elect reprobat mingled together the inuisible only is composed of the elect iust holy See you not how this very distinction Many absurdities ensue of deuising two churches choaketh it selfe how one member fightetâ— diuers wayes against the other For first separate the elecâ— from the society of the reprobat to frame your inuisible you destroy the visible Church leaue them conioyne with the reprobat to make your visible the inuisiblâ— fayleth Secondly you grant I weene that the elect as thâ—â— liue vpon earth mingled with the reprobat raise the visible as they are seuered by imagination concurre to blinâ— the fabrick of the inuisible church Therefore your inuisible is meerely imaginary fained chimericall tâ—â— visible only the true and reall Church the true misticall body of Christ which is exercised heere in the warfare of this life Thirdly this you crosse againe and say the visible Church is no true Church but only as it contayneth the inuisible that is the sacred number of the elect who make no society and consequently no Church Fourthly the elect by this meanes are in two Churches in the visible and in the inuisible whereas the reprobate only are in the visible yet because their reprobation is as hidden as the others election why should not these make an inuisible assembly as well as they Fiftly when the elect are separated to mak your inuisible who remayneth in the visible but a rable of reprobate a rout of infidels and shall they compose your visible Church Shal Christs visible body on earth be wholy compacted of the reproued vessels members of Sathan O intricate confusioÌ„ which confoundeth also me in rehearsing it O monstruous paradoxes which implyeth so many contradictions â—â—â—any absurdityes against which if I should cite the â—â—thorityes of the Fathers I should neuer make an end They all iointly praise magnify and extoll one visible and Catholike Church one and the same whose prerogatiue we belieue and fellowship must imbrace the same by whose preaching we must be born by whose spirit we liue S. Cyprian the glorious Bishop and Martyr Cypr. de vnit Eccl. sayth One Mother there is by the fecundity of her issue copious and fertile by her increase we are borne with her milke we are nourithed we are animated with her spirit The spouse of Christ cannot play the aduoutresse she is immuculate and vndefiled she knoweth one house she keepeth with chast bashfulnes the sanctity of one bed This Church preserueth vs in God this aduanceth to the kingdome the children she hath brought forth whosoeuer diuided from the Church cleaueth to the aduoutresse is separated from the promises of the Church 7. S. Augustine also often auerreth That the true Catholique Church conteyneth in it good and bad reprobate elect That the kingdom of Christ is but one one great citty one mountain comprehending the whole world The authority sayth he of the Catholike Church c. iâ— establiâ—hed vntill this day by the line of Bishops succeeding one another Aug. cont Faust l. 11. c. 2. and by the consent of so many people By which succession consent and power of miracles he testifieth that he is held in Catholica Ecclesia in the Catholik Church Then that the whole multitude of belieuers gathered togeather by miracles is the Catholike August cont epist Funda c. 3. 4. Aug. de vtil credendi c. 16. Church Therefore the Catholike Church is the same whose succession is visible propagation visible consent visible miracles visible multitude visible and which it selfe is also visible the same is the Catholike Church which we belieue and visible multitude to which we ought to linke in fellowship communion which appeareth so cleare in M. Fields sight howsoeuer those his former Coronels VVhitaker and Fulke were blinded with the contrary as he writeth thus VVe say that all they are of Field in his first booke of the Church c. 2. fol. 23. the Church that outwardly hold the fayth of Christ and that that society wherein the sincere outward profession of the truth of God is preserued is that true Church of God whose communion we must imbrace that happy mother in whose womb we are conceaued with whose milke we are nourished and to whose censures we must submit our selues After assigning diuers considerations of the Church some different conditions of her members he addeth Notwithstanding all which differences for that they all concurre in the same holy profession and vse of the same happy meanes of saluation they make one holy Catholike Church in which only the light of heauenly truth is to be sought So he flying the noueltye of his first Reformers and varying from them in a Field dissentethfroÌ„ Whitaker in apoint fundamental point fundamentall for what more substantiall variance then to differ about the Church we ought to belieue as an article of fayth About the Catholike Church in which the happy meanes of saluation are only to be found Whether that be visible or inuisible 8. Peraduenture some will excuse M. Whitaker that he meaneth not that the true Church should be wholy inuisible not seene to any but so latent scattered and compounded of so few as they can hardly be discerned amongst them selues much lesse to strangers enemyes VVhitak contr 2 q. 2. c. 1. But this excuse will not couer his fault For VVhitaker auoucheth that indeed but of the visible not of the Catholike Church he flatly protesteth the whole Catholike VVhitak ibidem q. 3. c. 1. fol. 178. Fulke in c. 5. Matth. sect 3. iâ— 2. Thess 2. sect 5. Sparkes in his answer to M. Iohn D. Albins pag. 54. 126. Church to be inuisible both militant triumphant The visible also sayth he may sometyme consist of a fâ—w and they scattered obscure vnknowne who hide themselues in corners Which although M. Field stoutly gainesayth as shal be declared yet because Fulke Sparkes and others vphold the same to vnderproppe the paper walles of their new founded Synagogue it will not be labour lost to conuince the falsity thereof CHAP. III. In which is declared that the true visible Church is apparently knowne and famous to the world against D. Whitaker D. Fulke and D. Sparkes THE first authours and beginners of ProtestaÌ„cy departing from the known band and vnity of Gods people vpon earth and not finding any predecessours or mantayners of their new hatched fictions to whome they should lincke and conioyne themselues in profession not finding any Countrey Prouince Citty Village Temple or Oratory who communicateth with them infayth seruice publique sacraments wretchedly imagined besides their Catholike and wholy inuisible Church another visible assembly of faythfull belieuers who are some so hidden as they are not knowne to D. VVhit contro 2. q. 3. cap. 1. f. 178. 179. VVhitak aduâ— Duâ— p. 274. D. Sparks in his answer to M. Io. d'Albin p 54. 126. Fulke in c. 5. Matt. sect 3. 2. Thess
the euill are constrayned to deliuer true things for they aâ—â— Fox actes monuments pag. 999. 464. 1401. 1436. 1286. The Puritans in their discouery in a sermon preached 1588. by Bancroft pag. 34. The Protestants Apology tract 3. sect 7. n. 68. not their owne things which they deliuer but Gods who hath placâ—â— the doctrine of verity in the chayer of vnity We want not heerin the suffrages of Protestants of Foxe himselfe and sundry of his Martyrs of M. Bancroft late Bishop of Canterbury the Puritans not forbearing to carpe and reprehend him for it and of others mentioned in the Protestantâ— Apology for the Roman Church which in euery Chapter so victoriously triumpheth ouer our Reformers innouation by the irrefragable testimonyes of Reformers themselues as M. Morton astonished with the euidence brought against him was suddainly beaten backe from his rash attempt which he neuer since had the hart to prosecute or any other presumeth to take pen in hand to answere that excellent and euer vnanswerable worke 7. The reasons which perswade the infallibility of the Church are sundry and they most forcible For what could moue any Infidell or Atheist to forsake his errours and come vnto the Church if that might also beguile him with errour what meanes had we to condemne an Heretike or disproue his errours if the Church might erre Diuers reasons which coÌ„uince the infallibility of the Church in disprouing of them How should we know where to rest whome to consult in doubts of fayth if the highest Iudges might iudge amisse What assurance haue we of our beliefe religion scripture sacraments of Christ himselfe and all other articles of fayth if the Church which teacheth them might erre in teaching The same inconueniences the same confusion would ensue supposing it If the Church could erre fayth it selfe all things els were vncertayne were limited not to erre only in fundamentall points necessary to saluation For then the vnconstant and wauering Christian might still cast as many doubtes whether the thinges defined where fundamentall or not Whether necessary or not necessary to saluation Then the people might call their Pastours doctrine and definition in question they might examine whether the arâ—â—cles deliuered be substantiall and such wherein their â—â—eachers be freed from errour or no Then new schisms â—â—d contentions would dayly breake forth all things â—ill remaine vncertaine 8. To prosecute a little further one of these reasons For â—t were too much to enlarge them all The tradition or â—estimony of our Church in deliuering the whole canon of scripturs vpon whose authority also most Protestants receaue it of what account do you make it If fallible the An argument vnanswerable fayth you gather from thence the Religion you ground thereon must likewise be fallible vncertayne and no way autenticall For the truth gleaned from the scripturs cannot be more sure then the Scriptures themselues from which it is gathered If infallible You grant what we require For the promises of God the assistance of the holy Ghost which warranteth the testimony of our Church to be of inuiolable authority in this point being generall and without restriction must warrant it also in The same promises of God which assure the Churches infallibility in one thing assure it in all all other traditions interpretations doctrines whatsoeuer and so you that forsake her sentence renounce her definitions renounce the Oracles of truth and decrees vndeceiuable or els shew what exception what limitation the holy Ghost hath made where he restrayned her priuiledge of infalibility to that particuler more then to other articles of our beliefe This is a Gordian knot which breake you may vnty you cannot For suppose you should reply as a Protestant once answered me that it appertayned vnto the prouidence of God to keep safe his holy writ and challenge it from corruption I would further inquire of you whether God hath greater care of the letter or sense of the inward kernell or outward rine of the bone or marrow of his word Of the marrow no doubt Then he preserued that more safe in the harts of his faythfull then the other in the rolles of paper and so as you take the barke and outward letter from the tradition of our Church much more ought you to borrow from her the true sense and sap and heauenly iuyce Finally to what end do Protestants striue so much ProtestaÌ„ts according to their owne groundes haue neither any fayth or religion for the Churches erring but only to depriue themselues therby of Church faith religion For wheras neither religion nor Church can staÌ„d without supernatural faith nor supernaturall faith be atteyned without infallible certeinty of the thinges beleeued if their preachers their Ministers their Church be not vndoubtedly fenced from all daunger of errour the articles they beleeue haue not that inerrable warrant which is necessary to faith Faith saith S. Bernard hath nothing ambiguous or doubtfull if it hath any thing ambiguous it cannot be faith Whereupon it is defined Heb. 11. v. 1. Aug. l. 13. de Trinit c. 10. tract 79. in loan Chrysost in bunc locuÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in explicat psal 115. Chrysost in hunc locuÌ„ Dyonil c. 7. de diuin nom by the Apostle to be the substance c. the argument of thinges not appearing that is a demonstration or conuiction by which our vnderstanding is acerteyned conuineed of the truth or as the greek importeth it is the basis grounde or foundation firme sure stedfast imoueable either of the hoped reuealed verities as S. Basil with S. Iohn Chrysostome indgeth or of them that hope beleeue fastning them in the truth the truth in them according to S. Denis S. Augustine from whence the comon schoole of diuines gather this principle that faith cannot be subiect to falsity no nor to any feare or suspition therof This infallible ground of assurance Protestants haue not beleeuing only vpon the credit of their Church which may beguile them Therefore howsoeuer they bragge of their all-sauing faith not any faith haue they or Church or religion at all August tract 7â— in loan Fidei non potest subesse falsum 9. Heer my aduersaryes cauill with vs that they haue as much fayth as we who rely vpon the definitions of our Popes and Prelates for they are men and euery man is a lyer as the scripture reporteth I answere our supreme Bishops are by nature men by infirmity subiect to lyes deceits yet as they are by faith Christians by inward vnction heyres of heauen so they are by Pastorall authority gouernors of the church officers of God organs of the holy ghost by whose perpetual assistaÌ„ce they caÌ„not erre they cannot in their publique decrees or generall assemblyes deliuer vnto the faithfull what is subiect to vncerteinty because that which they speake Christ speaketh in them that which they deliuer the spirit
58. Osiand ceÌ„t 13. l. 1. c. 4. pag. 329. condemned by Osiander another Protestant writer for approuing two Authors or Beginners of things one good another euill with the wicked Manichees for denying Baptisme denying matrimony denying the resurrection of the flesh as Antoninus likwise testifyeth with him To whome I adde the censure of Mayster Cooper the once intruded Bishop of winchester who recordeth of them Albigenses were heretikes which beganne by Toâ—â—use in France the yeare of our Lord 1207. which held the heresies of the Albanenses touching the soule Baptisme God and the generall Resurrection wherein they taught as he a little before meÌ„tioneth That the soule of man after his death was put into another body That Baptisme was of none efficacy That there were two Gods Anton. 4. Summ. ti 11. cap. 7. â—â—e good and another euill that of the good proceeded good thinges of the euill God euill things c. That the body should not eft soones rise â—â— the day of Iudgement These heresyes they renewed of the Albanenses They held moreouer sayth Cooper That it was Cooper in his dictionary the worde Albigenses â—â—t lawfull for Christian men to eate flesh 3. The VValdenses or poore men of Lyons were the â—â—me with the former but diuersly tearmed vpon diuers occasions 1. They admitted no Iudicious senteÌ„ce or corpoâ—all punishment of death to be lawfull because it is writâ—â—n Nolite iudicare do ye not iudge and non occides thou shalt At the word Albanenses â—â—â—ediatly before VVho where all one as some thinke with the Albigenses Alfonsus de Castro lib. 11. aduers bar verbo â—ccidâ—re Guido Antoninus de waldensibus â—ot kill 2. They allowed laymen women to consecrate the Sacrament and preach the word of God 3. Permitted Illyr in caâ— testium veritaâ—is pa. 731. 729. 747. 735. 755. Antonin p. 4 tit 1â— cap. 7. Fulke in c. 12. Apoc. sect 2. Luther de 10. praeceptis in explicatione 1. praecepti eodem Tom. in resolutionibus de indulgeÌ„t conclus 25. impres VVittebergaeanno Domini 1582. Mihi inquit-certissimuÌ„ est purgatoriumesse Clergy men to enioy no possessions or proprietyes 4. Condemned oathes Princes and Iudges as Illiricus a zealous Protestant witnesseth of them And lastly they contemned the Apostles Creed as Antoninus testifieth The Picards whome Fulke accouÌ„teth in the number of his faithfull are disclaymed by Luther as infaelices haeretici vnhappy heretiks And because their first Authour denyed Purgatory which Luther imbraced saying It is most certeyne to me that there is a Purgatory he inueigeth agaynst him after this manner Must we therfore belieue an heretike scarce borne 50. yeares ago contending the fayth of so many ages to haue beene false especially when he doth nothing els then that he sayth I belieue not and so proueth all his owne things and disproueth all ours Thus Luther exclaymed agaynst the Protestant Picardus for impugning Purgatory and with the same outcry pursueth him for disallowing many articles as strongly warranted by antiquity as that 3. Petrus Abaylardus banded himselfe as we reade in Saint Bernard with Arius and Nestorius concerning the Trinity and the person of Christ he indeauored by many reasons to proue that christ was not deliuered to death by the will of his Father Constantinus Coproniuus whome Illyricus mentioneth amongst his witnesses of truth agreeeth I confesse with protestants in breaking of images and disauowing their worship But he was otherwise such a damnable heretike and hellish Idolater as he denyed our Lady to be mother of God with the Caytife Nestorius He worshipped Venus and offred humane sacrifices vnto the Diuell as Suidas reporteth Wickliffe also their great Ber. epist 192. 188. M. SimoÌ„s vpon the Reuela pa. 142. giueth instance among o-others of this Abaylardus Illyr in Catal. testium pag. 836. 837. Suidas in lexico Melancton epist ad Frider. Mycon quae praefixa est veterum sententijs à se câ—llect de caena Domini Patron is discarded by Melancthon Luthers scholler because sayth he he foolishly confouÌ„deth the Ghospell with politik affaires He contendeth it vnlawfull for Priests to possesse any thing proper or as their own he will haue no Tithes payd but to Teachers Of which propositions Melancton deliuereth this censure Pernicious and sediditious 〈◊〉 is that VVicklifian superstition which forceth the Ministers of the Church to beggery 4. Secondly besides these heresies which they held anathematized both by Protestants and vs they maynteyned other articles of Faith conformable to our Catholike doctrine and disagreable from Protestants in points fundamentall For this cause Luther reiecteth the VValdenses or poore men of Lions as halting in the article of Luther in resolut ca. de Suerm Iustification the principall ground life and soule of Protestancy They erre quoth he in that they belieue not only â—ayth to iustify without workes but that it must be confirmed with Charity of imputatiue Iustice they know nothing Melancton recordeth of Wickliffe he vnderstood not a whit nor held the Iustice of faith MelanctoÌ„â— loco citat And why so because he belieued with vs Iustification and merit of workes He acknowledged also with vs the adoration of Relikes the worshipping of Images the behoofull patronage and intercession of Saints Which according to Caluin doth race the foundation of religion stoppe all way VVicklif de Euc. c. 9. in decal super primo maÌ„dato ca. 15. Item in ser de assump Mariae he sayth hiâ— videturmihi quodim-possbile est nos praemiari fine Mariae suffragio Cal. l. 1. instit cap. 20. Luther in coll Germ. cap. de Sacram altaris cap. de Antichristo Fox in Apocalip cap. 11. pag. 20â— VVhytaker cont â— q. 5. c. 27. fol. 489 Cal. l. 4. insti cap. â— entry to God Luther abandoneth the Hussites warneth his followers to forsake their communion because they say priuate Masses and because Iohn Husse departed not as he testifieth a fingers beadth from the Papacy Foxe also affirmeth of him that he taughr practised the same with vs the same which iâ— taught at Rome concerning transubstantiation Masse vowes of Chastity free wil predestination informed faith the cause of Iustification and merits of good workes Of Iouinian and Berengarius I might shew the like that they defended many Caâ—holike points of doctrine which ouerthrow the very Tower of Protestancy For if the Church presently falleth according to Whitaker Caluin and all learned Protestants and Catholikes also as soone as she teacheth any fundamentall errour how long hath the Protestants Church laine buryed in her owne ruines which hath imbraced so many and such essentiall blasphemies 5. Thirdly although these false supposed Protestants had all accorded in Protestants profession yet they could not haue beene sufficient to vnderproppe the Although the Waldenses wicklifistes and the rest had agreed in one beliefe yet they could not continue the neuer interrupted succesion of the ProtestaÌ„t fayth walles or vnite
