also that they may be visible If he meane it of the catholike Church which is the thing in question why is hee afrayed to say so Surely euen his owne conscience tolde him that of all the arguments that he hath in that place there is not one out of which he may conclude That the Catholike Church catholike I say in that sense that I haue proued it to bee taken in the Creede is or can bee visible to vs in this world And therefore craftily he leaueth the question and falleth to other matters I therefore see no cause why I may not truely and boldly conclude Apoc. 21 2 9 that that Heauenly Ierusalem and bride of the Lambe that spouse of Christ mentioned in the Apocalips which in deed Saint Iohn sawe but by vision onely is the same catholike church that we speake of in the Creede but whilest wee wander here wee can not see it but by faith onely But when Christ our head and captaine shall haue put downe all rule and all authoritie and power 1. Cor. 15.24 then shall the glorie of the Church in deede appeare then shall shee be exalted aboue the mountaines In Apoc. Hom. 18 as Saint Augustine confesseth Yea then shall the Church be made perfectly catholike when no member shall be wanting vnto it Then shall the godly not by faith as now but euen with their renued eyes see her and her beautie The Church here militant vpon the earth may erre CHAP. 8 THE PROTESTANTS ALthough that part of the catholike Church which is alreadie entred into her Masters ioy Mat. 25.21 cannot erre yet this part that is here vpon the earth because it consisteth of men who are subiect to infirmities neither are they endued with the spirit but in some measure neither is it conuersant or remaining but in the vally not of misery only but of ignorance also it therfore may be subiect vnto errors for a time although it shall neuer be quite ouercome of the same For their errors shall be either of small importance or short cōtinuance THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of Rome would make vs beleeue their garden wil bring forth no weedes And that the ignorant might with reuerence receyue and beleeue whatsoeuer they say with great confidence they sound it euerie where that the church of Rome cannot erre And by the church they doe not meane all for they will not so much esteeme of the lay people but the Bishops yea the Pope himselfe although hee but one man yea and many times a most vile and lewde man yet they will in no wise that hee may erre speaking iudicially in matters of fayth Now for the Arguments whereby they would vphold their errour the first sort is grounded vpon some places of Scripture wrested and abused for their purpose as when the Scriptures promise the assistance of Gods spirit to teach vs or direct vs. And of these some are more particular than other Argument Luke 22.32 Christ said to Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not fail therfore Peter could not erre And if Peter could not erre neither his successours as they surmise Ver. 57 58 60 Answere And yet verie soone after the very same Apostle did not denie onely his maister and that three times but also began to curse and sweare that he knew him not Mat. 26.74 Shall we then say that Christ was not so good as his promise God forbid Christ therefore prayed not that Peter might not erre at all or that his faith might not any thing faint but that it might not altogether faile Or to vse the wordes of Theophilact Theo. Lu. 22 That if the leafe of his faith did fall yet the roote should not die Christs prayer therefore was not that Peter should not erre but that he should not continue in errour and so it preuailed And therefore here is no priuiledge for the church of Rome or the Pope that they may not erre because wee see Peter himselfe had no such priuiledge Neither was this prayer of Christs for Peter onely as is most plaine by the Euangelist saint Iohn Iohn 17.20 I pray not for them onely but for all that through them shall beleeue in my name It was therefore for all the Apostles yea for all the beleeuers Although Christ spake there particularly to Peter as Theophilact sayth perchaunce because he was bolder than the rest In Luke 22 and proude because of that was said vnto him And by this that hath beene said appeareth the answere to the other places of the scripture that seeme more generall Argument When Christ promiseth to giue vs his spirit to teach vs and direct vs they inferre therefore the church cannot erre Answere Wherein they commit two absurdities First in robbing a great number of Gods people of that comfort that belongeth vnto them in that they make the promises which generally belong to all the faithfull to be spoken but to some few for by the church they vnderstand either the pope or the bishops Secondly that they beare the world in hand that Christ prayed for that which he did not or that he promiseth vs that which he neuer meant or that he spake of such perfection as it is vnpossible men should attaine vnto Yea In Iohn 16 Theophilact in my iudgement most notablie sheweth that when Christ had promised to send the holy Ghost which should lead into al truth least any body should thereby imagin that the holy Ghost is greater than Christ if it can make vs partakers of greater and mo things than Christ can he addeth Hee shall not speake of himselfe that is he shall speake nothing of his owne but that is mine For he that sayth he shall speake whatsoeuer he hath hard doth signifie that he shal teach nothing but that which Christ hath taught And these are the verie wordes of Theophilact whereby he doth not onely say that the holy Ghost can adde nothing of his owne to that which Christ hath taught and so may not bring into the church any new doctrines as the church of Rome doth vnder this colour but also that it is a diminishing of Christs glorie and a preferring of the holy Ghost before Christ to suppose that the holy Ghost can or may teach any thing in Gods church that hath not bin taught by Christ himselfe Wherin he mightily beateth downe that proude bragge of the church of Rome wherby they seeke to exempt themselues from all errour because they falsely chalenge vnto themselues that their doctrines and traditions are vnwritten verities and to be beleeued as well as Gods worde as comming from this spirit whereas they are nothing consonant to that which Christ taught and therefore the spirite had no commission to teach the same Yea in vaine they say they are directed by Gods spirite when as they teach that that Gods spirit neither can nor will teach because Christ hath not taught it before Neither doe
of them O blasphemie intollerable if this their argument might bee allowed then the church of Rome which falsely challengeth to bee the church Caus 15. Quaest 6. ca. Autoritatem Dâ— st 34. c. sector dist 82. presbyt would soone prooue their abhominable Idolatries and heresies to be true religion And therefore doe they challenge this authoritie and striue for it And the Pope sometimes dispenseth against the Apostle as their Canonists doe note and sometimes a Councell dispenseth against the apostle and all this is to challenge vnto their church this prerogatiue that it may deale with Gods word as it will When Gregorie the thirteenth pope of that name confirmed the order of the fellowship of the blessed virgine Marie a new deuised order and come vp since the order of Iesuites in his Bull hee confirmeth and ratifieth all such priuileges as they haue or shall haue Notwithstanding anie Constitutions or Ordinances Apostolike or whatsoeuer may be against it Did you euer reade or heare any speake more like the beast mentioned in the Apocalips Apoc. 13.5 6 who had a mouth giuen vnto him that spake blasphemies But to be short I will against their argument oppose this Whatsoeuer scriptures are not giuen by inspiration of God spirit and by the godly receiued into the canon of the scripturs those are not the word of God though they haue the approbation of the latter churches but such are the Bookes which wee call Apocrypha which the councell of Trent would make of like authoritie with the canonicall Scriptures therefore those Bookes are not the vndoubted word of God And howe can any body imagine that that which once hath beene not canonicall can by continuaunce of time and confirmation of men become canonicall or that which God hath not vouched woorthy to bee his word in times past that nowe at the last he should acknowledge the same as though hee were nowe chaunged or had repented him of his former opinion Admit once this doctrine of theirs and farewell all certaintie in religion For men will wander from one thing to an other as wee see in the kingdome of darkenesse and Poperie where there is no ende of deuotions deuised and inuentions of men So that that which was good christianitie in the dayes of Christ and of his Apostles is nowe holden to be farre from the perfection of a godly life vnlesse wee doe helpe it with our will-worshippings and by the obeying the preceptes of the church Nay graunt them this and then that worde written that wee haue it shall speake nothing but Romish so that whatsoeuer is the meaning and true sense of the scriptures yet God must be taught to speake as the church of Rome will haue him De verbo dei lib. 4. cap. 11. To this ende tendeth that common axiome receiued of them all and vsed by Bellarmine The true sense of the Scripture hangeth of vnwritten traditions So that beleeue them and they will easily confute any aduersaries For first they alow for scripture what they will Secondly that which they must needes confesse to bee Scripture must bee expounded by their vnwritten Traditions That I say that is written by that which is vnwritten the certaine by the vncertaine Like to Procustes his bed which who so lay in it if he were too long he was cut shorter if he were too short he was stretched out longer So must all be made fit to their traditions Seeing therefore the Canonical Bookes haue so manifest a