hee wanteth common sense to content himselfe to learne the beliefe of his aduersaries by their enemies inuectiues or by popular report rather than by their owne confession Whereby it happeneth that all the disputation is a manner of skirmishing in the ayre which striketh no man and a fantasie of an imaginary controuersie forged to storme or bestirre themselues against But this is the manner which at this day they vse with vs for they that preach or write against vs make vs as blacke as Pitch with slanders and forge another confession for vs. When wee reade our Aduersaries writings wee might imagine that they write against another Religion than ours if we saw not our names at the beginning of their Bookes and in the titles of the Chapters And what protestations soeuer wee make that we beleeue nothing that they make vs to say yet they are resolute and will perswade vs that wee doe beleeue it Master Arnoux Booke written against our confession iustifieth the same which in stead of refuting our confession changeth it in such manner that fighting against his owne inuentions his quarrell is against himselfe Whereupon I am forced in a briefe Table to set downe what kinde of confession of the faith our Aduersaries attribute vnto vs and how they paint out our confession like a horrible Monster which they shew vnto the people to get money thereby Peter Cotton the Iesuite made a Booke intituled Catholique Institution at the beginning whereof hee hath made a Preface to those of the pretended reformed Church wherein hee comprehendeth all our beliefe in 28. Articles which are these that follow 1 THat the Children of Christians may be saued onely by the faith of their Parents without baptisme and therefore that baptisme is not absolutely necessary 2 That the Bread in the Supper of our Lord is onely the figure of the Body of Iesus Christ 3 That the Church may erre 4 That we must not allow of any traditions 5 That Angels and Saints which are in glory know not our necessities and cannot heare our prayers 6 That Priests and religious persons may breake their vowes 7 That single life is not to bee preferred before marriage 8 That the Bookes of Macabees Wisdome Ecclesiasticus Tobias the rest of Daniel and Baruc are Apocripha 9 That the Soule of the Sonne of God did not descend into Hell to fetch the soules of the holy Fathers from thence which there stayed for his comming or that before the Ascension of Iesus Christ the soules of the Saints were receiued into Heauen not into Limbus nor into any other third place 10 That we must confesse our sinnes to God onely 11 That faith onely iustifieth 12 That when the fault of sinne is remitted the punishment also is remitted 13 That God did not create men in one and the same condition but that he created some to be saued and the rest to be damned perpetually 14 That euery particular man hath an Angell that watcheth ouer him 15 That it is not lawfull to salute him nor to call vpon him 16 That God doth not suffer sinne to be done but that he will haue it to be done that hee thrusteth vs forward vnto it and constraineth vs thereunto 17 That the Scripture is easie to be vnderstood and that the vnderstanding thereof is giuen vnto all men 18 That there needes no ordinary or extraordinary vocation to preach the Word of God 19 That we must beleeue nothing but that which is written 20 That God hath not giuen power to the Church to remit sinnes 21 That all sinnes are mortall 22 That a man cannot merit by grace 23 That it is impossible to keepe the Commaundements of God although he ayde vs. 24 That God doth not recompence good workes 25 That there is no distinction of blessednesse among the Saints and that they are all equall therein 26 That we must not vse the imposition of hands which the Apostles vsed vpon those of Samaria and Ephesus 27 That the precept to annoynt sicke persons with oyle whereof St. Iames speaketh ought not to be practised in the Church although it was vsed by the Apostles 28 That prayer for the dead was not vsed in ancient times nor yet in the Machabees time Vpon these eight twenty Articles he asketh vs proofes out of the holy Scriptures but he should aske proofes of all these Articles of those that beleeue such things and not of vs to whom all these poynts are in a manner slanderously imputed Vpon the which I will briefly say something to the Reader and run ouer all these Articles 1 IT is false that we say that Children may be saued onely by the faith of their Parents Touching the necessity of Baptisme with water the Church of Rome beleeueth it not The Councell of Trent is of opinion that a vow supplyeth the want of Baptisme with water and our Aduersaries say that the Baptisme of bloud and the Baptisme of the Spirit that is martyrdome and regeneration without baptisme with water may saue a man 2 It is false that wee beleeue that the Bread in the holy Supper is onely the