and I know not where they haue placed hir They can not assigne vnto me any persons time or place wherein their Synagogue had a resplendent face and a laudable dilatation §. 2. The SECOND Consideration touching a visible Church free from any damnable errour The Protestants loosenesse and confusion in their description of the Church 1. I Considered Secondly that this VISIBLE Church can neuer be taynted vniuersally with any errour and specially if it be such as either expressly or implicitely indangereth the principles of saluation for in matters of the necessity of saith she is freed from the possibility of errour 2. Hence it is that i Part. 4. de Vnit. Grac. Considerat 6. Iohn Gerson a man highly * See afterward c. 3. § 3. num 4. c. aduanced by D. Field prescribeth this ensuing obseruation as an infallible rule VVhatsoeuer is determined by the Pope of Rome together with his generall Councell of the Church in matters appertayning vnto faith that is vndoubtedly true and to be receiued of all the world For this consideration is founded in the articles of our faith VVe belieue that there is an HOLY CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH which is exempted from errour in hir faith c. 3. As this position was credible with me for the Authours sake and he vpon D. Fields singular commendation so I was induced farther and more strongly perswaded to intertayn it by the certayn warrant of him who is TRVTH it self and promised his Spirit vnto the holy Apostles with assurance Io. 16.13 that he should lead them into all Truth 4. In quality it is Truth without errour In quantity it is All truth necessary and expedient for them or vs in this peregrinant estate For as this promise belonged then particularly vnto each Apostle so it belongeth now generally vnto the whole Church which being taken either in hir latitude as she is diffused ouer the world or in hir representation as she is collected into a lawfull Synod is priuiledged from errour in hir doctrinall determinations 5. And this was clearely imported vnto me in a sentence of S. 1. Timoth. 3.15 Paull vnto his beloued Timothy whom he instructed how he should behaue himself in the house of God which is the ground and PILLAR OF TRVTH 6. For howsoeuer it pleaseth D. k Pag. 199. The church of Ephesus hath erred damnably in faith Field to elude the grauity and power of this Scripture by restrayning the Apostles sense therein particularly vnto the Church of Ephesus which was committed vnto the Episcopall care of Timothy yet as many reasons did preuayle with me to reiect his exposition so I preferred the authority of S. l Commentâ—r ibid Ambrose saying that VVhereas the whole world is Gods the Church is sayd to be his howse of which vniuersall Church Damasus the Pope is Rectour at this day This Vniuersall Church is the Pillar of truth sustayning the edifice of faith 7. Herevpon l Prascripe cap. 28. Tertullian deriding the hereticks of his time esteemeth it a base and grosse conceipt in any man to suppose that the holy Ghost who was asked of the Father and sent by the Sonne to be the Teacher of TRVTH should neglect that office vnto which he was designed and that he should permitt the Church to vnderstand the Scriptures otherwise then he spake by the mouth of the Apostles And farther Is it probable saieth he that so many and so great Churches if they did erre should erre thus conformably into the same faith VARIASSE debuerat ERROR doctrinae Ecclesiarum Caeterùm quod apud multos VNVM inuenitur non est erratum sed TRADITVM Errour bringeth variety but where vnity is there is the truth Thus the Churches are many in number but one in faith diuided in place but ioyned in opinion 8. Mine earnest meditation in this point taught me to lament the confusion of our Protestants admitting innumerable sectaries into our vast and incongruous Church Fox in Act. Mon. See the 3. Conuers of EnglaÌ„d which is a very Chimaera thrust together and fashioned in specificall disproportions But this was our necessity hard necessity and not our choyce to make such a pitifull delineation of our Church For whereas we had not any certayn succession to deriue hir descent and petigree from the Ancients we were compelled in this respect to deale liberally like good fellowes and take sondry hereticks with incompatible factions into our society least by the same reason for which we exclude others we should exclude our selues also from the communion of the Church pag. 137. 9. Hence it is that D. Field laying the fundation of his Babell feareth not to say that the Churches of Russia Armenia Syria AEthiopia Greece c. are and continue parts of the TRVE CATHOLICK CHVRCH A position manifestly repugnant vnto Reason and Authority Vnto reason for if truth of doctrine be a Note of the Church as we defend how is that a true Catholick Church which impugneth the truth and how is that one Church which is distracted into many faiths Vnto authority for S. * de haeres in perorat See the 3. conuers of England Part. 2. chap. 10. num 10.15.16.17 c. Augustine doth constantly affirme that whosoeuer maintayneth any heresy registred or omitted by him in his Treatise he is not a CATHOLIQVE Christian and consequently no member of that Church wherein alone we haue the promise of saluation For as our * Fides in Christum faith in Christ must be TRVSTFVLL liuely and actiue by a speciall application of his merits vnto our selues so our * Fides de Christo faith of Christ must be TRVE syncere and absolute by a iust conformity vnto the will of God reuealed by him and propounded by his Church And therefore D. Fields * Part. 4. de vnit Graecorum considerat 4. Gerson intreating of peace and VNITY in the Church laboureth to draw all men into a communion of faith and iudgeth it a great folly in any man to conceiue that we may be saued in our particular sects and errours 10. When I had discouered by an earnest prosecution of this point how naturally and powerfully our ProtestaÌ„ticall * The Church may erre Diuers Churches though erring grosly in faith make vp one Catholick Church c. doctrines conuaigh men into Laodiceanisme and a carelesse neglect of vndefiled Religion whence Atheisme must necessarily ensue I resolued with hearty affection to vnite my self vnto that Church which is pure and single in Religion wheresoeuer I should deprehend the same For though I saw that the Protestants religion was false in some things yet I had great hesitation and doubt whether the Papists were true in all as S. * Confess lib. 6. cap. 1. Augustine spake sometime vnto his louing Mother I am now no Manichee nor yet a Catholick Christian And so mine estate as well as his might be resembled vnto the case of that patient * S.
Religion Which though it be such an ignoble and an vngodly deriuation of the Church as tendeth vnto the great contempt and ignominy of Religion yea the pure subuersion and annihilation thereof yet necessity hath inforced vs Protestants vnto theis paradoxicall fancies for thus no otherwise can we sustayn the essence and existency of our Church 8. The conclusion which yealded it self vnto me out of the former consideration was this Whereas there hath bene no visible Church nor member thereof for many hundred yeares which was not HERETICALL in an high degree as our doctrines do clearely import it followeth either that the PROVIDENCE of God hath fayled or that the true Church was inuisible or els that the true visible Church may err damnably in faith None but Atheists will affirme the first the learnedst Protestants deny the second Scriptures and Fathers conuince the third Wherefore reflecting vpon our accusation of this doctrine I saw that it was vniust and thus I resolued by a powerfull demonstration issuing from the premisses that Purgatory is no heresy nor Antichristianisme as we pretend with greater violence then reason but a parcell of the true ancient Catholick and Apostolick faith as the Papists do confidently belieue CHAP. II. The WISEDOME of God in designing fitt Instruments to be the Messengers of his will and Reformers of his Church doth confirme the aforesayd doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead §. 1. VVho were the first enimies of this doctrine what was their condition 1. IT is a graue waighty testimony which S. Iohn Damascen deliuereth in his Oration concerning them who are departed in the faith Our mercifull Lord doth appoynt saith he and gratefully accept our duty in that mutual relief which we exhibit one to an other both in our life and after our decease For otherwise he would neuer haue ministred this occasion vnto vs to remember the departed in the time of the holy Sacrifice vnlesse this seruice were approoueable in his sight Neither is there any doubt if this were a ridiculous and fruictlesse act but that whereas there haue bene many holy men Fathers Patriarchs and Doctours inspired with the holy Ghost he would haue putt it into some of their minds to represse such an errour But there is none of them all no not one that euer intertayned a conceipt to subuert or impugne the same 2. As this laudable custome of prayer for the dead was thus perpetuated without any interruption opposition or dislike of the best men in the best age euen of Constantine himself so the first enimy thereof AERIVS was an insolent and gracelesse wretch Anno Dō 354. a disciple of the Arrian heresy and such perfidious doctrines as x Contra Campian pag. 261. D. Humfrey himself doth liberally confesse though otherwise there are some things in Aërius which were not distastfull vnto his palate 3. But this rare illuminate did not contayn himself within theis limits Wherefore pretending a farther accesse of heauenly light as the nature of heresy did incline him for it is full of vanity * Idē licuit Martionitis quod Martioni Lutheranis quod Luthero de suo ingenio fidē innouare c. Tertul. praescrip cap 42. innouatiō making poore seduced people to hunt counter in their owne fancies and prescribing no certayn rule vnto the instability of their hearts he vented three peculiar heresies deuised and fabricated in the shopp of his owne brayn The FIRST that there is no disparity betwixt a Bishopp and a Priest The SECOND that it is a folly to pray or offer sacrifice for the dead The THIRD that it is against Christian liberty to haue any generall and appoynted dayes of fasting for then we should seeme to be vnder the Law c. 4. Theis heresies are no small part of the Geneuian Ghospell and therefore I haue obserued it diligently in our Authours as a very remarqueable poynt that howsoeuer they corrade and heape vp sondry heresies fiercely obiecting the same vnto the Papists yet they are silent in three Vigilantianisme Iouinianisme and * The true Caluinists admitt the 3. heresies of Aërius as we foe in France Scotland c. this Aërianisme whereof I now intreat For theis are goodly starres in our firmament and shine most brightly in our Sphere Notwithstanding my learned Authours do exceede Aërius also forasmuch as he did not wholly impugne the dreadfull Sacrifice but esteemed it vnprofitable for the the dead whereas they reiect the thing it self and this vse of it with like contempt 5. This Aërian heresy was extinct and buried some few scattering fellowes excepted vntill the yeare of our Lord 1156 when it was raised See afterward chap. 3. §. 4. and enliuened agayn by Henricus a Frenchman in whom our Protestanticall Religion did more spectably reare vp it self then before furbishing vp some old ragges of S. * Sainted by D. Fullees authority in his answ to the Rhem. Testam in 1. Timoth. 3. Annotat. 7. Vigilantius and others for the resplendency and completenesse of his ghospell 6. Nunc audi quis ille sit saieih y Ep. 240. S. Bernard vnto Hildefonse the Earle of S. Giles now it may please you to vnderstand what was the quality and condition of this Apostle First a Monk and then an Apostata from his order So was our S. Luther Secondly a pretendent of Apostolicall life Such sheepebiters were our freese-gowne Preachers whose doctrines enkindled the furious people See the statutes of King Rich. 2. c. and seasoned them with the principles of rebellion Thirdly a violatour of Chastity So was S. Luther euen * M. Powell de Antichr pag. 324. Magnus ille Reformator he our Great Reformer An example vnknowen to reuerend Antiquity and reserued vnto our ghospell that a vowed Monk should conioyne himself in mariadge with a professed Nunne which though it be not adultery yet peius est adulterio it is tarr worse in S. * De bono Viduit c 11. Augustines censure howsoeuer D. Field minceth it and saieth Pag. 153. Augustine MISLIKETH them that vow and performe not 7. Finally I saw a cōnfluence of impieties in our French Apostle whether I respected his Religion or Conuersation And therefore I could not withstand this iust sentence pronounced by S Bernard Ibid. saying Non est hic homo à Deo qui sic contraria Deo facit loquitur this man is not sent from God who acteth and speaketh things so repugnant vnto his will §. 2. God vseth no such instruments to reforme his Church 1 HEre inlardging my meditations I considered more exactly that the supreame Maiesty of heauen earth is respectiue of his honour the incolumity of his Church and as it is against his gratious Prouidence that the Spouse of his Sonne and the Mother of the faithfull should suffer a generall and diuturnall eclipse in hir profession so now it is farther against his high WISEDOME that when she wanteth
Protestants into * 9. are noted by Bellarm de Euchar. l. 1. c. 8. You shall find 84. noted by Claud. de Sainct in lib. de Euchar. Repetit 1. cap. 10. many interpretations but the word it self was confirmed by a * 3. LateraÌ„ generall Councell not inuenting a new faith for the whole Church past and present consented therein by an audacious decree but expressing the old by a significant name For it is iudiciously obserued by h Part. 1. Serm. pro viago Regis Rom. secuÌ„da parte principali direct 3. Gerson against the innouatioÌ„s of VVickliffe and Husse that in the Church we must keepe a certayn forme of speach and that it is an euill liberty to speake erroneously and amisse Wherefore as the holy Councell of Nice did wisely restrayn all men to acknowledge the word Homousia so the Catholiks in the Ariminian Councell saw too late the great inconuenience in leauing men vnto a liberty of speach in this behalf For the world did sigh as S. i contra Lucifer Hierome saith and wondered to see it self become an Arrian not by any hereticall decree as M. k Cathol doctrine of the Church of England pag. 114. Roger's doth vntruly insinuate but by permitting such a freedome as we Protestants affect viz. to define as we see cause in matters of faith according vnto the Scriptures whence they we gayn aduantadge to erect our owne fancies §. 4. The Ancient Catholick Church in hir Prayers for the dead in hir Oblations c. did intend precisely to relieue soules afflicted temporally in a penall estate 1. VVHen I had thus deriued prayer for the dead by a perpetual line froÌ„ the holy Apostles I proceeded farther to examine the purpose inteÌ„dmeÌ„t of the Catholick Church in this religious act for I could not coÌ„tent my self with this simple glosse of l Tom. 1. Epicher de Canouâ— Missa Zuinglius viz If it be so as Augustine and Chrysostome affirme that prayer for the dead is referred vnto the Apostles I think that the Apostles did onely permitt it vnto the infirmity of some Christians c. 2. This seemed vnto me an heathenish euasion and iniurious vnto the syncerity of the Apostles Besides was Aërius the onely man filled with the spirit to impugne this thing which suffered no contradiction vnto his time Wherefore hauing many reasons to amandate Zuinglius with his black admonitour I repayred vnto them who were of more candid and honourable disposition And here I singled foorth two Fathers the one of the Greek Church the other of the Latin esteeming this a sure and conuenable meanes to leade me into a solid apprehension of the truth 3. The FIRST was S. m Cateches mystagog 5. Cyrill Arch-bishopp of Hierusalem who in his instructions of the people whom he was carefull to informe herein according to the simplicity of the Catholick faith hath this ponderous and effectuall senteÌ„ce When we offer vp the Sacrifice commonly knowen by the name of Masse a thing which should not be ingrate vnto vs Englishmen See Beda in his Eccles histor lib. 1. c. 26. forasmuch as it was a part of that Christian faith which we receiued in our first conuersion we make mention of all them who are fallen asleepe before vs. First of the Patriarchs Apostles and Martyrs that God by their intercession may receiue our prayers Then we pray for our deceased Fathers and Bishoppes and finally for all men departed amongst vs viz. in the * See S. August de cura pro mort c. 4. Catholick communioÌ„ For we belieue that this is a very great helpe for the soules of them in whose behalf we offer that holy and fearefull Sacrifice which is layed vpon the Altar 4. A powerable testimony But he goeth yet farther and saieth VVe offer vp Christ once slayn for our sinnes that so we may make him who is most kind to be * A propitiatory Sacrifice propitious and mercifull vnto the quick and dead This is one of those deadly heresies as M. n de Antichristo pag. 254. Powell is pleased to affirme which was deuised by the Pope himself and a parcell of his Anti-christian doctrine 5. But as Vincentius Lirinensis testifieth of himself Contra haeres in praefâ—t that he came forth noÌ„ tam Authoris praesumptione quà m Relatoris fide rather by the fidelity of a relatour then by the presumption of an authour so this Catholick Archbishopp a professed and zealous enimy of all hereticks as his owne * Catech. 6. circa med c. sayings may witnesse vnto vs propounded this doctrine vnto his owne flock whose saluation was deare vnto him not by his peculiar authority as being a father of his children but by the warrant of hir whose sonne he was and which is pia mater communis as S. o de curaÌ„ pro mort cap. 4. Augustine speaketh the pious common Mother of vs all and prayeth for all the departed by a generall commemoration 6. For this cause he saieth WE offer WE pray c. intending hereby to expresse the custome of the Vniuersall Church whose doctrine was famous renowned in this behalf And though we Protestants do often venditate the priuate conceipts of some vayle them vnder the preteÌ„se of a general coÌ„sent viz. WE say thus WE think thus So D. Morâ—on in Cathol Apol. Part. 1. lib. 1. in quaest ac descensu Christi ad inferos pretendeth thus WE coÌ„fesse that Christ weÌ„t truly into hell viz. in soule as Bellarmine himself doth teach c. Many such false protestatioÌ„s are vsed by him by D. Field and others As for the vanity of D. Morton herein it is abundantly refuted by that which M. Rogers himself deliuereth in his Cathol doct pa. 16. WE do thus c. which is a meere toy for the very nature and fundation of our Religion is such that as euery one conceiueth by his spirit so he is in trauayle to bring forth his owne Church yet S. Cyrill and the religious Fathers were more respectiue in their words waighing them in the ballance of a good conscience and a sober heart 7. Wherefore addressing my thoughts vnto a serious meditation of theis things I beganne more sensibly to discouer how vainely and foolishly I had bene terrified by the spectrical names of Popery Papists and the like the late inuentioÌ„s of an apostatical Friar inasmuch as the best the wisest the most learned Fathers did speake and write and practise directly herein as the Papists Catholicks for popery being translated out of S. * Sainted by M. Powell de Antich pa. 68. Luthers language signifieth the Catholick religion do speake and write and practise at this day 8. The SECOND Father was S. Augustine I was desirous to seeke after no more because I was assured that I could find no better vnto whom I did appeale as vnto the best and most faithfull witnesse of antiquity For so he is approoued by Iohn
Caluin himself and this opened the way vnto the conuersion of * Apol. p. 5. Iustus Caluinus as he hath testified vnto the world how beit as * Suet. â—o Ner. c. 56. Nero had little respect vnto his Gods saue onely vnto his Goddesse Syria and yet he defiled hir idoll with his vrine so Ioh. Caluin doth frequently make his repayr vnto S. Augustine with neglect of other Fathers and yet * Instit l. 3. c. 5. § 10. c. 11 §. 15. l. 2. c. 3. §. 7. c. he asperseth his name also with no small disgrace But resting my self vpon that commendation which it pleaseth Iohn Caluin in his liberallity to affoord vnto S. Augustine I referred the matter vnto his exact decision knowing well that his ability to conceiue and fidelity to relate the truth were sufficient to put an end vnto my laborious disquisition thereof and specially because that wise counsaile which he gaue vnto his seduced friend seemed to appertayn also vnto me viz. De vtilit credendi cap. 8. Yf thou art now sufficiently tossed in thine owne opinion wouldest finish this trauayle follow the way of the Catholick doctrine which euen from Christ by his Apostles is descended vnto vs from vs shall descend vnto our posterity for euer Which sentence did prepare my heart vnto a serious deliberation in this particular forasmuch as I saw that Prayer for the dead hath descended lineally vnto the Papists howsoeuer it is abandonned by our EuaÌ„gelicall Churches whence it followeth clearely either that the Catholick doctrine did not descend vnto S. Augustines Church or els certainly our Church is not Catholick which hath renounced that poynt of ancient faith many more 9. Amongest an OceaÌ„ of testimonies which preseÌ„ted themselues vnto me in S. Augustines workes I selected two which I will here teÌ„der vnto your wise considerations The FIRST was in his p Cap. 110. manuel directed vnto Laurentius and it is repeated in his resolutions which he maketh vnto the q Quaest. 2. questions of Dulcitius where he randgeth the dead into three orders Some liue so well as that they need not theis helpes Sacrifice Prayers Almes Some liue not so well as that they need them not neither yet so ill as that they can receiue no benefit thereby Some liue so ill as that they are made incapable of any such relief 10. Now since there is this triple estate of men deceased I was driuen perforce to conclude that the First are in Heauen the Second in Hell the Third in some temporall payn For though S. Augustine doth professe r Hypognost l. 5. this place is cited by D. Abbot against D. Bishopp p. 1. pag. 89. To the same effect is a sentence in S. Aug. de peccat merit remiss lib. 1. c. 28. cited there also by D. Abbot elswere that there is no third place besides heauen and hell yet I conceiued that there are 5. differences in this case First because the Pelagian hereticks against whom S. Augustine doth purposely dispute assigned a third place vnto children dying without baptisme but as S. Å¿ De Ciuit Dei lib. 21. c. 16. Augustine teacheth that baptized Infants suffer not the paynes of Purgatory at all so he affirmeth likewise that t De Genes ad lit l. 10. c. 15. Infants vnbaptized are excluded out of the heauenly kingdome c. and so they suffer the payn of losse for euer Secondly because the Pelagians place is perpetuall but Purgatory is teÌ„porall for though the same space shall alwayes remayn in nature yet not in the same vse Thirdly because the Pelagians supposed place is full of delights but Purgatory is ful of payn outwardly howsoeuer there may be great coÌ„fort inwardly in the security of saluation Fourthly because the Pelagians place is on earth but Purgatory is subterranean according to the most common and receiued opinion Yet I rather followed the iudgement of u Dialog de particulari iudicio animae cap. 30. See Gerion Parte 4. serm 2. de defunct Dionysius the Carthusian saying that by ordinary designation there is one generall place of Purgatory but by speciall dispensation of the Iudge there are many places And this may be testified by sondry examples in the dialogues of S. Gregory and other venerable authours Fiftly because the Pelagians imagined place is to be after the generall Iudgement and not before but Purgatory is before and not after as S. x De Ciuit. Dei l. 21. c. 13. Augustine witnesseth saying Some men suffer temporall punishments onely in this life Some after death Some both now and then but yet before the last and most seuere Iudgement 11. I proceed vnto the rest of S. Augustines former discourse which hath bene interrupted as you see by a pertinent and necessary digression As the Offices for the dead are three in number Sacrifice Prayer and Almes so in reference vnto the estate of men deceased S. Augustine distinguisheth them into three kindes Propitiations Consolations Thanskgiuings 12. The application is this First he saieth for men very good theis things are THANKSGIVINGS vnto God to witt for their felicity and ioy And here I remembred the testimony of y Haeres 75. Epiphanius whom S. z Epist. ad Quod. vult D. praefix Tract de haeref Augustine reuerenceth as an holy man and famous in the Catholick faith howsoeuer it seemeth good vnto D. a Against D. Bishopp part 1. pag. 86. D. Abbot pag 8â— peruerteth the sense of Epiphan as though the Church had prayer for the Saints c. Abbott to iustify Aërius a damnable heretick against him reporting that when wee make a memoriall of Patriarchs Prophets Apostles c. VVe separate Christ from the order of men by the honour and adoration which we performe vnto him that is to say we do not offer thankes for him as we do for some other men but vnto him as being God of equall maiesty with his Father And thus it is a great honour for the Martyrs saieth S. b Homil. 21. in Act. Chrysostome to be named in the presence of their Lord. For now in the holy Sacrifice Angels stand before him and tremble in his sight Yea they adore him there like true Popish I dolaters as S. c De Sacerdot l. 6. c. 4â— Chrysostome doth elswhere very excellently declare A poynt which conuinced me to the full for I was compelled to renounce all my former Protestanticall expositions * As namely his hyperbolizing c. of S. Chrysostome when I was strongly pressed with this testimony in England by a learned virtuous Priest 13. Secondly he saieth that for men very euill theis things are not helpes but yet they may be some CONSOLATION vnto their suruiuing friends This particular I found exactly treatised by him in sondry places namely in his incomparable work d Lib. 21. cap. 24. de Ciuitate Dei where he maketh this demand If any men haue an
