Sicubi audieru eos qui dicuntur Christi non a Iesu Christo sed a quoquam alio nuncupari vtputa Marcionistas valentinianos montenses scito non Ecclesiam Christi sed Antichristi esse synagogam but froÌ„ other men as Marcionists valentinians or such like as are now a daies Lutherans Zuinglians c. be you well assured that they belong not to the church of Christ but to the Sinagogue of Antichrist Out of this sound doctrine of the ancient fathers and approued doctors M. Abbots obiection is easily solued For albeit there be many erring congregations which would gladlie bee called churches and do chaleÌ„ge to theÌ„selues the name and authoritie of the church which the church of Rome doth not comprehend yet those congregations being no more true churches then Apes be men the church of Rome maie bee truly said to compreheÌ„d all the Catholike church though it do not containe any of theÌ„ they being for their ertors in faith and disvnioÌ„ in matter of religion by the verdict of the auncieÌ„t fathers esteemed rather schismatikes parts of sathaÌ„s sinagogue then any members of Christs Catholike church I am not ignoraÌ„t that there be certain good fellowe Libertins who more willing to please men with plausible doctrine then to acquaint them with Gods iust iudgments And to make some shew that theire church hath been alwaies a member of the visible Catholike church do teach that even schismatikes and heretikes so they erre not in some fundamentall points of religion be notwithstanding reall and true members of the Catholike church Against whose error I meane god willing to make a chapter in this booke wherfore I will not here stand to confute it But admitting it here for passable I do not see any reason why in the waie of that opinion the Roman church may not comprehend even those vnpure churches too For albeit they do not acknowledg the chiefty of the Roman church nor agree with it in all articles of faith yet they acknowledging the Roman to hold all those fundamentall articles of faith must needs grant that they do agree with it in all points that are of necessitie to bee beleeued On the other side they cannot deny but that they are all descended out of the same Roman church not being able to shew any other stocke or pedegree out of which their church is issued and sprung why then should they not yeeld that honor vnto the same as to acknowledg themselues members of her from whom they deriue their descent and pedigree and with whom they do agree in all fundameÌ„tall points of doctrine though in some other not necessarie in their opinion to be beleeued they do dissent from her Neither is that example of the Roman Empire well applied by M. Abbot For albeit there were and bee many kingdomes in the world besids the Roman Empire not subiect therto nor any meÌ„bers therof yet there be not nor cannot bee many christian churches wherof the one is not a member of the other For all Christian creeds do teach vs to beleeue that there is but one only church not many Ephes 4. Cant. 6.8 One spouse of Christ one body of Christ vna est columba mea c. which is the common doctrine of the auncient fathers after S. Ciprian and Saint Austin who haue made whole treatises of the vnitie of the church So that though there be many distinct kingdomes independent one of the other yet there cannot bee many such churches but all and euerie particuler true church is a true member of the one only Catholike church All of them perfectly agreeing togither in society of faith in vnity of sacraments and in forme of government Consequently the head mother church such as before I haue proued the Roman church to bee may convenientlie bee vsed to signifie all the rest No man denies the more proper signification of the church of Rome to bee the city or Diocese of Rome it self in which sense Albertus Pighius doth truly say of it That it is a particular church and not to be taken for the vniuersall church Notwithstanding it is in more large signification often taken for the whole Catholike church not only of moderne writers but also of the most ancient and holy fathers to witnes wherof I take these few following Saint Ciprian sent the copie of Antonianus letter to Cornelius bishop of Rome Cipr. epistola 52. to assure him that the said Antonian did comunicate with him that is with the Catholike church vt scires illum tecum hoc est cum Catholica ecclesia comunicare where that most learned prelate and glorious Martir put as a thing by it self well knowen that to comunicate with the pope of Rome is to communicate with the Catholike church with him accordeth Saint Ambrose Ambros oratione defratic Satyro relating how his brother Satyrus was cast on shore in Sardinia or therabout where Catholiks and heretiks were blended and mixt together and being desirous to bee baptised by a Catholike Bishop when one was presented to him to do that good office he to trie whâ—ther he were Catholike or no demaunded of him Si cum Catholicis hoc est cum Romanis consentiret If he did agree with the Catholikes that is to say with the Romanes Putting as we do now Roman for a certaine marke and as it were an explication of a true Catholike The like doth Saint Hierom when he asked of Ruffinus what faith hee professed Hic oni Apol 〈◊〉 câ—â— Ruffinum whether that that florished in the church of Rome or that which was contayned in the bookes of Origine Si Romanam responderit ergo Catholici sumus If hee answere the Roman faith then bewe Catholiks and free from the errors of Origen where he setteth the Roman faith to signifie the Catholike faith yea sheweth that of the Roman faith Christians are denominated Catholikes The same doth the auncient christian poet Prudentius chaunt in these verses Fugite o miseri execranda Nouati Schismata Catholicis vos reddite populis Prudent in hymno de Hipolito Vnasedes vigeat prisco quae condita seclo est Quam Paulus tenuit quaÌ„que cathedra Petri. O poore soules from Nouatus cursed schisme do you flie And with speede yeeld your selues vnto the Catholike party That only seate florish which in auncient time founded S. Paul vpheld and where the chaire of Peter was grounded This godly and holy man esteemed it all one to yeeld your self to the Catholike partie and to vnite your self to the sea of Rome So did that puissant Christian Emperor Theodosius the younger when hee exhorted the Bishop of Berca and his followers to declare themselues approued priests of the Roman religion imploing the Roman for the Catholike religion which was with all persons so vsuall and current in those better times Concil Ephesin Tom. 1. c. 10. that even the old rotten Arrian heretikes did by the same name of Roman designe all true
not condeÌ„ne anie man for not beleeuing that which hee neuer heard of wherfore if in any coast of the world the Doctrine of Christ bee not sufficientlie published no man there shal bee condeÌ„ned for not beleeuing in him but for other mortall grieuous offeÌ„ces which they haue in their life time comitted against the light of reason law of nature If any amogst those infidels haue beeÌ„ so happie as not to haue committed any such mortall sinne Act. 10. which caÌ„not bee without the speciall aide of Gods grace if there bee any such I saie like the good Italian Captaine Cornelius meÌ„tioned in the acts of the Apostles hee shall find the like extraordinarie succour froÌ„ heaueÌ„ as to haue an Angell to teach him or at least to direct him to some Peter that maie throughly instruct him in the Christian faith Among Christians there can hardly bee found anie one I think so vngratiously bred that neuer heard of Christ because that is contained in the Creede that all Christians are taught even from their infancie and are bound to know so farr fourth as their capacitie and wit will giue them leaue which if they should neglect to learne after they come to yeares of discretion they are worthie to bee depriued of all benefits issuing and growing by Christ because they contemned somuch as to know him To that text of S. Paul that hee who cometh to God must know that hee is and that hee is a rewarder c. I answere first that the Apostle saith verie well that hee must know those two points but hee doth noth saie there that hee needs to know no more And elswhere in all his Epistles doth teach that ouer and besides that the faith in Iesus Christ is necessarie for all men wherfore this point must bee added to the rest I answere secondly that one cannot know particulary how God is a rewarder vnles hee know the incarnation of Iesus Christ because God will reward no man with life euerlasting but through the merits of Iesus Christ and for that hee is a member of Christ and for such good works which a man without faith in Christ and without aide of his grace caÌ„not performe Thus much of the first point Now to the second which is the principall question whether holding the right faith in Christ Iesus and beleeuing the other fundamentall articles which are conteyned in the Apostles creed one may bee condemned for not beleeuing any other article of the Christian faith For the plainer explication of the state of this question it is to bee vnderstood that many of the vnlearned and simpler sort maie bee ignorant of many matters appertaining to faith without daunger of damnation because by reason of their lacke of capacitie or for other necessarie occupatioÌ„s about getting of their poore livings they are not bound to know expresly much more then is deliuered in the Apostles Creed and what doth concerne the right vse of the sacraments which they themselues are obliged to receiue Nevertheles euerie Christian man and woman may verie well bee bound not to defend the misbeliefe of anie one article of faith after hee shal bee given to vnderstand that the Catholike church hath declared the same to be so There is a great difference betweene the dispositions of two such parties for it is one thing to bee ignorant what the church teacheth in such a case and another not to bee willing to beleeue it abeit hee knew well enough that the church commaundeth him so to beleeue In the former there is a ready good will to obey the truth assoone as due information shal bee given him and meere ignorance in the meane season hindreth his consent But in the other partie there is a loose libertie of believing what him listeth and an obstinate resolution not to beleeue and obey the church any further then they themselues shall thinke good These men I say albeit they beleeue aright in Iesus Christ touching his owne person and mediation and do not deny anie article of the Apostles Creede at least as they vnderstand it yet do they dwell in the state of damnation and shall not bee saued vnles they repent This proposition I know will seeme ouer rigorous and terrible vnto many but being a matter of eternall saluation or damnation at least as I take it they must giue mee leaue that preferre the honour of Gods truth before the phansies of men and the care of their salvation before currying of false favour with them to aduertise them of it whiles they haue time to take heed to it requesting them to consider well of the reasons that I shall now deliuer vnto them in proofe of the same and then I trust in God they will also come to bee of my opinion therin The first may bee thus propounded If it were sufficient to saluation to beleeue in Christ and in the other articles of the Creede as they take them this great absurdity would ensue therof that all heretikes anciently condemned were vniustlie condemned might well notwithstanding their heresies and condemnation haue liued and died in the state of saluation which to imagine were to condemne all the Orthodox churches and ancient fathers of great impiety and extreame want of Christian Charity I will proue that absurd sequele by the enumeration of the most notorious Heretikes The Arrians for example did professe to beleeue in Christ so farre forth as is deliuered in the said Creede To wit that hee was the only sonne of his father borne of the virgin Mary and our Lord. They did indeed denie him to bee consubstantiall that is of the same substance with his father and coeternall but thervpon discoursed much like as some Protestants do now about Transubstantiation who professe Christs bodie to bee really present in the blessed SacrameÌ„t because Christs words do teach that plainly but they will not admitt of Transubstantiation in any case for that they find not that word set downe in the scriptures So thes Arrians did professe to beleeue Christ to bee the Saviour of the world to bee also the sonne of God trulie and really yet because there was no meÌ„tioÌ„ of Consubstantiall in the scriptures therfore they were content to beleeue so much as was in the scriptures but their tender coÌ„sciences forsooth would not suffer theÌ„ to adueÌ„ture one pace beyoÌ„d the express word of God Notwithstanding their faire pretence they were roundly condemned by the church in the first generall councell for most damnable Heretikes if vnder that pretext they refused to bâ—leeue that Christ Iesus was consubstantiall vnto his father and coeternall The Nestorians beleeued all that the Orthodox church taught of our saviour Christ Iesus and of all the other articles of faith saving that they held him to haue two distinct persoÌ„s aswell as hee had two differeÌ„t natures To wit the nature of man to haue had his owne person of man euen as the nature of God had the person of God The
but M. Abbot saīth ouer lauishly and as it were dotingly that I do report them falsly for he himself as you shall presently see cannot denie but that I alleage them truly Let vs examin the particulers Ambros in oratione de obitu satyri fratris S. Ambrose say I tooke it to bee all one to saie the Catholike or the Roman church yea he putteth the Romā church as an explication of the Catholike church His good brother satyrus after a shipwrack arrived in Sardinia which was infected with the Luciferiā heresie being carefull not to cōmunicate with any heretikes demāded of that Bishop whom he had sent for to baptise him Aduocauit ad se Episcopum nec vllam veram putauit nisi vera fidei gratiam percontatusque ex eo est vtrumnam cum Episcopis Catholicis hoc est cum Romana Ecclesia conueniret sorte ad id locorum in schismate regionis illius ecclesiae erat whether he did accord with the Catholike Bishops that is with the church of Rome He feared lest the name Catholike was not sufficient to describe true beleevers in an hereticall countrie bicause heretikes do oftentimes call themselues Catholikes and therfore asked whether they were such Catholikes as accorded with the church of Rome that is whether he was a Roman Catholike or no giving vs to vnderstand that they onlie were true Catholikes and onlie to be communicated withall in holie rites who accorded with the church of Rome in faith and religion All this is so true and evident that M. Abbot cannot denie any one word of it Did he not then spitefully over-reach when hee said that I reported my authors falsly He hath no other shift then to saie that in those daies the church of Rome as the most famous and chief church was most fit to bee named in such a case But now the case is altered bicause the church of Rome is fallen from that eminent perfection and is it self now called into question This answere is nothing els then in plaine tearmes petere principium that is to giue that for the solution as a confessed truth which is the maine question is he so destitute of cōmon sence as to thinke that we will or ought to take that for currant coyne and good paiment which we hold for very refuse and drosse All the world knowes that we beleeve the church of Rome not to be changed in any one article of faith wherfore he ought not to returne to vs for a knowen truth that the church of Rome is changed yet the poore mans feeble forces being quite spent he is constrayned to giue the same vnreasonable answere againe againe for he maketh the same answer vnto the like testimony taken out of S. Hierom who demādeth of Ruffinus speaking of his faith which he calleth his faith Hieron Apol. 1. c. Ruff. Fidem suam quam vocat eamne qua Romana pollet Ecclesia an illam quae in Originis voluminibus continetur si Romanam responderit