pressed as they know not â—hat to say or whither to turne I appeale to the whole â—â—ditory whether this was not the summe of his reply â—â—d whether he did not heereupon abruptly end cease â— proceed any further with much disgust of the standers â— and small satisfaction to his owne fellow Ministers â—ho came to assist him Howbeit seeing both VVhitaker â— Reynolds distinguish in the same manner as Barbon hath â—â—one and often affirme that the Church may slide in to â—â—rours of probation not of damnation curable not inâ—â—rable I will a little further lay open the falsity of that â—istinction And first I would haue theÌ„ tell me what these â—urable errours be Grosse and fundamentall such as canâ—ot stand with the principles of faith or sleight and indifferent such as do not preiudice the integrity thereof â—â— such We need not for the attayning of saluation be cured of them we may without losse of Gods fauour heere or heereafter perseuere vnto death incurably in them In which case your new Ghospell was needles your outcryes slanderous your breach detestable in making so execrable a schisme diuision from vs for slender matters not necessary to saluation Grosse then and fundamental they be of which we shal be certainely healed before we dye therefore M. Whitaker affirmeth the Church may for a tyme erre in some foundations yet be safe or souÌ„d A crabbed saying for fayth must be entiere or els it is no fayth therefore if the beliefe of the Church be fayling in any one foundation it is no way sound but wholy erres in fayth as M. VVhitaker not many lines before directly auoucheth If any fundamentall point of doctrine be remoued the Church presently falleth A true speach howbeit most contrary and repugnant to the former And yet it is impossible for the Church euer to be ruined impossibly to perish or depart from God at any tyme or moment as hath beene disputed in the former Chapter Therfore impossible â—â— her to be ensnared in any substantiall or fundamental eâ—rour 5. Besides if curable errours be fundamentall whâ— be incurable What greater then fundamentall Or hâ—â— can any be counted incurable when there is none â— damnable which may not be cured by the salue of gracâ— When we dayly see that Arianisme Iudaisme Turcisâ—â— Apostacy Infidelity c. often cured with help from â—boue No errour there is which may not be cured by grace Are they incurable out of which the Church caâ— neuer be recouered But of this neuer Heretique as yâ—â— made question The Donatists who contended that thâ— whole Church crred and perished before their dayes saiâ— it reuiued againe and tooke life in them and so do all heretiks or sectaryes whosoeuer challenge a recouery of the decayed Church But what do I striue against meere fancyes All the arguments I haue heere proposed manifestly conclud that the true Church of Christ is neuer obnoxious to any errour at all little or great curable or incurable necessary or not necessary to saluation For she teacheth Why the Church can fall into no errour curable or incurable all truth the spirit and wordes of God are alwayes in her mouth She is a pure virgin and cannot be stayned with any spot of vnchast doctrine she is alwayes directed by the holy Ghost we are commanded by God alwayes to giue care vnto her But as we can be led into no offense smal nor grieuous materiall nor formal culpable nor inculpable into nothing dissonant or repugnant vnto truth by imbracing the direction or following ProtestaÌ„ts are eÌ„trapped in their own affertions holding the true Church may erre and yet themselus certain of truth the commandment of truth it self so we can tumble into no errour little or great curable or incurrable by following the direction or safe conduct of the Church And truely I wonder at this witch craft of Sathan how he should perswade our miserable sectaryes that they alone haue the purity of the Ghospell the certainty of the spirit the true reformed Church and yet to teach them withall that the true Church may erre For how can they be sure themselues do not erre in their fayth and in appeaching vs of so many superstitioÌ„s if their Church may erre How can their followers be sure they are taught â— truth if their teachers themselues confesse they may â— O drunken heresy O malicious blindnes art thou â—ereft of the light of reason and drowned in the pit of â—lful darknes as to produce no better witnesses for the â— of ours and rising of thy Church then such as may â—e such as may lye and beguile the people S. Augustine Aug. in psal 63. v. 7. â— braydeth the Iewes for labouring to disproue our Saâ—ours resurrection with sleeping watchmen And shall â—t I reuile our Lutheran or Caluinian strumpet for inâ—ing vs of sundry falshoodes by the verdict of errable â—inisters deceauable Reformers Who graunt they may â— blinded with curable errours Of such errours we acâ—se them in all points wherein they disagree from vs â—e proue them guilty by the word of God doome of anâ—â—quity and vniuersall Senate of all the faithfull who â—â—nnot erre Let them by the like Iury acquit themselues â—â—fense their doctrine with the like authority or els in â—â—ine do they bragge of verity or exclaime against our â—â—perstitious abuses Will they runne to the authority of Scripture But either they are infallibly assisted by the holy Ghost neuer to mistake or interprete it amisse and then their Church can neuer erre neither curably nor incurably which they deny or they may sometyme swarue from the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost they may fall into the curable errours of which we attach them and so are condemned by their owne mouthes for insufficient witnesses or accusers of vs. To go one Iren. l. 3. c. 4. 40. l. 1. c. 3. Hier. l. 3. adue Ruf. c. 8. in fine Cypr. epist 55. ad Cornel. Aug. de vnit Eccl. c. 28. 6. As the scripturs before mentioned so the ancient Fathers aboundantly testify the inerrable rule of the true Churches beliefe S. Irenaeus sayth The Apostles haue layd vp in the church as in a rich treasure all truth that he that will may from thence draw the water of life Likewise She keepeth with most sincere diligence the Apostles fayth and preaching In her sayth Saint Hierome is the rule or square of truth The Church sayth S. Cyprian neuer departeth from that which she once hath knowne S. Augustine Behould how after the same sort he addeth of the body which is the Church that he may not permit vs to erre neither in the bridegroome nor in the bride In another place he affirmeth Aug. tom 2. ep 166. fol. 290. that our heauenly Maister forewarneth vs to auoyd schismes In so much as he maketh the people secure of euill gouernourâ— least for them the chayer of holesome doctrine should be forsaken â— which euen
much more reason haue I to desire the like for the Ghospell of S. Luke seeing the same was so necessary for the Ghospell of his Maister And S. Augustine The Apostle S. Paul Aug. tom 6. cont Faust Manic l. 28. c. 4. Hier. ep 11. called from heauen if he had not found the Apostles with whome by conferring his Ghospell he might appeare to be of the same society the Church would not beleeue him at all S. Hierome hath the like whose authorityes togeather with the president of S. Paul so pinch our aduersaryes as they haue nothing to answere which deserueth confutation Notwithstanding A cauil of the aduersary reproued against the former recited examples of the Church they cauill that she pronounced iudgment in the beginning out of the written word and so made the scripture iudge rather then her selfe of all doubtfull occurrences We grant that the Scriptures were the outward law the The scripture is the outward law and needeth a liuely iudge or interpreter compasse or square which the Church followed in giuing her sentence both then and euer since yet as the law is dumbe and needeth an interpreter the compasse square not able to direct without the guide of the Architect to leuell it aright so the Scriptures can neuer giue a diffinitiue sentence to compose debates vnles they be managed guided and interpreted by the Church The scriptures are the dead and silent the Church the liuely speaking intelligible Iudge more easy then the scriptures more ancient then the scriptures more necessary Iren. l. 3. c. 4. Hilar. de Syno aduer Arian then the scriptures more necessary because many sucking babes who dye after baptisme many ignorāt people as Ireneus and S. Hilary note are saued without scriptures but not without the Church more ancient because the scriptures were penned by the holy Prophets and Apostles The last resolution of fayth is diuersly made by which we auoyd the circle obiected against vs by many Protestāts members of the Church more easy and perspicuous because that which the scriptures in sundry darke hard and general tearmes obscurely contayne the church in open plaine and particuler declarations applyable to the sundry exigentes of speciall occurrents cleerly expresseth Therefore although the scriptures haue a kind of iudgment as the inanimate law can iudge togeather with the Church yet the Church hath the principall primary supreme and most irreprouable voyce in this spirituall consistory or court of religion 3. Howbeit the last resolution of our beliefe is not so referred either to scriptures or to the Church but that the prime verity and other prudent motiues haue also their speciall concurrence whereby we easily auoyd that idle and impertinent circle with which VVhitaker and First it is resolued into the authority of God his fellowes would seeme to disgrace vs of prouing the scriptures by the Church and Church againe by scriptures For when it is demanded why we belieue the scriptures the infallible authority of the Church the mystery of the Trinity or any other article of our beliefe we reply that if you aske the formall reason which winneth the assent of our vnderstanding to belieue we beleeue Secondly into the proposition of the Church them for the diuine authority which is the formall obiect of fayth and of infinit force and ability to perswade immediatly by it selfe without the help of any other formall inducement whatsoeuer if you demand what warranteth or proposeth vnto vs this or that article to be credited by the testimony of God We answere it is the Catholike Church guided by the holy Ghost which cannot propose or deliuer any falshood If you demaund what moueth our will to accept this Church for an infallible witnes in sealing those articles We answere they are arguments of credibility which prudently induce Thirdly into certaine motiues of credibility and stir vs vp to credit her report the argumentes are these glory of miracles consent of Nations perpetuall succession interrupted continuance admirable propagation and increase of the Church force of doctrin conuersion of soules change of manners fortitude of Martyrs vnity sanctity antiquity the like which preuailed so much with our most learned S. Augustine as he recounting those thinges which iustly detayned him in Aug. con◠epist Manich 4. the Catholike Church sayth There holdeth me in her bosome the consent of people and nations there holdeth an authority begotten with miracles nourished with hope increased by charity Aug. de vtil cred c. 14. Populorū atque gentiū confirmatae opinioni ac famae admodum celeberrimae strengthned by antiquity there holdeth from the seate of Peter the Apostle to whome our Lord after his resurrection recommended the feeding of his sheep euen to this present Bishopricke the succession of Priests Lastly there holdeth me the name Catholike c. And in another place he sayth that by no other reasons was he induced to belieue in Christ then by giuing credit to the approued opinion of people Nations and to a most renowned and famous report These then were the motiues of credibility which first perswaded him to imbrace both Christ and his Ghospell 4. Then the mouth which vttered oracle which proposed them was the Church it self I for my part quoth Aug. con ep Fund c. 5. he would not beleeue the gospell vnles the authority of the Catholike Church moued me But the formall ground or chief reason which wonne his assent was the veracity prime verity or testimonye of God who could not with such prudent motiues euident argumentes of credibility testifye any thing either by himselfe or others which was not sealed with infallible truth Thus no round or circulation is made because the same thing is not proued but after a diuers seueral manner Secondly we escap another way The second way of escaping the circle the daunger of circulation if against them who deny the one graunt the other we borrow argumentes from the scriptures for exāple which they graunt to establish the Church which they denie or from the true Church if that be admitted to authorize the scriptures which are wrongfully impugned Thirdly that idle circle is declined The third way auoiding the same when we canonize the scriptures by the testimony of the present Church proue the Church by the interpretation of scriptures not made by the same Church which now is or lately was in the Councell of Trent but so expounded by the ancient Church in former dayes in the Councell of Carthage in the time of S. Augustin S. Ambrose and the rest of those Doctours or so expounded by the primitiue Church so expounded by the Apostles who receaued it from Christ he from his Father What round is heer or circle committed 5. Lastly it is no absurdity or begging of the question in hand if the Church approue the scripture by her owne testimony and by the same also her infallible authority
carry to the tribunall seate of Christ And then most agreable to the matter now in hand They beleeue in God the Father and in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost in vaine All these thinges sayd I auayle them nothing for asmuch as they deny this article of the reall presence and attach him of falsity who sayd of the Sacrament this is my body So Luther flatly acknowledgeth that the deniall of that one article the disagreement in the interpretation of that one place in such aâ— accept the other heades of religion is sufficient to plung them into the pit of hell Zanchius and many learned Protestants Zanchius in his epistle before his confession pag. 12 13. are of the same mind agreeing therin with the ancient Fathers with S. Athanasius who hath defined in his Creed that whosoeuer doth not hold the Catholike fayth who and inuiolate he shall perish for euer With S. Hierome who witnesseth that for one word or two contrary to the sayth many heresyes haue been cast out of the Church With S. Gregory Nazianzen saying Nothing can be more dangerous then thâ—se heretikes Hier. l. 3. Apolo cont Ruf. Nazian tract de fide who when as they runne through all thinges vprightly yet with one word as with a drop of poyson corrupt and stayne the true and sincere fayth of our Lord and of Apostolicall tradition With Saint Basil who being solicited by the persecutours to relent a little to the tyme stoutly answered as Theodoret reporteth that such as are instructect in the diuine doctrine do not suffer Theod. l. 4. hist c. 17. any syllable of the diuine decrees to be depraued but for the defence of it if need require willingly imbrace any kind of death 9. And not to stay longer in reciting the testimonies of 〈…〉 when the Sonne of God auouched he 〈…〉 Marc. 1â— v. 16. not shal be condâ—mned Of what beliefe did he speake 〈◊〉 of belieuing the whole Ghospell the whole corpes of Christian doctrine whereof he there sayd preach the Ibid. v. 15. â—hospâ—lâ— to all creatures which Ghospell comprehendeth many other articles besides the Trinity Incarnation Passion of Christ Therefore he that belieueth them not all shal be condemned Likewise when Christ auouched He that despiseth you despiseth me he that heareth not the Church c. Luc. 10. v. 16. Matt. 18. v. 17. he doth not add in this or that point but absolutely in whatsoeuer Let him be to thee as the Heathen and Publican And for this cause the custome of the Church hath beene in her publike definitions and generall Councells to strike with the thunderbolt of Gods heauy curse to threaten with anathema all such as refuse to belieue any one decree or definition of hers concerning any point of fayth whatsoeuer it be which the Church could not do without erroneous faultines in her selfe and wrong to her children if euery Canon she maketh and fenceth with that Anathema were not necessary to be belieued vnder paine of damnation Besides not only the Church but sundry zealous and forward sectaryes of all sorts are ready to yield their liues in behalf of any one article of their beliefe wherein although they erre concerning the particuler obiect yet this generall agreement in such seuerall sectes is an apparant token that Nature it selfe teacheth euery speciall point of true religion and not the principall only to be necessary to saluation wherein the Athenians were so precise as they punished without remission Teste Iosepho cont Appion any little word lesse warily vttered against the receaued opinion of their Gods The Iewes also were seuerely chastised for the transgression of any one of the ceremoniall lawes giuen vnto them by the disposition of Angels And God himselfe threatneth that he shall take Apo. 22. v. 19. â—â—ay his part out of the booke of life who shall diminish any word of S. Iohns reuelation What wonder then though â—e be blotted out of the register of heauen though he be eternally punished who eitheâ— gainesayth altereth or not beleeueth expresly or infoldedly euery point of doctrine the Sonne of God himselfe or the holy Ghost whome he after sent publiquely teacheth or inspireth to his Church 10. The chiefest reason why fayth must be whole entire is the infallible authority or veracity of God vpon One principall reason why fayth must be entire in al points whose testimony we belieue which being once suspected or doubted of in any one point of neuer so small importance the like doubt or suspition may creep into others and shake the whole foundation of Christian Religion Therfore S. Thomas and many other learned Deuines profoundly teach That he hath no supernaturall fayth he beleeueth not any thing moued by diuine authority S. Thomas 2. 2. q. 5. art 3. He that belieueth not euery article of fayth belieueth none at all Tertul. l. de praescri who beleeueth not euery thing little or great fundamentall or not fundamentall proposed vnto him to be credited by the same authority Whereupon they inferre That no sectary who maketh choyce vpon his owne liking or vpon the iudgment of his Ministers to belieue some articles and not the rest doth truly beleeue any one article at all After which manner Tertullian long since disputed against Valentine the heretike saying Some thinges of the law and Prophets he approueth some things he disalloweth that is he disalloweth all whilest he disproueth some In like sort I may argue of our Protestants and other Sectaryes that they make choyce to beleeue some things not to belieue other and so whilest they belieue not all thinges they belieue nothing nothing vpon the authority of God but vpon their owne election as humane motiues incline and perswade them which is humane only not diuine or supernaturall beliefe For fayth being an assent of our vnderstanding to thinges not euidently seene or conuinced by reason but only credited for the testimony of another it cannot be more certaine then he that testifyeth and deliuereth them vnto vs who if he be subiect to errour as all men are in Protestants conceipt they that belieue the reuealed mysteries or interpretation of Scripture either vpon their owne or such mens credit cannot attaine to the certainty of fayth no more then the Turke who although he belieue in God Creatour of heauen and earth yet he belieueth not in him with diuine fayth because he relyeth vpon the authority of his Alcaron or Turkish Muphtyes who as in other things do so might deceaue in Muphty is the name of the chiefe Interpreter of the Tuâ—kish law Cuspin in descript Magistrat Turcici that And whereas without true and diuine fayth it is impossible to please God they cannot hope for his fauour who do not belieue euery article as the inerrable testimony of his true Church proposeth them to be belieued 11. Hence it is that euen as we are bound to obserue and fullfill the whole law of iustice euery