suspition of their integrity because S. Cyrill Archbishopp of Hierusalem gaue me this infallible prescription t Cateches 4. Hereticks hide the venime of their opinions grato nomine Christi vnder the acceptable name of Christ And as the dignity the glory the exaltation of Christ is the marke whereat they all preteÌ„d to shoote so they will take their ayme from holy Scripture alone Cap. 37. and as Lirinensis doth well obserue they spice and sprinkle their heresies with innumerable sentences of the word §. 4. The FOVRTH consideration touching the lardge diffusion of this doctrine receiued by the vniuersall Church VVhence it followeth that either Gods PROVIDENCE hath fayled and that he hath not performed his promise or that this doctrine of Purgatory is not erroneous 1. I Considered Fourthly that this doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead things of mutuall dependency hath bene spread ouer the face of the * See before pag. 16. 17. vniuersall Church both Greek and Latin 2. For though I was informed by our u D Field pag. 99. D. Abbot against D. Bishopp Part. 1. M. Rogers Cath. doctr pag. 120. c. principall Authours that the Greekes neuer intertayned this doctrine yet I found that their suggestion was vntrue inasmuch as the writings of the * See afterward Booke 2. Chap. 1. §. â—2 num 6. Ancient Greeks and the practise of the whole Church including them in that generallity did testify the contrary vnto me in most abundant manner And if any prejudice could accrew vnto this doctrine because it is denied by some men in the Greek Church a greater inconuenience by the Force of the same reason must ensue vnto the doctrine of the Procession of the holy Ghost from the FATHER and the SONNE because this is more generally and earnestly impugned their heresy also herein being such if we belieue the Creed of Athanasius which is accepted by our * English Church Artic. Relig 8. though sometimes ill expounded as excludeth men from the possibility of saluation 3. But whereas my learned Authours do extend the deniall of Purgatory generally vnto the Greeks they erre not knowing See the CeÌ„sure of the Orientall Church or els dissembling the truth For Ieremiah the Patriarch of Constantinople in his rescript vnto the Lutherans deliuereth clearely that the Greek Church prayeth for the dead with intention to relieue some soules afflicted with temporall payn and for a more copious explication of his mind he remitteth them vnto an w De fidel desunct oration of S. Iohn DamasceÌ„ wherein this matter is lardgely handled For he testifieth that in the vnbloudy Sacrifice the Catholick and Apostolick Church maketh a memoriall of the dead Why to relieue their soules Agayn God grant me so to fashion my life that I may not stand in exigence of theis helpes after death But if my lyfe be intercepted and cutt of before I can fulfill my duty God grant that my friends may intreat his mercy on my behalf And thus S. Chrysostome the diuine Preacher speaketh in theis golden words If in thy life-time thou hast not so exactly composed thy soule as thou oughtest giue commandement vnto thy friends to transmitt their helpe vnto thee by almes and oblations 4. Wherefore I conceiued that howsoeuer some Greekes did not or do not admitt the doctrine of Purgatory precisely vnder this * Quis nid haereticus negare audehit TransubstaÌ„t Pracess Sp. SaÌ„cti a P. F. Purgator quia apud priscos sub talibus NOMINIBVS non commemorantur Alfons à castro contra beres l. 8. titde Indulgent name with some other circumstances yet the Church of Greece generally doth retayn the thing it self And this was farther illustrated vnto me by the confession of the Greekes themselues in the Florentine Councell for it appeareth by their publick protestation that they agreed fully with the Romane Church in the essentiall doctrine hereof howbeit they dissented from hir in some points which are not absolutely pertayning vnto the necessity of faith 5. Now concerning such as haue denied this doctrine as well in nature as in name in substance as in circumstance I noted a great difference in the manner and course and reason of their deniall For some denied it Secondarily and by way of inference that is to say by reason of a precedent errour Thus the Armenians certayn Greekes haue bene devolued into a foolish imagination to conceiue that the soule hath no sense of ioy nor payn vntill hir reunion with the body and hence it followeth necessarily that there is no Purgatory after death Some haue denied it Primarily and simply that is to say not in regard of any precedent errour inferring this deniall but directly and precisely in regard of the thing it self Thus onely our Aërians Henricians VValdensians and finally we Protestants issuing from such Progenitours haue reiected this doctrine by a violent separation of our selues from the visible society of the Church 6. But forasmuch as theis Henricians and VValdensians in whom we glory and Catholicks do not enuy vs this honour were sometimes members as truly and really connexed vnto the Papists as any other men and fell away afterward from their communion as VVickliff also did I intertayned my self a while in this consideration viz. Since there was a time yea many hundred yeares when no VVickleuian no VValdensian or Henrician did appeare who did then deny Purgatory who did then oppose himself against this heresy this damnable and blasphemous doctrine as we call it for many generations Wherefore as Tertullian doth excellently say There was a time when such Praescript cap 30. and such heresies were not knowen Vbi tunc Marcion vbi tunc Valentinianus c. where was Marcion and where was Valentinian then It is manifest that they themselues were sometime no hereticks but that they obserued the Catholick Religion c. So I spake in my secrete thoughts and sayd there was a time when our opinions were not knowen where was Henricus or VValdo then It is manifest that they themselues were sometime no impugners of this doctrine but that they did meekely and dutifully obserue it as a part of the true and Catholick Religion 7. I proceeded yet a little farther and considered that we Protestants could not possibly assigne so much as the shaddow of any one man our Henricians and VValdensians excepted denying or doubting of Purgatory who was not hereticall in some other doctrine euen such as we our selues confesse to bring very great and eminent danger vnto saluation And what aduantadge or defence could I take from any heretick to secure my self in such a case For if any man did please me in denying Purgatory yet he did displease me also by some odious and hatefull opinion wherewith he was infected and then I could not find out any true and Catholick Church vnlesse I would distill it mystically out of sondry persons and compound their simples into one body of
Negandum non est c. It is not to be denied that the soules of some men deceased haue relief by the piety of their liuing friends c. 24. Now what an absurdity were it in S. Augustine to affirme with great confidence that some soules are relieued by the piety of their friends and yet to be in doubt whether there be any distinct estate of soules afflicted with a temporall payn But whether it be more probable that S. Augustine was thus caried into a braynelesse conceipt or that the Protestants deriue his words against his cleare purpose I remitt me vnto your ingenious and wise determination 25. Meane while I shall intreat D. Field to take notice of one question which I desired long since to propose vnto him and to craue his playn resolution therein without ambiguous or perplexed speach Forasmuch as S. AVGVSTINE doth often and constantly deliuer vnto vs not onely by the knowen instruction of the Catholick Church but by the certayn euidence of holy scripture that there is a temporall payn inflicted vpon some soules in a future estate why doth D. FIELD conceale this poynt from his Readers and why doth he * Pag 7â— muster vp such sentenes onely as beare a shew of doubt and then make a pretense that Augustine did DOVBTINGLY runne into Purgatory and that he DOVBTFVLLY broached an opinion which gaue occasion to the Papists heresy in this matter Besides if the Papists were as greatly proud as * Pag. 71. 170. 1â—9 in epist dediâ— c. D. Field doth earnestly object this crime vnto them yet were they so foolish and obtuse also that they would rather assume this doctrine from S. Augustines DOVBTFVLL sentences then from his perspicuous and irrefragable authorities in this behalf 26. To conclude this second branch of D. Fields accusation it may please you to consider with me that as piety doth oblige vs to reconcile all places of sacred Scripture which seeme to imply any contradiction in such manner that the truth of each may be inuiolably preserued according to the intendment of the holy Ghost See Zanch. de Redemp in quaest de Inuocat Sanct. what rules he prescribeth in this case so wisedome doth prescribe vnto vs that no doubtfull sentence in the Fathers should be expounded or admitted against their certayn doctrine in other places and specially when it is strengthened by the publick approbation of the Church For as it is a singular impiety in Luther and in his truest disciples to reiect the Epistle of S. Iames vpon a supposed or seeming * We are iustified by faith without the works of the law Rom. 3.28 We are iustified by works and not by faith onely Iames 2.24 contradiction therein against S. Paull whence * See Duraeus in respons ad Whitaâ—â—ruÌ„ pag. 9. Pomeranus in his Lutheranicall violence sayth that the Author of S. Iames his epistle bringing an impious argument and making a ridiculous collection alleadgeth Scripture contrary vnto Scripture and thus he renounceth a part of holy writt with extreame defiance so it is a remarqueable folly in any man to inforce conclusions out of some obscure or dubious places in the Fathers sensed against their euident and perpetuall doctrine elswhere a course which the chief Protestants despise and contemne in the Puritans at this day 27. In the THIRD branch of this accusation D. Field is very iniurious vnto the dignity of this blessed and renowned Father For he knoweth that S. Augustine doth not fearfully impugne this errour viz. all rightly belieuing Christians shall find mercy in the end whatsoeuer their wickednesse were c. inasmuch as many testimonies are extant in his * Enchiâ—id ad Lauâ— c. 67. De fide opeâ— c. 15. De Ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 26. workes whereby it doth appeare that he disclaymed it absolutely and disprooued it fully howbeit he is modest and temperate in his disputes and not of that rusticity as our brethren in Luthers and Caluins ghospell who like Cadmaean vpstarts conuulnerate themselues with mutuall reproach whereby they are exposed vnto a publick and iust contempt 28. But now ô * This honour may be as duly giuen by me vnto S. Augustine as it is giueÌ„ by M. Rogers in his Cathol doctr epist dedicat nuÌ„ 4 vnto M. Latimer sacred and reuerend Augustine I will turne my speach vnto thy religious learned and excellent self Diddest thou so feare to oppugne an errour that thou diddest not feare to violate the truth Couldest thou not reprooue a falsehood in some men without giuing occasion of heresy vnto others Wouldest thou so peremptorily affirme and yet immediately doubt in the same thing and specially the matter being such as in extension did belong vnto the whole Church for so thou hast informed me and in consequence doth euacuate Christs meritts for so we pretend and impart his office vnto our proper satisfactions 29. If this be so then a Contra Henâ—ic 8. S. Luther had a good reason for his contemptuous demand Quis est Augustinus quis nos coget illi credere Who is Augustine and who shall compell vs to belieue him If this be not so why then do we traduce thy glorious name to destroy the ancient faith and why do we depresse thy incomparable worth to sustayn our ruinous cause § 3. S. HIEROME abused by D. Field 1. I Come vnto the third Doctour of the Latin Church S. Hierome whom our Great Reformer doth not onely b Luth. in Gen. 22. trample vnder his feete but also c Luth. in colloq conuiual in cap. de Scholast Theol. expelleth out of the number of Doctours and pronounceth him to be an Heretick for thus he honoureth and reuerenceth the Fathers much more then the Romanists do 2. Though D. Field hath moderated his stile toward S. Hierome and vsing the testimonies of this Saint at his pleasure dismisseth him whith a more gentle imputation saying that d Pag. 166. Hierome was a man of a violent spirit yet as the abuse which he offereth vnto him in the question of Purgatory is subtile in the manner and hatefull in the matter thereof so he doth plainely discouer his affection toward the Truth and the Fathers to be such that he neither respecteth how vainely he doth elude the first nor how vnconscionably he doth intreate the second Marke therefore e Pag. 79. This opinioÌ„ he putteth vpon S. Hierome as you shall see presently his artificiall passadge which here ensueth 3. It was an errour of sondry of the Ancient that all Catholick Christians how wickedly so euer they liue yet holding the fundation of true Christian profession shall in the end after great tormens endured in world to come be saued as it were by fire They durst not say as Origen that the ANGELLS who fell Note theis 4. opinioÌ„s shall be restored in the end nor as some others that all MEN whether Christians or Infidells nor as a third fort that all
and other hereticks 8. And here you may perceiue the singular falsehood of M. †in apolog Iewell pretending that they whom Papists do contumeliously call Lutherans and Zwinglians are truly FRIENDS and BRETHREN For as S. Luther himself would by no meanes permitt the name of BRETHREN vnto the Zwinglian but repelled them for hereticks as he testifieth in a certain * cited by Brentius in Recognit c. pag. 276. epistle so †ibid. pag. 282. Brentius and Melancthon resolued that they could not acknowledge them to be their brethren in regard of their impious and vayn opinions And though the judgement of Melancthon chandged as the moone whence his name is * See the examen of Fox his calendar chap. 16. num 72. 7â— c. odious vnto the truest disciples of Luther yet the Lutheran part of the Synod holden at Maulbrune 1564. make this declaration Whereas the Zwinglians haue deliuered abroad that we agnize them to be our BRETHREN this is fayned by them so impudently that we cannot sufficiently admire their impudency herein For as we grant them no place in the Church so we do not take them to be our brethren whom we haue found to be caried with the spiritt of lies and to be contumelious against the Sonne of man 9. Theis things are very playn and therefore I referr the decision of this whole matter vnto your self let your owne heart be the oracle whence you may assume a faithfull resolution And if your conscience shall assure you that the LIKE differences were not betwixt the ancients as are and were betwixt the primitiue fathers and brethren of your ghospell then iudge of your Doctours fidelity wherein you haue formerly had such a firme repose 10. I come vnto a SECOND pretense of your learned Doctour saying that the Papists themselues haue diuisions and differences pag. 168. c. and that therefore nothing can be concluded against the Protestants or for the Papists from the note of Vnity or from diuision which is opposite thereunto 11. But this poore recrimination can yeald you no defence For if the ey may be a iudge in this case we see a comfortable harmony in the Catholick Church the same doctrine preached the same Sacraments administred the same gouernment established But as your Ecclesiasticall gouerment in England in Scotland in Heluetia in Saxony is distinct so the doctrines betwixt your sayd Churches conspire not in some essentiall poynts In a word The Catholicks in Asia Africk Europe America haue a iust correspondency in faith but the Protestants in Europe for in it and some part of it alone are they confined haue great diuersity in faith and one faction doth prosecute the other with Vatinian hatred 12. Wherefore a THIRD pretense which your learned Doctour doth affect against the certainty of our experience will easily refute itself VVe want not a most certayn rule sayth * D. Field pag. 169. he whereby to iudge of all matters of controuersy and difference to witt the Scripture or written word of God expounded according to the rule of faith practise of the Saints and the due †Ad alium scripturae locum recurrendum est non expectanda hominis sententia ad liteÌ„ dirimendam sayth Zwingl tom 2. in responsâ—ad epist Eckij comparing of one part of it with an other in the publick confessions of faith published by the Churches of our confession In all which there is a full consent whatsoeuer our malicious aduersaries clamorously pretend to the contrary c. 13. If this rule be most certayn how commeth it to passe that the difference betwixt Lutherans and Caluinists standeth vncoÌ„posed at this day Why did * See loc coÌ„ Luth. part 5. pag. 52. Luther pronounce so seuerely that the Anabaptists and Sacramentaries contemne the WORD howsoeuer they make a shew of religion Why did Zwinglius so peremptorily affirme that Luther oppressed the Euangelicall truth Why did M. Cartwright so constantly protest that the Church of England is destitute of one moity of the word Finally why do all your sects as well the supreame of Lutherans and Caluinists as the subordinate factious in each cry out continually the word the word and yet no rule hath drawen them vnto a conformity of sense therein 14. Giue me leaue therefore to except against the pretended rule of D. Field for three respects FIRST because the Principle of your religion excludeth the meanes of reconciliation viz. the grauity of Councells the dignity of Fathers the authority of the Church For though D. Field in his epistle vnto the Archb. of Cant. doth iudiciously aduise all men to rest in the iudgement of the Church and sayth elswhere that you admitt a triall by the Fathers yet your ghospellers haue not accepted nor practised this direction It is not accepted by you for Clebitius to name one amongst many setting downe the lawes of a Synod betwixt the Lutherans and Zwinglians sayth precisely Solum Dei verbum sit iudex let the word of God be the onely iudge Likewise Zwinglius deliuereth this assertion against the Catholicks we will endure no other iudge but the word alone Now where is the meanes to define the questions of religion See F. Camâ— piaÌ„s fourth reason and compare it with the assertion of D. Field pag. 168. viz. the authority of a Councell is not the if the Church of God represented in a lawfull Councell hath not authority to iudge of the sense of Scripture and to oblige men to rest in hir decision But this prescription is not practised by you for you receiue the ancient Oecumenicall Councells with this restriction as farr as they agree with the scripture and so euery man is left vnto his owne choyce to determine whether this or that particular in the Councell be agreable vnto the scripture or not Notwithstanding this liberty is not permitted by your Bishopps vnto their owne inferiours for they know what inconuenience would follow by leauing the * Ministers vnto that vncertayn limitation and so they presume to require more duty of their children then they dare yeald vnto their Fathers but with what equity and indifferency your wisedome may easily conceiue as also how the vnity such as it is in your Church proceedeth onely from the vigour of law and not from the principles of Religion 15. My SECOND exception against D. Fields pretended rule is taken from a consideration of your persons which haue not that subordination which is requisite in this behalf For lib. 1. ep 3. whereas S. Cyprian doth excellently obserue that heresies arise from no other cause then that the Priest of God is not obayed and that men think not of one Priest and Iuge in stead of Christ it is most euident that heresies will increase daily in your Churches and no conclusion of peace can possibly ensue because there is not submission of judgement nor subjection of spirit nor vnion of members vnto their head Lutherans seeke
all the Fathers yea of the first sacred Councell of Nice it self and concurring with the damned Arrians in his exposition saieth expresly r CommeÌ„t in Ioh. 10.30 Ego Pater vnuÌ„ sumus Scio veteros abusos suisse hoc loco c. I know that the ancients abused this place to proue homousia that is to say the consubstantiality of the Father and the Sonne Wherefore being so guided by his Spiritt he geueth the Arrianicall glosse vpon that Text and saieth that the Vnity whereof our Sauiour speaketh is to be vnderstood of Consent and not of Essence This rare impiety in so great a Person discouered vnto me first of all by D. Å¿ Caluin Iudaiz Hunnius the Professour in Luthers owne chayre did treate with me more then two yeares ago as some of my kindest friends in England can beare me witnesse to renounce my Allobrogian Apostle and to be suspicious of new interpretations but specially which concerne matters of doctrine and faith as this particular doth For it may please you to consider with me that though the Fathers err sometimes in their expositions secundum analogiam loci in respect of the analogy of the place yet they are syncere and respectiue to preserue the analogy of faith And where their interpretatioÌ„s agree we may resolue infallibly This is the doctrine of the Catholick Church 4. SECONDLY because I saw the strandge mutability of Luther himself whose Ghospell was cast in the mould of a * See the Orthodox Confession of the Tigarines who complayn of his inconstant humours variable fancy in his iudgemeÌ„t of the Scripture This is the maÌ„ nay the Angell rather who is the first moouer of all late Euangelicall spheres But when he is diuided into his three parts it will appeare that he was not the flying Angell meÌ„tioned in the t 14.16 Apocalyps as M. u de Antichristo pag. 324. Gabriel Powell fancieth but a lying Diuell as captayn x Tom. 2. contra Lâ—theri CoÌ„fess Zuinglius doth no lesse truly then seuerely chastise him for his false doctrines inteÌ„perate deportment 5. First Martin Initiant made an earnest protestatioÌ„ in his publik disputes at Lipsia sayd y See Eckius in Homil Tom. 3. homil 4. in die Animaerum circa med I who belieue stroÌ„gly that there is Purgatory yea I am bold to affirme I know that there is Purgatory am easily perswaded that there is meÌ„tioÌ„ of it in Scripture 6. Secondly Martin Progredient was some what chandged from his former self and now the Angells feathers beganne to appeare by little and little z Roffens contra Luth. artic 37. I do belieue saith he that there is Purgatory and I do giue meÌ„ counsell to belieue it but yet o tender hearted man I would haue no man compelled to belieue it for I find no mention thereof in the Scriptures 7. Thirdly Martin ConsuÌ„mated gaue this incouradgemeÌ„t vnto a rebellious faction a in epist ad VValdeÌ„s VVhereas you deny Purgatory and condemne Masses Vigills Monasteries Cloysters and whatsoeuer was erected by this imposture I approoue you altogether therein Thus did M. Luther behaue himself in this particular and thus violently he reiected what soeuer was distastful vnto his vncertayn and misguided humour Wherefore I perceiued now that though the censure of Zuinglius was very sharpe yet it was grounded vpon equity whereas he saith that b Tom. 2. coÌ„tra Luth. confess Luther is a false Prophet an incorrigible Heretick an Impostour Antichrist a Diuell a foole a brabler and not a Diuine one whose bookes contayn nothing els in them but a manifest oppression of the pure truth and euangelicall light c. To which purpose he violated the holy Canon of sacred Scripture dispundged the c This point is fairely aymed at by D. Field pag. 252. epistle of S. Iames with great contempt 8. My last and THIRD reason was taken from a consideration of Zuinglius the first Patriarch of our late English Gospell For he d De subsid Sacrum acknowledgeth that he was informed by a certayn admonitour in his sleepe how in this proposition Hoc est Corpus meum the verb est is put for significat and saith whether he were VVhite or Black I remember not But e In proâ—…m Caluinist Theolog. Many hereticks haue had coÌ„trary Diuells as Nestorius Enryches c. Conradus a great superintendent in Luthers gospell sheweth that it was a black one and no doubt but he was of the same colour as those companions were by whom Luther was attended no vulgar Diuells in his opinion and they propounded vnto me saith f See Iustus Caluinus annotat in praescript Tertull. cap. 43. Luther the arguments of the Sacramentaries to wittt of Zuinglius Oecolampad c. but I ouercame them all by the word of the Lord. 9. Now let any Christian heart vprightly syncerely and feelingly waigh whether finding this pride in some this Diuelry in others they being the first principal maisters in our gospel and mutuall oppugnation of their owne senses in holy Scripture I had not reasonable yea necessary and ponderous motiues to fly vnto the religious learned and reuerend Fathers of the Catholick Church to vnderstand the true sense and purport of the aforesaid Scripture They fauoured no Arrian heresy they hated society with Diuells they were guided by the sanctifying Spirit and therefore as I concluded then so I conclude now Let my soule rest with them in peace theis are the men whose sense I will intertayn rather then the new glosses of theis late Professours Thus by the validity of this Text I was led powerfully into the approbation of this doctrine CHAP. II. The Reason taken from FATHERS and APOSTOLICALL TRADITION to prooue PVRGATORY §. 1. Triall by the Fathers 1. MAny learned Protestants conceiue that the coÌ„trouersies of theis vnhappy times will be extended without any measure vnlesse Antiquity be made the vmpire in this quarrell For the holy Fathers are witnessing Iudges and iudging VVitnesses in this behalf To this end and purpose D. Lilly a man of excellent literature did alleadge In a sermon at Oxford within theis few yeeres and applaud the wise and necessary processe of Theodosius a most Christian Emperour against certayn insolent and supercilious hereticks whose pride in * Neque enim consimiliter singuli de veterum scriptis sentiebaÌ„t c. See Sozom. l. 7. c. 12. compare this with the Protestants case Citant ipsi Patres Deus bone quâ fide ete Gregor de Valent. in analys Fidei pag. 18. Talis est phrenesis nostrorum Romanistarum eò maior c. reiecting the Fathers did seeme a desperate disease and to be cured rather by sharpe lawes then by farther dispute 2. For mine owne part I protest freely from my heart that I was secured to make a triall of this present cause by the worthy Fathers being warranted thereunto not onely by my priuate sense but much