testimonie not onely of the godly but euen of the aduersaries themselues and the credite of the Apocrypha by so great authorities is suspect I will conclude with belâ— armines words That he is not well in his wit that not regardâ— ng â—â— e Scripture the surest and safest rule wâ— ll refeâ— re hâ— mself to the iudgement of the inward spirâ— t which is often deceitfull and alwayes vncertaine as in truth the Papists do For they will make you beleeue that because they are guided by the holy Ghost they cannot erre in their traditions This rule then of Gods written word in the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament being set downe as a rule most sure to trâ— e all doctrines with let vs now proceed to examine other matters in controuersy among vs when I shal first haue answered a common obiection wherein all the most ignorant sort especially of Papists doe maruellously trust and triumph and doe therewith deceiue others such as them selues are How shal I know the scriptures say they to be the scriptures but by the authoritie of the Church I will not answer although I might very well that absurdly they call that in question whereof there is no doubt among vs. For neither we nor they denie Gods word It is knowne of all it is receiued of vs all Therfore they put case of that there is not neither is likely to be amongs vs. But for their sakes that are ignorant I answer plainely and shortly out of Saint Augustine Coâ— feâ— li. 6. cap. 5. Thou Lord hast perswaded me that they are blame worthie not who haue beleeued thy bookes which thou hast so setled almost in all nations but they that haue not beleeued them And that I should not heare them if perchance any would say to me How knowest thou that those bookes the scripture are giuen to mankinde by the spirite of one very and most true God Yea Saint Augustine there confesseth that when he was but a nouice in religion yet was he perswaded that God would neuer haue made the whole world so to reuerence the Scriptures but that he meant to be beleeued in them and to be sought out by them We see then by saint Augustine that not onely that common account that the whole world not the Church onely maketh of the Scriptures should be sufficient to stop our mouths for asking that question but also that he flatly telleth vs that God would not haue vs to heare such faithles and fruitles obiections But I know they will by and by come vpon me with that place of Augustine Cont. epist 〈◊〉 c. 5. I would not beleeue the Gospel vnlesse the authoritie of the Church should moue me thereto Out of which they will perchance conclude as grosly as you heard Eckius hath done That the Scripture it selfe hath no credite but as the Church will bestow it vpon the same But Melchior Canus a learned Papist doth gather otherwise out of that place and doth in deed truely answere this common obiection for vs out of the said words of S. Augustine concluding thus Therefore it teacheth not Locor Theo lib. 1. cap. â— that beleeuing the Gospel is grounded vpon the authoritie of the Church but onely that there is no sure way whereby either Infidels or Nouices in faith may come to the holy Scriptures but the consent of the Catholike Church Yea he hath taught a little before in that Chapter that although to haue faith certaine external meanes and helpes are required yet those moue vs nothing without the working of Gods holy spirit And he much misliketh of them that teach that our faith must rest vpon that point That we beleue that the church is
true or cannot erre For therevpon he gathereth this absurditie that our faith should be grounded vpon the truth not of God but of man He also plainly affirmeth that if a man should aske how the faithfull do know that God hath reuealed that which they beleeue they cannot answere by the authoritie of the Church but it is by the inward light of Gods spirit that they know the same If now thou aske me how I know the Scriptures to be the Scriptures I answere out of Canus not by the authority of the Church but by the motion of Gods spirit and witnesse thereof If thou vrge that place of Augustine Canus telleth thee that they who are become Christians are not so brought to beleeue the Scriptures but onely Infidels and Nouices in religion So that this place serueth nothing to obiect against vs who professe Christianitie alreadie and beleeue the worde which the Manichies did not of whom and to whom Saint Augustine there writeth But we had neede out of that place to admonish you that in respect of that reuerence which with one consent al that professe Christianitie doe yeeld vnto the scriptures you would be ashamed so to depraue and despise them so to abuse and reiect them at your owne pleasure as you alwayes haue done You make vnlawfull that which God hath mad lawfull as for example It was lawfull in the Apostles time for euerie Priest Dion Carth. 1. Tim. 3. Bishop and Deacon to haue one wife but now by the appointment of the Pope they may not haue a wife sayth a friend of your owne a bird of your owne nest So that not the scripture or the will of God but the worde of the Pope must be the rule of our life so that whereas Augustine for the Church beleeued the scriptures you for your Churches sake controll the scriptures and disobey them And for the establishing of that vndue honour which they would bestow vpon the most happie mother of Christ the virgin Mary Marke the boldnesse of Durand a great piller in the Popish Church Rathon◠di◠li. 4. rub 6. who writeth thus Although it is said in the Scriptures that Christ rising did first appeare to Marie Magdalen yet it is more truly beleeued that first of all he appeared to his mother Is it not plaine how that to establish their foolish toyes he giueth the lie to that word that is onely true O grosse boldnesse Seeing therefore this worde hath not onely testimonie within vs which is the strongest witnesse but also with so great consent is knowne to be Gods worde be ashamed now to call it into question or to put it to the triall of the Church by which the Papists alwaies vnderstand the Romish Church whether it shal be allowed for currant or not For in deede this blasphemous sense which as I haue shewed euen their owne friends can in no wise like of is now the cōmon exposition of those words of S. Aug. I will not beleeue the scriptures vnlesse the Church of Rome do allow the Bookes for Canonicall and expound them as she shall thinke good And thus much to answer this their common obiection What the Catholike Church is that is mentioned in the Creede CHAP. 6 THE PROTESTANTS VVE say with the Apostle Saint Paul that the catholike church which is spoken of in the Creede s. Tim. 3. Is the house of God the pillar and ground of truth And with the fathers that it is the companie of all the faithfull of all times and of all places And with Saint Iohn The Bride of the Lambe Apoc. 21 9. and the bodie of Christ And therefore that the wicked and faithlesse are not of this Church nor can be counted of this companie THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of Rome to get a Catholike Church admit good and bad to be of their Church namely reprobates wicked Bellar. de Eccle. li. 3. cap. 2. and vngodly ones Neither do thinke that they neede any inward vertue to bee of their Church but onely that they professe religion and be vnder the Pope Well may they in some sort seeme to haue a Catholike Church because all is fish that comes into their net but holy apostolike it shal not be nor Catholike as in the Creed is meant Wherein this is worthie to be reproued in them that whereas they crie out in worde and writing The Catholike church of Rome and vnlesse you beleeue the Catholike Church you cannot be saued And for proofe hereof they alledge this article I beleeue the Catholike church yet when they should tell vs what this Catholike church is wherevnto we must so necessarily be subiect they onely paint vnto vs I know not what Romish Church The catholike church in the Creed and the Romish contrary which is no more like the true Catholike church than that church of Israel when it was started aside from the true worship of God was like to the true church of God that remained amongest the people of the Iewes as by these few reasons may appeare The catholike church is One One that is to say one companie and vnited and knit togither by one spirite and the selfe same graces but the reprobate and vngodly who fill vp a place in the Romish catholike church neither are one company with the Saints nor vnited to them by the same spirit and graces to be partakers of the communion of Saints Therefore that catholike and the Romish catholike Church are not all one Secondly that Church is Holy Holy and that not in part but perfectly euen without spot or wrinckle Ephe. 5.26.27 For in our Creed we doe not speake of the church that is but that shal be not that which we see with our eye but by faith not that which is perfected but hoped for which we shall not in deede behold with our eyes Reuel 21 vntill it come downe from heauen as saint Iohn speaketh of the heauenly Ierusalem Apoc. 11 which as witnesseth saint Ambrose doth represent the Church that shall bee after the ende of the world Apoc. 21 Of which minde is also saint Augustine But the Romish catholike church is of omnigatheroms as people goe to faires or markets of all sorts and qualities And although a man haue not one good thing in him not one crum of honestie hee is good enough to make vp a number in the Church of Rome but such a church is not holy and therefore not that that is mentioned in the Creede Thirdly that church is catholike Catholike that is as all the godly haue acknoledged it the mother of all Christians the companie of all the saints both in heauen and vpon earth But the Romish catholike church