ergo Catholici sumus qui nihil de Originis errore transtulimus either that which the church of Rome professeth or that which is contayned in the books of Origen If he answere the Roman faith then are wee Catholikes c. which doth implie that it was all one with S. Hierom to saie the Roman faith and the true Catholike faith All which M. Abbot confesseth to be true and therby cleereth mee from that imputation of misreporting my authors Afterward he asketh what is here said of the Roman church that might not likewise haue bene said of any other church professing the true faith well let vs admitt that the same might haue been said of any other church vnder that conditiō that they had professed the true faith yet because the ancient Fathers were not so well assured of the perpetuall infallibilitie of any other church as they were of the church of Rome therfore they preferred the communion of the Roman Church before all other and therin ordinarilie made their instances And for that M. Abbot doth euer and anone come in with this answer that the church of Rome was then the true Church but now it is cleane changed and takes this to be as sharpe as the sword at Delphos and as fit to cut all knotts asonder that can not otherwise be loosed I will here set downe some reasons which did induce these holy Doctors and much more ought to persuade vs to beleeue that the church of Rome shall euer continue firme in the faith The ancients made no doubte but that Christes Church should continue to the worlds ende and retaine the same forme of government which he him self had established in it which most Protestants now are also come to confesse but as I haue before prooued the same most learned and blessed fathers both beleeued and taught the Bishops and Church of Rome to be as it were the rock and foundation of Christs church wherfore like as the house must needes fall to the grounde whose foundation faileth so the catholick church could not stand inuiolable to the later day if the Roman church which is the chiefest member support therof should perish It were needelesse to repeate here those sentences of the ancient Doctors once before produced in confirmation of this argument I wil be cōtent with one text of S. Austin that doth both directly crosse M. Abbots supposition and manifestly prooue this my assertion These be his wordes If the Pedegree of Bishops succeding one another be to be considered August epistola 165. Si enim ordo episcoporum sibi inuicem succedentium considerandus est quanto rectius vere salubriterab ipso Petro numeramus cui totius Ecclesiae figuram gerenti Dominus ait super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam how much more rightly and assuredly do we recken frō S. Peter him self vnto whom bearing the figure of the whole church our Lord said vpon this Rock I will build my church To Peter succeeded Linus c. Behold how fully S. Austin had 1200. yeares before hand confuted M. Abbots proposition M. Abbot saith that the fathers might as well haue alleaged their communion with any other church as with the church of Rome Not so saith S. Austin but if the successiō of Bishops be to be regarded as it is very highly to be esteemed and the cōmunion in faith and Religion with thē then that of the Bishops and church of Rome is more right and better assured then any other Obserue also the same reason giuē by that most renowmed Doctor which I before deliuered because vpon S. Peter who was the roote and stock of the Roman Pedegree as vpon a Rock Christ built his church against which the gates of Hell shall not preuaile wherfore in another place he is bold to tell the donatistes that the see or church of Rome is that rock against which the proud gates of hell shall not preuaile Againe doth not our
Romans that he should neuer afterward be able to lift vp his head against them in any matter of faith wherin S. Hierom seemes to bee so confident that he doubts not to write to Ruffinus that which M. Abbot may take as spoken to himself Notwithstanding know you that the Romane faith by the Apostles mouth praised S. Hieron Apol. 3. con Ruffinum Attamen scito Romanam fidem Apostolico ore laudatam eiusmodi praestigias non recipere Etiam si Angelus aliter annunciet quam semel praedicatum est Pauli auctoritate munitam non posse mâ—tari doth not admit anie such deceites and tromperies yea if an Angel should preach anie other thing besids that which hath been alreadie preached yet that faith being by the Apostles authoritie fortified could neuer bee changed will M. Abbot yet be so shameles as to stand vp and to giue this graue holie doctor the lie as he must needs do if hee will yet sing his old song and saie that the Roman faith notwithstanding all the Apostles praier and prophecie is foulie changed and that in verie manie great points with the forsaid testimonies may be linked for the antiquitie of it this that standeth on record in the third generall councell holden at Ephesus S. Peter the head of the Apostles and pillar of faith c. did receiue from Christ the keies of the kingdome of heauen c. and doth vnto this daie liue in his successors and determine causes And shall alwaies liue Behold S. Peter alwaies liueth in the Bishops of Rome his successors to determin causes and gouerne the church what then shall become of M. Abbots change will he make S. Peter also a changeling This point I will close vp with this memorable sentence of S. Leo. The soundnes of that faith praised in the prince of the Apostles is euerlasting Leo in serm 2. Assumptionis suae ad sumum Pontificem Soliditas enim illius fidei quae in Apostolorum Principe est laudata perpetua est Et sicut permanet quod in Christo Petrus credidit ita permanet quod in Petro Christus instituit c. Manet ergo dispositio veritatis beatus Petrus in accepta fortitudine petra perseuerans suscepta ecclesiae gâ—bernacula non reliquit and like as that which Peter beleeued of Christ continueth for euer so doth that which Christ did institute in Peter c. Therfore the ordinance of the truth standeth fast and blessed Peter perseuering by his successors in that strength of a rocke hath not forsaken the gouernment of the church Seing the faith and fortitude of Saint Peter shall continue for euer in his successors the bishops of Rome that cuckoes song of M. Abbots that the now church of Rome is in matter of faith degenerated from the old must needs be false And what more manifest signe can one demaund therof then that all the wits of the protestants hauing travailed after nothing more for this fiftie yeeres cannot yet find out any one errour in matter in faith wherin the church of Rome hath at any time dissented from her self in former ages I know right well that they avouch boldlie that it hath changed manie articles of faith but let him that will haue credit given to him so saying name the error it self in particuler and the time when it was first receiued and by what pope it was approued which if no learned Protestant be able to performe let them be well assured that repeat it neuer so often over and ouer that the church of Rome is not the same now as it was in S. Austins time they deserue not to be beleeued Neither am I ignorant that some more hardy then their fellowes haue gone about to designe the time when the church of Rome began her Apostacy But therin they agree no better then the false Elders that accused Susanna of adulterie did of the tree vnder which the fained fact was pretended to bee done And therfore be no more worthy of credit then they were 30 M. Abbot goeth on to proue that I racked and wronged my authors and saith that Tertullian whoÌ„ I alleaged as sending to the church of Rome to learne the true doctrine doth send also to other churches as well as to the church of Rome Be it so but if he appealed vnto the church of Rome as well as to others did I him any wrong in saying that he appealed vnto the church of Rome I did not saie that he excluded all or ane ony other Doth not M. Abbot rather rack my words and wrong himself in imposing that vpon mee which I said not Besids M. Abbot doth offer great wrong to Tertullian not so much by racking his words as by chopping them quite of in the middest for where Tertullian saith If thou border on Italy thou hast the church of Rome vnde nobis authoritas presto est whence authority comes to vs. M. Abbot cuts of the latter part of the sentence which imports that men in Africk for that was Tertullians countrie did acknowledg the church of Rome to haue authority ouer them M. Abbot then hauing so cunningly conueyed the matter by cutting of that which made for vs doth afterward aske mee what was there left to serve my turne if his conueiance be no cleanlier then so it were better for him to leaue those trickes ro them that haue more nimbles fingers The Cathalogue of the Bishops of Rome set downe by Epiphanius doth serue to shew that the Bishops of Rome are S. Peters true successors which M. Abbot and the protestants sometimes when they are at a stand do not stick to deny Optatus Bishop of Milevitane S. Austins auncient did proue as M. Abbot cannot deny his part to be Catholike in that it comunicated with the church of Rome yet M. Abbot to detract some what from the see of Rome addeth that Optatus did not proue his part Catholike by communicating simply with the church of Rome but for that communicating with the church of Rome it communicated with the church of the whole world which words of Optatus are so farr of from detracting any thing from the church of Rome that they do much magnifie the comodity of her communion for he saith not that he communicated with the church of Rome and with all other churches making them seuerall parts but that in communicating with the church of Rome he communicated with the churches of the whole world thereby declaring the comunion with the church of Rome to be the meanes of communicating with all others which is the very same that we do now go about to proove His words which containe manie memorable instructions are these spoken vnto Parmenianus a Donatist Thou canst not deny but that thou knowest an Episcopall chaire to haue been placed in the city of Rome Optatus mileuit l. 2. co parmenianum Igitur negare non potes scire te in vrbe Roma Petro primo Cathedram Episcopalem esse
it be not the whole yet may very well denominate the whole And so it hath done by the consent of both friends and foes for as we tearme all of our religion Roman Catholikes so the protestantes do nickname them Papists or Romanistes both taking the name from Rome or the bishop of Rome wherfore it is manifest that that common hackney of the protestants doth not conclude the point that was in question which no man doubteth to be one of the fowlest faults that cā be in arguing I laid in a second exception against the second proposition of that argument which is But the Roman church is a particular church For that the Roman church may bee either taken precisely for the Diocese of Rome or more largly for the faithfull dispersed through the whole world that do imbrace the same faith which they of Rome do professe The Roman church so taken say I is no particular church but extends it self vnto the vtmost bounds of the whole Catholike church to which M. Abbot doth make answere in this section And in the begining confesseth verie strangley that hee is one of those Doctors that do not vnderstand this new found distinction Hee might perhaps haue said truly that hee liked it not but for a Doctor to say that hee could not reach to that which a meanewitted scholler would make no difficultie to conceiue cannot bee but a great disparagement either to his witt or to his will or to both About the first acception of the Roman church there is no manner of doubt And touching the 2. what difficutie is it to vnderstand all those to bee members of the Roman church who take the Bishop of Rome to bee their chief pastor and besides are in all articles of faith and forme of government vnited with the Roman Do not the protestāts themselues in euery countrie by nicknaming vs Romanists and Papists giue all men to vnderstand that they take all such to be members of the Roman church If then both in England France Germany and other countries by the testimonie aswell of protestants as Catholikes all they that in faith and religion agree with the church of Rome bee taken for members of the same church would any man master of his owne wits make any difficultie to grant that all such may be said to bee of the church of Rome And that therfore the church of Rome may bee taken to cōprehend all them of what nation soeuer they bee what warrant I can bring for this out of the ancient writers shal bee shorrly after shewed though this matter be in it self so sensible and almost palpable that hee must needs confesse himself to be little better then a verie blockhead that cannot vnderstand it yea M. Abbot presently after shewes himself to perceiue that well enough for better aduised he admits it for true and disputs against it in this manner Be it so that the church of Rome is vsually taken to signifie other churches submitting themselues to the church of Rome yet it doth not comprehend other churches that do not submit themselues to the same nor acknowledg her chiefty As the protestant churches in Europe and some schismaticall churches in Asia Ah sir you shew cleerly enough that you vnderstood before that distinction of mine why then did you that wrong to your owne reputation as to confesse your self to be one of those Doctors that could not conceiue it You meant then belike to make some simple foole beleeue that I to vphold my part was forced to coyne a new found distinctiō neuer heard of before but the wind being presently changed it is but an ordinary and vsuall distinstion and may bee answered in the manner that you haue endeuored to answere it To which I replie briefly and roundly that those churches which acknowledg not the chiefty of the church of Rome or do obstinatlie denie any other article of the christian faith professed by the same church be no Orthodox nor true churches at all but either hereticall or schismaticall congregations members onlie of the malignant church And therfore though the church of Rome do not comprehend them yet it doth neuertheles comprehend all Orthodox and Catholike churches That all those malignant churches and euerie member of them that either err in matter of faith defined or are by schisme deuided from the church of Rome be no true churches at all To omit diuerse other arguments because this is not a place to handle at large that question let these few testimonies suffice Saint Austin saith He that beleeueth any false thing of God or of anie part of the doctrine that appertains vnto the edification of faith Aug. l. quest in Math. q. 11. Si enim falsa de deo credit vel de aliqua parte doctrinae quae ad fidei pertinet aedificationem ita vt non quaerentis cunctatione tentatus sit sed inconcusse credentis nec omnino scientis opinione atque errore discordans Haereticus est foris est animo quamuis corporaliter intus videatur that not doubtingly with a mind to bee better enstructed but resolutely obstinately hee is an heretike and in soule out of the church though in body hee seeme to liue in it which elswhere he repeats coupling schismatiks and heretiks together and declaring both their congregations to bee no part of the Catholik church in these words we beleeue the holie church that surelie which is Catholike Idem de fide Simbolo ca 10. Credimus sanctam Ecclesiam vtique Catholicam nam haeretici schismatici congregationes suas Ecclesias vocant Sed Haeretici de deo falsa sentiendo ipsam fidem violant schismatici autem discissionibus iniqùis a fraterna Charitate dissiliunt quamuis ea credunt quae credimus Quapropter nec haereticus pertinet ad ecclesiam Catholicam quae diligit deum nec schismatitus quoniam diligit proximum for heretikes and schismatikes do call their congregations churches but heretikes beleeuing false things of God do breake their faith and schismatiks by wilfull diuisions do leape from brotherly charitie wherfore neither doth the heretike belong to the Catholike church bicause shee loues god nor the schismatike for that shee loues heir neighbor which doctrine he might haue drawen out of Saint Ciprian who vnder the name of the Novatians doth teach That heretikes be like vnto Apes who though they bee no men Ciprian epistola 73. ad Iubaianum Nouatianus simiarum more quae cum homines non sint homines tamen imitantur vult ecclesiae Catholicae auctoritatem sibi veritatem vindicare quando ipse in Ecclesia non sit imo c. yet do counterfeit men so heretikes albeit they bee out of the church yet do chalenge to themselues the truth and authority of the church with them accordeth Saint Hierom saying when you shall heare of any Christians that take not their name from Iesus Christ Hieron co lucif in fine
