Augustine Sancti Apostoli certam regulam fidei tradiderunt quam secundum numerum Apostolorum c. The holy Apostles did deliuer a certaine rule of faith which rule being comprehended in twelue sentences according to the number of the 12. Apostles was called by them by a Greeke word and borrowed metaphor Symbolum a Symbole or collation of many thinges togeather And their intention as is before intimated was that by this Symbole signe and summe of Christian faith and doctrine Catholicae fidei veritas ab haereticae prauitatis falsitate discernatur as Vincentius Lyrinensis speaketh of his goulden rule of faith deliuered vnto him from all his ancestors that the truth of Catholicke faith and verity might be discerned from the falshood of hereticall prauity This haue our ancestors left vs by tradition And for the first in stitution of it it was in this sort as the history of Antiquity the very life of memory hath by writing registred and commended it vnto vs. 5. After the glorious visible Ascension of our Sauiour from the lowest pitch and vale of the earths misery into the highest toppe of heauen and bosome of his Fathers eternity this being terminus ad queÌ„ aswell as it was terminus à quo in that great motion of heauen Christs Incarnation and mans Redemption the place whither he ascended as it was the place whence he descended according to that Exiui à Patre veni in mundum relinquo mundum vado ad Patrem I say after this Ascension descension of the holy Ghost in the visible shapes of fiery tongues vpon the Apostles in abling them and qualifying them with the tongues of nations for the conuerting of nations then the Apostles being ready to separate themselues and to depart into all parts of the earth to preach the Ghospell for the conuersion of the whole world they did compose and lay down a perfect platforme of their future preaching and others belieuing by deuising a certaine squared rule and Canon of fayth and that not so much for their owne direction being so assisted with the inward inspiration of the spirit that they could not possibly erre in their doctrine though their teaching was euer to be conforme vnto these heades as for the Christian Churches instruction and premunitioÌ„ that by hauing recourse vnto these general heads of fayth commeÌ„ded vnto them by the true Apostles they might more easily discerne and auoyd the hereticall doctrine of all false disciples VVherefore the Apostles being assembled togeather and met as it were the second time in Councell being ech of them seuerally replenished with the holy Ghost and all of them ioyntly directed by the selfe same neuer-erring spirit who was both now and euer in such assemblies as these to sit as President in the Church I say being thus prepared euery one proposed as he belieued and all being put togeather in the vpshot did make the shot or symbole of a breife yet entire methodicall summe of Christian doctrine including all points of faith either to be preached afterwardes by the Apostles or to be belieued by their disciples And this summe did the Apostles theÌ„selues appoint to be deliuered by tradition or from hand to hand vnto euery one that belieued ad directionem ad distinctionem both for a direction vnto that which they were to preach and others were to belieue as also to discerne and put a difference betwixt all faithfull Christians and misbelieuing Infidels 6. Thus S. Augustine whose sense I haue kept though I haue somewhat dilated vpon his wordes relateth the matter which before him had beene recorded by Ruffinus in the Exposition of this Creed so that S. Augustine borroweth not only sense but the selfe same words also for the most part are taken from Ruffinus And further the said Ruffinus doth adde another signification of the word Symbole besides a collation or contribution of many things vnto one saying that it signifieth also a signe or badge wherby one sort of souldiers are distinguished from others And in this acception also of the word it consorteth well to our present purpose that by this briefe summe of Doctrine as by a badge or cognisance true Catholicke Christian men may be distinguished heere from Infidels and Hereticks since after death there is such an externall distinction and separation to be made And for this purpose at the beginning this Creed serued but afterwards charity the loue of God and Christian piety decaying and the malice of men exceedingly multiplying vpon the earth this breife and playne summe would not serue the turne against infernall and hereticall subtility for that as S. Augustine before hath well obserued sundry sortes of Hereticks presumed to shrewd their heresies vnder the articles of this Creed peruerting also the meaning and misunderstanding aswell the wordes thereof as the sense so as in fine the bare and outward profession of belieuing this Creed became at last to be no certaine argument of prouing a man to be a true Christian Catholicke except other due conuincing circumstances concurred as we haue before shewed of the Canonicall Scriptures themselues 7. Furthermore the Fathers and Doctors of the Church do ioyntly affirme and expresly S. Augustine in the place before cyted that albeit the wordes be few and briefe of this Creed yet are they so substantiall punctuall and materiall as that they containe the full and entyre summe of whatsoeuer is to be belieued by vs his wordes be these Quicquid praefiguratum est in Patriarchis quicquid denunciatum in Scripturis quicquid praedictum in Prophetis de Deo ingeniâ—o vel ex Deo in Deum nato c. Whatsoeuer was prefigured in the Patriarkes whatsoeuer was denounced in the Scriptures whatsoeuer was foretold in the Prophets eyther of God the Father vnbegotten or of God the Sonne begotten or God the holy Ghost or of receyuing any Sacrament or of the death of our Lord or of the mystery of his Resurrection all this is briefly contayned in this Creed so that the obseruation hence deduced must needs be this that albeit in the bare wordes of the Creed many thinges belonging to fayth are not literall and syllabically expressed yet were they implyed comprehended and intended by the Apostles and namely and particularly about the admitting of Sacraments of their nature number necessity efficacy manner of administration and the like as S. Augustine doth here expound which yet in the wordes are not expressed but were locked vp with in the sacred breast and closet of the Church as in the safest treasury there to be expounded dilated amplified more largely and particulerly vnto the faithfull as eyther the Churches necessity requiring or hereticall pertinacy and importunity oppugning should at any time or occasion require which exposition of the Church as the soundest Commentary vpon the Creed he that in all humility of iudgment and opinion submitteth not him selfe to belieue obay cannot be truly said to belieue this Creed notwithstanding
he should protest confesse openly ten thousand times that he admitteth all the words and euery syllable therof 8. It is also to be considered that it is most worthy of a Christian man his obseruation especially if he hath eyther care or make any conscience to preserue himselfe sound in the faith and therby to saue his soule that albeit the ancient Fathers do with vniforme verdict affirme that these articles of the Apostolicall Creed were set downe by the holy Apostles replenished and directed with no small measure of the holy Ghost as now hath bene obserued I will not stand to discusse at this present whether euery seuerall article of the twelue which it conteyneth were set dowue by seuerall Apostles though diuers graue and ancient Fathers do affirme it yet were these articles neuer held for Canonicall Scripture no nor yet are they at this day eyther by Catholicke or Protestant And if any man reply that they are consonant vnto Scriptures and may be thence deduced I deny not that only I say this is nothing to argue that authority that they haue obteyned in the Church since that all other writings of orthodox men are both consonant vnto Scriptures and to be deduced from them and yet they are not held in that esteeme as the Creed but my consequence that hereupon I inferre is this that something must be graunted of necessity besides Canonicall Scriptures to haue bene necessarily belieued in the Christian Catholicke Church and that by tradition only without any other foundaation and that from the very beginning of Christian Religion 9. This appeareth by the former words of S. Augustine that this Creed came down along through the Cēturies of the Church by tradition and Ruffinus saith in his exposition of this Creed Idcirco haec nonscripta funt chartulis atque membranis c. therfore did the Apostles deliuer these thinges not written in paper and parchment but to be retayned in mens hartes to the end it might be certaine that no man should by reading haue the same for that writinges are accustomed to come also into the handes of Infidels aswell as Christians but that it should be sufficient to haue learned the same from the tradition of the Apostles And this is the reason that Ruffinus giueth of the tradition of the Creed 10. The very same hath S. Hierome his wordes are cleare In Symbolo fidei spei nostrae saith he non scribitur in chartis atramento sed in tabulis cordis carnalibus c. In the Creed that conteineth our fayth and hope which being deliuered by tradition from the Apostles is not written in paper and inke but in the fleshly tables of our harts c. And all this doth euidently conuince vnto the iudgement of any vnderstanding man that these articles of the Apostolick Creed were deliuered by word of mouth vnto Christians and the Church was put in trust with them to teach them vnto her children before that any Scripture of the new Testament was committed to writing and that many thinges of great moment about the mysteries of Christian Religion were left to be vnderstood and expounded therin and that according to the wisedome learning and iudgment of the whole Catholick Church especially concerning Sacraments which are not expressed And this is the cause why S. Augustine and other Fathers before him do often reiterate and frequently vse that impsoving kynd of speach Norum fideles the faithful do know what belongeth vnto these matters which purposely they did not reueale vnto the eares of new Christians least infidels might take any aduantage thereby to the disaduantage of the Church So as my conclusion of this must of necessity hould correspondence with that former conclusion touching the argument of Scriptures to wit whosoeuer he be that neuer so opēly plainly professeth that he doth accept admit and belieue this Creed of the Apostles but refuseth the vnderstanding thereof expounded by the Church and deliuered in her sense he belieueth it not at all to saluation neither shall it auaile him any more to admit the words and not receiue the sense then if at once and altogeather he reiected both wordes and sense 11. And here may some demaund But where now shall we be sure to find this exposition of the Church esspecially in these distracted times of schisme whē so many seuerall Sects plead for the Church crying out according to Christ his Propheticall prediction Here is Christ and there is Christ heere is the Church there is the pure Chospell here is the word truly preached there are the Sacraments sincerely administred c To this I answere we shal easily come by this orthodox exposition of the Creed if we haue recourse vnto the publike doctrine of the Church deliuered from age to age euen vntill our time throughout euery Century of the Church and this Church is euer visible vnlesse it be vnto such as are blind as S. Augustine hath already obserued 12. S. Ambrose in his tyme remitted vs vnto the Church of Rome the supreme Pastor whereof was then Siricius for our direction herein Credatur Symbolum Apostolorum saith he quod Ecclesia Rom ana intemeratum semper custodit seruat Let faith be giuen to the Apostles Creed which the Roman Church hath euer kept and preserued inuiolated yet was this vpon the very point of 400. yeares after Christ his Ascension So as in that tyme and in this great Saint and Doctors iudgement the Roman Church was then the best and surest direction to know the true contents and meaning of this Apostolicke Creed and consequently if our English ministry who at their Ordination do subscribe vnto this Creed would follow also the same direction for the true vnderstanding and sense thereof all matters would quickly be reconciled controuersies accorded but in default of this and for that pride and selfe will hath so be witched the minds of many that they cannot in humility stoop downe their priuate censures vnto the publike iudgement of the Church it commeth to passe that this great discord and difference that now is raygneth betwixt Catholicks Protestants and amongst Protestants themselues concerning the exposition thereof And this shall appeare in part in the next ensuing Consideration of this Chapter But yet before we enter into the other Consideration we shall speake a word or two of the other Creedes mentioned here by his Maiesty 13. The other Creedes then are the Nieene concluded as S. Ambrose noteth with the suffrages of 318. renowned Fathers alluding to the iust number of Abrahams souldiers when he rescued Lot and of S. Athanasius And these were written vpon occasion of heresies afterwards arising and impugning some fundamentall poynt consequently were but explications of the former as his Maiesty doth learnedly and excellently obserue and therefore these do principally depend theron This is euident if we reflect a litle vpon the principall subiect of the 2.