receiueth only them that acknowledge the bishop of Rome to be their head If then they dare not affirme the pope to be the head of them that are in heauen I trust they will not from henceforth charge vs to be iniurious to the church of Rome if we affirme it not to bee the true catholike church If they reply that the church may bee called catholike in other respects than in that only which I haue mentioned I graunt it But the question amongst vs in deed is whether the church of Rome be the true catholik church which euen by our creed we are bound to beleeue Which the papists affirm therfore would haue the world to imagine that we despise the catholike church which is mentioned in the creede when we vpon iust causes depart from that Romish church which hath set it selfe these many yeares against Gods church As for the principal arguments wherby they would proue that they say do nothing touch the catholike church which is the thing in question but only the state of the church in this life and therefore are not worthie the repeating But among other absurdities which they are forced to grant for to defend this their vntrue assertion this is blasphemous although they all defend it That some of the members of Christes bodie shal not be saued As though there were not vertue inough in Christ to quicken all them that are grafted into him whereas in truth He that hath the sonne hath life That is also absurd that if the wicked and reprobate bee of the church of Christ as they say theÌ„ they are members of two bodies for they are of the church malignant as they must needs confesse which is as false as that one hand may belong to two men Lastly how absurd is it that the catholike church should acknowledge the Pope for her head Shee is a citie or house she can therefore haue but one foundation shee is a fruitfull Vine shee can haue but one roote she is a Doue she can haue but one mate shee is Christs bodie she can haue but one head shee is the Lambs bride she can haue but one husband The fouÌ„dation of this house the roote of this Vine the mate of this Doue the head of this bodie Eph. 1. 5. the husbande of this wife is Christ Although most impudently the Bishop of Rome and most blasphemously doe take vppon him to be the husbande to that wife also C. quoniam de Immunitate 6. or else to take Christs wife from him We saith hee being vnwilling to neglect the vpright dealing or iustice of vs and of the Church our spouse What greater blasphemie than this can there be Saint Paule sayeth 2. Cor. 11.2 I haue prepared you for one husbande not for two and he nameth him to be Christ who though he bee absent yet is he also present absent in flesh but present in power and spirite and so will he bee alwayes with his Math. 28.20 Iho. 14.16.17.18 euen vnto the end of the worlde So that the church hath no neede of that ministeriall head that cannot bee but in one place at one time seeing Christes spirit is his Vicar in his church Ter. prescipt which can be in all places at once as the church is scattered in many places through the whole world That the catholike Church mentioned in the Articles of our beliefe is not visible or to be seene CHAP. 7 THE PROTESTANTS BEcause the Catholike Church mentioned in the Creed is that heauenly Ierusalem that is mother of vs all Gal. 4.26 and comprehendeth as S. Augustine saith not onely that part that wandreth vpon earth Enchir. ca. 56. froÌ„ the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same but that also that is in heauen And the company of Christians for the time in earth is not the vniuersall Church but is only a smal part therof In the preface to his booke of Images as Sander a papist coÌ„fesseth It followeth that that Church which is spoken of in the Creed is not that small flocke that waÌ„dreth here in this world And so consequently that that catholike Church because the farre greatest part thereof is in heauen and so not to be seene cannot bee seene of vs. And for that cause are wee taught to say I beleeue the holy Catholike Church but things that are seene are not nay cannot be beleeued For faith is the ground of things that are hoped for Heb. 11.1 and the euidence of things that are not seene Therefore either must we denie I beleeue the holy Catholike Church to be an Article of our faith or else must it bee confessed that the Catholike Church is inuisible THE PAPISTS BVt that whorish Romish Church which hath nothing to commend hir but an outward painting that consisteth of worldly glory wher as the glory of Christs true spouse is chiefly inward and a shew of succession in the chaire of them that were knowne to be good men Psal 45 5â— but not in their faith and godlinesse least that men should seeke to know the Church by the word which is that only infallible mark that our sauior Christ giueth Iohn 10.3 4 5.27 Ephe. 2.20 De vnitate Eccles cont Petil. ca. 10 and likewise Saint Paule to the Ephesians and Saint Augustine doeth highly commend the same so that if hee erre from the true Church seeing Christ hath giuen him so good a marke of her he confesseth himselfe to bee too blame for it Least that I say men should occupie them selues in this word written seeking to finde the Church there this seducing sinagogue doth beare vs in hand that the true Church must be glorious to the eye and easie to be seene and that there is no other Catholike Church but such a one And then they knowe that there is not in all the worlde such a one that maketh so faire a shewe to bee found but onely that of Rome which is liuely described by Saint Iohn Reuel 17. in the Apocalips And although this is a common principle in the Catholike Church and in euery bodies mouth That the Catholike church is visible which Campion in his third reason and Turrian against Sadeel Camp rat 3. doe manifestly affirme Yet I know not how it commeth to passe that euen the greatest pillars of poperie do not so much as define the Catholike church and deale as I thinke in this question verie fearefully as may appeare not onely by Melchior Canus in his fourth booke Loc. Theolo de eccle milit â—â— b. 3. cap. 12. but especially by Belarmine who appointing a whole Chapter for proofe of this point yet dareth not in the verie title of the Chapter set downe that is in question that is to say that the catholike Church is visible for so they say but onely this is the title of that chapter that the Church is visible Which if he meane it of particular Churches we say
Gods spirit to deliuer to vs such trifling toyes thereby to comfort the afflicted conscience And thus I trust it appeareth that this their sacrament of anoyling is but a deuise of their owne braine hauing neither institution from Christ neither any commaundement from his apostles or example in the scriptures especiallie as it is now vsed in the church of Rome either for the matter whereof it must consist or the manner how it must bee done or the end vnto which they especially haue regard in that ceremony I had thought here to haue ended both this treatise of the sacraments and this chapter but before I go anie farther I would haue the christian reader to marke the euill dealing of the popish church who with their tongues and pennes proclaime as lowd as they can that our doctrine is not catholicke it is new is lately deuised And yet we appeale to the scriptures haue testimony for vs also the cōsent of the fathers of the purer times And on the cōtrary the church of Rome crieth stil they are the catholick church they haue the catholicke religion yea all that is with them is catholicke But if by the rules of catholicke which Vincentius Lyrinensis giueth Commonitorio adversus haereses with whose authority they seek often to stoppe our mouthes we examine their doctrines we shall finde them as farre from the catholicke religion as the priests and rulers amongst the Iews were from the truth For whereas he accounteth no doctrine catholicke but that which hath beene taught at all times in all places and by all men or at the least by the most and the best learned and godliest men wee might by this rule reiect manie of their doctrines which they deliuer to vs as catholicke and necessarie so that without beleeuing them there is no saluation For shortnesse sake let vs looke into this that last I handled They will haue it a catholicke doctrine to teach that anoyling is a true and proper Sacrament yea and the councell of Trent curseth them that saie the contrarie And yet maister Bellarmine who saith as much in effect as they all can saie in this point how catholickely doth hee proue it He with much adoe wresteth for it one place out of Saint Iames and hath not one mo in all the Scripture for him Then leapeth hee more then foure hundreth yeares after Christ and picketh out one pope Innocent who saith it is a kinde of Sacrament If he had proued it to be a Sacrament properly so called yet had he beene but one witnesse in foure hundred yeares Then about 1200. years after Christ he hath gotten another witnes and he is a pope also Innocent the third Then he telleth vs of the 69. canon of the councell of Nice which had in al but twenty canons Al aboue twenty were fetched out of Arabia but are neither mētioned in the Nicene councel set forth by thēselues Li. 1. cap. 6. neither yet of Ruffinus in his ecclesiastical history where he setteth downe the canōs of that councel who although he make 22. in nūber Yet is the matter no other than is set downe in the 1. booke of the coūcels in those 20. chapters Besides there are many other strong reasons pregnant presumptions to proue those 50. canons for they haue 70. to be falsly added to the councel therfore they deserue no credit He also alledgeth some particular councels which he commendeth for their antiquitie and yet the ancientest of them is about 800. yeares after Christ And about that time also are the most ancient fathers that seeme to say any thing for him Then if thou knowest the sunne to shine at noone day thou maist also know that this is not a catholicke doctrine neither can be so accompted It hath not beene taught at all times not in al places not by al or the most of the learned