mind that is to fayth What shall I call this treacherous VVhitak ibidem fol. 501. or foolish dealing to answere one thing wheÌ„ another is demanded we now dispute of the sensible markes to discouer the visible Church of such markes as may be seene and perceaued by sense and not of the act of fayth or thing belieued wholy in that respect inuisible and obscure because fayth according to the Apostles definition Is the argument of thinges not appearing Which Hebr. 11. v. 1. to confound with the precedent motiues inducing vs to accept these thinges as the misteryes of beliefe is knauish treachery or notorious folly For as the naturall reasons which the Philosopher alleadgeth to perswade the Atheist there is a God are not the thing he belieueth or obiect of his fayth but as it were the outward Ambassâ—dours he vseth to winne him to accept that first ground of beliefe so the visible signes which leade vs to the knowledge of the Church are not reuealed articles imbraced by fayth but the forerunning messengers which The outward markes which leade vs to the Church must be apparaot to sense propose vnto vs that article of belieue They appertaine to the eye of the body to the manifest feeling and touch of sense or els they could be no signes at all to giue notice vnto vs of a true visible and sensible Church 3. M. VVhite harpeth vpon another string but with as false a stroake as VVhitaker For he teacheth Faith is the cause of the Church and therefore more knowne then the Church it selfe c. as euery cause is more apparant to our vnderst anding and better knowne to our iudgment then the effect I graunt that faith is the cause of the Church but that causes are more apparant VVhite in his way to the church §. 26. fol. 112 113. VVhitak loc citat to vs imprisoned in a Cottage of earth wintered amongst the cloudes of sense then their effects is euidently false contradicted by VVhitaker disproued also by many experiences of the eclipse of the Moone of the ebbing and flowing of the sea of the Remora his hindering the course of a ship and of a thousand such naturall effectes whose causes are vnknowne from whence the knowledge of Philosophy had her first being For many learned men woundring at these and the like effects began to search out the hidden causes and reasons of theÌ„ And what Is Aristotle of another mind whome M. VVhite VVhite in the same place so boldly quoteth as countenancing his absurdity I am fully assured he hath not so much as any sillable sounding that way For he distinguisheth two kind of knowledges one in respect of vs the other in the nature of the Aristotle no where teacheth causes to be more knowne to vs then their effects as White falsifyeth him thing in it selfe that is the thing in the perfection of his owne nature is more intelligible although by reason of our imbecility we cannot reach vnto it Thus Aristotle in the very places obiected by VVhite only teacheth that causes are both before their effects and better knowne to wit in nature but not to vs not to our vnderstanding not to our iudgment as he wretchedly applyeth and abuseth his wordes whether of malice or of ignorance I will not iudge but although he had beene wholy vnacquainted and ignorant in Aristotle yet VVhitaker his maister who affirmeth the same and with the same distinction as Aristotle doth might haue taught him the truth if some euill humour had not possessed his hart 4. Thirdly the true preaching of the word and doctrine of saluation is the very being it selfe or essence of the Church it is the only thing we require in searching it out Wherefore to assigne that for a marke is to delude the seeker and to giue the substance as a figne of ProtestaÌ„tâ— markes meer collusions the thing required For example if a stranger should demand where the Mayor of the Citty or chiefest Magistrate lodgeth Were it not a mockery to say Where he dwelleth who hath the whole command of the towne or were the stranger any whit the neerer by this reply No more is any Protestant the neer of finding the Church by these her essentiall Markes which doe not openly appeare or shine in her forehead but are closely hidden in her secret bowells For so S. Augustine sayth That truth remayneth Aug. in psal 57. in the wombe or bosome of the Church as all essences are couched vnder the veyles of accidents by vs who borrow our knowledge from outward senses must needs be vnderstood before we vnderstand the natures themselues Therfore we must first repaire to the Church before we can find the truth inclosed therein 5. M. VVhite admitteth with S. Augustine that true faith is in closed in the bosome of the Church but as a VVhite in his way to the true Church §. 28. fol. 118. 119. light saith he in a watch tower as a candle standing in a lanterne which by it owne light can guid vs infallibly to the Church c. as the firmament is seene by the light of the sun though it self hold out the sun vnto vs These be his examples as farre wide from his purpose as he from sincerity in alleaging of them For the light manifesteth it self without the help of the tower the sun vseth not the working of the firmament to cast forth his beames They both doe naturally shine and giue light vnto vs the truth not so that cannot be seene vnles it be manifested opened by the Church Faith is Rom. 10. v. 17. Psal 118. v. 130. by hearing heard it cannot be without it be vttered vttered it must be by the Preachers of the Church the Preachers then are they that giue notice of the Truth Therefore the Royall Prophet doth not say that Gods truth of it self but that the declaration opening of his words illuminateth and giueth vnderstanding Againe By the light we discouer the parts of the tower by the sun the firmament quite coÌ„trary in our case for we arriue not first by beames of faith to take notice of our preachers but by our preachers we are instructed in all pointes of faith which order of proceeding is manifestly expressed by the Prophet Isay speaking Isa 2. v. 3. in the person of such as trauaile to learne the truth Come let vs go vp to the mount of our Lord to the house of the God of Iacob he will teach vs his wayes c. Loe they first knew the mount of the Church to which they ascended and knew it to be the mount of our Lord the house of the God of Iacob and then were taught and instructed in his lawes The spleÌ„dour of the Church guided them to the light of truth not her reuealed light to know the Church For this cause our Sauiour termed his Apostles their successors not the towers or houses only which hold bâ—
opening the window as VVhite imagineth deliuer vs this ligot but he termeth them the candles themselues lights of the world VVhite in the place before cited Matt. 5. v. 14. VVhite as before which guide enlighten vs in the heauenly path of true beleefe Wherefore if a light vpon a watch tower in the darcke night may according to White be the only marke whereby to find the tower the doctours Pastours of Christ which our Sauiour auoucheth to be his glorious lights shining in the darke night of this world must by Whites owne allusion be the only marks to find out the faith of Christ They to whome Cornelius to whome S. Paul called from heauen to whome all the ignorant are perpetuall sent by the voyce of God to learne the truth of his doctrine Act. 10. v 5. 6. Act. 9. v. 7. 17. way of his commaundements 6. Fourthly either the sincere preaching of the word in some particuler points is sufficient to descry the Church or it is necessary it be sincere in all pointes of faith both VVhitaker VVhite agree that it must be sincere in al fundameÌ„tal VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. cap. 17. VVhite in his way to the true Church §. points necessary to saluatioÌ„ because diuers heretical conuenticles haue the sincere preaching in some particulers either of Trinity Incarnation Passion or ResurectioÌ„ of Christ yet that sufficeth not therefore it ought to be sincere in all But how shall the ignorant be assured what Church it is which is pure in all these articles who doe not vnderstand the articles themselues neither which be fundamentall nor how many nor wherein the chief foundation of euery article consisteth as necessary to saluation How shall they for example be certeinly perswaded whether the Protestant sect syncerely teacheth the article of imputatiue iustice of originall sinne of predestination of many such in which diuerse learned men haue fowly erred strayed from the truth They I say who cannot examine these pointes by the analogie of holy writ or if they can are not able to iudge of the verity of such deep vnsearchable misteries what course shall they take beleeue their ministers who confesse they may deceaue them beleeue their priuat spirit who haue no meanes in this case to make triall of it whether it accord or disagree from the rule of faith M. Field hath set downe a prudent course which if his owne followers would now embrace we might ioyne handes Field in his epistle dedicatory before his first book tâ—gether concerning this point Seeing the coÌ„trouersies of religioÌ„ in our time are growne in number so many in nature so intricat that few haue time leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them what remayneth for men desirous of satisfaction in thinges of such consequence but diligently to search out which amongst Iren. l. 3. c. 3. 4. Lact. l. 4. diuin insti cap. vlt. Ambr. ep 32. ad Imper ValeÌ„t Aug. de vtilit credend c. 37. VVhite in his way to the church §. 26. fol. 119. Augu. in psal 57. all the societies of men in the world is that blessed company of holy ones that houshold of faith that spouse of Christ Church of the liuing God which is the pillar ground of truth that so they may embrace her communion follow her directions and rest in her iudgment Hither to he I might produce the words of S. Irenaeus Lactantius S. Ambrose and S. Augustine who exhorte vs also to repaire to the Catholique Church to beleeue her to set vp our rest in her and from her Maisters and teachers to learne the truth 7. But VVhite obiecteth the authority of the same S. Augustine seeming to teach the contrary when he sayeth By the face of truth I knâ—w Christ the truth it self By the face of truth I know the Church pertaker of the truth So he perfidiously translateth S. Austines words detorteth his meaning from the scope of his discourse For S. Augustine disputing against them who confined the Church within the borders of Africa proueth out of the holy Scriptures out of the word of God and authour of truth that it is vniuersally spread ouer all the earth After this he inferreth out of the mouth of truth not as he treacherously englisheth it by the face of truth I know Christ the truth it self out of the mouth of truth I know the White falsly traÌ„slateth S. Augustins wordes Church pertaker of the truth that is as by the cleere testimonyes of the word of God I know Christ the truth it self so by the like cleere testimonyes do I know the vniuersality of the thurch partaker of the truth which the donatistes denyed This one property of the Church he learned from the mouth of truth not the true Church it selfe from the pure preaching of the word in all necessary points of faith as White misconstrueth his meaning For S. Augustine expresly teacheth some few leaues after that Christ himself the foundation and ground of all consequently his Incarnation his death Passion cannot Christum ignoret necesse est qui Ecclesiam eius nescit in qua sola cognosi potest Aug. in psal 69. be known but by the Church It is necessary saith he he be ignorant of Christ who is ignorant of his Church in which only he may be knowne Therefore the notice of the Church leadeth vs to the knowledge of Christ and not e contra especially seeing we cannot rightly spell the words and tel the sense of scripture nor know that scriptures are nor vnderstand and beleeue what is signifyed by the name of Christ vnles we were first instructed by the Church 8. Lastly if before we come to the knowledge of the Church we must learne her faith why do wee after seeke to the Church when we haue already obteyned the treasure of truth for which we sought vnto her if before we geue credit to the Church we must examine her doctrine whether it be true or false if before we accept her interpretation of scripture we must try whether it agree with the sense and connexion of the self same scripture if after such collation and diligent conference we may lawfully renounce or follow the Church whereinsoeuer we deeme it sutable or disagreeable to the written word we must be examiners and iudges both of the Church and Scripture priuate men must censure publique vnlearned sheep controle their Pastours the â—reatest and a city confusion and absurdity that can be imagined VVhite in his way to the church §. 30. fol. 127. which yet is nothing the lesse by VVhites colouring of it and saying that They examine and iudge not by their owne priuate humours but by the publike word of God which in the Scripture speaketh Or as he sayth in another place By the spirit of God in the scripture because his spirit his publike Idem § 27 fol. 116. word speaking in the Scripture
bastard Church into an adulterous Church Wherefore the only thinge I am to proue is that the Roman church neuer ceased to be the true church of Iesus christ or which is all one that it neuer altered her religion neuer changed in any essentiall point from the purity of fayth which the Apostles togeather with their bloud to speak with Tertullian powred into it Which I first demonstrate TertulliaÌ„ in praes contra haer with this common argument often heretofore insinuated 4. The diuin prouideÌ„ce hath preserued inuiolably the truth of his Gospel in the persoÌ„ of succession inuisible descent of Bishops Priestes and preachers in some place or other for he hath appoynted a perpetuall generation of Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastours Doctours to continue in his Church vntill we meete all into the vnity Ephes 4. v. 13. of sayth and knowledge of the Sonne of God that is vntill the last day The finall end or cause was that now we be not children wauering and carryed about with euery winde of doctrine So that Ibidem v. 14. as an orderly ranke of Pastours and preachers was still to remayne euen so the linke of heauenly truth is perpetually chayned thereunto by the holy Ghost in so much as the gates of hell and all the might of Satan shall neuer separate them but no other row of succeeding Pastours can be named besides those of the Roman Church or such as descending from them in all partes of the world haue likewise agreed with them in fayth and doctrine therefore they are the Doctours and Pastours which our Lord hath appointed to abide in his Church vnto the worke of the ministery vnto the edifying of the body of Christ vntill Ephes 4. v. 12. we all meet in the vnity of fayth 5. Secondly that Church which once was the chast and vndefiled spouse of Christ can neuer cease to be his Three only wayes can a true Church fayle by Schisme heresy or apostacy Schisma est recessus vel diuisio ab vnitate ecclesiae spouse or loose the integrity of sauing fayth vnlesse it be diuorced from him by schisme heresy or apostacy Schisme commeth from the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is defined a departure or diuision from the vnity of the Church by which the band and communion held with a former Church is broken and cut off Heresy as it is now generally taken is a willfull election and firme adhesion to some priuate and singular opinion or rather errour coÌ„trary to the generall approued doctrine of the Church and it is deriued from the Greeke verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth to chuse or voluntarily to preferre one thinge before another Apostacy is a defection or reuolte A description of heresy from God in such manner as it renounceth his faith casteth of the very name and title of a Christian by imbracing Iudaisme Turcisme or Paganisme But the RomaÌ„ Church which once syncerely professed the faith Of Apostacy of Christ neuer deuided it selfe by Schisme from the body of other faythfull Christians It neuer brake the communion or went forth froÌ„ the society of any elder Church The Roman Church neuer failed any of thes waies Not by Schisme Or if it did tell vs whose company it left From whom it went forth And where was the true Church which the Roman forsooke The Grecians and other schismaticall Churches haue separated themselues from her but she neuer went out or reuolted from any Likewise the RomaÌ„ Church hath at no tyme by voluntary election made choyce of any singular or new opinion disagreable to the common receaued doctrine of the Christian world Nor by heresy It hath cleaned in no age to priuate articles or propositions of fayth which were not at the same tyme generally maynteyned in the Church of Christ For who did euer Nor yet by Apostacy taxe the Roman Church of nouelty or innouation in this kinde What true Church did euer disclayme from this singularity or hereticall pertinacy in the Roman Church Did it betwitch all nations in a moment with detestable heresy And was no man left to discouer the M. Nappâ—r vpoÌ„ the reuelation p. 66. and 68. item p. 43. 63. MelancthoÌ„ in locis postremo editis Beza confess general c. 7. sect 12. Humfrey Iesuitis 2. part pag. 6â—4 VVhitak contro 2. q. 4 fol. 144. Fulke in his answer to a counterfeit Catholik pag. 36. infection It can not be Much lesse did it depart from Christ by the crime of Apostacy which necessarily presupposeth a departure from the true Church and a reuolte from the openly professed fayth with the renouncing of Christianity and falling to infidelity Wherefore seeing by no other meanes a Church once true can possibly decay the Roman Church which by neyther of these wayes hath strayed from the truth perseuereth still the Church of Christ vnstained in her fayth 6. Thirdly if the Roman Church euer fayled I aske when By whome Vnder what Pope or Emperour it first beganne to play the aduoutresse Mayster Napper maynteyneth that it did first degenerate about 300. and thirteene yeares after Christ by the meanes of Pope Siluester Melancton about the foure hundred twenty by the vsurpation of Zosimus Beza about the foure hundred and forty by the arrogancy of Leo. Doctour Humfrey about the fiue hundred ninty seaueÌ„ by Gregory the great whom he tearmeth the first Pope and leader of the Popish daunce Why taker and Fulke about the sixe hundred and sixe by Boniface the third his successours For Whitaker affirmeth All that followed Gregory to be true Antichrists Many other dissentions there be amongst them Because the CeÌ„turistes sometymes say that it beganne to be corrupted in Cent. c. 4. col 71. 79. 80. 81. c. Cent. 2. c. 4. col 55. Cent. 1. cap. 10. col 571. c. 584. and. c. 4. col 54. Et conuenientia testimonia non erant Marc. 14. Daniel 13. the three hundred sometymes in the two hundred yeare after Christ Other while they ascend higher and find corruptions euen in the Apostles dayes But as the disagreement of the two wicked Iudges in accusing Susanna one affirming she committed adultery vnder one tree another vnder another was a most apparant testimony in the iudgement of all people of her vnstayned chastity their inueterate malice So if another Daniell would now determine our cause this variance of our aduersaryes in appeaching the Roman Church one auonching she reuolted from Christ and fell into her spiritual adultery vnder one Pope Another vnder another One in the tyme of Siluester Another of Leo A third of Gregory c. must needes be an euident token of her vnchanged fayth and their new forged slaunders For why doe you dreame Mayster Napper that in the dayes of Saint Napper vpon the reuelation p. 66. Siluester and by his default the Roman Church decayed Because sayth
eloquent and learned Bishop sharply rebuked in a publike audience by the venerable and reuerend Spiridion only because he chaunged for elegancy and finenes of speach a word of the sacred writ of no great importance to wit Grabatum into Lectulum and could so many chaunges or prophanations rather as sectaryes conceaue not in words Nicepho l. 8. cap. 42. but in sense and substance in Sacraments sacrifice orders Priesthood worship of God and chiefe articles of fayth be generally made in all Countryes without â—hecke or controllement It is credible It is possible 20. The third Rule is mentioned by Tertullian That if these pointes of doctrine which Protestants condemne in the Roman Church were the inuentions of men they could neuer be so vniformely taught and constantly belieued among such diuersity of nations For Is it likely sayth he so many and so great Churches could combine together all in the same errour Had Churches erred they would haue differed TertulliaÌ„ in prescrip cap. 28. in their errours VVherefore what is one and the same amongst so many was not â—eygned but deliuered So the Pagans or heathenish Idolaters agreed all in acknowledging fealty by outward sacrifice to some high and supreme excellency Aug. ep 49. ad Deogra q. 3. which was God as S. Augustine insinuateth proceeded froÌ„ God yet they infinitely varied in the multiplicity of false Gods to whom diuersity of sacrifices which they offered for those thinges sprung from their own fancies or selfe liking of others But the Roman Church euery The conformity of the RomaÌ„ faith in al articles al ouer the world coÌ„uinceth it to be the true fayth of Christ where accordeth not only in the externall homage of sacrificing to some but in the three persons of Trinity to whome alone our sacrifice is offered In the thinge sacrificed which is bread and wine mingled with water both consecrated into the body bloud of Christ In the forme of wordes which our Sauiour himselfe vsed in offering of it In the circumstance of tyme and place in which he instituted it In all necessary conditions properties or other dispositions required in him that sacrificeth Which constant vniformity must needs flow froÌ„ the soueraygne springe authour of vnity That which I auouch of our sacrifice is verified of Purgatory prayer for the dead inuocation of Saints merit of workes and the rest which Protestants condemne of nouelty and superstition For neyther can these be drawne to any other head or of spring then Christ and his Apostles nor could they be so conformably taught by all sorts of people had they crept into the Church by the errours of men Therfore by al these rules it is manifest that the RomaÌ„ Church neuer altered her fayth or vented any new opinion not generally approued before Which rules M. Field also Field in his 4 booke of the Church chap. 18 fo 224. receaueth as infallible saying VVhatsoeuer the most famous haue constantly and vniformely deliuered as a matter of fayth no man contradicting though many other Ecclesiasticall writers be silent and say nothing of it Like wise that which the most famous in euery age constantly deliuered as matters of fayth and as receaued of them that went before them in such sort that the contradictours and gaynsayers were in their beginning noted for singularity nouelty and diâ—â—on and afterwards in processe of tyme if they persisted in such conâ—radiction All Protestants coÌ„uicted of innouatioÌ„ by Fields testimony Aug. tom 7. l. 1. coÌ„t Iulia. pela cap. 2. Aug. in psal coÌ„tra partem Donati CypriaÌ„ ep 55. Iero. Apo. aduer Ruff. l. 3. c. 4 Cito RomanaÌ„ fideÌ„ non posse mutari Bern. in c. 1â—0 ad Innocen Arbitror ibi potissimuÌ„ resarciri daÌ„na fidei vbi noÌ„possit fides sentire defectum Bilson in 2. part of the true differ c. pag. 386. print in 8. charged with heresy These thinges we admit sayth â—e as comming from those first authors and founders of our Chriâ—â—ian profession See what a verdict M. Field hath giuen in â—o acquite our sacrifice and other articles from superstitiâ—n which haue beene by the most famous in all ages vniformely belieued and to find his owne sectmates guilty of innouation who for gaynsaying of them were in their beginning noted for singularity nouelty and diuision as Aerius Vigilantius and other their forerunners at sundry tymes haue been for the like contradiction and afterwards for their willfull perseuerance arraygned condemned of heresy by the whole Senate of ChristendoÌ„ in the Councell of Trent 21. Finally many auncient Fathers and renowned writers testify not only that the RomaÌ„ sea bath not but that it cannot chaunge or alter her beliefe by reason of Gods special assistance alwayes guarding and protecting it and her supreme Pastour So S. Augustine writeth of Innocentius the Pope VVhat could that holy man answere to the African Councells but that which aunciently the Apostolicall sea the Roman Church held with other Churches And in another place he calleth Peters seate That Rocke which the proude gates of hell â—â—â—quith not S. Cyprian sayth To the chayre of Peter the prinâ—ipall Church c. infidelity or false fayth cannot haue accesse S. Ierome Know you that the Roman Fayth commended by the Apostles â—oyce receaueth no such delusions and that being armed with Paules â—uthority it cannot be chaunged c. S. Bernard writing to the Pope sayth All daungers scandalls of the Kingdome of God esâ—â—cially those which belonge to Fayth ought to be reserred to your Aâ—ostleship For I thinke it meeete that the decayes of fayth be there reâ—ayred where Fayth cannot suffer any detriment For to what other â—ea was it euer sayd I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy Fayth doe â—â—â— fayle M. Bilson obiecteth to himselfe by Philander his aduersary these three last authorityes and although he dippeth of the chiefest part of S. Bernards sentente disgraceth him with the scoffe of poore Bernard and requireth some grauer and eider Father Yet he graunteth that S. Bernard applyeth this priuilege of not erring to the Church of Rome But S. Cyprians saying he pittifully writheth vp and downe forcing it rather to be vnderstood of the people of Rome then of the Pastours of whome S. Cyprian directly speaketh writing to Cornelius the Pope of Felicissimus Cypria ep 55. and other seditious persons sent by Fortunatus the false Bishop out of Africa vnto him His wordes are After all this they dare sayle and carry letters from schismatikes prophane persons to the Chayre of Peter and the principall Church where Priestly vnity had her beginning do not remember those to be Ad quos perfidia non potest habere accessum Romans whose sayth was praysed by the Apostles mouth to whome infidelity or false beliefe cannot haue accesse Therefore to them infidelity could not come in S. Cyprians iudgement to whom Fortunatus sent his legates to them that presided in Peters chayre to
