible Head thereof must needs be this visible Pope who by the common consent is so ordained vnto whom we owe obedience as
not Peter confessing III. ROCKE is that Confession whereupon Christ saith he will build his Church and members thereof but whosoeuer shall truly beleeue that which S. Peter confessed to wit Christ the Sonne of the liuing God is accordingly built vpon the Rocke albeit he should neuer haue heard so much as the name of Peter Ergo the Confession rightly vnderstood had Relation to Christ and not to the person of Saint Peter IV. The thing which Christ spake of was called the ROCKE as Fathers Authors and Professors on all sides do witnesse to signifie that which is Immoueable Impreinable and Eternall such as is Christ and his Truth But Peter found his Confession as it proceeded from himselfe to be moueable and shaken at one time thrice denying this Confession of his Lord when as also he knew himselfe to be mortall Ergo he did not thinke this Confession which Christ calleth the Rocke to haue Relation to himselfe but onely to Christ. So impossible it is that Saint Peter in his Confession should apprehend the ground of your now Romane Faith Whence you cannot but obserue with what modestie your forecited Aduocates Baronius Bellarmine and Roffensis could obiect vnto Protestants Impudencie Singularitie and Blindnesse for defending an Exposition of the word ROCKE so copiously and euidently warranted by all sorts of Witnesses euen within the Romish Church it selfe II. CHALLENGE From the iudgement of the ancient Fathers IN venerable Antiquitie we find some Fathers distinguishing betweene Petra the Rocke and Peter as plainly as between Christ and a Christian Some as directly noting Christ to be the Rocke as Saint Iohn did euer point him out to be The Lambe of God where they say This Rocke was Christ Some that Peter made his Confession As the mouth of the other Disciples And that The Faith confessed was the Rocke Some by way of Diminution Not Peter alone more than others Some exclusiuely Not Peter And though Some for we may not dissemble thus much do expound by Rocke Peter yet do they meane either a Primacie of Order or Honour in Peter not of authoritie and dominion or else a priority of Confession because he vttered the words first And so all the Apostles and Prophets are called Foundations by which is not meant their persons or dominions but their doctrines Else shew vs where euer any Prophet had any Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in the Church of the Iewes And whereas you are vrgent in obiecting the Testimonie of Saint Augustine as though he would make the Case indifferent yet are you taught by your owne Bishop that Augustine in that place rather held that by Rocke was meant Christ. Albeit that to make this Exposition indifferent which you lay downe as a ground of your Faith would be the vtter destruction of your owne Cause For Faith must stand vpon Infallibilitie and not vpon an Indifferencie of Choosing whether So inconsiderate and precipitant was that your Author in his Obiection Now whatsoeuer may seeme to be wanting in this second Challenge it is plentifully supplied by One whose iudgement ought to be as acceptable as his learning was admirable Cast your eye on the Margent where you shall perceiue how many Fathers Interpreted the ROCKE to signifie either Christ confessed by Peter or else the Confession of Peter so that your Cardinall censuring the interpretation of Protestants not to be the Exposition of Catholikes doth in effect thereby wipe out of the number of Catholikes Ambrose Chrysostome Augustine and diuers other ancient Fathers Next that the Expounding by Rocke Peter doth nothing aduantage the Romish Conclusion which is from Rocke to inferre Saint Peters Monarchie and absolute Iurisdiction ouer all other Apostles because Rocke can be but a Symbol or signe of such properties as are belonging to a Rocke as Soliditie and Vnmouablenesse in the faith but not of Dominion Finally he noteth in your Cardinall a bold licentiousnesse who being a Romanist to make Saint Peter the Rocke durst correct the Vulgar Translation which hath beene pronounced Authenticall by the Councell of Trent III. CHALLENGE BY this time you see that your faith of Peters Monarchie which you beare the world in hand to be infallibly built vpon the word ROCKE mentioned by Christ vnto Peter is according to the iudgement of the Fathers Confessions of your owne Diuines and irresistable demonstrations of truth it selfe meerely built vpon the sands How then shall any conscience of man beleeue you in your Expositions of Scripture seeing you to be so egregiously ouertaken in that which you in all your disputes concerning this Cause obiect as if not the sole yet the most solid Rocke of your beleefe As for any other place of Scripture which can be alleaged in this Cause it were altogether superfluous to discusse in this place both because the euidence which you haue receiued from this one Text may sufficiently warne you not to presume of the learning and iudgement whereof your grand-Leadears make such boasts as also because all other Obiections haue beene fully satisfied elsewhere Where the acknowledgement of Cardinall Cusanus sometimes the Popes Legate excellently studied in the Fathers and primarily exercised in the Councell of Basil is made good who in debating the question of the Popes Iurisdiction with the assent of that Councell did publikely auerre that Peter receiued from Christ no greater authoritie than did the other Apostles nothing was said to him which was not spoken to them Hee proceedeth further particularly insisting vpon the obiected Scriptures and concludeth that the other Apostles were equally called Stones had equally the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen deliuered vnto them equally receiued the charge of teaching that is Feeding of the whole flocke of Christ. As yet then you haue no foundation for your pretended Monarchie of Peter by any promise of Christ made vnto him In the next place we are to examine whether any ground appeare thereof by any Monarchicall or Iuridicall Act of Saint Peter through out the whole course of his Apostleship ouer all or any one of the other Apostles II. That Saint Peter neuer exercised any Act of Iurisdiction as properly belonging to himselfe ouer the other Apostles whereby to testifie that hee had any Dominion ouer them as the Monarch and Head of the Catholike Church SECT 5. TOuching Saint Peters practise and conuersation among the other Apostles wee suppose that the testimony of your Salmeron one of the first in the foundation of the Societie of Iesuites and throughout all his Volumes which are sixteene vpon all occasions every-where a zealous Proctor for the prouing and promoting of Saint Peters Monarchie may as well satisfie your selues as it doth vs. Hee therefore in answer to the Question why the pretended Monarchie of Saint Peter is not demonstrable by any publike Act of Peter telleth vs and his words are worthy of obseruation that Peter although he were Head and Iudge ouer the other Apostles yet he
his owne Accompt of the Romane Church Our first Proofe SECT 11. GReat was the estimation doubtles which Saint Paul had of the Christian Professors of his time in the Church of Rome yet not so great by farre as you would make the world beleeue For first we haue heard your vaunting of the Preheheminence of Rome because It was founded both by Peter and Paul the two most renouned among the Apostles which boast is as easily blowne away by propounding a confessed Parallell out of your Bozius from Ecclesiasticall Records shewing that Peter and Paul both founded the Church of Corinth Yet was Corinth neuer knowne to haue preheminence aboue Alexandria or other Churches of Asia or elsewhere Oh! but there is a second place which will stop all mouthes of Contradiction in the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romanes Chap. 1. ver 8. I thanke my God through Iesus Christ for you all that your Faith is published through-out the World Vpon this Commendation of the Faith of those Romanes the Professors of the now Romane Faith vse in a manner to triumph as though that Encomium with the same Faith were hereditary to that Church or as if at that day CATHOLIKE and ROMANE had beene all one An Obiction now-adaies breathed into the mouth of euery Vulgar Papist Whereas first if you will permit your owne Cardinall Tolet and your Iesuit SÃ to be our Expositors both will say that These words through-out the world are to be taken as Hyperbolically spoken and by way of excesse Yea One of them resolueth that by the words Your Faith is not meant What the Romanes beleeued but onely That they beleeued their Faith being now published through-out the World So that it appeareth not by this that the Faith then was held Catholike because the Romanes beleeued it but that it was now a common fame thorow out the whole World that the Romanes had receiued the Christian Faith And no maruell seeing that Rome was then the publike stage of the World by reason of the Imperiall Seate there whither all sorts of people vnder that vast Empire had recourse for the discharge of Tributes and Accounts for their Offices and the like So that it was not possible that things done publikely in Rome should not be knowne to the whole visible World as your owne Iesuite Pererius doth obserue Easily therefore might that newes be spread abroad through-out all quarters that the Romanes had receiued the Faith This is all Secondly your former Insultation is easily checked with a Parallel of the like if not of a larger Commendation of the same Apostle vnto the Church of Thessalonica 1 Thess. 1.2 We giue thankes alwaies to God for you all making mention of you in our prayers Remembring without ceasing your worke of Faith And againe ver 8. From you saith he sounded out the Word of the Lord not onely in Macedonia and Achaia but also in euery place your Faith to God-ward is spread abroade c. And least you may peraduenture thinke that Rome hauing had the preheminence of Commendation before Thessalonica therefore the Church of Thessalonica receiued their Faith from the Romanes this Obiection will rebound vpon the Authors themselues for although the Epistle to the Romanes haue the first place by the Ordinance of the Church it is not because of the Dignity of the Church of Rome but for the excellencie and necessity of the matter and Argument of the Epistle it selfe which is the Doctrine of Iustification For if we consider the order of times wherein the Apostle Saint Paul Writ his Epistles your owne Authors willingly consent to the iudgement of Theodoret that According to the order obserued by Saint Paul first were published the I. and II. Epistles to the Thessalonians after them the I. and II. Epistles to the Corinthians c. and the Epistle to the Romanes come not in till your seuenth place or rather according to your Onuphrius his computation not vntill the last CHALLENGE SEeing that the Commendation of the Faith of the Thessalolonians and the Encomium of the Faith of the Romanes are both almost in words and in sence fully the same as your owne Cardinall and Iesuite Tolet doth tell you this sheweth the vanity of your obiections from point to point For first to argue Ergo the Faith of the Romanes was first it is crossed by the Church of Thessalonica which had priority in Saint Pauls Commendation Secondly to argue Ergo Romane Faith and the Catholike or Vniuersall Faith in respect of Vniuersality of Place was then conuertible and al one this is likewise Conttadicted by the like Commendations of the Thessalonians because by the same Argument you must grant that before that the Thessalonike Faith and Catholike Faith in the like respect was also all one Thirdly to argue that therefore the Faith of Rome shall perpetually continue in that Citie this in like manner is confuted by the former Instance in Thessalonica which hauing long since lost her Faith doth warne Rome not to presume of any priuilege of Time or Place But we are to Consult further with Saint Paul to know what account he had of Rome at this time when he wrote this Epistle Our second Proofe of Saint Paul's Account of the then Romane Church SECT 12. AS oft as we heare of your Article The Romane Catholike Church without which there is no saluation We if we should beleeue this to be true should expect that S. Paul writing to the Romanes especially now when with so diuine Oratorie he insinuateth himselfe into their affections by commending of their Faith so published through the World should yeeld some such albeit but implicit Note of the eminence of that Church ouer others which you your-selues doe vsually attribute vnto it But if it shall appeare that he doth not call it The Catholike Church aboue others nor a Church hauing any Prerogatiue before others no nor yet at all so much as a Church as he doth others but rather the Contrarie then may we haue more reason to suspect your Cause and you lesse to ostentate First then your Rhemists to this Question why the Epistles of Saint Paul are not enstiled Catholike Epistles as well as the Epistles of Saint Iames Peter Iude and Iohn are doe answer Because Saint Paul say they writeth not any Epistle at all howbeit euery one of them is for all the Church but to some particular Churches as to the Galathians Romanes c. So they Which Reason is insufficient because the first Catholike Epistle of Peter is directed expressely to the Churches in Pontus Galatia c. and two of the Catholike Epistles of Saint Iohn are inscribed to particular persons The Elect Ladie and Gaius Howbeit in this Answer of the Rhemists we finde Rome to bee but a Particular Church when surely if the Apostle had beene possessed with the spirit of the now Bishop of Rome hee would haue instiled it The Catholike