figure of the body of Christ The Scripture teacheth vs that the Sacraments also are seales to confirme and that the bread which wee breake is the communion of the body of Christ 3 It is false that we simply say that the Church can erre The Church that is spoken of in the Creede which is the Church of the Elect cannot erre in deciding of the doubts in faith because it neuer assembleth to decide any thing Touching the visible vniuersall Church it was assembled in the persons of the Apostles which did wholly gouerne it then it could not erre Now it is diuided into particular contrary Churches seperated from communion It is impossible to assemble the same to decide any causes Touching particular Churches as the Greeke Romane and the Syrian c. There are some that may erre and there are some particular Churches wherein it is impossible to be saued that is those that are idolatrous where the benefit of Iesus Christ is corrupted 4 It is false that we reiect all traditions we reiect those onely which add something to the doctrine of faith contayned in the holy Scriptures 5 It is false that we beleeue that Angels and Saints know not our necessities they doe generally know that the Church of God is persecuted and hath great combats to resist The Angels that God hath appointed to be our gardians know our necessities and what estate we are in 6 It is false that we simply say that Priests ought not to keepe their vowes if they make a vow of possible things and conformable to the Word of God they ought to keepe them 7 It is false that we say that single life is not to be preferred before marriage single life that is continent and hath no euill desires hath great commodities and aduantages aboue marriage and more liberty to serue God 8. 9. The eighth and
of God either in this life or in purgatorie 10 Where God forbiddeth Priests and Monkes to marry 11 In what place of the Scripture we are commanded to adore the reliques of Saints 12 In what place of the Scripture there is any thing said of the place of Limbus for little Children 13 In what place of the Scripture it is said that the Church of Rome is the Soueraigne Iudge of doubts in faith and that she cannot erre 14 In what place of the Scripture the Virgin Mary is called Queene of Heauen 15 In what place of the Scripture God forbiddeth the people to reade the holy Scriptures without speciall permission 16 In what place of the Scripture power is giuen to the Pope to gather into the treasury of the Church the super-aboundant satisfactions of Saints and of Monkes and to conuert them into payment for others distributing them by Indulgences 17 Lastly where and when hath God giuen power to the Pope to depose Kings to draw soules out of Purgatorie and to giue pardons for seauen or eight hundred thousand yeares Vpon these seauenteene poynts which make the Body of Popery and wherein the abuse and tyranny thereof consisteth we aske Master Arnoux whether he will produce any places of holy Scripture to proue them and wee will content our selues with one place onely for euery seuerall poynt Our meaning is not to restraine him to finde these things in the Scripture word by word it shall suffice vs if he can finde them there in substance or that they can be deduced by good consequence For we seeke no delayes nor are not tyed to the number of syllables so the thing be proued in the word of God Now we must see what answere Mr. Arnoux maketh to these questions and how he proueth his Religion by the Word of God CHAP. II. Mr. Arnoux answere to these Questions THe Aduersarie maketh answere in these words 1. 100. page of Mr. Arnoux Booke First he saith it belongeth not vnto them to aske me the reason of my beleefe because I am in possession no man hath giuen them commission to pull the title of the inheritance which I hold out of my hands I answere that it is true that we haue no power to make him speake nor to binde him to giue vs an answere but the commandement of God bindeth him thereunto in the first Epistle of S. Peter 3.15 Be ready alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekenesse and feare Iesus Christ made answere touching his doctrine to those that came vnto him although they were his enemles and had no power ouer him We haue answered Mr. Arnoux to all whatsoeuer he demanded of vs and obiected against vs although he hath no power ouer vs neither did shew vs his commission He hath bound himselfe to answere vs because he prouoked vs to speake For that asking vs a reason of our religion he might make his account that we would aske him a reason of his religion not in manner of reuenge but to let the truth be knowne and to shew that wee are better grounded in Religion then he is Whereas he saith that he is in possession of an inheritance and that we haue no commission to take it from him If by that inheritance he vnderstandeth earthly possessions and riches we enuie