most falsly in the Fathers of the Primitiue Church Since Luther we will not deny but some Lutheran sect hath been alwayes visible Where then is the latency Where the inuisibility To which you fledd before found such reliefe as you had a Lord your Herauld to blazon it abroad with prayse notwithstanding this second euasion was thus very pithily refelled by the forenamed dispute THE CATHOLIKE No knowne and apparent Heretikes can constitute the Church of Christ But all these your Martyrs and Confessours which Fox nameth were knowne and apparent Heretikes Therefore they could not constitute the Church of Christ such aâ— you suppose your Protestant Church to be THE PVRITAN I deny the Minor they were not knowne heretikes THE CATHOLIKE I proue the Minor Fox nameth the VValdenses Albigenses Lollardes VVicklifists such others But all these were knowne and apparent Heretikes Therefore all those whome Fox nameth are knowne and apparent Heretikes THE PVRITAN I deny the Minor The VValdenses Albigenses c. were true and faithfull Catholiques THE CATHOLIKE The VValdenses and Albigenses c. held many articles of Faith which you condemne as heresyes and many other damnable doctrines against both you and vs which both our Churches iustly burne with the note of heresy as all Historiographers testisy who liued about the same time and relate their particuler errours Therefore the VValdenses Albigenses c. were knowne and apparent Heretikes THE PVRITAN Peruse the Acts and Monuments of M. Fox and you shall see our holy Martyrs euidently freed from these slaunders of Papists THE CATHOLIKE If Fox therefore either sayth nothing in way of purgation or produceth not witnesses worthy of credit for that which he doth say it is manifestly proued you had no Church for those 900. yeares THE LORD DE LA WARE Let vs therefore see Foxes Chronicle The Conclusion of the Conference 6. Foxes Chronicle of Actes and Monuments being brought after much tossing and turning could be found not any one Authour of credit but Foxes bare denial to disproue all those writers who registred in expresse termes the infamous heresies of those forenamed sectaryes Yet least Foxes assertion take place with some partiall companion before so many faythfull witnessâ—â— no way interessed in our quarell I shall bring in heereafter the verdict of Protestants themselues who attach the Albigenses VValdenses VVicklifistes c. of the same heresyes of which our Catholikes endite them 7. In the meane while consider I pray what cause the BaroÌ„ had to vaunt of his souldiers triumph who in both these encounters ranne out of the field so shamefully ouerthrowne as many who were present can witnes and pitty withall the beggery of Protestants who are faigne to gather the miserable ragges either of some inuisible spirits or open Heretikes to patch vp the coate of their mishapen Church CHAP. IIII. In which it is argued that the true visible and apparently knowne Church can neuer faile WHEN I note the admirable consent and perfect harmony which the Prophets and Apostles the old and new law vniformely make in establishing the perpetuall neuer ceasing raigne of Christs visible Church I caÌ„not but wonder at the former blasphemous speaches of these many other not wholy vnlearned Protestants For in the old Testament it is called an euerlasting kingdome A kingdome that shall not be dissipated fâ—â— euer Daniel 7. Dan. 2. Luc. 1. Micheas 4. In the new of his kingdome there is no end In the old Our Lord shall raigne ouer them in the Mountaine of Sion from hence forth now and for euer where he speaketh of the visible mountaine of the Church because to it he sayth all people shall flocke In the new he shall raigne in the house of Iacob Luc. 1. for euer In the old the Prophet testifyeth God founded his Citty for euer Vpon which place S. Augustin writeth Perchance Psal 47. the Citty which replenished the world shal be ouer throwne God forbid he founded it for euer In the new Vpon this rocke will I build my Church the gates of hell shal not preuaile against it Where the pronowne demonstratiue Matt. 16. v. 18. this and the gates of hell striuing and not preuayling against the Church argue a sensible foundation and visible Church S. Chrysostome comparing this promise Chrys in hom quod Christus fit Deus of Christ made to Peter for the continuall building and perseuerance of his Church with that prophesy of his touching the destruction of the Iewes temple there shall not be left a stone vpon a stone after a long and eloquent discourse he hath these wordes Doest thoâ— see how whatsoeuer he hath built no man shall destroy and whatsoeuer he hath destroyed no man shall build He builded the Church and no man shall be able to destroy it He destroyed the temple and no man is able to build it and that in so long a tyme for they haue endeanoured both to destroy that and could not and they haue attempted to build vp this neither could they aâ—chieue it In the old I will make a league of peace to them an euerlasting couenant shall be to them Ezech. 37. v. 26. and I will found them and will multiply them and will giue my sanctification in the middest of them for euer And to signify that he meaneth a visible couenant establishment or multiplication Ibid. v. 28. it followeth and Gentills shall know that I am the Lord the sanctifyer of Israel In the new Behould I am with you all dayes euen to the consummation of the world with you preaching Matt. 28. v. vltim christening and ministring Sacraments therfore the Church shall neuer cease exercising these visible acts vntill the end of the world Yet because some sectaryes restraine that passage to the Apostles hearken what S. Aug. in psal 47. Augustine writeth directly against them Neither did he say this to the Apostles only who were not to perseuere to the câ—â—umâ—ation of the world but to them he spake and vs he signified Because as he auoucheth in another place To all Christians these wordes appertayned who were to come and continue to the end August serm 45. de verbis â—emini of the world They appertaine as he affirmeth to al because by the teachers and baptizers all the shepheards by the instructed and baptized all the people or sheep of the fold are denoted who could not be taught instructed nor baptized if they were not visibly knowne one to the other 2. Finally in the old testament I haue sworne to Dauid Psal 88. v. 4. Matt. 13. v. 30. his seed shall remaine for euer In the new testament The good seed sowed in the field is sayd to grow vntill the haruest But by whome is it sowed how doth it increase By visible pastours preachers of the word amongst whom Amongst the faithfull how long Vntill the haruest vntill the consumation of the world Where In the Field of our Lord. And
ought or should but what they shal infallibly do 4. Likewise wheresoeuer there is question of the law of the coÌ„mandement of ceremonies of Iustifications shew it them I meciatly Paral. 19. v. 10. after there is a distinction made betwene spirituall and ciuill affaires betwene spirituall and temporall authority Ananias the Priest your Bishop shable chief in these things Ioseph l. 2. cont Apion Philo l. 3. de vita Moysis Aelian var. hist l. 14. c. 34. Strabo Geor. l. 17. Cicero l. 2. de leg Euseb in Chron. Casar de bello Galli l. 6. Ioseph antiq lib. 14 c. 16. To the Church belong all the conditions necessary in a Iudge which perteine to God Moreouer Zabadias the sonne of Ismael who is the Prince of the house of Iuda shal be ouer those workes which apperteine to the kinges office And Iosephus witnesseth That the Priestes were appointed by Moyses to be ouerseers of all thinges iudges of controuersies and punishers of the condemned persons whereby it is euident that it belonged to them not only to decide Ciuill of which Philo also maketh mention but much more Ecclesiasticall matters touching the law the commaundement and iustifications neither was this only ordeyned by God amongst his chosen people the Iewes but by ingrafted perswasion of nature agreed vpon amongst all nations For Aelianus writeth that amongst the Aegiptians their priestes were Iudges determiners of all debates and that the most auncient of them had the chiefest voyce Strabo testifieth the like of the Aethiopians Cicero of the Romans of the Persians Eusebius Caesar of the Frenchmen that their Priestes called Druidae had the same authority Iosephus of the Athenians affirming that their Priestes were Iudges the chiefest among them gathered the suffrages of the rest 5. Moreouer all conditions necessarily required in a suprem Iudge confirme vnto the Church her soueraignty of iudgment for the Iudge must be able to heare vnderstand examine the matters in strife giue a cleere resolute sentence whereby he acquite the innocent and condemne the guilty these propertyes appertaine to the Prelates of the Church They and not the Scriptures nor the priuate spirit haue eares to heare skill to knowe She can heare examine determin debates meanes to examine a liuely intelligent voyce to pronounce such a sentence of approbation or condemnation as all may discerne on whose side it is giuen Againe the Iudge ought to be publique openly knowne that all who are desirous may haue accesse vnto him of infallible authority not only in himselfe but also in respect of vs that we may safely rely build the foundation of faith vppon him He ought to be autenticall warranted by God indewed with power that the humble may with awfull reuerence imbrace his decrees and the stubborne by due constraint punishment be forced to submit otherwise his tribunall were vn profitable iudgment She is publique known to all friuolous The Church is so conspicuous patent generally knowne as there are few Iewes or Turkes no Christians who are ignorant of it howbeit many are ignoraÌ„t of the holy scriptures Her sentence is certeine infallible She cannot be inueigled with errour nor She is infallible corrupted with giftes nor seduced with fauour because she is the faithfull spouse of Christ and piller of truth The scriptures although they be certeine in themselues yet in respect of vs they may be adulterated suborned changed misconstrued 6. The Church hath the seale of Gods warrant whereby we are bound to obey it bound to follow and imbrace her finall resolution If he will not heare the Church let him be to thee like the heathen publican yet we are no way tyed She is authenticall and warranted by God Matt. 18. v. 17. 1. Cor. 5. v. 3. 4. 5. to the written word any further then it is deliuered expounded vnto vs. The Church hath power to excomunicate suspend degrade enforce by her censures compell vs by her punishmentes to conformity and obedience as S. Paul did the incestuous Corinthian I indeed absent in body but present in spirit haue already iudged as presente him that hath so done in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ you being gathered together my spirit with the â—ertue of our Lord Iesus 2. Cor. vlt. v. 10. v. 2. Christ to deliuer such a one to Sathan By this and many other places it is plaine that the pastours of the Church haue a coactiue power of constrayning the rebellious to submit themselues vnto her triall definition which the Scriptures haue not 7. Many other proofes may be brought to strengthen this high tribunall of the Church For she is the mother She is the first Mistresse of our fayth which first begetteth vs which sealeth vs in baptisme with the character of Christians She teacheth vs the first elementes of our beliefe the articles of our Creed She spelleth vnto vs the meaning of Christ of Iesus of Sauiour of God the authour of grace of his Sacraments sacrifices faith and gospell which from the written worde without her instruction we could neuer learne To which purpose very true is that sayng of M. Hooker Hooker 2. booke of Eccle. poli fol. 118. The scripture could not teache vs the thinges which are of God vnles we did credit men who haue taught vs that the wordes of scripture doe signifie those thinges Therefore the men of the Church not the scripture are the first maisters of our faith Yea say you but after our first reformers did more copiously partake The Protestants idle euasion reiected the beames of lighte they found the scriptures peruerted not rightly expounded by such as had them before in custodye Is it so Were their expositions false and scriptures true Must we beleeue on their worde the canon of scriptures and learne of you the interpretation of them as though they who canonized them with authority in regard of vs could not open their meaning better then you or he who preserued by them the dead letter vncorrupted did not more diligently preserue the liuely sense and meaning inuiolable Can any guide vs more safely in the way of saluation in the pathe of Christ then such as teache vs there is a Christ meanes of saluation Egregiously S. Augustine reasoneth with the Aug. l. de vtil credeÌ„ c. 14. Manichees as we may now with Protestants VVhy should I not most diligently inquire amongst them what thing Christ commaunded by whose authority perswaded I haue now beleeued that Christ commaunded some thing VVilt thou better tell me what he sayed whome I would not thinke to haue beene at all or to be if I must Aug. com â— cont ep Manich. c. 5. beleeue because thou sâ—â—est is VVhat madnes is this Giue credit iâ— them that Christ is to be beleeued learne of vs what he said In Another place If thou doest holde thy selfe to the ghospell
Hier. q. ad Edibiam kingdome of Christ wherin such as refuse to liue are rebelles and traytours to God It is the house (b) Orig. in Iesu Naue hom 3. Cypr. de simplicitate Praelat Ambr. lib. de Salom. c. 5. of â—ahaâ— from whence whosoeuer departeth is guilty of his own death It is the (c) Ioan. 21. Luc. 5. Ambr ser 11. l. de Salom. c. 4. Concil Later c. 1. Vna est fidelium vniuersalis Ecclesia extra quaÌ„ nullus omnino saluatur Aug. tom 7. concione ad plebem de Emerita post medium Cypr. epist 62. ad â—omponium Iren. l. 3. aduer haeres c. 40. Ship of Peter out of which whosoeuer sayleth suffereth ship wracke Therfore the CouÌ„cell of Lateran hath truly and carefully defined There is one vniuersall Church of the faythfull out of which no man is saued This decree of that most holy and generall Councell the vniforme consent of the Fathers ratify and confirme a few with such as I haue alleadged shall speake for the rest S. Augustine Out of the Catholike Church a man may haue all things excepting saluation he may haue orders he may haue Sacraments he may sing Alleluia he may answere Amen he may haue the Ghospell he may haue and preach the fayth in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost but he can by no meanes obtayne saluation but in the Catholike Church S. Cyprian Neither can they writing of excommunicated persons liue without sith the house of God is one and no man can haue saluation but in the Church Irenaeus In the Church God hath appointed Apostles Prophets Doctours and the whole operation or ministery of the spirit of which they all are depriued who repaire not to the Church VVhere the Church is there is the spirit of God and where the spirit of God is there is the Church and all grace Then he interreth that such as do not partake of that spirit estranged from truth are iustly tumbled into euery errour Lactantius it is only the Catholike Lactant. l. 4 diuin instit cap. vlt. Church that hath the true worship and seruice of God this is the well spring of truth the dwelling place of fayth the temple of God into which whosoeuer entreth not and from which whosoeuer departeth is without all hope of life and eternall saluation Thus Lactantius With whom our chiefest aduersaries likewise accord Field confesseth one holy Catholike Church in which only the light of heauenly Field in his first booke of the Church c. 2. fol. 23. truth is to be sought where only grace mercy remission of sinnes and hope of eternall happynes are found And to maintaine this he citeth the aforesayd sentence of Lactantius 4. Caluin also speaking of the Church our Mother sayth There is no other entry into life vnles she conceaue vs in her Calu. l. 4. instit c. 1. §. 4. wombe vnles she bring vs forth vnles she feed vs with her breastes finally vnles she keep vs vnder her custody and gouernance vntill such tyme as being vnclothed of mortall flesh we shall be like vnto Angells The reason heereof is the secret and vnchangeable will of God who sent his Sonne into the world to erect one Church one fayth one religion one house and chosen company to whom he bequeathed the keyes of paradise That only Church he purchased with his bloud that only he loued for that he deliuered himselfe to sanctify her cleansing Act. 20. v. 28. Ephes 5. v. 25. 26. her with the lauer of water in the word of life In that only Church he hath left as Irenaeus obserued his Pastors and Doctours In that his word and Sacraments in that the embassage of reconciliation benefite of remitting sinnes To that only Church he communicateth his spirit To one only Church doth God commit the keyes of heauen and benefit of reconciliation promiseth his assistance imparteth his grace vertue and spirituall endowements therefore whosoeuer is deuided or separated from that is wholy bereft of Gods celestiall comforts Most of the learned Protestants consent with vs That out of the Church there is no saluation yet this couert they seeke to saue themselues That they are of the Church either of the same with vs as some imagine or of a distinct by themselues as others vphold or at least that euery one is sufficiently in the Church of saluation as long as he beleeueth the Trinity Incarnation Passion and other principle mysteryes of fayth But that they haue no distinct Church planted by Christ watered by his Apostles and perpetually continued vntill their dayes which is necessary for the true Church I shall demonstrate heereafter in the eleuenth twelueth and thirtenth Chapters of this booke Now that they are not any part of the Roman Church nor all one with vs I manifestly conuince 5. Because they abhorre our sacrifice condemne our Fulke in c. 5. Ephes sect 3. In cap. 13. Apoc. sect 2. Fulk in c. 24. Luc. sect 4. 1. Ioan. 2. sect 9. VVhitak contr 2. q. 6. cap. 1. ibidem c. 3. Reynoldes in his fifth conclusion Fulke in c. 13. Apo. sect 2. in c. 5. ad Ephes sect 3. Rogers in his booke 39. articles of Protestancy Sacraments forbeare all participation with vs and we with them in fayth and religion we excommunicate cut them off from the communion of our Church which they also renounce as superstitious blasphemous and antichristian It is certaine sayth Fulke the Church of Rome cannot be the true Church of Christ Againe The whole religion of Popery is nothing but blasphemy against God and Christ and his Church For this cause he calleth it the whore of Babylon the seate of Antichrist the malignant and Antichristian Church of Rome VVhitaker disclaymeth from it with the like reproachfull termes and addeth That the Papists are Idolaters and their Church Idolatricall Besides he reckoneth vp eighteen fundamentall points by which it ouerthrouweth in his conceit the grounds of true religion M. Iohn Reynolds labouring to discouer the like entitleth his fift conclusioÌ„ after this manner The Roman Church not the Catholike Church nor a sound member of the Catholike Church Yea he Fulke Rogers and others recount togeather with those which VVhitaker nameth aboue foure and thirty articles in which the Roman Church hath damnably erred and in euery one shaken the fabrike razed the foundation as they blaspheme of true beliefe Therefore it is impossible any Protestant should thinke his religion the same with ours shall substantiall points impossible he should looke to be saued in the lappe of our Church which his râ—rest men and stoutest patrons so spitefully traduce and purposely detest as the most contagious heretical and idolatrical Church that euer was As impossible it is that euery sectary should hope for the blessinges of heauen in his own sect by imbracing only the principall grounds of religion as the ensuing Chapter shall further declare