sunne as it is in the revelation drawing after him a great number of the starres and pulling them downe headlong with himself into the pit of hell Of Beza thus writeth Conradus Sclusselburg a famous superintendent of the Lutheran church Conrad de Theolog Calviniana lib. 2. arb 1. Theodore Beza in his sacramentary Basiliske against Heshusius which hee entituleth Chrâ—ophagia doth not onlie in the treatise it self take his leaue of all godlines and modestie letting loose all the reynes of railing but in the very title doth vomite vp his blasphemie and diuelish scoffes c in the first six pages and a half hee hath powred out such horrible filthy and beastlie taunts that euen souldiers of his owne band haue wished them to bee suppressed with his bawdy and most vnpure verses made in praise of his harlot Candida Beza hath with his rotten rayling and beastly belching assaulted the most holy testament of the sonne of God He revileth that worthy superintendent Heshusius most spitefully calling him a Buskin or tragicall Polypheme an ape an huge great capped Asse a dog in a bath a most doltish Sophister an impure sicophant a most impudent knaue Finally hee likeneth him to a deuil incarnate that hath belched vp such Satanicall blasphemies that hee trembleth to relate them This may suffice for a scantling to shew how the names of Luther Calvin Beza the great Rabbins of the protestant Gospell be already by no meane men of their owne coate so canuased disgraced and vilified that the iudicious reader may see how litle need we haue to trouble our selues to search after matter against them to make knowen to the world what odious companions they were seing their owne brotherhood do so fully paint them out to the life that any true Christian hart must needs abhorre them And they that will not vpon so faire warning take heed of them fly from them can haue no lawfull excuse of their wilfull and doting folly R. AB PEtilian the Donatist being offended that they were called Donatists retorted vpon the godly Bishops the names of Mensurists and Cecilianists deriued from two principall Bishops of their party Mensurius and Cecilianus Collat. Carth. 3. ca. 30. So the Papists being vexed at that name Papists giuen to them for being wholy at the devotion of the Pope seeke to disgrace vs with the names of Lutherans Zuinglians and Calvinists as though wee were in like sort devoted to Luther Zuinglius and Calvin W. B. HEere M. Abbot being at a low ebbe in steed of the body of the Donatists is fayne to lay hold vpon one of the companie named Petilian to patch vp a paltrie peece of a triviall resemblance where M. Abbots gentle spirit is to be obserued for before hee would touch vs for calling them by their right names either Lutherans Zuinglians or Calvinists because they left the communion of the whole church to imbrace those Arch heretiks doctrine and felowship Hee confesseth ingenuously that the ProtestaÌ„ts before hand had plaid with vs the part of that Donatist Petilian by nicknaming vs Papists For hee saith that wee being angrie with them for giving vs the name Papists did for a revenge call them Lutherans c Ergo hee granteth that they began with vs but were it before or after M. Abbots resemblance may bee most iustly returned vpon themselues For as the Catholiks of those times called those Sectaries Donatists for leaving the communion of the church spred ouer all to follow one Schismaticall fellow called Donate so the protestants that were so sottish as to forsake the faith of the Catholike church to cleave vnto the peevish opinion of some lewd or loose renegate are most worthy to bee called after their blind guids names either Lutherans Zuinglians Calvinists or such like And they to wreake their teene on vs nickname vs Papists wherin albeit they imitate the Donatists yet their inuention is not so proper as was the Donatists who of some one eminent person christened the Catholikes after their names but the protestants cannot tell vs of what one pope or other wee tooke our name If it bee of all the ranke of Popes then haue wee no need to bee ashamed of it for the protestants themselues are not yet become so impudent as to deny thirtie or fortie of the first of them to haue been right beleeuers yea very holy Martyrs or confessors And good reason it is that of the first and best of them the rest should take their names R. AB 8. Aug. co literas Petil l. 2. ca. 43. co Gaudent l 2. c. 28. THe Donatists complained that the revenues bestowed by their ancestors on the churches were taken a way from them and given to the Catholike Pastors The same complaint M. Bishop and his fellowes vse that Bishopricks Deaneries and other benefices founded by men of their religion and to the vse therof are now as they pretend wrongfully taken from them and given to vs. W. B. I Do not find in S. Austin alledged by M. Abbot that the Donatists were founders of Bishopricks or any such like church livings And heretiks bee seldome any such founders but as latter commers do rather intrude wroÌ„gfully into them that were before founded by the Catholiks They complayned without iust cause when they were worthely expelled out of them they pretended in deed that they were lawfully discended of the former Catholike Bishops and that therfore those livings were due to them which would bee iust the protestants case if it should please God to inspire into our Soveraigne Lord king Iames his hart to dispossesse them of their benefices as vsurpers and to restore the dignities and livings founded by Catholiks for the exercise of Catholike religion into the hands of Catholike Bishops and Priests who seeth not therfore how fairly the Donatists did in most things pourtraict their white sons the protestants R. AB 9. THe Rogatists being one part of the Donatists affirmed themselues only to bee Christians even as the Donatists did chaleng to themselues only to bee the church of Christ and so now the Papists esteeme themselues only to bee Christians W. B. THis hath been in effect both obtruded by M. Abbot and by me answered some foure or five times ouer already wherfore is to be now loathed as ouer stale what so me maÌ„ may say in some sense we do not much esteeme but the body of the Catholike church doth not deny heretikes to bee Christians because they bee christened and do hold some points of the Christian faith though such Christians as shall never vnles they amend haue any part with Christ in his kingdome For that they refuse to beleeue many articles of the Christian faith haue seperated themselues from the vnion and communion of Christ his true church R. AB 10. Aug co literas Petilian l. 2. c. 83 l. 2. cap. 71. Epist 106 THe Donatist provoking Emperors by their vntolerable outrages to make lawes against
the whole face of their church being as he raileth and writeth berayed with the filth of Idolatry if the church of Rome be such a monster as hee would make her I desire him to explicate in particular which be those fundamentall points that do constitute church a the true member of the Catholike church In the meane season it is pleasant to heare how roundly hee reckeneth vp without either staggering or blushing the Iolly agreement which hee takes to bee betweene their church and ours wee do not saith hee take vpon vs to bee any other church then that which they call the old but the same church reformed wee reteyne still the same scriptures which they acknowledge true saving that you haue cut of at one clap fiue books of the old testament wee retayne the same articles of faith which they professe you should for modesties sake haue added except some twentie or thirtie wee retayne the same sacraments of Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Iust if bread and wine bee the same with the blessed bodie and bloud of Christ Besids how do wee agree about the other five Sacraments which wee retayne and you haue cast away They finally retaine the same forme of service except that they haue cut of the best parts of it and as it were pulled out the hart and bowells of the sacrifice and consecration leaving to themselues and their miserable followers onely the paâ—ings and offals Behold the goodlie conformitie of the old and new English church of late devised and published by M. R. Abbot minister of the word and teacher of the reformed church of England Hee is so farr of as hee saies from Donatisme as that he doth teach the church never to haue perished no not in the City of Rome it self why then hath hee taken so much paines to proue the church of Rome to be turned Donatisticall vnles hee will now also in a very calme and pitifull humour allow even the Donatists church it self to haue been a part of the true Catholike church And so consequently like a good Atheisticall libertine allow all heretikes that professed Christs name to haue been true members of his church Hauing thus confuted that which M. Abbot had to obiect against their agreement in the maine point of the Donatists heresie I now come to the second resemblance that is betweene the Anabaptists an ofspring of the protestants and the Donatists who now do teach rebaptisation as the Donatists did then which M. Abbot granteth but saith my foolerie therin needeth no answere because the Anabaptists bee exploded out of all protestant churches And to that comparison which I made betweene the diuision of the protestants into Lutherans Sacramentaries and Anabaptists with the partition of the Donatists into Donatists Maximianists and Rogatists hee saith that I should rather haue devided Papists into Anabaptists secularists and Iesuists what voluntary light babling is this who ever before M. Abbot tooke the Anabaptists to bee papists when as they as stifly deny the popes authoritie the sacrifice of the Masse the reall presence the merites of good workes and most other articles of our religion as any other protestants And albeit they differ from the Sacramentaries in some few matters as the Sacramentaries do also from the Lutherans yet they bee descended from them and do agree with them in most points of religion wherfore they may bee aswell sorted and ranked with them as the Rogatists and Maximianists were with the Donatists neither will it helpe M. Abbot to say that they cast the Anabaptists out of their congregation For the Donatists did no lesse excommunicate and chace out of their churches the Maximianists and Rogatists then the Sacramentaries do the Anabaptists It was then rather a foolery of M. Abbots vpon so foolish a reason to deny the Anabaptists to belong vnto the common body of the protestants and more impudent folly is it to associate them to vs from whom they dissent further then the other protestaÌ„ts do And because wee bee now entred into degrees of comparison let it bee taken for a superlatiue folly in M. Abbot to divide all men of our religion into Anabaptists Secularists and Iesuists for to returne the Anabaptists to themselues as their owne sweet brood with whom they consent against vs in most controversies of religion Do the other names of Secularists and Iesuists comprehend all Romane Catholikes bee there no lay Catholiks at all nor any other religious persons in our church besids secularists and Iesuists what was become of M. Abbots senses when hee wrote this The Seminarists and Iesuists being compared vnto all other Catholiks both religious and lay do scarse amount as I gesse vnto the thousand part of that body So that here M. Abbot infabling fumbling and confounding rather then in diuiding surmounts the highest degree of comparison R. ABBOT THE third resemblance that M. Bishop mentioneth is this They held not the faith of the blessed Trinitie entire For some of them like the Arrians taught the sonne of God to bee lesser then the father Though as S. Austin noteth this was not marked of their followers This hee applieth to vs in this sort sundrie of their principall teachers as Melancthon Caluin and others do corrupt the sound doctrine of the holy Trinitie as I haue shewed in the preface of my second part of the reformatioÌ„ of a deformed Catholike though the common sort of their followers do not greatly obserue it In which third point hee verie wilfully belieth S. Augustin the Donatists and vs. For S. Austin doth not saie that of the Donatists but only of a second Donatus who was a follower of the first who had an vnsound opinion of the Trinity which the Donatists were so farre of from approuing that there was scarse one among them that knew that hee thought so to him only is that to bee referred which S. Austin saith If any of them haue said that the sonne is lesser theÌ„ the father yet they haue not denied him to bee of the same substance S. Austin never vpbraided the Donatists with this error Aug. Epistola 50 though Theodoret do But hee spake by hearsay How M. Bishop dealeth with Melancthon Caluin and others I haue fully declared in my answere to that preface W. B. HERE is a whot charge and a peremptory condemnation before due examinatioÌ„ as you shall heare that I haue at one clap belied S. Austin the Donatists and their good Maisters Melancthon Caluin and others But if M. Abbot can make good no one of those imputations then it must bee granted that hee hath at once let slip a leash of slanderous lies Let vs descend to the particulars I write that S. Austin reporteth some of the Donatists to haue had a bad opinion of the blessed Trinity M. Abbot taketh mee vp short auouching that hee affirmeth that of a second Donatus onely well was not that second Donatus a great famous Donatist and had hee not many followers but not