DVTIFVLL AND RESPECTIVE CONSIDERATIONS VPON FOVRE SEVERALL HEADS OF PROOFE AND TRIALL IN MATTERS OF RELIGION PROPOSED By the High and Mighty Prince IAMES King of Great Britayne France and Ireland c. in his late Booke of Premonition to all Christian Princes for clearing his Royall Person from the imputation of Heresy By a late Minister and Preacher in England August lib. contrae Iudaeos Pagan Arian cap. 20. You must know deare brethren that true faith sincere peace perpetuall saluation is only by the Catholicke faith for it is not in a corner but euery where all If any man depart from it and deliuer himselfe vp to the errors of Heretickes he shall be iudged and condemned as a fugitiue bond-man Permissu Superiorum M. DC IX THE FOVRE HEADS OF IVST TRIALL mentioned by his Maiesty of England as touching his owne Person 1. THE reuerencing and belieuing of the Canonicall Scriptures as they ought to be and so also the not Canonicall 2. THE admitting of the first three Creeds of the Apostles of the Nicen Councell of S. Athanasius 3. THE acknowledging accepting the first foure generall Councels of Christendome to wit of Nice of Constantinople of Ephesus of Chalcedon 4. THE crediting of the Fathers of the first fiue hundred yeares after Christ eyther iointly or seuerally in points of moderne controuersies Euery head is handled by diuers Considerations as by the sequent Catalogue of Chapters will appeare THE GENERALL CONTENTS OF THIS BOOKE THE Epistle to his Maiesty declaring the motiues which the Author had to write this Treatise THE FIRST CHAPTER Conteining an entrance into this Treatise or Triall how much it importeth to be a Catholicke and no Hereticke And with how great reason his Maiesty endeuoureth to cleare him selfe and his Royall Person from the imputation of heresie FIVE CONSIDERATIONS 1 About the wordes Catholicke and Hereticke and that they can neuer agree in one 2 Of the dreadfull misery of being an Hereticke 3 How a man may certainely and without errour discerne what is Catholicke and what is Hereticall 4 How out of the premisses euery man may iudge in what state he standeth for being Hereticke or Catholicke 5 The Conclusion of all this whole Chapter to his Maiesty THE SECOND CHAPTER THat treateth the first head touched by his Maiesty for tryall of a Christian Catholicke which is the belieuing of holy Scriptures FOVRE CONSIDERATIONS 1 The belieuing of Scripture not sufficient to make a mā a Catholick 2 That Scriptures were not writtē for many yeares after the Church began 3 How to know what is truly Scripture 4 How the true sense of Scripture may be tryed THE THIRD CHAPTER COncerning the secōd point or generall head professed by his Maiesty cōcerning his belieuing of the three Creeds receiued by the Church THREE CONSIDERATIONS 1 How the first three Creeds and why they were ordayned and how greatly they are to be reuerenced 2 That the Ministers of England belieue not wholy entirely the faith of the three Creeds 3 In what particuler articles of the Creeds English Protestants do not agree with vs. THE FOVRTH CHAPTER COncerning the approbation allowance of the first soure generall Councels which is the third generall head of triall offered proposed by his Excellent Maiesty of England THREE CONSIDERATIONS 1 VVhy and how these foure first Councels were gathered and how thereby it is conuinced that the Church cannot erre 2 VVhy the Protestants do not nor can remedy their diuisions by any Generall or Nationall Councell 3 Particuler points of differences between these first foure Generall Councels and the Protestants of our time for doctrine manners THE FIFTH CHAPTER COncerning the admittance acceptance of the anciēt Fathers of the first fiue hundred years after Christ which is the fourth last head of triall offered alledged by his Maiesty of England THREE CONSIDERATIONS 1 The different esteeme that Catholicks Protestāts do make of ancient Fathers when they agree in one 2 How Catholicks Protestants do esteeme of the testimonies of particuler Fathers 3 That the Fathers of euery age for the first fiue hundred yeares did make for Catholicks against Protestants in matters now in controuersy THE SIXT CHAPTER COnteyning a briefe contemplation of what hitherto hath byn said with a Conclusion of the whole to his most Excellent Maiesty TO THE HIGH AND PVISSANT PRINCE MY DREAD LORD AND SOVERAIGNE IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD of Great Britayne France Ireland KING c. AFTER I had bent my selfe vnto a serious Suruey and diligent perusall of your Maiesties new Booke bearing the inscription of a Preface or Premonition to all Christian Princes diuers were the apprehensions and impressions it made in the different faculties of my soule Reuoluing therefore and reflecting vpon the premises by a second reuiew I resolued and in fine concluded being now as it were wonderfully affected partly with sollace partly with sollicitude 2. My solace was to consider yea sensibly as it were before the eyes of my soule in the impartiall glasse of my recollectedst vnderstanding and most retyred iudgment to behould so many rare Princely talents of nature literature and other highly esteemed partes in your Maiesty which as they are seldome found in such potent Princes so residing habitually in your Royall breast as in their proper and peculiar subiect they cannot but minister iust matter of meruailous ioy content and comfort vnto all your leige people your loyall and louing subiects especially since they are accompanied and attended yea adorned nay beautifyed with the irradiant lustre of that burning fire of zeale I meane an extraordinary feruour in matters of your Religion Now if these so rare parts of nature literature and zeale wherwith your Noble Person is habitually inuested shall be directed by the singer of God his holy spirit the high hand of heauen vnto the sole-sacred and soule-sauing knowledge of Catholicke Religion which I verily hope in time to see and shall incessantly pray for they will exceedingly aduance his glory and gaine vnto your Maiesty an immarcessible neuer-fading Crowne of eternity 3. My spirit also reioyced within me my hart exulted for ioy my perplexed thoughts retyred reposed themselues in hope whē I tooke but a iust view of that commendable carefull diligence that pious and religious industrie vsed by your Maiesty in vindieating your noble Person from the least imputation of herefy and in remouing the very suspition of such a contagious and soule quessing leprosy since that this loud-crying synne loud-crying in the eares of heauen is the greatest crime that can be committed against God or his Church separating betwixt God and man grace and the soule dissoluing the mysteriall vnion and sacramentall communion betwixt the head the members Christ his spouse reiecting God for Father denying the Church for mother taking away the very name of a Christian as ancient Tertullian speaketh depriuing our expectation of all hope and
dore of the Church the one of them must of necessity serue the other so impossible it is that two so contrary the one to the other should stand togeather such is the implacable hostility and extreme opposition betwixt them 7. When Abraham the Father of the faithfull for so the Scriptures style him perceaued that a breach might happily fall out betwixt him and his nephew Lot vpon a dissention already begunne betwixt their heards-men he calleth vnto him consulteth the case treateth and intreateth with him and to perswade him to vnitie vseth this motiue of all the most perswasiue Let there be no dissention betwixt me and thee betwixt my heards-men and thy heards-men for we are brethren c. But it fareth not thus betwixt the Catholicke and the Hereticke no vnion can be made no communion had no condition of peace to be treated and offered betwixt them And if you will haue the reason of this they are no brethren nay which is more they cannot be brethren for the Catholicke in his spirituall birth hath God for his father and the Church for his mother wheras the Hereticke hath an Hethite to his father and an Amonite to his mother that is Sathan is his father and Schisme is his mother he is a stranger to the couenant and a meere alien to the houshould of faith And therefore as Ichu first answered Iehoram his messengers demaunding of peace Quid vobis est paci what haue you to do with peace get you behind me follow me c. And secondly vnto Iehoram himself when he came in person to meet him and demanded Is it peace Iehu what peace whilest the fornications of thy mother Iezabel and her witch-crafts are yet in such aboundance so what peace can the Catholicke make with the Hereticke whilest his heresy worse then the sinne of witchcraft and his spirituall fornications in worshipping of false gods that is intertaining false opinions in religion and dissonant from Catholicke faith continue a terrible caueat to all temporizers that will make a linsey-wolsey of all Religion reconciling Catholicke Religion with Protestants heresy which is as possible as to vnite things most contrary and deadly iarring To these I can giue no other counsaile then such as Elias gaue to the worshippers of Baal when his fiery zeale would admit no diuision betwixt Idolatrous superstition and Gods most pure and vndefiled Religion How long will you halt betwixt two opinions if Baal be God follow him but if God be God follow him c. The application is if hereticall innouation be God his true worship follow it but if Catholicke tradition be the only true and soule-sauing religion then vnder eternall paine hazard of your soules resolue halt no longer betwixt the two God will either haue all or none he careth not for a hart and a hart a deuided hart and the Church will receiue none within her bosome nor help to saue any with her Sacraments but such as are her true-borne children constantly professing her piety abandoning all kind of schisme heresy and securely resting only and truely within her bosome 8. And although I do not affirme that all Catholickes shall be saued for that euill life and matter of fact may condemne as well as bad beliefe and matter of faith yet am I most certaine and I dare pronounce it that all heretickes so liuing and so dying shall be damned agreeing with that so often times reiterated by S. Cyprian Numquam perueniet ad praemia Christi qui relinquit Ecclesiam Christi alienus est profanus est hostis est He shall neuer aspire to heauenly glory that forsaketh the Churches verity and falleth away from Christ by Apostasie he is a forreyner he is profane he is an enemy And as all perished without the Arke and were certainely corporally drowned so assuredly all without the Arke of the Church shall eternally be damned since the Scriptures teach vs that this Arke was a liuely type of the Church And as an Hereticke and a Catholicke can neuer be ioyned togeather in heauen so can neuer the Catholicke and Hereticke Catholicke Religion and heresie in any one point be conioyned vpon earth this is the vniforme and vnanime to vse his Maiesties word consent of all orthodoxe pious and religious Deuines 9. The reason of all the foresaid opposition betwixt a right-beleeuing Catholicke and a misbelieuing Hereticke is this the Catholicke knoweth nay belieueth it as the ground-worke of his faith that Christ our Sauiour hauing left the world in respect of his visible presence continueth inuisible by the immediate assistance of his holy spirit with his Church which is Domus Dei Porta Caeli the house of God and the Gate of Heauen as Iacob spake of the place of his vision Columna firmamentum veritatis the piller and foundation of truth Vnto this Church our Sauiour reuealeth all his secrets that concerne her saluation maketh her of his priuy Counsaile gouerneth her visibly first by his owne person secondly by his Apostles directeth her inuisibly by his immediate spirit the holy Ghost and so continueth her vnder visible gouernment and inuisible direction vnto the worlds generall consummation leading her into all truth such was his promise made vnto her and here is the performance And the reason that the Church is thus neare and deare vnto Christ is this Corpus est shee is his body according to that of S. Augustine Totum quod annunciatur de Christo caput corpus est Caput est filius Dei viui vnigenitus Corpus Ecclesia c. All that can be said and auerred of Christ is his head and his body The head is the onely begotten Sonne of God the body is his Church bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh for Christ hath two bodyes the one natum ex virgine and therefore naturall the other redemptum sanguine and therefore mysticall and the later was more deare vnto him then the former for he wholy bestowed his naturall body to redeeme his mysticall body 10. The Catholicke then knowing this correspondency betwixt Christ and his Church belieueth all wholy and without eyther choice or additiō of his owne which the said Church vniuersally spread ouer the world doth propose vnto him as matter of faith to be belieued conteyning himselfe within that most sure and infallible prescription of Tertullian Nobis verò nihil ex nostro arbitrio licet inducere sed nec eligere quod aliquis de arbitrio suo induxerit It is not lawfull for vs to innouate at our pleasure nor yet may I make choyce of that which another man vpon priuate fancy hath added But as for the Hereticke non sic ille non sic it goeth not so with him for being an Hereticke that is a chooser he according to his name and nature because he will not haue his name for nought maketh choice of what he listeth to belieue