No it hath had scarce one sufficient witnes in 1200. yeares But for the substance of religion which we teach if we haue not a vniuersal consent of the scriptures and also the testimony of the fathers of the church in her most pure times we craue no credit we aske no hearing Therefore that which wee teach is the only catholicke faith because it hath the vniuersall consent of the purer times that which for the most part they teach is but new not warranted by the word not known or not taught amongst the godly fathers at the least for 400. or 500. yeares Which I thought good vpon this occasion thus offered to note vnto the christian reader that I might pull away from the faces of those counterfeites the visard of catholicke vniuersality antiquity and consent that their religion may appeare indeede as it is new not old particular not catholicke false not true because it is the deuise of man whose wisedom is folly whose words are lies and not the wil of God which is the infallible rule and of whose word not one title shall perish And thus I trust it appeareth that they who brag most of the name of catholicke church are the greatest enemies to true catholicke religion teaching that which is nothing lesse then catholicke Of originall sinne what it is And whether Concupiscence be sinne or not CHAP. 21 THE PROTESTANTS THat all mankind which is conceiued of vnclean seede is also infected with original sinne no man denieth but the question is what this original sinne is which we confes to bee in vs. Originall sinne We therefore say It is a generall corruption of our whole nature which corruption as an inheritance we receiue from Adam In our minde is ignorance where was light knowledge In our heart is vnaptnesse and vnreadinesse to any thing that is good in steade of an earnest forwardnes to serue God sincerely whereby it commeth to passe that by concupiscence and lust wee are inticed to sinne Which concupiscence because the Apostle to the Romanes doeth often call ◠in we also say it is sinne not only because it proceedeth from sin and also proceedeth from it but also because it is a thing in it selfe contrary to Gods Lawe THE PAPISTS BVT the Papistes although they can not deny but that wee all haue originall sinne yet woulde they haue the force therof as litle knowen as may bee And therefore some of them haue taught that it is nothing else but the imputation of Adams sinne vnto vs and not any corruption in our selues as Ambrose Catharinus Andrad Orthod expli l◠b. 3. de axiom 3. Cens Colon. dialog 2. Pighius two notable papists And others find fault that we do so amplify the corruption of the nature of man by original sin as though nothing that is good could come from it As for cōcupiscence they wil not grant that it is sin in the regenerat And yet the Apostle S. Paul being a man regenerate confesseth it to be sin in himselfe very often as may appeare Rom. 7. The reasons which moue vs thus
Rome is too too foolish when thus they reason This religion is olde and hath had approbation of the greatest number for some hundredes of yeares therefore it is good For Vincentius did looke vnto that faith that was then ancient and catholicke many hundred yeares before many articles of popish religion were hatched But the papistes thinke it enough for them if they can proue their religion to bee nowe olde Whereas in trueth and according to Vincentius his rule also that which was not then olde is not now good That which was not then catholicke is nowe of all good men to bee reiected But let vs see what Vincentius saith After that hee hath declared how that by opportunity of time and place hee was mooued to write hee sheweth that to finde out the falshoode of heresies there are two waies The one by the authoritie of Gods word Gods word sufficient Whose rule is perfect and of it selfe sufficeth for all thinges aboundantly Yet because it is diuersly expounded such is the depth thereof as by example of sundry heresies doeth appeare The seconde way to finde out heresies hee maketh this By the tradition and rule of the catholicke Church to interpret that which is set downe in the writings of the Prophetes and apostles But so as wee take heede that wee receiue not for Catholicke euery thing that is holden in the Catholicke Church Catholicke but that onely that is beleeued in all places and so hath vniuersality at all times and so hath antiquity of all or almost all the godly and learned and so hath consent So that a Catholicke Christian must more regarde the soundnesse of the whole body than a parte thereof that is corrupted And where the infection is generall that which hath beene taught of olde is to bee preferred before the new But before the auncient errour of two or three or of one citty or cuntry a man must preferre that which vniuersally the vniuersall Church hath decreede if anie such bee If not then hee must consider of the iudgementes of the sincerest fathers not of a fewe of them but of all What they haue holden written taught When the fathers aâ—â— to be beleeued with one consent plainely often not changing their minde that hee may boldely beleeue So did the godly fathers in Affrica against Donatus and also others against that heresie of the Arrians that had infected almost al christendome and caused great destruction and cruelty because there were brought in superstitions inuented by men in steede of the Heauenly doctrine as is proued out of saint Ambrose and newe deuises for ancient decrees Yea so they withstoode all heresies whilest in the verie antiquity of the church they defended that only that was also vniuersal that is to say Ancient Vniuersality Ancient vniuersality And the more deuout that men were the more stifly did they oppose themselues to new inuentions As for example Stephen bishop of Rome with his associates did set themselues against the new opinion of Agrippinus bishop of Carthage yea and against the councell of Carthage For hee knewe that nothing can in account be godly We must follow religion and not lead her Vnlesse all thinges were sealed vp to the children as faithfully as the fathers receiued them And that we must not leade religion which way we will but followe her which way shee wil go And that it be seemeth not christian modestie or grauitie to deliuer to their posterity any thing of their owne but to preserue that which is receiued from the fathers And by occasion of the Donatistes who vnder colour of the decrees of the councell of Carthage saide that they baptised againe such as were baptised by heretickes hee teacheth that some deceiuers going about in some other bodies names to set forth their owne heresie A liuely description of popish teaching Doe snatch some of the writings of the ancient fathers such lightly as are most obscurely written which for their obscuritie maie after a sort agree with that they teach to this ende that whatsoeuer they say they may be thought neither first nor onlie to saie it Whose fault is double both in that they broach heresies and also open that in the fathers which shoulde bee hidden as did Cham whose rewarde vpon him and his posterity should feare them But to alter the faith or corrupt religion men should be afraid not only in respect of ecclesiasticall discipline but also in regard of the censure of the apostle against such Gal. 1.6.7 2. Tim. 4.3 1. Tim. 5.12 Rom. 16.17 2. Tim. 3.6 7. Tit. 1.16 1. Tim. 3.1 1. Tim. 6.4 5. 1. Tim. 5.13 1. Tim. 1.19 1. Tim. 2.16 17. 2. Tim. 3.9 Such aâ—â— our Seminary prists who for their owne benefit indanger many not men only but euen countries And because there came amongst the Galathians such as carried about errours and set them on sale whom the Galathians hearing did loathe the trueth vomiting the Manna of Apostolike and catholike doctrine liking well of the filth of nouelties the apostle denounceth that they should not heare either the apostles or an angell from heauen if he should preach any thing besides that hee had preached Gal. 1.8 9. And this caueat belongeth not to the Galathians only no more than the other precepts of godly life so that it hath not beene is or shall be lawfull for catholike christians to teach any thing besides that that they haue receiued And to hold accursed al those Take heed of beleuing vnwritten traditions who preach any thing else than that which is Once receiued it alwayes hath beene is and shall be our duetie So that to preach any thing else is too much boldenesse and to heare any thing else is too much lightnesse Althogh some frogges midges and flies of a short time such as the Pelagians crie against it seeking to drawe vs from that which hath beene committed vnto vs by our fathers and notable persons are thus many times infected Why the learned are heretikes because God will by them proue whether men loue God vnfainedly or not Deuteronomie 13.3 But this is a dangerous tentation and may deceiue many as by Nestorius Photinus and Apollinaris may appeare whose heresies he describeth as also the catholike doctrine with some confutation of Arrianisme and Manicheisme and the other forenamed heresies Against which danger of being by such men deceiued he would haue vs to holde this propertie of true catholikes How â—â— rre the fathers are to be heard with the Church to receiue the Doctours but not with the Doctours to forsake the faith of the Church Then hauing shewed the daunger that the great learning of Origen and Tertullian brought vnto the Church when they erred hee repeateth triall to bee cause of heresies many times A true catholike and then gathereth Him to bee a true catholike who loueth Gods truth the church the bodie of Christ who esteemeth nothing more than Gods religion than