him not and wish that he had ten times as much more so he would become a defender of the truth But if by that inheritance hee vnderstandeth the possession of the true doctrine it is to presuppose that which is in question We goe not about to take a thing from the Church of Rome which she hath partly lost There needs no commission to aske a man what he beleeueth or the reason of his beleefe Charitie towards all men and a desire to lend our helping hand to him that is fallen and the zeale that we ought to beare to the defence of Gods cause sufficiently bindeth vs to speake and to propound the doctrine of saluation to those that require it It is to no purpose to say it is already long time since I haue bin in possession of this doctrine For Pagans Iewes and Turkes may say as much whose religions are ancienter then Papistry We dispute not by numbers or yeeres but by proofes The Church is in a Country where there is a written Law and not in a Country where custome onely ruleth There is no prescription against the heauenly truth which alwayes is most ancient for that vntruth or lying is but a corruption of the truth An ancient opinion once was new and if time may authorize a doctrine tell me how many yeeres at the least me must haue to giue authoritie thereunto Then we must proceed to the ground and to the institution contained in the Word of God And without speaking of the Word of God yet it will be found that the most part of the errors of the Church of Rome are very new As the deposing of Kings by the Pope the Communion vnder one kinde The forbidding to reade the holy Scriptures c. 2 Mr. Arnoux addeth and saith Their request should be more tollerable if they made it before some Iudge that had authoritie to end our difference If this excuse made by the Iesuite were allowable before he sets vpon vs he ought to finde out a Iudge that could set vs at an agreement But that notwithstanding we haue not spared to answere him because that although at this day there is no man to be found that is fit to be a Iudge of Controuersies with infallible certainty and soueraigne authority yet euery particular man ought to haue iudgement with discretion to discerne which of vs best proueth and iustifieth his sayings by the Word of God Then that should bee no hinderance vnto him to answere vs. 3 The third excuse that he addeth is no better then the former which is seeing saith he that they haue bound themselues to re-establish the Church that is fallen and that I offer my selfe vnto them to be drawne out of the ruines wherewith as they thinke I am inclosed It belongs to them to lend me their hand to shew me those notable places and to produce the Scriptures I answere that it is false that we haue taken vpon vs to reforme the Church and that wee haue bound our selues thereunto It is sufficient for vs to reforme our selues They call our Churches reformed and not reformers And they are called reformed because they are Christian Churches purged from Papistrie It is true that as euery true Christian is moued with compassion towards those that erre we could gladly wish that our aduersaries eyes were opened and that we could take the vaile of ignorance from before them But yet we take not on vs the title of reformers I am perswaded that our aduersaries which beleeue that they haue the truth on their sides would be glad if they could doe the like for vs
Papists Churches 9 Or that the ancient Church gaue diuers charges and offices to Saints to one ouer one Country to another ouer another Countrey to another ouer an occupation c. 10 Or that the ancient Church beleeued that the Pope can giue and take away Kingdomes and dispence with subiects touching their oath of fidelity cannonize Saints and dispence with vowes and oathes made to God 11 Or that in the ancient Church the Pope by his pardons distributed the supererogatory satisfactions of Saints for remission of the punishments for other mens sinnes 12 Or that the Pope then set vp pardons in one Church not in another making priuiledged Alters to the which sometimes hee granted two or three hundred thousand yeeres of pardon 13 Or that the ancient Church did beleeue that there is a place called Limbus for yong children 14 Or that it adored the hoste which the Priest holdeth in his hands with Latrian worship and that to the same end the Priest lifteth vp the hoste in the Masse 15 Or that the ancient Church euer esteemed the books of Machabees to be Canonicall bookes 16 Or that it beleeued that the Bishop of Rome cannot erre in the faith 17 Or that the ancient Church did beleeue that Iesus Christ by his death and passion did satisfie for the faults and for the sinnes by men committed before baptisme but that for sinnes committed after baptisme it belongeth to vs to satisfie for them either in this life or in the fire of Purgatory Vpon euery one of these points I will content my selfe with