CHAP. IX In which it is proued that no Sectary can be saued by beleeuing the chief heads of Religion IN the hartes of such as reuolte from truth there breedeth like a canker this cloaked Atheisme that it importeth little of what religion a man be of so he acknowledge one God receaue the Apostles Creed and beleeue to be saued by the merits of Christ An Atheisme I call it because it secretly tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of all Christian fayth due worship of God The gainsaying of any one article disposeth to a plaine Apostacy denyal of all articles of fayth For as the taking away of a few stones by little and little disposeth to the ruine of a stately building so the remouall or not admittance of some points of fayth most dangerously maketh way to the denyall of all after which manner I shall demonstrate by by how that he which gaynesayth the least article of fayth hath quite lost hiâ— fayth without which it is impossible to please God But first I will begin with some other arguments 2. According to this Atheistical opinion that euery one may be saued in his owne sect the Pelagians Nouatians Donatists Eutichians Monothelites and sundry other plagues of the Church who imbraced the Trinity Incarnation Passion of Christ c. might be put in some hope of future happynes which no Christian I thinke will now confesse Likewise those sectaryes who after the definition of the Church maintayned S. Cyprians and other holy Bishops errour of rebaptization consorted with Catholiks in all other points of beliefe notwithstanding for that alone they were accounted heretikes and so depriued of the benefit of life Of whome Vincen. Lirinensis Vincen. adu prof haeret nouit maketh this exclamation O admirable change of thinges the Authors of one and the same opinion are esteemed Catholiks and their followers are iudged Heretikes Because they without breach of peace before the decree of the Church these after with proud stubbornes presumed to defend it 3. The Quartdecimani who liued about the yeare 186. beleeued all the substantiall heades of faith They beleeued whatsoeuer was publiquely taught receaued in the primitiue Church but only one particuler thing as it should seeme of small importance concerning the celebration of Euseb l. 5. c. 22. Nicep l. 4. cap. 39. the Feast of Easter whether it should be celebrated on the fourteenth Moone then the fast of Lent cease vpon whatsoeuer day it fell or vpon a Sunday according to the generall custome of Christians And yet for this only point they are enrolled in the catalogue of heretikes excluded here from the banquet of the Church supper of the lambe hereafter For S. Austine in his booke of heresyes Aug. haer 29. Epiphan 50. Hier. dial aâ—â—er Lucifer c. 1. Haereticos quoscumque christianos non esse Tit. 3. v. 10. rehearsing them by another name sundry more among whom many beleeued all the forenamed principles of religion he notwithstanding coÌ„cludeth of them the like other heresys besides these may be any one of which whosoeuer shall hold cannot be a Christian catholik S. Ierome presupposeth this as a certeine ground Heretikes whatsoeuer cannot be Christians bargayneth with his colloquutor to speake of an heretique as of a gentile S. Paul chargeth vs to shun the company of euery heretique in what point soeuer he runneth astray saying A man that is an heretique after the first second admonition auoyde knowing that he that is such a one is subuerted sinneth being condemned by his owne iudgment And he casteth all Gal. 5. v. 20. 21. sectaryes with fornicatours murderers and drunkards out of the kingdome of heauen 4. Moreouer the Donatists disagreed from the Catholique Church in a matter not specifyed in the Creed no nor expresly mentioned as S. Augustine auoweth in holy writ This sayth he neither you nor I do read in expresse wordes Aug. l. de vnit Eccl. c. 19. Aug. l. 1. cont Cres c. 33. Lib. 11. de baptis con Donat. c. 4. l. 5. cap. â—4 And in another place Although no example of this matter be found in holy scriptures yet doe we follow in this the truth of the scriptures when we do that which is agreeable to the vniuersall Church commended vnto vs by the authority of the same scripture Likewise The Apostles haue commaunded nothing concerning this matter But the custome which was alleadged against S. Cyprian is to be thought to haue descended from their tradition as diuers other things haue done which the vniuersall Church doth obserue are therefore with great reason beleeued to haue beene commaunded by the Apostles although they be not written So that the Donatistes alteration was about aâ— vnwritten verity They inuocated one God as S. Augustine affirmeth with him they beleeued in the same Christ Augu. in explicatione psal 54. they had the same gospell sung the like psalmes c. they agreed which him in baptisme in keeping the feasts of martyrs in celebrating of Easter In these sayth he they were with me yet not altogether with me in schisme not with me The belief of the Trinity other chiefe articles auayled not the Donatists because they denyed som vnwritten traditioÌ„s in heresy not with me in many thinges with me in a sew not with me these few in which not with me the many could not help them in which they were with me Behold the Donatists could not be holpen they could not receaue any benefit or fruit from God by beleeuing the Trinity the mediatioÌ„ of Christ the Creed the sacramentes the rest because they dissented from the Church in some few traditions not recorded in scripture can our sectaryes looke to enioy the treasures of life denying both vnwritten traditions diuers other articles cleerely expressed in holy writ as I haue proued in the two former partes of this treatise 5. Besides although the beleefe in God in Christ in the articles of the Creed were sufficient to saluation yet this beleefe ought to be one the same in all the faithfull for truth is one vniforme and constant falshood â—arious discordant chaungable But diuers sectes diâ—ersly vnderstand these heades of religion Therefore they â—â—nnot all haue the true vniforme and sauing faith To instance in the dissention of ProtestaÌ„ts from vs. They beleeue that their God doth truly purpose determine and The Protestants beliefe in God is not the same with the true beliefe of Catholikâ— â—o operate vnto sinne yet as a righteous Iudge not as an euill â—â—tâ—ur We beleeue that our true God no way at all with no right intention can concurre thereunto They beleeue a dissembling God with a twofold will one reuealed and detesting the other secret intending sinne We teach that our God hath but one will which wholy disliketh â—â— hateth sinne They beleeue a God so weake or vnmerâ—â—full as there be some sinnes he will
precept all thinges whatsoeuer Christ commanded or els we forfeit our whole grace forfeit our right and title to heauen because he that offendeth in one is made guilty of all So we are bound to belieue all whatsoeuer either Christ by himselfe Matt. 28. v. 20. or the holy Ghost teacheth vs by the mouth of his Church or if we deny any one point we are vtterly depriued of the habit of fayth we haue not any fayth at Iacob 2. v. 10. all 12. At length it is not ynough that we stedfastly beleeue euery point all the heades and braunches of catholique faith we must also communicate ioyne together in society with the faithfull For he that doth not gather with me scattereth he that is not with me is against me as Cypr. de vnit Eccl. S. Cyprian to this purpose vseth these places of scripture Therefore although euery well minded sectary beleeue all thinges with the true Church notwithstanding as long as he seuereth himselfe in communion from it that very separation that dissention alone is ynough to cast him headlong into euer lasting fire S. Cyprian writeth of Chore Dathan Abiron that they beleeued in one God Cypr. lib. 1. epist 6. worshipped one God called vpon him liued in the same law religion as Moyses Aaron did howbeit because they diuided themselues by schisme from the rest resisted their Priestes Gouernours Gods heauy hand lighted vpon them More notable are the wordes of S. Aug. l. dâ— vnit Eccl. c. 4. Augustine All those that beleue as hath beene sayd that our Lord Iesus Christ is come in flesh risen from death in the same flesh in which he was borne hath suffered that he is the sonne of God with God one with the Father the only immutable word of the Father by whome all thinges were made but doth dissent notwithstanding in such sort from his body which is the Church that their communion is not with all them with whome the Catholique Church doth participate but are in some diuided part it is manifest that they are not in the catholique Church And if not in the Church if not in the body of Christ they cannot be quickned with the spirit of Christ For whosoeuer saith he againe Aug. ep 152. ad Donatist is diuided from the Catholique Church how laudable so euer he seeme to liue for this only crime that he is separated from the vnity of the Church he shal be excluded from life the wrath of God shall remaine vpon him With whome S. Fulgentius accordeth saying Hold for most certeine doubt not that no heretique or Fulgent de fide ad Petriem c. 29. schismatike baptized in the name of the Father of the sonne and of the holy ghost if he be not vnited to the catholique Church although he he giue neuer so great almes and shed his very bloud for the name of Christ yet can be in no wise be saued 13. By all this which I haue sayd it appeareth first how much they are deceaued who sooth themselues with A deceit of some who thinke it inough to belieue the common principles in which all Sectaryes agree this fond conceipt that although euery obstinate sectary cannot enioy the treasures of life yet if any be so indifferent that they hold beleeue the common principles in which all Christian sectes and companies accord they at least may be in the state of saluation These men I say are much deceaued because Faith must be whole and entire in euery point and besides integrity of beleefe in all pointes communion with the true Church participation of sacramentes is also necessary Then they are mistaken with a false surmise that they agree with all in their generall groundes For as all meet together in some common articles of one God one Christ or the like So they all and each sect vniformely consenteth that those common principles are to be limited contracted by a speciall faith to his particuler sect Therefore they cannot agree in all generall pointes with euery diuided conuenticle vnles they ioyne in this to draw these geÌ„eral heades to some one society or one particuler faith as euery sect though in a different manner conformably doth 14. Secondly as pernicious a flattery it is in many who thinke it sufficient to obey their king lawes of their Country exacting their corporall presence at the Another flattery of such as deeme it sufficient to coÌ„form themseluâ— to their Princes lawes in matters of coÌ„science publique seruice which is appointed in the Realme whether it be true or false For although obedience to Princes be not only commendable but according to vs necessary to saluation in all such thinges as they haue authority to commaunde yet in matters of faith and religion which apperteine to God wherein soeuer they swarue from his diuine lawes no subiect can be excused in obeying his Princes precept or highest consistory to the violating of his conscieÌ„ce breach of Gods coÌ„mandement no more then the Iewes who committed Idolatry at the compulsion of Ieroboam Easterne Bishops who imbraced Arianisme by the constraint of Valens the Arian Emperour or any other such like were to be acquited of most detestable sacriledg in neglecting their duty to God for obedieÌ„ce vnto men Neither ought this seeme straung to Protestantes for sith it is lawfull among them to disobey the voyce of Gods Church to disobey the decrees of Gods generall Councells which are warranted by God neuer to erre as often as in their priuate iudgmentes they stray from the written word how can they blame vs who humbly craue pardon of not obeying our temporall How far Catholikâ— are ready to spend their liues in any of their Princes quarels Soueraignes who haue not the like warrant in such thinges only as the whole Christian world and Gods highest tribunall vpon earth infallibly iudgeth theÌ„ to depart from the scriptures In all thinges els we vow all homage duty to Princes we are ready to offer our liues landes and goods in their behalfe we are readye to defend the right of their title or of other causes wherin they shal be engaged agaynst any inuader temporall or ecclesiasticall whosoeuer Onlie we desire to keepe our consciences vnoppressed our religion entire vnto God 15. Thirdly as Protestants flatter themselues to the 〈…〉 dice of their soules so they cry out against vs for â—â—nt of charity in condemning so many morall good men of other religious besides our owne blameles iâ— thier liues in conuersation modest zealous in prayers almes hospitality and many other vertuous workes I answere that as it is no want but an euident token of perfect charity to for warne sinners of the peril of damnation 1. Cor. 6. v. 9 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which ProtestaÌ„ts falsly traÌ„slate worshippers of Images Gal. 5. v. 19. 20. 21. Rom. 16. v. 17. Tit. 3. to inculcate
is not any way distinguished from the Scripture it selfe no more then the mind of a Prince set downe in his law or diuulged in See more of this matter in the first part of the Antitode and first Controuersy his proclamation is any way different from the proclamation or law Therfore if the Scripture cannot open by her selfe the true sense of the Holy Ghost neither by the spirit of God as it precisely speaketh by the Scripture Againe his diuine spirit manifested in the Scripture is challenged by the Church which hath pablike authority to expound Scripture and so to be preferred before the iudgment of her hearers or if they presume to draw it to their priuate construction they by their owne priuate Ciccro in oratione pro domo sua Quid est tam arrogans quaÌ„ de religione de rebus diuinis ceremonijs sacris pontificum collegium docere conari humours or which is all one in substance though expressed in smoother termes they by their in ward imagined motions of the holy Ghost iudge of the publique word contrary to their Pastours iudgment they examin censure reiect approue whatsoeuer seemeth good vnto them not making Gods publique word as they falsely giue out but themselues iudges partyes and vmpiers of all Which Cicero and Metellus amongst the Heathens S. Gregory Nazianzen amongst Christians seriously reprehend as a most insolent part Neither do Protestants only make themselues iudges and supreme controllers but which in euery art and science is most ridiculous They are as Tertullian in the like case derideth others first perfect Catechumens before they be taught doctours before they be schollers Metellus apud TituÌ„ Liuium decade 3. Nazian in oratiâ—ne qua se excusat quod â—â— Ecclesiae abstinuerit functione Vos inquit oues nâ—lite pasâ—ere pastores neque super terâ—inos â—orâ—â— eleuamini c. Nolite iudicare iudices neque legem feratis legis-latoribus Tertul. de praes cont haer â— 41. antâ— sunt prefecti cathecumeni quà m edocti for when as they cannot be catechized nor instructed in fayth but by the true Church by her Pastours and teachers if to descry and know the Church they must be first acquainted with all necessary articles of beliefe her essentiall and inseparable markes they must first become Maisters in their Catechisme before they be admitted into the schoole of Catechumens first arriue to the perfection of Doctours before they be taught the Alphabet of Schollers that is sufficiently to know and vnderstand the mysteryes of fayth before they can receaue or learne them from the faythfull And seeing Fayth alone iustifyeth the belieuing Protestant he by this dotage is truly iustifyed in the sight of God is pardoned his sinnes is inwardly sanctifyed and vnited vnto Christ before he be incorporated in his body the Church 9. In summe although our Reformers notes were allowed as good vet for the finding out of their Church especially before Luthers dayes they would be as far to seeke as euer before because the pure doctrine cannot be taught without some men to teach it and people to heare it without it fructify and increase in the hartes of some But no Protestants can be discouered before that incestuous Fryar marryed a Nunne who either preached or belieued the Protestants Ghospel as I shall manifestly shew in the Chapters ensuing Therefore no Church can they decipher by their owne deuised markes CHAP. XI Wherein is shewed That our Sectaryes had not any Preachers of the Word nor Administration of Sacraments nor any Church at all before Luther began Against D. Fulke and D. Sparke MOST true is that oracle of holy scripture Euery one that doth ill hateth the light and commeth not to the light that his workes Ioan. â— v. 20. may not be controlled Which very fitly describeth the condition of our Sectaryes who in al their chiefest controuersies betweene them and vs cunningly shun the open field of publike triall and fly to the ambush of darke and hidden and deceitfull answeres For in expounding of Scriptures whome make they their last and finall Iudge Their own priuate and secret spirit Who faythfull belieuers The elect and predestinate only known to God What marks doe they assigne to find out the Church The true preaching Fulke in c. 2. Thess 2. sect 5. c. 12. Apo. sect 2. in c. 20. sect 6. Tertul. de resur carn of the word c. more hard to know then the Church it selfe they labour to find Where doe they say their Preachers were or Church continued Marry for many hundred yeares Hid in corners sayth D Fulke chased into the desert euen amongst the ruines of the visible Church Are not these the Lucifugae shunners of light of whome Tertullian speaketh Are they not afrayd to appeare in the sight of men least their treacheries be discouered 2. We proceed and intreate them to set downe in what particuler Country vnder what climate or signe of the heauens these their dumbe Pastours not able to barke this their ruined house and decayed Church lay hid so long We desire to know who were the men In what places and after what fashion they liued Sparke Sparkes in his answer to M. Iohn d' Albins pag. 122. maketh answere vnto vs You do our Church and her Ministers double wrong First in thus chasing them into wildernes there to saue themselues from your fury and then yet exacting at our hands the names of them whome God by thus hiding them preserued to continue his Church Yea Was God so impotent as he could not preserue them without hiding of them Is this no wrong Matt. 5. v. 14. Dan. 12. v. 3. Matt. 5. v. 13. Act. 1. v 8. Eccles 19. v 12. 13. 14. 15. Eccles 39. v. 12. 13. 14. 15. to God Do you no wronge to Christ in drawing his dominion from the largenes of the world in hiding his Church which he absolutly sayd could not be hidden And doe we wrong you in defining to know in what corners you hide it Did not Christ to continue his Church appoint visible Sacraments visible Pastours visible Gouernours who should be lights of the world stars of heauen salte of the earrh witnes of his name interpreters of his word whose wisedome many should after extoll whose memory should not decay nor glory be extinguished whose names should be rehearsed from generation to generation and whose prayses the Church should continually set forth And do we wrong you in asking the role of these mens names Such wrong Tertullian S. Pacian Optatus Tertu l. de praesc Pacian ep ad Sempr. Optag l. 2. con Par. Aug in psal cont parâ— Don. Sparkes in his answer to M. Iohn d' Albins pag. 53. S. Augustine and diuers others haue done to the heretikes of their dayes in challenging them to set downe the rowe of their predecessours and such wrong the Church of God hath taught vs to offer to all new Sectaryes 3. Why then M.