the catholike faith Not the authoritie of any man not the loue that he beareth him not his wit eloquence or philosophie But despising all these stedfast and setled in faith doeth make reckoning that hee must hold and beleeue onely whatsoeuer he knoweth the catholike church of olde beleeued Hee confirmeth also that heresies are for the triall of the godly by S. Paul 1. Cor. 11.19 with a long and liuely description of such as are wauering and doubtfull in faith maruelling much at their madnes that content not themselues with the rule of faith The Papists are possessed with this mad spirit which of old once hath beene receiued but day by day seeke new things and delight alwayes to put something to or to change or to take somewhat from religion Not remembring that it is a heauenly doctrine which once to be reuealed sufficeth but as if it were an earthly institution which cannot be perfected but by continuall mending or rather controlling it This chopping chāging in religion he proueth to be dangerous by three other testimonies of scripture Prouer. 22.28 Eccl. 8 17. Eccle. 10.8 but especially insisteth vpon that of Saint Paul 1. Tim. 6.20 O Timothe keep that which is committed vnto thee and auoide prophane and vaine babling and opposition of knowledge falsly so called And sheweth what is meant by this word depositum What is meant by That which is committed to thee That which is committed that is that which thou art trusted with not that thou deuisedst that thou hast receiued not inuented a matter not of thine owne wit but of an others teaching not for thy priuate vse but for to deliuer to all A thing brought to thee not brought forth by thee wherein thou maiest bee not the Author but the keeper not the teacher but the scholler not the leader but the follower This as pure gold must be kept pure without corruption It must be beautified and fitted but in any wise we must So teach that wee haue learned Wee must teach no new thing Growing in faith but no changing that when we speake after a new manner yet we bring no new matter Yet we must grow and the faster the better So that it bee but growing and not changing In the very same doctrine the same meaning the same vnderstanding Euen as children grow in their body but are the same that they were But if any partes or members should be added or turned into another shape it were a monstrous thing Such and no other must be our growing in religion to no other but to more perfection in the same which hee also maketh manifest by the example of wheat Which being sowen by our fathers in the primitiue church must bee husbanded and dressed by vs but the seede must not bee changed Yea in these plantes of religion we maie nay wee must vse all diligence to trimme them and dresse them but to change them to mangle or maime them it is great wickednesse Yea they must still keepe their Fulnesse sincerity and property He seemeth to haue prophecied of the mischiefes of popery For doe but once giue libertie to this deceit of cutting or corrupting the Scriptures and religion is in danger to bee quite ouerthrowne If some maie bee cut off nought will be left if some maie bee mingled nought will bee pure and sincere The true church keepeth safely her owne But the Church of Christ is a carefull and warie keeper of doctrines lefte vnto her shee neuer changeth any thing diminisheth it not addeth nothing Shee cutteth not of thinges necessarie Shee putteth not to thinges needelesse Shee doeth not leese her owne shee will haue nothing that belongeth to others Yea and in all her Councels the church did nothing else but set downe that in writing which before was knowen onlie by tradition and vtter by newe termes The councels taught nothing in faith new Teachers of newes must bee auoided matters of faith not new We must also by all meanes possible shun and auoid such as bring not the catholicke and vniuersal doctrine which hath continued one and the same from age to age by one vndefiled tradition of the truth and shal continue for euer without end And this newnesse of wordes the Apostle calleth prophane because it hath in it nothing holy nothing religious These prophane nouelties therefore we must auoide for to receiue them is the maner not of catholikes but of heretikes The words thus included I was loath to leaue out because the Papists bragge much of them as though they did mightily conuince vs to be heretikes And yet if a man do well consider of them hee may iustly doubt whether they be Vincentius his words or added since because they are brought in so impertiuently to his matter and nothing in all the booke either afore or after that soundeth that way But admit that they are his words it is no hard matter to prooue this in very many of the doctrines of the church of Rome bicause therein they do iumpe and drawe in one yoke with the olde heretikes of whome the stories mention by whome how and when they beganne But they will tell vs their doctrines were not condemned by any councel which they professe And how could they when they that taught them had gotten the soueraignty ouer princes and prelats Yea he whom they call the catholike king as in some respects they may truely not because he loueth catholike religion For in a man of so excessiue greedinesse intollerable pride and vnnaturall crueltie as many of his practises and purposes shew him to be what religion can there be but because hee scarcely can coment himselfe with the whole world this man I say vsurpeth Nauarre and intrudeth himselfe into the kingdome of Portingal And yet so long as he ruleth them their parleaments or councels dare not no they can not proclame him to be an vsurper or an intruder into other mens right although hee is so neither would our sauiour Christ haue regarded any thing this defence that the Scribes and Pharises and Priests of the Iewes might haue vsed In what coun◠el was that condemned that we teach but on the contrary he telleth that by their power and authoritie they shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men and suffer not them that would enter Math. 23.13 And so did the Church of Rome What heresie hath beene at any time but it hath beene vnder some certain name in some certayne place at some certaine time And no man doeth maintaine any heresie but that hee first separateth him selfe from the consent of the vniuersality and antiquitie of the catholike church As hee prooueth by the examples of Pelagius Celestius Arrius Sabellicus Nouatianus Simon Magus Priscilianus Yea but Heretikes doe alleadge Scripture for al in a maner that they say and therefore are they the more dangerous And that practise did Sathan vse before against our sauiour Christ But how then shall catholike men know
how to iudge betweene truth and falshode in the holie Scriptures Interpreting scripture euen by interpreting the same according to the traditions of the vniuersall church and the rules of the catholike doctrine and the consent that hath beene at all times and in all places amongst the teachers And yet not euery question must be thus decided This way is to be vsed onely in the greatest matters but only matters of faith such as the very foundation of catholike doctrine resteth vpon for so he saith after fol. 50. neither are al heresies thus to be confuted and at al times but only new heresies euen at their first beginning And lately sprung vp heresies Before they haue falsified the rules of the ancient faith and the writings of the fathers But old heresies which haue had long time to steale away the truth must be coÌ„uinced if need be Stealing the truth such thenâ—â— are the papistes as their coorupting the fathers proueth When the fathers must be heard by the only authority of scripture or must be shuÌ„ned as being condeÌ„ned in the old councels As for heresies newly sprung vp they by the iudgements of the fathers are to be reiected of those fathers I say that continued in the faith so that al or most of them haue set it down in one and the self same meaning plainly often continuing in it as it were in a councell of such masters agreeing in one And such a ful consent must not be despised Then he maketh a recapitulation of that which he hath said in these two caueats and induceth the example of the councel of Ephesus wherein the iudgement of the ancient fathers being examined Nestorius was found to be against the catholike old faith and Cyril to agree with holy antiquitie And to make the matter more plaine he setteth downe the names of those holy fathers by whose vniforme consent and iudgement both the testimonies of Gods lawe were expounded and also the rule of the holy doctrine was established And so reckoneth vp sundry of the Greeke church then also of the Latine and west churches wherein he maketh mention of certaine leters written vnto some from Foelix and Iulius two bishops of Rome And Bellarm. de Roman pontif lib. 2. cap. 16. endeuoureth by this testimonie to prooue the Pope to be head of the church But consider I pray you how negligeÌ„tly he performeth it Vincentius saith that the city of Rome was the head of the world and we confesse whilest the empire flourished it was so called as by the stories appeareth Now he proueth by this that the pope is head of the church by a strange Metamorphosis changing the citie into the Pope and the world into the church contrary to the Author his words or meaning that not only The head of the worlde but the sides also might yeelde their testimonie to that iudgement Cyprian and Ambrose consented thervnto And lastly he confirmeth this by the iudgment of Capreolus bishop of Carthage who endeuoured to ouerthrow newnes and to defend antiquitie Which was also approued by Cyrils testimonie who would haue the doctrines of the ancient faith confirmed New doctrine condemned and that which is new and superfluously inuented and wickedly published to be reiected and condemned wherunto the whole councell agreed And though there were many in that Councell The councell of Ephesus â—â— rst deuise no new doctrine men of singular great learning in such sort gathered togither which might haue imboldned theÌ„ to decree somwhat of their owne yet would they alter nothing but tooke all heede possible that they deliuered nothing to their posteritie