Church and inscribed his Epistle CATHOLIKE Secondly the Inscription of that Epistle standeth thus To all that are at Rome the Beloued of GOD Saints by calling c. Wherein wee cannot discerne so much as one Syllable of the word Church as wee finde in his Prefaces to the Corinthians To the Church that is at Corinth To the Galathians To the Churches of Galatia to the Thessalonians To the Church of the Thessalonians But in this Epistle hee saith onely To them at Rome Saints by calling to wit the same tenure which hee vsed in his Epistles to the Ephesiaâ—â— Philippians and Colossians Whereunto your Iesuitâ— Salmeron giues this answer There was at this time saith he Factions in Rome betweene Iewes and Gentiles both Christians when Peter the Pastor thereof was expelled out of Rome so that it had scarce the forme of a Church and therefore may it fitly bee said that Paul forbore to call the Romanes a Church If this were the meaning of Saint Paul then are wee sure that hee who would not vouchsafe to call it a Church did thinke Rome to bee as other Churches subiect to the alterations and Changes of Schismes and Factions so farre as not to deserue the name of a Church how much lesse of The Catholike Church Now bethinke your selues what the Apostle would haue called your Rome of after-times when not onely your Professors among themselues but also Popes and Antipopes were distracted into tedious and pernicious Schismes and Factions one against another so that the true Pope sometimes could not bee knowne Which thing your owne deuout Doctors haue greatly deplored One reckoning the number of these Schismes to haue beene Twenty Another accounting the Continuance of one of them to haue endured Fifty yeeres when as the Pope quitting the Citie of Rome for many yeeres together kept his residence at Auignon in France Our third Proofe of Saint Pauls indifferent estimation of the Church of Rome SECT 13. THe third point concerneth the Prerogatiue which you assume to your Romane Church before others Wee shall desire you to consult once againe with Saint Paul in the same Epistle Chap. 1. Ver. 13. saying I haue oftentimes purposed to come vnto you Romanes that I might haue some fruite among you â—lso 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen as also among other Gentiles That one wor◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen as also among Others must needs prooue a prick in your eye who can looke vpon nothing that can more equall the condition of other Churches with the Church of Rome than that word doth by the confession of your Cardinall Tolet and he would haue you to Marke it and we also pray you to Marke what he saith MARRKE saith he the indifferencie of the Gospel because although the Romanes were farre more eminent than other Nations and had the Primacie neuerthelesse in the preaching of the Word and soules-businesse belonging to saluation the Apostle maketh Others equall with the Romanes Among you saith the Apostle as also among other Gentiles of what Nation soeuer So he Heere your Cardinall not to dissemble maketh the Comparison to stand betweene the Romanes and the Grecians as they were before their calling vnto Christianity namely in the equality of Sinne not any one deseruing to be partaker of Grace by the Gospell more than another Neuerthelesse if you shall Marke a little better nothing can be more cleare than that the Apostle compareth these Romanes as they were Christians with other Christian Gentiles conuerted to the Faith because of the same Romanes to whom he said Ver. 6. You are called of Iesus Christ and Ver. 8. You whose Faith is spoken of through-out the World and Ver. 11. I long to see you that I may impart vnto you some spirituall gift to the end you may be established of the Same he saith here in this 13 Verse That I might haue some fruit among you these you know could not bee other than Christians whom he thus commended as already called to the Faith therefore in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of other Gentiles he meant the Churches of the Gentiles committed vnto Christ Those saith Aquinas vnto whom he had preached So that the labour of the Apostle was vnpartiall vnto the Churches of Christ further than they should bring forth the Fruites of the Gospell of Christ CHALLENGE TWo things there are by which the estimation which Writers haue of Persons or Incorporations to whom they Dedicate their Epistles may bee discerned to wit Inscriptions and Comparisons The Apostle by the Inscription of his Epistle to the Romanes hath giuen vs iust presumption to thinke that he held not the Church of Rome then The Catholike Church which as then he had cause to forbeare to call so much as a Church and that the said Church by Comparison is subiect to alteration as well as Others And so much the rather because the Indifferencie of the Gospell is such as is not to be tied to one place or people more than to another but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equall to all Churches so farre forth as they shall walke worthie of the same Gospell of Christ accordingly as we haue beene directed by the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romanes The Confirmation of the same Faith of Saint Paul by your owne Confessions equalling Saint Paul and Saint Peter in their diuers Relations to the Church of Rome SECT 14. WHat shall we say to your owne free grants 1. That Saint Peter and Saint Paul were both Co-founders of the Romane Church 2. That both were called Bishops of the same Church by Epiphanius 3. That the Authority of Both is cited in the Popes Breeues for Confirmation of Papall Ordinances 4. That both haue their Images ingrauen in your Popes Bulls yea and that in such sort that Paul sometime hath the right hand of Peter as well as other while Peter of Paul Thus farre your Popes and Iesuites CHALLENGE WHich being so how may it not perswade you that your Popes anciently iudged that Saint Paul did not beleeue himselfe subiect to the Iurisdiction of Saint Peter and his Roman See except you will thinke it possible to extract a Primacy of Authoritie out of Aequalitie as well of Titles as of Ordinances or else to conceiue one to be subiect vnto him of whom he hath the vpper-hand especially knowing that to be placed on the Right hand was held an Argument of greater honour among all people the Persians onely excepted If your Popes at this day should see any Bishops picture stamped ioyntly on his Seale that wee may appeale to your selues in this Case guesse wee pray you whether hee could behold any other matched in such an equipage with himselfe without high indignation and extreame Cause of Anathematization So iustly is your new Faith of your now Popes condemned by ancient Attributes Authorities and Seales Thus farre of the faith of Saint Paul your supposed Co-founder of the
That which we now contend for in the Popes of Rome may be cleared by an example of him that is called Emperour of Rome who because hee hath neither a foot of possession in Rome nor in the Territories thereof nor yet any professed Subiect inhabiting therein but the whole Princedome is belonging to the Pope your owne Diuines hold it a kinde of Soloecisme to name any at this day The Romane Emperour Therefore to alleadge a few of many that may be produced Lyra The Empire of Rome saith he hath for a long time beene without an Emperour Faber What obedience I pray you saith he doth Rome yeeld to her Monarch meaning the Emperour So to Now saith he is that temporall Dominion of the Citie of Rome ceased and your Iesuite Salmeron The Romane Emperour saith hee was ouerthrowne long agoe II. CHALLENGE THe Romish Babylon then by the Reuelation of Saint Iohn is that Citie of Rome whose place and people must be destroyed No people can be called Romane without they haue relation to Rome nor any people called The Church of Rome except they be Professors of the faith in Rome Therefore Saint Iohn prophecying of these things could not but beleeue that before the end of the world that Church which is now called The Church of Rome shall depart from the faith euen because this Departure must be from the sincere doctrine and worship of God vnto errour and Idolatrie Oh! that this were not at this day a iust Cause to challenge euery one to Come out of Babylon Both which we shall be ready in due time to proue by as true grounds as any haue hitherto beene deliuered That Saint Iohn's faith did not conceiue the now pretended Monarchie of the Pope aboue all other Bishops and Pastors in the Catholike Church SECT 16. WHat that Papall Monarchie is in your faith and how it is deriued we haue heard namely that because Saint Peter was the Vicar of Christ vpon earth as his ordinary Pastor ouer all the other Apostles therefore the Successors of Saint Peter in the same See are of the same authoritie and Iurisdiction ouer the whole Church of Christ and euery member thereof Hence issueth the Article of your now Romane faith that Without obedience and subiection to the Pope as the Catholike Bishop of the Catholike Church None can be saued The meditation vpon this Article begetteth a Probleme viz. whether Saint Iohn the Euangelist who liued 20. yeares after Saint Peter were indeede subordinate and subiect to the Iurisdiction of Linus or Cletus the immediate Successours of Saint Peter Either Saint Iohn was subiect to the Pope or he was not What say you It seemeth vnto mee saith your Iesuite that the Apostles who suruiued Peter were subiect to the Pope because the power of the Pope was alwayes ordinary and to continue in the Church Haue you any ground for this I cannot remember saith hee that I haue read in any Author any thing of this point So he CHALLENGE SAint Paul as hath beene proued reckoned these Three Peter Iames and Iohn equally Columnas that is The Pillars and as it were equally the three Chiefe Worthies among the Disciples who concerning the offices of their Apostleship receiued from Christ as your Cardinall Cusanus hath taught you Euery way an equall charge And without Controuersie the faith of Iohn and Paul was both the same Is it then possible for a Christian man to thinke that Iohn being that Apostle who was immediately chosen by Christ and equall to Peter should thinke