sense requireth the stay of a sure interpretation and this is only that which can make a man a true Catholicke Christian. 50. S. Augustine amongst those manifould cōflicts which he had with the Manichees concerning the Catholicke Church her authority openly and ingenuously professed vnto the said Manichees that he would not haue belieued the Ghospell if the authority of the Catholicke Church did not moue him therunto Whence I do obserue that if we receiue the Ghospell vpon the credit of the Church for that the Ghospell would not be belieued to be the Ghospell vnlesse the authority of the Church did tell vs that it were the Ghospell then followeth it necessarily for the argument is drawne à maiore ad minus that much more should we depend and rely vpon the Church and take from her the true sense meaning and exposition of the Ghospell from whom we haue belieued and receaued that it is the Ghospell and therefore saith the same Father to his friend Honoratns Multò facilius mihi persuaderem Christo non esse credendum quà m de illo quidquam nisi ab his per quos credidissem esse credendum I should much more easily perswade my selfe that we ought not to beleeue in Christ at all then that any thing were to be learned cōcerning him of any man but only of those whom I was taught to belieue in Christ. Can any thing be spoken more effectually for the Authority of the Church since this is the sole cause of his belieuing the Ghospell This is the onely motiue of his imbracing the faith of Christ 51. But now whether Protestants do follow this trade and way of true Catholicisme in their sensing and vnderstanding of Scriptures that is not hard to discouer For when wee come to particuler controuersies and to ioyne issue togeather and that they and their aduersaries do alleage Scriptures and expound the same then doth it appeare as cleare as the sunne who followeth a priuate interpretation and who adhereth to the true Catholicke Churches exposition For the Roman Catholicke first desyring to find out the truth and then willing to imbrace nothing but the truth reflecteth vpon the former interpretation of ancient Church when the present controuersy was not yet in hand and consequently when the exposition cannot be so much as in any semblable reason suspected to be wrested or wrongly interpreted by men of those ages who neither feared nor fauoured any party but must needes be according to the common meaning and sense of the Church in those ancient tymes and this interpretation which the Protestants also in some of their better humours do admit for good the Catholicke followeth vpon this as vpon the rock of God his word truly sensed by the Church he stayeth himselfe buildeth his religion 52. Now the Protestāt being guilty in his conscience and knowing well that antiquity detesteth and hath already anathematized his heresy he by all meanes possible by vociferatiōs and exclamations seeketh to extenuate the authority of this Church much like to the theefe or malefactor who arested by the law to abyde the triall of the same beginneth to raile exclaime against his lawfull ludge and iurours and then in his imagination he deuiseth certaine Chymera's and Idea's of his Church in former times in the ayre of his owne braine which lineally saith he but God knoweth how for he knoweth not descended vnto Luther and Caluin c. And from these people partly and partly from himselfe frameth the Protestant his exposition of Scripture and vpon this foundation buildeeh he all his religion of his owne deuice 53. And albeit all Fathers do not allwaies agree in one and the selfe same sense and exposition of Scripture for that there may be be diuers senses of one the selfe same place of Scripture as before you haue heard at large yet doth the holy Ghost so rune and strike vpon the stringes the tonges and pens I meane of these ancient Wortnies of the Church that all the variety that euer I could find yet amongst them sounded forth a heauenly harmony and neither iarred not yet was dissonant from Scripturs verity or faiths Analogy so farre is the Churches vnity from all contrariety And verily this diuersity of antiquity in the execution of Scriptures without all repugnancy or any contrariety was no small motiue vnto me to imbrace the present Roman Catholicke Religion which all so I found in them for I could not but conclude that as one spirit breathing out these Scriptures intended all these senses so the same spirit guided all And therefore no meruaile that neither the ages wherin such Fathers liued nor any succeeding Century of the Church reprehended their expositions For the wisedome of the spirit euer continued in the Church and thereby they know that such variety breeded no contrariety whilst one Father sensed the Scripture literally another Allegorically and another mystically or Anagogically but yet all to a pious sense and with no obstinate proteruity or animosity against that which the Church did hould or determine for truest 54. And now to come vnto some particuler exposition or Scripture by the Fathers let vs instance in the age of S. Augustine for the Protestants are wont to graunt that the true Church florished in his time and his Maiesty also condescendeth to extend the triall of Controuersies to his time and somwhat further The same Father writing of this Church we haue formerly mentioned proued the same first to be visible and obuious vnto euery mans eyes against the assertion of the Protestants inuisibility of the Church and this he confirmeth out of the wordes of our Sauiour registred by the Euangelist Matth. 5. A Citty vpō a hill cannot be hidden that is to say the Church cannot be inuisible which is many times repeated by the same Father to this effect As also forth of those wordes of the Psalmist Psal. 18. In sole posuit tabernaculum suum he put his tabernacle in the sunne that is he placed his Church in the sight of the world to be seene of all men 55. In like manner the same Father applyeth and expoundeth those wordes of Christ Matth. 5 about the Candle placed on the Candlestick to signify the visibility of the Catholicke Church crying out against them Qui contra lucernam in candelabro positamoculos claudant who willfully shut their eyes against the candle placed on the candlestick Qui tammagnam montem non vident who cannot see so great a hill as the Church is And lastly for conclusion of all he giueth his censure of them in these wordes Quid amplius sum dicturus qùam caecos esse What shall I say more of them but that they are blnd Thus did S. Augustine interpret and apply these Scriptures and many more to this purpose as you shall read throughout his whole Tract de Vnitate Ecclesiae contra Petilianum andels where 56. And the same S. Augustine to
Creedes for do not they both expound and vnfould that high and obstruse mystery of the Godhead of Christ his identity and equality of substance power and glory with God his Father witnesse those wordes added and vsed in the Councell of Nice about 310. yeares after Christ Deum de Deo Lumen de Lumine Deum verum de Deo vero genitum non factum consubstantialem Patri God of God Light of Light very God of very God begotten not made being consubstantiall to the Father c. Witnesse S. Athanasius his Creed that was made by him in Rome for Confession of his fayth some 15. yeares after that againe wherein there is found that exact manner of speach distinguishing the persons of the Blessed Trinity Qualis Pater talis Filius talis Spiritus Sanctus Such as the Father is such is the Sonne and such is the holy Ghost and then he setteth downe more particulerly the distinctiue appellations and peculiar proprieties belonging vnto euery person as the Father vnbegotten the Sonne begotten of the Father the holy Ghost proceeding asmuch as if in plaine tearmes he had said the Father distinguished with this personall propriety of begetting a Sonne is a Father and no Sonne the Sonne distinguished with his personall propriety of being begotten is a Sonne and not a Father the holy Ghost distinguished by his personall propriety of proceeding is an holy Ghost neyther Father nor Sonne 14. By all which we see the exceeding great authority of the Church in determining these different manners of speach in disclosing this ineffable and inutterable mystery of the Trinity which are not found at all totidem verbis in the Scriptures and therefore were denied by the Scripturian Heretickes for as learned Hosius noteth and it is the obseruation of S. Ambrose against one only article of our Sauiours consubstantiality with his Father they alleaged 50. places of Scripture I meane the Arians who did beare great sway and insinuated themselues into the fauour of the Emperors for the better supporting of their damnable heresies as the Protestants do creepe into the fauour of our King at this day for the vphoulding of their errors and therefore great pitty it was that the Protestants and Arians had not liued in one age togeather that they might haue ioyned hands ech one with another who do so neare resemble ech one the other in their behauiour and manner of proceeding 15. VVell then we see that the former mysteries of the Diety and Trinity could be determined by no other power and authority vpon earth then by that supreme power of the Church for that expresse warrant of Scripture there was none in their pretence for many of these wordes that are now vsed and frequented by the Church in the explication of these Creedes were not then in vse but inuented and applied afterwads by the Church according to the present necessity And yet notwithstanding haue they beene so acknowledged and receaued euer since by all Christendome that the authority of the Church in that behalfe determining and expounding hath stood inuiolable and such as haue not admitted the same haue euer beene reputed and accompted for wicked and damned Heretickes And this is to be noted with attention as before I haue partly touched in generall that albeit the Councell of Nice representing the whole Christiā Church of that age did not nor could not make any new article of beliefe that was not true before but only did more fully and plainely explane and declare such things as the impudency and importunity of Heretickes called into doubt and question so did not the said Councell explayne all that belonged to the diuine persons for they left at Credo in Spiritum sanctum I belieue in the holy Ghost and there brake of not vnfoulding any thing particulerly touching the procession of the holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne about which there was afterwards so great strife and contention and is to this day with the later obstinate Greekes affirming the same Person to proceed only from the Father not from the Sonne but left that by Gods prouidence to be expounded afterwardes by other Councells when that poynt should be called into question and so it was So that it is more then euident vnto euery one that will not wilfully shut his eyes against the cleare sunne shine of truth that there is left continuall power in the Church to explayne and determine with authority and that irrefragable and vnresistable any doubt neuer so weighty about the Persons of the Trinity or any other article of beliefe or any other high point of diuine mystery that shall arise among Christians and that vnto the worlds last ending euery one vnder paine of dānable obedience against Christs spouse and the holy spirit the director thereof is bound to submit and captiuate his iudgment and vnderstanding thereto and not to stand in contention against the same And thus much of these three Creedes in generall how they are to be reuerenced now let vs descend vnto the seuerall articles and positions therof in particuler The second Consideration NOvv succeedeth our second Consideration about the examining of certaine particulers of these three Creedes how they are receiued and belieued You haue heard before how the Ministers of the Church of England do subscribe vnto the same at their Ordination Now let vs examine whether this English Cleargy notwithstanding all their subscription thereunto do indeed truly belieue them and expound them in the selfe same sense interpretation and meaning as the Generall Councells and ancient Fathers that collected them meant them as they do perswade his Matie they do A man would think that so solemne an Oath taken before an Ecclesiasticall Iudge at the Tribunall of the Church and that for preseruation of Religion and conseruaaion of the integrity of ancient faith laid downe in ancient Creedes and generall Councells should religiously bynd before God and men people of their quality and condition but behold heresy that neither feareth God nor reuetenceth man obserueth no band at all but draweth euery thing to euery mans particuler iudgment and censure and therefore it doth little auaile the ministers of the Church of England to reuerence and receaue the wordes of the Creed whilst they reiect the Churches sense and true meaning of the same to sweare vnto them in wordes by subscription at their Ordinatiō but to forsweare them in deedes by a peruerse and sinister interpretation and exposition And this God willing shal be made good against them in the subsequent Considerations directed and addressed for this especiall purpose 17. First then it is set downe and denounced in the Creed of S. Athanasius read euery sunday in the English Church by order of the communion booke that VVhosouer doth not belieue wholy and inuiolably the Catholicke fayth shall without doubt perish euerlastingly By which Catholicke fayth he vnderstandeth the whole Catholicke fayth and euery article or
point thereof not only of those articles which he there setteth downe principally against the Arians and other heresies as did also the Councell of Nice for that otherwaies some man might obiect and say that the ninth article of the Apostles Creed I belieue in the holy Catholick Church the Cōmumō of Saints which S. Athanasius mētioneth not were no article of beliefe and that a man may be saued without the faith therof especially for so much as the said article with the other three next ensuing to wit I belieue the remission of sinns the Resurrection of the flesh and Life euerlasting togeather with the fifth article he descended into hell all which are permitted by the Nicen Creed do not belong to the integrity of the whole Catholick fayth which were an Heathenish absurdity to imagine 18. S. Athanasius then as also that ancient Orthodox Councell of Nice albeit they set downe and expounded those articles in their Creedes which the Churches necessity instantly required to be explayned in those tymes against the heresies which then most infested and troubled the Church yet were they ioyntly euer of this opinion and beliefe that whosoeuer did not belieue all and euery point of the whole Catholicke fayth and that firmiter fideliterque that is both firmely and faithfully as S. Athanasius his wordes are shall most certainely be damned euerlastingly And conforme vnto this I haue shewed before in the first Chapter of this booke the vniforme consenting seuerity of all antiquity that any the least heresy or errour defended obstinately and with pertinacity against the Church be it but one sentence word fillable nay letter is sufficient to cast a man out of the bosome of the Churches vnity into hereticall prauity and Diabolicall nouelty and consequently to bring a man vnto euerlasting perdition and destruction both of body and soule And this we haue already proued by the vnanime verdict of S. Athanasius S. Basill S. Nazianzen S. Hierome S. Augustine and others which S. Augustine in the very closing period of his booke of heresies directed to Quod-vult Deus pronounceth bouldly and denounceth confidently against all heretickes and heresy that whosoeuer doth hould any one of these heresies registred in that booke of his or any other that should spring vp afterwardes he cannot be a Catholicke Christian and consequently cannot be saued for that he houldeth not the whole Catholicke fayth entirely and inuiolably 19. And now to descend from the generall to the speciall and to make iust proofe of all the former accusations and imputations laid vpon the Clergy of England first the Ministers of that Church do stiffly hould sundry of those heresies which S. Augustine hath recorded for heresies and as condemned of the Church in his