but that they had receyued of their predecessours leauing also to them that example Ancient faith the onely good faith He inueigheth against the pride of Nestorius in defence of antiquitie alledging that of Xistus bishop of Rome Let not newnesse doe any thing because it is not fit any thing should bee added vnto antiquitie And that of Caelestinus who would not haue Newnesse to trouble antiquitie Whose meaning is not that antiquitie should cease to ouerthrow newnesse but that newnesse should cease to molest antiquitie Which thing whosoeuer will not yeeld vnto he must despise the authoritie of Celestinus Xistus Cyril Capreolus the councell of Ephesus who all had learned of God to decree that not any thing should bee deliuered to their posteritie but that onely that sacred antiquitie of the holie fathers and agreing with it selfe in Christ did holde yea not to yeeld vnto this is to iustifie Nestorius by them condemned and to despise the whole Church of Christ The praise of the church to keepe the faith deliuâ— red to her not to inuent a new and the teachers therein the Apostles and Prophets but especially the Apostle saint Paul The Church of Christ I say that neuer yet departed from a religious reuerencing and adorning of the faith deliuered to her by saint Paul who said O Timothie keepe that which was committed to thee auoyding newnesse of wordes And Ifanie preach to you any other thing than that you haue heard let him be accursed And if neither the lawes of the apostles nor decrees of the church are to be broken according to which heretikes are worthily condemned it behoueth all men that will bee accounted the true children of their mother the church to sticke euen to the death True children of holy church vnto the sacred faith of their holy fathers and to hate that that is newe Thus haue I set downe I trust truly and faithfully the summe of this whole treatise of Vincentius Lyrmensis especially whatsouer may be thought pertinent to the matter for which the Papists so triumphingly alledge him And as I endeuoured to be short yet so that I omit not any materiall poynt by him touched so that his meaning may the better appeare I haue as neare as I could kept his owne wordes yea I haue set downe euen his most materiall sentences that his whole minde and intent may the better bee knowne vnto the Reader Iudge nowe I pray thee Christian Reader what Catholike and auncient faith it is that the Church of Rome so much braggeth of Compare it with this that Vincentius commendeth If they bee any thing like I desire no credite I will but giue thee a taste hereof euen out of one of their chiefe poyntes of their Religion Cap. 2. I haue shewed before euen by their owne confession that traditions must needes bee admitted or else the Church of Rome must needes faile in proofe in many articles of their Religion Their Religion therefore in such poynts cannot be Catholike It cannot be that which was Committed to Timothie which was Once deliuered as Vincentius speaketh often whose growing is without change whose perfection is without addition so that their doctrine of traditions is a strong argument to proue that their faith is not Catholike according to Vincentius rules Then also we see how plainly he
lay people And still there are that in corners seeke to perswade ignorant men and women that there can be almost no greater daunger vnto their soules than to reade the scriptures Wherein they shew themselues to be nothing of the minde of Phillip Acts 8.31 35 who forbade not the Eunuch to reade the scripture but taught him neither like to the fathers of the church some hundreds of yeares after Christ whose care was to exhort and drawe the people to the diligent reading of the same And whosoeuer they are that with diligence humilitie and prayer doe continue in the reading of the scriptures as wee see in sundry by experience shall be able in reasonable manner to auoyde and passe through those sixe impediments that I before alleaged out of Bellarmine and shall haue mindes exercised as the Apostle to the Hebrewes speaketh Cap. 5.14 and that not without great fruit to discerne good and euill And thus wee may see how litle the fathers make for that which the church of Rome teacheth in this point For the fathers say thus The scriptures are hard therefore you must reade them diligently The church of Rome cleane contrary The scriptures are hard therefore you must not reade them Therefore let vs detest as a most pestilent position that daungerous doctrine of the church of Rome knowing that whosoeuer be hee neuer so ignorant with reuerent reading seeketh to finde and with deuout prayer asketh knowledge of God shall finde much knowledge and comfort in his godly and christian exercise For Hieron ps 147. The word of God is most fat and fertile It hath in it all delicates And thus to conclude seeing the scriptures onely are Gods word and they are so sufficient and plentifull that in them the hungry may haue foode the poore treasure the rich direction the sicke physicke the whole diet the sorrowfull comfort the ignorant knowledge and the foolish true wisedome to be short seeing there for all wants we finde a remedy and seeing that rule is so true that it cannot deceiue so straight that it can not be crooked so constant to it selfe that it changeth not lastly seeing it is so easie that by diligence and prayer the godly may not learne onely but grow and increase daily from knowledge to knowledge let vs account them as deadly enemies to our soules who seeke to drawe vs from this sufficient and certaine written word of God to the doctrines or traditions of men what glorious names soeuer they giue them What shall wee then account of the popish crew that are not ashamed to teach the Scriptures to be daungerous because euill men abuse them so doth the drunkard drinke the glutton meate the prowd apparell the couetous riches and the euill men all Gods graces yet all these thinges are good and so is Gods word holy and vndefiled But nowe to the second point That only the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament are this written word or Scriptures CHAP. 5 THE PROTESTANTS SEing that the rule of the Catholike faith must be knowen De verbo dei lib. 1. cap. 2. and certaine for if it be not knowen it can not be a rule vnto vs if not certaine it is no rule at all as Bellarmine hath very wel noted only those scriptures which we according to the ancient vse of the Primitiue church and the common consent of those purer times do call Canonicall are that sure rule that can not deceiue for therefore haue they that name because they are for triall of doctrines as the rule or line for triall of workes it is certain that no other word can be that infallible word of God certaine rule of faith and religion but only the Canonical Scriptures These onely haue beene of the godly Fathers accounted to haue beene written by those whom God indued with his spirite for that cause Concil Laodicenum ca. 59. Hieron ad Paulinum prologo Galeato Out of these onlie the Fathers permit matters of controuersie to bee tried And in expounding of these that wee call Canonicall they haue bestowed their godly labours yea and them onely to bee certaine and such as were neuer doubted of among Catholike men De verbo dei lib. 1. cap. 4. Bellarmine himselfe confesseth and it is a ground or principle acknowledged of all men THE PAPISTS NOtwithstāding this name Canonicall which the ancient fathers haue giuen to these Scriptures onely to testify that they are only the certaine canon and rule of faith notwithstanding also such preheminence and excellency Bellarm. de verbo Dei li. 1. ca. 2. compared with that cap. 4. as not the Fathers onely but themselues also doe yeelde vnto the Canonicall scriptures to be of all other the most certaine rule and most infallible touchstone in all matters of controuersie the Councel of Trent is not ashamed to commaund and that vnder paine of beeing accursed to receiue these bookes that are contained in the Bible with like reuerence and deuotion and to make them of as good credite as the canonicall Scripture I say euen those Apocryphaes in which are many things absurd and whose very name sheweth them to be vnknown from whence they came who were not found in the Hebrew nor accounted by the Iewes to be Canonicall And so they doe match that word that all men alwayes and euen themselues acknowledge to be lesse certaine with that which they knowe that no good man euer doubted of Argument But lest they should seeme thus to dote without reason they vse in effect these arguments for proofe heereof The first is that these bookes which we call Apocrypha are alledged sometimes of the Fathers in their writings Answers But the answere is easie For the alledging of them doth not prooue that they who alledged them did hold them for canonicall for then should it followe that poets philosophers and such like who are often alledged by the ancient writers should so be But this rule must stand alwayes good which S. Hierome hauing reckoned vp those bookes which now in our Bibles are accounted canonicall and no other ◠rologo in lib. Reg. qui Galeatus dicitur Ruffinus in symbol prolog in Prouerb hath Whatsoeuer is besides these must be put amongst the Apocrypha Yea to be short they do alledge them because they may bee read to the edifying of the people but not to confirme the authoritie of any ecclesiasticall doctrine as saint Hierome saith of Tobie Iudith and the Machabees and Ruffinus also vppon the Creede De doct◠ina christian lib. 2. cap. 8. The second argument is taken out of Augustine because he reckoneth vp the books which we call Canonicall and also the Apocrypha and calleth all Canonicall So doth the third councell holden at Carthage also Cap. 47 with some other ancient writers Answere Admit that this were the meaning of saint Augustine and of those Fathers shall their bare authority without reason be heauy enough to weigh