himselfe subiect to Linus the Successour of Peter that he who for his sublimitie of knowledge in the mysteries of Christ was called The Diuine who was made the Pen-man of the holy Ghost in writing the Gospell and one for whose infallibility in the truth Christ offered vp praiers to his Father ought hee now to submit his iudgement vnto Linus one of the line of those Popes whereof Some haue beene by Generall Councels and by Popes themselues iudged for Heretikes And againe that Iohn who at the time of the Supper of our Lord leaned vpon the brest of our Sauiour when Peter you know was but next after Iohn should now prostrate himselfe before Linus the Successor of Peter and if this Ceremonie had beene so old to doe him the honour as to Kisse his feet And not this onely but to beleeue this Article of due Subiection to the Pope Without which none can be saued which indeede is more than to Kisse the feet or to licke the dust of the feet of Saint Peter's Successor Sure we are that the Disciples of Saint Iohn to wit the Christians of the Easterne Church were not of your beliefe who to adhere to the orders of Saint Iohn refused to obserue the Easter of the Latine Church which they would not haue done if they had beleeued Saint Iohn to haue beene subiect to those Romane Bishops or yet to Peter himselfe Before we can conclude you are to be exhorted to obserue the Iesuiticall front of Suarez who in a matter of this nature concerning Saluation durst make this Conclusion of the Apostles Subiection and subordination vnder a Pope namely as you haue heard him confesse without any Author besides himselfe Whereby you may discerne with what vntempered morter these men daube vp the Consciences of their Followers CHAP. V. That the Catholike and Apostolike Church of Christ it selfe at or about the Time of the foundation of the Church of Rome had no such Article of faith viz. The Catholike Romane Church without vnion wherewith there is no Saluation SECT 1. THe Churches vnto which Saint Paul writ for we name not the Romanes of whom wee haue intreated before were the Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Thessalonians and the dispersed Hebrewes As for the other Apostles Iames Peter Iohn Iude each one writ to Diuers those their Epistles which are intitled Catholike Epistles And the seauen Churches of Asia were they to whom the booke of the Apoealips or Reuelation was directed Among these the Apostles are instant and vrgent in inueying 1 against the Heresies of Iudaisme Saducisme of worshipping Angels 2 Against Apostasie and Antichristianitie 3 Against Diuisions and Schismes in the Church and abuse of Ecclesiasticall Orders therein And yet in all these there appeareth not any one Syllable or Iota to proue your Article of The Catholike Romane Church without vnion and subiection whereunto and to the Head thereof there is no saluation No nor yet so much as to intimate any one of the particles of this Article as first not to signifie that the Church of Rome was a Catholike much lesse THE Catholike Church as being in right which you say The Mother and Mistris of all others Not to note that in the conuincing of Heretikes Christians ought to looke as to their Cynosura to the Faith of the Romane Church nor that for the discouering
and auoiding of Antichrist Christians ought to subiect themselues to the Pope of Rome as the Vicar of Christ. Finally nor yet that for the preuenting of dissentions and Schismes in the Church Christians ought to adhere and to be vnited to the same Monarchicall Head of the same Romane Church All which those holy Apostles the faithfull Embassadours of our Lord Christ without Controuersie ought and would haue done if according to the now Romane Faith either the name CATHOLIKE had bene then Antonomastically to be appropriated to Rome or the Infallibilitie of Faith to be ascribed to the iudgement of her Bishop or that the Necessitie of Vnion and Subiection to the authoritie of the same Head had bene so necessarie as without which no Christian could be saued To begin at the word CATHOLIKE We desire to vnderstand why the Epistles of Iames and Iohn and Iude were called Catholike or Vniuersall as well as the two Epistles of Peter if the word Catholike were so proper to the Romane Chaire Seeing that the Epistle of Saint Iames and so of the rest was no more sent to or from Rome nor had any relation to Peter there than the Epistles of Peter had to Iames at Hierusalem Secondly why Paul was so sole as of himselfe to Anathemize the false Apostles saying If wee or an Angell from heauen preach any other Gospell vnto you let him be accursed or in admonishing the Irresolute saying Behold I Paul tell you and I testifie againe vnto you And that no otherwise than he did in absoluing the penitent Incestuous saying I haue pardoned him in the person of Christ that is to say As the Vicar of Christ as your Rhemists obserue in their Annotations vpon this place If so as you pretend The name of Vicar of Christ be wholly belonging to the Pope as an argument of his Succession from Saint Peter in the Monarchie ouer the whole Church But principally doth Saint Paul shew himselfe in preuenting and repressing of Schismes once among the people whom he will not haue to adhere to any one man no more to Cephas that is Peter than to Paul or Apollos Whereas your Roman Cephas would haue taught Saint Paul a contrarie lesson saying that They who adhere vnto Cephas cannot be called Schismatikes as those who hold of Apollos because Cephas was that ROCKE whereupon the Church was built and such a Visible Head is now as necessary on earth to auoide Schisme as to beleeue on Christ the inuisible Head now glorious in heauen Againe among the Ecclesiasticall Orders twice first to the Corinthians where he alleageth them thus First Apostles then Prophets after Doctors and accordingly to the Ephesians He gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists c. Here wee should haue had good reason to haue expected the mention of Saint Peter as the visible Head among the Apostles if we had bene of your Faith to beleeue that the Pope of Rome as Successor of Saint Peter is the Head of the visible Church and that therefore The vnion with the Bishop of Rome as the Head thereof is a true Note of the Church Whereby it may be infallibly discerned whether or no a Christian man be a member of the Catholike Church without which there is no Saluation Which what were it but to call into question the iudgement of Saint Paul the most profoundest Disputant that euer writ as though he had bene ignorant of the maine and onely Argument for the confuting of Schismatikes and auoyding of Schisme by keeping forsooth the Vnion with the Pope and Church of Rome As for the Seauen Churches in Asia vnto whom Saint Iohn writ concerning the dayes of Antichrist when the great Departure from the sincere Faith of Christ must be herein notwithstanding you could neuer yet find one particle to prooue either the Right of Monarchie in the Pope or Infallibilitie of his iudgement or Necessitie that the Faithfull be Vnited and Subiected vnto him But many Characters may you find at least of an Antichrist as well of his person in the Pope as you haue done of his particular Seate confessing ingenuously that it must be at Rome Saint Peter in his Catholike Epistle To the dispersed Christians in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bithynia exhorting the Presbyters whom he after calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superintendents or Byshops saith The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder Feede the flocke of God not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 domineiring ouer Gods heritage that when our chiefe Shepheard shall appeare c. What may be inferred from hence you may vnderstand in the third Challenge I. CHALLENGE NOne will make doubt but that the Churches to whom the Apostles haue written were of the same faith with their Teachers the holy Apostles and that therefore in the point of Heresie it was not more requisite that the Church of Thessalonîca should subscribe to the Faith of the Church of Rome than that the Romanes should be guided by the Faith of the Thessalonians or that in the point of Schisme the Church of Corinth should be compelled to keepe Vnion with the Church Romane more than the Romane with the Colossian or yet that among the Churches to whom the Catholike Epistles of Peter Iude Iohn and Iames were directed some should be thought to owe more Subiection to the Letters of Peter than to the other of Iames or Iohn Else would some Items haue bene giuen out to signifie your pretended respects due to the Romane Church especially euery one of them being required in your Faith vpon Necessitie of saluation All men would wonder for example sake that the Bishops of Italy being al within the Romane Iurisdiction should write letters farre and neare vpon all occasion of Heresie and Schisme to diuerse Churches within the same Romane Dioces and yet neuer make mention nay nor so much as giue intimation of the necessary dependance they haue and ought to acknowledge themselues to haue of the Pope and Sea of Rome II. CHALLENGE IF it had bene as manifestly reuealed by Saint Iohn that England was Prophesied off to be the Seate of Antichrist in the latter times as according to your Iesuites Expositions and Demonstrations he did of Rome in the word Babylon from whence all the faithfull are commanded to depart except they will be Partakers of her plagues sure we are that your Iesuites and Professors would neede no seueritie of Lawes to quit England and to abhorre it especially now when the Controuersie whether Antichrist be alreadie come is so daily and duly debated III. CHALLENGE SAint Peter albeit an Apostle of Iesus Christ yet in the exercise of his Iurisdiction in the ordaining the Bishops of Pontus Cappadocia and other Churches doth intitle himselfe A Fellow-Priest or Bishop a stile not to be found in your Popes Breues For we speake not now of termes of Humiliation as that of SERVVS SERVORVM but of Office and
words of Tert. your owne Beatus Rhenanus hath published as much as we can require Tertullian saith hee doth not confine the Catholike and Apostolike Church to one place and although hee giue an honourable testimonie to the Church of Rome yet did he not esteeme her so highly as we see her accounted of at this day He reckoneth her with other Churches yet doth not make her the onely Church but admonisheth his Readers as well to enquire what milke the Church of Corinth gaue as Rome So Rhenanus who addeth that If Tertullian were now aliue and should say so much hee could not escape without punishment Thus your Rhenanus whiles that hee had the vse of his tongue but since you haue Gagged him by your Index Ezpurgatorius a Booke which we may call the Martyrologe of many innocent bookes But no maruaile for this testimonie of Rhenanus was as a poyniard sticking fast in the very bowels of this Cause Notwithstanding Tertullian will be Tertullian still whom whosoeuer shall reade he will be able to auouch as much as Rhenanus hath obserued namely that Tertullian euen whilest hee was a true childe of the Church neuer allowed the Apostolike which we commonly call the Catholike Church to be appropriated vnto any one place nor had he further respect to Rome than he had to Corinth and other Apostolicall Churches which hee calleth Original Mother-Churches for directing of Christians in the Apostolike faith 4 Athanasius reckoneth vp to the Emperour Constantine the Churches that consented to the Councell of Nice thus The Churches of Spain of Britaine of France of whole Italie of Dalmatia without any precise mention of Rome otherwise than it was comprized in whole Italie A great Contempt doubtlesse if your Article had beene then hatch't because the Consent of Rome onely had been more perswasiue to the Emperour than all the rest 5 Vincentius Lirinensis likewise an ancient Father and greatly approued on all sides in his booke written in defence of the Catholike