tyme in that booke of his before cited 20. And for example it cannot be gainesaid but they deny all externall Sacrifice and Prayer for the dead with the Hereticke Aerius this is one heresy and a capitall one too if we do belieue S. Augustine Secondly the Protestants fall into another heresy of Aerius for they deny Statua solenniter celebranda esse ieiunia sed cùm quisque voluerit ieiunandum ne videatur esse sub lege that solemne fasts appoynted by the Church were not to be obserued but that euery man should fast when he would least he may seeme to be vnder the law These are the words of S. Augustine out of Epiphanius and is not this the very speach of our Ministers Preachers of England at this day Nay I haue heard some of them my selfe proceed so earnestly in their rayling humour against this sacred and Angelicall abstinence that they haue not sticked to condemne the holy time of Lent as Popish and superstitious tending quite to the ouerthrow of mans health and bodily constitution and therfore that the authors therof said they wanted wisdome and discretion for instituting it in such a time of the yeare as the spring is when man his body requireth the best and purest nutriments 20. Thirdly there is also recorded by S. Augustine haeres 69. the heresy of the Donatists that affirmed that the Vniuersall Church was wholy corrupted and perished except only amongst their followers And do not the Protestants to auoid the iudgement of the Church vtter the same contumelious slaunder at this day condemning all others to iustify themselues 21. Againe do not the Protestants fall into the heresy of the Iouinianists as it is registred by the same S. Augustine haeres 88. that held the equality of sinnes and did equall marriage with Virginity And therupon was the cause saith S. Augustine that diuers sacred Virgins consecrated to God by the holy and lawfull vow of sacred single life left their profession and married And is not this also practized and defended by protestants at this day do they not deny all Euangelicall Counsailes of perfection deluding Scriptures and reiecting Fathers though neuer so many neuer so pregnant for prouing and conuincing of this Witnesse a Treatise lately published by a former Minister of your Church in defence of the doctrine of Euangelicall Counsailes not long since preached by him in the Vniuersity of Oxford 22. I pretermit the heresie of the Manichees that denied Free-will and of the Nouatians who would not grant that Priestes had authority in the Church to remit sinnes All which ancient heresies with many more which I purposely omit being held in like manner in some degree or other yea defended with great resolution by our English Ministers they cannot be accompted to belieue entirely and inuiolably the Catholick faith and Creeds which condemne all these for heresies 23. And furthermore if besides this we will but consider the variety and multiplicity of other new sects of these our dayes with which our English Ministers do participate and make open profession to communicate as with their brethren we shall diserne clearely that they cannot so much as pretend to hould the sincere integrity of one only faith And the reason is for that they haue euer hitherto admitted for brethren and men of one faith the Lutherans for example who expressely condemne them for hereticks and professe in the open eares of the world themselues to dissent really from them in diuers weighty and capitall pointes as touching the Reall Presence the person of Christ Iustification freewill the law the Ghospell and many other more of like nature as by their owne bookes and writings doth appeare And how then may they be sayd to agree with the sense and meaning of S. Athanasius his Creed which pronounceth damnation against all such as do not faithfully and firmely hould the whole entyre Catholicke faith without any violation in any one article at all And so let vs passe vnto the two other Creedes to wit vnto that of the Councell of Nyce and the Apostlicall 24. In the Nicene Creed for the better and further explication of Christ his Godhead and equality with his Father against the Arian heresie there
this suffice for this article 40. Let vs now a litle cast about and take a view of the ninth article in order as the Creed naturally brancheth it and it is this Credo Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam c. I belieue the holy Catholicke Church the wordes of this article are agreed vpon on all partes but the senses framed thereupon and belieued of different Christians are most different and repugnant For first those of the Roman truly Catholicke Religion do according to the exposition of ancient Fathers which is a most certaine and infallible rule of their fayth vnderstand by this Catholicke Church that visible Congregation of the first belieuing Christians gathered togeather in Hierusalem at the time of our blessed Sauiour his Ascension at which assembly the holy Apostles themselues who made this article were present togeather with the Blessed Virgin Mother of God and other holy men and women vpon whome the holy Ghost descended inlightened them and inflaming them to preach the name of Christ and further establishing and confirming them in the truth encouraging them to go forwardes manfully without feare of any opposite humane power and promising them that the power of Christ assistance of the same holy Ghost should be with them and the directors of them vnto the worlds end to preserue this Church and holy Congregation in all necessities and extremities so that the gates of hell and damnable errour should neuer preuaile against it 41. Moreouer the said Catholicke Christians did euer vnderstand this Church to be called holy in respect both of the great sanctity of her doctrine and the holines of many of her children who besides the precepts of the law as S. Gregory speaketh nay ouer and aboue the precepts of the law as S. Basill and S. Chyrsostome ioyntly speake should endeauour etiam praecepta legis perfectiori virtute transcendere to transcend the precepts of the law by deuouting themselues vnto the obseruation of Christ his high Counsayles of Euangelicall perfection 42. Also this Church is called holy for the immediate and perpetuated assistance of the holy Ghost inspiring her inwardly directing her outwardly and especially for the meanes of sanctificatiō conuaied vnto her through the conducts of her Sacraments as chiefest and most holy instruments to that effect conferring grace for our assistance in the performing of all good works wherof none can be partakers to saluation out of this Church 43. This Church is also called Catholicke for the reasons before set downe in the first Chapter and first Consideration to wit that it is vniuersally spread ouer the world by the ministery of the Apostles in the very beginning and so hath hitherto continued still and euer shall to the worldes end and further it hath these signes and markes to be knowne by and to be distinguished from all hereticall Congregations whatsoeuer to wit Antiquity Vniuersality Vnion and Succession by descent of Bishops And finally for full complement it hath that communion of Saints both by vnion in fayth and communion of Sacraments which no other Schismaticall Cōuenticle or hereticall congregation hath and out of this communion there can be no possibility of life or saluation All this and much more which here I am constrayned to omit do those of the Roman Religion vnderstand by this article I belieue in the holy Catholicke Church the communion of Saints and it would require a whole volume to set downe the seuerall sentences discourses and authorities of ancient Fathers that iointly concurre in this exposition and explanation 44. But now on the other side if we cast our eyes vpon the state of the English Clergy we shall find that howsoeuer they do admit the same in wordes yea and subscribe therunto in their Ordination for that they teach their Rligion to follow their State as their State brought in their Religion yet exceeding great is the difference and large are their consciences in vnderstanding the same as may appeare in part out of the 19. article published by M. Rogers as agreed vpon by our English Bishops concerning the Church about which he hath seauen seuerall propositions first agreeing in some of them somwhat with the Catholicks and they haue learned it from the Catholicke Religion and as their vsuall practice is and then making their owne choyce to dissent and disagree at their pleasure as the inured custome of all Hereticks hath euer bene 45. His first proposition then is this There is a Church of Christ not only inuisible but also visible wherto supposing him to vnderstand of the true Catholicke Church for otherwise he saith nothing we do also agree as their Bishops in like manner may be supposed to do and yet can I speake this vpon my owne knowledg that it is against the common knowne tenent practice of their Academicall Schooles for there the question is amongst the most forward Protestants An Ecclesia sit inuisibilis whether the true Church be inuisible and yet is held affirmitiuely to wit that it is inuisible and not visible to manseies for the visibility of the Church tendeth to flat Popery which they cannot indure 46. His second proposition is That there is but one Church which we affirme also and they from vs haue learned so to speake and yet I do not see how the Protestant Puritan and other Sectaries Lutherans and Sacramentaries can make one Church they differing so fundamētally amongst themselues and in such weighty points of faith and religion as they do 47. His third assertion is The visible Church is a Catholick Church M. Rogers would haue said or at least wise should haue said that the Catholicke is a visible Church and the reason is for that all visible Churches are not Catholicke but all Catholick Churches are visible And what was the reason of this his incongruity of speach I do not see vnlesse he meant thereby to steale the name of Catholicke vnto euery visible Congregation of Sectaries which is clearly ouerthrowne by the definition and large explication of the word Catholicke set downe in the first Chapter 48. His fourth proposition is The word of God was and for tyme is before the Church which being vnderstood of the Scripture or written Word for otherwise it is nothing to our purpose it contayneth in it a senseles grosse absurdity for therupon it would follow that before Moyses tyme the first writer of the Bible which was more then two thousand yeares after the creation of man God had no Church because there was extant no written Word or Scripture which were very ridiculous to affirme But the only refuge that I can possibly perceaue that M. Rogers hath left him to make good his fourth assertion in proouing the word of God more ancient then the Church is to fly to the vnwritten word but this will not serue his turne neither since we haue only in this place to do with the litterall or written word of God begūne
by Moyses the first pen man of the holy Ghost and so successiuely vpon sundry occasions continued 49. M. Rogers his first proposition is That the markes and tokens of their visible Church are the due and true administration of the VVord and Sacraments but these markes are not admitted by the Catholickes but worthily reiected for that they are as hard and obscure to find out and as much controuerted as the thing it selfe whereof they should be markes for that all partes yea all sectes and heresies doe pretend to haue due and true administration of the word and Sacraments and it is as hard a matter to determine this controuersy as the other viz. to find out which is the true Church But the Markes of Antiquity Vniuersality Vnity and Succession before mentioned and giuen by Catholickes for such were Tertullians 1400. yeares ago when he wrote that excellent booke of Prescriptions and Vincentius Lyrinensis 1200. years since to take away your late imputation and denomination of Papist vnto Catholickes are so cleare and euident in themselues that presently they will distinguish betwixt one Church and another betwixt Roman Catholickes and all hereticall Sectaries And albeit some Sectaries being pressed therewith will pretend to haue these markes in their Church and will set a good face vpon the matter and challenge them also yet are these wordes out before they be aware for the matter being so euident against them they presently giue ouer their clayme they are content to hold hāds of running to other obscure markes the common Plea of all condemned Heretickes of the due and true administration of the Word and Sacraments when God wotteth they haue neyther Word nor Sacrament according to the Catholicke integrity and sincerity 50. M. Rogers sixt proposition about the Church is That the visible Church to wit the true Catholick Church may and hath from time to time erred both in doctrine and conuersation which assertion the Catholick in his sense doth hold for so blasphemous and absurd yea ridiculous also as nothing can be more For if this be true that the true visible Catholicke Church spread ouer the whole Christian world can erre and induce into errour then is there no surety or certainty in the world no not in the promises of Christ and his Apostles who assured vs the contrary 51. But let vs take a view of M. Rogers proofes out of Scripture for confirming this his sixth assertion which surely are so fantasticall and impertinent for any consequence to be drawne from them so absurd in reason and ridiculous in religion that no man of iudgement or conscience can read them without indignation and laughter as by the view will appeare For thus he setteth them downe in his owne wordes only I will add the inference vpon euery probation out of Scriptures His first place is Take heed Matth. 24. 4. therefore the Church may erre Belieue it not Matth. 23. 26. therefore the Church may erre Beware of the leauen of the Pharisyes and of the leauen of Herod Mar. 8. 15. therefore the Church may erre Many shall be deceiued yea the very elect were it possible Matth. 24. 11. therefore the Church may erre Shall he find faith vpon the earth Luc. 18. 8. therefore the Church may erre VVe know in part 1 Cor. 13. 12. therefore the Church may erre Beware of Dogges therefore the Church may erre Beware of euill workes beware of concision Philip. 3. v. 2. therefore the Church may erre God shall send them strong illusions that they should belieue lyes 2. Thess. 9. 