thou hast receiued and not deuised that which is brought downe vnto thee and not brought forth by thee that wherein thou art a scholler and not a maister a follower and not a guide c. 7. SECONDLY because the rule of S. Å¿ Contra Donatist de Baptismâ— l. 4 c. 24. Augustine which D. t pag. 242. Field himself doth accept was so cleare and waighty that I could not resist the power thereof viz. VVhatsoeuer is frequented by the Vniuersall Church and was not instituted by Councells but was alwayes held that is belieued most rightly to be an Apostolicall Tradition Such is the custome of Prayer for the dead For first It was practised in all ages and in all places as the most venerable Authours do constantly and vniformely teach Supplications for the soules of the dead were powred foorth by the Vniuersall Church in u de curâ prâ— mort cap. 1. S. Augustines time and the like testimonies were affoorded vnto me by the Fathers of the Primitiue Church namely S. x Epist 1. It is mentioned by Concil Vasens 1. c. 6. Clemens the Martyr in the yeare of our Lord 110 y de Coron Milit. Tertullian in yeare of our Lord 210 who z de Monogam prescribeth according to the doctrine of the Catholick Church vnto the wife that she should pray for the soule of hir husband to procure his rest and ease Secondly I could not possibly designe any Councell Oecumenicall Nationall or Prouinciall any Bishop Supreame or Subordinate by whom this custome was brought into the Church And here I considered that heresy doth alwayes spring from some certayn Person Time and Place VinceÌ„t Lir. and so it is discouerable by theis circumstances But if the Authour cannot be specially named which is a rare accident yet this was sufficient vnto me to conceiue that as Catholick Religion implieth three things viz. Antiquity Vniuersality and Consent so Heresy being opposite thereunto implieth necessarily the three contraries viz. Nouelty Particularity and Distraction 8. My THIRD reason to belieue that this is an Apostolicall Tradition was deriued from the liberallity of D. a pag. 242. Field himself VVhatsoeuer all or the most famous and renowned in all ages or at the least in diuers ages haue constantly deliuered as receiued from them that went before them no man doubting or contradicting it may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition This rule was very appliable vnto my purpose For first I had many pregnant demonstrations and conformable testimonies of the most famous and renowned in all ages constantly deliuering this thing as receiued from them that went before See the 2. Part chap. 2. And secondly I found that no man did contradict or doubt herein but such onely as were damned hereticks and are so recognized by the publick voyce of the Church Wherefore I concluded ineuitably by D. Fields allowance that Prayer for the dead may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition and b Decad. 4. serm 10. Bullinger himself feareth not to say that this is the iudgement of the Fathers WheÌ„ce I was compelled to inferre that D. c against D. Bishopp part 1. pag. 80. Abbott doth willingly deceiue himself saying that Prayer for the dead is a Tradition and an ordinance of the Church to which purpose he misinforceth the testimony of d Hares 75. Epiphanius whereby he would exempt Aërius from the crime of heresy iustly layed vnto his chardge by S. e Hares 53. Augustine and many others Lastly I was compelled to disallow the groundlesse opinion of f de Naturâ Dei lib. 4. c. 4. Zanchius and some others who referr the origin of prayer for the dead vnto humane affection and imitation of the Gentiles § 3. The mutuall dependency of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead 1. VVHen I had thus ascended vnto the fountayn of Prayer for the dead I reflected vpon my self and demanded of mine own heart saying but what is this vnto PVRGATORY For that was the issue vnto which my thoughts did finally incline 2. Wherefore for better illustration of this matter information of the Reader I will here lay downe a necessary point deriued out of the testimonies which ensue in the next section of this chapter and so you shall clearely perceiue the connexion and dependency of theis things 3. Though Purgatory and Prayer for the dead are things seuerally distinguished in their nature yet they are so inseparably tied in their bond that each doth mutually prooue the other Prayer for the dead prooueth Purgatory per modum signi by the way of a signe or declaration for it doth presuppose a penall estate wherein some soules are afflicted temporally after this life Purgatory prooueth the necessity of prayer for the dead per modum causae by the way of a cause for we are obliged by the law of Charity to make supplication vnto God in behalf of our brethren of the Church Patient in Purgatory Qui securi estis de vobis soliciti estâ—te de nobis S. August meditat cap. 24. as they being translated into the Church Triumphant in Heauen are led by the abundance of their charity to make intercession for vs of the Church Militant in Earth Which triple distinction of the Church I did embrace willingly forasmuch as it was confessed solemnely by Sir Iohn Oldcastle himself howbeit M. Fox seing that this was no small disreputation vnto the faith of our trayterous Martyr mingleth a * if any such place as Purgatory be found in the Scripture few wordes to abate the force of his confession This poore subtility of Fox is dismasked in the g Part. 2. chap. 9. num 18. three Conuersions of England 4. Thus I considered that not the Name but Thing and that things not accidentall but essentiall were to be inquired by me in this dispute I obserued farther that men are not the Authours to make but Expositours to declare their faith And as we do penetrate more excelleÌ„tly into the knowledge of any thing so we are inabled accordingly to expresse the same in proper and significant words For as the imposition of words ariseth from the freenesse of our will so the aptnesse of their imposition floweth from the clearnesse of our vnderstanding 5. Finally I called vnto remembrance that the Church of God hath drawen many lardge doctrines into compendious names as Trinity Sacrament and the like Thus the doctrine of Homousia or the coÌ„substantiality of the Father the Sonne Io. 10.30 is really contayned in the holy Scripture I and my Father are one See before Chap. 1. §. 3. num 3. a playn Text howsoeuer it be Arrianically violated by Caluin but the word it self was established by the first sacred Councell of Nice Thus also I saw that in the opinion of the Papists the doctrine of Metousia or TransubstantiatioÌ„ in the SacrameÌ„t is implied in the Scripture This is my body which little sentence is distracted by vs
* See S. August epist. 48. and say Nesciebamus hîc esse veritatem nec eam discere volebamus c. We knew not that the truth was here neither would we learne it But thankes be vnto God who hath taken away our feare and taught vs by experience how vayn and empty those suggestions are which lying fame hath cast out against his Church c. The end of the first Part. THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING A MORALL REASON which perswaded me to intertayn the Catholick doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. The PROVIDENCE of God in preseruing a visible Church free from any damnable errour doth confirme the doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead §. 1. The FIRST Consideration touching a visible Church I Considered First that God hath promised vnto vs a perpetuity of his Church both by his Sonne and Seruants For thus saieth his onely begotten Matth. 2◠20 I am with you alwayes vnto the end of the world 2. A comfortable saying ô Sauiour Iesus I not in body but in Spirit AM yea I will be also but * Before Abraham I am Ioh. 8.58 thus I expresse my self because I am eternall and immutable WITH YOV not in your persons onely but in your succession for euer and not inuisibly by grace alone but visibly also in a syncere profession of the truth ALWAYES VNTO THE END OF THE WORLD my Church shall endure throughout all generations Thus the promise of God made vnto Dauid historically concerning his seed Psal 88. c. is referred mystically vnto Christ in whose seed to witt his Church it is must be absolutely performed 3. I had yet a farther assurance from God by his Seruants Ephes 4.11 For thus saieth S. Paule He Christ hath giuen vs Apostles Prophets Euangelists men of extraordinary vocation in the beginning Pastours and Doctours men of ordinary vocation to the end for the consummation of the Saints for the worke of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ VNTILL we all meete in the vnity of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God into a perfect man into the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ 4. This Text of holy Scripture I knew to be diuersly and preposterously sensed as well by the * M. Cartwright against D. Whitgift Presbyterians against the Formalists as by the * D. Soteliffe against D. Kellisō Protestants against Cath. The first exclude Archbish. the second by the same reasō exclude the Pope But I secured my self in the true and genuine interpretation thereof which did infallibly and clearely demonstrate vnto me theis two poynts First that the Church of Christ must perpetually subsist without decay Secondly that it must be visibly extant without obscurity and concealement For how can Pastours preach the ghospell and administer the holy Sacraments where people are not assembled to that purpose and gathered into a society of faith 5. As for the example of Eliah I alwayes esteemed it a lamentable suggestion in this case For his complaint * 3. Reg. 19. I am left alone extendeth onely vnto the kingdome of ISRAELL wherein he then conuersed and wherein he with many others was persecuted by Iezabell vnder Ahab hir infortunate husband But at the same time the law was read the Sacrifice was offered pure Religion was professed and protected in the kingdome of IVDAH vnder Iosaphat a blessed Prince * 3. Reg. 22.43 walking in the good wayes of Asa his father This Iosaphat suruiued vnto the * 4. Reg. 3.2 coronation of Ioram the yonger sonne of Ahab and so the example of Eliah can not be of any force to defend the opinion of many Protestants concerning the inuisibility of the Church 6. Wherefore seing how D. Apolog. Cathol part 1. lib. 1. c. 14. Morton doth still reinforce this poynt though cleared sufficiently by sondry Catholicks euen in the confession of a learned Protestant in England from whose mouth I receiued this instruction many yeares ago as though the aforesaid complaint of Eliah pertayned likewise vnto the kingdome of Iudah I did often and greatly wonder that such a man against his owne conscience should deale so fraudulently in this behalf For first he saieth that Lombard doth giue this exposition viz. When the daughter of Ahab was married vnto * The sonne of Iosaphat The yōger sonne of Ahab was called lord likewise Ioram the king of Iudah then all the Iewes seemed to be Idolaters so that Eliah thought himself to be left alone and vpon this authority of Lombard the Doctour buildeth his exception against the former answere Now is this I beseech you an ingenious and honest deportment in the Doctour thus to presse the authority of Lombard whom he knew to be singularly mistaken herein and to err most playnely against the historical euidence of sacred Scripture Secondly the Doctour is pleased to colour and cloake the said exposition of Lombard with the name of S. Ambrose and for this purpose he frameth his quotation in the margent thus Lombard in Rom. cap. 11. EX AMBROSIO But I found that as S. Ambrose hath not one syllable to iustify this exposition in the least degree so Peter Lombard himself doth not assume it frō him nor once vse his name therein howbeit both before and after he gleaneth vp some sentences from that excellent Father Is this a faithfull course in a Minister of simple truth 7. Renouncing the opinion of our Inuisibilists as an impious and contemptible fancy I embraced a position of h pag. 19. c. D. Field which though it be mingled with some corruptions and vntruths in his discourse yet in it self it is very effectuall syncere The Church can not be inuisible in respect of Profession and this Profession is knowen euen vnto the profane and wicked of the world Agayn It can not be but that they Apply this rule to the Protestanticall Churches who are of the TRVE Church must by profession of the TRVTH make themselues knowen in such sort that by their profession and practise they may be discerned from other men 8. For this cause S. Augustine saieth in a playn and familiar kind of speach See the 3. Conuersiōs of Englād Part. 2. chap. 1. throughout digito ostendimus Ecclesiam we shew forth the Church with our fingers in this place and in that here she is conspicuous and thus she hath descended vnto vs by a fayr and spectable succession 9. Non sic Protestantes non sic as for the Protestants it is not so with them their Church was hatched in corners and inclosed long in Cymmerian darcknesse Wherefore as the good sinfull woman complayned mournfully saying Ioh. 20.13 They haue taken away my Lord and I know not where they haue layed him so I was inforced to take vp a iust complaynt against all nouelizing hereticks and say They haue taken away the Church of my Lord
Mark 8.24 who saw men walking like trees vntill he had a perfect restitution of his sight 11. Wherefore resting my self a while vpon a profitable and sound instruction of m Lib. imperfect in Gen. cap. 1. S. Augustine viz. God hath constituted a mother Church and she is called CATHOLIQVE because she is vniuersally perfect and halteth in * Therefore not in this particular of prayer for the dead nothing I referred the successe vnto a future triall hauing a constant and vnchandgeable purpose neuer to decline nor vary from this ground which I haue here presented vnto your Christian examination §. 3. The THIRD Consideration touching the Protestants zeale in condemning this doctrine of Purgatory and prayer for the dead as hereticall blasphemous c. 1. I Considered Thirdly that this doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead as it is generally renounced by our Euangelicall congregations so it is seuerely censured by many of our writers 2. Hence it is that n Pag. 79. D. Field himself chardgeth Purgatory with the disgracefull imputation of HERESY and yet he graceth it so farr as to affirme that Augustine gaue occasion vnto this heresy in the beginning 3. Hence it is that M. Rogers in the o Pag. 121.122 Catholick Faith of our English Church spending his tempestuous phrases against the doctrine of Purgatory saieth that hereby the Papists nourish most cursed and damnable errours and that * Pag. 123. it teacheth vs to be our owne Sauiours 4. Hence it is that M. Powell in his inconsiderate violence assigning many goodly reasons why p De Antichr pag. 453 NVLLVS NVLLVS inquā PAPICOLA SALVARI POTEST no Papist can be saued includeth * Pag. 123. the figment of Purgatory in that number Likewise in the same kind of precipitation setting downe 23. q De Antichr l. 2. c. 19. blasphemous opinions deliuered by the Church of Rome against the doctrine contayned in our LORDS PRAYER he inserteth this particular viz. * Pag. 457. She teacheth that VVE MVST PRAY FOR THE DEAD 5. But forasmuch as the glorious Emperour CONSTANTINE Great in birth Greater in victory and Greatest in Christian Religion which till his time was planted in the continuall effusion of bloud buylding a magnificent * At Constantinople See Euseb in vita Constant l. ◠c. 60. Church in honour of the 12. Apostles did foresee in his religious prouidence that the people mooued with the celebrity of that place would flow thither and there pray for him after his decease whereby he should be partaker of their deuotions for the benefit of his soule I was desirous to vnderstand here briefly by the way whether this imcomparable Prince following the instruction of the Catholick Church herein and whether the Priests together with the people supplicating vnto God pro anima Imperatoris for the * D. Field talketh of naming names c. see before pag. 31 But it is euidēt that the Catholick Church in hir best age prayed for the SOVLES of the dead And this exāple it self is an inuincible demonstration thereof SOVLE of the Emperour after his death as * Ibid. cap. 71. Eusebius relateth who was a reuerend Bishopp and in speciall grace with Constantine were guilty of a blasphemous opinion against our LORDS PRAYER or not 6. And my desire to receiue full satisfaction vnto this point was the rather enkindled within me because our Soueraigne Lord the King to whom all good Catholicks wish the happinesse of Constantine in faith imitating his blessed Mother a true Helena in hir virtues though not in hir fortunes made this just demand according to the sublimity of his excellēt apprehension r See the booke of the Conferēce at Hamptō Court pag. 69. What is it now come to passe that we shall appeach * Omnes nôrunt Cōstantinum fuisse admirandum in Christianismo c. Epiphan hares 69. CONSTANTINE of Popery superstition If the Crosse in baptisme were then vsed I see no reason but that we may still continue it Which royall sentence I applied duly vnto this particular of prayer for the dead and how effectuall it was with me the ingenious Reader may well perceiue if he will vouchsafe to make a little experience therof in his owne respectiue meditations 7. I returned speedily vnto my purpose for I was not willing to eclipse the light of my discourse with the interposition of M. Powells darke conceipts Finally therefore remembring that M. CALVIN is the Ipse dixit in the purest Ghospell in which respect it pleased * In a sermon at S. Maries Church in Oxon. 4. yeares since D. Airay to exhort his Auditours perswading them very earnestly and intreating them that they would by all meanes defend the estimation of M. Caluin and the rather because he is the man against whom the * And what think you of the Lutheransi doth not D. Hunnius himself beseech God to preserue his Church mercifully from th◠infection of Caluin See Caluin Iudaiz in fine Papists do principally bend their forces I contented my self with his s Eldershippes censure viz. PVRGATORY is a pernitious fiction of Satan disgracefull vnto the great mercy of God euacuating the Crosse of Christ dissipating and subuerting our faith pure and horrible blasphemy against the bloud of Iesus Christ c. 8. Hence it is that we Protestants haue sentenced Purgatory to be an Antichristian Doctrine For * And what think you of the Lutheransi doth not D. Hunnius himself beseech God to preserue his Church mercifully from th◠infection of Caluin See Caluin Iudaiz in fine he is Antichrist that denieth Christ to be come in the flesh And we pretend that howsoeuer this doctrine doth not positiuely deny that Christ is come in the flesh in regard of his Incarnation and Nature as he is a MAN ſ Institut lib. 3. cap. 5. §. 6. yet it denieth the same consequently in regard of his Satisfaction and Office as he is a REDEEMER 9. In which our specious venditation of reseruing inuiolated honour vnto Christ * Epist Ioh. 2. vers 7. I saw that we insist directly in the steppes of Nouatians Nestorians and the like The first pretended that they forsooth did exhibit * See S. Ambros de Poenitent cap. 2. in initio reuerence vnto God by their doctrine inasmuch as they teach that he onely and no man can forgiue sinnes The second could not endure that a woman should be stiled the Mother of their God Thus also the infatuated Presbyterians glory in their excellent cause saying * See M. Rogers in the Preface of his Cathol doctr num 16. Our controuersy is whether Iesus Christ shall be King or no. The end of all our trauayle is to sett vp the throne of Iesus Christ our heauenly King c. Which colourable piety and popular zeale in ancient or later Hereticks aduancing their opinions as Mountibancks extoll their wares did mooue me vnto a just