Truth against all prophane Nouelties aduiseth Christians to trie the Truth equally by the ioynt consent as well of the East as of the West-Church and to consult as well with Petrus Alexandrinus and Athanasius in the one Church as with Felix and Iulius Bishops of Rome in the other Concerning whom more hereafter 6 Saint Augustine against Iulian the Pelagian in the question of Baptisme speaking of Chrysostome the Bishop of Constantinople saith Farre be it from him that hee should dissent from his fellow-Bishops Innocentius Bishop of Rome Cyprian Bishop of Carthage Basil Bishop of Cappadocia Gregory Bishop of Nazianzum Hilary a French Bishop and Ambrose Bishop of Milan Is it possible that these orthodoxe Fathers should in this manner and vpon such occasions haue giuen the Bishop of Rome so many Mates in equalizing others with him if your Article of Monarchicall Dominion had entred into their breasts or braines The same comparisons proued by ancient Churches SECT 2. THe generall Councell of Constantinople in the East to make known their Consent in the Faith with the Church in the West doe endite an Epistle and inscribe it thus To their Reuerend brethren and fellowes as well to Damasus of Rome as to Ambrose of Milan and others The Church of Egypt gathered in Councell in their letters vnto the Emperour Leo professe Their Consent in the Catholike faith with the chiefe Priests in the Christian world naming as well Anatolius Bishop of Constantinople Basil Bishop of Antioch Iuuenall Bishop of Hierusalem as Leo Bishop of Rome The Decree of the Church of Carthage in her third Councell standeth thus It is decreed that we consult hereupon with our brethren Syricius viz. Bishop of Rome and Simplician viz. Bishop of Milane Not to omit how you confesse that The Bishops of Constantinople did sometime enioy the title of Vniuersall Bishops equally with the Bishops of Rome but this they did say you by permission of the Bishops of Rome and vpon conniuence Tell you this to them who know not that Maiestie brooking no Corriuall the Monarchie of Popes would neuer dispense or continue at any One vsurping equall Title of Monarchicall Iurisdiction which is as much as to snatch their Papall Miters from of their heads CHALLENGE THe distinction of East and West is not more familiarly knowne to euery vulgar man than is the distinction of East and West-Church by euery babe in Historicall learning vnderstanding thereby that they were anciently held as two generall parts of the Catholike Church and not as one subordinate to another as will afterwards more plainly appeare Againe vnlesse you shall except against the most ancient and vniuersally approued Instructors and guides of the Catholike Church we must conclude that the East part of the world is not more opposite vnto the West than is your now Romane Article to wit The Catholike Romane Church contrary to Catholike Antiquitie Insomuch that as when Protestants are controlled condemned tormented or put to death for renouncing this your Article Ignatius Ireneus to omit the authoritie of Councels and Others Tertullian Athanasius Vinc. Lirinensis and Augustine may seeme to suffer in them because it may be said of the rest which your Rhenanus spake of one saying Tertullian if he were aliue should not escape vnpunished for such his Praescriptions So False and Imposterous is your Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church as hauing Dominion ouer all Others CHAP. VIII Our third Argument taken from the iudgement of the Catholike Church it selfe in the first Six Generall Councels after the Apostles Besides a Seuenth and Eight Councell in Your estimation Generall SECT 1. EVery true Generall Councell you will esteeme to be the Representatiue Church Catholike than which after the euidence of diuine Scriptures the Oracles of God no better proofe can be required by the Professors of the Christian faith For this cause we hold it our duetie for your better satisfaction to giue you Instances in the first Six Generall Councels beginning at the first Generall Councell of Nice I. That the Beliefe of the Romish Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church without which c. damneth all the Catholike Fathers of the Councell of Nice and their Beleeuers SECT 2. THe first Generall Councell in Christianitie after the Synod of the Apostles was that famous first Councell of Nice consisting of CCCXVIII Bishops by whom were made two Decrees vtterly preiudiciall to the now Article of the Dominion of the Romane Church and Pope aboue all other Churches and their Bishops One is against the Appeales of persons Excommunicate in any Dioces vnto remote Churches which the Bishops of the Church of Africke in their Councell wherein Saint Augustine was an Actor did absolutely denie by virtue of the Canon of the Councell of Nice The second Instance in the sixt Canon of the same Nicene Synod decreeing thus That the Bishops of Alexandria should haue the Gouernment ouer Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis
for wee may iustly adde thus much no Father no Epistle no Sentence more egregiously abused and peruerted For first he speaketh not of Perfidiousnesse in Doctrine but onely in Discipline by the false and perfidious reports of Schismaticall fellowes who being Excommunicated by Cyprian had notwithstanding their extrauagant recourse to Rome seeking there before Cornelius to defame and traduce all the proceedings which Cyprian had iudiciously against them Secondly wee shall earnestly desire you to ponder seriously the Circumstances of the whole frame of that Epistle and then tell vs whether that Sentence were not rather spoken Rhetorically to perswade and moue Cornelius what he should doe than absolutely and asseuerantly to proue what he could not but doe For the whole endeauor of Cyprian in that same place is to admonish incourage and fortifie the faint languishing heart of that Pope and to arme him least he should be vndermined by the cunning and Perfidiousnesse of those irregular companions as his owne words doe plainly manifest by exhorting Cornelius Not to be moued with the threats and terrors that they could suggest reasoning the point Because saith he it connot consist with the power and vigor of any Christian Bishop to be affraid of the craftie dealings of impious men whereas a Bishop ought to be fore-armed with confidence against the assault and force of all floods of violence whatsoeuer So hee No otherwise than if any of you writing to a Captain of some Fort and standing in danger of being surprised by some Stratagem of the enemie and reported to be somewhat amated by apprehension of feare should reason from the experience of his former good circumspection and valour of his men saying Bee you of good courage your care and resolution is knowne to all men that no treacherie can haue accesse to your Fort. Who knoweth not that this is that peece of Oratory which is called of Rhetoricians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an Admonition by way of praising insinuated when we admonish him whom we seeme to praise which is by praise of his former worthinesse to premonish him to maintaine with constancie so good a Resolution But if you will needes haue it Prophetically spoken of the Infallabilitie of the Pope of Rome then must you as necessarily make Saint Cyprian a False Prophet who in this Epistle commended Pope Cornelius but in another Epistle doth as much condemne Pope Stephen a Successor to Cornelius euen for his rashnesse in entertaining these forenamed Perfidious out-lopers who by gadding to Rome abused his credulitie and occasioned dissention betweene him and Pope Stephen as hath bin largely declared And we wish that Thousands of Examples of like Perfidiousnesse could not be showne which for these last Thousand yeares haue possessed the Romane Chaire Yet not knowing the appetite of euery Reader whether he may haue a desire to know if there were any the like Example in Antiquitie wee instance in that which your Cardinall Baronius hath related Saint Basil saith hee writing to Damasus Bishop of Rome doth wish him to take heede least he bring that mischiefe vpon the Easterne Church which Pope Liberius had done by admitting of Eustathius and his fellowes being Heretikes but craftily pretending themselues to beleeue the Nicene Faith Thus haue you a fourefold satisfaction Pope Liberius was deceiued by the Perfidiousnesse of Heretikes Pope Damasus was fore-warned by that Example lest he should be likewise deceiued Pope Stephen was circumuented by like craft and accordingly Pope Cornelius was instantly by many Arguments perswaded by Cyprian to beware of the like delusion by persidious Schismatikes Ergo the Romane Sea is no more priuiledged from the accesse of Impostors than the Mediterranean Sea is from false Pirats You haue posed vs with the straine of the words of Saint Cyprian and we shall reply vpon you with his visible Acts and Deeds Our Opposition from the practise and profession of Saint Cyprian If Saint Cyprian his reuiling of the person of Pope Stephen if his Contradicting in his Councell the Popes Decrees enacted in his Councell if gain-saying the Popes pretended supreme Title viz. Bishop of Bishops if Interdicting the greatest Prerogatiue of Papall Monarchy which is Appeales to Rome be sufficient Arguments of disclaime of Subiection to the Pope all which haue bene proued from point to point then are we sure that Saint Cyprian did not belieue the Article of Necessary Subiection to the Sea of Rome If the Excommunication of others who were of Saint Cyprian his opinion if not admitting the Legats of Cyprian to his speach if forbidding all Communication with them and hospitality vnto them if despightfull words against Cyprian as against an intollerable Aduersary may be held proofes of the Excommunication of Cyprian by the Pope all which likewise haue bene expresly declared than are we assured that Cyprian was so much as lay in the Popes power separated from the Church of Rome If that Cyprian had this Faith that None hath God for his Father which hath not the Church for his Mother if he notwithstanding the same Faith was contented to be Excommunicated by the Pope and persisted in that his Opposition for ought that euer could appeare euen to the giuing vp of his spirit to God by Martyrdome all which haue accordingly bene confessed then may we be bold to assume that Saint Cyprian was not of your Faith to belieue that Subiection or visible Vnion with the Pope of Rome is necessary to saluation If lastly Saint Cyprian as you haue said were alwaies held to be Catholike in Faith godly in life glorious in his death and euen since his death reckoned in the Calendar of Saints then stand we secure that the Beleefe of your Article of Necessary Vnion and Subiection to the Romane Sea is not necessary to Saluation So that the more blessed a Saint Cyprian is the more cursed and damnable this your Romane Article must needs be III. Saint Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria beleeued not the Necessity of this Romane Article concerning Vnion and Subiection to the Sea of Rome SECT 3. SAint Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria must be thought to haue bene a Saint as to all Christian Churches so to the Church of Rome it selfe who as you know in his greatest extremities and persecutions by Arian Heretikes found support and refuge at Rome by the godly Pope Iulius the Bishop of that Sea whose Symbol or Creed the monument of his Faith called the ATHANASIAN CREED not onely Rome but the whole Catholike Church doth professe vnto whose honour Gregory the thirteenth say you built a goodly Church being desirous to draw the East-Church vnto his Vnion and whose name is Calendred for a Saint in your Romane Missall at this day This is the Saint whom we propound vnto you as one who hath taught vs by his example not to regard the Papall Vnion in our iust Cause But whether and why did the Pope of Rome Excommunicate such a