10. therefore the Church may erre And is not this a sound proofe out of the Scriptures 52. These are those cleare texts that M. Rogers bringeth forth to proue that the vniuersall Christian visible Catholicke Church for that only we now treat of may be deceiued and hath erred determining matters of doctrine and yet as you see here is not one word that is spoken or may be applyed to the said vniuersall Catholicke Church but only caueats giuen to the Church to beware of particuler deceauers Heretickes Pharisies Herod the like And consequently these places are so idly vrged and so absurdly applied by the Authour that I should wast time in spending any more labour about perusing them any further Only one of his places I will but touch in one word Many saith Christ shall be deceiued yea the very elect if it were possible out of which place for the ouerthrowing of M. Rogers proposition and inferring the cleane contrary assertion I reason thus and let Tribunal Syllogismi vmpire betwixt vs both which is the better and fitter consequence deduced out of this place if it be impossible that the elect shall be deceiued though many be deceiued then the Church comprehending the elect as a part of her cannot be beceiued sed verum primum for truth it selfe hath spoken it and this is the true meaning of those wordes if it were possible c. ergo secundum The like consequence I would inferre out of all the rest but the places are so absurdly and against all common sense and reason vrged that they are not longer to be stood vpon 53. The like miserable course or rather more pitifull if possibly it may be doth he take to proue the second part of his proposition which is that the said Catholicke visible Church may erre in determining matters of life and manners for that is the question and not his ydle word of erring in conuersation And first he doth alleag the words of Christ Iniquity shal be increased and the loue of many shall wax could Matth. 24. 12. therefore the Church may erre in determining matters of life and manners Secondly he citeth that of S. Paul Restore c least thou also be tempted Gal. 6. 1. therefore the Church may erre in determining matters of life and manners Thirdly I do not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that doe I if I doe that which I would not it is no more I that do it but the sinne that dwelleth in me Rom. 7. 19. 20. therefore the Church may erre in determining matters of life and manners Fourthly There is a fight euen in the best men and mēbers of Christ Rom. 7. 23 therfore the Church may erre in determining matters belōging to lyfe and manners for this must be his conclusion out of euery one of these places as his former of doctrine was out of the other And are not these goodly argumentes to proue his assertion His assertion as you haue often heard was that the visible Catholicke Church might erre in determining matters belonging to manners to wit in defining and finally determining this is good that is bad this is lawfull that vnlawfull and the like and he commeth in with his misapplied texts to proue that particuler men may haue infirmities in them and fight of their passions or concupiscence Doth he not hit the naile on the head
thinke you 54. But now lastly let vs come to his seauenth and last exposition vpon this article of the Creed The Church of Rome saith he hath most shamefully erred in life Cerimonies and matters of sayth this he should haue proued according as he vndertaketh in other articles from the warrant of diuine Writ but here he leaueth Gods word and runneth to Poets that say Roma mares c. Rome loueth boyes as who would say that this horrible and execrable sinne if it be or haue bene in Rome is not also in other Citties of the world or as if this alone were sufficient to proue his purpose if he could shew that there were many lewd liuers in Rome The thing he ought to proue is this that the whole Church of Rome that is to say the Catholicke Roman Church spread ouer the whole world acknowledging Rome for the chiefe head and member thereof had erred from her publike decrees set forth to be deliuered throughout the whole Church eyther for position of faith or direction of manners for this only is the point in controuersy and not whether any man haue liued loosely in Rome or any Popes haue bene naughty men or may be hereafter So as for the point controuerted he bringeth not one word of proofe and all that he hath scraped together of spitefull slanders contumelious reproaches against diuers Popes and other Prelates of that Citty as in consequence of argument they are nothing to the purpose nor can make any inference at all against the matter in question so are they in fact proued by diuers Catholicke Authours to be shamefull lyes contrary to the testimony of the best and most Authenticall authours that haue written whereof the reader may see effectuall proofes in Bellarmine and others that do answere those slanders against Rome 55. Now then we see how out of this one article of the Apostles Creed which all parts do admit what different doctrine there is drawne by different expositions and I might shew the same in sundry other articles as namely in that which ensueth immediatly after Credo remissionem peccatorum I beleeue the remission of sinnes which article those of the Roman fayth do vnderstād accordingly as the ancient Fathers do and this is not only of the remission of sinnes by our Sauiour his passion and grace thereby merited to this effect but also of the ordinary meanes left by our said Sauiour in the Church for ordinary remission of sinnes and namely by faith and baptisme for such as enter first into the Church and the holy Sacrament of Pennance which is according as anciēt Fathers do call it secūda tabula post nausragium the second table of the soule after baptismes ship wrack for such as sin after baptisme and other Sacraments all which Sacraments other meanes to this effect do worke their effects in the power and vertue of the said passiō of our Sauiour So houldeth the Catholicke But the Protestant that commeth forth with a not imputation saith that this remission of sinnes consisteth only in this that they are not imputed and consequently draweth a farre other sense vpon this article so as I must perforce conclude with that which often hath bene said and repeated that it is not sufficient to admit these Creeds in words as the Ministers of Englād are said to do in their Ordination but the true sense and meaning is especially to be stood vpon which meaning being farre dissonant frō the vnderstanding of the knowne Catholicke Church as lately we haue shewed their orall and verball admission of the said Creeds cannot be sufficient to make them Christian Catholicks or deliuer them from the imputation of being Hereticks for that this very choice and election which they do make of particuler senses and interpretations of the Articles of these Creeds opposite vnto our former rules and Considerations before set downe at large properly and effectually conuince them to be hereticks indeed And so much of this matter for the present THE FOVRTH CHAPTER CONCERNING THE APPROBATION AND ALLOVVANCE OF THE FOVRE GENERALL COVNCELS Which is the third generall head of tryall offered and proposed by his Excellent Maiesty of England AS in the former two grounds of belieuing Canonicall Scriptures admitting the three vsuall Creedes and that only vpon the Churches publicke tradition his Matie hath giuen forth a declaration vnto the whole Christian World of his confident perswasion of being a Christian Catholick and no Heretick euen so in this third generall head I meane in the admitting and receyuing of the foure first Generall Councells his Royall Grace hath not only continued and perseuered in the former declaration of his good intention and perswasion but hath further and much more ratified and confirmed the same as appeareth by these his words where he writeth I reuerence and admit saith he the foure first generall Councells as Catholicke and Orthodoxe And the said Generall Councells are acknowledged by our Actes of Parlament and receiued for orthodoxe by our Church In which words though I must ingenuously confesse that I cannot retayne the least scruple or doubt of the sincerity and candor of his Maiesties meaning but that according to his Noble apprehension and the information giuen him by his Doctors he doth indeed for his Princely part and Person reuerence and admitt the foure first Generall Councels and wil be ready like a pious meaning Prince to receaue al the particuler points of faith concluded therein when they shal be discouered vnto him Yet since this Parlamentary admission of Councells is thē ground of all and must proue the admitting and reiecting of them either good or bad on the Church of Englands behalfe my first demaund shal be but this What hath lay parliaments to do with Religion What busines make they with the Councells of the Church Who designed vnto them this authority to alter chop and change Religion at their pleasure Vpon what ground do they admit some Councells and reiect others Especially hauing excluded from Parlamentall suffrage all their Catholicke Bishops and Clergy men as it is euident they did the thing remayning yet registred vpon Authenticall record fresh in the memories of many now liuing when at the first and second lay Parlaments in the first yeare of the late Queene they banished Catholick Religion out of the land 2. But supposing these foure Councels to be admitted and receiued if we consider how these Councels indeed are acknowledged by our Acts of Parlament how reuerenced and in what manner receaued for Catholicke and Orthodoxe by our English Congregation at this day we shall be fo farre from iustifying the Protestant Parlamentary admission of these Councels or any other of their actions whatsoeuer though neuer so outwardly veiled and couered with a colourable shew of piety as that in very deed we shall discouer nought els throughout the passages of their whole proceedinges but fraud imposture collusion dissimulation hypocrisie and heresie Which
A notable speach of Vincentius Lyrinensis Prem p 3â— His Maiesties honorable offer Aug. l. 3. de bapt coÌ„t Donat. cap. 15. How the first three Creeds why they were ordained how greatly they are to be reuereÌ„ced The cause of ordayning the Apostles Creed Aug. ser. 181. de teÌ„p Cap. 2. coÌ„t haereses Vbi supra serm 181. de temp Signification of the word Symbol or Creed The great substance of the Apostolicall Creed The Apostolicall Creed no Scripture yet necessary to be belieued Ruff. in Symbolum The force of tradition in the Church A questioÌ„ solued where the voice of the Church may be found De fide ad Gratian. The creed of the couÌ„cel of Nice of S. Athanasius Conc. Nicen l. 4. p. 565. edit Venet. Ambros. de fide Hos. de expresso Dei verbo The great authority left in the Church for deciding Controuersies That the Ministers of EnglaÌ„d belieue notwholy entirely the faith of the 3. Creeds No saluation without belieuing the whole Catholicke sayth entirely ProtestaÌ„ts do not receaue the whole faith but mingled with many heresies Diuers ancient Heresies held now by Protestants * M HuÌ„frey Liech About the Nicene Creed Passim in Epist. ad Polonos l. cont Gentilem 2. lib. de Christ. c. 19. Caluin his Autotheisme hereticall In what particuler article of the Creed English ProtestaÌ„ts do not agree with vs. About Christs desceÌ„ding into hell Lib. 1. hist. cap. vlt. In epist. ad Trallian Bucer in cap. 27. Matth. Caluins horrible opinion about the article of Christs descensioÌ„ into hell Cal. 2. inst c. 16. 6. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Item in Catechismo paruo iteÌ„ psych. item in harmo Euangelica cap. 27. Math. 2. Inst. cap. 16. §. 10. 2. Instit. c. 16. §. 9. A story of the contention of English Ministers about the descent of Christ into hell Psal. 15. Tertul. de praescript A strange ridiculous exposition of the Article DesceÌ„dit ad inferos Tho. Rogers in his 39. articles pag. 15. 16. c. The Church of England aduersary to many of her owne for many hould that Christ desceÌ„ded not into hell at all Thaddaeus Ignatius Iustinus Martyr Irenaeus all antiquity are dreaming Papists in M. Rogers definitiue opinion Credo Ecclesiam Catholicam The visible beginning of the Catholicke Church Lib. 25. in ob c. 24. 5. Vincent Lyrinensis aduersus hareses c. 3. Tertull. de praescript cap. 32. Thè Protestantly meaning about this 9. article 1. Later propositions of the Protestáts about the Church Rogers ar 19. pag. 86. 2. 3. 4. 5. Markes of the Church 6. Ridiculous proofs that the Church may erre Rogers p. 96. Lib. de PoÌ„t à cap. 8. ad finem vsque ad cap. 15. Premonit pag. 35. How the ParlameÌ„t Church of EnglaÌ„d do admit the first foure Generall Councels Why and how these foure first Councels were gathered and how therby it is conuinced that the church caÌ„not err Vide Aug. de vnit Eccles in pluribus locis Mat. 18. 15 16. 17. 18. 1. Tim. 3. 15. Chrys. l. 3. de sacerdot Councell of Nice assembled anno 327. De fide ad Gratian. Anno. 252 Anno. 308 Adno 311. The secoÌ„d generall Councell of ConstaÌ„tinople an 383. The third generall Councell of Ephesus Ann. 434. Lib. 1. Inst. c. 13. §. 9. 23. 24. The 4. generall Councell was that of CalcedoÌ„ 20. yeares after An euideÌ„t declaratioÌ„ that the whole Church cannot erre Aug. in Psal. 101 S. Aug. excellent speach of the perpetuity of the Church Matth. 29. â—0 Application of S. Augustins speaches vnto our Sectaries Aug. in psal 47. That the Church shall neuer Apostatate De vnit Eccles. The inuincible strength of the Church Matth. 23. Why ProtestaÌ„ts do not nor can remedy their diuisions by any Generall or Nationall Councell ProtestaÌ„ts can abide parly and treaty neither with Catholiks nor amoÌ„g theÌ„selues Vide Conc. Calced act 3. p. 163. edit Venet. The terginersation of the heretick Eutiches fully represeÌ„ting the ProtestaÌ„ts Lib. 4. Iust. cap. 9. §. 1â— Vide resp Gaspar VillapaÌ„di ad bas causas ProtestaÌ„ts shifts to auoid comming to Councels Stan. Resc l. 1. de Atheism c The ProtestaÌ„ts disagreemeÌ„to in their meetings Tertul. de praescript Aug. l. 3. cont epist. Parmen c. 4. ser. 11 de verb. Domini c. Particuler points of differeÌ„ces betweene these 4. generall Councels the Protestants of our tyme for doctrine and manners Conc. Neocaes can 1. an 316. The decree of the CouÌ„cel of Nice and Neocaesaraea against the Marriage of Priests Ann. 711. Basil. epist. 