te exponente clariùs quod anteà obscuriùs credebatur c. 5. In REIECTING the Fathers and recurrring vnto the Scripture alone I saw that I should striue without successe not because the truth wanteth defence in this kind but because I feared least I might sweare fealty vnto mine owne sense and dwell therein as a snayle taketh impotent sanctuary in the shell which hir naturall art hath fashioned out of hir proper stuffe 6. Thus Iouinian a worthy Progenitour of Luthers ghospell did so wrest and peruert the sacred writt to establish his sottish heresy concerning the equallity of Ioyes in Heauen and Paynes in Hell that ſ Contra Iouinian lib. 2. paulò post med S. Hierome himself is forced to confesse Quis electorum Dei non tentetur c. who euen of Gods elect childrē may not be tempted with theis Scriptures which this subtile disputer hath artificially and cunningly inflected vnto his purpose In which scriptures Iouinian did so exult and triumph that being construed by his owne spirit they seemed inuincible in his conceipt 7. But the desperate folly of such as renounce the iudgement of the Fathers and dwell in their owne sense of holy Scripture discouereth it self most playnely in the late Founders of our Ghospell For thought t Tom. 1. in explanat Art 64. Zwinglius declining the triall of Antiquity saieth whereas Papists cry out Fathers Fathers I answere that neither Fathers nor Mothers shall cary it away but the word of God alone we will endure no other Iudge yet euery simple fellow doth know that Zwinglius erred notoriously and damnably in his exposition of the scriptures whence Luther protesteth that he was insathanized persathanized See the Tigurin Confess See Luth. Confess c. and supersathanized and in sondry places of his workes he challendgeth him for intolerable corruption of the Scripture 8. Howbeit Luther himself was not inferiour vnto Zwinglius in this kind And hence it is that u In respon ad Luth. Confess Zuinglius biddeth all men to behold consider how Sathan endeauored to possesse this whole man For whereas he doth erre very often and is miserably deceyued in the sense of Scripture he will compell God to excuse him to satisfy for him deuising this refuge and shift viz. If I be seduced Quà m certum est Deum esse Deum tam certus diabolicus mendax est Lutherus saith Campanus a renouned Zuinglian in colloq lat Luth. tom 2. fol. 351. or mistaken God hath seduced deceaued me c. 9. Werefore seing and estimating vprightly what immortall contentions and intestine conflicts passed betwixt our Founders and how this hereditary warr is descended vnto vs with farther addition and increase how could I belieue them or why should I not distrust my self hereafter in buylding my faith vpon that peculiar sense which a new and late Spiritt suggesteth contrary vnto the resolution of Fathers and Councells and the cleare consent of the Christian world O how iustly and fittly doth w Prascript c. 17. Tertullian insinuate vnto vs the condition of wrangling Hereticks He that is most exercised in holy Scriptures saith he may loose his voyce by contention with them purchase choler by their blasphemies For if we affirme any thing they will deny it yf we deny it they will affirme it and thus the victory will be none or very dubious or not certayn by this course 10. For theis and many more waighty considerations I setled my thoughts in this infallible position not doubting to find the concurrency of all wise discreete and learned Protestants with me in this behalf viz. See S. Aug. ep 118. This epistle is often cited against the Puritas namely by D. Whitgift against T. C. No exposition of Scripture is sound and perfect which is formed against the doctrine or practise of the knowen visible professing Church Whereunto I may add in remembrance of M. Iewells challendge this clause viz. for the space of 600. yeares after Christ §. 2. Some chief points in the former discourse to be obserued SECONDLY I considered the particulars of this discourse and waighed euery syllable as vprightly as I could ballance it in my vnpartiall reason For I did not favour the poore thing for the Authors sake nay I was more seuere vnto it in that respect 2. The conclusion of all was briefly this that the said discourse is TRVE or FALSE and so consequently either I must refute it or it must conuince me 3. If it be TRVE then my faith is conquered absolutely in this point and probably at the least if not necessarily in all the rest and specially wherein I haue dissented from the Romane Church 4. For Charity and Faith resemble each other in the nature of their processe Charity is the common bond of the Decalogue and tyeth all the precepts together Whence x Rom. 13.10 S. Paull sayeth that Loue is the fulfilling of the law and y 2. 10. S. Iames testifieth that VVhosoeuer breaketh one commandement he is guilty of all 5. Likewise Faith is * Ephes 4.4 one not in the matters belieued but in the manner of belieuing not in the object but in the habit All the Articles of our Creed all the doctrines of Christian Religion haue a iust connexion in the order course assurance of our belief whence morall reason doth dictate this rule vnto all mens vnderstandings that the certainty of errour in one point of faith doth prooue the vncertainty of truth in all euen as an errour in any one parcell of the Kings Patent maketh a nullity in his whole grant 6. I noted farther that as this Rule is infallible in all points of my faith a negative faith buylt for the most part ex destructione veritatis as z Praescript cap. 42. Tertullian speaketh of the heresies in his time so principally in this which consisteth in the impugnation of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead because I conceiued Nota. that the Papists doctrine herein was no lesse weake in fundation then it seemed dangerous in consequence 7. For which respect I promised a certayn victory vnto my self when first I singled forth this matter to be the subiect of my * With a Catholick in England dispute relying more vpon the weakenesse of mine aduersaries cause then vpon the confidence of mine owne strength 8. If it be FALSE then the contrary vnto it must needs be true For as there is a Truth in all things though more difficill and obscure in some then in others so it is but one and simple Yea truth and falsehood are so diametrically opposed the one affirmative the other negatiue that where all due circumstances are obserued there a Contradiction must necessarily ensue 9. Here I attempted as fairely and substantially as I could deuise to oppose a CONTRARY assertion vnto each particular going before For I conceiued that as this was a syncere and perfect way for me to discouer falsehood
CHRISTIANS how damnably so euer erring in the faith should in the end be saued but thought it most reasonable that all RIGHT belieuing Christians should find mercy what so euer their wickednesse were This fourth opinion was so generall in Augustines time that very fearfully he opposed himself against it and not daring wholly to impugne that which he found to haue so GREAT AND REVEREND AVTHOVRS he qualified it what he could and so doubtfully broached that opinion which gaue occasion to the Papists of their heresy touching Purgatory c. 4. Here the Doctour sorting his termes wisely for his owne aduantadge * ad LiteraÌ„ K. quoteth S. Hierome as though the reuerence which S. Augustine yealded vnto his person made him fearefull to impugne his errour But what ouerture is there of S. Hieromes errour in this point Behold two places alleadged by the Doctour out of his workes FIRST f Hierom. in Esaiam cap. 66. As we belieue that the torments of the Diuells and of all deniers of God and of all the wicked who haue sayed in their heart there is no God shall be eternall so we think that in respect of the sinners and vngodly * Et tamen Christiancrum sayth S. Hierome whose workes shall be tried in the fâ—re the sentence of the iudge is moderate and mixed with mercy SECOND g S. Hierome contra Pelag. l. 1. He writeth that Christians being preuented in sinne SALVANDOS POST POENAS are to be saued after paynes 5. Now consider I pray you with what art D. Field seeketh to obtayn his purpose For intending to dazle the vnderstanding of his Readers he adioyneth this sentence immediately vnto the former as Iacob followed Esau in the birth Genes 25.26 and held his brother by the heele which signified that he would in time supplant him viz. Augustine saieth in his Manuell to Laurentius chap. 67. that such as think that vngodly men and sinners POST POENAS SALVANDOS seeme in his opinion to be deceiued by humane beneuolence Hence a credulous and ignorant Reader must necessarily conceiue euen for the similitude of theis words post poenas saluandos that the opinion of S. Hierome is here particularly aymed at and reprooued by S. Augustine and for this end D. Field hath craftily conuaighed those words into S. Augustine howbeit they are not found at all in the designed * Euchirid ad Laur. c. 67. place as you may perceiue by that exact and faithfull translation of S. Augustines sentence which you shall find in the * §. 2. num 18. precedents vnto which I must remitt the courteous Reader because I haue confined myself vnto a certayn quantity which I may not exceed in this discourse For as Procustes extended their leggs which were shorter then his iron bed and contracted them which were longer so many men are tyrants vnto their owne conceipts enlardging or abbreuiating them according to the capacity of their paper I affect not a vanity with the first but I suffer a necessity with the second 6. I proceed As D. Field would inferr out of the two former sentences in S. Hierome that he was intangled with the * See before num 3. fourth errour viz. all right belieuing Christians shall find mercy whatsoeuer their wickednesse were so I might inferr by the same reason NOTA. that he was intangled with the third errour viz. all Christians how damnably so euer erring in the faith shall in the end be saued and if any man will stand so ill affected vnto S. Hierome as D. Field doth he may inforce the one as well as the other out of the aforesaid places 7. But I satisfied my self for two considerations that good S. Hierome a great and reuerend Authour indeed as D. Field confesseth truly howbeit with a purpose to deceiue was guilty neither of the third nor fourth opinion as you see them randged * num 3. before nor to be accused reasonably by any man in this behalf FIRST because some particulars in the aforesaid sentences exempt from this suspition as namely * In the first sentence QVORVM opera whose workes shall be tried in the fire c. which word quorum is not taken explicatiuely to signify all Christians but distinctiuely to note forth vnto vs one certayn * What degree this is you may conceiue by his doctrine which here followeth num 3. degree of Christians who shall suffer a temporall punishment in fire Agayn S. Hierome h Lib. 1. contra Pelag disputing learnedly against the Pelagians speaketh thus in the name of the Catholick Church VVE say that Christians preuented in sinne shall be saued after the infliction of some paynes What we I and a faction onely consenting with me No but that Church which you impugne and which I defend And if S. Hierome had exceeded hir knowen intention he were guilty of notorious treason against the integrity of hir faith 8. SECONDLY because many graue sentences in S. Hieromes works do cleare him wholly from that vniust imputation and * If occasion required it so I had greater reason to vse D. Fields direction in this case then i Pag. 166. he had to vse it in some other viz. Hierome wrote many things that must haue a fauourable construction to make them accord with that which elsewhere he hath deliuered Consider therefore with me the waight and efficacy of theis testimonies k S. Hierom in S. Matth. cap. 26. It is not sufficient vnto saluation to haue faith vnlesse faith be confirmed with good workes Agayn l S. Hierom. in Hos c. 4. VVhen hereticks see men offend against God they say that God seeketh nothing of them but the * Hereticks faith is false but as they think it to be true so S. Hieromes purpose is to shew that true faith without good works auayleth not vnto saluation VERITY OF FAITH For this cause the people are not humbled but they rejoyce in their sinnes and go forward with a stiff neck VVherefore the People and Priest Maister and Schollers are bound vp in the SAME IVDGEMENT 9. I considered farther that S. Augustine refuting this errour which D. Field deriueth vpon S. Hierome as though he were * He nameth none other See before nuÌ„ 3. one of those great and reuerend Authours for whose sake S. Augustine fearfully opposed it and durst not wholly impugne it c. produceth a very forcible and powerfull reason to expugne it viz. m S. August in Enchirid. ad Laur. c. 67. if men of Catholick and entire faith should be saued in the end notwithstanding their wicked liues and perseuerance therein vnto their last howre then it would follow that faith may saue a man without workes But that is impossible saith he euen by the testimony of S. Iames and of this matter I haue treatised elswhere in a * De fide operibus c. 15. c. booke written by me to this effect Now were it not
their verdict the Church of God seemed to deserue more blame then this heretick who is branded with just infamy and perpetuall disgrace 3. Though Bullinger was fiery and boysterous against our brethren of the house of Saxony the ancienter family of the yong ghospell yet he doubteth not to hold some good correspondency with them in this particular and therefore whereas he had made a lardge confession to his euerlasting shame saying e Decad. 4. Serm. 10. I know that the Ancients prayed for the dead I know what Augustine the noble Doctour and what Chrysostome the eloquent Preacher haue written of this matter I know that the Fathers say it is a Tradition of the Apostles and how Augustine affirmeth that it is a custome of the vniuersall Church to pray for the dead I know also that Aërius was condemned because he did oppose himself against it c. he taketh vpon him in his liberty to reprooue the Fathers and to debilitate the soueraigne authority of the Church But as the leuity of this man doth justly deserue that the seuere * Quanta vanitas qâ—aÌ„ ta impudeÌ„tia Bulliâ—geri c. See BreÌ„â—ius contra Bâ—â—ling pag. 105. c. reprehension of Brentius should be duely applied vnto him in this case so the pretense of * Against D. Kellison booke 2. chap. 4. D. Sutcliffe saying that Aërius was reputed an heretik for Arrianisme and not for finding fault with * Such superstition as the whole Church embraced See before pag. 60. superstitious oblations for the dead is such a folly as wise men would contemne or such an ignorance as a meane Scholler would commiserate and pity in a Doctour of so great celebrity and renowne For though it be true that Aërius was infected with Arrianisme yet forasmuch as he deuised new opinions repugnant vnto the Catholick faith he hath a peculiar and distinct place in the * Made by S. Aug and Epiphan catalogue of hereticks which were a superfluity and an absurdity also if Arrianisme had bene the proper cause for which he was condemned by the Church 5. I will leaue theis forayn Authours and repayr vnto our domesticks to witt D. Humfrey D. Abbot M. Cartwright and D. Morton who being of greater value then many others may stand forth and speake in the name of all the rest 6. The foreman is f Contra Campian pag. 261. D. HVMFREY whose resolution seemeth to be the publick confession of our Church NOS non improbaemus c. VVE disallow not any thing wherein Aërius did think * Quod rectè sensit Aërius truly c. Truly The Papists themselues will joyne issue with vs in this assertion But the question is whether Aërius did think truly in this particular or not Here the learned Doctour sheweth the perplexity of his heart See afterward Part. 2. c. 2. § 1. and yet adorning a fowle matter with fayr words he slideth forward and discouereth in plentifull sort that our Church doth propend wholly vnto the doctrine of Aërius in this point 7. The second is D. ABBOT whose authority must componderate with D. Fields and will discountenance his exposition of this matter g Against D. Bishopp Part. 1 pag. â—6 In the time of Epiphanius saith he there was an alteration made of the custome of Prayer for the dead Other deuotions were added vnto it with opinion to mitigate if need so required the very paynes of hell This AERIVS spake against and indeed spake against it with greater reason then Epiphanius hath defended it c. Here Maister D. Abbot dealeth iniuriously with Epiphanius in whose behalf S. Augustine shall witnesse that * See before pag. 27. he was a man very renowned in the Catholick faith But in the meane time do not theis men agree like harp and harrow One sayth h See before §. 1. num 1.2 SVRELY it appeareth c. The other sayth THIS Aërius spake against c. Thus they differ in their expositions as you see betwixt themselues and yet neither agreeth with the truth And no meruaile for i Lactant. haec est mendaciorum natura vt probè cohaerere non possint May I not say of theis men as k Offic. 1. Cicero sayeth of pedling merchants nihil proficiunt nisi admodùm mentiantur 8. The third is M. CARTWRIGHT who being an l See the opinions of Aërius before pag. 60. Aërian heretick in a farther degree then they are who principally obtayn the name of Protestants in our contrey howbeit that is the proper inheritance of Luthers more naturall children in his faith and reintegrating the heresy of Aërius * Pag. 403. touching the equallity of a Bishopp and a Priest is iustly noted by * So where D. W. obiecteth the CouÌ„cell of Nice vnto him he turneth it off affirming that it is spotted with infamy by decreing that single men admitted to holy orders shall not marry afterward Which point is fitt to be considered by M. Rogers saying p. 115. that if Paphnutius had not byn at Nice that Councell had erred D. VVhitgift iustly in respect of the thing vniustly in respect of their profession vpon the conformity which he embraced with Aërius in this matter And truly the pure or rigid Caluinists are guilty thereof without all possibility of defence But how doth the Presbyterian remooue this disgrace from himself and from the consorts of his folly I am not to regard sayth he what Epiphanius deliuereth in this matter for he was a man obnoxious vnto errour and if his authority could inconuenience me herein it might likewise confirme the popish errour of prayer and oblation for the dead which things are in no wise retayned by our Church 9. This is the summe and substance of his answere whereby I was excited to consider that as the * Aristot de histor animal irchin in hir naturall prouidence maketh a double prospect in hir nest that she may by this meanes defend hir self from the injury of all weather so the Protestants furnish themselues with a double principle viz. Scripture and Fathers In their conflict with Papists they limitt and confine all things vnto the Scripture sensed by themselues conueniently for their owne security and aduantage If they incounter the Puritans they reduce them vnto the judgement of Antiquity and suffer them not to randge vp and downe in their vast and vnsetled imaginations In theis principles they are very inconstant and runne into a circular absurdity without any certayn and indubious resolution of their faith 10. The fourth and last is o Cathol Apolog. Part. 1. l. 1. c. 33. D. MORTON who seing our reformed Churches deepely touched with Aërianisme seeketh by all meanes to decline the point and seemeth fearfull in handling his owne wounds or as Luther obserued in Zuinglius he paseth it so gingerly as if he trode vpon eggs and like a sheepe in the briers the more he struggleth the more he is intangled Behold therefore
persons is in its nature spirituall diuine heauenly and as it were gold the state of single persons is secular earthly and as it were dirt he vouchsafeth to yeald this worthy answere in defence of our Great Reformer Lutheri verba mihi nunc legere non licuit I could not read the words of Luther now howbeit Bellarmine doth particularly designe the * Luth. in Epithalamio place 17. But M. DEANE aduanced vnto this honour for his rare dexterity against the Papists hath vnfortunately preuented this excuse For remembring the wise counsayle of an heathen * Horat. de arte Poëticaâ— Poet who prescribeth that in a thing of lesser importance then the controuersies of Religion are a writer should bring forth nothing into publick view which hath not bene discussed euen * Nonumque prematur in annum a In his ep vnto the Archbish of Cant. nine yeres space with great exactnesse he tooke very speciall deliberation to compose and divuldge this renowned Treatise I bestowed sayth a he * Quidque domuÌ„ fert is DECIMO nisi dedecus ANNOâ— Ouid. TEN YEARES paynes vpon this work with most ardent desire to find out the truth least some man perhapps might object vnto me either prejudice or temerity therein Moreouer the booke which I vsed was of a second impression and beautified with this aduertisement Editio castigatior a more exquisite edition then the former Wherefore now that little sparke of poore hope which remayned in me to find some shew or shaddow of probable satisfaction touching the heresy of Aërius so seuerely censured in him by the Fathers and so earnestly obiected vnto vs by the Papists became vtterly extinct §. 3. How vainely D. Field excuseth the folly of Protestants which sheweth it self in the diuersity of their censures touching the aforesaid heresy of Aërius The true reason of their difference herein is assigned Their peruerse dealing with Antiquity 1. VNto this wound very deepe and lardge b Pag. 139. D. Field hath thought it expedient for our security to apply a rare and soueraigne playster viz. If it be sayd that sondry of our Diuines seeme to acquitt Aërius herein they are to be conceiued as vnderstanding his reprehension to haue touched the errours and superstitions which euen then perhapps beganne in some places and amongst some men For otherwise his reprehension if it be vnderstood to extend to the generall practise and judgement of the Church it is not nor may not be justified 2. As Sir c In respons ad Epist Pomerani pag. 8. If Luther do coÌ„playn of Luther do say c. D. Field pag. 192. Th. More answered vnto Pomeranus extenuating the haynous crimes of our brethren euen in the hatching-time of our ghospell though you mince the matter with si qui and si quid and si alibi and si non Christianum c. yet it is well knowen that you do generally perpetrate diabolicall and barbarous attemps so though D. Field doth here limitt restrayn and obscure a most eminent truth with if perhapps some men some places seemed c. yet I saw most clearely let the precedents testify in my behalf that we do notoriously conspire with Aërius in this issue what he denied the very same thing do we deny what he affirmed the very same thing do we affirme Es nimium similis patri c. ô Luther thou art too like vnto Aërius thy whole lineaments descry him to be thy Father in this particular conceipt As his reprehension extended vnto the generall practise and judgement of the Church so doth thine likewise and we employ our best skill to justify and maintayn the very same reprehension against the faithfull relation of hir chiefest Doctours and the perpetuall succession of all ages 3. But forasmuch as I perceiued that the Doctour doth wisely conceale and prouidently dissemble the quality and reason of that difference which our Diuines are chardged with in this matter I entered into a serious consideration thereof and obserued that it doth arise and flow NOTA. not out of their diuers apprehension of the thing it self but out of a different opinion which they intertayn concerning the authority of the Church Hence it is that Luther Zwinglius and such passionate gentlemen neglecting the triall of their faith by the testimony of Fathers and plausibly reducing all things vnto the Scripture either simply by admitting no other proof at all or respectiuely by admitting the Fathers as farr as they agree with the Scripture and so farr they may admitt a triall by the Diuell himself and yeald as much respect vnto him as vnto them confesse plainely and syncerely that Aërius did not err in his reprehension but that the Church erred in hir practise On the contrary other men pretending to deale more fairely with the Church their mother and to defend themselues vnder hir protection will not forsooth seeke hir ruine by whom they would seeme to stand and therefore they are compelled to frame most improper vayn and friuolous interpretations of this and other things to maintayn the goodnesse of their cause according to the nature of their defence 4. Briefly therefore I noted a triple variety in our courses which consist generally either in the Rejection or Misallegation or Misconstruction of the ancient and venerable Fathers For in the beginning and entrance of our Ghospell nothing was more triuiall then to speake contemptuously of the Fathers and to disclayme their witnesse in the controuersies of this time Shall I name the persons Nulli nota magis domus est sua no man kenneth his owne house more familiarly then that Luther Zwinglius Musculus and our primitiue Fathers are principalls in this rank Or if you will ascend a little higher and come neerer vnto the dayes of VVickliff himself you shall find this article ascribed vnto Reginald Peacock whom for this and others of this kind d De Antichristo pag. â—7 M. Powell hath registred in the Catalogue of our Euangelicall Forefathers and M. Fox hath fauourably graÌ„ted him a place in the * Febr. 11. Calendar of his Saints viz. Veterum doctorum authoritati parum aut nihil tribuendum little or nothing is to be yealded vnto the authority of the Fathers 6. In the progresse of our ghospell others pretending a more wise moderation in this case but performing as little honesty here as some shewed humility before would not so intemperately reject the Fathers and therefore they excell in misalleadging their testimonies as e Analys Fidei pag. 18. Ego habeo testimoniae sanctorum PatruÌ„ ego defendo Patrum dogmata sayd Dioscorus the heretick See CoÌ„câ—l Chalcedon Act. 1. Gregor de Valentia doth complayn of many Protestants and more specially of Kemnitius that Examiner saith he of the Tridentine Councell If this collusion fayle then succedeth the third which is misconstruction of things by deriuing the testimonies of the Fathers to an other purpose then euer they did or could intend A for example