heads of virgins that were veiled drawing from them the markes of their profession which were inuented to declare that in will and professiō they were maried to Christ By these few resemblances hitting the protestants so right on the thumbes to omitt many other the indifferent reader may see whether my retorting of M. Abbots comparisons were to the purpose or no and whether of vs haue more fortunatly travailed therin §. 6. W. B. TO conclude this passage seing M. Abbot went about to prove the church of Rome to bee like that of the Donatists by no one sound argument but by diuers trifles and vntruthes hee must looke vnles hee repent to haue his part with liars in the poole burning with fire and brimstone And if it please the reader to heare at what great square the Donatists were with the said church of Rome to which M. Abbot would so fayne resemble them I will briefly shew it out of the best records of that time L. 2 co lit Petil. c. 51. S. Austin speakes thus to the Donatist Petilian what hath the church or sea of Rome in which Peter sate and now sitteth Anastasius done vnto thee why doest thou call the Apostolicall chaire the chaire of pestilence See how friendly the Donatists were wont to salute the church of Rome stiling it the chaire of pestilence That noble prelate Optate to this Issue hath thus deposed whence is it that you Donatists take vpon you to vsurpe the keies of the kingdome and that presumptuously and with sacrilegious audacity you do wage battell against the chaire of Peter If the Donatists did wage warre against the church of Rome surely there was no likelihood of any good intelligence betweene them wherfore like as the Catholiks of Africa then so they were linked in communion with the church of Rome sett light by the outcries of the Donatists against them as witnesseth S. Austin when hee said of Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage Epist 162 one of the princes of the Catholike party hee needed not to care for the multitude of his conspiring enemies the Donatists when hee saw himself by communicatorie letters ioyned with the Romane church in which alwaies florished the primacie of the Apostolicall chaire c. Even so wee at this time need as litle to esteeme of the bitter reproches and deceitfull arguments of the protestants So wee stand vpright and firme in the like society of faith and religion with the same church of Rome R. AB MIstake I did in some circumstance but lie I did not because to lie is to go against a mans owne mind and knowledge That the Donatists were at square with the ancient church of Rome wee confesse But what is that to the latter church of Rome which is degenerated from the old and in tying the Catholike church to her owne place and function doth rather resemble the old Donatists besids the Donatists were at as great square with all other Catholike churches some of which were also mentioned by saint Augustin in that and other places why then doth M. Bishop make that peculiar vnto the church of Rome which S. Austin leaueth indifferent to that and other churches and as other churches afterward became chaires of pestilence so might the church of Rome for ought that S. Austin there saith of it The like is to bee answered vnto Optatus who teaching the Donatists to haue been whole enemies vnto the church of Rome doth not hinder but that the latter church of Rome might agree well enough with them Finally S. Austin doth not say that Cecilianus ioyned with the church of Rome alone but ioyning with that and other Catholike churches needed not to care for the Donatists So that there is no more there for the cōmuniō of the church of Rome thē for the cōmuniō of other churches Hee will say that a principality is there attributed vnto the church of Rome I answere as before I haue done that a principality of honour may bee givē to it but not a principality of power And doth it follow that because the principality of the Apostolike chaire florished there till that time therfore it should do so ever vnto the worlds end These are loose and vaine collections vnfit to stablish the conscience of sober and advised men W. B. FOr a conclusion of this chapter M. Abbot tells vs that albeit hee mistooke somethings yet hee did not lie in any part therof and the proofe in part is very prettie because for sooth hee went not against his owne mind His mind and pleasure then being to say that the Donatists taught the true church to bee only at Cartenna Secondly That the Papists do teach now that the same true church is conteyned within the wals of Rome only 3. That no other mans Baptisme besids a papist priests is avaylable to Salvation 4. That none among the Indians bee truly converted to the Christian faith but all of them are forced to receiue baptisme with out religion when hee I say wrote these and twentie mo such like most luculent lies yet in all this hee did not once lie the reason is in readines bicause hee never went against his owne mind His mind then giving him belike that to vilify and slaunder the Papists he might tell a hundreth worse tales of them then those are Good Sir if vpon Etymologies of words you presume to deliuer such senseles and wicked doctrine it may trulie bee said to you for ought I see Domine mentiris whether you teach it against your owne mind or no. For although a man that of meere ignorance telleth an vntruth doth not properly lie yet when hee presumeth to shoote his bolt to giue his censure rashly of things commonly spoken of contrary to the truth as M. Abbot hath done then hee may bee said to lie though hee know not perfectly the contrarie Because hee might and ought to haue learned out the truth therof before hee presumed to deliuer his Iudgment theron in such absolute and peremptorie tearmes As the Donatists were at open warre with the old church of Rome So doth the moderne church of Rome as greatly as the old detest the same positions of the Donatists To wit that the church of Christ is perished all the world ouer saving in some odd corners 2. That men baptised by vnsanctified Ministers ought to bee rebaptised And so of all the rest which either Optatus or S. Austin then recorded for speciall points of the Donatists doctrine That the now church of Rome doth differ in any one article of faith from the ancient is that which M. Abbot doth often say and repeate but never yet could nor here after shall ever bee able to bring any one sufficient proofe therof wherfore by all right and reason the said church is to retaine her former good reputatiō and credit with all honest and vpright consciences For if everie man haue title vnto his good name vntill hee bee conuicted to haue committed some such
addeth in another place whosoeuer shall not receiue you nor heare your wordes Math. 10 15. going forth out of the house and citie shake of the dust from your feet Amen I say to you it shal bee more tolerable for the land of the Sodomits and Gomorrheans in the daie of iudgment then for that city Behold how straightly wee are charged to heare and beleeue Christs witnesses the pastors and Doctors of the Catholike church If wee do otherwise wee shal bee taken to despise Christ and to despise his heavenly father and shall find no lesse intollerable iudgment then did the stinking and abhominable Sodomites Moreouer the pastors of the Catholike church are not only Christs bare witnesses and Ambassadors but they bee also our spirituall governors Act. 20.28 Posuit vos Spiritus sanctus regere ecclesiam Dei The holie Ghost hath appointed you to gouerne the church of God If they bee our governors wee must obey them Hebr. 13.17 Obedite prepositis vestris subiacete eis Obey your Prelats and bee subiect vnto them hee that resisteth power Rom. 13.2 resisteth the ordinance of God And of all governors the spirituall that do represent our Saviour in a higher degree are most to bee respected Therfore more hainous is the offence of euerie one that doth obstinatlie withstand them then of others that withstande their temporall prince Math. 18.17 Qui ecclesiam non audiverit sit tibi tanquam Ethnicus Publicanus Hee that will not heare the church let him bee taken for a heathen and a publican whervpon there is commonly in all generall councels Anathema an excommunication and curse vpon all them that shall not beleeue all and euerie article of faith in the same generall couÌ„cell declared and determined which doth most manifestly demonstrate that any man who shall refuse to beleeue any one article of faith by the church declared to bee such is worthie to bee excommunicated that is to bee depriued of the societie of Christians in this world and consequentlie of the fruition of Christ in the world to come if they do not in time repent whence I gather this short argument hee that refuseth to beleeue Gods witnesses the pastors of his church and our spirituall governours in any one article of faith deserueth to bee condemned but they that hope to bee saued in their owne religion of whom wee now speake do refuse to bâ—leeue Gods church in some article or other of the Catholike faith therfore they deserue to bee condemned For the further explication of the great conveniencie and necessitie wee haue to beleeue and obey the Catholike church in matters of faith let is bee well weighed that it doth in manner as much import vs vpon whose credit wee beleeue anie thing as what wee do beleeue for such is the weaknes and vncertaintie of our owne Iudgment that wee neede nothing more then to haue an assured guid to coÌ„duct vs safelie in the high matters of divinitie which do farr surmount our naturall vnderstanding and capacitie Because as the Apostle discourseth divinelie faith is of hearing How shall wee then beleeue Rom. 10. without a preacher and how shall any man preach vnto vs without hee bee sent which is as much to say that without the helpe of some bodie sent from God to teach vs what wee haue to beleeue wee cannot beleeue aright wherfore it doth wonderfully much import vs to make right choice of this instructer for such as our guid and director is such is our faith If our guide bee blind wee following him shall blindly fall into the ditch with him If hee see cleare if he bee well aduised staid and certaine following him wee shall be assured to walke in the streight path For example The Turks beleeue in one God maker of heauen earth as wee do yet haue they not the true faith therof as wee haue because they haue not the same guid and instructer for that article that wee haue They be led to beleeue that by the credit which they giue to the ministers of Mahomet who out of his Alcaron teach them so to beleeue in God wee beleeue the same for that the Catholike church doth so teach vs in the first article of our Creed Ours is the act of true faith because wee are directed by the true church that cannot deceiue vs. The Turkes perswasion is no act of true faith for that hee taketh it on the credit of them that may deceiue him And do without doubt in manie other points deceiue him wherfore whether they do in this or no hee is vncertaine and consequently his persuasion being vncertaine hee cannot haue anie true faith which is certaine and without all peradventure In like manner the Iewes albeit they haue the old testament for their foundation yet being destitute of an vndoubtable directer and taking for their blind guides their Talmud and Rabbins are cleane voide of all true faith because their perswasion also relieth vpon them that may and do verie often misleade and beguile them For come to some other question of faith yea to the principall and ground of all the rest that is to beleeue Iesus Christ to bee the sonne of God and the true Messias and redeemer of the world The Turke not finding that in his Alcaron nor the Iew in the old testament according to the exposition of their Sinagogue do most blindly and obstinatlie refuse to beleeue it See then of what importance the direction of a true sincere guide is in all matters of faith wherfore it hath pleased the vnsearchable wisdome of our blessed Saviour to giue vnto all his faithfull servants for a most assured guide his best beloued spouse the Catholike church 1. Tim 3. the piller and ground of truth to whom hee being to depart out of this world bequeathed the holie Ghost to teach her all truth Ioh. 14.16 and that at all times vnto the worlds end I will aske my father and hee will giue you another Paraclete that hee may abide with you for euer Ioh. 16. when the Spirit of truth cometh hee shall teach you all truth Therfore it is great reason that wee should both acknowledge our blessed maisters carefull providence over vs in providing vs such a guide and also take our selues fast bound to obey the same holie church in all her declarations made to that purpose It is not then without exceeding great cause that all good Christians even from their infancy are taught to beleeue this that they neuer afterward faile therin And that they may the better remenber the same good lesson which doth so much import all men to learne perfectly they do from thence forth make dailie profession therof when they saie in their creed I beleeue the holie Catholike church That is I do not onlie beleeue that there is one holie Catholike church but I professe to beleeue what the same church doth teach mee to beleeue all and everie article of faith
acquaintance with the same whispering spirit with which they are so haunted that they haue almost hourely new illuminations and strange revelations See I pray you into what endles dissentions this doctrine of the spirit doth lead her folowers It being then most manifest that there is such variety and so great contradiction in the way of the private spirit everie man that hath a care of his salvation will I hope take heed therof and not suffer himself to bee abused therby Hee was inspired by the true spirit of God that gaue vs this faire warning 1. Iob. 4.1 My deerest beleeue not euerie spirit but prove the spirits if they hee of God because manie falâ—e prophets are gone into the world which deceiue many And Satan that trudgeth about so busily seeking whom hee maie deuoure finding so many readie to listen to the cursed councell of his wicked spirit transformeth himself often into an Angell of light that hee may the better beguile them that giue eare to such secret whisperings wherfore they that desire not to bee misled must follow Saint Iohns counsell try the spirits whether they bee of God or no. Ibidem If the priuate spirit do not agree with the publike spirit that conducteth the Catholike church in all trueth bee well assured that it is an erring spirit sent by Satan to deceiue you and to leade you into errour To recollect this point in briefe If no man may relie either vpon his owne learning or spirit not may safely trust anie priuate teacher or preacher then the protestants best meanes to obtaine salvation be very vncertaine and consequentlie they that wil bee assured never to erre in anie one article of faith must not relie vpon them but imbrace wholie and fully the doctrine of the Catholike Roman church and hold themselues close and fast thervnto Math. 16 That church is built vpon a rocke that alwaies hath and euer shall stand firme without flitting or tottering too and fro and Christ praied Luc. 22. for her governors faith that it should never faile Ioh. 16. The holie Ghost is alwaies with her to teach her all truth And in verie common sense when a controuersie riseth about any point in faith is it not much more probable that all the learned assembling together out of all coasts and countries of Christendome to conferre thervpon should boult out the truth of that question better then some few passionate and discontented men that oppose themselues against all the rest Thus verily stands the case betweene the Protestants and vs. for when Martin Luther Iohn Calvin and others discontented men and none of the best marke ranne out of our church and cried out that therein were manie errors taught and many foule abuses maintained a generall councell was called the best learned of all Christian countries were assembled to heare and determine those controuersies The ringleaders of the new Gospell were most courteously invited thither to shew what moved them to make that alteration but their consciences telling them that they were not able to iustifie their bad cause before so many learned men they durst not appeare in the councell wee then haue very great reason to follow the iudgment of the whole corps of Christendome but small probability haue the protestants to preferre the passionate opinions of a few malecontents flying from true triall before the calme and mature acts and definitions of all the rest that were ready to haue performed it God send them grace to see it in tyme least as they haue wilfully followed them in their errors so they bee not here after against their wills forced to folow them to eternall punishment I haue staid the longer to declare the commoditie and necessitie of submitting our vnderstaÌ„ding vnto the censure of the Catholike church because without that bee ioyned to Gods word to certifie vs both which is the word of God and what is the true sense and meaning thereof wee can haue no true faith at all for the declaration of the church is necessarilie required as a condition without which our faith cannot ordinarilie bee assured of that which it is to beleeue whervpon that great light of the world S. Austin was not ashamed to saie Evangelio non crederem August co Episâ— fundameÌ„tre 5. nisi me moveret Ecclâ—siae Catholicae authoritas I for my part would not beleeue the Gospell vnles the authoritie of the Catholike church did moue mee thervnto whence it is easie to gather that they who do not take their direction from the said church as all they do not who think euery Christian may be saued in his own religion haue no assurance in their faith and coÌ„sequently no true faith at all wherfore they cannot bee saued which I do thus confirme for the Apostle teacheth that Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo Hebr. 11.6 It is impossible to please God without faith which must needs bee vnderstood of the true faith because God is the God of truth and hateth all that is false but the true faith is but one onlie and of the same nature in all men which the said Apostle doth confirme when hee writeth that there is but one Lord one faith Ephes 4.5 one Baptisme but they that make account to bee saued in their owne religion bee not ordinarilie nor cannot bee all of one faith for one faith cannot teach vs to beleeue two coÌ„tradictory propositions to bee true by the same faith one may beleeue more and another lesse according to the measure of faith that it hath pleased God to bestow vpon them but one cannot beleeue cleane contrary to the other As for example That Saints are to bee praied vnto and that they are not to bee praied vnto That wee may praie for the dead and that wee may not praïe for the dead For one of those propositions must needs bee false wherfore they that beleeue men may bee saued in both these opinions haue no true faith at all because true faith cannot beleeue that which is false and one of these two must needs bee false This may bee yet further confirmed for that those men who thinke one may bee saued in any religion do want the aforesaid true and onlie meanes of vnitie and agreement in one faith for they rely not vpon the explication of the Catholike church which is the only way to hold all men in one faith no more then if they had neuer heard of that article of our Creede I beleeue the holâ—e Catholike church but take as it hath been before declared for their guides in matter of faith either their owne Iudgment skill or spirit or the advise of some of their friends which are much more like to leade them into a hundreth diverse opinions then to reduce them to vnity in faith and religion wherfore it is evident that the vniforme faith of the bodie of Christendome which alone is the true saving faith cannot dwell in one house with that