consent and agreement by which the members of the same Church though of diuers nations languages customes dispositions yet are all vnited in the same fayth lawes sacrifice religion They are all carefull as Saint Paul exhorteth to keep the vnity of the spirit in the band of peace To be of one accord and one iudgemet For which cause Christ earnestly prayed and vsed many other effectuall meanes he ordeyned vs all to one end and goale of felicity You are called in one hope of your vocation He taught vs to acknowledge as Saint Paul writeth in the â—ame place one Lord one fayth one Baptisme one God and Father of Eph. 4. v. 3. Phil. 2. v. 2. Ioan. 17. v. 11. Eph. 4. v. 4. v. 5. 1. Cor. 10. v. 17. 18. all He nourisheth vs with one bread his owne sacred flesh He incorporateth vs in one body He guideth vs with one and the same spirit and that all thinges might be orderly disposed he submitteth vs in his absence to the obedieâ—ce of one head his vice gereÌ„t vpon earth by which the pâ—erogatiue of vnity is principally maynteyned and â—â—â—refore Saint Augustine termeth the sea of his residence Câ—â—hedram vnitatis the Chayre of vnity And Saint Cyprian Aug. ep 166. CypriaÌ„ ep 73. Optat. l. 2. con Parm. Iero. con Iouin cont Lucif Leo ep 84. Bernard l. 3. ad Eug. Irae l. 1. c. 3. 〈◊〉 Peter vpon whome our Lord built his Church he instituted and â—â—wed the beginning of vnity The like hath Optatus rhe like S. â—â—rome and Saint Leo. 3. By the assistance of Gods holy spirit and â—y the subordination of the people Priestes Pastours Bishops to this supreme head the Pope of Rome which Saint Bernard resembleth to the subordination of the Angells Archangells Cherubims and Scraphims to Almighty God there is preserued in the vniuersall Church spread ouer all the world that admirable peace and perfect argrement as if it dwelled to vse Saint Irenaeus words â—â— one house enioyed one soule and one hart she preacheth teacheth and deliuereth the thinges shee belieueth so conformably as if she spake with one mouth For sayth he Although there be different languages yet the vertue of traditioÌ„ is one the same Neyther do those Churches which are founded in Germany belieue otherwise or otherwise deliuer Nor those that are amongst the Hiberians nor those that are in the East nor those that are in Aegypt nor such as are in Libya nor such as are planted in the midest of the earth But as the sunne that workemanship of God is one and the same in the vniuersall world so the light the preaching of truth euery where shineth and enlighteneth all who will come to the knowledge therof 4. This conformaty of doctrine which Irenaeus marked in the vniuersall Church of his tyme where can we now discouer but amongst the Professours of the Roman fayth Goe into Asia Goe into Africa sayle into India passe into Iaponia compasse the East and returne into Al Catho like professours are vnius Labij of the same speach or language the West and you shall behold all Countryes all prouinces all Cittyes euery professor of our Religion vnius Labij of one language of one hart and soule in Sacraments sacrifice and all Articles of fayth The reason is because they all as I â—outhed aboue submit themselues to the iudgement of one soueraygne and supreme head who guided by Gods spirit infallibly gouerneth and vnâ—â—â—th the whole body From whome if any dissent he is seuâ—red and cut of from the rest of the members 5. Amongst Protestants no such thinge nothing but schismes iarres and mutuall discordes such as Saâ—â—t Aug. l. 18. de ciuitat Dei ca. 41 Iraen l. 1. Tertull. de praes Hil. l. 7. de Tri. ChrysostoÌ„ Hom. 20. operis impersect in Matth. Parkes agaynst VVillets Limbomastix Augustine discouered amongst the heathen Philosophers â— such as Irenaeus Tertullian S. Hilary and S. Chrysostom amongst auncient heretikes For example trauayle into these ouâ— Sectaryes dominions one fayth shall you find in one Countrey another in another one in Saxony another in Germany another in England This at Geneua that at Zuricke c. What shall I speake of Citties and countries examine the fauorites of any particuler sect no agreemeÌ„â— amongst them no towne no village no man perseuereth long in the same beliefe But they often change and vary from themselues coyning as Saint Hilary reporteth of the Arians yearely and monethly faythes Euery man sayth M. Parkes maketh Religion the handmaid of his affections VVe may say now that there are so many faithes as willes and so many doctrines as manners of men whiles eyther we write them as we list or vnderstand Beza ep 1. and Andr. Dud. repeateth his wordes M VVilliam Reynolds in his preface before his refutation of M. VVhitaker reprehen Cauils them as we please in so much that many are brought to their wits ends not knowing what to do Which Duditius an emineÌ„t Protestant in the fight of Beza obiecteth agaynst his own brethren which Maister VVilliam Reynolds our Catholike writer notably declareth in the changes and alterations of our English gospellers in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth and I might further specify in many particulers since the raygne of our gracious King Iames. 6. For in her dayes the reall presence was * VVhitaker cont 2. q. 5. c. 7. pag. 89. Reynoldes in his fifth cont folio 657. Sparks in his answere to M. Iohn de Albins fol. 235. See these wordes of the Bishop of Ely allowed by Casaub in his aforesayd answ to Car. Peron â—â— 16. Causab pag. 33. In the conf at Hâ—mp court Reynolds in his 4. coâ—lus Field in his â— book c. 10. 11. Field in his third booke of the Church c. 22. fol. 118. Illiricus in clauo Scripturae de varia c. tract 6. dupl iustit instific Field in the place before cited impugned as implying contradiction and destroying the humane nature of Christ Now it is allowed as nothing impossible VVe agree with you sayth the Bishop of Ely concerning the obiect all the strife is aboue the manner c. we belieue the presence we belieue I say the true presence as well as you c. Then yearely shrift or auricular confession was an antichristian and popish bondage a butchery of mens consciences now the Fathers who ordeyned it had their reasons why they thought that such manner of confession would further the easier atteyning to saluâ—â—tion Then to pray for the dead that their soules might thereby be reliued was new fantasticall and superstitiâ—us popery Now to desire of God rest for their soules was an aunâ—â—ent custome and is referred by his Maiesty to the head of thinges proâ—â—able or lawfull Then when a woman was head a woman might lawfully baptize and Christen infants Now the midwifes christing is vnallowable and of no force at all Then the holy Catholike Church which we belieue
fab Iero in praefat dia. contra Pel. Damas haer 100. Field in his 3. book froÌ„ the â—3 to the 33. chap. heresies or puddles of naughtines wherein they dissent from our true fayth they seuerally sucke from the poysoned fountaynes of sundry old heretikes From Aerius their deniall of sacrifice and prayer for the dead Of Purgatory from the Armenians of Indulgences from the Hussits Taborits of the reall presence from Berengarius of the worshipping of Images from Xenaias They hold auricular Conlession not necessary with the Iacobits Priestes Absolution vnauaylable with the Nouatians Adoration of Relikes superstitious with Vigilantius honour done to the Crosse Idolatry with the Paulicians With the Audians they reprehend enioyned Pennance With the Lampetians the discipline order of Monkes With Vigilanlantius and Iouinian vowed chastity and Priestes single life Pilgrimages to Saints bodyes with Claudius Taurinensis From Simon Magus they take their sufficiency of fayth without workes to saluation From Proclus and the Messalians their inherency of sin in the soules of the regenerate That man hath not Freewill from the Manichees That all sinnes proceede from the determinat purpose and decree of God from the Mahometanes O loathsome sincke O infectious dunghill composed of so many and such contagious heresies All which haue beene heretofore anathematized accursed by our Roman Church For although Field and some of his associates goe about to acquite their sect from sundry of these impieties because the aforesayd heretikes maynteyned them vpon another ground then Protestants doe yet seeing the auncient Church condemned not so much the groundes or causes whereupon they relyed as the assertions themselues our sectaryes must needs be guilty of the same heresies who agree with them in the same positions 7. Thirdly As our Church by it selfe so by orderly proceeding hath vanquished her rebells For first The Roman Church hath alwayes orderly resisted and subdued her enemyes she hath sifted and examined their cause shewed them their errors admonisht theÌ„ of their faults giueÌ„ them time to repent peace fauour vpon their amendement Then the obstinate she hath summoned to appeare at the publik Court or great Consistory of her Prouinciall or generall councells She hath giuen theÌ„ safe conduct to come go liberty to propose dispute argue their owne cause after diligent study examination and discussion thereof like a supreme Iudge and soueraygne Empresse she hath pronounced sentence eyther for theÌ„ or agaynst theÌ„ according to the direction of Gods holy spirit After this princely iuridicall manner Arius was condeÌ„ned in the first Councell of Nice in the CouÌ„cell of Constantinople Macedonius Nestorius in the Ephesin in the Calcedone Eutiches c. Luther his coÌ„plices in the CouÌ„cell of Trent 8. Our Gospellers proceed not so with vs They disturbe and cast vs out of possession without examining The Protestants haue vsed base and disorderly proceeding in expelling is froÌ„ our right our right or admitting vs to speake in our owne behalfe They affoard vs neyther leasure to propose nor tyme or place to argue our cause A cause vniuersally susteyned by so many Christian Princes and people honourably defended in such famous vniuersityes supernaturally confirmed by miracles froÌ„ heauen Consecrated with the bloud of innunerable Martyrs ratified by the prescription of all precedent ages and neuer as yet autentically censured or reprooued in any Notwithstanding so great interest in â—o renowned a cause they neuer conuented vs hitherto before any Prouinciall or Nationall much lesse Generall assembly They haue admitted vs to no indifferent publike Conference for which we haue often supplicated heretofore as the Protestant Relatour testifyeth saying RelatioÌ„ of Religion c. 29. Catholikes cry maynly in all places for triall by disputation Thus did â—ampian many yeares since with vs. Thus as I passed through Zurick did Cardinall Andrea of Constance and his Iesuites c. And thus doe I now in behalfe of my brethren make humble sute to Nimble â—ute made to his Maiesty for triall of our cause eyther by disputatioÌ„ or other publike confereÌ„ce his Maiesty to graunt vs at length that reasonable request which the Ministers hertofore haue by al meanes possible laboured to hinder and in liew of those honourable trialls haue incensed the clemency of our gracious Princes and procured their swords to be drawne agaynst vs Their Parlamentall lawes Edictes and Proclamations their dreadfull anger and heauiest indignation to bannish imprison or at least stoppe the mouthes of innocents vnheard Of whome Mayster Ormeroda Protestant truly auerreth The Clinke the Gatehouse the VVhite lion and the Fleete he might haue added the rackes tortures and gallowses Ormer picture Pur. p. 1. haue beene Protestants only arguments whereby they haue proued their cause these many yeares An euident token in the iudgement of all prudent men of their cowardly harts and guilty consciences ProtestaÌ„ts haue been coÌ„straynd dayly to refine alter their new beliefe but Catholiks neuer chaÌ„ged any poynt of doctrine 9. Fourthly whereas Protestants notwithstanding their base teacherous courses haue beene still forced by our men to alter chaunge relent and vary in diuers fundamentall articles as hath beene discouered in explayning the precedent marke yet our Church in all the stormes which eyther in this present or former ages haue beene raysed agaynst her neuer shrunke neuer varied from the least iote of her beleefe She hath explicated sundry points more plainly more expresly defined some vnsearchable misteryes but she hath not at any time added any new or chaunged any old article of her fayth She hath wisely polished orderly carued fairely burnished righly adorned the precious stones as Vincentius calleth VinceÌ„t in com ca. 27. them of heauenly doctrine But the same incorruptible stones she hath still vnchangeably preserued A faithfull keepeâ— and true interpreter she hath beene but no broker changer Vincent ibid c. 29. or diminisher of the treasure committed to her custody Posterity sayth the same Vincentius may congratulate it to haue vnderstood by her which antiquity not vnderstanding did reuerence and adore Yet the same which she learned she so taught as when she taught newly she taught not new thinges c. A little after Her doctrin followed these lawes of increase that by yeares it was strengthned 〈◊〉 time enlarged aduaunced by age and yet it still continued inuiolable â—nd incorrupt O triumphant and victorious Church worthy to beare the crowne and sway the scepter of Christs Priestly and eternall Kingdome worthy to be that inconquerable and fatall stone on which whosoeuer falleth according Math 21. vers 44. to our Sauiours prophecy hath beene broken and which bruiseth them on whome it lighteth For haue not all her enemies beene broken wasted and discomfited who haue risen agaynst her and hath not she bruised shiuered into peeces and cleane extinguished as many as she hath striuen against She censured and condemned the Nouatians Macedonians Arians Pelagians Eutichians
and mangling with their corruptions the sacred text For as the two Scipios one was called Africanus because he subdewed Hanniball and the people of Africa the other Numantinus for subuerting Numantia so they maybe called Ghospellers because they subuert destroy and vtterly extinguish by their false interpretations the Ghospell of Christ Finally being not able to glory with the natiue property or single name of Catholiques they entitle themselues for others mockingly only and by way of derision giue them that name Christian Catholiques reformed Catholiques How Protestants are no true Catholikâ— by stiling theÌ„selues reformed Catholikes reformed Churches wherein by the very clayme they make they ouerthrow their owne plea and shew both their clayme vnconscionable and title vniust For if they be Christian Catholiques if reformed Catholiques then segregated limited and restrayned by their new reformation by their particuler Catholicisme from the generall illimited and absolute dignity of Catholiques and consequently no Catholiques not such as without some fine tricke or fayned addition are deciphered by that name but such as maske themselues vnder the disguised vizard or counterfeyte veyle of true and faythfull belieuers CHAP. XIX In which the thinge signified by the Name Catholique to wit Vniuersality is shewed to be a marke of the true Church Agaynst Doctour Whitaker and Doctour Abbot YOv haue heard how M. Robert Abbot in the precedent Chapter giuing vs the name Catholike challengeth to his sect the thing signified by the nam howbeit I haue euidently proued that the name and thinge are such indiuiduall and inseparable companions as they cannot be disunited or parted a sunder Now I am to declare what the thinge is how exactly it delineateth the Kingdome of our Church The Aug. con lit Petil. l. 2. c. 38. tract 118. in Euang. Iom l. 3. c. 1. cont Gaudent Aug ep 170. ad Seuer Cyprian li de vnita ec Cyril cate 18. Basilep 72. 75. Pacian ep 3. ad Symp. Opta coÌ„t Par. Iero. aduer Lucifer Beda in com sup Cant. word Catholike sayth Saint Augustine is deriued from the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secundum totum that is according to the whole or vniuetsall Therefore he teacheth that the Church is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Catholike Because it is spread and dispersed throughout all the world which he strengtheneth by the testimony of Saint Cyprian saying the Church adorned with the light of our Lord stretcheth her beames throughout the world With whome Saint Cyrill Saint Basill Saint Aug. de vnit e. in psal 2. 18. â—1 47. 7â— item ep 61 ad Ho. Donat. ps 2. v. 8. ps 18 v. 5. ps 21. v. 28. 29. Isay 54. v. 2. 3. Isay 52. v. 10. Vbi non est frequeÌ„ tia multitudinis Non in aliqua parte terraruÌ„ sed vbique notissima est Aug. devnit ec cap. 25. Aug. toÌ„ 9. de symb l. 4. c. 10. Pacian ep 1. 3. ad symp Opt. l. 2. cont Parmen Iero. cont Lucifer in fine Aug. to 6. cont Fulg. Donat. cap. 18 l. de past â— c. 8. Aug in psal 21. in psal 44. in psal 47. tract 1. in ep Ioan. Pacian Optatus Saint Ierome venerable Bede accord This vniuersality of the Church in all places and Countryes Saint Augustine demonstrateth out of sundry Texts of holy Scripture I will giue the Gentills for thy inheritance for thy possession the endes of the earth Their sound hath gone forth into all the eartâ— and vnto the endes of the round world the wordes of them The endes of the earth shall remember and be conuerted to our Lord and all the families of the Gentills shall adore in his sight Enlarge the place of thy tente and stretch out the skinnes of thy tabernacles c. Thy Redeemer the holy one of Israell shal be called the God of all the earth Our Lord hath prepared his holy army in the sight of all the Gentills and all the endes of the earth shall see the saluation of our God From these and the like sentences Saint Augustine gathereth that the Church is not here or there or in the desert where there is not a frequent multitude but quoth he you haue the Church to be euery where diffused and to increase vntill haruest you haue the Citty of which he that built it sayd A Citty cannot be hid placed vpon a mouÌ„tayne She therefore is that which not in any part of the earth but euery where is most knowne And in another place Euery congregation of what heresy soeuer sitteth in corners she is a concubine and not the matron She is a strumpet which lurketh in priuat places not the Queene or matron which publikely raygneth ouer all the earth By this marke Saint Pacian conuinceth Sympronian Optatus Parmenian Saint Ierome the Luciferians Saint Augustine the Donatistes of schisme heresy Saint Pacian expresly tearmeth the Catholike Church a full and solide body spread ouer all the world and not like the conuentieles of heretikes whome he calleth an insolent portion or swelling bunche separated from the rest of the body Saint Augustine for Optatus and Saint Ieromes wordes I haue cited els where compareth the Church to a fruitfull vine stretching her braunches farre and neere throughout all nations and heretikes to broken boughes cut from the vine he often auerreth that the whole world is Christes possession all the borders of the earth his inheritance His Church a great mountayne which replenisheth the whole face of the earth And thereby he inferreth that the Donatistes faction could not be Christes inheritance because they possessed only Africa or the confines of Mauritania which were but some partes of the world 2. Wherefore if by this marke you seeke to finde out the true Church of Christ amongst so many which falsly beare his name cast abroad your eyes into al forrayn coasts and countryes in euery place shall you find our Roman Church that is such as be of the same beliefe and profession The Roman Church spread ouer all the world and agreing in the same beliefe with vs in all points of fayth acknowledging one and the same heade the Pope of Rome This Church now raygneth in Europe Afrike Asia in Thracia Syria Capadocia Phrigia Mesopotamia in a great part of America Megallanica India Iaponia Brasilia China yea in all the flourishing states knowne Kingdomes of the earth Whereas the Protestants are locked vp in very narrow straites in respect of vs they are restrayned within the mountanies of Germany Ilandes of Britany borders of Denmarke within some Prouinces of the low Countryes and Cantons of France In those corners ProtestaÌ„ts shut vp in narrow corners at perpetuall braÌ„ls in poynts of fayth they find some publique harbour yet there they are at perpetuall strifes amongst themselues and so various in religion as they differ one from the other in substantial articles of fayth So do the Brownistes the Family of loue