howres he lay in the graue c. we may conjecture we cannot determine we haue semblable reasons but no inuincible proofes 6. Wherefore D. Field hath not propounded vnto vs the difference betwixt the Protestants and Catholicks but that difference alone which is meerely betwixt the Catholicks themselues who teach most consonantly vniformely and perpetually that there is a Purgatory and that there is a temporall payn inflicted in the future life Thus they grant the thing it self and presuppose it as * Poster Analytic Aristotle sayth that Subiectum must be praecognitum the subiect must be foreknowen and admitted before we will demonstrate any thing vpon the same and then afterward they dispute concerning other accidentall points such as are here remembred by D. Field And what is this but the liberty of Schooles which may well consist with the purity of Religion It is an exercise of witt without destruction of faith The Sunne delighteth to runne his course as a Giant Psal 18.6 and yet he neuer exceedeth his annuall or diurnall confines for he knoweth his rising Psal 103.19 and his going downe Likewise the Catholicks may liberally expatiate in theis poynts prouided alwayes that they contayne themselues within the obedience of the Church and the compasse of approoued truth Otherwise 2. Reg. 2.37 as it was death for Shemei to transgresse the precinct assigned vnto him by Salomon so it is at their perill if they go beyond the limitts which the spouse of the wisest Salomon hath prescribed in this case 7. But we Protestants for whom D. Field hath aduocated in this businesse deale herein after an other manner for we first deny that there is any Purgatory or temporall payn in a future estate we damne it as blasphemous hereticall and Antichristian doctrine then consequently and necessarily we deny the place the time the instrument c. Which are certain accidentall secondary and subsequent respects For in our disputes with the Catholicks we propose not the question thus VVhether some soules suffer in corporall fire tormented there by Diuells an hundred yeares c. for this is the difference amongst themselues onely but VVhether there be any Purgatory or temporall payn of soules or not As for example if any man should demand VVhether in the contrey of VTOPIA the soyle be fertile the situation pleasant and the ayre healthfull I would preuent him and say Sir there is no such contrey and therefore your demands of the fertility pleasure and healthfulnesse are superfiuous and to no purpose 8. Thus I was now sufficiently instructed to perceiue that though D. Field doth glory in theis positions viz. The things wherevpon the difference groweth betwixt vs and the Romish faction were neuer receiued generally by the Church and * See his ep dedicat the things which Papists now publish as articles of faith PVRGATORY is in that number were not the Doctrines of that Church wherein they and WE viz. VValdensians Albigensians Lutherans c. who were sometime actuall and true members of the Romane Church liued together in one * That is to say whē our Fathers Wickliff Luther c. were Papists not separated from the visible cōmunion of the Romane Church communion yet he doth miserably collude herein against his owne conscience which in so principall an Authour throwing downe his gauntlet of defiance in such manner is a very lamentable case 9. For where is that man in the time of the aforesaid communion who denied Purgatory or shewed any doubtfulnesse therein against the essentiall doctrine in which the true difference betwxit the Papists and Protestants doth stand most eminently at this day I did employ much time I searched into the volumes of antiquity I neglected no meanes to gayn all possible satisfaction in this thing and yet I could not find so much as the shaddow of any one man See before pag. 54. c. how Purgatory hath bene denied and by whom by whom this particular was impugned vnlesse he were in the number of such as departed from the visible society of the Church 10 Thus necessity compelled me to inferr that D. Field hath disabled his owne booke and ouerthrowen his Church Papists may triumph in the victory which their chiefest enimies haue wrought in their behalf yea they may joyfully applaud the excellency of their cause which inforceth hir greatest aduersaries to prostitute themselues vnto such base and dishonest courses Confess l. 5. c. 7. 11. Finally therefore as S. Augustine was in despayre to receiue contentment from any Manichee when Faustus the most renowned in that sect yealded no sufficient answere vnto his doubts so now I could not expect a fayr Magis desperab am de cateris corū doctoribus quando in multis quae me mouebant it a ille nomitus apparuit and just resolution from any professour of our ghospell when D. FIELD himself inferiour to no Diuine in England for which cause he was selected by the Archbishopp to treatise of that * Of the CHVRCH subject which is the very center and circumference in all religious disputes appeared so vntrue and so meane in this particular of Purgatory and prayer for the dead which we deride and contemne as a foolish detestable impious opinion and voyd of any reasonable defence To conclude here I tooke an argument first à Personis and sayd if D. FIELD deale thus what conceipt shall I intertayn of all other Professours Secondly à Rebus and considered if D. Field deale thus in THIS MATTER what shall I conceiue of his deportment in all other things Truly I haue necessary reasons to perswade me that the cause being very bad will discredit all hir Patrones but the Patrones being neuer so good can not by any meanes support their cause The end of the first Part. THE SECOND PART CONCERNING SOME FALSEHOODS AND CORRVPTIONS OF M. ROGERS AND D. HVMFREY in the question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. of M. ROGERS I Had iust reasons to esteeme highly of this mans work FIRST the Subiect of it to witt the Articles of Religion approoued by the Bishopps 1162. Clergy of our kingdome in which respect the booke is adorned with this resplendent title The faith doctrine and religion professed and protected in the realme of England and in the dominions of the same SECONDLY the quality of the Authour who is a Chaplayn vnto the Archbishop and conuersant in our Ecclesiasticall affayres For so he testifieth of himself in his * num 37. epistle dedicatory vnto his Lord and Maister saying Yeares haue made mine haires gray much reading and experience in theologicall conflicts and combats haue bettered my judgement c THIRDLY the speciall approbation of this booke viz. Perused and by lawfull authority of the Church of England allowed to be publick §. 1. Dionysius Carthusianus abused by M. Rogers Pag. 121. 1. PApists agree not amongst themselues sayth M. Rogers about the time which
they that be tormented shall abide in Purgatory For some haue giuen out how the poore soules there be continually in torments till the day of Iudgement as * De offic mort l. 7. DIONYS CARTHVSIANVS others as * De offic mort l. 7. DVRANDVS De 4. Nouiss do think that they haue rest sometimes as vpon Sunday and holy dayes others are of mind that they shall be set free and at liberty because their punishment is but temporall c. 2. Here is an ample testimony of an vnfaithfull heart For whereas this man of great experience is pleased to affirme that some Papists imprison the soules in Purgatory vntill the day of Iudgement and that by this opinion they dissent from others who conceiue that their payn is not of such perpetuity and length he offereth a generall iniury vnto them all and more particularly vnto that Author whom he alleadgeth to this purpose It is most vntrue that Carthusianus did deliuer such a fancy or that he was of such opinion witnesse that little treatise de modo liberandi animam è Purgatorio Witnesse his cleare assertion that soules * Dialog de particulari iudicio ani me cap. 30. being cleansed in Purgatory mount vp and fly into the celestiall paradise c. 3. What euidence therefore hath M. Rogers to justify this imputation I find none but this ensuing De 4. Nouiss Dionysius reporteth a certayn vision of an English-man who beheld a soule grieuously afflicted in a place of torment from which he receiued this answere I know that I shall not obtayn mercy till the day of judgement c. 4. But is this a sufficient reason for M. Rogers to pretend that in the opinion of some Papists the soules which suffer in Purgatory shall not come thence till the last day And now hath your experience good Sir thus bettered your judgement That which is peculiarly spoken of one soule will you thus extend generally vnto all The example it self here affordeth no such conclusion and the Authours doctrine elswhere doth plainely controll the same 5. Whereas you say farther that some Papists and namely Durandus do think that the soules in Purgatory haue rest vpon sundayes c. I will not rashly condemne your falsehood therein but you must giue me leaue to be doubtfull of your truth For I haue diligently and carefully reuolued the Authour and yet I find no such assertion in all that booke Peraduenture you relyed vpon them who lyed vnto you and so you haue told a tale after a Crete As for example you * Pag. 115. affirme that if Hierome had not bene at Chalcedon that Councell had erred What is your proof B. Iewell det fol. 58. Though here your experience did fayle you for S. Hierome was gathered vnto his fathers many yeares before the celebration of that Councell yet your greatest fault was your credulity in belieuing B. Iewell vpon his naked word which hath bene the destruction of many soules §. 2. S. Gregory noted for a Papist by M. Rogers how Eckius is abused by him 1. PApists agree not amongst themselues saith he about the causes of Purgatory torments Ibid. for some do think that onely VENIALL sinnes others think that MORTALL sinnes also for which men haue done no pennance in this life are there purdged 2. The first opinion concerning Veniall sinnes he attributeth vnto S. Gregory termeth him a PAPIST either forgetting or not regarding that our Christian faith descended originally from him and that it was receiued conformably by our State and that it was protected openly for 930. yeares by our worthy Princes in the number of whom many were pious in religion as Dauid wise in counsayle as Salomon valiant in warr as Iosuah in a word that this faith hath bene glorious in dignity and fruictfull in good workes And truly theis cogitations did enter so forcibly into my heart euen while I was a member actually of the Protestanticall Church that in my secrete thoughts I could not but acquitt the Papists from the crime of disobedience and vndutifulnesse vnto the State forasmuchas they made not theÌ„selues contrary vnto it but it is made contrary vnto them the chandge being in the State which propoundeth a new faith not in them who conserue the old And so much briefly touching the Popery of that illustrious Saint 3. As for the particular wherewith he is chardged by M. Rogers it is no shame nor disreputation vnto him * Tom. 10. homil 16. S. Augustine himself is no lesse deepely ingaged therein saying that there idle speaches euill and sordid thoughts and the multitude of light sinnes which infected the purity of our excellent nature shall be consumed c. Lastly Whereas M. Rogers saith that in the opinion of some Papists onely veniall sinnes are purdged c. he can not but know that their assertion is to be vnderstood of the guilt and not of the payn as you shall immediately perceiue 4. I come therefore vnto the secoÌ„d opinion coÌ„cerning Mortall sinnes which he ascribeth vnto * Posit 6. Eckius as though this famous Antagonist of our great Reformer had taught that Mortall sinnes as well as Veniall are remitted or expiated after this life Whence it followeth that he incurred the same fancy See before pag. 121. which as D. Field pretendeth S. Augstine did fearefully impugne in his time because it was embraced by great and reuerend Authours 5. But here M. Rogers doth abuse his Authour and deceiue his Reader For the position of * See Tom. 1. Luh WitteÌ„ber fol. 241. b. Eckius is this The soules in Purgatory do satisfy for the paynes of sinne from the guilt whereof they were absolued before and made not satisfaction in this life So then it is a falsehood in M. Rogers to pretend that in the opinion of Eckius mortall sinnes are purged c. For Eckius affirmeth that the guilt being taken away coÌ„sequently the sinne it self there remayneth a temporall payn to be inflicted vpon the soule For better illustration of which poynt it may please thee gentle Reader to obserue with me that as by mortall sinnes we are obliged vnto a double penalty to witt eternall temporall so whensoeuer the guilt is pardoned the eternall which is most properly coÌ„sequent vnto it is pardoned likewise but not the temporall Thus the Prophet giuing Dauid his absolutioÌ„ thy sinne is forgiuen added also thou shalt not dy 2. Reg. 12 and yet he imposeth a pennance to witt the child shall dy the reason whereof is this * See how Bellâ—rmine presseth this against Caluin in his fourth book de poenitent cap. 2. BECAVSE thou hast made the enimies of our Lord to blaspheme so it was an affliction for sinne past not onely a caution against sinne to come For though it be true that God doth rather intend the safety of his childreÌ„ then the punishment of their sinne yet he punisheth sinne in his
children the payn is more durable then the fault as * Tract 124. Ioh. S. Augustine speaketh least the fault should seeme small if the payn were finished with it 6. Now as the temporall payn of sinne is justly reserued after the remission of the guilt so it is not alwayes inflicted in this life De Ciuit. Dâ—l 21. c. 13. but sometimes in the next Wherefore S. Augustine confessing that God doth designe poenas teÌ„porarias pro peccatis praeteritis distinguisheth immediately and saith poenas temporarias alij in hac vit a tantùm alij post mortem alij hîc illîc patiuntur 7. Thus I found a double reason of Purgatory the FIRST because some smaller sinnes wherewith grace may consist in the soule are there expiated both in respect of guilt and payn the SECOND because some temporall payn reserued by the justice of God after forgiuenesse of the guilt by his mercy is there sustayned by them who haue not bene exercised with condigne pennance in this life And here ariseth a proper solution vnto the subtility of D. Field See before pag. 103. who would conclude that if all sinne be taken away which is the cause the effect must cease which is punishment c. For though the obligation vnto eternall punishment ceaseth actually vpon remission of the guilt yet the obligation vnto temporall punishmeÌ„t doth remayn by the justice of God his ordinance concurring with our desert is a sufficient cause to produce such effect Therefore till his justice be satisfied the cause of punishment doth still endure 8. To coÌ„clude Whereas M. Rogers would inforce an absurdity vpon Eckius other men as though they were distracted into great variety of opinion coÌ„cerning the cause of Purgatory he misreporteth their intentions For though some few men did conceiue that all veniall sinne is wasted and taken away from the soule immediatly vpon hir separation from the body yet I saw that they and all other Papists to speake in my old language do concordably and vniformely teach that no mortall sinne such as * See D. Field pag. 146. excludeth grace from the soule and * See S. Au. Enchirid. ad Laur. c. 69. excludeth the soule from heauen is purdged after this life otherwise then in reference vnto temporall payn reserued and inflicted after remission of the guilt But M. Rogers would lead his reader to conceiue that the Papists are singularly diuided in their opinions some affirming that onely Veniall sinnes others resoluing that Mortall likewise are cleansed in a penall estate 9. Many such collusions and deuices I obserued in this Author but I will not trouble your patieÌ„ce any longer with the recapitulatioÌ„ of his vntruths forasmuch as by this little which you haue already seene you may coniecture of the rest which I conceale VVhat can you expect from them whose Religion is founded vpon the sands of falsehood and not vpon the rock of truth Do men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles Wherefore I will now make hast vnto the conclusion of all and I will end my discourse briefly with him froÌ„ whom my conuersion did happily beginne CHAP. II. Of D. HVMFREY and his booke intituled Secunda pars Iesuitisini coÌ„tayning his answer vnto the 5. former Reasons of EDM. CAMPIAN COncerning the Authour and his work I will say little it is the iudgement of many principall Diuines in EnglaÌ„d that D. Humfrey was worthy to endito such a booke that the booke is worthy to proceed from Arch a man who was reputed sound in the fayth for which he suffered voluntary banishment profound in that science wherein he was a Doctour by his degree * At Oxon Professour by his place Besides as the qualitie of the aduersary deserued good respect and the weight of his reasons required condigne satisfaction which neither himself nor D. VVhitaker haue yealded thereunto so it did greatly import him to deale vprightly substantially in his answere forasmuch as he designed two * Burleigh Leycester honourable Persons to be the Patrones of his labour two learned * Oxford CaÌ„bridge Vniuersities to be the Iudges of his exactnesse But when I found his vnfaithfullnes in his relatioÌ„s his digressions from the matter Non ideò vera mihi videbantur quia deserta c. See S. Aug. Conf. l. 5. c. 6. the generall imbecillity of his discourse flourished with a certayn streame of eloquence and beautified with pleasing phrases I could not esteeme that to be a true venerable Religion which is so basely slenderly supported by theÌ„ who are accompted Pillars in our Church §. 1. S. AVGVSTINE notoriously depraued by D. HVMFREY Rat. 3. 1. VVHereas that excellent and renowned F. Campian in those short Reasons which bring eternall memory vnto their Authour doth obiect vnto the Protestants the inuisibility of their Church and that it was not otherwise visible for many ages then in some scattering hereticks AERIVS Vigilantius Berengarius c. from whom they receiued not an entyre religion but begged certayn pestiferous fragments alone D. c In resp ad Camp p. 261. 262. Humfrey finding himself taken in an inexplicable difficulty windeth vp and downe to find some plausible euasion and therefore he sayeth VVherein Aërius did erre we reject it wherein he held any thing agreably with the Scripture we receyue it c. 2. After this obscure and vncertayn oracle he resolueth most plainely that he and his Church will not digresse from Aërius in this poynt and therefore he addeth We do not disapproue that which Aërius thought and Augustine hath related that we ought not to pray nor to offer oblation for the dead because this is not contayned in any precept of the Scripture which d He quoteth Aug. de cura pro mortuis Augustine also doth seeme to signify when he sayeth that this commendation of the dead â—s an ancient custome of the Church Thus Aërius is iustifyed against the vniuersall Church and his heresy is preferred before the Catholicke faith But of this matter I haue intreated more particularly * Pag. 14. I wanted D. HuÌ„frey his booke when I cited his opinion which I haue faithfully deliuered though the word rectè be not in my author yet it iâ— sufficiently implied in him before 3. The thing which I yeald now vnto your coÌ„sideration is the subtile and artificiall collusioÌ„ of this renowned Doctor For wheras he pretendeth Scripture negatiuely against prayer for the dead and that S. Augustine had only custome to maintayne it I found that S. Augustine premiseth Scripture in defence therof then confirmeth it by that authority which to †Epist 118. impugne is the part of most insolent madnesse For e de curâ pro mort cap. 1. sayth he VVe read in the bookes of the * 2. 12. 4â— Machabees that Sacrifice was offered for the dead But if this were read no where in the OLD
The particular euidences are his seuerall opinions in the matters of faith which are controuersed betwixt the Catholicks and Protestants at this day As for example GERSON belieued the doctrine of (i) See before pag. â—5 Transubstantiation which D. Field abhorreth * pag. 171. saying that it doth imply sondry consequences of horrible impieties GERSON was a patrone of the (k) Part. 4. serm 2. de defunct c Masse which Luther hated as impious and wicked and was so * See Serarius de Lutheri Magistro instructed by the arguments of the Diuell with both whom D. Field (l) pag. 192. doth absolutely conspire in this issue GERSON was resolute in the doctrine of (m) See before pag. 108. Purgatory which D. Field hath pronounced to be an * pag. 79. heresy of the Papists 3. If I would proceed vnto other particularities as namely Inuocation of Saints Indulgences Communion vnder one kind c I might fill many pages in laying forth the irreconciliable differences betwixt D. Field and this worthy guide of Gods Church But I will pretermitt the rest and come to the supreame difference vnto which all other points are subordinate and inferiour as I conceiue that is to say the soueraigne primacy of the Romane Bishopp in whom 4. principalities concurre For he is a Diocesan in one precinct an Archbishopp in one Prouince a Patriarch in one part of the world finally the chief Pastour of all in which administration he succeedeth vnto S. Peter as holy (n) de considerat l. 2. Bernard doth excellently speake Thou Eugenius art he to whom the keyes are deliuered and to whom the sheepe are commended There are other Ianitours of heauen and other Pastours of the flock but thou much more gloriously then they by how much thou doest obtayn each name more eminently then the rest They haue their flocks assigned vnto them euery bishopp his peculiar chardge but all are credited vnto thee and all are one flock vnto thee who art one pastour of all for thou art the pastour not onely of the sheepe but of the pastours themselues Doest thou aske me how I prooue it By the word of our Lord. For to whom I say not of 〈◊〉 the Bishoppes but of the Apostles are all the sheepe so absolutely and so indifferently committed If thou loue me PETER feede my sheepe What sheepe The people of this or that city of this region or of that kingdome No but my sheepe sayth he and who doth not * Cunctis Euangelium scientibus liquet quòd voce Dominicâ sancto onmium Apostolorum principi Petro totius Ecclesiae cura commissa est sayth S. Gregor Registr epist. l. 4. c. 76. plainely see that our Lord did not here designe some but assigne all vnto his care There is no exception where there is no distinction c. So he 4. Behold now also two very effectuall testimonies of Gerson to the same purpose FIRST (o) Part. 1. de Auferibâ— Papae coÌ„siderat 8. The formes of ciuill gouernment are subiect vnto mutability and alteration but it is otherwise in the Church For hir gouernment is MONARCHICALL and is so appoynted by the institution of our Lord. If any man will violate this sacred ordinance and persist obstinately in his contempt he is to be iudged an heretick as Martinus of Padua and some others consorting with his fancy Likewise prescribing many directions to compose the differences betwixt the Greek and Latin Church he premiseth this consideration as a fundamentall poynt viz. (p) Part. 4. de Vnit. GraecoruÌ„ Considerat 3. There must be one head in earth vnto which all men must be vnited For though God himself who in the second Person assumed our nature be the principall and essentiall head yet he hath constituted a vicarian head to be his deputy amongst vs for the administration of his Church for the preseruation of vnity for the communication of the faith vnto all the members thereof c. Which head we call the POPE and OVR HOLY FATHER c. If any man either in malice or folly disturbe this vnion he is a schismatick As we must employ our diligence to procure vnity so we must endeauour to bring all men vnto the obedience of one head 5. Here Gerson declareth himself truly to be a worthy Guide of Gods Church and a singular enimy of the Protestanticall Reformation which hath conuelled and dissipated this ground and principle of vnity by impugning the supremacy of the Pope Wherefore as the (p) In his Suruay pag. 140 Lord Archb. of Cant. had good reason in his experience to say those Churches that haue followed the humour of BIZA in the abolishing of their Bishoppes and Archbishopps may they not iustly wish that he had neuer bene borne So there is greater reason vpon more lamentable experience to say those Churches that haue followed the intemperate humour of LVTHER in abolishing the soueraigne Bishopp may they not iustly wish that he had neuer bene borne For the sects factions and diuisions which haue ensued vpon this breach are in number many in quality odious and there is no certayn end vnto which they finally incline Which euills are well expressed by the Authour of them all (q) Luth. in Galat. c. 5. 15. The concord of the Church being once violated there is neither measure nor end of dissensions VVhen Aphrick was subuerted by the Manichees then succeeded the Donatists who contending also amongst themselues were parted into three sects Likewise in our time first the SACRAMENTARIES fell away from vs then the ANABAPTISTS and neither of theis agree together Thus one sect breedeth more and each condemneth the other 6. But if we would reflect vpon the true cause hereof thou ô Luther thou art the cause of theis perturbations for thou hast taken away the meanes of vnity by displacing the head of the Church in whom it should be eminently preserued as Gerson that worthy guide doth grauely and wisely teach Wherefore let any man of conscience and discretion examine the truth and substance of D. Fields assertion saying (r) Pag. 179. it is the pride of Antichrist the Pope that hath made all the breaches in the Christian world and would haue layd all waste if God had not preserued a remnant Of whom Lutherans Sacramentaries and the like 7. I come vnto a SECOND proposition deliuered by the sayd worthy guide of Gods Church (Å¿) Gers Part. 4. Contra bullam mendicant If you demand whether a man may be saued though he reiect the true * Martin 5. Pope I answere he may if ignorance excuse him and if he haue a good will or a mind prepared to yeald obedience when the truth shall be explaned vnto him for then he departeth not from Christ the essentiall head and from his ordinance viz. THERE MVST BE ONE POPE IN THE VNIVERSALL CHVRCH To which effect as I conceiue certayn penitent Nouatians did confesse and (t) Lib. 3. ep 11.