Saint Saint Athanasius was Excommunicated by Pope Liberius and notwithstanding remained a Saint The very names of Baronius and Bellarmine we know carry such Authority with you that they will preponderate whatsoeuer can be said against them who ioyntly consent in this that followeth Pope Liberius say they through the faction of Arian Heretikes is by the Authority of Constantius the Emperour sent into banishment By the same Hereticall Arian Bishops is Felix made Bishop and placed in the Romane Sea When Liberius perceiued Felix to be intruded into his Chaire he after two yeares Banishment enuying and grieuing hereat doth ioyne communion with those Heretikes and gaue consent to the condemnation of Athanasius So they Our Assumption will be this that Athanasius neither before nor after the death of Felix did regard this Excommunication of Liberius Immediatly after this you esteeme Felix to be the Legitimate Pope but pronounce Liberius a Schismatike and one remooued from the societie of Catholikes and from his Papall function Which your Conclusions do notably fight against your owne Principles First this that There cannot be two Popes together in one Sea because this were as horrible a monster as a body with two heads One Pope then must be acknowledged Your next Principle is that No Pope can be deposed except he appeare to be a manifest Heretike whereby he ceasseth ipso facto to be a Pope without any other iudgement at all Yet grant you concerning Liberius that He was a Catholike in his inward iudgement notwithstanding his outward communion with Heretikes Your last Principle is that The Pope cannot be iudged of any on earth because he is Prince and therefore superior vnto the whole Church Catholike throughout the earth All these Premises being reduced into a Logicall forme will make vp our Conclusion thus No Catholike Bishop of Rome can be iudged or deposed But Liberius notwithstanding his consenting to the Condemnation of Athanasius and Communicating with Heretikes was a Catholike Bishop Ergo He could not be iudged or deposed from his Popedome If therefore Athanasius being Excommunicated by Liberius neuer sought as you all know any Vnion either with him or yet with Felix in his stead it must follow that he all that time contemned his Excommunication After the death of Felix who was Pope one yeare and some few moneths Liberius obtaineth againe your good reputation for presenly he was accompted the Legitimate Pope Why It is euident saith your Cardinall that Felix being dead Liberius vnited the Church of Rome which was then rent and diuided into a Schisme and became one Sheapheard of one sheepefold So they Where it will be as euident that during the time of Felix Athanasius if hee would haue sought Vnion with the Church of Rome could not know where to find it because the Catholike Church being but One Body One Spouse One Sheepfold how could now the Romane Church be called the Catholike which was as is confessed rent by a Schisme from it selfe But why stand wee wrestling with you for that which of your owne accord you are ready to grant willingly vnto vs It is a matter worthy consideration saith your Cardinall and so indeed it is to know what Liberius did after the death of Felix about the time of the Councell of Arimine which happened to be some two yeares after the departure of Felix And what this is he will haue vs vnderstand from the Epistle of Liberius vnto Athanasius principally thus This is our Confession most wished Athanasius wherein if you consent with me I pray you euen before our Iudge God and Christ to subscribe thereunto that I may be made the more secure thereby and readily performe your Command So the Pope to Athanasius Which Profession of Liberius saith your Cardinall was a solliciter for the repayring of the rent of that Communion which had bene formerly betweene them So he CHALLENGE IF therefore you will not regard our Inferences yet Liberius his owne Epistle and your Cardinall his Comment must giue light to any that shall not wilfully stupifie and blindfold himselfe namely to discerne That there was a breach of Communion betweene Pope Liberius and Athanasius That this continued two yeares for so long it was betweene the death of Felix and that Councell of Arimine whilest that Liberius was throughout the Church of Rome vniuersally acknowledged the Ligitimate Pope That the Seeker for this Communion was not Athanasius who had bene Excommunicate but Liberius who was the Excommunicator euen now being the true Pope That the tenor of the same Epistle is written in all submission both of his vnderstanding to the iudgment of Athanasius if he should happily consent also in the same behalfe to his will whatsoeuer he should Command If the like Epistle had bene written by Athanasius to Liberius we know how diligently and exactly and with what boldnesse you would haue pressed euery syllable thereof scarce could you examine any one word which should not haue seemed to weigh the weight of a Pope We conclude Athanasius being diuided from the Communion of the Pope so long time and not seeking to be reconciled before he was sought vnto by the Pope himselfe doth euidently shew that he belieued not at all your Article of Vnion with the Pope of Rome as with the Head of the Catholike Church vpon Necessity of Saluation Must we therefore iudge Athanasius therein damned nay rather damned be this your Article as Imposterous Scandalous Schismaticall and Hereticall whereby such a Saint should be damned who as your Author confesseth was so excellent an Organ of Truth that If all the commendations of ancient Fathers should be gathered together yet were they not sufficient to set forth the conflicts which this one hath had for defence of the Faith because no one I speake confidently sayth your Lippelous hath after the Apostles vndergone more continuall and grieuous conflicts for the patronage of Truth than he whom Gregory Nazianzene therefore calleth the Eie of the world the chiefe Captaine and Master of Priests and the stay and pillar of Faith So he So admirable was his Faith and Constancy in impugning their Obiections and induring their infinite Calumniations and persecutions IV. Saint Basil Bishop of Caesarea belieued not the Article of necessary Subiection to Rome SECT 4. LOoke againe into your Romane Calendar and you shall reade thus Saint Basil Bishop and Confessor A Saint then he was without exception in whom you will seeme to haue some Interest as though he would beare witnesse to the Antiquity of your Article of Vniuersall Romish Iurisdiction ouer all other Churches of Christ. Your Obiection SAint Basil writ an Epistle to Saint Athanasius whence if we belieue your Cardinall you may conclude that Saint Basil attributed vnto the Bishop of Rome authority of visiting the Churches in the East by whom he pleased and of making Decrees by his Authority and disanulling Generall Councels such as
of the Countries wherein the Greeke Religion is professed he concludeth that If the Greeke Church be compared with the now Romane excepting the new Addition of the Indians the Greeke Church would farre exceed V. Our Discouery of the extreme Impiety of your Article by way of Challenge SECT 6. YOur Article requireth a Necessity both of Subiection and of Vnion vnto the Church of Rome vpon infallible danger of Damnation In the Premises you haue before you the same Necessity of Subiection to Rome denyed by the Ancient Fathers of the Councell of Chalcedon about the yeare 450. after Christ and so continuing in the Greeke Church vnto this day and the Necessity of Vnion denyed by the same Greeke Church 200. yeares together and all this by Professors in your owne iudgement excepting for the denying of this Romish Article no Heretikes and in number Exceeding the Multitudes of them the Indians excepted and yet the Indian Conuerts if you examine their Faith are but poore Catholikes God wot who call themselues the Romane Catholikes How then shall we not accompt it a Luciferian pride in your Romane Pope to take vpon him to ascend vnto the Throne of God and to pronounce Sentence of Damnation vpon so infinite Christian soules who while your Bishops excepting their raysing of Persecutions against Protestants liue in peace and fare deliciously euery day do suffer daily grieuous and lamentable Persecutions and Oppressions vnder the Turkish tyrannie for the Gospell of Christ. What man is there in whom there are any bowells of Christianity who will not rather condemne your Article as a Praesumptuous Pernicious Sacrilegious Schismaticall Delusion and execrable Fascination of mens soules by the which they are held fast vnder that Romane thraldome A particular Instance for the Corroboration of the former Argument in Ignatius Patriarch of Constantinople SECT 7. BAronius doth present before you Ignatius the Patriarch of Constantinople who liued about the yeare of our Lord 869. in your owne iudgement An excellent man Whom notwithstanding Iohn the then Pope pronounced Excommunicate except within 30. dayes the said Ignatius should Excommunicate certaine Bishops in Bulgaria for that the Pope then made claime to that Prouince as belonging to the Romaine Church But the Popes Excommunication against Ignatius was contradicted by the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch and as for Ignatius himselfe Hee is not found saith your said Cardinall to haue obeyed the Popes command Neuerthelesse God graced this Ignatius with Miracles after his death All this you haue in Baronius CHALLENGE HEre you haue to omit the Opposition of the Two other Patriarches Ignatius the Patriarch of Constantinople for ought that can be prooued to the contrary liuing and dying a person Excommunicate from the Church of Rome and notwithstanding acknowledged by you to be one worthy whose life should be Registred in the Body of your publike volume of Councells and after his death hauing the witnesse of God by his Seale of Miracles that he was his owne seruant and Saint As if you would teach vs this Syllogisme Euery one that dyeth Excommunicate out of the Church of Rome dyeth out of the Catholike Church and is consequently Damned But Ignatius a godly man in his life and blessed after his death dyed Excommunicate out of the Church of Rome Ergo the same man godly in his life time and Blessed after his death is immortally Damned Either must you thus conclude or else condemne your Article of Necessity of Subiection and Vnion to the Romane Church without which None can be saued to be iustly damnable For as for the Comment of Baronius who acknowledging him thus Excommunicate and so dying yet notwithstanding saith that he departed this life in the Popes Communion we haue nothing to say but onely Ridle me this Ridle because we are to yeeld to the truth of the Story and not vnto the figment and fancy of a Papall Commentator Our second Instance is in the Churches Christian in Assyria dis-united from Rome SECT 8. YOu haue a Narration commended by Pope Pius the 4. vnto the Councell of Trent concerning Abdisu Patriarch of the Assyrians and all Churches vnder him subiecting themselues to the Church and Pope of Rome Our intended Breuity will not permit the Repetition of so large a Narration Take vnto you summarily those Aduertisements which are proper to this Cause in hand It giueth vs to know 1. That the Nation of the Assyrians was so farre remote from Rome that At Rome it was scarce knowne that there was any Church there 2. That there was Two hundred thousand Christian Professors within the Patriarchship of Abdisu 3. That their Faith was sound and forme of worship pure and so had continued as they had receiued it in the beginning from Saint Thomas the Apostle And 4. that many of them oftentimes had suffered Martyrdome by the malice of Infidels for the profession of our Lord Christ. This and much more in the Narration made in the Councell of Trent by your Cardinall CHALLENGE THis Story is noted by our Gentillettus to be meerely Fabulous Not that there are not Christian Churches in Assyria professing the Catholike Faith and to haue so continued from the Apostolike times but that there was no such Submission of the said Churches made by Abdisu to the Pope of Rome Notwithstanding supposing the Tale of Robin-Hood to be true and granting vnto you that the said Churches of Assyria had subiected themselues to the Pope according to the Tenure of the Narration it selfe then may we lawfully dispute as Saint Paul often did though not from the truth of the thing belieued yâ—t from the Faith and credulity of the Beleeuer You therefore that belieue as the Story teacheth this Narration of a Nation of Christians continuing in the syncere Faith and holy Worship as they had receiued it from the Apostles for the space of 1500. yeares down-wards yea many of them with Constancy euen vnto death Tell vs do you beleeue that so many thousand thousands which had bene within the compasse of those times are notwithstanding Damned because they did not formally professe Subiection to the Church of Rome or not If you say they are Damned This were impiously calumnious against the Apostle Saint Thomas that taught them not your Article of the now Romane Faith If you say they are not Damned then are you damned in that your Romane Article which denounceth Damnation against all them that do not belieue that without Subiection to the Romane Catholike Church there can be no Saluation Howsoeuer you yet farre be it from vs who are Ministers of His Gospell that pronounced Saluation to them of little Faith that we should open where he shutteth by setting broad-wide the Gates of Hell to swallow vp in despaire such as hee hath called to the Profession of the Gospell of Life Our third Instance concerning Remote Nations is in other Churches Christian viz. Aegyptians Aethiopians Armenians Russians and the like