1. ad Amphi c. 3. Epiphan hares 59. The answere vnto Caluins obiection about Paphnutius Another Canon of the Councel of Nice about the Reall presence A Canon of the second CouÌ„cell much making against Protestants VinceÌ„tius LyrineÌ„sis his relatioÌ„ of the CouÌ„cell of Ephesus CoÌ„c Ephes. tom 1. cap. 22. in epist. Imperat. Secular men may not meddle in Ecclesiastical consultations CoÌ„c Ephes. tom 1. c. 16 Con. Eph. tom 2. c. 17 The Supremacy of the Pope of Rome coÌ„firmed by the councell of Ephesus The CouÌ„cell of ChalcedoÌ„ CoÌ„c Calc act 1. Ibidem Act. 2. in libel Theodor Ischir SophoÌ„ c Ibid. in subscript coÌ„t DioscoruÌ„ Conc. Calc act 3. tom 2. p. 252. edit Venet. Marriage of Monks and NuÌ„ns forbidden by this Councell Prem p. 35. Aug. l. 2. cont Crescon c. 31. A complaint against the Ministers of EnglaÌ„d for misinforming his Maiesty ValeÌ„t l. 8. Ana. c. 8. Lib. con hareses The opinion of Iesuites about the authority of the Fathers A consequence of great incoÌ„uenience How S. Augustin did not admit the authority of S. CypriaÌ„ in a particuler case The different esteeme that Catholicks Protestants do make of ancieÌ„t Fathers wheÌ„ they agreâ— in one Aug. l. 2. coÌ„ Iulian. Pelag. ver sus finem S. Augustines opinion for the esteem of the Fathers Aug. l. 3. â—ypo Lib. 2. de nuptiis concupis Cap. 29. Scoffes of PelagiaÌ„ hereticks against ancient Cerimonies of Baptisme Aug. ibid. ProtestaÌ„ts become Pelagians in deriding ancient Cerimonies Aug. l. 2. coÌ„t Iulian. Pelagiau How contemptible the authority of heretickes was to S. Augustin in respect of the ancient Fathers Lib. 2. coÌ„t Iulian. circamed Aug. l. 2. coÌ„t Iulian. propefineÌ„ An excelleÌ„t reason of S. Augustine How Catholicks ProtestaÌ„ts do esteem of the testimonies of particuler Fathers Aug. l. 1. coÌ„t Iulian. Pelag. cap. 2. Lib. 1. cont Iulian Pelag cap. 2. Thesurest rule how to iudge of particuler Fathers opinions or assertions about matters of faith When any priuate Father did erre he was presently noted by others Aug. l. 3. de bapt coÌ„tra Donatist c. 4. l. 2. conâ— Cresconâ—â— cap. 32. Aug. lib. 1 contr Iulin cap. 2. One Doctors opinion the doctrine of the Church That the Fathers of euery age for the first 500. yeares did make for catholicks against ProtestaÌ„ts in matters now in coÌ„trouersy Cap. 4. 42. coÌ„t haereses Diuers things may lead vs to discerne the true Church though they be not articles of necessary beliefe Centur. prima lib. 2. cap. 4. 1. About the Reall Presence Magdebur Cent. 2. c. 4 pag. 55. 56. 57. c. 2. About Free will 3. The Doctrine of good workes 4. Whether the Commandements be impossible 5. Externall sacrifice of Christians 6. About traditioÌ„s The primacy of the church of Rome 8. Excellency merit of martyrdome 9. IntercessioÌ„ of Saints 10. About the state of Virginity The conclusion of this age 11. Inuo catioÌ„ of Angels Magd. ceÌ„t 3. c. 4. p. 75 76. deinceps Hom. 1. in EzechieleÌ„ 12. Iustification by good workes 13. The merit of good workes Scriptures Fathers reiected togeather wheÌ„ they fit not the ProtestaÌ„t fancy 14. About peÌ„nance Magd. ceÌ„t 3. c. 4. p. 81. 15. Blessing of the water of baptisme 16. Chrisme and holy vnction in baptisme 17. Prayer vnto Saints Cent. 3. c. 4 p. 85. 86. CeÌ„t. 3. c. 4. pag. 85. 18. The doctrine of Purgatory Cet 4. c. 4. pag. 242. HieroÌ„ ep ad Demetriadem Lib. 8. coÌ„ in Isaiam CeÌ„t. 4 cap. 4. p. 293. Cent. 4. p. 301. Cent. 5. c. 4 p. 501. 502. c. Gregor in 1. Reg. c. 1. Cent. 5. pag. 506. Hom. 34. in Euang. The Fathers iniuriously handled by the Magdeburgians The conclusion ImportaÌ„ce of being a Catholicke The horror of heresie The 4. heads proposed The great profit receiued by the ancieÌ„t Fathers The dangerous estate of belieuing the ProtestaÌ„ts in EnglaÌ„d A strange pittifull case happened to his Maiesty How God coÌ„curreth with the actions of euill men but not with their intentioÌ„s The mark aymed at by the first Ghospellers in Scotland concerning his Maiestie The Epilogue of all Of persecution Persecutor
so much as we heare on the one side the terrible horrour of the said Name and on the other side we see the common and to much vsed familiaryty therof in these our vnhappy tymes later and worser dayes which are so replenished with all kind of Sects and Sectaries as that each one commonly calleth the other Hereticke and that with as great facility and with as litle regard as if the accustomable practice of calling Hereticke had taken away the true sense and reall feeling of an Hereticke or as though he called him good fellow or witty inuentor of new opinions which amongst the Sectaries of our age is rather reputed for a pleasant iest and ingenious cōmendation then for that which in sober sadnes setting all Atheisticall scoffing and iesting in matters of such momēt a part it is to wit a terrible accusation and dreadfull charge of a most high and Capitall crime committed against God his Church his Sauiour and all to the destruction of his owne soule 28. But alas who doth not now adaies delight and esteeme himselfe the more for his sharpnes of wit subtile ingeny for inuenting finding out deuising framing new positions new translations new interpretations and that coyned stamped in the shop of his own braine therby of set purpose to impugne and of desperate malice to withstand some Catholick points of ancient Churches doctrine And if you tell him that he must keep him to the traditiō of the Church deliuer that to the sonnes of the Church which he hath vniformly receiued frō the Fathers of the Church that he must not remoue ancient bands in matters of beliefe for feare of a curse that he must reddere depositum as S. Paul chargeth Timothy and that with a vehement asseueration and what is that reddere depositū that is as Vincentius Lyrinensis excellently expounds it Quod tibi creditum est non quod à te inuentum quod accepisti non quod excogitasti rem non ingenij sed doctrinae non vsurpationis priuatae sed publicae traditionis rem ad te perductam non a te prolatam in qua non author esse debes sed custos non institutor sed sectator non ducens sed sequens that which is committed vnto thee not any thing inuented of thee that which thou hast receaued not deuised a matter of doctrine not of wit not of priuat vsurpation but of publicke tradition a matter brought vnto thee not brought forth of thee wherin thou must be no author but a keeper no maister but a scholler no guider but a follower Lastly tell him that he must content himselfe with being a relator only not presuming to be an author otherwise his position will proue innouation priuate inuention erroneous election and consequently heresy I say tell him all this and what more you can deuise and he will laugh at you for your simplicity in going about to terrify him with such buggs and in tying his spirit to any rule of Church-authority since the wind bloweth where it listeth c. which he fanatically applieth vnto his spirit presuming it to be inspired from aboue And with that spirit if you will belieue him vpon his bare word is he so inspired that he needeth no other direction no further instruction And this is all the accompt that he maketh of being a Catholicke or a choosing Hereticke But reflecting vpon the other syde of the Roman Religion which may truely and only be called Catholicke I experimentally found another kind of reckoning made of both these wordes Catholicke and Hereticke most highly esteeming the one as hath bene formerly spoken and fearfully declining the other as the origen and ofspring of all calamity 26. And first I found in the common doctrine of their Schooles they assigning Heresy for one of the three species or members of infidelity opposite to Christian Religion they hould it to be the worst most heinous of all three in respect of the extreame and desperate malice therof to wit that it is in a degree of euill and sinne worse and more damnable then either Paganisme or Iudaisme not for that all heresie denyeth more parts of Christian doctrine then do the Pagans or Iewes for in this the Pagan sinneth more then a Iew and a Iew commonly more then an Hereticke but because they do corrupt and impugne the Catholicke Christian faith which once they receiued and from which they are now wilfully departed which implieth more malice then can be ascribed to eyther Iew or Gentile that neuer receyued the same In which respect their sinne and damnatiō is more grieuous say Catholicke Doctors then is eyther of the other two Wherupon is inferred by S. Thomas and it is the common opinion that an Hereticke is in worse state then a Iew or Gentile for the life to come 30. Againe for further aggrauation and exaggeration of the horror of this Name and loud-crying sinne therby signified the Catholicke Deuines in a more particuler explication do constantly and with vniforme consent auerre that an Hereticke discrediting or not belieuing as he should any one article of the Catholicke faith doth loose his whole faith and habit thereof in all the rest And the reason herof is assigned by the Schoole Doctors for that the chiefe motiue or formall reason why a man doth belieue any thing in Christian Religion is because it is reuealed by God and propounded by the Church without which Churches propounding and approuing nothing can be securely belieued And therefore when an Hereticke in any one article discrediteth and detracteth from the authority of this Church which is necessary and primary condition in beliefe denying it thereby to be an infallible rule of beliefe in this one article he denieth the same in all the rest As for example if a man should aske a Protestant why he belieueth the Scriptures and S. Matthews Gospell to be S. Matthews Gospell he can answere no otherwise but that God hath reuealed the same vnto vs by the Church which propoundeth these books for Scripture Here then the proposition of the Church appertaineth to the formall reason or cause of beliefe as Deuynes doe tearme it which if once it be denyed or discredited in any one article as the Protestants do when we alledge it against them for Purgatory Prayer for the dead Sacrifice inuocation of Saints and the like then can it not hold in the former about Scriptures or any other article and consequently Hereticks haue no diuyne faith at all about Scripture or any other article but are meere Infidels in all and consequently shal be damned say they not only as chusing Heretickes beleeuing one thing and reiecting the other but as vnbelieuing Infidells deuoid of all faith Which seemed to me to be a very terrible commination and fearfull distriction and yet did I see it substantially grounded and so orderly deduced as that I must ingenuously confesse it so conuinced my vnderstanding and
Religion To this I answere in generall that the Diuell and all Heretickes had their Scriptures as well as they as many and more then they but the truth is sheeps clothing belongeth not to wolues nor Scriptures to them their possession of thē is meer intrusiō into thē therfore according to that excellent prescription of Tertullian first they should prooue their right of possession of them before they so bouldly aduentured vpon the interpretation of them which since they could neuer yet do it is apparant and out of questiō that they haue no more right vnto the Scriptures then the Diuell himselfe and all former Heretickes haue had vnto them 37. Yf besides the Scripture they plead the spirit for this is their other ground and these two be all the groūds that euer I could perceyue they had for their Protestāticall Religion I answere this spirit is a spirit of priuate interpretation their owne proper inuention and election it is not the spirit of the Church it is not the spirit of the holy Ghost that breathed these Scriptures and therefore it is the spirit of the Diuell the spirit of all their Grādprogenitors ancient Hereticks And now to cut of with one blow the heades of all pryuate spirits let S. Bernard himselfe speake for me and strike for me Nonnulli adesse putant spiritū cùmnon adest suumque sensum prosensu spiritus sequūtur deuiantes Many thinke they haue the spirit when they haue it not and fall into error following their own sense for the sense of the holy Ghost Dare any man hereafter vaunt of his priuate spirit All this and much more is implied in the heauenly admonition of our Sauiour Beware of false prophets and which was my first place of Scripture against Hereticks I come to the second which followeth thus 38. The Apostle S. Paul that trumpet of the Apostles Preacher of the world and discloser of heauenly mysteries thundereth out a terrible commination against an Hereticke whereby he insinuateth to leaue a premonition to all succeeding posterity to be ware of heresy And albeit I haue touched the place somwhat in the former Consideration in disclosing the nature of heresy yet here I must returne to the same againe for better laying forth the miserable effectes therof and the care the said Apostle had to haue it eschued Auoid saith he an hereticall man after the first or second reprehension knowing that he that is such a one is peruerted and sinneth as damned by his owne iudgment Vpon which place S. Hierome writeth thus Haeretici sententiam in seipsos ferunt suo arbitrio ab Ecclesia recedenies quae recessio propriae conscientiae videtur esse damnatio Heretickes giue sentence vpon themselues and are damned vpon their owne iudgment for that they depart from the Church euen out of their owne selfe will and this departure seemeth to be the damnation of their owne conscience expressely mentioned by S. Paul So S. Hierome And can there be any thing more terrible or dreadfull then this Againe Auoid an Hereticke propter periculum propter consortium propter poenam so S. Thomas vpon this place First auoid them in regard of the perill of infection serma enim illorum serpit vt cancer Secondly auoid them in regard of their fellowship and communion that you be not wrapped and intangled in their sinne whilest you seeme by your familiarity with them to consent vnto the same Lastly auoid them propter poenam euen for feare of the punishment of condemnation which hangeth ouer their heads and yet moneatur let him be admonished to see whether he will amend If he amend not after once or twice admonition auoyd him si curari poterit non est vitandus si non dimittend us est If he can be healed of his heresie he is not to be auoided If he cannot be cured he is to be shunned Hitherto S. Thomas 39. My third place is out of S. Iude conteining a very dreadfull description of Hereticks yea so terrible that the very consideration therof were able to make a man to treamble lest he should be any way intangled and infected with this fearefull sinne of heresie either in being an Hereticke himselfe obstinate and malicious or in beleeuing them as being seduced by them For after the Apostle had premised the salutation togeather with the motiue of his Epistle which was to beseech them Supercertare semel iraditae Sanctis fidei to stand fast and fight for the faith once deliuered vnto the Saintes which were the first Christians presently he giueth a most serious warning to all sorts of Christians of the approach and intrusion of Heretickes Subintroierunt enim quidam homines c. There haue crept in certaine men saith he prescribed or prepared from the beginning vnto this terrible iudgment wicked men who haue turned the grace of God into wantonnes c. And then he thundreth out a terrible commination against them sāying VVoe be vnto them that haue gone in the way of Cain and haue for reward powred out themselues with the errour of Balaam and haue perished in the contradiction of Chore. So he And that this contradiction of Chore against Moyses Aaron for which he his conspirators were by Gods iust wrath swallowed quicke vp into hell the earth opening her mouth deuouring thē represented the contradictiō of all Hereticks against the Catholicke Church and Gouernours thereof no man that hath any insight into Deuinity can deny and therfore our Apostle S. Iude who alludeth and compareth betwixt them denounceth Gods vengeance yet further against them Quibus procella tenebrarum seruata est in aternum for whom a tempest of darknes or of torments in darknes is reserued for all eternity And this being so will any one call another hereticke in iest Or is there any cry me so dreadfull as this 40. But if we passe from the Apostles and Scriptures them selues vnto the succeeding Primitiue Church and withall hould their iudgment sense and feeling concerning Heresy we shall find that all of thē without exception of any one had this very spirit of detesting anathematizing flying and auoiding Heretickes aboue all other sinners and malefactors vpon earth yea wheras towardes others neuer so great greieuous and heyncus offendours wee are exhorted willed and ioyned to be benigne sweet meeke compassionate and the like the cleane contrary is counsailed vnto vs against Heretickes to witt not to salute them not to eat or drinke with them not to receiue them into our houses not to conuerse with them but to fly them abhorre them detest and auoid them as pests and plagues and poysoned serpents infecting vs with the inuenomed poyson of hell as damned soules already vpon earth damned by the guilt of their owne conscience and by the irreuokable sentence of diuine Iustice as before we haue signifyed And that which is most worthy our obseruation such seruantes of God as were otherwise