to the presumption Seneca ep 118. or opinion of all men and it is with vs a great argument of truth that it hath beene liked of all Pliny likewise in his panegyticall oration to Traian hath recorded this notable sentence Better are all belieued then each particular all Plinius in pa. ad Traianump 125. Melius oÌ„nibus quaÌ„ singulis creditur singuli oÌ„nes decipere decipi possuÌ„t nemo omnes â—eminem oÌ„nes fefellerunt Aug. lib. l. 22. de ciui Dei cap. 8. magnum est ipse prodigium qui mundo credente non credit Great rashnes in Protestants to belieue one man agaynst al men Luther Pres l. de abrog missa priuata And the like he hath tom 4 annot breuis Item tom 5. in Gala. particular men may deceaue and be deceaued No man hath deceaued all men all men haue not deceaued any man Whereupon S. Augustine despiseth him as a strange and monstruous wonder who the world belieuing belieueth not Strange people then not to speake more hardly of them strange people are the Protestants of our age who will not belieue the articles of our fayth which all the Christian world excepting their little handfull constantly beleeueth and for this thousand yeares by their owne confession haue vnuariably perseuered in the same beliefe 8. Yf all men neuer beguiled any and yet if each particular maÌ„ may beguile be beguiled how can Protestants belieue aright who credited one Luther for there was not any other of his Religion when he first beganne agaynst all the world One man that might deceaue them agaynst al men that could not deceaue them With this opposition of al men Luther at the first was so much troubled as he testifyeth of himselfe How often did my treÌ„bling hart pant within me and reprehending me obiect against me that most stronge argument Art thou only wise Doe so many worldes erre VVere so many agesignorant VVhat if you thou errest Fulke in c. 5 Math. sect 3. 2. ad Thessa 2. sect 4. 5. VVhitak contro 2. q. 2. ca. 2. 3. cap. 3. q. 5. cap. 3. Field in his 2. book c. 8. and drawest so many into errour to be damned with thee euerlastingly So Luther with the same singularity of themselues generall contradictioÌ„ of others his followers were much daunted at the beginning But since hauing somewhat increased their number they eyther answere that truth doth not consist in multitude and largenes of extent or that they haue many others besides themselues of their fayth and religion dispersed throughout the world who although they be hidden from the eyes of men are notwithstanding well known to God or to the Fathers who often inculcat the large dominion of Christs flock they reply that the Church did perspicuously flourish Aug l. de vtil cred con Ep. Fund l. 1. contra lul l. 3. con Crescon c. 66. l. item 4. cap. 53. euery where was visibly spread thoughout all nations in Saint Augustines Saint Ierome and Optatus dayes but afterward it fayled at least froÌ„ being manifest publikely known These are the common shiftes of M. Fulke M. Whitaker and M. Field our moderne Protestants and these were the trickes of auncient heretikes including the former arguments 9. To the first therefore I answere that not euery multitude but an holy learned famous Matth. 8. longe continued and vnited multitude of all nations in supernaturall pointes of fayth this is an euident Apoca. 7. token of the true Church as Saint Augustine vrgeth Aug. loco citato l. 2. cont aduers leg Prophet c. vltimo agaynst the Donatistes Manichees and other heretikes VVho pretended that truth was often among a few and that it was the fault of many to erre This was the obiection of Cresconius the Grammarian agaynst whome he proueth by the many who shall come from the east and west and repose with Abraham in the Kingdome of heauen By that great and innumerable multitude which Saint Iohn describeth of all nations tribes people and tongues standing before the throne that multitude is no hinderance to truth and yet he often affirmeth That to vaunt and glory in paucity of followers is the the property of heretikes and a signe of falshood 10. Their second euasion that they haue many hidden ghospellers in all Countryes knowne to God is Augustine libro de ouibus cap. 10. ridiculous and absurd as Saint Augustine tearmeth it to humansense For how shall we belieue they haue any such vnlesse they be seene and mentioned by some men Or how should their Vniuersality be a marke of the true Church if they be not knowen nor marked by any Then Saint Augustine declareth that the vniuersall Church of which the Scriptures speake is apparantly seene and knowne to the world Reade his explication vpon that verse of the Psaâ—mist Be exalted aboue the heauens O God and thy glory vpon all the earth O hereticall madnes sayth Psal 56. Aug. tom 8. in ps 56. he that which thou seest not thou belieuest with me that which thou seest thou denâ—est thou belieuest with me Christ exalted aboue all the heauens which we do not see and thou deniest his glory vpon all the earth which we do see Marke these wordes which we do see Therefore the splendour of the Church is visible and Aug. libro vnitate Ec. cap. 8. conspicuous euery where In another place From whence quoth he is his glory vpon all the earth but because his Church is ouer all the earth Immediatly after he presseth his aduersaryes VVVhy do you preach Christ exalted aboue the heauens and doe not communicate with his glory vpon all the earth Whereupon it followeth that if our Ghospellers had any such latent Protestants in other Countryes as they fayne who agreed with them in their beliefe yet that were not inough to make their Church vniuersall vnlesse they had some other communication or society togeather because for want of this alone Saint Augustine excludeth Petilian al other Donatistes froÌ„ being members of the Church First of him he sayth I obiect vnto thee the cryme of schisme Aug. libro 2. contra Fetil c. 16. which thou wilt deny but I will instantly proue it For thou doest not communicate with all nations Then he cassiereth the rest and bindeth Catholikes in the vnity of the Church saying VVe holde the inheritance of Christ they holde it not For they do not communicate with the whole worlde they do not communicate with the vniuersality redeemed by the bloud of our Lord we are secure of his inheritance 11. Their last retrayte vsed by Mayster Field and often iterated by M. Whitker That the Church in Field in his 2. booke of the Church chapter 8. VVhitak contro 2. q. 2 cap 2. Ibidem q. 3. cap. 1. q. 5. cap 4 5 Saint Augustines and the rest of those Fathers dayes was in her growth Now in her declining Then flourishing in all partes
Church as a flatterer stileth him wrote directly agaynst them Where was that ordinary succession ordinary calling common consecration of Protestant superintendents of which M. Mason braggeth so much by three of our Bishops or such as were ordeyned by them when Whitaker denyed their Prelates and ministers to be ordeyned by Papisticall Bishops When he â—aught that they ought not to be created by them That the manner of consecrating by three Bishops Ibid. f. 308. did not take place in their lapsed Church That Catholique Bishops could not be induced to lay hands vpon Ricard Stock in dedicatory epist to my them That their succession was extraordinary not according to the receaued manner Were Masons ordinations then a foote His forged consecrations euery where practised when Whitaker so often and so aduisedly Lord Knowles protesteth the contrary But into such contradictions they are wont to fal who wrongfully lay claim to false pretended titles Mason lib. 1. 2. 3. 22. The chiefe reason which moued Mayster Whitaker Mayster Fulke and their consortes thus to disclaime froÌ„ the ordination of Catholike Bishops was because VVhitak contro 2. q. 3. cap 1. folio 184. Episcopi qui secuti GregoriuÌ„ magnum verifuerunt Antichristi Fulke in c. 20. Apo. sect 2. Sparke in his answere to M. Iohn d' Aâ—bins p. 23. they most iniuriously accounted them antichristian Prelates The Bishops sayth Whitaker which followed Gregory the great were true Antichrists They were as Fulke miscalleth them Prelates of the Antichristian Church Right Priests of Antichrist sayth D. Sparke yea nothing is more common among them then to cal our people the limmes of Antichrist our Church the congregation of Antichrist our Priests Fulke in c. 2. ad Thess sect 9. and in c. 17. Apo. sect 1. 4 in other of his works and Bishops the slaues and shauelinges of Antichrist our Popes euen Antichrists themselues Which although they be most malicious and spiâ—ifull calumniations howsoeuer Mayster Powell belieueth the letter as an article of faith Yet see the misery of English Superintendents when to the condemnation of all their neighbour brethren who want that calling they are fayne to begge their spirituall power from such as they misdeeme Antichristian Gabriel Powel in tract de Antichristo p. 2. Bishops when they cannot enter the folde of Christ but by the back-dore of Antichrist nor minister his Sacraments but by ordination from Antichrist nor feede his sheepe but by commission from Antichrist nor receaue holy orders and conferre them to others but by the authority ProtestaÌ„ts aredriuen to great extremityes wheÌ„ they beg from Antichrist all their christian rites of Antichrist Was the sonne of God so needy The Church his spouse become so bankrupt as not to haue any power or iurisdiction left but what it borrowed from Antichrist her deadly enemy Was Christ disrobed of all his inheritance and after so many ages did he repaire to you to restore him his right by the meanes of Antichrist By his slauish army by his Antichristian Idolatours O M. Mason how base are your thoughts how miserable your clergy when you are forced to run to this miserable refuge To go on Protestant mynisters want true mission or vocatioÌ„ to preach 23. The last defect of Protestant ministery is mission or vocation to preach which is so necessary to the function of a lawfull Pastour and duâ—y of the faythfull as Saint Paul sayth How shall they belieue him whome they haue not heard And how shall heare without a preacher But how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent In which words he chaineth together in a linke inseparably these fower thinges Fayth Hearing Rom. 10. v. 14. 15. Preacher and Mission and as Hearing is requisite in the belieuer that â—e may rightly belieue so Mission in the preacher that he may lawfully preach This mission or calling is of two sortes the one immediatly from God which is called an extraordinary Mission ought to be proued by apparant miracles the irreproueable seales conformations of Gods will The other mediatly only by authority communicated vnto them from Apostolicall men the vicegerents of Christ vpon earth which is tearmed an ordinary vocation the vsuall Mission now Matth. 28. Rom. 10. Eph. 4. Luther Tom. 5. â— VViteÌ„ in c. 1. ad Galat. folio 376. practised in the Church and which hath continued according to the promise of Christ and testimony of the Apostle confessed by Luther and shall continue euen to the end of the world without which whosoeuer arrogateth the name of a Preacher he is an vsurper an intruder that rusheth in at the window and entreth not at the dore he is a wolfe a theefe who cometh not but to steale kill destroy 24. Wherefore although we should bestow vpon Protestants the almes of ordination they so importunatly begge although they could deriue a true consecration Eavocatio durauit vsque ad nostra teÌ„pora durabit vsque ad finem muÌ„di which they shall neuer be able from Catholique Bishops yet their Commission and warrant to preach their Caluinisticall doctrine their vocation thereunto they can neuer shew For let them tell me who called them to that office Who gaue them authority to preach their Protestant fayth Temporall Princes and secular people whome Mayster Whitaker assigneth They cannot communicat that spirituall power they cannot preach themselues much lesse enable others to discharge that office VVhitak contro 2. q. 5. ca. 6. f. 36â— Agayne what Princes or people might they be No Catholike Princes would giue them commission to preach Protestant doctrine No Protestant Princes or people were heard of vntill Luther and his disciples had publiquely In vayne do ProtestaÌ„t mynisters pretend their calling from temporall Princes or secular magistrates preached their Protestant Ghospell In vayne then doe they seeke their calling from these Will they pleade it from some ecclesiasticall persons Priestes or Bishops But I haue often inculcated that there was not any Protestant Priest or Bishop in the world when these Sectaryes first beganne and as for Catholique Bishops they were so farre from giuing them any Commission to preach or power to mynister Sacraments after their manner as they excommunicated and forbad them all pulpits and oratoryes renounced all society and participation in Sacraments with them laboured by all meanes possible to hinder suppresse their false and new coyned Gospell Therefore M. Mason striueth to vnderprop their Mission not by letters of credit from any secular magistrates or orthodoxall Bishops but by the broad seale forsooth as he falsly supposeth of holy Scripture the common warrant to which euery heretique seemeth to lay clayme saying Cranmer the rest receaued Mason l. 2. c. 2. folio 11. from you the shell of succession without the kernell of doctrine For though our Church did giue men power to preach the truth yet being bewitched with Antichrist in many things it did not reueale the
Truth But when God by the Scriptures reuealed it vnto them they both preached it themselues commended it to posterity So that the thinges reuealed vnto them in Scripture was all the Our Ghospellers haue no certayne rule to know their reuelation froÌ„ Scripture to be true warrant they had to preach such Protestant articles as they now maynteyne contrary to the approued doctrin of the Church 25. But I inquire of M. Mason what reuelation it was they had from Scripture Was it the priuate interpretation they made thereof That is fallible and subiect to errour That reuelation euery heretique challengeth and with as much reason maynteyneth it as any Protestant doth his Was it as others pretend the publique voyce of God which spake in Scripture But this In the first part of the Antidote in the first second chapter is a meere collusion of words to beguile the simple For the voyce of God speaking in Scripture is nothing els but the very text of Scripture the wordes and sentences vttered in Scripture as I haue elsewhere often declared Was it their industry labour in conferring reading finding out the true sense of Scripture But this industry was also deceauable as I haue inuincibly demonstrated Our Ghospellers haue not the true Christian fayth concerning any article whatsoeuer in the first controuersy of my Antidote Therefore Protestantes could haue no reuelation from Scripture wherreby they might be infallibly certayn which is necessary to sayth of the truth they deliuered Yea although they should haue lighted vpon the true meaning of some essentiall article of beliefe yet that article so taught and belieued because they so interprete that place of Scripture was not any article of Christian fayth not that diuine fayth which we are commanded to imbrace but a meere humane verity a humane fayth The reason is In the 9. chapter of this third part because the thing belieued causeth not fayth but the infallible motiue for which we belieue it that motiue in Protestants is altogeather fallible as hath been elswhere more largely conuinced Therefore the reuealed truth Luther in expo Ep. ad Galat. cap. 1. folio 215. printed ad VVittemberge by Ioan. Luâ—â— 1954. which they belieue is also fallible 26. Besides Truth reuealed to Protestants in holy Scripture is not sufficient for their Legantine power vnles the legacy also or charge of preaching be coÌ„mitted vnto them It is not inough sayth Luther their chiefe Patriarch for a man to haue the word and purity of doctrine but also he must be assured of his calling not of his calling oÌ„ly to Prieststood by the shell as you tearme it of succession or ceremony of ordination but of his calling and commission giuen to preach and recommend vnto posterity the kernell of Luther ibidem folio 276. doctrine This Mission this vocation he must also haue and that from men or els although thou wert as Luther sayth wiser then Salomon wiser then Daniell if thou be not called more then hell beware thou cast not out a word And many leaues Ierom. 23. v. 21. after he protesteth of himselfe that although he could deliuer soules from errour and damnation by his holesome doctrine yet he ought to commit the matter to God and not to preach Ezech. 13. v. 6. vnlesse he be called by men For such as do otherwise he tearmeth them impostors miscarryed not with a good but a wicked spirit They are those of whome Ieremy and Ezechiell fore warned vs I sent not the Prophets and they ranne I spake not vnto them they prophesied They see vayne thinges and they diuine lyes saying our Lord sayth whereas our Lord sent them not 27. Therefore albeit we should suppose that these new Gospellers had as Mayster Mason insinuateth power from vs to preach truth which notwithstanding is most false yet when they beganne to preach other doctrine then was deliuered vnto them other then was put into their mouthes by their predecessours therein they lost their calling ranne of themselues preached of themselues not sent from God with extraordinary miracles nor yet from men with ordinary commission to publish that fayth For as he who hath authority Aâ— Ambassadourâ— who alter the legacy of their Prince are not therein to be tearmed his Ambassadours no more can ProtestaÌ„ts be sayd to be sent to alter the coÌ„mission of those that sent them Optatus l. 2. contra Parmen from his Kinge to deliuer an Embassage if he alter or change the Massage of his Prince he cannot therein be truly sayd to be his legate or Ambassadour especially if the King recall or countermaunde whatsoeuer he proposeth contrary to his minde No more can Protestant Ministers though rightly ordered and lawfully called maynteyne their calling or vocation to preach any other truth then such as was commended vnto them much lesse if our Bishops reuerse their commission contradict their doctrine labour by al meanes vtterly to suppresse it For who doubteth but that such as haue power to communicate haue power also to reuoke moderate and restreyne the authority which they giue And whosoeuer persisteth after the reuocation or whosoeuer altereth the tenour of his commission he runneth not sent he prophesieth that which our Lord neuer sayd nor any of his seruants deliuered vnto him he is therein as Optatus wittily iesteth at Victor the Donaeist A sonne without a Father a Nouice without an instructour disciple without a mayster follower without a predecessour prodigiously borne a preacher of himselfe teaching a lesson which he neuer learned of any before For to go backe and say with M. Mason that God by Scriptures reuealed it vnto him is no authenticall or sufficient calling because generally all heretiques boast of the like reuelation all pretend their Mission and calling by Scripture That the Donatistes the Circumcellians the Arians arrogated and had as good warrant God leaueth not Scripture to euery ones priuat exposition but to the interpretation only of his Church for the true meaning of Scripture as any Protestant hath for his exposition Wherefore to auoyd the confusion occasions of errour which might ensue of leauing the Scripture to the particuler interpretations of priuat men it pleaseth God to vnfold the true sense meaning of his will to the publike Pastours preachers of his Church to them he infallibly deliuereth the inheritance of truth of them only we must seeke it to them we are bound to repayre to haue it opened vnto vs from them alone we can haue our vocation to preach it Otherwise euery mad and fanaticall spirit might fondly deuise as Protestants doe what constructions what reuelations he list 28. This reason Iohn Caluin the chiefe Architect of M. Masons religion assigneth why God teacheth not eyther by himselfe or by Angells but by the voyce and Caluin in c. 59. Isa speach of men This order quoth he God hath setled in his Church that they may vaunt themselues in