S. Cypriaen doth record it that there is one God one Christ one holy Ghost and that there ought to be ONE Bishopp in the Catholick Church not one without others but one aboue others as S. (u) Epist 84. Leo the Pope writeth vnto a Grecian bishopp We haue called thee in partem solicitudinis non in plenitudinem potestatis into a part of our care not into the fulnesse of our power and this sentence (w) De CoÌ„siderat l. 3. S. Bernard bringeth vnto the consideration of Eugenius the Pope sometimes his (x) Ibid. l. 1. praefat sonne by institution but now his father in administration of the Church To conclude the inequality of all other Bishopps is by humane law the Popes superiority is by diuine right Other bishopps are equall vnto him in respect of their ORDER he is superiour vnto all in respect of his IVRISDICTION I proceed 8. Compare this seuere iudgement of D. Fields WORTHY GVIDE with the violent opinion of M. Powells GREAT REFORMER and behold as great difference therein as betwixt the light of the Sunne and Aegyptian darknesse And that you may conceiue it fully see I pray you the censorious temerity of Luther as it is represented by M. Powell in the end of his inhumane (y) De Antichr pag. 68. compellation vnto the Iesuites in this manner S. LVTHERVS Non potest is salutem consequi qui non ex toto corde Antichristum * Tâ—CEâ—Tò SCIO Papam esse magnuÌ„ diuÌ„ Antichristum quà m Dâ—uÌ„ ipsâ—m esseâ—m coelis c. M. Powells protestation in the first leafe in his booke Papam Papatum oderit I Will not aske M. Powell by what authority he hath canonized Martin Luther for I know that he hath a warrant from z Luther himself saying Iam by the grace of God one of the TRVE SAINTS Wherefore as the Athenians made a decree Quoniam Alexander vult esse Deus esâ—o so since Luther will be a Saint let him be so by my consent 9. But now for the correspondency betwixt Gerson and Luther the second effectuating that which the first desired if you will belieue D. Field in their Reformations consider I beseech you the resemblaÌ„ce and similitude of theis things He that rejecteth the Pope shall not be saued saith the one He that doth not hate him and the Popedome with his whole heart shall not be saued saith the other Thus they damne themselues mutually in a capitall poynt and exclude each other from the possibility of saluation And if M. Powells judgement be of any value I may vndoubtedly pronounce that Gerson is damned vnto the nethermost hell For the truest formality and essence of a PAPIST is his vnion and conjunction with the Pope Whence it followeth by (a) de Antich pag. 453. M. Powells rule No man dying a Papist that is to say truly and formally a member of the Papacy or Popish Church did euer obtayn the kingdome of heauen or escape hell that Gerson liuing and dying a true formall Papist could not be made partaker of Luthers beatitude in the number of the SAINTS What And yet hath Luther accomplished that Reformation which Gerson did expect risum teneatis amici 10. I will knitt vp this matter with the counsayle of (b) part 1. de Eupt â—hriâ—â— Ecclesiae Gerson which he prescribeth vnto the spouse of Christ saying The Church must intreate the Pope the vicegerent of Christ in * the holy Ghost is Vicarius Christi by spirituall influence c. externall administration with all honour and call him FATHER for he is hir Lord and Head We may not expose him vnto detractions c. And hence it is that he maketh his protestation Nolo de Sanctissimo Domino nostre Christo Domini velut os in coelum ponendo loqui I will not speake of our most holy Lord and the Lords anoynted as it were by setting my face against heauen But did the Cham of Saxony thus demeane himself toward his spirituall Father No but setting his face against heauen he vttered the words of blasphemy and intolerable reproach against all dignity withstanding his violence Papall Imperiall and Regall And thus he discouered himself to be guided by the Spirit of AERIVS concerning whom it is (c) EpiphaÌ„ haeres 75. reported that ipsi sermo furiosus magis quà m erat humana conditionis Doth not (d) pag. 64. D. Field also approximate vnto them both VVe haue not receiued saith he the marke of this Antichrist the Pope and child of perdition in our foreheads nor sworne to take the foame of his impure mouth and froth of his words of blasphemy Truly you neuer learned this tempestuous language from your worthy guide but from your great Reformer 11. I haue insisted long in the particular euidences Wherefore I will deale more briefly in the GENERALL out of which I haue selected theis two ensuing 12. The FIRST concerneth the infallibility of the Romane Church A QVA CERTITVDO FIDEI PETENDA EST sayth (e) Part. 1. Serm. coram Alexandro Papa 5. Gerson from whence we must receiue the certainty of our faith From thence we Englishmen receiued our faith by the vigilancy of S. GREGORY the glorious Pope of blessed memory for euer From thence the Britannes receiued their faith in their second conuersion by the fatherly prouision of Eleutherius a renowned Martyr From thence the Indians and sondry people who sate in darkenesse and shaddow of death haue lately receiued the abundant light of the ghospell Meane while the Protestants disseminate * See Tertull praescript cap. 42. Old hereticks followed the same course as Protestants now do heresy at home and reuile them who plant the Catholick religion abroad 12. Now for this particular assertion deliuered here by the worthy guide of Gods Church I will remitt me vnto the consideration of the discreete and ingenious Reader to take a resolution from his owne heart whether Gerson or any man who maintayneth the same principle with him can tolerate the Protestanticall Reformation which is reared vp against the faith of the Romane Church and founded in the ruines thereof 14. The SEGOND generall euidence is yet more potent and effectuall then the rest for it shall now sensibly appeare vnto you that Gerson damned your articles and detested the truest Progenitours of your ghospell Obserue therefore a memorable protestation of this worthy guide (f) Part. 3. dialog Apoget de Concil ConstaÌ„t The Councell of Constance was celebrated especially for the extirpation of * Protestants Religion heresies and errours which was attempted first by imprisoning the offendours and by committing some of them Husse and Ierome of Prage vnto the fire The Bohemians exhibited 45. errours of VVICKLIFFE vnto the Councell the English men brought in more then 200. For the condemnation whereof I was as zealous as any other and preached publiquely in Constance to this effect 15. Here you may perceiue that Gerson had an eminent
God grant you grace to hate the one and so you shall escape the other 19. The second consideration is more important then the first For though the riuers of our late ghospell are issued from VVickliffs fountayn yet Melancthon himself no small Saint in Iohn Fox his Calendar shall testify that there is no correspondency betwixt him and your Euangelicall Churches euen in some principall articles of your faith Melancth in ep ad Fâ—eder Micon I haue looked sayth he into VVickliffe who behaueth himself very tumultuously in this controuersy of the Lords supper and more then this I haue found many errours in him by which a man may take iudgement of his spiritt It is certayn that he did neither hold nor vnderstand the iustice of faith he doth make a foolish confusion of the ghospell and temporall affayres He brawleth sophistically and seditiously concerning the ciuill Magistrate c. Theis things being duly and conscionably waighed I see not what aduantadge the Protestants can take from such a base and vnworthy progenitouâ— of their Religion But whereas D. Field doth artificially pretend smaller things and conceale the greater you may see with what skill and subtility he laboureth to sustayn an euill cause which can admitt no competent defence 20. Concerning the FOVRTH particular I will not say much though in this also the Doctour hath vsed a very cunning deprauation For as before he layed the condemnation of Husse and VVickliff vpon other persons but not vpon Gerson and alleadgeth no other reason thereof but onely his positions against the Clergy so now he addeth farther as a parcell of Gersons continuate discourse in the same * in dialog apologetic place that many of those positions might carry a good and Catholick sense if they might haue found a fauourable construction 21. Good Reader haue a little patience in thy admiration of this faithlesse dealing for I assure thee that Gerson in all that discourse hath not one syllable directly or indirectly sounding vnto this purpose neither doth the learned Doctour insinuate vnto vs whence he tooke or where we may find that extenuation of VVickliffs crime Howbeit perusing the workes of Gerson almost from the α to the ω thereof D. Fields maruaylous suggestions inuiting me first vnto that happy labour I * Part. 1. Serm. pro Viâ—gio Regis Romsecundâ— parte principali directione 3. found this assertion deliuered by him viz. A generall Councell may condemne many propositions with their authours though they may haue some glosses or expositions or true logicall senses This rule was practised by this Councell in many articles of VVickliffe and Husse some whereof might receiue some defence either by the force of logick or grammer c. But the Councell did carefully attend that speach of Hilary saying intelligentia dictorum ex causis est assumenda dicendi c. and that of Augustine saying Theologis ad certam regulam loqui fas est c. 22. I remitt you vnto the authour for the rest onely I will now intreate you to consider theis three points First the Doctours craft in conuaighing those things into one sentence which are dispersed in sundry places and thus he intangleth his Reader with perplexed and obscure deuices Secondly he pretendeth that the positions of VVickliffe which might beare a Catholick sense by a fauourable construction were such as seemed to derogate from the state of the Clergy But as Gerson giueth no signification thereof by any one instance so it is euident that those positions can not possibly receiue a fauourable construction to yeald any Catholick sense as you may iudge by your owne wisedome and discretion and for a iust experiment hereof I report me vnto the * num 15. precedents Thirdly and lastly you see that though D. Field would exaggerate the seuerity of the Councell herein forasmuch as it did not condescend vnto a fauourable interpretation c. yeâ— Gerson himself whom he would seeme to follow in this matter doth approoue the Councells prudency and he prescribeth it as a direction also in the like cases And thus gentle Readers I haue compeÌ„diously noted forth vnto you many fraudes and corruptions of this Doctour in his FIRST passadge the farther prosecution whereof I leaue vnto your wise and religious hearts nor doubting but that you will remember my aduise for your soules health TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST 23. I come now vnto his SECOND passadge wherein I might abound and furnish you with plentifull matter but I must not forgett that I write an Appendix onely at this time and therefore I shall be inforced to contract my self and to draw my discourse into a narrow compasse 24. You must remember that in this passadge the Doctour hath found a meanes how the disgrace of that hostility which raigneth betwixt the Lutheran and Caluinian factions may be deriued vpon the Papists yea this diuersity sayth he is to be imputed wholly vnto them because a Reformation was to be effected in the Church and the faction of the Popes flatterers being an impediment thereunto so that it could not be done in a generall Councell as * Parte 3. in dialog apologetic Gerson foresaw out of his experience it was necessarily to be assayed in the particular kingdomes of the world Whence some diuersity could not but ensue while one knew not nor expected to know what an other did 25. That Gerson did earnestly desire a Reformation his owne testimony will euince I see sayth * ibid in fine he that the Reformation of the Church will neuer be made by a Councell without the presidency of a well affected Guyde wise and constant Let the members therefore prouide for themselues throughout all kingdomes and prouinces when they shall be able and know how to compasse this work Here D. Field triumpheth See before § 1. num 4. c. applying this counsayle of Gerson vnto the tumultuations of Luther and Zwinglius and such disastrous Reformers But with what conscience with what honesty with what respect of God or man could D. Field thus depraue the intention of Gerson and thus obscure the light of the truth and thus abuse the credulity of his Reader For doth not Gerson in the words immediately subsequent most abundantly demonstrate that there is no proportion nor conformity betwixt his desire and their fact Compare therefore their proceedings with his prescrition and the difference will soone appeare They must atchieue this Reformation sayth he not by multiplying new constitutions which is rather an hinderance then an aduantadge but by a liuely and couradgious execution of the lawes al ready made in great plenty the superuacaneous being either cutt of or quite omitted 26. I must intreate you now to consider the resemblance betwixt Gerson and Luther in this issue The first referreth vs vnto the prouision of the lawes but what lawes did the second follow in his disordered innouations The first requireth an execution of the Ecclesiasticall decrees but what decrees were
then enacted by the Church to regulate such exorbitancies as were incurred by the second What Councells what constitutions what sanctions did he or could he propose vnto himself Wherefore since Gersons lawes are such as â—end vnto the castigation and suppression of VVickliffians Hussites and all other sectaries proseminated from such fathers it followeth clearely that Luther hath performed the contrary vnto his designement and consequently that D. Field hath deliuered a vast vntruth not onely vnto his owne iust disreputation but vnto the certayn euident ineuitable ruine and subuersion of his Church 27. Here also the wise and ingenious Reader may obserue the great disparicy betwixt the Catholicks and Protestants in their courses The first prooceed in legitimate manner against the second by virtue of Canonicall and Ecclesiasticall processe The second proceed against the first by lawes temporall and by Parliamentary decrees The first proceed against the second directly and without circuitions as guilty of schisme and heresy and to this effect they bring forth the ancient and the moderne constitutions of sacred Councells Oecumenicall Nationall Prouinciall c. The second proceed against the first really and meerely for their Religion it self but vnder the name of treason and disobedience and such like pretenses Which preposterous order of vniust iustice doth irrefutably conuince the Protestants of heresy and impiety against the Catholick faith For doth not euery man indued with any measure of vnderstanding conceiue that the Church of God the pillar of truth as it hath and must preserue the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ pure and immaculate from the contagion of heresy or els there was no Catholick Church and then there is no Christ no God no hell no heauen no immortality no retribution so it is and was furnished and strengthened with proper lawes for the due correction of hereticks and for the extirpation of their errours I say that to suppose the contrary it is a senselesse imagination and to affirme the contrary it were an Atheisticall position Reflect now I pray you vpon your owne Congregation she that hath inuested hir self with the glorious title of the CATHOLICK Church Where are hir ancient Ecclesiasticall lawes hir Canons hir constitutions wherewith she is armed and assisted to proceed against the Papists whose heresies you exclayme against with violence supporting your mighty accusations with slender proofes But I returne vnto the farther prosecution of D. Fields vntruths for theis things are manifest vnto all men and need not any copious explication 28. Whereas it pleaseth the learned Doctour to say that it was not possible but some diuersiâ—y should grow betwixt Luther Zwinglius c while one knew not what an other did this excuse also is too short to couer the turpitude of their dissensions For you see that the lawes which were of force in Gersons time had bene an infallible rule to preserue conformity in their procedings if their intention had bene sutable vnto his prescription in this behalf But theis immoderate Reformers intertayning no such rule for their direction VVord and Spirit was the burthen of their song were necessarily distracted in their actions while they followed the variable illuminations of their vncertayn fancies 29. Let me proceed yet a little farther to consider the inordinate and distempered passion of theis men They rejected lawes as you see because they attempted a lawlesse action and this is sufficiently prooued vnto you by the graue authority of Gerson a WORTHY GVIDE of Gods Church Now also you may behold their pride temerity and singular precipitation for this shall be prooued vnto you by D. Field himself who hath accused them by his owne defence saying one knew not nor expected to know what an other did Why did they not know were they disterminated by sea and had they not meanes of accesse each vnto the other Was there a great * Luk. 16.26 chaos betwixt them so that they could not haue passadge and transmeation from Zuâ—ick vnto Wittemberg and from VVittemberg vnto Zurick No man be he of meane capacity will suffer himself to be abused with this pretense 30. But did they not expect to know what an other did It is an argument of their folly and insolency who in a matter of such consequence as from the first plantation of Christianity can admitt no example to parallele it by innumerable degrees would not consult nor retayn familiar intercourse in so important affayres 31. I must now addresse my self vnto the playn narration of this matter wherein the learned Doctour hath trifled with you all this while and concealed the truth from your knowledge by his false paradoxicall and impertinent sugestions For you must vnderstand that all Sacramentaries in which number you are fell away from Luther and departed from the communion of his Church Do you require my proof The demonstrations are many and irrefragable but I will content my self with the protestations of them whose authority is free from all exceptions Let Bullâ—nger know sayth * Recognit propheticae Apostolica doctrinae c. pag. 10. Brentius a venerable old man in M. Iewells verdict that from the beginning since the Zwinglians departed from vs that is to say from the true doctrine I was not a clandestine but an open aduersary of their impious opinion concerning the supper of the Lord c. 32. What need I drink of the riuers when the fountayn it self is so neere at hand Behold therefore the constant asseueration of M. LVTHER the third Eliah the Germayn Prophet a true Euangelist a singular Apostle the great Reformer the man of God the flying Angell c. for this and much more is spoken of him by your ghospellers who * Tom. 3. in Genes cap. 41. sayth that now the refined doctrine of the ghospell hath gayned many who where oppressed by the tyrany of Antichrist but yet withall the Anabaptists the †See before pag. 6. SACRAMENTARIES and other fanaticall men are gone out from vs c. They were not of vs though for a time they were with vs they sought their owne glory and estimation 33. Agayn There is no wickednesse sayth * Tom. 2.345 he not cruelty which Zwinglius layeth not vnto my chardge so that the Papists mine enimies do not teare me as those my friends who without vs and before vs were nothing and durst not stirr one iote but now being puffed vp with our victory they turne their force against vs. Theis perturbations in the ghospell which he beganne and preached alone without any copartner as * See Iustus Caluinus in apolog pag. 78 himself doth often witnesse did work great affliction and vexation within his bones yea they did excruciate and torment his soule as †See locos com Luth. part 5. pag. 36. he complayneth euen vnto the extreame danger of his faith Howbeit resumpsi animum dixi c. I tooke couradge agayn and sayd theis things are done without my fault therefore let the authours