we derogate anie thing herein from the power of the spirit whose direction if we could follow we should neuer do amisse but impute it to our owne weaknes ignorance corruption whereby it commeth to passe that euen the godly many times grieue Gods spirit and suffer him not to haue his perfect worke Other arguments also they haue but they haue scarce any shew of truth and therefore I thinke them not worthie answering for their places out of the fathers doe commend the faith of Rome that then was and their constancie in the same but what is that to this degenerate church of Rome that now is of the church whereof we may say as one saith of their citie that a man will seeke Rome in the midst of Rome So a man will seeke the church euen in the midst of their most shewe of religion and yet not finde it Of the markes of the Church or how wee may know the true Church CHAP. 9. THE PROTESTANTS WE must iudge of the tree of the church by the fruits that she bringeth foorth that is by the faith or religion that shee teacheth the confession or profession of the same that she maketh the exercise of the same that she vseth but we cānot iudge truely of these her fruits but only by the scriptures as in the fiue first chapters hath beene shewed therfore the true and infallible tokens or markes of the true church are to be had out of the word of God or the Scriptures THE PAPISTS NOwe the Papistes will haue their church to bee the true church because shee hath by vniust claime a good name to bee called Catholike Name catholike Antiquity Continuance Greatnesse Succession because shee is ancient and hath lasted long she is great and hath alwayes borne fruit such as it was for these are the first fiue notes reckoned vp by Bellarmine Lib. 4. de notis eccles and indeede their chiefest which especially they rest vppon And may not an euill tree haue all these properties Yes verely And as for the rest of his marks in the iudgement of an indifferent Reader they will neuer be accounted true markes of the Church excepting those notes wherein he seemeth to consent with vs to try the church by the word namely by holinesse of doctrine Because I haue in another treatise shewed I trust sufficiently that those markes of the church which they make greatest account of neither are any true markes and that we may make as good claime to them as they can it shall now be sufficient briefly to passe ouer this point and with one or two arguments to answer this question The scripture the true note of the true church Those markes of the church whereby wee may truely know the church and not be deceiued those I say onely are the true markes of the church But the scriptures onely are such Therefore they onely are the infallible markes The maior or first proposition no man will deny And that the Scriptures are such may appeare by infinite testimonies De pec merit remiss lib. 1. cap. 22. Saint Augustine saith it can not deceiue nor be deceiued And against the Donatists de bapt lib. 2. cap. 6. calleth the Scriptures the holy wey-scales or ballances Cap. 1. And in his booke de bono viduitatis he saith that the holy scripture doth set him his rule how to teach And to be short writing vpon saint Iohns Epistle he saith that Against deceitfull errours In Ioh. epist tractatu 2. God would set a strength or stay in the scriptures And Chrysostome saith vpon Genesis Hom. 12. in Genes that the Scripture wil not suffer him to erre or go astray that heareth it And therefore Gregory Nazianzene sometimes calleth the Scriptures The Kings high way Matth. 24. And our sauior Christ although he foretold the danger of error a litle before he suffered yet doeth hee not giue the Disciples any such markes whereby they should know the true Christ or true church as the Papistes speake of but he earnestly commendeth his word vnto them Ioh. 14.15 23. 15.7 And feruently prayeth vnto his father to sanctifie them with his trueth Ioh. 17.3 17 namely with his word for he knew that to be the way to keepe them from errour By all which it appeareth that the scriptures onely are accounted that perfect rule not only by the iudgement of the fathers but also by the practise of our sauiour Christ But most plainly S. Chrysost saith Opere imperf hom 49 That the true Church can be knowen only by the Scriptures I know that Bellarmine answereth this place in his 4. booke de verbo Dei ca. 11. after two sorts First that the booke sauoureth somwhat of Arianisme But in these words what Arianisme can Bellarmine finde Yea Bellarmine himselfe doth in other places alleage this booke But his second answer I confesse is very forcible For he telleth vs that in a booke printed of late that place is left out Haue they not thinke you answered the place strongly when they haue thrust it quite out of the booke If they had vsed Chrysostome onely in this sort yet were it too bad dealing but it may appeare by Franciscus Iunius his preface before the booke called Index Expurgatorius that they haue left few of the Fathers vncorrupted I would to God therefore that this and such other gelding and falsifying of the fathers by that deceiuing church of Rome which seekes to make them al say as she doth could stir vp the christiā princes that professe religion in a godly care to prouide for the safetie and maintenaunce of religion and the trueth thereof in time to come Which in my iudgement can not well be perfourmed except that to preuent the credite of those falsified copies which within short time are almost onely like to remaine because the ancient which are the truest wil be worne out the godly Princes by common consent woulde take some speedy order for printing of al the fathers according to the ancientest and most pure copies that might be found The second argument is this Whatsoeuer notes do not teach it to be euidently true that the church whereof they are the notes is the true church of God may deceiue and therefore are not certaine notes of the true church But such are the notes that the Papists would haue vs to beleeue therefore they are but deceitfull notes De verbo de◠lib. 1. cap. 2. The maior or first proposition is most true and may well bee prooued out of that axiome or rule that Bellarmine setteth downe saying De notis eccles li. 3. ca. 3. That the rule of the catholike faith must bee sure or certaine The minor or second proposition is Bellarmines owne confession euen in the selfe same words that I haue set downe Therefore it followeth necessarily that we must not trust the notes of the catholike church set downe by them CHAP. 10. Before I beginne
that that these things merit or deserue Gods wrath to be turned away He cannot proue it We denie not but God looketh vpon these things but not for the merit of them but for his owne mercies And therefore master Bellarmine hath not yet prooued that fasting doth merit And this is the thing that hee should proue But on the contrarie A true vse of fasting in our fasting we acknowledge our selues to bee vnworthie of Gods creatures and that by our sinnes wee haue depriued our selues of the vse of his benefites and deserue not euen these his ordinarie graces which the verie beastes themselues maie freely enioy And in this heartie acknowledging of our owne vnworthinesse wee prostrate our selues before Gods mercie seate seeking for mercie not pleading but fearing and refusing our merit Now of this popish opinion of merit by fasting hath sprung vp another abuse in fasting Of popish fasting dayes That the papists haue dedicated these their fasting dayes not onely to the seruice of God for they supposed that they could by such meanes please him whereas it is all one to him whether wee come full or fasting so that wee come so as our hearts may bee most sitte to serue him but also to the honour of their Saints imagining thereby to deserue some fauour at their handes And for this cause did they deuise to fast vpon their Saintes Euens and at such other times as wee see the Popish Church vseth not so much to tame the flesh for that fasting we also affirme to be necessarie neither yet in any politike respect which belongeth not to our question but euen because they foolishly thinke that in so doing they worship God and the Saints and do a thing acceptable to him And to this ende is also appointed their lent fast their wednesdaie and fryday fast saterday fast embar fast the fasts of aduent and cogation weeke But that these cannot be accounted times of necessitie to be kept and obserued for fasting in respect of any religious obseruation of the same it cannot better be proued than by that diuersitie of opinions and iudgement which M. Bellarmine himselfe is forced to confesse to be in the ancient fathers De bonis operibus in part li. 2. As they shall vnderstand that reade of the book before alleadged the fifteeneth the seuenteenth eightteenth and nineteenth chapters As for their fastes vppon saintes eues they come after al the rest Seeing therefore there is herein such diuersitie it is plaine enough that neither any certainty of doctrine can heere be gathered neither can they cal it a catholicke religion that is like Iacobs coate of many colours farre from vnity of faith But with saint Hillary I maie say In ps 118. A It is most hard for a man by the doctours of this world to vnderstande the meaning of heauenly precepts And this I could wish that at al times we would striue by this and other good meanes to tame our rebellious flesh and that we also would prepare our selues vnto the holy exercises of our religion either by this or anie other way that maie further therein but that fasting it selfe doth make vs acceptable to God wee must not thinke And out of this their opinion of the merit of fasting ariseth another most absurd doctrine of binding the conscience to their lawes of fasting Their lawes of fasting bind not the conscience Li. 2. de bonis operibus in part ca. 7. Ierem. 