the Protestants and Puritans in England of whome M. Ormerod witnesseth Puritans differ from Protestants in thinges fundamentall and substantiall Puritans doe not agree with Protestants in all matters of fayth So the Arminians dissente from the Orme dia. 2. Gomoristes in the law Countryes The Caluinistes of Geneua from the Lutherans of Saxony The Lutherans of Saxony from the Zuinglians of Tygurum They from the Aug. tom 7. de vnit eccl cap. 3. Osiandrines of Prussia the Osiandrines from the Anabaptistes of Westphalia c. as hath beene partly vnfolded in the first note of vnity 3. Therefore as Saint Augustine disputed agaynst diuers heretikes of his age Yf the holy Scriptures designe the Church in Africa only c. the Donatistes alone counteyne the Church Yf in a few Mores of the prouince of Cesarea we must repayre to the Regatistes c. If in the Easterne people only Amongst the Arians Macedonians and Eunonians c. the Church is to be sought After the like manner if the Caluinistes haue the truth to Geneua a few Cantons in France we must all resort Yf the Protestants to England if the Zuinglians to Tigurum if the rigide Lutherans to Saxony if the soft to Wittemberge Lipsia and Magdeburge c. For all these being so opposit cannot enioy the right fayth or if they could they be but parts of the world small tractes of the earth farre lesse then Africa farre lesse then the East to which the Church of God as Saint Augustine discourseth could not be confined For he goeth forward in the alleadged place Aug. lo ci But if the Church of Christ by diuine and most certayne testimonies of canonicall Scriptures be described in all nations whatsoeuer they shall Aug. tom 4. q. euang l. 1. q. 38. bringe or from whencesoeuer they shall write it who say behold here is Christ behold there Let vs listen rather if we be his sheepe to the voyce of our pastour saying doe you not belieeue because his Church quoth he shal manifestly shine like a lightning frō the east to the west that is ouer all the world 4. Now if the Kingdome of the Messias be the greatest and largest amongst all that professe the name of Christ if it be the sole and vniuersall Kingdome of all nations and if this be the thinge signified by the name Catholike not only that title which M. Abbot alloweth vs but the thinge also entitled the thinge betokened thereby the prerogatiue of Vniuersality appertayneth to vs. Fo◠we farre exceede the Protestants and all other sectaries of our dayes in multitude of people in variety of nations in troupes of followers in dignity of patrons in society of Princes who linke themselues to the body of our Church In so much as I may vrge M. Abbot as Saint Pacian did Sympronian Number if you can our Catholike flockes Abbot in his answ to D. Bishops epist to the King pag. 16. and 17. Paciā ep 3. ad Symp. sub finem Count vpon your fingers the swarmes of our people not those now which are dispersed throughout the world aboundant in all countryes but those brother Sympronian which dwell with you in the allied prouinces in the neighbour cittyes Contemplate how many of ours thou alone beholdest with how many of our people thou alone meetest Art thou not swallowed vp by vs as the eue droppings by great fountaynes as by the Ocean little bubles of water are consumed 5. Yf we should now compare Roman Catholikes with Protestants euen in these regions of Europe the same might we auouch of their paucity in respect of vs. Catholiks are in all countryes wher protestants raygne openly knowne But if we should passe out of Europe what townes or villages what Chappell 's or Oratoryes can they reckon vp in Asia Africa America c. how many Indians Ethiophians Iaponians How many of their sect can they name in China in Brasilia in Magellanica Not any one no publike Church haue they or Chappell out of Europe of any other then such as traffike in these parts Notwithstanding as we abound with many of our religion in all those remote Protestāts not hard of in a hundred Kingdomes where Catholikes flourish and forrayne Countries where the name of Protestants is vnknowne So in all the Prouinces in euery corner which sectaryes in habite we want not those who openly defend and professe our fayth We haue them in Germany low Countryes England and the Cantons of France To which purpose Saint Augustine speaking of sundry heresies and of the Church very fitly sayth They in many nations where this is are not found but this which is euery where there where they are is also found Aug. de vn eccles c. 3. 6. The first reason why God would haue his Church so vniuersall was to manifest his loue to all creatures that all people might partake of the riches of his Isay 54. v. 5. mercy That all might receaue the happy tidinges of their redemption and meanes of saluation And that he who was God of Israel might now as I say prophesied be God Prou. 14. vers 28. of all the earth The second reason was for the honour of the Son of God for the glory of his name for the reward of his merits To which effect S. Austine applyeth that saying Iero. dialo aduer Lucifer of Salomon In the multitude of people the dignity of the King and in the fewnes of people the ignominy of the Prince Therefore Saint Ierome accounteth it a great ignominy to Christ to haue the Empires of his Church the trophies of his Crosse Optat. l. ◠cōtra Par. as he tearmeth them restrayned to corners And Optatus blameth Parmenian for the like Yf so at your pleasure you barre vp the Church in a narrow roome if you withdraw all nations where Psal 2. is that which the sonne of God hath merited VVhere is that which his Father willingly bestowed vpon him saying I will giue thee Gentills forthy inheritance endes of the earth thy possession VVhy do you violate such a promise that the latitude of Kingdomes should be shut vp by you as it were in a prison How labour you to resist so great piety what meane you to make warre agaynst the merits of our Sauiour Permit the Sonne to enioy his legacies Permit the Father to fullfill his promises VVhy place you bounds why appoint you limits 7. The third and last reason is for the perswasion and stay of the faythfull For what greater motiue of credibility can we haue then the authority of so many and so learned men the fame celebrity consent of all nations This S. Augustine often proposeth as a weighty Aug vtil credendi c. 14. 17. argument which first induced and after strengthened him in our Catholike fayth Others by the very light of nature esteemed it also as a thinge most worthy of credite Seneca sayd VVe are wont to attribute much
he then Constantine the Emperour gaue to the sayd Pope Siluester the towne of Rome and gaue vnto him the triple Crowne to be crowned therewith in token that he made him supreme head ouer all the Churches in Asia Africa and Europe as his gift conteyned in the decrees distin 96. For the like challenge of supremacy Zosimus Leo Gregory and Boniface are accused as the destroyers of the Church and first vsurpers according to Protestants of that vniuersall and Antichristian dominion Howbeit I haue apparantly conuinced in the second booke of my Antidote That the Supremacy was neyther giuen by Emperours eyther by Constantine to Saint Siluester or Phocas the Emperour to Boniface the third nor yet vsurped by Zosimus Leo Gregory or any other but that it was imparted immediatly from God to S. Peter and made hereditary to his Successours Which Constantine the Great plainly coÌ„fesseth in the very deed of gift or Charter of donation which he madâ— when resigning to the Pope the Citty of Rome Italy the westerne Prouinces In ipso Edicto donationis quod habetur Tomo 1. Concil fo 296. apud Binium Quoniam vbi principatus sacerdotum Christianae religionis caput ab Imperatore caelesti iustum non est vt illic Imperator terrenus habeat potestatem he departed to Constantinople Because sayd he Where by the heauenly Emperour the principality of Priests head of Christian Religion is placed it is not meete the earthly Emperour should beare any sway Therefore not the spirituall dignity or supreme headship which Constantine a little before deduceth out of the wordes of our Sauiour spoken to Peter whome he there calleth the Vicar of Christ but the temporall territories landes and reuenues were the endowments of the Roman Sea which he bestowed vpon S. Siluester 7. And the very Centuristes testify that before CoÌ„stantine the great the supremacy of Peter consequently of his successours was acknowledged by Tertullian of whome they write Tertullian doth seeme not without errour to thinke that the keyes of the Church were only giuen to Peter and that the Church was built vpon him They blame also S. Cyprian for affirming that the Roman Church is the Chayre of Peter from which all the vnity of Priesthood proceedeth Likewise Cyprian say they hath diuers other perilous opinions about this matter as for example that he tieth the office of true Pastorship to ordinary succession A little before they accuse him and three other Fathers of his tyme saying Cyprianus Maximus Vrbanus and Salonius doe thinke that one Bishop must be in the Catholike Church to wit one chiefe as head of the rest All these flourished before the dayes of Constantine So did Origen and Hipolitus Matth. 16. versus 18. 19. Martyr who subscribed to the primacy of one supreme Pastour Agayne if S. Siluester were the first Prelate by whome beganne as M. Napper blattereth the horrible detestable Kingdom of Antichrist the first general CouÌ„cel Centur. 3. c. 4. col 84. of Nice authorized in England by Act of Parlament in which he presided by his legats Hosius Vitus Vincentius which he after ratifyed and confirmed did fauour and Ibidem col 84. 85. vphold his Antichristian tyrranny If Zozimus were the man S. Austine was a limne of Antichrist who notwithstanding he was Bishop of Africa obeyed his iniunction Origen ho. 5. in Exod. ho. 7. in Lucam Hiâ—ol in ora deconsum mundi Napper p. 67 Cedrenus in compend histo Photius libro de 7. concilijs Damasus in Pont August Epist 157. of necessity as comming from his superiour The African Bishops likewise ouer whome our aduersaryes accuse him of encroachment for challenging the right Prosper Con. collat cap. 41. of appellations euen they I say were abettours of Antichrist to whose decrees Pope Zozimus as Prosper writeth added the authority or strength of his sentence and to the cutting of the wicked with the sword of Peter armed the right handes of all other Prosper in chronicis Prelates A Councell held at Carthage of 217. Bishops and the whole worlde did partake with Antichrist for that Councell sent vnto Zozimus their synodicall decrees CoÌ„cil CalcedoÌ„ in relation ad Leonem quae habetur Tomo 2. Conci act 16. paâ— 139. apud Binium Leo Sermo 2. in anniassuÌ„p sâ—u which being approued sayth Prosper throughout the whole world the Pelagian heresy was condemned 8. Yf Leo were the first by whome the Church was ruined and throne of Antichrist aduaunced why doe Protestants allow of the Oecumenicall sacred Councell of Chalcedon Which three tymes gaue him the title of holy acknowledged him their head and themselues his members humbly supplicated vnto him to ratify and confirme their Canons How doth Leo write thus of himselfe VVhen our exhortations are sounded forth in the eares of your Sanctity imagine him to wit S. Peter whose person we represent to speake vnto you because with his loue and affection we admonish Libro 1. ep 1. libro 6. ep 19. libro 1. ep 76. l. 4. ep 33. libro 7. iud 2. ep 2. l. 7. ep 32. l. 1. ep 72. 75. l 11. ep 50. 53. l. 7. indic 2. ep 112. libro ep 15. libro 9. indict 4. ep 61 l. 4. ep 15. 50. 55. libro 1. ep 19. l. 4. epist 9. you and we preach no other thing vnto you then that which he taught With what face could he haue deliuered this in such a publike assembly if he had coyned any new Gospell or taught any other doctrin then that which was preached by S. Peter But if S. Gregory as most Protestants accord was the last good and first Antichristian Pope then in his dayes some monstrous innouation was brought not only into the Roman diocesses but into al the Prouinces and Churches of Christendome which communicated with him as appeareth out of his Epistles to the Bishops of all countryes of Sicily Corsira Sardinia Africa Numidia Hispania Gallia Anglia Hibernia Grecia Dalmatia ouer whome he exercised the soueraygnty of his supreme iurisdiction yet he innouated nothing therin nor deliuered any other new doctrine not taught before as I demonstrate 1. By all these and other Bishops of his age who neuer appeached S. Gregory of any vsurpation of right or nouelty in doctrine to which they would either haue opposed themselues or haue complayned of it or would haue mentioned it at least 2. By S. Gregory himselfe who findeth no fault with any of his Roman predecessors for want of challenging their due or for not agreeing with him in all pointes of fayth as Protestants euery where reprehend and taske their auncestours with variance from them in sundry assertions 3. By diuers learned Fathers of the precedent ages out of whose writings I haue already among my Thirty Controuersyes cleerly proued and out of Scriptures also deduced euery article of importance of which our Gospellers attach S. Gregory 4. By the Magdeburgian and other Protestants
who confesse the like pointes of doctrine to haue beene mayntayned in those former centuryes 5. By the communication he held with all nations to which he neyther prescribed any new fayth nor did they obiect any new thinge ordeyned or deliuered by him 6. By his reprehension of Iohn the Patriarch of Constantinople for challenging the title of Vniuersall Bishop which if himselfe had also vsurped he would neuer haue beene so bolde to controule in his competitor Or if he had beene so bolde some or other woulde In 6. synod act 4. haue blamed him for it 7. By the subsequent age in which the sixt generall synode was celebrated whereunto both the casterne and westerne Bishops assembled the legates The wordes of Pope Agatho his Epistle for the integrity of the RomaÌ„ sayth of Pope Agatho the Patriarches of Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch eyther by themselues or by their substitutes who vniformely condemned the new deuised opinion of Macharius concerning the vnity of Christes wills and operations In S. Gregory in the Roman Church no nouelty was reprehended but â—â— Epistle of Pope Agatho was publikely read in the presence of the Emperour the rest of the Bishops wherin he protested of the Roman Church that it hath neuer byn found through the grace of God to haue strayed from the path of Apostolicall tradition And no man neyther of the Greek or Latine Church no not so much as Macharius himselfe excepted agaynst it although it would haue weakned the authority of Pope Agatho and auayled him much if any such ranker of corruption had crept into the Apostolicall sea Nay that very Epistle was after approued by the whole CouÌ„cell Ibidem act 8. which they would neuer haue done if S. Gregory could haue been touched with any superstitious or new broached doctrine 9. The same argument with most of the former coÌ„uince the like in the behalfe of Boniface the third who liued many yeares before Pope Agatho and before this Epistle of his was generally allowed Lastly if S. Gregory or Boniface the third with the rest that followed be as Humfrey Fulke Whitaker all Protestants coÌ„moÌ„ly Humfrey Fulke and VVhitak in the place before cited depose meere Antichrists and such as depended of them Antichristian prelates what doe they thinke of the definitions made and men condemned by Agatho and his adherents in that 6. general synod of 289. Bishops which was celebrated in the age of our Redemption 681. aboue 20. yeares after Boniface his decease agaynst Macharius Sergius and the rest of the Monothelites who faygned one will and operation in Christ What I say doe Protestants thinke first of the men were they heretikes For disobeying the sentence of Antichrist and his impes Then of the contrary doctrine there defined to wit That as Christ hath two seuerall natures so two seuerall wills and operations I aske them whether they imbrace this as the orthodoxall Apostolicall fayth or renouÌ„ce it with the Monothelites as diabolicall and AntichristiaÌ„ doctrine Is it Antichristian Auaunt then and raunge your selues with those Hellish catyffes who by coÌ„founding the wills abolish the natures extinguish the merits destroy the incarnation and frustrate the redemption of the sonne of God Is it the orthodoxall Christian fayth How was it then decreed and maynteyned by the Prelates of Antichrist Euery Kingdome as our Sauiour in like case reasoned agaynst the Iewes deuided agaynst it Luc. 11. vs 17. selfe shal be made desolate and house vpon house shall fall and if Satan also be deuided agaynst himselfe how shall his Kingdome stand So if Antichrist and his whole army fight agaynst themselues if they vphold the truth of Christ and so maynly persecute and extirpate their owne errours how shall they stand How shall they be aduaunced and extolled agaynst God Was this a repugnant reason to shew that our blessed Redeemer did not in Beelsebub the Prince of diuells Ibidem v. 15. 28. cast forth diuells But in the fingar of God whose Kingdome he preached And is it not as forcible to proue that Antichrist by his owne mouth neuer condemned his Antichristian doctrine neuer defined the true Christian faith but that it was the fingar of God the voyce of the holy Ghost which spake in his Church was deliuered by his true Pastours in that sacred holy and diuine assembly What can Protestants answere to this inuincible argument Will they neyther ioyne with the Monothelites nor yet admit that Oecumenicall Councell to be the mysticall body true spouse of Christ They must then finde out some other Church in that age some other preachers besides those of whome both East and West Greekes and Latines the whole Christian world neuer had any inkling before 10. But although they haue nothing heere to reply yet let vs heare what they say to the former interrogatory of the Roman Churches decay when and by whome it fell out Whitaker answereth It belongeth not to vs to count the tymes and moments in what yeare or day that defection VVhitak contro 2. q 3. c. 1. folio 184. Ibidem contro 2. q. 5. c. 3. fo 312. Powell in his consideratioÌ„ of the Papists suplica pa. 43. beganne And then VVe cannot name any certeyne yeare in which their Church beganne to be chaunged Which Mayster Powell also confesseth with him Therefore we may well conclude that it neuer chaunged or altered her beliefe because it could not be that a Church vniuersally spread famously knowne which had the eyes of all men cast vpon her enemyes on euery side to pry into her all sortes of nations consorting with her innumerable authours writing of her should change her fayth her Religion her worship of God which are of all things most remarkeable and no man to perceaue that strange reuolution The tyme is knowne the persons are named the heresies recorded by which all other Patriarch aâ— seas haue beene 〈◊〉 in eleâ—â—be verbo Macedoniani corrupted with errour For example in the yeare of out Lord 359. Macedonius defiled the seâ— of Constantinople with impugning the diuinity of the holy Ghost About the same tyme Georgius Cappadox intruded into the sea of Athanasius prophaned with Arianisme and many Nicepho Calli. hist Eccle. l. 9. other sacrileges the Church of Alexandria In the yeare of our Redemption 273. Paulus Samosetanus stayned the sea of Antioch with the blasphemy of the Ebionites affirming our Sauiour to haue taken his beginning Aug. I 'de haer from the Virgins wombe and not to haue descended at all from heauen with the heresy also of Sabellius as Epiphanius Epiphanius baer 65. Euseb l. 7. c. 22. 24. leron ep 61. ad PaÌ„mach Ier. in chronic writeth Iohn the Patriach of Ierusalem second of that name infected his sea about the yeare of our Lord 386. with the errours of Origen which had been before about the yeare of our RedemptioÌ„ 351. inuaded polluted also by the Arians 11. Besides we