not subiect to Rome SECT 9. WHen Protestants in Confutation of a Sacrilegious abuse in the Church of Rome by allowing of Publike Seruice in an vnknowne tongue thereby depriuing God of a principall part of his Worship euen the vnderstanding of the Worshipper and Gods people of their comfort do obiect vnto you the Examples of the Churches of the Aegyptians and the like they can receiue no better Answer than that which the yellow choler of your Cardinall would vouchsafe them We are no more mooued saith he with the Examples of these Aethiopians Aegyptians c. than we are with the Customes of the Lutherans because they were either Heretitkes or Schismatickes So he plainly notifying vnto you that were they onely Schismatickes by denying Subiection to the Church of Rome yet that alone without any suspition of Heresie might be held sufficient in his opinion to conclude them in the state of Damnation and indeed there are scarce Any among these challengeable for any Fundamentall Heresie Whom therefore Protestants embrace as Partakers of that which Saint Iude calleth The common Saluation CHALLENGE AS often as we reade how gratiously Christ the Sonne of God entertained the woman diseased with a Bloudy issue by affoording the Operation of a Diuine virtue to cure her maladie at the very Touching of but the hemme of his garment so often are we to acknowledge that Super-abundant grace of God in Christ euen to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of Small Faith nay once to one bringing with him a beleeuing vnbeliefe and saying Lord I belieue helpe my vnbeliefe But here behold infinite soules of professed Christians whom you dare not directly charge with Heresie and yet O the cursed maliciousnesse of the pride of Rome must they all be Damned and by one Romane Article of Necessitie of Subiection to the Church of Rome are excluded from all possibility of Saluation The like must be said of multitudes of other Christians in Africke and Asia besides Iaponia wherein not long since hath bene reckoned to be Two hundred thousand Christians To omit other Countries Christian too many to bee recited Our second kind of Instance in respect of Churches nearer to the Territories of Rome yet not Subiect to the Romane Church which are the Churches of Protestants SECT 10. WHole volumes would not suffice to containe the Exceptions which we may iustly take against the Church of Rome not onely in respect of her Professors and their differences in Doctrine but euen in your Profession and Religion it selfe as well Morall as Theologicall but you had rather that we should giue Answer to your Calumniations Know therefore First that the number of Protestant Professors is not in comparison of yours that will be the onely Catholikes so very a Pusillus Grex that you can haue any Reason to contemne it For if so then would not your Cardinall so greatly enuie and maligne the Extent and latitude thereof who speaking of Protestants saith that They at this day possesse so many and ample Prouinces as England Scotland Denmarke Norway Sweuia and no small part of Germania Polonia Bohemia and Hungaria Yet he pretermitteth France Heluetia Ireland and many other places where these Professors are visible I. CHALLENGE in Particular ALL these Churches of Protestants may seeme to containe in them one Moity of the Christian world in the Westerne parts thereof whose greatest Error which you can impute vnto them is that They for their Faith immediatly depend vpon Christ Iesus as the Head of the Catholike Church and their greatest vice that they impugne the Popes Indulgences the nourceries of all vices and their greatest Schisme that they will be diuided from that Church of Rome which proudly and impiously diuideth her selfe from all other Churches of the world And must all These that are willing to sacrifice their liues for Christ and his Ancient Faith contained in the Catholike Creeds be necessarily Damned for denying of one new Article of Necessity of Subiection to the Catholike Romane Church which Article as hath beene plentifully proued doth manifoldly contradict the sense of the Article in the Apostles Creed concerning The Catholike Church II. CHALLENGE in Generall OVR Question still is concerning the Church Catholike which is the whole Church of Christ consisting of all Particular Churches as the members and parts thereof You haue heard of the multitudes of Remote Churches Christian in Greece Assyria Aegypt Aethiopia c. The like instance haue you heard of the Churches of Protestants in Denmarke Saxonia Bohemia c. Try now whether that Obiection made by Optatus against the Donatists may not some-way checke you You saith he will haue the Church to be onely where you are but in Dacia Misia Thracia Achaia c. Where you are not you will not haue it to be nor will you haue it to be in Graecia Cappadocia Aegypt c. And innumerable other Isles and Prouinces where you are not His Reason For you will haue your selues onely to be the Whole who are not in euery Whole So he Tell vs now when euer any Church could more professe it selfe to be Whole in respect of other Churches than that which will haue it selfe onely to be called The Catholike or Vniuersall Romane Church or else to be more Alone than she that excludeth from hope of Saluation all other Churches which are not subiect vnto her Our third kind of Instance is in the Church of Rome herselfe proouing that this Article The Catholike Romane Church without which there is no Saluation becometh pernicious to them that will be called the Body or Members thereof SECT 11. BY this time we are drawing neare to the Gates of Rome to try what peace there is within her walls and what security can be had in Apocalypticall Babylon for so is Rome called by Saint Iohn according to the common Interpretation of your owne Doctors And in as much as we are now to fight within her owne Territories in this conflict wee shall endeuour to make good vpon you Two most Obseruable Positions The first concerneth the almost desperate estate of your Church of Rome the Next is the Safety and security of the Churches of Protestants The danger of the Church of Rome and some Members thereof is that it is made twice Damnable Once by the Article which it professeth viz. The Catholike Mother and Mistris Church of Rome without Vnion and Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation Next and more especially by the Apostolicall Article as it is vnderstood in our Christian Creed of beleeuing THE CATHOLIKE CHVRCH The State of the Question by Comparison of the Head and Body of the Romane Church together according to the sense of your now Article The Catholike Romane Church without which c. SECT 12. THe Church of Rome consisteth of a Pope and his Subordinates as of an Head and a Body yet so as the Body your Church taketh the Denomination to be called Catholike
giueth instance in the Churches of Corinth and Galatia both which Saint Paul stileth Churches of the Saints albeit the one is reprehended by the Apostle for denying the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. the other for teaching a necessary Obseruation of the Law of Moses with the Gospell of Christ. Gal. 1. So he Yet lest you may erre in terming that a True Church which is wilfuliy intangled in any Heresie he giueth this Condition that The same that erre be ready to be reformed and to obey the truth as were the Corinthians and Galatians Otherwise to bee vnwilling either to learne or to yeeld vnto a manifest truth is proper saith your Author vnto a Satanicall Synagogue and to the Churches of the Malignant So your Cardinall and that most truely THESIS VI. Some Vnsound Churches are necessarily to bee auoided and the iust Causes why SECT 7. AS Leprousie Plague and whatsoeuer contagious Diseases are necessarie causes of separation from vnsound houses so Obstinacie of error in Teachers affected Ignorance and obduration of people Idolatry in Gods Worship Tyrannie and Persecution against the true and sincere Professors may be iudged necessary Causes of Separation from any particular Churches Against a generall Obstinacie of false-Teachers opposing to the wholesome doctrine We haue a Caueat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Depart from such 1 Tim. 6.5 Against the generall Obdurancie of hearts our Caueat is both Christ's Shake off the dust of your feet in departing and Saint Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When certaine obstinate persons speake euill of the Word of God before the people he departed from them and separated the Disciples Act. 19.9 because else they should heare nothing but blasphemies against the truth of God Against the Corruption of Gods Worship Idolatrously the Command is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flie from Idolatry 1 Cor. 10.4 euen as vnto the people vnder the Law when Bethel that is the House of God was turned into Bethauen that is the House of Vanity the Epithet of Idolatry then the Watch-word to the Faithfull was Separate your selues from among them Hos. 10. Against Tyrannie in Persecuting of Preachers or Professors in any one City the warning is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 likewise Flie vnto another Mat. 10.23 And lastly in the time of Antichristian Tyrannie and Idolatry in Romish Babylon the Spiâ—it saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come out of her my people Apoc. 18.4 THESIS VII No vniust Excommunication out of a true Church can preiudice the Saluation of the Excommunicate SECT 8. YOur Romance Glosse authorized by Pope Gregory the XIII will speake as much as need be said to wit The Keyes of the Church erring in her binding and loosing the partie so bound is not then bound with God for it happeneth many times that he who is excommunicated out of the Church Militant is notwithstandeng in the Church Triumphant So your owne Glosse According as it hath beene obserued by you in the Blinde-man cured by Christ and professing the power of Christ whom therefore the Church of the Iewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cast out of their Synagogues Ioh. 9.34 That is saith your Cardinall they excommunicated and separated him from the communion of Them who at that time were accounted faithful but yet happie was that Blinde-man who was Excommunicated