ouerlooke their shepheards pastures I speake not this to condemne the moderate exercise or pleasure that such wordly men may lawfullie take in their worldly busines and much lesse in reprehension of good husbandrie but I desire to leaue some impression in the harts of all Christians of tendring and attending with all the seruice of God and would gladlie perswade all sortes of men women and children that incomparably much more care diligence labor and study is to bee bestowed in procuring the saluation of their soules then in all other affaires whatsoeuer And that they are wonderfullie ouerseene exceedingly much to blame that make so small accompt to know their bounden dutie vnto the most glorious and blessed Trinity And because such men like not to bee troubled with much musing vpon long lessons I would counsell thē and all others to read often ouer ouer this one text of holy scripture to giue diligēt eare vnto it being indited by the holy ghost for our perpetuall profit Harkon O Israël thou shalt loue thy Lord God with all thy hart and with all thy soule Deut. 6.5 with all thy strength And these words which I cōmaūd thee this daie shal bee in thy heart and thou shalt teach thē to thy childrē thou shalt talke of thē whē thou sittest in thy house whē thou walkest by the waie and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp where is much more to the same effect If Almightie God required of euerie poore Israëlite a complete knowledg of his law and commaundements and a most carefull diligence both to obserue them himself and to teach them also to his children and family will hee require lesse of vs Christians whom hee hath called to greater perfection and to whom hee hath also made greater promises specially cōsidering that hee gaue vs his only begotten sōne our blessed Lord and saviour to bee our maister and instructor who refused no paines day nor night to walke vp and downe on foote in a rugged hillie countrie for thirty three yeares to teach vs those heauenly misteries and to make vs partakers of his inestimable graces what shame then shall they bee put to what punishment do they deserue that will not vouch fafe to harken after those heauenly lessons nor yet so much as receiue them willinglie of his seruants when they bee as it were put into their mouthes are they not sure to be with the slouthfull vnprofitable seruant cast into vtter darknes where shal be continuall lamētation weeping and gnashing of teeth This by the waie to awake those drowsy sleepers and to strike a due reuerent feare into the harts of such negligent and careles creatures that make so small reckening of learning their dutie vnto Almightie God Now I come to close vp my former principall question with some of the ancient fathers most learned doctors sentences who with full consent do teach that they shall not bee saued that do hold obstinately any one error in matter of faith Naie that everie good Christian ought rather to loose his life then suffer one word or sillable of his faith to bee blotted out peruerted or betrayed I will begin with that of S. Athanasius in his creede Athanasius creed because it is solēnely read in the church seruice as most sound and approued doctrine whosoeuer wil bee saued it is necessary that hee hold the catholike faith which vnles he do obserue wholie and inuiolably without doubt he shall perishe euerlastingly Greg. Naz. de fide S. Gregorie Nazianzen teacheth that nothing is more dangerous then those heretikes who holding all the rest soundly do in one word as it were with one drop of poison infect that true and approued faith of our Lord which the Apostles deliuered vnto vs. see how ane error in one word of faith Apud Theodoret lib 4. bist ecclesia ca. 17. doth poison all the rest S. Basil his best beloued and holy companion was of the same mind when hee said that they who bee skilfull in holy scriptures will not endure so much as one sillable of the diuine decrees to bee betraied but rather in defence therof if need bee will not refuse any kind of death Ambros de filij diuinitater 1. S. Ambrose consorts with them forewarning all Christians to stand vpon their gard most vigilantly and in no case to suffer such pestiferous and venemous errors to bee poured into their soules one drop wherof is sufficient to infect and poison the pure doctrine of Christ S. Hierom declareth Hieron co Ruffin Apolog. ◠vltra med that for one word or two that were contrary to faith many heretikes haue been accursed and cast out of the church S. Augustine more particularly fully then any of the rest August de here Hee that beleeueth anie one heresie that either hath been or shal bee deuised cannot bee a Catholike Christian Againe They that in the church do sauour of any thing that is attainted and ill if admonished to tast of that which is sound and right they do resist obstinatlie they become heretikes Idem de ciuit l. 18 c. 51. and going forth are to bee reckened for enemies thus much of the second question Now I come to that third part which I promised to touch in a word or two before I finished this chapter because it is not sufficient for a good Christian to beleeue all that is to bee beleeued and to haue a full resolute purpose to keepe all Gods cōmaundements vnles hee do also cary a willing mind to make open professiō of his faith whē time place do require it what soeuer losse of goods liberty or life hee is therby like to incurre I do not saie that euerie vertuous soule is bound to lay himself open at all times and to all sorts of men though hee may not at anie time deny anie article of faith or make profession of any false religiō but whē either the honour of God or the edification of our neighbor do exact the same at our hands then not to professe our faith openly is both shamefull before men and in the sight of God damnable The fundamentall reason hereof maie bee gathered out of this that as it hath pleased the soveraigne diuine maiesty to reueale many high misteries vnto vs seely mortall creatures to our exceeding great comfort and instruction so it is his blessed will and pleasure that the same bee divulged and proclaimed all the world ouer that all sorts of men maie if they looke well to it reape the manifold rich benefits that do ensue therof And contrariwise that they who will not giue care and credit thervnto and make the right vse of such a pretious and inestimable offer tendered vnto them from the Almightie maker of heauen and earth their most loving Lord and maister may for that their most sottish ingratitude be worthily for euer reiected and cast of whervpon it hath pleased our
increase both the wealth and strength of our kingdome is to receiue or admitt of the Roman religion which spayne France and Flanders the richest and noblest regions adioyning next to vs do follow and vphold The ministers rare deuotions vnto the Almighty for the preseruation of the noble Princes life and encrease of honours were vayne and friuolous yea God send they were not hurt full and ominous for of such like the holie Ghost faith Prouer. 28.9 Oratio eius erit execrabilis their praier shal be accursed God comonly punishing them whom Satans seruants praie for and manie times cursing them whom they do blesse And what maruell if wee consider but the strange disposition of his Charitie shall I say or rather of his furie that would haue his Prince bath his sword in the bloud of innocēts and to sheath it in the Bowells not of some hundreds or thousands of such as neuer offended him but of innumerable hundreds of thousands of what sort nation or coūtrie soeuer so they be fauorers and supporters of the Roman religion was it any marvell I saie that the father of mercies and God of all comfort was highlie displeased at the pittiles petition of this bloudy Minister or rather monster From his deuotious and charity sutable to his profession let vs passe vnto his hope expressed in this passage his hope was that Prince Henries highnes should haue a chief part in the suppressing of this Roman religion Maie he not now as once he told mee crie out with the no-vaine poet O spes fallaces o false and deceitfull hopes o vaine confidence in earthly creatures be they neuer so noble and powerfull good reason hath he to do so seing he would not harken vnto the diuine prophet when he said Psalm 145. v. 2. Nolite confidere in principibus in filijs hominum in quibus non est salus Doe not put your trust in princes nor in anie sonnes of mortall men in whom there is no helpe principally for the atchieuing of any such vngodly merciles exployte I come now to the new article of M. Abbots belief that the vtter ruine forfooth of the Roman religion is not far of of which peraduenture he may bee as well assured as euerie protestant is of his owne saluation But bicause this seemeth to be rather a kind of prophecy then anie article of faith why maie not M. Abbot who is not yet knowne to be either a prophet or the sōne of a prophet as wel faile in this his beliefe as he was deceined in his hope And it being the diuination but of a blear eied if not of a blind prophet proceding rather out of his owne lōging then of anie foresight he hath of future euents no man I trow is bound to beleeue him vnles he list Some likelihoods there bee I grant in worldly mens opinions that the Catholike religion may be rooted out of England but when we lift vp our harts to heauen and weigh well the true qualities and nature of Christian religion we see noe euident cause to feare any such imminent daunger nay wee discouer rather motiues to perswade vs to the contrarie to witt that our redemption and the restauration of Catholike religion in our country is neere at hand Not to answer M. Abbot who hath brought no one reason for his surmise but for the consolation of manie heauily distressed and most pitifully afflicted Catholikes my most deare and best beloued countrimen I will briefly examine the causes that may moue worldlings to imagin their fathers old faith to be now in great hazard of vtter ruin and destruction that I may withall shew some reasonable grounds of hope for the speedie reparation therof The first principall cause of the decay of the Catholike faith in our coūtrie earthlie mē esteeme to bee the impouerishing of all them that constantly professe and maintaine the same for seing all Catholikes whom they call Recusants to bee fleeced and spoiled of all their goodes and to haue nothing left for themselues their wiues and their children to liue vpon they presentlie iudge that they cannot long hold out And all men of meanes being once impouerished neither priests who by doctrine administration of Sacraments and good exāple of life are great proppes and staies of religion can be harboured and interteined nor poore prisoners succoured and relieued and cōsequently all Catholikes in short space must needs be vtterlie extinguished Behold the presumptuous discourse of dust and ashes who being not able to raise their thoughts aboue the flatt of the earth or ouer the heades of their cattle doe seldome meditate vpon those words of our blessed Sauiour pauperes Euangelizantur the Ghospell is preached to the poore poore men do more readilie embrace the glad tidings of the ghospell then the rich or vpon that golden sentence of the chosen vessell of his grace videte vocationem vestram fratres 1. Cor. 1. v. 26. c. see your vocation brethren that not many wise according to the flesh not manie mightie not many noble but the foolish things of the world hath God chosen that he may confound the wise and the weake things of the world hath God chosen that hee may cōfound the strong and the base thinges of the world and contemptible hath God chosen and those things which are not that he may destroy those tings that are that no flesh may glory in his sight Being then assured by the truth it self that poore base contemptible creatures in the eie of the world be such as Christ maketh speciall choise of to receiue imbrace and preach his word How can it be probable to amy christian that the stripping men out of their goods is an assured waie to make them to flie from their faith If poore fishermen and others that voluntariely forsooke all they had were esteemed by Christ Iesus the grand master of that heauenly worke the fittest men to make pillers and chiefe members of his holie faith and religion how grosly are they deceiued in the estate and manageing of heauenlie affaires who do dreame that to make all Catholikes poore is to extirpate the Catholike religion when as it is in deed a readie way to make most absolute perfect christians discharged of all earthly clogges more nimble proper and at better leasure to employ themplues wholy and hartily in that spirituall busines And therby also indearing themselues vnto Almightie God for whose quarrell they haue lost all do become more capable and worthie of his greater giftes and blessings who can tell whither our forefathers did not through abundance and superfluitie of temporall wealth forget their dutie to God and by the sinnes that followed thervpon made way to that dissolution of religion which after ensued in our miserable countrie for so it hapned often in Israëll as Moises foretold my beloued waxed grosse and Kicked Deut. 32. v. 15. hee was grosse and exceeding fatt hee forsooke God his Creator and turned away from