two places alleadged by them out of the foure first ages CHAP. III. The fiue manners or wayes of Euasions set downe by Mr. Arnoux to confute the Ministers THe carefull and zealous reading of the holy Scriptures and the ancient doctors the vnderstanding of the Latin Greeke and Hebrew tongues and the knowledge of histories and of Philosophie are things required to be in a Diuine But the onely intelligence of the Scriptures ought to suffice if all of vs were wise and of one accord But the sickenesse of this age and the starting-holes which error hath digged are the causes that diuers other things are required in a Diuine Father Gontri deceased acknowledging that and feeling himselfe to be destitute of many necessary aides therin as of the knowledge of the Greek Hebrew tongues yet desirous to win reputation inuented certaine means and wayes whereby an ignorant person voide of all learning might maintaine a disputation and to that end published diuers smal Pamphlets which serue to forme and frame the manner and order which those that dispute or conferre with vs should hold to whom he giueth these two counsels The first is neuer to yeeld to make any answere nor to binde themselues to defend the Romish Religion but alwayes to put questions and to force vs to the defence of our confession And if they be pressed to proue their beleefe by the Word of God instead of answering vs that they should say It belongs not to you to examine me of my beleefe for I am in possession and you haue no commission to examine me Seeing you are reformers it belongs to you to reforme mee and to produce your proofes And who told you that this is the holy Scripture The other counsell which hee giueth is that when wee come to make obiections and to produce our proofes not to allow of any thing whatsoeuer we shall say if wee shew it not in the Scripture in as many words and syllables as wee alledge it and that if we frame an argument whereof both the propositions are in the Scriptures to deny that they are bound to allow the conclusion because Aristotles rules doe not binde the faith And that if in our discourse we shall happen to vse these words That is to say or by consequence they should force vs to finde those words That is to say and by consequence in the Scripture And that if we produce a place in the Scripture for the clearing and interpretation of another place in the Scripture they should say vnto vs shew mee a third place in the Scripture which saith that this place ought to be expounded by that place And that if we doe not answere them to their desires then that they shall breake off conference and thereupon make and raise clamors and slanderous libels full of triumphant words that they haue brought the Ministers to their Shifts of that is to say and by consequences and to say that a Caroach also is a consequence because it followeth the horses There is no Cobler in the Countrey but that in a quarter of an houre he may become a Diuine if it be sufficient alwayes to put questions and neuer to answere Certainely all this is but a small masse or lumpe of scould-like wrangling which onely learneth a man to defend himselfe with his clawes like a Cat and to prolong a disputation neuer entring into the matter But this dresser of craftinesse and deceit neuer reaped any benefit by his proceedings for at the first encounter with the least of the Ministers his nose fell a bleeding and all his craft vanished away like a tempest driuen backe with the winde of a Hatte and so withdrawing himselfe like a light horseman vnhorst went into another towne there to be dealt withall in the like manner If we would giue the like measure to those that vse these iugling trickes we could at the first word that they speake aske them who they are and who sent them and vpon their answere that they are Priests and Doctors of the Church say vnto them what know wee whether there must bee a Church or not or that there is a Church and thereupon if they speake any thing say vnto them shew that in as many words in the written or vnwritten word And if they chance to come out with Therefore or for that cause say vnto them shew me that word in the vnwritten word and who shall be Iudge c. And so like them vse that simple wrangling which is fit onely for mad-men and malitious wranglers that feare the touch and dare not shew their faces in open field Mr. Arnoux followeth this instruction fit for a man that is meanely furnished and decking himselfe with other birds feathers hath drawne these subtilties into a kinde of Art and reduced them into fiue heads intitling his discourse Meanes or wayes of euasion Wherevnder pretence to discouer our shifts as they say hee sheweth his owne and frames a discipline of small and slender subtilties fitter rather to stay and hinder disputation then to instruct To each of these Euasions we will say somewhat that we may not let any thing passe without replying CHAP. IIII. The first way of Euasion THe first of our wiles which he noteth is that when we are put from a place of Scripture we produce our own interpretations and saue our credits by That is to say Whereunto I reply That if