for the name of Christ. So he And so may we say of Luther who was as one borne Blinde whilst hee continued in your Church according to your Assumption true vntill that Christ opened his eyes and he for acknowledging the diuine light was Excommunicate by your High Priest Yet happie man he who was taken into the protection of Christ whom he professed and worshipped Something more of Excommunication you may reade in the XV. Section Following The Second Part is concerning Departure from Rome more particularly comparing the Church of Rome with other Churches We are approached to the Walls of Rome and behold wee discouer in her iust iust Causes of Separation from her which we shall represent vnto you in that due place whereunto we now proceed by certaine Theses as it were by iust pases Comparing her first with other Remote Christian Churâ—hes THESIS I. The Church of Rome is as subiect to Errors as any other Church SECT 9. WHat Prerogatiue had the Church-of your Romanes aboue the Church of the Ephesians or Thessalonians in respect of any possibilitie of not Erring or of Contemning other Churches in respect of her selfe to which that may be obiected which the Apostle writ to the Corinthians to wit Came the Word of God first from you nay came it not First from Hierusalem to Antioch and many other places before Rome and at length from Greece to Rome And after that Rome is established a Church was it freed from Erring more than other through the Primacie which it challengeth ouer Others By what Law Humane that could not Diuine that did not authorize any such Primacy Which you are compellable to Confesse except you will say that the Catholike Church hath erred in the Generall Councell of Chalcedon which as hath beene confessed denied that Rome had her Primacie from diuine Ordinance except you will also Grant that the Church of Rome it selfe hath erred in her Councell of Constance which maintained the same Axiome to wit that the Church of Rome held not her Primacie from diuine authority Lastly except you will impeach the Apostle Saint Paul of error who by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught an indifferencie of all spirituall respect to Rome with other Churches as hath beene proued Take vnto you one infallible Argument that the Church of Rome may erre in matter of Faith It hath erred Ergo It may possibly erre That it hath one confessed instance may sufficiently resolue you if it bee pregnant Such is the doctrine of the Administration of the Eucharist vnto Infants vpâ—n Necessity of Saluation A doctrine by your owne Confession at this day false and yet at that day as is likewise Confessed taugh and continued in the Church of Rome for the space of 600 yeeres together THESIS II. That the Church of Rome is more subiect to Erring than any other Church Christian. SECT 10. WHy is it that Christ said The whole need not the Physitian but those that be sicke but onely to shew that the state of one in an health falsly-conceited is farre more desperate than the state of the most extreme disease sensibly â—elt in as much as that man is more incapable of remedie that feeleth not his owne maladie than hee that is sensible of his griefe Such is the Case of the Romane Church which is so much more obnoxious to Error as shee is flalsly perswaded shee cannot possibly erre and that vpon two notoriously-erroneous Articles which are fancied and fained onely by her selfe One is that shee beleeueth as an Article of her Faith that shee the Romane Church is that The Catholike Church which cannot erre Which
is not iustifiable in the Conscience of euery sound Christian First hee held it a way to Heresie for any Church to take vpon her to create a new Article of Faith such as hee beleeued the Romish Doctrine of Indulgences to be Secondly he taught it to be a Satonicall lye to constitute that for an Article of Faith which is in it selfe a meere falshood Thirdly hee proclaimed your Doctrine of Indulgences to be a Blasphemous Article because it is not onely a new and false Doctrine but also the very Nurse of all Impietie Each point is worthy to be Discussed Touching the First point your Philiarchus will haue you to Take heede of the Heresies of Luther in teaching that the Church hath no power to create new Articles of Faith So hee If this be true then marke I pray you what fellowes and Companions Luther hath or Patrons rather of his Heresie accordingly as your owne Doctors will teach you who doe not onely openly professe for themselues that The now Church ought to relie vpon the Doctrine anciently taught in the Apostles times but also confesse that The ancient Fathers taught that the Church deliuereth no new Faith but alwaies confirmeth and explicateth the ancient Faith Alleaging for proofe hereof the authoritie of Irenaeus Hierome Vincentius Lirinensis Nor can any produce one Father in all Antiquitie that did not account euery new Article of Faith that is to say euery new Doctrine made necessary to saluation to be no better than a new Heresie So iustifiable is Luther in this point Next Luther in his first Assumption saith that the Doctrine of the Popes Indulgence is a New Doctrine of Faith and that it is imposed vpon the Church of Rome as an Article of Faith Whereof if peraduenture you should be ignorant your owne Popes would instruct you Pope Pius the IV. setteth downe this of Indulgences among his other Articles concluded of in the Councell of Trent as Necessarily to be beleeued vpon danger of Damnation And Pope Leo the X. tooke this as his hint in condemning Luther for denying any power to be resideÌ„t in the Church to establish a new Article of Faith An Articleâ—hen â—hen it is made and that it is also New which Doctrine of IndulgeÌ„ces you beleeue to be an easing or helping of Soules out of the paines of Purgatorie-fier we hope you may be satisfied from your selues who teach first that all Doctrine which is not New is deriued either from Scripture or antient Tradition But concerning your Doctrine of Indulgences some of your owne Doctors haue made bold to proclaime saying It is not found either in Scripture or in other writings of ancient Fathers Whereof also your Romane Champion against Luther euen in this Question concerning Indulgences doth grant that There was no vse of Indulgences in the beginning of the Church Christian. Which must necessarily haue then bene if at that time it had bene a Doctrine of Faith except you will confesse that there was then no Purgatory-fier at all nor any soules of men departing this life in the guilt of veniall sinnes but that all the scores of debts of temporall punishments were then wiped off at the death of euery Christian in those Apostolicall times And accordingly giue vs some reason how afterwards that Fier was kindled and what was the fewell that set it on a flame after the space of 1294. yeares when Boniface the 8. was Pope Who as your selues know after that the world was affrighted with Purgatory-torments was the first that extended and applyed Indulgences vnto Purgatory This made your Frier Castro in his coniecture of greater antiquity in them to excuse their Noueltie saying Indulgences are not therefore to be contemned as being admitted but of late because many things saith he are made knowne to posteritie of which the more ancient times were ignorant Behold now the great reuerence forsooth you haue of the iudgement of Antiquity Besides to pull vp this weede by the roots the ground of Indulgences as you teach is The spirituall Threasury of the Church consisting in the satisfactory and meritorious workes of Supererrogation done by the faithfull Which notwithstanding as you likewise know your Doctors of Louaine and some Schoolemen affirme were anciently wanting in the Church So then your Doctrine of Indulgences is New in Institution New in Practise New in the Extent New in the Roote and foundation and euery way a New Article So iustifiable is Luther in his Assumption calling it New Thirdly Luther called this Doctrine False yea and Impious also and Blasphemous And false it must needs be if it be but New But how naughty also and impious the vent of Indulgences was your noble Historian can best report giuing you an instance in the same Pope Leo Who saith he vnto his sinne of ill dispersing of Indulgences added a farre greater for although he was of himselfe prone enough to all licentiousnesse yet by the instigation of Cardinall Puccius in whom he had great confidence he gathered huge summes of money by sending his Breeues abroad euery where promising expiation of all sinnes and life euerlasting vpon a certaine price which any should giue according to the haynousnesse of his offence Then rose vp Martin Luther a Professor of Diuinity in Wittemberge who first confuting and then condemning the Sermons which were made for Indulgences at length questioned that power which the Pope assumed to Himselfe in the same Breeues So he And what other we pray you can be the Consequence of this piece of Doctrine but that which if you be to seeke you may learne from experienced Authors within your owne Church who say as appeareth in the Margent that When first Indulgences were set on sale with full Pardons men did lesse abstaine from wickednesse and the keyes of the Church became vile That Pope Leo the 10. was Too too indulgent in granting Indulgences That Popes are the most expert Alchemists By Turning their leade into gold through their Negligences otherwise called Indulgences Noting that Papall Indulgences to Sinners worketh Negligence in well doing That They Measuring all things by gaine tyrannize ouer the people sitting in the seate of Simon Magus or else of Caiphas We might easily loade you with multitudes of Inuectiues of your owne Authors against the Impiety of Papall Indulgences so iustifiable is Luther in his Opposition against them insomuch that Erasmus held it An Impiety not to defend him This Luther who in the opinion of the Popular Auditors so farre ouercame his Aduersarie Ecchius in a Disputation held at Lipsia that your Castro doth instance in this Example and thereupon prefixeth a Rule To auoide publike Disputation with as he accounteth and calleth Protestants pertinacious Heretikes The Summe of All may be comprized in a few words The Patrons of Romish Indulgences by making it an Article of Faith do Canonize and Deifie a Nouelty a Falshood and a