Maties wise and religious hart who with that opinion might haue made herselfe a Protestant therby haue escaped the greatest part of her troubles and perhaps also haue auoided the violent stroake of the Axe which is well knowne to haue bene vrged vpon her especially in respect of her Religion and of the feare that was conceyued least in time she might come to the Crowne and defend the same I meane her Religion with publicke authority 67. And now whosoeuer it was wherein I remit my selfe to his Matie as most interessed therin both in Honour body and soule as her only Child and heyre chiefest Iewell in the world euident it is the opinion cannot stand as now hath bene said eyther in reason or religion and may be presumed to proceed from such as haue little care of any religiō at all onely they would liue quietly enioy their sensuality passe the time without any trouble or scruple or repugnant conscience for any thing touching religion or that whole subiect And this if I take not my ayme amisse commeth very neere to the point of secret Atheisme 68. S. Augustine recordeth the like opinion of many in his daies who thought it did not materially import them whether they were Donatists or Catholicks so as they professed the Christian faith Multi sayth he nihil interesse credentes in qua quisque parte Christianus sit ideo permanebant in parte Donati quia ibi nati erant c. Many beleeuing that it concerned them not in what side or part ech man were a Christian so he were a Christian therefore they remayned on the party or faction of Donatus the Hereticke for that they were borne therein But S. Augustine vehemently confuteth this false pestilent and indulgent perswasion aswell in the place heere cyted as in many other places of his workes confidently teaching and auerring that a man is made an Hereticke by houlding any one errour obstinately against the Church and consequently damned also In Ecclesia Christi saith he qui morbidum aliquid prauumque sapiunt si correcti vt sanum rectumque sapiant resistunt contumaciter Haeretici fiunt foras exeuntes habentur inimici Those who in the Church of Christ are infected with corrupt and naughty opinions if being admonished to belieue wholsome and true doctrine they kicke against it with contumacy then do they become Heretickes and going forth of the Church are held for enemies So he And with the same seuerity holdeth he in his booke of heresies intituled Ad Quod-vult-Deum that the belieuing of any one heresy condemned already by the Church or to be condemned if rising afterwards is sufficient to make the belieuer obstinate defender no Christian Catholicke consequently an Hereticke so impossible to be saued 69. To this opinion subscribeth S. Cyprian who shewing that euery least heresy or schisme is able to damne a man that adhereth vnto it writeth expressely thus Beatus Ioannes Apostolus nec ipse vllam haeresim aut schisma discreuit sed vniuersos qui ex Ecclesia exijssent Antichristos appellauit S. Iohn the Apostle himselfe did not put any difference or exception of any heresy or schisme at all but called them Antichrists whosoeuer were gone forth of the Church for any heresy or schisme whatsoeuer 70. And yet this point is pressed further by many other holy fathers yea strained to euery heresie were it but in one word or sillable And this was the opinion of S. Hierome His wordes are these Propter vnum verbum aut duo quae contraria essent fidei multas haereses eiectas esse ab Ecclesia we shall read that many heresies haue beene cast out of the Church for one or two words that were contrary to the receyued faith 71. To this purpose conduceth that of S. Basill registred by Theodoret to wit that a good man ought to loose his life if neede require for the defence of one only sillable pro desensione vnius syllabae diuinorum dogmatum The reason whereof is touched as well by S. Athanasius in his Creed where he saith That he shall most certainely be damned that houldeth not entirely and inuiolably the whole Catholicke faith as also by Nazianzen when he saith That heresy consisteth sometimes in one word His wordes are these Nothing can be more perilcus then Heretickes who running wholy ouer all do notuill standing in some one word as by a drop of poyson infect the sincere simple faith of our Sauiour comming downe by Apostolicall tradition This was the iudgment of Antiquity so seuere Censurers were all those holy Fathers of the least dram of Heresy 72. Thus then you apparently see that for making of an errour or heresie damnable it is not required of absolute necessity that it deny some thing of the blessed Trinity directly or some maine article of the Creed c. as many of the first ould heresies did when the doctrine therof was not so well explaned as now it is though this be a desperate shift of the Protestant and most miserable euasion and yet it will not serue his turne he being guilty of heresy in all those high pointes yea of misbeliefe almost in euery article of the Creed for that as before hath beene touched in the third Consideration the greatnes of the sinne of heresy dependeth more of malice and malignity of the sinner then of the materiall obiect about which the Hereticke erreth for that he sinneth of obstinacy and contumacy by his owne choice and therefore is said by S. Paul to be damned by his owne iudgement quia eligit sibi in quo damnatur saith Tertullian he chooseth to himselfe wherin to be damned or els as S. Leo doth more largely giue the glosse Propria pertinacia perit sua à Christo discedit in sania qui eam impietatem per quam multos ante se scit perusse sectatur religiosum atque Catholicum putat id quod sanctorū Patrum iudicio damnatum esse constat That is he perisheth by his owne pertinacity and through his owne peculiar madnes departeth from Christ who imbraceth that impiety which he knoweth hath beene the destruction of many houlding that for religious and Catholick which manifestly appeareth to be condemned by vniforme iudgment of ancient Fathers So blessed Leo expoūds the place the reason followeth for that such a one preferring himselfe by pride and vanity before the whole visible and Catholicke Church he chooseth to hould that which his owne iudgment and fancy doth lead him vnto VVhence it may come to passe that one man erring with lesse pride and obstinacy about some pointes of the blessed Trinity may sinne lesse damnably then another that erreth in points of lesser moment but with more malice as about the doctrine of the Sacraments or other pointes of the like nature And the reason therof is for that this second erreth with more obstinacy and malice which corroborateth the
all ancient rules and Canons of the Church fayle not is first to admit and reuerence that for Scripture which the vniuersall Catholicke Church hath by lineall descent of tradition deliuered and commended vnto vs for Scripture and that after all doubts and controuersies discussed about the same and not that which Luther or Caluin who could make vnmake Scripture at their pleasure or our owne priuate spirit shall conceipt to be Scripture and secondly for the sense and true meaning of the Scripture if we haue any care of that or imagine that it doth import vs at all we are no lesse to stand to the iudgement of the sayd Church for the exposition and interpretation therof then we did before for the deliuering of Scripture vnto vs. And so much for this Chapter THE THIRD CHAPTER CONCERNING THE SECOND POYNT OR GENERALL HEAD PROFESSED BY HIS MAIESTY Concerning his belieuing of the three Creeds receiued by the CHVRCH AS the former offer so constantly auerred by his Matie of England concerning the belieuing of all Canonicall Scriptures was a signe and liberall token of a Religious inclination Zealous affection and Pious disposition as before hath beene intimated and related euen so no lesse Religious Zealous and Pious is this assertion also here so coÌ„fidently asseuered by his Highnes touching the acceptance and admittance of the Three ancient Creeds and that in the very same sense as the ancient Fathers Councells that made them did vnderstand them For these are his Maties very words which I haue thought good heere to relate wishing them to remaine vpon an euerlasting and time-out-wearing Record And that for these two principall reasons first that I may not vndutiâ—ully forget to deferre and bring the iust descrued honour and the most highly respected commendation vnto my Soueraigne Lord the King most due to his Grace for this his Confession which also out of a true Subiects loue and loyalty towards his Prince I could sincerely wish might neuer by any the least cloud of errour in his Royall vnderstanding be eclipsed or obscured and secondly for that I trust my former brethren of the Protestanticall Church of England will eyther now at last stand to their grounds of Creeds Councells Fathers Scriptures voluntarily chosen by the Lord and Head of their Church that hitherto vpon my knowledg would neuer be confined within the lists and limyts of any euen tryall or els that my Lord the King will easily out of the depth of his iudicious Vnderstanding vnmaske and discouer these men for such as they be euen wolues in sheeps cloathing false Ghospellers Antichrists deceauers seducers impostors And now to come to the words theÌ„selues as they are substantially couched together in his Maties Booke of Premonition they are laid downe as followeth 2. And now for the point of Heretick I will neuer saith he be ashamed to render an accompt of my profession and that hope that is in me as the Apostle prescribeth I am such a CATHOLICK CHRISTIAN as belieueth the three Creedes that of the Apostles that of the Councell of Nyce and that of Athanasius the two later being Paraphrases to the former and I belieue them in that sense as the Ancient-Fathers and Councells that made them did vnderstand them To which three Creedes all the Ministers of England do subscribe at their Ordination And I also acknowledge for Orthodoxall those other formes of Creeds that eyther were deuised by Councels or Particuler Fathers against such particuler Heresies as most raigned in their times Hitherto extend the wordes of his Maiesty And can any thing be spoken more honorably then this This forme of Confession punctually and so substantially deliuered by his Highnes I can neuer sufficiently coÌ„mend for that this is so farre from sauouring of any spice of Heresy as that here is nothing els but true Catholicke Diuinity For what can be more required for more full supplement of a Catholicke Christian mans Confession then to belieue the three Creedes in the very selfe same sense as the holy Apostles ancient Fathers and generall Councells did vnderstand them And now if the Ministers of England that do subscribe vnto them in their Ordination would keepe and confine themselues within that sense which the ancient Christian Church did both constantly and religiously hold and would not of their owne fancy presume to add any other new glosse or priuate interpretatioÌ„ of their own brayne the world should neuer haue seene and heard such breaches and tumultes such vproares and out-cryes such inundations and innouations and all about Religion as now there are 3. But the truth is as S. Augustine affirmeth Quòd fieri potest vt integra quis teneat verba Symboli tamen non rectè credat de omnibus Symboli articulis A man may hold and professe all the wordes of the Creed he meaneth the Apostles Creed and yet not haue a true beliefe of all the articles of the said Creed Nay S. Augustine in his booke de fide Symbolo goeth yet further saying Sub ipsis paucis verbis in Symbolo constitutis plerique haeretici venena sua occultare conati sunt Most part of Heretickes haue gone about and endeauoured vnder these few wordes of the Apostolicall Creed to couer their poysoned heresies So as the belieuing of these Creeds in generall they conteyning but Capita credendorum Vniuersall heades of thinges to be belieued is not sufficient to make a man a Christian Catholick except also we giue our firme asseÌ„t vnto all the particulers that necessarily may be reduced or deduced from those generall heades For better explication wherof I haue thought it conuenient in this place to addresse certayne Considerations that heere ensue The first Consideration AS the skilfull and carefull Phisitian imployeth noe lesse industry sparing neither Counsaile in phisicke nor prescription in dyet for the conseruing and continuing of the bodily health of his patient vntill he haue brought him to former health and full strength then he did bestow paines and trauaile in recouering him of his infirmity and raising him from the bed of his malady euen so the Apostles as so many soueraigne soules best phisitians most painefully and diligently watched ouer the soules of men their sick patients to vphould and continue them in Christian piety and Catholicke verity as well as they had cured them of their spirituall leprosy and raysed their soules which had long laine sick vpon the bed of heathenish infidelity and all that they might recouer full strength in sauing and belieuing faith and grow to be perfect and whole men in Christ Iesus And here you haue the occasion motiue drift reason intention of Christs holy Apostles in compiling the perfect platform of wholsome faith and Christian beliefe I meane this methodicall and Apostolicall forme of Creed which inuolueth in it eyther explicite or implicite in plaine wordes or necessary supply whatsoeuer belongeth to the obiect of our faith And therfore saith S.