rules not thinking thereon being insensibly thrust into them by the force of reason Whosoeuer will haue no consequences produced abolisheth all common sense and all vse of reason which onely consisteth therein The rules of Lodgique are no Articles of faith but instruments to mannage all knowledge by order and certainty and by consequence also matters of Diuinitie CHAP. VI. The third Euasion THe third Euasion which Master Arnoux saith we vse is that we serue our turnes with the circle in this that we proue those things to be Scripture by our particular spirit and proue that particular spirit by the Scripture Which is false and slanderous We leaue that particular spirit to mad men none of vs makes our selues Iudges of the Scriptures That is the Popes and his Prelates property who being assembled boast that they pronounce Iudgement touching points of faith and beleeue they cannot erre And our Aduersaries say that euery particular person of the Church of Rome doth certainly discerne the true Church which spirit or particular iudgement is meere blindnesse seeing that the poore people haue no other proofe to know that the Church of Rome is the true Church then onely the witnesse that the same Church giueth of itselfe Touching the circle if any serue their turnes therewith it is our aduersaries for they ground the authoritie of the Scripture vpon the testimony of the Church and yet ground the authoritie of the Church vpon testimonies of the Scripture as one that hauing placed the walles of a house vpon the foundation afterward should place the foundation vpon the walles When we aske them how they know that wee must beleeue the bookes of the new Testament They answere and say because the Church saith it and ordaines it to be so and when we say that how know you that wee must beleeue the Church because say they that the bookes of the New Testament say so and ordaine it to be so for there it is written Tell it vnto the Church c. Certainely as often as they alledge the Scriptures to ground and authorize their Church they ouerthrow that which they will haue men to beleeue which is that the authority of the Scripture is grounded vpon the authority of the Church And thereby are tyed to rowle the circle as Diogenes is to his tub and ouerturne their owne wits by this circulation But when we aske one of them and say how know you that your Church teacheth the true Doctrine or how know you that it is conformable to the ancient Church There they are at a stay and the circle rowles no more and so they are dumbe by necessity For how shall they know the true Doctrine seeing the rule of the true Doctrine which is the holy Scripture is hidden from them And how should they know whether their Church is conformable to the ancient Church seeing it is not knowne but by an infinite number of Greeke and Latine Bookes which the people vnderstand not Then the people must know that the Church of Rome teacheth the true Doctrine onely because those that teach it say so which is to belieue at hazard and to haue a humane Religion grounded vpon coniectures without the Word of God and to allow a man to be a witnesse and a Iudge in his owne cause Therefore Master Arnoux giueth markes to know the true Church without speaking of the holy Scriptures Pag. 119. which are all false First The consent of the people But there are a greater number of the people that disagree with the Church of Rome than those that agree therewith And Iesus Christ saith that broad is the way that leadeth to destruction Math. 7.13.14 and many there be which goe in thereat because straite is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth vnto life and few there be that finde it Then he addeth the testimony of Martyrs a false marke for there shall neuer be any Martyrs found that died for calling vpon Saints or for Transubstantiation or for Purgatory They suffered death for the doctrine of the Gospell for the which our poore Churches haue suffered so many martyrdomes by meanes of the Church of Rome which suffereth no more but maketh martyrs suffer For a third marke he placeth the authority of the Fathers But the Fathers are contrary to the Doctrine of the Romish Church the people cannot looke into them And Master Arnoux speaketh by heare-say for in his Booke he alledgeth but foure or fiue places out of the Fathers which are not found to be false and corrupted For a fourth marke hee puts the eminence of the Doctrine I thinke that by the eminence hee vnderstandeth the excellency which consisteth in purity and conformity to the Word of God Without proofe to say that the Church of Rome hath the purity of Doctrine it is