and to bee handled after another manner for I doe in one chapter ioyne Issue with M. Abbot therin and doubt not to make it good against anie protestant that the Catholike Roman faith is much more sutable even vnto the verie true text of tke Bible then the Protestants and that by conference of our doctrine word by word and sentence by sentence with the verie words and sentences of holy writt But to prove our faith to bee Catholike wee take another course and do demonstrate that the chief prelates and Doctors of the Catholike church who have florished in most Christian countries since the Apostles time have taught the verie same doctrine which wee teach and maintained the same faith and served God with the same Religion that we do which M. Abbot must performe for their faith and religion if hee will haue any wise men beleeue them to bee Catholiks even by his owne explication of the name Catholike in his answer to my Epistle and by his owne confession heere when hee faith that wee cannot find out the Catholike faith before wee have found out the Catholike church of which the faith is named Catholike Now no man can find out the Catholike church but by tracing out that companie of the faithfull who have peopled all Christian nations which M. Abbot not being able to do for the protestaÌ„tes faith doth returne the same questioÌ„ to mee and would haue mee to do the same for our doctrine and namely for that point of the popes power to depose Princes which as hee saies Cardinal Bellarmine doth hold to be one of the chief points of our faith Bell. Epistola ad Aâ—b apud â—ath Toâ—um and the verie foundation of Catholike religion Albeit M. Abbot would not at my request do that honor to his own religion and right to himself as to satisfie my iust demaund hee having before also vndertaken it yet I will not refuse at his instance to demonstrate that article of faith which Cardinall Bellarmin there mentioneth to have been beleeved taught and practised in most christian countries in the most florishing time of the Catholike church And that by the testimonie of the best renowmed fathers of the verie same age I will bring him in more authentik evidence for this issue then would be the hands and seales of the moderne churches of Grecia Armenia Ethiopia Russia and such like schismaticall and erring congregations which M. Abbot here demaundeth as the reader shall see in the next paragraffe or division where that question of the supremacy shal be treated of But honest sir why do you by the way so wound your credit in misalleadging that most learned Cardinals wordes doth he in the place by you quoted saie that the supremacly of the pope for the deposing of kings is one of the chief points of the Catholike faith will no warning serve the turne to make you cite your authors sincerely if this bee the shuffling wherin your best skill consisteth the reader in deed hath great need to looke well to your fingers Card. Bellarmine both there and elswhere doth teach that the popes supremacy is one of the principalle heads of our religion But hee doth not affirme there that the popes power to depose princes is any chief article of our faith though hee taught that to bee a most probable opinion and in some sort to appertaine to the supremacie as a dependant thervpon Now to that which followeth out of an other place of Card. Bellarmin hee you saie shall free vs from need to travell for this proofe to wit that our English faith hath been spred all the world over who saith that though one only province did retaine the true faith yet the same might properly bee called the Catholike church and therfore their faith the Catholike faith so long as it could bee cleerly shewed that the same is one and the same with that which at anie time was spred over the whole world whervpon M. Abbot infers that to prove their faith to bee the Catholike faith it wil bee sufficient to prove that is was that which once was spred over all the world Now with the proofe therof M. Bishop saith hee is chooked already Behold the babling of this vaine man first the Cardinall doth not ease him anie whitt at all from proving their faith to have been spred over all the world but only saith vpon supposition Si sola vna provincia retineret veram fidem if one onlie province kept the true faith that then it might bee called Catholike yet so that it could bee cleerlie shewed to haue been spred in times past over all the world where you see that hee requires of necessitie that it must bee cleerly shewed that the same faith which wil bee accounted Catholike hath been before at lest spredd over all the world so that M. Abbot is as farr to seeke as hee was before and that hee must needes come to this stake how vnwilling soever hee bee and either shew that their faith hath been receiued all Christendome over or els confesse that it cannot bee called Catholike Come of then gentle Sir flie not from the point seek not to hide your head in a corner but performe that peece of service bravely and then hardlie talke of chooking M. Bishop but to avouch that M. Bishop is chooked already long before anie proof thereof be brought with onlie hearing you to speake of it is too too childish and full of doting vanitie I found fault with M. Abbot for shuffling and flitting from the faith and religion of the Romanes vnto the particular persons that inhabit the cittie of Rome bicause their faith maie bee Catholike and spredd over all the world albeit their persons bee confined within the bounds of one countrie or cittie hee answereth that hee hath shuffled amisse for vs for that hee hath shuffled vs from bâ—ing Catholikes and the Roman church from being the Catholike church which is not to the purpose And how true it is shal bee tried in the next chapter In the meane season it must needs bee taken for a foule fault in arguing to change the tearmes and to flitt from one thing to another and for the faith of the Romans to take the persons that inhabit Rome there being no lesse difference betweene the person of a man and his faith then there is between a fox and a fearnebrake finally M. Abbot saieth that his shuffling will yeeld vs but a bad game if I cut not wisely And if wee haue no better Cards saieth hee wee shall sâ—rely leâ—se all well gentle sir seing you confesse your selfe to bee such a cunning shuffler and giue mee so faire warning of it before hand I wil take the paine to shuffle your Cards after you or els will cutt them in such sort that your skill in packing shall stand you in litle steed If there bee no remedy but that you will needs haue about with the church of Rome bee it by
church vpon him when he said to him Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church these wordes would haue marred M. Abbots market therefore he did wisely to ouerskip them now that which followeth may serve rather to confirme our opinion then make anie whit for theirs for thus it may bee vnderstood Saint Peter for that his confession of faith received power and vertue from Christ to confirme others in the faith thereby to establish them to life And so by that confession of faith made by Saint Peter the faithfull are established to life Againe Saint Ambrose who elswhere often and in that verie place teacheth S. Peter to bee that rocke vpon which the church was built might make a secondarie good morall construction of those wordes teaching every man to believe as Saint Peter did and to make the like confession of their faith that they might be setled in the right way to life everlasting which moralization of Christs words doth not crosse but suppose the true litterall sence to bee as before you haue heard out of Saint Ambrose with the vniforme consent of other fathers To that which followeth in the same Author these words of the Apostle in him all the building is coopled together c. are the sense and meaning of that which our lord said vpon this rocke I will build my church I answer there is a cunning tricke vsed in cutting of the Apostles wordes in the middest with an c and making that to be the exposition of the first part of the sentence which Sainct Ambrose makes the interpretation of the last as may appeare vnto him that will see the place for his reason is fideles enim sunt superficies templi dei c. for the faithfull of holy conversation bee the walls or over parts of that temple of God which suteth well with the latter end of Saint Pauls sentence which is in whom you also are built togither into an habitation of God in the holy Ghost in brief S. Ambrose meaning in that place is no other then that the Apostle vsed the same Metaphore of building which our Saviour did when he said Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church Of which spirituall building the faithfull are the over partes the Apostles the foundations amoÌ„g whom S. Peter is the rocke and Christ the head corner stone that closeth all togeather and beareth vp both peoples aswell those that went afore as those that came after his incarnation M. Abbots fourth obiection Epla Iuuenalis â—t Epist pal in Apendice Concil Cholced the whole number of the Bishops of Palaestina in the councell of Chalcedon vnderstood Christs words so vpon this confession the church of God is confirmed and strengthened ANSWERE THat whole number I find to bee but two or three and they not in the councell neither nor during the time of that councell but after they came home from the councel and their meaning is plaine for vs. They having been att the councell of Chalcedon and there heard and saw how Discorus patriarch of Alexandria was for his heresie and obstinacie censured and condemned by the sentence of Leo the great Bishop of Rome did certifie all them that were vnder their charge that the church of God was confirmed and strengthned by the confession and declaration of the Bishop of Rome S. Peters successor and how in him was verified that sentence of our Saviour vpon this rocke I will build my church and that other also Thou being conuerted confirme and strengthen thy brethren which is all as direct for vs as can bee besides what other pregnant proofe there is in that generall councell for S. Peters supremacy and that the Bishop of Rome is his successor in the same supreme authoritie shal bee heerafter declared more at large Out of these former arguments M. Abbot maketh this inference that by the exposition of the ancient fathers it maie appeare that Christ eueÌ„ the true faith of Christ for Christ is nothing to vâ— but by faith is the true rocke whervpon the church is builded to which S. Iohn accordeth This is the victorie that over cometh the world even our faith for who is hee that overcometh the world but hee that believeth that Iesus is the sonne of God what is this good Sir to the preseÌ„t purpose of the popes supremacie though faith in some good sense may bee called a rocke bicause it is the foundation and ground worke of all other Christian vertues yet how doth it follow therof that S. Peter is not that rocke vpon which it pleased Christ to build his church what because ther is an order in the frame of a vertuous life must it needes ther vpon ensue that there is no order in the government of Christs Church is not this a very strange inference For the clearer explication of this doubt â—â—t this distinction bee observed the building of Christs church as it is like to a kingdome differeth much from the building of a spirituall temple vnto the holie Ghost in our soules to the first kind of building beloÌ„g subiects and magistrates Bishops Archbishops and so forth the highest wherof vnder Christ was S. Peter To the other inward building concurre all such divine graces and qualities that serue for the reformation of our soule as faith hope Charitie humilitie and such like among which vertues faith in Christ Iesus is at it were the fundamentall stone to the argument then this is the answere that albeit faith in Christ be as it were the rocke and foundation of all Christian vertues yet that is no let but that in the order of Christian magistrates S. Peter may be the rock and haue the chief commaunding power giuen to him and to his successors the Bishops of Rome purity of faith boldnes of confession fervour of Charitie rare gifts of God bestowed on S. Peter were the principall dispositions in him to that other high dignitie and authoritie but the authoritie it self of government was not bestowed on those vertues but vpon the person of Saint Peter though in regard of the same divine qualities After these arguments M. Abbot inferreth that if Christ bee the rocke properly and truly Saint Peter cannot bee the rocke but accidently and vnproperly in respect of his doctrine and example of saith vttered in his confession As Abraham is the rocke from whâ—nce wee are hewed so is Peter the rock wheron wee are built not that either of them conferreth any thing to vs but only for that they staÌ„d before vs for patterns of imitation I answer that he should rather haue made this inference bicause Christ is the rocke of the Church most properly therfore S. Peter is the rocke therof also properly both for that Christ made him the rocke who maketh all things well and properly and also because the properties of a rocke do fitlie agree to S. Peter that is to bee constant and firme in the faith to strengthen and vphold
Nunnes kings princes and Lords with all the world and all the deuils must approue this article that faith alone without any worke doth iustifie before god and they shall haue over and aboue the fire of hell on their heads and no thanks for their labour This is Martin Luthers inspiration by the holie spirit the true and holy Gospell behold the superlatiue pride of this pelting Apostate he and his spirit are to be preferd before all the world How scornfully and contumeliously he esteemed of kings and Emperors and how contemptuously they were to be dealt withall in his iudgement any man that will read his answere vnto king Henry the eight may see I say saith hee openly without a vizard that this Harry king of England doth plainly lie and with his lies resembleth rather a most light scoffer then a king c. this for a tast of his vnciuill and spitefull demeanor towards Monarches conformable to his doctrine of kings deliuered in these tearmes A wise king is a rare bird and more rare yet is an honest king they are cmmonlie the greatest fooles and the most wicked knaues on the earth wherfore the worst that can be is to be expected at their haÌ„ds litlâ— good specially in matters that beloÌ„g to god for they are gods Catchpoles and hangmen Luther de potesta te secui ad Ioh duâ—em saâ—o Our god is a great Lord and therfore will haue noble illustrious and rich catchpoles and hangmen It is gods pleasure that we should call his hangmen our clement Lords c. This and a tumbrell more of like scurrility may be raked out of that rude renegats writings against the Maiesty of kings and Emperors with more contempt scorne and contumely out of him alone than out of all Catholike authors that haue writen this five hundred yeres sett togither so that none may bee compared to Protestants if they wil be sibbe to their sire for abusing kings and Emperors and for exalting themselues aboue them But let vs leaue Luthers pride and descend to the particulars of Donats presumption and see how it may bee applied to the pope Donate would not acknowledge a Carthagini se principatum â—enere credidit donatus the Emperors Soveraigne temporall power Optatus l. 3. co Parm. but out of his owne pride sought to withstand even the Emperors pious gifts of holy vestments to the church and of almes to the poore charging his party not to receiue any such gifts from the Emperors officers what like to this is there to bee found in any pope They acknowledg themselues to haue receiued of the Emperors courtesies most of all their b Miserat Imperator ornamenta domibus dei mâ—serat eleemosinam pauperibus dâ—natus literu praemisit ne id quod allatum â—ueraâ— pauperibus dâ—spensaretâ—â— temporalties and never yet was any one of them found that did not acknowledg the Emperor to bee supreme governor of his Empire in all temporall affaires although there haue been among them that thought Emperors might for some enormious faults deserue to be punished even by depriuation from that dignity Ibidem Donatus tooke himself to good to c Dat donatus solus secreto nescio quid agebat pray in company with others The pope daily not only praieth with others but also humbly confesseth his sins to others Donatus tooke himself to bee better then all other bishops yea did scarse vouch safe to bee called a Bishop d Raro est appellatus episcopus sed donatus cartha ginis The popes albeit higher in dignity then other Bishops yet in true humility esteeme themselues farr inferior to many of the common people The popes may iustly terrifie men with gods Iudgments and indignation if they presume to transgresse Gods or their superiors comaundements For god hath promised to blesse them whom his priests principally such as be in authoritie do blesse to hold theÌ„ for accursed whoÌ„ they do deseruedly accurse Mary so to deliuer the matter as though the popes were coÌ„mauÌ„ders ouer Gods sentences is as malicious as that which M. Abbot ioyneth with it is slanderous to wit that the