desensorem venerandum quis ignorat Hilarium Episcopum Gallum Who is ignorant or who doth not know that earnest defendour of the Catholicke Church against Heretickes venerable Hilary the French Bishop 32. And then againe of S. Amrbose Audi alium excellentem Dei dispensatorem quem veneror vt Patrem in Christo enim Iesu per Euangelium me genuit Beatum loquor Ambrosium Harken vnto another excellent steward of Gods house whom I do reuerence as my Father for in Christ Iesus he begot me by the Ghospell I meane blessed S. Ambrose And then of a third also to wit S. Gregory Nazianzen he giueth this commendation or rather by an interrogation would inforce his aduersary vnto an admiration of this great Saint and learned Diuine An tibi parua in vno Gregorio Episcoporum Orientalium videtur authoritas Doth it seeme vnto thee a small authority that is in one onely Gregory Nazianzen amongst the Easterne Bishops And then followeth the reason which truly is very well worth the marking 33. Est quidem saith he tanta persona vt neque ille hoc nisi ex fide Christiana omnibus notissima diceret neque illi eum tam clarum haberent atque venerandum nisi hoc ab illo dictum ex regula notissimae veritatis agnoscerent He is truly so great a person as neyther would he speake in this matter as he doth but out of the most knowne manifest Christian faith nor would men hould him for so excellent and venerable except they did know that what he said he spake out of the rule of most knowne truth Thus S. Augustine 34. And in these his wordes consisteth the whole substance of this my Consideration about priuate Fathers to wit that S. Gregory Nazianzē syrnamed Theologus the diuine for his admirable and profound knowledge in the greatest mysteries of Diuinity though he had bene but one in that matter against Iulian as he was not but accompanied with many as hath bene made cleare in the former Consideration yet so great was the authority of his person in the Church as that neyther he would haue said as he did but out of the common sense of the Church in his time nor should he euer haue bene held for a famous nor venerable a Doctor renowned throughout the Christian world but that the Church was sure that he would affirme nothing hould nothing publish nothing but out of the common rule and infallible Canon of the most knowne truth for that otherwise he should euen to his face haue bene contradicted by other Doctors and Fathers his equalls and compeeres that liued with him or ensued after him So as we see that particuler Fathers sayings and opinions when they are not gaynesaid by others or reprehended or condemned by the Church they are not so lightly to be respected or reiected as Protestants doe both ordinarily teach and practise But the maine point to be waighed and considered is this to wit to know in what times they were written vpon what occasion of what credit or authority the Father is whether other doe write the same and accord with him whether any exception haue bene taken against it and then by whome and when and how it stood in the Church eyther as iustifyed or condemned and many other such like materiall circumstances by me before touched for that sometymes it may fall out yea and often times doth as now we haue in part shewed and might do much more at large that particuler Fathers opinions and assertions not contradicted nor yet on the other side agreed vpon in expresse tearmes by the maior part of Fathers in their writings though otherwise belieued and receaued by them in the faith and beliefe of the Church may make a very strong argument that the Church did then belieue it especially if the same were so vnderstood also by the generall consent of the Fathers following in the subsequent age and Church and consequently it may bind euery man his conscience to giue more credit therunto then Protestants incredulity will allow And this shall suffice for my second Consideration The third Consideration HItherto haue we treated of the Fathers shewing first what credit we ought to affoard yeald vnto their ioynt cōsent when in any point of doctrine they agree in one and that is sine scrupulo sine vlla dubitatione as Vincentius speaketh without any further question contradiction or opposition most faithfully to belieue them and imbrace their iudgement as the liuely oracles of God and the whole speaking voyce of Catholick Church in the mouth of her Doctors and Pastors Which if you consider it well is a great deale more then the alternatiue allowed vnto them by Protestants which is eyther to belieue them or to be humbly silent without condemning them as though the Protestant were at his liberty in euery thing to make his choice which as we haue heard in the first Chapter is no lesse thē heresy and as though the renouncing and forsaking of them let it be promised with neuer so much silence reuerence were not on the Protestants part a sufficient cōdemning of them And this for that poynt 36. There remayneth yet behind the chiefe and principall poynt of all others in this present busines and matter we haue now in hand to be handled and to be especially considered of which is this to wit to know whether the ancient Fathers of the first fiue hundred yeares after Christ for so farre doth his Maiesties offer in the last edition of this his English Premonition extend it selfe do make for Protestants or for vs which poynt though to discusse at large throughout all the controuersies would both require and fill a very large volume and consequently farre surpasse the boundes of my intended breuity yet shall Iendeauour in this last Consideratiō to giue a sufficient glimpse of the truth therein in very few words for any indifferent Reader that will stand attent and iudge according vnto reason the more by the lesse 37. For first in generall it may be here seene by that which his Matie layeth forth that the Protestants do deale diffidenter distrustfully on their owne behalfe with the Fathers authority For they do first limit their yeares within the compasse of foure hundred in the first English edition and then of fiue hundred yeares in the next and last of all they call it back againe vnto foure hundred in the Latin edition which argueth that they know not well vpō what ground nor where nor when they stay themselues being still affraid least that they grant to much vnto thē as indeed whatsoeuer they grant vnto them it is to much on their behalfes since that whatsoeuer they graunt it maketh directly against thē which would not be if their friendship with them or hope in them were confident or any at all 38. Secondly they restraine their credit yet more whē they do not promise absolutely to belieue the consent of Fathers but only
Apostoli hortabantur homines iustitiam agere bonum quoque operari quia in nobis sit hoc The Prophets and Apostles did exhort men to do iustice and to worke good works for that this is in our power And is not this a great offence in S. Irenaeus to speake so like a Papist 44. They accuse also other Fathers of the same age for like fault as Iustinus Martyr if it be his booke in his answere vnto the hundred and third question ad Orthodoxos and Clemens Alexandrinus lib. 2. stromatum saying of this latter Clemens liberum arbitrium vbique asserit Clement doth euery where defend free-will And finally they giue this censure of all that age Nullus ferè doctrinae locus est qui tam citò obscurari coeperit atque hic de libero arbitrio There is no peece of Doctrine that began to be darkened so soone as this of free will which darkning is nothing els with them but the Catholick sense of that doctrine which now also we hould to wit that albeit man his free-will was greatly wounded by Adams fall yet was it not so extinguished but that nature being relieued by the holy assistance of Christs grace and not otherwise the free-will of man may cooperate in doing of good workes which was also these holy Fathers meanings 45. The like the said Magdeburgians do complayne of the article of good workes and perfection of life to wit that this doctine also beganne to be darkened in this age so as according vnto them the candle lightned by our Sauiour and his Apostles and set vpon the goulden candlesticke of the Church dured but a little while 46. Furthermore they cyte also that saying of S. Clemēt lib. 5. stromatum which angreth them very much Gratia seruamur sed non absque bonis operibus We are saued by Grace but not without good works Et lib. 6. stromatum Quando audierimus fides tua te saluum fecit non accepimus eum dicere absolutè cos saluos suturos qui quomodocunque crediderint nisi facta quoque fuerint consecuta Whensoeuer we shall heare those wordes of our Sauiour vnto the Cananaean thy fayth hath saued thee we do not vnderstand that he said absolutely that they shall be saued whosoeuer belieue in any sort except good deedes do also follow And is this ought els but Catholicke doctrine to wit that fayth must go before and good workes follow And is not this the selfe same doctrine which S. Paul teacheth saying that the sauing faith is fides quae per charitatem operatur the faith which worketh by charity in vs. 47. Moreouer concerning the law that it doth not command impossible things but that with the assistance of Christs grace Christian men may obserue the Commandements this the Magdeburgians do censure for erroneous doctrine also in the Fathers of this second age namely in Iustinus Martyr resp ad Orthodoxos 103. who proueth it out of the example of S. Paul himselfe of Zachary and Elizabeth that were both of them iust and S. Irenaeus teacheth the said doctrine lib. 4. c. 30. and Clemens lib. 2. stromatum being all Fathers of this second age which doctrine is confirmed afterward by all the Fathers of subsequent ages And yet do the good-fellow Magdeburgians condemne the same with great resolution out of a Maxime of Aristotle most foolishly and wickedly applied saying Dato vno inconuenienti sequi solent infinita One inconuenience being graunted by these Fathers to wit the doctrine of free-will infinite other inconueniences are wont to follow Which speach of the Fathers though it be incōmodious vnto the Magdeburgians for such set downe by them yet are the wordes playne for the Catholick Doctrine now held by the Roman Church in that behalfe 48. But yet further concerning the externall vsuall sacrifice of Christiās then accustomed to be offered on the Aultar the same Magdeburgians are much troubled about certaine speaches of S. Ignatius and S. Irenaeus The first hath these wordes in his Epistle ad Smyrnenses Non lice sine Episcopo neque offerre neque sacrificium immolare It is not lawfull without the Bishop to make oblation or offer Sacrifice And the like wordes they cyte out of S. Irenaeus 4. cap. 32. saying of him Satis videtur loqui incommodè cùm ait noui Testamenti nouam docuit oblationem quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accijiens in vniuerso mundo offert Deo Irenaeus say they seemeth to speake incōmodiously inough when he saith that Christ did teach a new oblatiō of a new Testament which the Church receiuing from the Apostles doth offer vnto God throughout the whole world So they of the externall Christian sacrifice of those daies checked condemned the Fathers of that first age after the Apostles 49. About traditions in like manner rites and Cerimonyes they complaine in this age as they did of other points before to wit that Doctrina de libertate christiana non-nihil coepit obseurari that the Doctrine of Christian liberty beganne not a little to be darkened with rites and Cerimonies in this age also succreuit say they paulatim error de traditionibus necessariò obseruandis and the errour of necessary obseruation of traditions did by little and little grow vp whereof they giue an example out of S. Ignatius his epistle ad Philadelphios where he saith Dies festos nolite inhonor are Quadragesimam verò nolite pro nihilo habere imitationem enim cominet Dei conuersationis hebdomadam etiam Passionis nolite despicere Quarta verò sexta feria ieiunate reliquias pauperibus porrigentes Do not dishonour holy dayes do not neglect Lent for it cōteyneth in it the imitation of Christ his conuersatiō who is our God Do not despise the Passion weeke do you fast vpon wensdayes and fry daies that which is left of your meat giue it vnto the poore And this is the darkenes which the Magdeburgians do obserue or rather this is the light which those Angels of darkenes and instrumentes of Sathan would darken in the Apostolicall writinges of S. Ignatius and other Ancients of this very next age after the Apostles contrary vnto their carnall and Euangelicall liberty which their first luxurious Apostata and Cloysterbreaker Luther set abroach 50. The same Magdeburgians do cite a plaine sentence out of S. Irenaeus lib. 3. Cap. 3. whereby he proueth the Primacy of the Church of Rome to wit for her more powerable principality it is of necessity that all Churches should come vnto her that is to say all faithfull people from all parts of the world for that in her hath bene conserued euer the tradition of the Apostles Which plaine sentence the Magdeburgians do endeauour to delude by diuers shiftes As first that it seemeth to sauour of nouelty then that this sentence is found say they in the copies that now are extant of Irenaeus as though there were other not extant that had it not Thirdly