without proofe to pre-suppose that which is in question To the contrary we haue proued against Master Arnoux that Poperie is a heape of errours and a corruption of Christianitie And how should the people know that purity of Doctrine seeing they hide the rule of purity which is the holy Scriptures from them For the last marke hee seâ—teth succession neuer interrupted It he vnderstandeth a succession of doctrine wee deny it if he vnderstandeth a succession of chaires without Doctrine that succession is nothing Many other Churches also which condemne the Church of Rome haue their succession and that ancienter than the Romane And schismes haue often broken the succession of the Romish Bishopricke And how can the people know any thing touching this succession which cannot be learned but by reading of infinite Histories and Greeke and Latine Authors that haue written for the space of one thousand sixe hundred yeares CHAP. VII The fourth Euasion THe aduersary noteth another Euasion wherewith wee serue our turnes as he saith which is to produce diuers places of Scripture one with another whereof the one serueth to interpret the other For example he saith that wee expound these words This is my body by this place I am the Vine wherein hee slandereth vs. We know well that these words I am the Vine are not the exposition of these words This is my body Wee note not those places I am the Vine I am the dore This cup is the Couenant The rocke was Christ to interpret these words This is my body but to shew that whosoeuer will alwaies take the words of the holy Scripture literally and leaue these interpretations whereby the Scripture expresseth it selfe should often fall into great absurdities and to shew that ordinarily the Scripture nameth the signes and Sacraments by the names of that which they represent CHAP. VIII The fift Euasion THe fift Euasion which Master Arnoux imputeth vnto vs is a Chaos of confused calumniations He saith that we attribute things to the Church of Rome which shee beleeueth not That we charge the Popes with injuries That wee reiect the originall Text of the Scripture that is the Hebrew and the Greeke
That we say that a Verse is sliden from the Margent to the Text. That wee reiect the common translation receiued by all the Fathers That we adde vnto and take away from the holy Scriptures That wee forge metaphors and improprieties of phrases That we esteeme that to be spoken per Ironia which is said vpon oath that we tye a conditionall particle to a period to draw it from the absolute sense thereof and make thirty manifest places of the Scripture intricate by one obscure place This cart of confused calumniations without any proofes deserueth no answere It is an easie thing to speake euill of a man without any proofe And I beleeue that Master Arnoux hath made a collection of faults wherein the Doctors of the Romish Church are culpable to impose them vpon vs for in Master Arnoux Booke wee finde that in euery place hee changeth our beliefe and maketh vs say things which wee abhorre as much as he doth Hee knoweth or ought to know that the Doctors and Writers of the Romish Church say and speake a thousand iniuries of Popes and detest their liues and doctrine He knoweth that the Church of Rome reiecteth the originall text of the Bible which is the Greek the Hebrew and preferreth the vulgar translation before it which neuerthelesse is so much corrupted that if you compare the vulgar translation with the Hebrew you will say that there is no Booke in the world so badly translated Sixtus Seuensis the Popes keeper of his Library acknowledgeth the same in the seauenth Booke of the Library * Heres prima Editionis venetae p. 921. 92◠Vulgata edito quae Hieronymi esse dicitur in multis à Graeca veritate distat where hee saith that the vulgar Edition which is said to be Saint Hieromes in many things differeth from the truth of the Greeke That which Bellarmine acknowledgeth is so farre a Bell. lib. 2. de Verbo Dei ca. 2. Heretici huic temporis odio editionis vulgatae nimium tribuunt editioni Hebraicae c. from accusing vs of reiecting the Hebrew or Greeke Text that to the contrary he accuseth vs of holding too much with it and of referring too much vnto it Heretiques saith hee in hatred of the vulgar Edition attribute too much to the Hebrew Edition For Caluin and Kemnitius will haue all examined and corrected by the Hebrew Text. To the contrary hee b Eodem cap. 2. §. His ergo Scripturas Hebraicas non esse in vniuers deprauatas opera vel malitia Iudaeorum nec tamen esse omnino integras maintaineth that the Scripture in the Hebrew is corrupted in many places and contradicteth the opinions of Hierome and Augustine that will haue the Latine translation to be examined and corrected by the Hebrew and the Greeke c Cap. 11. Fontes scripturarum anteponendi riuulis versionem quando constat fontes non esse turbatos Nunc