popes take vpon them to dispence against the law of God and to disamill the institution of Christ But vntil M. Abbot do bring in some better proofe heerof then his owne bare words these points may bee scored vp in the rew of his former slanderous vntruthes And I would gladly know how M. Abbot can proue that the pope doth suffer himself to bee called by the name of God right worthily I warrant you and like himself a gloser forsooth vpon the Canon law neither speaking to the pope nor writing to him but in a by-treatise saith Our Lord God the pope Marke I pray you how haÌ„dsomly this hangeth togither One and he parhaps none of the wisest writeth such a thing in the latter end of a long glosse that many a pope neuer saw and some perhaps neuer heard of how then can that bee in any reasonable construction imputed to all popes It stands saies M. Abbot vncorrected in a glosse of his canon law in the edition of Paris printed 1601 with the priuiledg of Gregory the thirteene He should haue added thervnto who died fifteene yeeres before the date therof for Gregory the 13. died the tenth of Aprill 1585. Let that passe as a light ouersight this that foloweth is worse for if it stand still in that edition vncorrected why is not that the fault of the corrector rather then the popes who be not at leasure theÌ„selues to survey ouer newe impressions But what if that word God be not to bee found at all in those copies of the canon law which are in the popes library as some right honest men who haue caused diligent search to bee made in the vaticane copies haue related and certifyed then no marvell though the popes did never correct that which never was to bee found in the true originals Sure I am that I my self haue seen three severall copies printed at Paris one of Anno 1517. another of 1536. the third of 1550 or therabout that had not that word God in them So that all M. Abbots great outcry so often repeated hangs vpon the ouersight of a poore corrector or at most depends vpon a diuerse reading which euery wiseman knowes to be a very sandy and weake foundation And who is ignorant that the word God may be attributed vnto creatures Exod. 7.1 though in a farre different sense Doth not God himself say to Moises I haue made thee the God of Pharao Our blessed Saviour out of that text of the old Testament Psal 81 6 Ioh. 10.35 I sayd you are gods doth proue that many others beside God may bee called Gods namelie princes and chiefe governors either ecclesiasticall or temporall hauing for this the testimony of God himself I need add none other Now to Donatus that so behaued himself in some things as if hee
fault as meriteth the losse therof much more the church of Rome being the most honorable congregation of Christendome ought to hold her due estimation and credit and enioy all her priviledges vntill it bee lawfully proved that it hath iustlie deserved to bee deprived of them for in dubijs mel or est conditio possidentis In all doubtfull causes shee that is and hath been fifteen hundreth yeres in possession is to keepe it still I grant that when S. Austin either defended the honour of the church of Rome or magnified the society and communion with it did thervnto ioyne some other church But the mention of them not being to our present purpose what reason had I to recite that which was needlesse when as every man knowes that aswell as then so now whosoever shall recōcile himself to the church of Rome hee shall therby reenter into communion with all other Catholike churches throughout the whole world And wheras M. Abbot would haue his credulous reader suppose that S. Austin made no more reckoning of the church of Rome then hee did of any others That is flat contrary to that which S. Austin setteth downe in the very same place who to prevent that Cavill doth enterlace this Parenthesis in the honour of the church of Rome where alwaies florished the primacie of the Apostolicall chaire And in his Epistle 165. being to giue an instāce of the perpetuall successiō of pastors in the church maketh choice of the church of Rome as of the better assured and more safe and sound there doth intimate that the Bishops of Rome though they might liue amisse yet should never faile to instruct aright all that seeke vnto them for resolutions of their doubts in matter of faith wherfore M. Abbot if hee will giue credit vnto that most holy and learned Doctor whom aswell protestants as wee do esteeme for one of the soundest recorders of antiquity hee must needs yeeld vnto the church of Rome both that it is the principall of all the rest and that it shall for ever continue the most assured Oracle of the holy Catholike faith which if hee refuse to do hee leaueth apparent proofe vnto all the world that hee had rather with the Donatists raile at her and revile her then with S. Augustine and other holy prelats extoll and magnify the primacy of that Apostolicall chaire and defend the ever durable succession of her pastors as wel in truth of doctrine as in order of persons of which I haue more largly spoken in the 2. Section of the first chapter n. 29. VVHETHER EVERY CHRISTIAN MAIE BEE Saued in his owne religion albeit therein bee some errors in matter of faith BECAVSE M. Abbot in the precedent chapter granteth that the Roman church and the church of our forefathers in England were true members of the Catholike church and consequently in the state of Salvation albeit hee esteemeth them infected with sundrie grosse Errors And for that I otherwise know that verie many remarkable persons in our countrie do greatlie desire to heare this question more exactly discussed I thought it more convenient to let the ensuing chapters of M. Abbors trifling booke to rest for a season and presently to fall in hand with this matter which is no lesse longed after then it is necessarie to bee knowen For the more particular explication of this weightie difficulty whether everie one maie bee saued in his owne religion or no I leaving a full treatise therof vnto them that haue better leisure thinke good to touch these three points I. First whether hee that beleeueth aright in the one living and eternall God and liueth honestly may bee saued without expresse beliefe in Iesus Christ our Saviour II. Secondly whether beleeving aright both in God almightie Creator of heaven and earth and in Iesus Christ our redeemer with all other fundamentall points of the Christian religion hee may bee saued that doth therewith beleeve amisse in some other articles of the Christian faith III. Thirdly I will adde a word or two about the publike profession of the same Christian faith because besides an honest life and a true belief that also is necessary to salvation I tooke it not amisse to handle briefly the first point although there bee few Christians that make any doubt of it because I my self haue heard some good soules verie vertuously given but not sufficiently instructed to bee of opinion that it made no great matter what religion they professed so they feared God and led an honest life amōg their neighbors Their opinion seemed to issue out of Good nature and a great loue of honest life and vpright dealing which they saw to bee wonderfully decaied and almost perished in our miserable coūtrie The best reason that I can frame in favour of their error is this Almightie God is most mercifull full of goodnes and compassion towards all his owne creatures hee knowes our inbred ignorance and weaknes and therfore is not likely to bee highly offended against them that do their endevour to serue him accordīg to their knowledge and capacitie how slender soeuer it be Now manie there bee in the wide world brought vp among Turkes infidells that never heard of or at the least never had sufficiently declared vnto them that Iesus Christ is the Saviour of the world wherfore it seemes that such may bee saued without faith in him And among vs Christians some bee so dull of capacitie and blockish or haue been so extreame ignorantly or evilly brought vp that they haue not been well taught to beleeve in the Saviour of the world Christ Iesus may not their grosse ignorance beg their pardon att our most mercifull Lord his hands Besides S. Paul declaring what is necessarie for him to beleeve that will approach vnto God seemeth to require but two things The one that hee beleeue that God is the other that hee is a rewarder of all them that seeke vnto him Hebr. 11.6 Hee that cometh to God must beleeve that hee is and is a rewarder to them that seeke him But wee maie well beleeue that God is to wit a spirit of infinite goodnes wisdome power the Creator conserver and soveraigne ruler of heaven and earth and of all things in them also that as hee hath created all things of his inestimable goodnes and preserveth and governeth all with incomprehensible wisdome and equitie So hee will in the end as high Iudge of the quicke the dead call all reasonable creatures to an account of their dutifull behauiour towards their so good and high maker preserver ruler and out of his immense bountie most aboundantlie reward all them that haue in this life sought vnto him and diligentlie serued him And on thother side severely punish them that haue neglected their dutie towards him and transgressed his holie commaundements All this I say and much mor◠one maie beleeue without the knowledg of Christ therfore it seemes possible that some men maie obtaine saluation
Apollinarists did not swarue from the Catholiks in any other point of faith except that they maintained our saviour Christ to haue had no soule of man but that his Godhead did supplie the place of the soule Eutiches and his fellowes agreeing in the rest auouched the flesh of Christ to bee turned into the divine nature All these did professe to beleeue in Christ and to hold all the articles of the Creede So did the MacedoniaÌ„s that imagined the holy Ghost to be lesse then the sonne And the latter Grecians also that deny the same holie Ghost to proceed aswell from the sonne as from the father The Pelagians did not denie Christ or anie article of the Creed no more did the Novatians nor the Donatists at lest as they vnderstood the creed For albeit the Nouatians denied priests to haue power to forgiue some certen of the most grieuous sort of sins as the Protestants do now denie them to haue power to forgive any at all yet they denied no more then the protestants do that article of the creed I beleeue remission of sinnes For they beleeued that God could at all times forgiue all sort of sinnes though they denied priests to haue power to remit some of the most enormious So the Donatists though they taught the church to haue been decayed all the world ouer saving in Africa yet did they professe to beleeue the Catholike church But they expounded it to bee Catholike not for that it was spred ouer all but for that it reteyned all the seven sacraments or for that it professed to keepe all Gods commaundements as you haue heard before Out of these examples I frame this argument If it were sufficient to saluation to beleeue in God our Creator and in Iesus Christ our Redeemer withall other articles set downe expresly in the Apostles Creed Then were the Arrians Macedonians Pelagians and all those other aboue rehearsed heretiks notwithstanding their obstinate cleaving to their condemned heresies in the state of saluation because they refused not to beleeve any of the foresaid points But to hold that anie of the aboue named heretikes dying in their said heresies died in the state of saluation is to gainsay and reproue all pure antiquity it is to condemne the holy prelats and most learned Doctors of the primitiue church of want of learning want of Iudgment and want of charity who cast those erring men as heretikes out of their churches condemned them to the pit of hell as the profest enemies of Christ and the Devils champions Besids the best informed Christians of those times chose rather to suffer all kind of torments then to professe any one point of their condemned opinions which had been great folly if with the profession of them they might holding the other fundamentall points haue enioyed Christ his fauour and been inheritors of the kingdome of heauen Moreouer what necessity had there been for the most learned and renowmed ancient prelats to haue taken such paines either in writing so many learned volumes or in disputing or preaching against those heretikes if they might haue been all saued euery one in his owne religion Might not also the huge charges and exceeding great paines of assembling of generall councels haue been well spared if those men for whose right information they were called might haue obtâ—ined saluation though they had been let alone in their owne errours It must needs therfore bee graunted that the best Clerks and holiest personages in the purest times of Antiquity thought it enough to damnation to deny anie one article of the Catholike faith Matth. 7.15 after it was in anie generall councell declared for such Doth not our blessed Saviour when hee stileth heretikes by the name of false prophets and resembleth them to rauening wolues that devoure Christian soules cleerlie demonstrate that they haue no part in his good grace and favour but bee in his sight odious and hatefull creatures Againe when hee doth in another place compare theÌ„ to theeues and robbers Ioan. 10.1 that do breake into his fold of their owne authority and take vpon them to bee his ministers when hee sent them not scattering killing his flocke Doth hee not I say plainly intimate them to bee guiltie of death and eternall Damnation Tit. 3 11. S. Paul chargeth vs to auoide the companie of an hereticall man knowing that such bee subuerted do sinne and bee even by their owne iudgment condemned And elswhere amoÌ„g the workes of the flesh rangeth heresies sects diuisions forewarninge vs expresly that whosoeuer doth committ anie of them shall never enter into the kingdome of heauen what hope then can there bee of their saluation wherfore heretiks being by our Saviour likened vnto wolues Gallat 5.15 theeues and robbers and by his Apostles declared damnable creatures vncapable to enter into the kingdome of heauen who were also in all ancient councels held for accursed can any bodie bee either so ill aduised or so foolish hardie as to perswade them that there is any hope of saluation for them vnles they forsake their errors in season But because worldlings neuer waÌ„t false prophets to lay pillowes vnder their elbowes to vphold them in their errors some such may heere step forth and in their excuse saie for theÌ„ that seing they beleeue in Christ hold all the articles of the Apostles Creede though they erre in other points they caÌ„not bee heretiks therfore whatsoeuer is said against heretikes doth not touch theÌ„ that be not of that nuÌ„ber This excuse will not serue the turne for as I haue before shewed neither Arrians NestoriaÌ„s PelagiaÌ„s nor any other most notorious heretikes did plainly denie either Christ to bee Saviour of the world nor anie other expresse point of any article of the creed neuerthelesse they were by the true verdict of the ancient Catholike church denounced and declared for heretikes In a word if to beleeue in Christ and to hold the rest of the Apostles Creede were sufficient to preserue any Christian from the Canker of heresie then hee that would denie both the old and new Testament to bee Canonicall scriptures and the true word of God might bee no heretike because the Canon of holy scripture is not expressed in the creed So hee that would ouerthrow the whole Hierarchie of the church and send all the sacraments into banishment might escape the brand of heresie because of those points there is no particular mention in the said Creed wherfore it is most certaine that men may bee most wicked and damnable heretikes albeit they professe to beleeue in Christ and do not deny anie one substantiall point expressed in the Apostles Creed if they shall wilfully defend any other erronious doctrine contrary vnto the truth reuealed by God and so declared vnto vs by the pastors and doctors of the Catholike church For witnes wherof I will now cite only two leaving the rest for the vpshot of this question Aug l. q. in Math. q. 11.