throughout 2 whole * 10. â—â— chapters going immediately before as you shall perceiue by this example which hath more shew of probability on his side and is of more importance then all the rest His words are thei †pag. 83. Touching the second cause of the Churches ruine which is the ambition pride and covetousnesse of the Bishopps and Court of Rome * Part. 1. in 4 coÌ„siderat post Tract de Vnitate Ecclesiastical Gerson boldly affirmeth that whereas the Bishopps of Rome challendging the greatest place in the Church shou'd haue sought the good of Gods people they contrarily sought onely to aduance themselues in imitation of Lucifer they will be adored and worshipped as Gods Neither do they think themselues subiect to any but are as the sonnes of Beliall that haue cast off the yoke not enduring whatsoeuer they do that any should aske them why they do so They neither feare God not reuerence men 42. What credulous and ignorant Reader may not be intangled by such sugred speaches so full of deadly poyson For first to deale with some of his words and then to come vnto his matter why doth the Doctour produce Gerson boldly affirming that the Bishopps of Rome CHALLENGED the greatest place in the Church Doth not Gerson say boldly that the Bishopp of Rome is a Monarch in the Church by diuine right * Pag. 5.6 See before and deale vnpartially in this matter Agayn whereas it may seeme an odious imputation and specially out of Gersons mouth that the Bishopps of Rome would be adored and worshipped which word M. Doctour supplieth out of his owne store for exaggeration sake as Gods you may consider that without all question Gerson doth not reprooue the exhibition of condigne honour vnto the vicegerent of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ For * Part. 1. de Potestate Ecclesiasticâ considerat 11. Gerson doth freely agnize that in respect of the admirable power which is committed by Christ vnto the Pope as Pastour of the vniuersall Church though he be most wicked in person yet in respect of his place he may be called most holy which assertion is extreamely repugnant vnto the temerarious malice of Iohn Husse saying that †See CoÌ„cil Constant. Sess 12. in Artic. Huss 23. the Pope may not be called most holy in respect of his office for then the Diuell himself may be called holy also and that he may be adored cultu duliae euen vnto the kisses of his feete and so in other honours Which humble deiection will hardly agree as I conceiue with the proud Spirit of Luther Zuinglius or their compeeres 43. I pretermitt my iust exception against some words whence the Doctour sucketh no small aduantadge and come vnto the purport of the matter it self wherein you may behold his generall obliquity and deceipt Farâ— was it from Gersons heart to impayr the dignity of our Lords anoynted as * See before pag. 8. himself speaketh and to scandalize the Apostolicall See much lesse did he intend to yeald the least defence vnto any man of VVickliffs race But you may be pleased to vnderstand that the Catholick Church had suffered much diuexation in his time by the pernicious schisme of Antipopes the †See GersoÌ„ a little before in his treatise Quot schif mata c. two and twentieth schisme of that kind by whom a great distraction ensued among Christians as he doth bitterly complayn To extirpate this euill a Councell was indicted at Pisa and thither the prelates of the Church flowed in great abundance Wherefore this worthy guide of Gods Church and seuere enimy of all VVickliffian hereticks layed downe certayn waighty considerations for the direction of so important a businesse See the place cited by D. Field num 41. in the number whereof is this particular ensuing The vnity of the Church now to be procured in the Councell of Pisa vnto one certayn VICAR of Christ ought to rest more solidly vpon the sentences and deliberations of the Councell and of the wise men that will repayr thither yea though they offer no euident reasons then vpon the allegations and assertions or excusations or iustifications either of them who now contend about the Papacy or of any their abettours This consideration is easily deduced from hence viz. that the meane of virtue is to be accepted as a wise man shall iudge thereof and as a spirituall man who discerneth all things shall say but not as a carnall man who fauoureth not the thinge that are of God shall fayne vnto himself For who will doubt when more causes concurre in their behalf who shall assemble together in the Councell but that such as employ their diligence to make vnion in the Church should be credited rather then * The Antipopes they wo striue to possesse that presidency which they already obtayn â—orthe too much and carnall loue of a man vnto himself and vnto his necessaries is it not wont to deceiue and to carry into impious errours euen vnto the imitation of Lucifer that they would be adored as Gods and repute not themselues subiect vnto any man as sonnes of Beliall without an yoake and that no man may say vnto them VVhy doest thou so They feare not God nor reuerence man whereas they ought to be more humble and more prompt to serue in the office of their prelacy by how much they see themselues more obliged to render their accompt 44. Thus I haue presented the matter completely vnto your view with the true substance and due circumstance thereof I know that your excellent apprehension will not suffer you to be transported by vayn pretenses against the cleare light of vnresistable truth Wherefore your prudency shall ease me of farther payn in the explication of this thing 45. Finally to giue a plenary satisfaction vnto you and others concerning GERSONS opinions generally your REFORMATION the ruine of the Church being masked in that glorious name you must vnderstand that whereas he reprooueth the ambition of some Popes you haue renounced the institution of Christ He accuseth the exorbitancy of some disordered persons you disclayme the verity of the Catholick faith He disprayseth the vnlawfull abuse of things you contemne their necessary vse He wished a remedy of some euills your remedy is worse then the euills themselues He desired to euacuate the bad humours you haue leâ—t forth the life-bloud of the Church In stead of conuersion we see subuersion in stead of reformation we behold deformation Church against Church faith against faith intestine conflicts with endlesse strife And whence is this Because vnity is necessarily dissolued where all the members are not conioyned vnto one head a mischief which had neuer bene knowen if Luther had applied Gersons * See before num 25. remedy in the curing of hir sicknesse To conclude therefore there is a resemblance betwixt Ioabs cruelty against the sonne of his Maister and Luthers insolency against the Father of the
Church When Ioab pursued Absalom in his rebellion 2. Sam. 18 5. he had a chardge from Dauid saying Seruate mihi puerum Absalom c. Saue my sonne Absalom and the people heard the King when he gaue this commandement vnto his Princes so Gerson did most strictly prescribe vnto all men that they should not reueale heir Fathers nakednesse nor disleize him of his rightfull inheritance howsoeuer his euill manners might deserue a iust reproof nor putt their hand to violate the sacred ordinance of Christ and all the world may take notice of this injunction But as Ioabs sanguinaâ—ious heart neither respected the compassion of a father nor the commandement of a maister to Luther in his insatiable fury regarded not his Sauiours institution his Churches safety the judgement of Fathers the decree of Councells but trampled all theiâ— vnder his feete and insulted against our Lords anoynted with diabolicall contempt Pardon me good Sir if I seeme earnest against him who was so singularly opposite vnto the worthy guides of Gods Church I remember that Sueton diuiding the gests of Caligula into two parts giueth this censure of him that in the former he had spoken tanquam de homine as of a man but in the rest be is to speake tanquam de monstro as of a monster and of no man Likewise whensoeuer I make mention of your other Reformers as you call them I will speake of them all as of men participating humane nature with me but I cannot conceiue a thought of Luther which doth not represent a very monster vnto my vnderstanding so vnlike I find him in all his courses vnto the worthy guides of Gods Church and consequently your Reformation most dissonant from the purity of their faith and contrary vnto their designements notwithstanding all the shaddowes colours and gloriations of D. Field §. 4. The name and authority of GROSTHEAD abused by D. Field to iustify the Lutheran pretensed Reformation 1. IS not the gleaning of grapes of Ephraim better then the vintage of Abiezer Iudiâ— 8.2 Though D. Field hath placed Gerson in the front of his battell against the Papists and seâ—teâ—h him forth in complete armour as you haue seeme yet a principall yea the greatest part of his victory may seeme to depend vpon Grosthead whose name is gratious vnto vs for contrey sake and venerable also in respect of that dignity which he enioyed in the Church Wherefore a little a very little signification of his mind warping toward this late pretensed Reformation may iustly preuayle with vs much more then the profuse and copious discourses of other men not so much indeared vnto vs as this worthy guide of Gods Church concerning whom you haue receiued this instruction from D. Field * pag. 84. When the Pope resolued to accurse anathematize and excommunicate GROSTHEAD the renowned B. of Lincolne because he contemned his Papall Bulles and Letters who was therefore in his time named Romanorum malleus contemptor the Cardinalls opposed themselues saying that he was a right good man and holier then any of them that the things wherewith he chardged the Pope were most true c. 2. To deale with euery particular in this artificiall passadge it requireth much payne and the summe thereof would exceed that quaÌ„tity vnto which I am now coÌ„fined But I will direct my self first vnto the mayn issue and then I may draw you vnto a consideration of the inferiour poynts 3. You know that the scope and purpose of D. Field is to iustify your Reformation by the testimonies and verdicts of Gerson of Grosthead of Sauanarola and the like Now if this worthy guide of Gods Church were a true formall essentiall Papist I appeale vnto your conscience whether it be probable or possible that he could wish or tolerate the Reformation of Luth. Zuingl c. which D. Field pretendeth to be conformable vnto his desire To satisfy you in this matter vnto the full I pray you good Sir take notice that a * D. Godwyn in his catalogue of BB. Bishopp of your owne hath freed this worthy guide from all suspition of propending vnto your reformed Church For thus he writeth †pag. 240. The Pope hauing read the letters of Bishopp Grosthead grew into great choller and breathing out many threates intended some terrible reuendge of this so intolerable reproach as he tooke it vntill such time as one Giles a Cardinall of Spayn stepping vnto him vsed theis words Holy Father it shall not do well in my opinion to take any hard or extreame course against this man it is but too true that he hath written he is for Religion NOTA. a CATHOLICK as well as we c. 4. Here you may demand of your highly esteemed Doctour first Whether the Cardinalls of Rome were not reall members of the Antichristian Synagogue and whether to be a Catholick AS WELL AS THEY it be not identically as much as to say a proud Romanist a factious Papist c. termes much affected by himself You may demand of him secondly Whether they or any man participating with them substantially in the same Religion could euer cast a fauourable and propitious eye toward the Lutheran or Zwinglian ReformatioÌ„ of the Church You may demand of him thirdly Whether it were ingenuous and honest dealing in him to geue such a singular applause vnto the excellency of Grostheads virtues that so dissembling his correspondency in faith with the Romane Church he might colour and beautify his euill cause with fictions exaggerations and other pretenses of the same nature 5. Consider a few of them and by theis you may conceiue the quality of the rest Your Doctour for his owne aduantadge doth liberally permitt the title of a renewned Bishopp vnto this worthy guide Truly Sir I doubt not but if Grosthead were now suruiuing and knew by what manner of men he is thus praised he would say what euill haue I done that they should speake well of me But this is a triuiall art in Protestants to eleuate men and to depresse them agayn as their humours do propell them and therefore their language is alwayes varied according to their occasions Hence it is de Antichr pag. 23. that M. Powell hath a trick to place William Wickam in the catalogue of his Euangelicall fathers and to stile him a most godly Bishopp howbeit Iohn Fox knowing him to be a most infense aduersary vnto the ghospell of VVickliffe phraseth him the wicked Bishopp of VVinchester c. But forasmuch as my originall discourse is concerning a Bishopp of Lincolne I will exemplify rather in Rich. Flemming sometimes à Prelate of that See ibid. pag. 42 to whom M. Powell doth afford very speciall commendation for his euangelicall truth for his affection vnto the word of God c. To conclude he also did rerceiue that there must be a Reformation of the Church Notwithstanding * in his catalogue of BB. D. Godwyn may informe you that B. Flemming
was the man who according to the decree of the Councell of Constance did exhumate the bones of VVickliff and committ them vnto the fire Which proceeding drew this angry sentence from M. Powells pen ibid. pag. 22 Vah inauditam tyrannidem 6. I poynt at theis things by the way that you may see how your Protestants are omnium horarum homines praysing dispraysing aduancing deprauing whom they please and as they please to extort any shaddow of defence for their vnhappy cause so that euery writer amongst them may garnish his title page with this Horatian motto Quò me cunque rapit tempestas deferor I proceed Your Doctour telleth you that Grosthead contemning Papall bulls and letters was therefore named Romanorum malleus contemptor But he should informe you that Grosthead was so named because he would not permitt Italians who in many respects were incompetent for the places designed vnto them in England by the Pope to possesse Ecclesiasticall dignities within his episcopall precinct and howbeit sondry letters were directed vnto him from the Pope yet he thought it lawfull for him to gainsay an vnlawfull demand and therefore he would not condescend vnto that which he esteemed vtterly vniust Whereas your Doctour sayeth farther that the Cardinalls opposed themselues c. he should say that they interposed themselues by counsayle also to intreate not by authority to controll 7. I will not exercise your patience any longer in detection of your Doctours crafty and subtile fetches to intangle his Reader both in his matter and in his wordes a snare is layed in euery line and the foolish among the people are taken therein wise men and circumspect and indued with meane knowledge and solicitous of the truth will soone discouer the obliquity of his paths 8. Thus much most dearely respected Maister S. out of my heartiest loue vnto your noble and heroicall self I haue thought good to sett downe briefly and plainely and perhapps effectually concerning some worthy guides whose names are exceedingly abused to prooue that which they disapprooued and to support that cause which they abhorred as exitiall and deadly heresy from the very bottome of their hearts There remayn yet other worthy guides viz. Camoracensis Sauanarola c. traduced also and inforced to giue testimony vnto that which they did alwayes disclayme As for Cameracensis or Petrus de Aliaco he was the instructour of Gerson and you may discerne the Maister by the Scholler See Gers part 3. in dialog Apologetic In the Examen of Fox his Calendar chap. 9. num 9. 10. c. As for Sauanarola he is quite dischardged from the communion of Iohn Fox his Saints as you may see in the right excellent Treatise of the three Conuersions of England a booke which I do specially recommend vnto you for matter for method and for stile assuring you vpon my owne experience that you shall reade it with great profit and incredible delight where the vanity and falsehood of that deceyuer is dismasked and layed forth in such manner as it doth iustly require 9. Now it remayneth that according to the acutenesse and viuacity of your ingenious spirit you should penetrate deepely into a consideration of your present estate Out of the Church there is no saluation as all men perished out of the Ark which was a type thereof and that you are not within the Church as I do certainly know so your self can not but necessarily suspect For you see that the guides of your soule are deceiptfull and that the grounds of your Religion are absurd If you repayr vnto such worthy guides as Gerson Grosthead c. they condemne you if vnto VVickliffe Husse c. as they dissent from you in many things so there was a time when they did not exist and they were Papists also before they apostatized from the Church Where was your Religion then and in whom was it perpetuated for many ages Will you recurr vnto an inuisible Church S. Augustines disputatioÌ„ against the Donatists do clearely coÌ„uince you for he prooueth that the Church neither was nor can be inuisible and concealed pag 19. c. yea your learned Doctour doth liberally confesse the same Will you content yourself with a linsey wolsey mixed heterogeneous Church which hath not a pure See before booke 1. Part. 2. chap. 1 §. 1. 2. immaculate faith but is composed of sondry factions imbued with different and incompatible opinions This were to make the Virgin-Church of Christ an harlot to turne the Catholick religion into hereticall confusion And yet vnto theis impious paradoxes your Professours are ineuitably driuen for the mayntenance and supportation of their cause CHAP. 2. The singular vanity of D. Field pretending that there is no materiall difference betvvixt the LuthéraÌ„s Zwinglians c. §. 1. Their difference about the question of Vbiquity D. Fields pseudo-theologicall determination thereof Their difference about the Sacrament 1. AS one waue in the sea followeth immediately vpon the neck of an other so the vntruths of D. Field come rowling together and where one hath ended there an other beginneth finis alterius mali Gradus est futuri 2. You haue seene * pag. 2. before that he imputeth the diuersity of his Cadmaean brethren wholly vnto the Papists and then without any intermission he yealdeth a farther plea in their defence saying Yet it fell out by the happy prouidence of God and the force of that mayne truth they all sought to aduance that there was no materiall or essentiall difference amongst them but such as vpon equall scanning will be found rather to consist in the diuers manner of expressing one thing and to be but verball vpon mistaking through the hasty and inconsiderate humours of some men then any thing els Yea I dare confidently pronounce that after due and full examination of each others meaning there shall be no difference found touching the matter of the SACRAMENT the VBIQVITARY presence or the like betweene the Churches reformed by Luthers ministery in Germany and other places and those whom some mens malice called SACRAMENTARIES c. And this shall be iustified against the proudest Papist of them all 3. I find no iustification made by your humble Doctour concerning the Sacrament but in the question of Vbiquity he hath giuen iust aduantadge vnto the Papists if they were proud before See Fabricius in loc com Luth. part 4. p. 55. pag. 1â—1 to remember what M. Luther hath left written vnto posterity viz. Scio me in hac causâ non fuisse tam animoso SVPERBO spiritu quà m sum modò c. 4. Wherefore I pray you see the salue of a misappled distinction by which he seeketh to heale the wound of your incurable dissension saying the humane nature of Christ hath two kinds of being the one NATVRALL the other PERSONALL the first limited and finite the second infinite and incomprehensible For seeing the nature of a man is a created nature and essence it can
neuer of the true Church 18. Here it importeth you very much to intreate your Doctours resolution vnto their three particular demands FIRST since it is infallibly euident by the testimony of your owne Church for by hir approbation the booke of M. Rogers hath a singular warrant as you may see * pag. 160. before that your Catholick doctrine in this poynt is impugned substantially by the Lutherans why doth he preteÌ„d that the differeÌ„ce betweene the reformed Churches is meerely verball in this issue SECONDLY since your doctrine herein is graced with the name of Catholick is not theirs hereticall and consequently are not they hereticks and excluded thereupon from the society of your Church THIRDLY since M. Rogers by the lawfull authority of your Church brandeth the truest disciples of your great Reformer with the name of LVTHERANS pag. 179. why doth D. Field disclayme it with contempt of Card. Bellarmine and why doth he say that it pleaseth the Antichristian sectaries odiously to name them so It is not possible for any man to conceiue or to expresse your Euangelicks without theis distinctiue * LutheraÌ„s Caluinists appellations or some others equiualent thereunto §. 2. Three false and empty pretenses of D. Field to mitigate the scandall of the dissensions which rend and teare his Euangelicall Churches 1. AS your learned Doctour hath a speciall talent in the reconciliation of your differences so he hath an excellent art to extenuate the scandall thereof saying that whereas the Tigurines Gesnerus others disliked the distempered passions of LVTHER it is not to be meruayled at pag. 192. or that some differences were amongst them seeing the like were in former times betweene Epiphanius and Chrysostome Hierome Ruffinus Augustine and others 2. Nothing but fraud and falsehood For though your Doctour telleth you that the Tigurines and Gesnerus did forsooth DISLIKE the distempered passions of Luther yet you must know that they did execrate this great Reformer and detest him with a deadly and immortall hatred Peruse the orthodox confession of the Tigurines and you shall find that Luther was possessed with a legion of Diuells See the writings of Gesnerus and you may perceiue that Luther was a man of an impudent mouth and theis are moderate censures in comparison of the rest which are affoorded in their virulent and fiery discourses Wherefore though D. Field sayeth farther that it is not to be meruayled at c. yet how iust occasion there is for you to tremble at theis things I remitt me vnto the secret testimony of your inward iudge 3. I proceed vnto the brief discussion of his other false-hoods which are transparent vnto euery eye For what can be more vntruely suggested ibid. then that the LIKE differences were sometimes betwixt the ancient Fathers as passed betwixt Luther Zwinglius and others of the reformed Church S. Augustine dissented from S. Hierome See S. Aug. epist 8. 9. c. but whether you respect the * matter or manner their difference was farr vnlike vnto your capitall * concerning S. Paulls reprehension of S. Peter and immortall belligerations S. Augustine speaketh †See S. Aug. contra Iulian. Pelag l. 1. 2. honourably of S. Hierome and calleth him that holy Priest that holy man c. Yea in his epistles he saluteth him by the name of fellow-Priest and much desired BROTHER c. Which kind and familiar nuncupation †See Brentius contra Bullinger in Recognit pag. 276. Luther would not vouchsafe your deare Patriarch Zwinglius though he sought it with many teares Likewise S. Hierome speaketh respectiuely of S. Augustine and calleth him true Father and Lord c. But how obsequiously * See Fabric in loc com Luth. parte 5. pag. 49.50 Zwinglius demeaned himself toward Luther and what acerbity of stile he exercised against him Luther shall deliuer vnto you Zwinglius sent a most vayn booke vnto me and an epistle written with his owne hand well befitting that most proud spiritt of his he rageth and fumeth and threateneth and raueth so modestly that he seemeth vnto me past all recouery being conâ—inced by the manifest truth Now whether the difference betwixt Augustine and Hierome were LIKE vnto the furious and implacable assault of theis men I leaue it vnto your wise and religious determination 4. The mutuall contention of Ruffinus and S. Hierome was sharpe but farr vnlike vnto the garboyles of Luther and Zwinglius which surpasse the conflicts of S. Chrysost and Epiphanius themselues Wherefore it may please you to consider the dissimilitude of theis things which I will briefly tender vnto your carefull examination 5. FIRST if you respect the quality of the persons you shall find that S. Hierome Chrysost Epiphan and Ruffinus though they were men indued with excellent gifts yet they had an ordinary function onely and continued in the faith of the vniuersall Church See Zanch. de RedeÌ„pt in explicat 4. praecepti quaest de vocat ad minister c. But you pretend that Luther and Zwinglius were extraordinarily stirred vp by God to reforme his Church and to replant the decayed faith of Christ Yea Zanchius feareth not to say that they principally are the * Apocal. 11. two VVitnesses that should contend against Antichrist the Man of sinne for which cause as we are bound to require a speciall signe of their vocation vnto that excellent office so aboue all things we must expect Vnity and consent both in their words and deeds 6. SECONDLY if you obserue the cause of their dissensions you may note that the quarrell as well betwixt Epiph. and Chrysost as betwixt Hierome and Ruffinus concerned the writings of Origen and the inprobation thereof But the terrible fulminations of Luther and Zuinglius each against the other were founded originally in matters of faith pertayning vnto the necessity of saluation Hence it is that Luther saieth Luth. tom 2. de Caenâ Dom. I reckon not Zwinglius any more to be in the number of Christians He saieth farther I haue damned Zwinglius Oecolompaduis and all Sacramentaries to the vttermost of my power and this glory I shall carry with me vnto the tribunall of Crist 7. THIRDLY if you consider the extent and duration of their hostility you shall see that it was soone extinguished and not deriued as an hereditary warr vnto posterity and vnto entire Churches But it is otherwise in the case of Luther and Zwieglius for their personall strife is generall vnto whole Churches propagated in succession increased with continuall addition so that we may sooner expecta ruine of their ghospell then a reconciliation of their differences the measure whereof is vnmeasurable and consequently the end is endlesse And this euent agreeth with the prophecy of Luther the man of God as * in loc coÌ„ Luth. part 5. pag. 43. See also pag. 41. lin 2. 3. c. Fabricius sayeth who foresaw this misery and dissipation of the Church by SACRAMENTARIES