autem fontes multis locis turbidos fluere iam ante ostendinus For he will haue the vulgar translation to be preferred before the Greeke and Hebrew And that men should haue their recourse to the little Riuers because the spring is troubled But those of the Church of Rome that haue some remnant of equity in them and that plainely perceiue that this opinion is an entrance into Atheisme and maketh nothing certaine in the Word of God ioyne themselues with vs and not onely reproue the vulgar translation as Sixtus Seuensis aforesaid but also they themselues haue made translations of the Bible according to the Hebrew as Sanctes Pagninus a Luquois Monke and Arias Montanus a Spaniard between the which translations and that which is vsed in our Churches there is great conformity Whereas Master Arnoux saith that the vulgar translation hath beene receiued of all the Fathers hee sheweth that hee neuer lookt into the Fathers for in Saint Augustine there are two thousand places of the holy Scriptures alledged in other words than they are set downe in the vulgar translation And Tertullian vseth a different translation from all the rest and in Hierome we haue diuers places of the old Testament by him truely translated according to the Hebrew and Bellarmine in the tenth Chapter of his second Booke de Verbo Dei saith that the vulgar translation began to be receiued in the Church of Rome in the time of Gregory the first that is sixe hundred yeares after Iesus Christ And Saint Augustine acknowledgeth that in his time the diuersity of Latine translations were infinite in the second Booke of Christian Doctrine Chapter 11. In all these things De Doctr. Christianae l. 2. ca. 11. as also in the rest of the smaller calumniations which he setteth downe he sheweth that he knoweth not what we say nor what he himselfe saith and that he hath no knowledge of antiquity nor of the nature of our Controuersies and had done wisely if hee had shewed his Booke to men of some iudgement before he published the same in stead of taking all his defence out of Father Gontri without any other examination which Iesuite if he were liuing would aske for his feathers againe and so Mr. Arnoux should be starke naked The reproach which hee giueth vs to take from the Scriptures without telling wherein and how it is done is vnseemely in the mouthes of those that from the Law of God cut off a whole Commaundement that is the second Commaundement wherein the worshipping of Images is prohibited But we must of force say something touching the reproach which he giueth vs that we attribute things to the Romish Church which she beleeueth not To auoid this blame in the defence of our confession of the faith against Master Arnoux I haue drawne our Aduersaries beliefe from the Councels of the Church of Rome and specially from the Councell of Trent as also from the Decrees and Canons of Popes and from the Text of the Masse And where there is any discord betweene our Aduersaries I haue not hidden it to the end that an error which belongeth but to one part of the Romish Church should not be imputed to the whole body thereof And if I haue alledged any particular Doctors they are some of the notablest at the fore-front of whose writings the approbation of the Doctors and of the faculties of Theologie is apposed In controuersies of Religion to impute contrary things to the aduerse party which he beleeueth not is expresly to make warre against God and to feare that the truth should be knowne that is to make controuersies where none are as if wee had not true controuersies enough without forged false controuersies It is a confession of a bad cause and an acknowledging of the truth of the contrary opinion when before wee speake against it wee seeke to disguise it To be short it is a confessing that if the opinion of the Aduersaries were truely propounded it could not be contradicted Or if any man doth it without malice he sheweth that
ninth Articles are true wee reiect the Limbus patrum which is said to bee emptie these 1600. yeeres and the Apocriphall bookes 10 It is false that we say that we must confesse our sinnes onely to God We must confesse them to the Church and to our Pastors and to our neighbours whom wee haue offended 11 To take the word iustifie in that sense which our Aduersaries take it for regeneration and sanctification It is false that we say that faith onely iustifieth For a Christian is regenerated by all Christian vertues But if by being iustified they vnderstand absolued and esteemed to be righteous before the iudiciall seate of God which is the sense wherein the Scripture ordinarily taketh the word iustifie in that sense we say that faith voide of workes cannot iustifie vs but that faith accompanied with workes onely hath the vertue to iustifie vs for that among Christian vertues faith onely hath that propertie To apprehend the benefit of our Lord Iesus