5.6 as the church of Rome teacheth with one consent as M. Bellarmine confesseth And he wil proue it by the example of the Rechabites who vpon the commandement of Ionadab their father abstained from drinking of wine A weake proofe The Rechabites obeied the politicke lawe that their father Ionadab gaue them therefore the church may binde mens consciences with the law of fasting It is one thing to bind the conscience another thing to require external obedience The fast and holie daie which is commaunded to be continued in the storie of Hester is like vnto it Hester 9.31 for a day of remembraunce of Gods great benefit towardes them but not to binde the conscience Such also is the fast mentioned in Zachary of the fourth fifth seuenth and tenth monethes which although it might perchance vppon good and godlie consideration be taken vp and we debarre none but exhort all persons to humble themselues vnto the Lord yet how little their conscience is bound thereto it partly appeareth because God faith in the former Chapter that they did not fast vnto him and willeth them to harken vnto the ministerie of prophets and to execute true iudgement and shewe mercy and compassion euery man to his brother not to oppresse for these are in deede good workes that God regardeth in comparison of which hee little esteemeth those their fastes Partlie also because God wil turne their fasting into feasting into ioy and gladnes and prosperous high feastes as there he saith Act. 15.29 And lastly he bringeth that law that the apostles set downe of not eating the bloud and things strangled A law I saie made by the direction of Gods spirite as there is witnessed for a lawe whereof they can finde no such praise A law that was made according to the necessity of that time to auoide diuision and for the better vniting and gathering of the church of the Iewes and gentiles as M. Bellarmine confesseth and therefore such a law as lawfully might be made For in thinges indifferent the church maie take order for the quietnes or anie other waie for the benefit of the fame Whereby they would establish a law for euer to binde the conscience A law I say which themselues wil confesse we are not bound vnto but doe against that law that the apostles made But how could we breake that law if it bound the conscience Or if it doe not binde the conscience why doth M. Bellarmine bring it to proue that the church may tie or bind the consciences of the faithfull vnto their lawes of fasting Thus we see that not one of all the places alleadged by him out of the scripture doth prooue the necessity of these lawes of fasting which so straitly they command Therefore by the weakenes of their proofe we may see the falsenes of their doctrine Difference of meates Now I come vnto the last point of their doctrine which we mislike which is the difference of meats that they make Wherein if they doe not conspire with the Ebionites and sundry other hereticks that did condemne flesh as a thing vnpure yet it seemeth that they haue bin brought vp in the schoole of the heretickes called Apostolici Serm. 66. in Cantica of whom S. Bernard reporteth that they would eate no whit-meate milke and whatsoeuer came of it or whatsoeuer was ingendred But our aduersaries tel vs that the Ebionites Tatianites Maniches Priscillianists and such other heretickes doe vtterly condemne flesh as vncleane or vnlawful to be eaten at any time
saint Augustine by this prison meaneth hell De salut docu cap. 64 from whence the sinner shall neuer come Now what is this to purgatorie The fift place alledged by master Bellarmine is out of the same chapter Mat. 5.22 Whosoeuer is angrie with his brother c. Here master Bellarmine gathereth out of S. August that all these punishments belong to the life to come Then also that there are three sorts of sinnes De ser dom in mont li. ◠He might also haue told vs out of S. Augu. that in Gods iudgement anger that is the least of these sinnes deserueth hell But that maketh against purgatory and therefore he would not see it And it is most certaine that our sauiour Christ there teacheth vs that the cōmandement Thou shalt not kill is sundry waies broken Neither can out of these words be gathered that there must be satisfaction after this life which Bellar. would proue Moreouer he reasoneth out of S. Luke Make you friends of riches of iniquitie Luke 16.9 that when you shall want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations If by friends in this place we should vnderstand the saints yet it maketh not for purgatory as may appeare For in this argumēt there can be no necessarie cōsequence The saints must receiue vs into heauen therfore we must go by purgatory but the saints cānot neither must they haue that honor giuē to thē that they shuld receiue vs into the euerlasting habitations Mat. 25.34 it is Christ that must say Come ye blessed He must giue that inheritance that hath bought it with his pretious bloud or else a man may giue it vnto the wicked that shall neuer come there or to such as out liue him neither of which can bee there to receiue him By al which reasons it appeareth that in those words our sauior Christ doth but allude vnto such as whilest they haue ability doe make others their friends So would hee haue vs whom God hath made his stewards with well vsing of our riches to please God that hee also of his gratious goodnes may shew mercy to vs. Luk. 23.42 Seuēthly Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome saide the thiefe that was put to death with Christ therefore saieth maister Bellarmine he thought that sinnes might be after this life remitted So that this is his meaning as the papistes would perswade vs remember me that is let me be praied for when I am dead Vers 43. But they doe not remember how Christ promised he should not come in purgatory but be with him euen that day in Paradise His eight place He loosed the sorrows of death so it is in greeke Act. 2.24 but M. Bellarmine that hee might get an argument out of that place woulde haue vs reade the sorrowes of hell It is not worth answering because hee must alter the wordes or els he must haue one argument fewer than hee looked for His last place himselfe misliketh and thinketh it not to proue any thing for them and therefore I will not speake of it Now for their argumentes out of the fathers hee that will but indifferentlie consider of them shall finde the fathers to be in this point verie vncertaine And the question being amongst vs whether purgatory bee a catholicke doctrine wee haue not to regard what they in their priuate and doubtful opinions doe set downe but what with one consent and constantly they teach Seeing therefore that neither the fathers with one consent teach it neither themselues knowe well what to saie of it as in many places of maister Bellarmine his two bookes of purgatory may appeare I wil conclude with that golden saying taken out of Gelasius a pope We reade that Christ raised the dead Causa 24. Q. 2. ca. legitur but that hee absolued such as died in error wee doe not reade And afterwardes speaking of the authority of binding and loosing giuen in those words Math. 16 1◠Whatsoeuer thou shalt loose vpon earth shall bee loosed in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth c. Gelasius thus inferreth In earth saith he for he that is dead being bound he said not that he should be absolued or loosed An abridgement of Vincentius Lirinensis with some obseruations vpon the saide Author CHAP. 32. NOw in steede of a conclusion vnto this treatise of controuersies I haue thought good to draw into a briefe summe that booke of Vincentius Lyrinensis against heresies which is so much alleadged against vs. Whom because they so confidently produce against vs in defence of their cause I take his authority to be so much the stronger against them that euen by the iudgement of their owne witnes for so they recken him they may bee conuinced of newnesse and falshood in their doctrine and of vntruth in challenging to their errours the name of catholicke faith and to themselues of catholicke men or women But before I come to the treatise it selfe that we may the better vnderstand vpon what occasion he so greatly accounteth of the ancient tradition of holy men for the interpretation of the scriptures first wee must perswade our selues that this learned father coulde not bee ignoraunt of that way to finde out the true meaning of the scriptures which the godly fathers a little before his time had set downe namely by conferring one place with another and by waying the circumstances of the place it selfe As S. Hillary de trin li. 1. Ambr. in Psal 118. Serm. 8. Hierom vpon Esay 19.1 Basil in reg breu quaest 267. Chrysostome vpon Gen. hom 12. And saint Augustine in many places haue plainly taught Neither yet must we imagine that Vincentius contrary to that which himselfe teacheth throughout this whole booke would that this his rule shoulde bee accounted the onlie way to finde out the trueth of Gods worde and that which so many before him with such a ful consent haue taught vs shoulde bee reiected Therefore it is cettaine that his meaning is to such godly waies as others before him haue vsed for trial of the truth to adde this also as a rule that may bee profitable and doe much good if it bee vsed wisely and truly considered of And the rather did hee teach vs this way because the Pelagians so boldly and confidently preferred their newe doctrine before the ancient faith whereof this authour complaineth fol. 15. And Nestorius condemned all that were before him as if they knew nothing in comparison of himselfe as wee maie see fol. 54. For this cause Vincentius teacheth vs in this his booke which hee therefore calleth Commonitorium an admonition or caueat to auoid the new deuises of priuate men and to holde fast the ancient faith of the vniuersal church And yet although Vincentius Lyrinensis did then see that that which was then catholicke and auncient it was also true and therefore that then it was a good rule to trie doctrines by yet the argument of the Church of