to predominate Caluinists will not obay where is the vmpire of their contention 16. It is a memorable history which Sturmius recordeth in his booke * fol. 33. de ratione concordiae ineundae complayning pathetically against the Lutherans who are so deepely exasperated against the Zwinglians that they will not endure any conference with them but reject them as damned hereticks anno 1560. vnworthy of any farther dispute Thus the Ienensian Lutherans made their supplication vnto the Princes that a lawfull Synod consisting onely of such as embrace the coÌ„fession of * SacrameÌ„taries deny to subscribe therevnto whatsoeuer D. Field pretendeth See Iosias Simlerus in vita Bulling Augusta might be assembled to condemne the Zwinglians and all other enimies of their religion Likewise the Flacians a particular sect of Luthers ghospell desired to haue a publick Synod but with this caueat that all Sacramentaries Swhenchfeldians Osiandrines should be excluded from the same Which vnequall courses stirred vp Bullinger to write that since the Lord hath freed vs from the seruitude of the Pope we will not suffer our selues to be oppressed by the new tyrany of such as vnder the pretense of the ghospell aspire vnto a primacy and dictature in the Church We wâ—ll not be shutt out from the company of Saints at their choyce and pleasure c. 17. But their mutuall fury is so augmented that Sturmius seing no submission on either side professeth vnlesse the Euangelicall kings and princes interpose their authority to take away theis contentions without doubt the Churches will be infected with many heresies and hence a great vastation of Christianity will ensue as it came to passe in Asia Greece and Africk for the like causes The fundations of our Religion are conuelled the chief articles are called in question a playne way is prepared for Turcisme and Atheisme to enter in vpon vs If I would proceed farther in this argument I might informe you how fatall and vnhappy the conuents of your Ghospellers haue bene at Marpurge at Swabach at Smalcald at Maulbrune where they treated about their owne Religion and at Ratisbone where they should haue entred into a conflict with the Catholicks but the precedents are sufficient to let you vnderstand that you haue not a due subordination of persons and consequently no rule of peace pag. 169. howsoeuer D. Field is pleased to affirme that with your Churches an end is made of all controuersies c. See the place and iudge of his exactnesse 18. My THIRD exception against D. Fields pretended rule is in respect of the matters wherein your dissension doth consist For they are many in number reall in euidence substantiall in waight as I could prooue abundantly out of the writings of Luther Hunnius Conradus c. of the one part Zwinglius Sturmius Clebitius c. of the other to the iust reproof of D. Field who sayth that your differences admitt an easy reconciliation and that this shall be iustified against the proudest Papist of them all 19. My counsayle vnto you is alwayes the same TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST you haue already seene an example of his reconciling art in one poynt and by that you may take an estimate as well of his syncerity as of his solidity in the rest If your excellent and heroicall Spirit will be so grossly abused and deluded by him or any other to the certayn perill of your soule you can neuer plead inuincible ignorance for a iust excuse 20. Now to conclude this chapter good Sir if I did not experimentally know the variety and vanity of opinions in your Church 2. Timoth. 4. and that as some men heape vp a multitude of teachers vnto them selues so others confine all things vnto their owne sense and spirit I could easily belieue that you would admitt a triall by the Fathers and that you would rest in the iudgement of the Church But forasmuch as I know that neither all nor the greatest part of ghospellers in England will submitt themselues dutifully and humbly vnto this rule though I may and do challendge it at their hands therefore I will lay downe three considerations whereby you may see the equity yea the necessity of the sayd rule and how you are bound in Christian simplicity to accept it with true and hearty obedience 21. FIRST it is impossible without extraordinary reuelation to distinguish Canonicall Scripture from Apocryphall otherwise then by the testimony of the Church SECONDLY when by the testimony of the Church you can thus distinguish the Scripture yet you must giue credit vnto some translatours since you vnderstand not the originall text and if they render the Scripture vnfaithfully how can you buyld your faith vpon it with infallible euidence THIRDLY when by the authority and warrant of the Catholick Church you haue the Scripture faithfully translated the principall poynt is yet behind Tantum obstrepit veritati adulter sensus quantuÌ„ corruptor stylus Tertull. in praescript c. 17. to witt the sense which is the very soule thereof If pure necessity compell you to fly vnto the Church for your assurance in the first and second poynts will you rely vpon your owne discretion and wisedome in the third If you obiect your Spirit I also obiect mine If inward testification I haue the same You compare Scriptures so do I. You pray I do the like You are sure my certainty is as great You haue reason mine is as strong You haue faith mine is not inferiour Thus our contention is earnest and our successe is none 22. What remayneth but that we both should try our Spirits and examine our priuate thoughts according to the perpetuall and generall doctrine of that Catholique Church from which we receiued the Scriptures and which by singular notes of Antiquity Vniuersality Consent Succession c. is most eminently approoued vnto vs For which cause †cap. 15. Tertullian doth excellently prescribe and if I be not much deceyued * in his epist to the Archb. of Cant. D. Field doth condescend vnto him that Whereas Hereticks pretend the holy Scriptures and as they mooue some men with their boldnesse before hand so in the congresse of disputation they tire the strong and insnare the weake and dismisse the middle sort with scruples we must preuent them in their course and not admitt them vnto any disputes concerning the Scripture and if this be their strength we must consider first of all to whom the possession of Scriptures doth agree least he be admitted vnto them who hath no right therein c. The residue I commend vnto your owne perusall and so I referr the euent of all vnto the blessed disposition of our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ CHAP. 3. The falsehood and inciuility of D. Field traducing Card. Bellarmine §. 1. Three criminations deuised against the worthy Cardinall by D. Field 1. Your learned Doctour hath sprinkled many vntruths in his discourse to the personall disgrace of Bellarmine and then
doth neuer loose grace also and consequently he doth neuer sinne mortally because a mortall sinne excludeth * grace inherent grace from the soule And this I will prooue vnto you by D. Field who †pag. 176. accusing the Papists to be liers of the worst memories whence it is saith he that euery secōd page in their writings if not euery second line pag. 147. is a refutation of the first doth perplexe himself about this matter very strāgely within the compasse of a few lines and inuolueth himself in manifest contradictions 4. For first he saith that the Elect notwithstanding any degree of sinne they runne into retayn that GRACE which can and will procure pardon for all their offences In which respect also he sayeth that the reprobate haue no GRACE in them which may cry vnto God for remission and hence it commeth to passe that all sinne is veniall vnto the one and all is mortall vnto the other But see how within 3. or 4. lines he contradicteth this assertion saying All sinnes that against the holy Ghost excepted are veniall ex euentu that is to say such as may be and oftentimes are forgiuen through the mercifull goodnesse of God though there be NOTHING in the parties offending while they are in such state of sinne that either can or doth cry for pardon Who are they vnto whom God vouch safeth this goodnesse Surely the elect for D. Field sayth that in other men who are strangers from the life of God as he speaketh all sinnes are mortall and not remitted for want of Grace which may cry vnto God for pardon Well then in the elect oftentimes there is * therefore no Grace NOTHING that can or doth cry vnto God for pardon and yet the elect also do still retayn that GRACE which can and will procure pardon for all their offences Is not this a reall contradiction Again he * lin 37. sayeth We confesse that all sinnes not done with full consent may stand with grace wherefore it followeth by the cōtrary that all sinnes done with full consent exclude grace Now since it is manifest that many elect after grace receiued do sinne with full Consent for such was Dauids case it is cleare likewise 2. Sam. 11. that they fall from grace which is restored vnto them afterward as †de corrept grat c. 7. S. Augustine doth excellently discourse and Catholicks concurr with his opinion 4. I conclude this passadge with the publick testimony of your Church * Artic. Relig 16. After we haue receiued the holy ghost we may depart from * if they loose their faith also then Caluin sayth falsely that true faith can NEVER be lost If they do not loose i◠thē Caluin saith falsely that true faith can not be separated from GRACE grace giuen and by the grace of God we may rise agayn Whereby it is playn against D. Field that the elect do not retayn grace in them notwithstanding any degree of sinne but they fall not from that grace of God by which they are infallibly destinated vnto saluation and therefore vnto a newnesse of life also which is necessary vnto this end 5. Thus much for S. Augustine The sentence of †Rat. 10. Campian is cited in theis words Nisi Diui è coelo deturbentur cadere ego nunquam potero and here your Doctour pretendeth that Campian euen as Caluin himself did belieue constantly that he could neuer fall from faith but was certayn of his saluation Which if it were so then iudge of the soundnesse of your Deuinity according to the principles whereof Campian a resolute Papist and opposite vnto your Religion might be infallibly secure of his saluation and the like all sectaries may as many do apply vnto themselues with a supposed certainty of perseuerance But as F. Campian doth * Rat. 8. Age somuiet hocised vnde c. post medisi· elswhere particularly reprooue this conceipt and taxeth your Caluin precisely for the same so in †in the cōclusion of his tenth Reason this place he is farr from that imagination howsoeuer it pleaseth D. Morton to propose his wordes by the halfe to peruert his meaning in the whole For that blessed Martyr hauing yealded a reason of his confidence which he deriueth from all kinds of witnesses in heauen earth and hell it self non diffiteor sayth he animatus sum incensus ad conflictum IN QVO nisi Diui de coelo deturbentur superbus Lucifer coelum recuperet cadere nunquam potero 6. Now I remitt me vnto your ingenuity and conscience whether D. Morton did not with voluntary and determinate malice as I sayd before abridge the sentence and violate the intention of Campian to deceiue the Reader with sciens fallit and against his knowledge For what doth F. Campian affirme but onely this since I haue theis testimonies of my religion it is not possible that relying thereupon I should euer causâ cadere be vanquished in that combatt which I do seriously desire 7. This may be a sufficient instruction for you and by it alone you may perceiue whether his heart be single and syncere in his impugnation of the Catholick faith which he laboureth to extinguish by theis miserable inuentions But it will flourish much more euen for his sake God of his infinite mercy will either mollify his affection or cohibit his purpose And now kind Maister S. I might ease my self and you from any more payn in this kind if one more vast vntruth then all the rest did not compell me to proceed yet a little farther the master being of great importance and for many respects not to be passed ouer in silence CHAP. 2. D. Mortons vntruth concerning the article of Christ his descent into Hell §. 1. The necessity and waight of this article 1. AMongst sondry difficulties which did sometimes afflict my conscience when I was a brother of your society this was not the least viz. What is that which doth properly and entirely make a man to be a member of your Church so that precisely for defect thereof he ceaseth absolutely from being of that communion In which argument though * booke 1. chap. 7. 8. c. D. Field hath bestowed his diligence and payne yet he is so full of perplexity and vncertainty that I could neuer settle my conscience firmely and vnmooueably in his dubious and enigmaticall resolutions †in his Reply Booke 2. chap. 6. num 11. D. Kellison hath lately proposed this question vnto D. Sutcliffe and though he hath handled it briefly yet he hath performed his designement with such facility and such grauity so appositely and so punctually that any man would be mooued thereby to pity and commiserate your chaos and Babylonian confusion 2. But this position with me is an impregnable bulwark of my Religion viz. Whosoeuer doth pertinaciously reiect any poynt of faith accepted by publick consent of the CATH Church he is
an HERETICK and no member of hir communion For which consideration I am as tenderly affected in this article as in any other of my Creed esteeming my self obliged thereunto for two respects FIRST because the essentiall truth thereof is clearely reuealed vnto me by God both in his word written and by Apostolicall Tradition In his word written for what can be more perspicuous then this saying * Act. 2.27 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell c. By Apostolicall Tradition for what can be more playn then this article He descended into hell That the common Creed is an Apostolicall Tradition your chiefest writer H. †de PedeÌ„pt Zanch us doth confesse and as I conceiue * pag. 238. D. Field dissenteth not from his iudgement therein What †de Antichr pag. 48. M. Powell or his proud Peacock or some precipitate Spiritts imagine to the contrary I am not to regard But if this Creed be an Apostolicall Tradition then it is * See D. Fields rule which I haue cited before Booke 1. part 1. c. 2. §. 2. num 3. equall vnto the written word of God euen for that cause For it proceedeth from diuine inspiration and so it hath sufficient authority of it self Wherefore it was not respectiuely decreed by your †Artic. Relig 8. Bishopps that this Creed ought throughly to be receiued BECAVSE it may be prooued by most certayn warrants of holy Scripture 3. SECONDLY I am mooued by the authority of the Church For who sayth * epist 99. S. Augustine denieth that Christ descended into hell vnlesse he be an INFIDELL And for the sense of this article †Tract 78. in Ioh. he hath this cleare resolution Who is he that was not left in hell Christ Iesus but in his SOVLE onely Who is he that lay in the graue Christ Iesus but in his FLESH onely For the NATVRALL vnion of his body and soule was dissolued but not the HYPOSTATICALL vnion of either with his Person 4. This truth being so potent and perspicuous I aske you now what reason haue you for any part of your faith if you haue not assurance in this And if you fall from this See Luthers saying before pag. 40. what certainty haue you in any other poynt Therefore it importeth your Church to shew a due conformity in this article of the Creed Finally you may remember that S. Athanasius in his Creed which your †Artic. Relig 8. Church pretendeth to admitt throughly c. hauing premised this denunciatioÌ„ Whosoeuer keepeth not the Catholick faith entire and inuiolate without doubt he shall perish euerlastingly doth afterward subnect this article of Christ his descent into hell as parcell of that CATHOLICK faith §. 2. D. Mortons pretense of his Churches vnity in this poynt is clearely refuted 1. NOw see your Doctours syncerity who may call God to reuendge it vpon his soule if he deceyue any man with his knowledge First he citeth the opinion of * l. 4. de Christo cap. 15. Bellarmine in theis wordes Opinio Catholica haec est CHRISTVM VERE SECVNDVM ESSENTIAM FVISSE IN INFERNO As much as to say Christ in his soule substaÌ„tially did descend into hell Then he addeth Hanc vestram sententiam NOS quoque iuxià cum Augustana confessione libentissimè profitemur non tamen quatenus vestram sed quatenus veram WE also together with the Augustane confession do most willingly professe this opinion c. 2. It is well that he left out the Scottish French Belgian and Heluetian confessions for he knoweth that the true Caluinists are hereticks in this behalf And this is an incuitable conclusion because they do obstinately and wilfully reiect the true and Catholick opinion and so defending an opinion CONTRARY vnto CATHOLICK verity they can not be exempted from the crime of heresy which casteth them into a damnable estate But I beseech you do YOV that is to say your Church of England most willingly professe this Catholick opinion Alas that your Apologist hath so iustly called God to reuendge this falsehood vpon his soule let him intreate our Lord to pardon that prouocation of his iudgement and in the meane time I will demonstrate his falsehood by foure euidences FIRST if YOV be of this opinion as he pretendeth why are your Bibles infected with this absurd Translation Act. 2.27 some say life or person some body or carrasse Thou wilt not leaue my soule in graue Is this to submitt your sense vnto the Scripture or is it not rather to draw it vnto your preiudicate opinion This is to measure the yard by the cloth and thus while you should be faithfull Translatours you become corrupt Interpreters of the Scripture SECONDLY why was your Church so distracted in this matter vpon the Sermon and Treatise of D. Bilson How came it to passe that D. Rainolds his Caluinian resolution in this matter was confuted by M Perks and why did M. VVillet the Synopticall Theologue as he is phrased by †in his epist prefixed before the booke of ConfereÌ„ce at Hampton Court D. Barlow oppose himself against M. Perks his answere Why do your Ministers publiquely in Sermons and in print impugne this true and Catholick opinion THIRDLY Why is no Minister punished for his repugnancy vnto this truth which is of greater consequence then crosse cap surplice or any ceremonious thing or whatsoeuer institution of your Church for which many haue suffered depriuation of their liuings FOVRTHLY the testimony of M. Rogers whose booke hath a speciall approbation as you may see * pag. 160. before will conuince D. Morton of notorious falsehood For though his purpose was to deliuer the †that is the title of all his pages Catholick doctrine of YOVR Church yet when * pag. 16. he commeth vnto this article he sayth that in the interpretation of it there is not that consent which were to be wished some holding one opinion thereof and some an other Wherefore yealding no certayn doctrine but leauing men vnto their choyce he addeth TILL we know the natiue and vndoubted * Faith coÌ„sisteth not in the words but in the sense sense of this article c. 3. If this be not a sensible conuiction of M. Doctours singular vntruth I must confesse that I haue done him iniury and will be ready to make any satisfaction that he can reasonably demand Meane while he must giue me leaue to detect an other of his excellent sleights and then I will referr him vnto his best thoughts As it was a notable vanity in him to affirme that YOV do willingly embrace the Catholick opinion in this article so that is a delicate collusion which ensueth within the compasse of three lines viz. à VOBIS c. WE in England differ from YOV Papists concerning the place vnto which Christ descended For WE say that he descended vnto the hell of the damned but YOV say that he descended onely ad limbum Patrum the region of the Fathers 4. The authour cited by him is * Theomach l. 7. c. 1. Feuardentius whose opinion he imputeth here as generally vnto the Papists as he applied the other vnto your English Church But forasmuch as M. Doctour doth continually deale with BELLARMINE and in the words immediately precedent alleadged him particularly also in this matter as you †num 1. see why did he now pretermitt him and select an other I will shew you the reason for Bellarmine himself in the very next chapter is of a contrary opinion vnto that which M. Doctour deriueth generally vpon the Papists What piety then or humanity was in this preposterous deuise 5. Know you therefore FIRST that the opinion which he here imputeth vnto VS without exception is as falsely attributed vnto all Catholicks as the other vnto YOVR English Church SECONDLY that your difference is in the substantiall sense and meaning of this article but our difference is a scholasticall disceptation in a matter of greater or lesser probability which being a doubt not resolued by the Church may be indifferently accepted by hir children without breach of charity or violation of faith 6. Thus I haue giuen you a little signification of those many vntruths which I haue obserued in this Doctour If it consist not with his credit or profitt to yeald yet it concerneth you to beware of his Sirenicall incantations Your benefitt shall be my reward if not so yet this schedule may be a token of my loue and be you well assured that either by following my counsayle TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST you shall preuent an heauy doome or by neglecting it you shall increase your iudgement FINIS A TABLE OF THE GENERALL CONTENTS IN THE FIRST PART CHAP. 1. § 1. GERSONS testimony alleadged by D. Field to iustify the pretensed REFORMATION § 2. It is impossible that GERSON could wish or tolerate this REFORMATION § 3. A detection of D. Fields vntruths in citing the testimonyes of GERSON § 4. The name and authority of GROSTHEAD abused by D. Field to the same effect CHAP. 2. § 1. D. Fields vntrue suggestion concerning the vnity of Lutherans and Caluinists is refuted Their difference touching Vbiquity the Sacrament § 2. D. Fields excuse of their litigation is refelled They neither haue nor can haue any conclusion of peace CHAP. 3. § 1. D. Field deuiseth criminations against Bellarmine § 2. His inciuility toward the CARDINALL whose excellent parts are briefly noted IN THE SECOND PART CHAP. 1. § 1. D. Mortons vntruth in defence of Luther § 2. His vntruth in protection of Caluin CHAP. 2. § 1. Of the article concerning Christ his descent into hell § 2. D. Morton doth vntruly pretend the vnity of his English Church in the sense thereof The PARTICVLAR contents are many which I referr vnto the diligence of the courteous Reader THE CORRECTION OF FAVLTES PASSED IN SOME COPIES P. signifieth page I line M. mâ—â—gent p. 10. l. 40. reade the same p. 12. â—â— num 15. p. 22. l â— proceed p. 26. l. 6. brimtione p. 60. l. 27 â—â—dery p. 44 l. 15. 〈◊〉 p. â—5 l 4. improbation 12. l. â—â—ist 17. 〈◊〉 p. 48. l. 1â— Iudes p. 5â—â—â— with any p. â—â— l. 8. his stile and sayd pag. 58. l. 15 what 〈◊〉 p. 59. l. 22. your p. 64. l. 26. â—â—clâ—sastiâ—