the one shal bee the great Doctor of the church S. Augustin who as I haue once before shewed doth teach in formall tearmes that person to bee no member of the Catholike church who doth beleeue obstinatly anie falshood in matter of faith knowing it to bee such And the second shal bee Martin Luther whom albeit wee take for an Apostate Augustine frier yet the protestants esteeme him as a great man of God Hee for want of one article of beliefe condemneth all the Sacramentaries to the pitt of hell these bee his words It shall nothing profit the Sacramentaries to speake of spirituall eating nor to beleeue in the father the sonne Luther lib. quod verba Christi Stent and the holy Ghost so long as with blasphemous mouth they denie this article of faith which Christ hath proposed to vs by his owne holy mouth This is my bodie that shal bee giuen for you Behold no saluation to be possible if you deny but that one article of faith Among manie other causes why such misbeleeuers are esteemed worthy of so grievous punishments there bee two principall the first is that they will not beleeue God himself revealing his diuine misteries vnto vs The second because they will not giue credit to the church proposing vnto them the same truth All Divines hold that there is no matter of faith which is not reuealed vnto vs by God himself whether the same veritie had need to bee put downe in writing as the protestantes seeme to require or that it sufficeth to bee deliuered by word of mouth as we hold is a question betweene vs But wee all consent that what soeuer is propounded vnto vs to bee beleeued must needs bee first reuealed by God whence it followeth evidentlie that hee who denieth to beleeue any one article of faith is conuinced not to beleeue God himselfe in that point for hee it is principally that tendreth it vnto vs to bee beleeued wherfore he that refuseth to beleeue it is forced to this exigent that hee must needes confesse himself to bee perswaded either that God teacheth not the truth alwaies or els that wee are not bound to beleeue him in all things either of which is most irreligious and a very blasphemous crime For as S. Iames disputeth Hee that hath kept the whole law besides and doth offend but in one point therof is made guiltie of the whole Euen so hee that beleeueth God in all other articles yet in some one refuseth to beleeue him is made guiltie of the whole That is as S. Iames expoundeth it offendeth against the Maiesty and veritie of the law giuer not reputing him worthy of credit in all matters what soeuer But to thinke God not worthie to bee credited in anie one word or title that shall proceed out of his diuine mouth is in truth to make him no God at all For hee is no God that either will or can bee vntrue of his word Here the poore Christian trembling at this consequeÌ„ce will crye out that hee doth beleeue God in all things and God forbid that hee should once imagine him not worthy to bee credited in whatsoeuer it shall please his diuine maiesty to reueale But hee will say that hee knowes not that God hath reuealed this vnto him or at least is not well assured that he would haue him to beleeue it This I grant is the lesser faut of the two yet not in any sort tollerable For if it hath pleased his diuine bounty to reueale vnto vs for his owne honor and our instructioÌ„ such heauenly verities and misteries how can hee take it well at our hands that wee either will not vouchsafe to take notice of them or which is worse will not beleeue them to bee true They that will not beleeue are in the holie scriptures worthely called rebells because they band themselues against Gods truth according to that of Iob Rebelles fuerunt Lumini Iob. 24. v 13. they were rebells against the Light and therfore as Rebels and traitors must looke to bee punished The others that will not take the paines to learne according vnto the small measure of their capacity all such matters as appertaine to their owne estate calling must needs acknowledg their extreme vndutifull carelesnes in the highest matter that can bee and that which doth also most concerne them to wit in the onely necessary busines of their owne euerlasting either saluation or damnation And withall confesse that they are vnworthy to bee knowne of God their Soueraigne Lord and maker at the latter daie for that they neglected to know their dutie towards him whiles they liued here on earth Of them the Apostle hâ—th alreadie pronounced this sentence 1. Cor. 14 38 If any man know not to wit the things belonging to his dutie towards God hee shall not bee knowne of God but shal bee shut out of the gate of heauen And if they stand knocking there thinking to get in by their ouerlate importunity they shal bee answered as the foolish virgins were Math. 25 12. with a Nesciovos I know you not the force of this discourse in brief is whosoeuer refuseth to beleeue God in any one article by him reuealed shall not be saued but they that think to be saued in any religion refuse to beleeue some articles of faith reuealed by God ergo they caÌ„not be saued The secoÌ„d cause why wilfull refusers to beleeue any one arttcle of faith do incurre that heauie iudgment is for that they do offer great wrong vnto the true church of God his deerly beloued spouse and our spirituall mistresse and mother It is agreed on by men of all sides that the holie Catholike church is the temple of the holie Ghost the mysticall bodie of Christ and the piller fortresse of truth wherfore to offer her that affront and disgrace as not to giue credit to her testimony speaking specially vnto vs in the behalf of Christ 2. Cor. 5.20 pro Christo legatione fungimur for Christ wee are legates and in the name of the holy Ghost visum spiritui sancto nobis It hath seemed good to the holie Ghost and vs it not onlie to contemne her Actor 15. but to despise Iesus Christ also that hath ordained her to bee our instructer and directer to set naught by the holie ghost that speaketh vnto vs by her wee caÌ„not bee ignoraÌ„t what our Saviour hath said of the governors principall rulers of the church you shal bee witnesses to mee in IerusaleÌ„ in all Iury Samaria Act 1.8 vnto the vttermost coasts of the earth If Christ hath made choice of theÌ„ as of substaÌ„tiall honest meÌ„ sit to bee his witnesses do not wee offer him a great indignity if wee refuse to beleeue them namelie when wee know him to haue said of them Luc. 10.16 Hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee and hee that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee Yea
libertie of beleeuing what they like Moreouer all men seeke after the true Catholike church that they maie find out the true doctrine of the Christian faith and enioy the right vse and administration of the holie Sacraments This is so cleere and agreable vnto the Protestants markes of the true church that it cannot bee denied but if in the same church there may be errors maintained in matters of faith and the Sacraments maie bee corruptlie administred men should in vaine take so great paines to find out the true church and obey it because in the way of that opinion it is needles to salvation to bee free from error in faith or to haue the Sacraments sincerelie administred for one may bee saued say they in that religion where there bee errors in faith defended and the Sacraments vnpurelie handled This argument maie bee thus enlarged and inforced They that with the true beleefe of the fundamentall points of faith do mingle some errors in other articles for those their errors to what Maister do they belong Not to God who is the Author only of truth and light and in whom as Saint Iohn witnesseth there is no darknes Deus lux est 1. Ioh. 1.5 tenebrae in eo non sunt vllae He must needs therfore bee one of the devils retayners Ioh. 8.44 who is father of all liars and maister of them that do imbrace errors to say that hee is Gods for the truth which hee holds will not availe for God will not part stakes with the Devill but either hee will haue vs wholie his to wit if wee will loue him with all our harts and wholy beleeue in him or els he will wholy reiect vs if wee thinke to haue any other maister with him or beleeue in any other contrary to him God is so Soveraigne and Iealous a Lord that hee will not dwell in the same house with Dagon 1. Reâ— â—â— either wee must cast out Dagon or hee will cast vs of wee must not halt as the zealous prophet Elias warneth vs Betweene God and Baal but either wholie follow God 3. Reg 18 22. or els assure our selues that hee will wholy reiect vs. For as the Apostle argueth what societie is there betweene light and darknes â— Cor. 6 1â— what agreement betweene Christ and Belial none at all For our Saviour himself hath defined Math. 12 3â— Hee that is not with mee is against mee Luke warme fellowes that bee part of the one and part of the other hee will vomit out of his mouth as raw and vndigested humors that his stomacke cannot abide Because saith he thou art Lukewarme Apocal. 3.16 and neither hote nor cold I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth The foundation of this is drawne out of this maxime of morall philosophie and divinity recorded by S. Dennis the Areopagite c 4. diuinâ— 1. 2. 18 4. and seconded by S. Thomas of Aquine Bonum ex integra causa Malum ex quolibet defectu This is the difference betweene good and evill that to make a thing good there must concurre all things requisite both for substance and necessary circumstance but if one thing requisite bee wanting it maketh the whole action evill One bad hearbe marreth a whole pot of pottage and one spoonefull of gall a butt of Maulmesey even so if there bee one known error in matter of faith it corrupteth the whole substance of faith as if there raigne one sinnfull vice in a man it destroieth the whole frame of vertue and doth absolutely make him vicious and casteth him cleane out of Gods favour so long as hee continueth therin according to this sentence of the kingly prophet Odisti omnes qui operantur iniquitatem Psal 5. pordes omnes qui loquuntur mendacium Thou O god hatest all and euerie one without exception that worke iniquity and wilt destroy all them that speake lies mark attentiuely how our soueraigne lord doth hate and will destroy as all them that worke wickedly so all them that defend lyes which all they doe who vphold any falshood in matter of faith against Gods truth finally this positioÌ„ that euery Christian may bee saued in his owne religion is very pernitious and damnable were it for nothing els then for the manifold mischieuous sequeles therof for it cannot but breed in men a wretched carlesnes of what religion they be of which draweth after it a nuÌ„ber of sins and is the verie roote of Atheisme For if a man maie bee saued in any religion it maketh no matter of what religion hee bee wherof it will ensue that most men following the bad inclination of our corrupt nature will prefer before all other the worste loosest religioÌ„ that may be because that hath most ease libertie and carnall pleasure in it which wicked persuasion hauing once seised the hart farewell all painfull endevour to performe vertuous actions and welcome slouth case and fleshly libertie which cannot but in short space engender a lothsomnes and contempt of all religion and paue a faire broad high way vnto Atheisme wherefore this opinion is vtterlie misliked euen of many of the more discreet and better minded Protestants And in verie truth if wee would but lift vp our minds a little towards heauen and consider attentiuely either the infinite maiestie of Almightie God or his inestimable bounty towards vs how can a Christian let any such sinnefull thought sinke into our hart as though wee need not greatlie care how wee serue God whether wee beleeue in him fully yea or no O very evill aduised and base minded creature yea vnworthie the name of any of Gods Creatures that sets so little by so soueraigne a Lord and Creator Haue wee not at his bountifull hands receiued freely our soules and bodies our health wealth or whatsoeuer els in this world wee either haue or bee And is there any hope without his fauour and grace to attaine eternall blisse and all that our hart can desire in the kingdome of heauen yet so vnkind and vngratefull vnto such a diuine benefactor bee too too many so dull and senseles in matter of their own eternall either weale or woe that they seeme to stand at habberdupoise whether they should serue God or no or at most they wil bee sure not to ouershoote themselues in his seruice but to hold backe and afford him as litle as possible may bee Bee not these animales homines earthly minded men degenerated from the noble condition of reasonable creatures and made like vnto pecora campi cattle of the field who perswade themselues that it doth not belong to men of their calling to conuerse with spirituall persons or to spend much time in reading of spirituall bookes and learning their dutie to the Almightie but leaving those melancholy meditations to monkes do esteeme men of their quality rather borne and bred some to keepe dogs and to follow hawkes and hounds others to grase beasts and to
Math 25 21. well fare thy hart good and faithfull seruant because thou hast been faithfull to mee in tyme of triall temptatioÌ„ I will be as faithfull to keepe promise with thee in this day of iust retribution Thou was put to shame and confusion before men thou shalt now haue honour and glory in the presence of Angels thou was content for my sake to leese the good countenance of thy Prince but therby thou hast purchased the favour of my father king of heauen Earth they for thy noble confessioÌ„ haue thrust thee out of thy lands and liuings enter therfore into possession of the most Ample rich and glorious kingdome of heauen supra multa te constituam I will place thee ouer manie things and giue the a recompence that shall a hundreth fold surmoÌ„t thy losses for the short and light paines that thou didst then suffer for mee receiue from this time forth for evermore no lesse then the very self same ioy though not in the same degree of thy said Souereigne Lord and Maister Intra in gaudium domini tui Enter into the ioye of thy Lord. which are so great so delitious so pretious and perpetuall that neither eye hath seen nor care heard nor hart of man is able to conceiue whâ—t good Christian had not leifer to incurr the danger of an open confession of his faith here on earth then to forgoe so high and inestimable a recompence therof here after specially if he lay ther vnto the other part of our Saviours sentence Math. 10.33 Luc 9.20 He that shall denie mee before men I will deny him before my father which is in heauen Or as S. Luke relateth He that shal be ashamed of mee or of my words him the sonne of man shal be ashamed of when he shall come in his maiesty Observe that it is all one to be ashamed of Christs word that is of his faith and religion as to be ashamed of his owne person and that he who shall not for feare of the world make open confession of them in time and place Christ at the last daie when he comes to iudg the quicke and the dead wil be ashamed of that person that is look heauely vpon him reiect him and condemne him for euer and euer This is so evident and playne out of Christs owne mouth that it requireth not anie confirmation or testimony of man And if need were I could shew that it was in the primitiue church holden for an accursed heresie and condemned in the name of the Helcesaites to thinke it lawfull for them that in hart beleeue in Christ to deny him with their mouthes when they stand in danger of losing their goods therfore See Eusebius in the 31. chapter of the 6. booke of his Ecclesiasticall history To close vp this chapter euerie good Christian must take for most assured that it is not sufficient to saluation to beleeue in Christ and to hold the fundamentall points onlie of our Christian Religion but rest perswaded that the wilfull refusall of beleeuing any one Article of faith declared by the Catholike church to bee such and to vs well notified wil be at the last daie euidence enough to cast anie Christian otherwise manie of the old reproued heretikes were in the state of saluation and very vniustlie by the most holie and learned Prelates of Gods church excommunicated and condemned which once to imagine cannot be but great impietie And if anie subiect how great and noble so euer he be for one fact of treason or felonie doth iustly deserue death by the censure of all lawmakers and a man making the law of Moises frustrate Hebr. 10.28 without anie mercie died as the Apostle witnesseth how much more worthie is he to die the death that shal be convinced not to beleeue the fountaine of all truth Almighty God himself in some thing not to giue perfect credit to his chosen messengers and infallible witnesses and to disobey them whom he hath appointed to be our spirituall pastors and gouernors And when our blessed Saviour who loued the eternall saluation of our soules so deerelie that to make a full purchase therof for vs was content to giue his most pretious bloud when he I say to whoÌ„ we are so exceedingly much beholding and bound hath out of his incomprehensible wisdome prouided the best and most assured meanes that may be to hold all Christians in vnitie of faith and religion by tying them to beleeue and obey his one holie Catholike church those libertines will not hold themselues to his assigned ordinance but out of their owne presumption beleeue whom and what they list and so by litle and litle grow at lenght to beleeue nothing at all wherfore to auoid all these most dangerous inconveniences and to escape Gods iust indignation let vs submit our vnderstanding wholie vnto his diuine reuelations and be most vigilant and carefull to learne out what his blessed will and pleasure is that we should beleeue and be as forward and readie to beleeue it without anie resistance or staggering for the soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth is a iealous God and will not part stakes with anie or be serued to the halues His high and inviolable decree is that we both loue him with all our heart and also beleeue in him fully and wholie yea ouer and besides when we be called to it he will haue vs not be abashed to coÌ„fesse his holie name but to stand valiantlie to the publike profession of his sacred faith and religion whatsoeuer it cost vs. and then will he without all doubt in time most conuenient call vs to the possession of his heaueÌ„ly and euerlasting kingdome to liue for euer and euer in all ioy honour and glorie with his most holie Angels and all blessed Saints To which most hâ—ppy resting place Almighty God of his infinite mercy through the inestimable merits of our most glorious Redeemer bring vs all in the end AMEN I desire thee courteous reader to beare with the faultes in printing which be very many through the composers ignorance in our language the grosser are to be amended thus For page read wo 10. who Pselues 31. themsel Ther est 64. the rest wr 69. warning wr ibid writ boo 70. book desirer 75. desire wn 76. own thee 77. the. Gods ir 76. good sir 851. 78. 85. donasti 88. donatist chook 92. choking construct 118. consumat de 119. fide 51. 123. 1. hom 1. ibid. 9. disco 132. dioscorus And 138. to be put out mise 144. 155. ipse cap 99. 158. 9. flock 164. flock Alhi ibid. Alchimist tost and 172. to stand courto 171. court lest 172. lost ditous 173. ditious others 180 other dipro ibid. dispr boh ibid. both these ibid. the. Innocentin 16. tius iustly 189. iustly nous ibid. house or 214. of ane ony 226. any one no 250. yea yea ibid. no. by th 241. both popes the 273. the popes both in 284. in both in 287. l. 2. to be put out ferneut ibid. feruent suto 288. into biet his ibid. bie this word 300. world seetes 301. sectes haue 307. hanc qui 328. to be put out qua ibid. quae do 336. doth do 342. do not church a 350. a church wholy 367. whot ofo 308. of dat 320. orat cem 225. catum ibidem in his successors tobe put out