did as one that had bene freed take another wife by the authority of the Church and consent of her Parents by which wife after some yeares he had children But loe his former wife vnlooked for returneth againe and requireth to haue her husband againe that had done ill in marrying another The man maruailing hereat and being loath to be diuorced from his latter wife maketh long delaies yet at length brought into Law and being cast gaue way to the Truth and taketh his first wife againe by the iudgement of the Church When now the Parents friends of the latter wife made the like wonderment as these men do against me saying vnto him thou hel-hound thou wicked couenāt-breaker c. And if a man would consider this businesse shall he not see as it were in a glasse the very image of that Husband in me For indeed I seeing I beleeued that no such Truth of obedience had bene c. I compelled my selfe in a second Couenant and thereto plighted my troth Wherefore I thought that I had kept lawfull Companie but when the TRVTH came which is euery mans first wife maried to him in publike Baptisme which wil require the first Promise at al mens hands to her I applyed to her I cleaued and from my second knot as of none effect by the iudgement of my Church I departed And shall any man thinke it indifferent that I shall be called a Liar because I obey the Truth c. I am by most graue iudgement of the Truth diuorced from the Church of Rome which it was not lawfull for me to keepe still and am compelled to take my wife TRVTH to me when she cometh againe Thus farre B. Gardiner The right and accurate Sence of this Similitude may as the beames of the Sunne dispell the foggie myst of Romish error concerning the Question we now haue in hand it being taken from the consideration of our Christian Vow made in Baptisme Wherein we are to obserue the Parties betrothed together which are the Soule of a Christian and the Truth of God in Christ and secondly the Parties and if I may so say Parents by whose consent and Authoritie this mariage is made which in the inward is our Father euen GOD in the vnity of Three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost and in the outward is our spirituall Mother mentioned in our Creed at the rime of our Vow in Baptisme The holy Catholike Church It especially therefore concerneth euery Votarie that hath vowed himselfe in Baptisme to learne to acknowledge his true Father his true Mother and his owne true Wife For Father he is baptized in the name of the Blessed Trinitie in the vnity of one God euerlasting not in the name of any man whatsoeuer as Saint Paul prooueth against the Schismatikes in the Church of Corinth that would seeme Some to hold of Cephas that is Peter Some of Paul as though the Gospell or Truth were Pauls or Peters he answereth them No his Reason is interrogatiuely Were you baptized in the name of Paul As much as to say He onely is essentially your spirituall Father in whose Name you are baptized Secondly the Mother is mentioned in our Vow at Baptisme to be The holy Catholike or Vniuersall Church not any particular Church though by the particular Church I am brought into the Catholike We say not any Particular Church because euery Particular Church as hath beene Confessed may possibly erre and Apostate from Truth But the Catholike is built vpon a Rocke immoueable as the earth yea or the highest heauens Lastly the Wife whereunto euery Soule is betroathed in Baptisme is onely that Truth which was first reuealed by Christ vnto his Apostles as the Apostle teacheth If any preach any other Gospell than that which you haue receiued that is to say already hold him Accursed Now giue vs leaue to trie what kind of Mariage is made by your Votaries in the Church of Rome First by beleeuing the Infallibility of the Pope in whatsoeuer Reuelations which he shall propound to be beleeued of all Christians it is to assume a new Father which is thus prooued If I saith Saint Paul or an Angel from heauen preach otherwise let him be Accursed but who in all the Church of Rome will say Though the Pope teach vs otherwise then was Apostolically and Primitiuely taught from the immediate Doctrine of Christ I shall account him Anathema Next the Partie baptized in your Church is Catechized to beleeue the Church of Rome to be The Catholike and Mother-Church of all other Churches which wee through-out this Treatise haue prooued to be an Imposterous Schismaticall and Blasphemous Article First Imposterous because The Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed was extant in the dayes of the Apostles diuerse yeares before Rome was that we may so say Baptized to haue the name of a Church Secondly Schismaticall because it being as hath bene shewed but a Particular Church and vsurping the Title of The Catholike Church doth thereby peremptorily diuide her selfe from All other Churches of Christ which both for Truth and Extent make a farre more Catholike Church than she is Thirdly Blasphemous in Damning by this Article of the Catholike Romane Church all the most glorious Christian Fathers Martyrs Professors and Churches as well Primitiue as Successiue which are infinite that haue denyed Subiection to the Romane Church All which Particulars haue bene prooued at large In the last place each Christian in Baptisme being espoused to his wife Truth which can be but One euen that whereof Saint Paul spoke saying That which you haue receiued before and accordingly Saint Iude Contend for the Faith which once was deliuered to the Saints therefore euery other New Article of Faith as it were a later Consort and wife that shall bee admitted is no true loyall wife but an vnlawfull Concubine and strumpet So then so many Concubines may the Church of Rome be said to betroath her Children vnto as she hath set downe New Articles in her Romane Creed and imposed vpon all her Ecclesiastikes vnder the bond of an Oath Among which is your Article of Indulgences from which as from a supposititious wife Luther necessarily made his diuorce returning vnto the Primitiue Truth whereunto in holy Baptisme he had formerly plighted his Troth THESIS VI. Your Second and most Popular Obiection against LVTHER in his Opposition to your Romane Church vrging in him to prooue his Doctrine by immediate Succession and by Naming his Teachers Before him is as fond as the other SECT 19. I. FOr the no-Necessitie of Name we reade first that our Sauiour Christ answering a question concerning Diuorce whether it were lawfull for the husband to put away his wife at his pleasure or no an Abuse which by the hardnesse of the Iewes hearts had continued among them many hundred yeares sendeth them to Gods first Institution of Marriage set downe in the beginning of Scripture saying From the beginning it
call Papisticall Faith Take vnto you an Answer which may reciprocally satisfie both you and vs accordingly as we are both directed by Saint Augustine and Saint Cyprian two ancient and godly Fathers They saith Saint Augustine concerning the Donatists who were knowne to be notorious Schismatikes that do defend their false opinion without pertinacie especially if it be such as they are no Authors of themselues but which they haue receiued from their seduced Ancestors yet cautelously seeking after the Truth and prepared to embrace the same so soone as it shall be reuealed Such saith he will not I account Heretikes Accordingly Saint Cyprian If any of our Elders saith he haue not obserued thus much either through their ignorance or simplicity not holding that which Christ hath taught and commanded vs such may through the mercie of God find pardon whereas we stand without pardon if against our knowledge we shall reiect the admonitions of Christ. This agreeth with that of holy writ spoken of them who were ignorantly plunged in rebellion and therefore as being excusable are said to haue gone in Simplicitie If hereuponn we shall enter into Comparison with you by supposing an error in both Churches yet cannot the ignorancee of the Protestants be called Affected because they are willing as the Apostle directeth To trie all things and ready to keepe that which is good Nor are they stupidly and wilfully ignorant led by the nose hood-winked through an Implicit Faith as your Profession teacheth Which one point maketh the state of Protestants far more iustifiable than yours can be Come we now seeing that you will needs to the Censuring of fore-Fathers wherein three points will be very considerable for our Iustification in comparison of you I. Is by examining whether side is more peremptorie in damning of any other Christian Churches II. Whether are guiltie in condemning the more sincere ancient and Orthodoxe Fathers III. Whether do by their Profession iudge and deliuer ouer to Sathan greater multitudes of fore-fathers and professed Christians The first point is more than euident for the Article of your Creed is absolutely to iudge as damned without all possibility of Absolution all Christians whatsoeuer that are not professedly Papists We farre more Christianly display Christ opening his armes of mercy vnto all that beleeue in him without wilfull blindnesse in erring and obstinacie in transgressing and also we beleeue that All such as seeke the knowledge of the Truth with a simple heart are not secluded from life which issueth from Christ to all who shall by Faith Touch but the hemme of his garment Secondly well it were you would vnderstand what fore-Fathers ye or we condemne for some may be more condemnable than others as may be discerned by that Testamentarie Exhortation which Ioshuah gaue to Gods people immediatly before his death Feare ye the Lord saith Ioshuah and serue him in sincerity and Truth and put away the gods which your Fathers serued on the other side of the flood and in Egypt and serue you the LORD The people to whom he spake had three kind of Fore-fathers some immediate and those were of the same profession with Ioshuah Some rather mediate and as it were once remoued namely they that had Apostated from Gods worship to Idolatry in seruing strange Gods And some Primitiue such as were Abraham and the other Patriarchs in the direct line of the Messiah The first and last ranke of Fathers they were taught to heare and imitate onely from the middle sort that had declined from God the people were commanded to depart as from Fathers of a damnable condition Will you bee tried by this Example Your Proselites are taught to condemne their Protestant Parents and Progenitors being of the Reformed Religion and the Articles of your New Creede haue condemned the ancient Fathers of Primitiue times as hath bene prooued to the full We honouring the memorie of all Fathers of the Primitiue ages yea of the Popes of the Church of Rome for more than 600. yeares space do onely condemne them although not absolutely who were the fore-Fathers of the middle order who degenerated from their first integritie and were drowned in Superstition Thirdly as for the numbers of fore-Fathers damned by your new Romane Creed they are innumerable For what millions of millions of the truly ancient Fathers were not as hath bene prooued Subiect to your Romane Church and therefore haue incurred your sentence of Damnation What myriads of myriads of soules of Grecians Assyrians Aegyptians and others professing the same Christian Faith do not your cursing and cursed Romish Mount Ebal daily damne to the pit of hell And yet you blush not to obiect vnto Protestants their Damning of their fore-Fathers God grant that this make not to your greater Damnation THESIS VII The Protestants at this day stand more Iustifiable in their Separation from Rome than did either the Ancient Primitiue Churches in her Excommunicating of Them or yet LVTHER and his FOLLOVVERS in their Departure from Her SECT 29. IT is high time Wee end this Taske which We conclude in this Thesis for Proofe whereof be you pleased to call to mind the Romish Excommunications denounced first against the Asian Churches and that onely for a matter of Ceremonie next against Saint Cyprian and the Africane and Numidian Byshops and Churches in a Question of Rebaptization which was but One and that no fundamentall Error then against Theophilus and Cyrill both Bishops of Alexandria together with Acacius and Atticus both Bishops of Constantinople onely about Admitting or not Admitting of the Name of Chrysostome into the Diptikes or Tables of Commemoration then against the Opposition of the Churches of Africke in the dayes of Saint Augustine onely against the pretended Iurisdiction of Rome in the Case of Appeales All which with many other Catholike Churches and Fathers as well Greeke as Latine haue contemned the Pride of the Church of Rome in Primitiue Ages when-as other wise the Bishops of Rome were Godly and Orthodox But LVTHER contented with Rome not about Ceremonies or Iurisdictions but about the Soule 's life both in the point of the Iustification of a Sinner before God and of the religious and spirituall Worship properly due to our Iealous God which Contention was begun before the Councell of Trent Secondly after that was a Generall free Councell desired as a Remedie for all Diseases in the Church but alas whiles Rome would needs be that Catholike Church the Remedie was turned presently into a Poison so desperate is her Case 1. By enthralling All to the pleasure of the Pope which is a depriuing of the Church of Christ of her Liberty 2. By authorizing her Idolatrie 3. By giuing Safe-Conduct to Protestants for the discussion of their Opinions and yet not suffering Them to Dispute in their Councell an Argument of their Obstinacie 4. By Decreeing and Creating a CREED consisting of aboue XX. new Articles of Faith as Necessary to