Christ 12 It is false that we simply say without exception that when the fault is remitted the punishment also is remitted We speake that of satisfactory and vindicatiue punishments but not of chastning punishments which serue to amend and instrust the sinner in time to come Those punishments are sufferable with the remission of sinnes 13 It is false that we say that God hath created men to be damned Caluin saith not so and if hee had said so wee are not bound to beleeue it 14 It is false that we say that euery one of vs hath not an Angell to be his guardian Our Churches haue not defined any thing touching that point Whether God imployeth an Angell for the guarding of diuers persons or many Angels for the guarding of one man It is a thing which wee leaue to the Counsell of God 15 The fifteenth Article is true we honour Saints and set them before vs for an example and aspire to their beatitude but we call not vpon them 16 It is false and slanderous that we say that God thrusteth vs forward and constraineth vs to sinne that doctrine is horrible and diuelish Caluin to whom they impute this doctrine neuer said it but taught the contrary and although he had said it yet our confession of the faith in the seauenth Article protesteth the contrary in these words saying Not that God is the Author of euill or that the fault can be imputed vnto him seeing that his will is the soueraigne and the infallible rule of all doctrine and equitie 17 It is false that we say that the Scripture is easie to bee vnderstood and that the vnderstanding thereof is giuen vnto all men In it there are obscure prophesies and difficult places We say that in the Scriptures there are sufficient euident and cleare places which are instructions vnto vs for saluation and that in things which are plaine and manifest in the Scriptures and which haue no neede of interpretation all that which is necessary for our saluation is contayned 18 It is false that we say that to preach the Word of God there needes no ordinary nor extraordinary calling I haue made a booke expresly to proue the contrary 19 It is false that we say that we must beleeue nothing but that which is written We say that we must not receiue any doctrine as necessary to saluation that is not contained in the holy Scriptures 20 It is false that we say that God hath not giuen power to the Church to remit sinnes faithfull Pastors haue that power but their pardon is conditionall so the party be a repentant sinner which is not certanely knowne but to God onely Therefore their iudgement must of force be conditionall As the holy Scripture saith that Pastors saue soules because God vseth their ministry to saue them so it saith that Pastors pardon sinnes because God vseth their meanes to pardon them 21 It is false that our Churches haue made any definition touching this point that all sinnes are mortall It belongeth not to criminals and sinners to determine what punishment euery sinne they commit deserueth Onely we reiect that distinction which is made betweene mortall and veniall sinnes that is pardonable because those sinnes which are called mortall are pardonable in those that conuert and amend their liues and those sinnes that are called veniall are mortall when men perseuere therein till they die and that contempt and finall obstinacy is added to the transgression 22 The 22. Article is true We doe not presume that wee can merit before God and if thereupon we should be asked whether we cannot merit by the grace of God I answere that the same grace is it which hindereth vs from meriting For for that cause our good workes are not meritorious because they proceed from the grace of God It is no merit to receiue grace 23 It is false that we say that it is impossible to keepe the commandements of God though God doth helpe vs. When it is the will of God to make a man perfect and without sinne no man can hinder it nor limit any rules to the efficacie of his Spirit 24 It is most false that we say that God doth not reward good workes 25 It is false that we hold for a most assured thing that the Saints haue equall glory in heauen That is no Article necessary to saluation we condemne no man for that opinion but suffer euery man to conceiue thereof as hee thinketh it most probable But the Pope which giueth a degree of glory vnto some men aboue the vulgar Saints is bound to maintaine that inequalitie 26 It is false that we say that we must not vse the imposition of hands which the Apostles vsed in Samaria and in Ephesus Whosoeuer hath the vertue by imposition of hands to conferre the same miraculous graces and the gift of tongues which the Apostles conferred shall doe well to vse that ceremony 27 It is false that we say That the precept to annoynt the sicke with oyle whereof S. Iames speaketh ought not to be practised in the Church Wee know that not onely the Apostles but also their disciples after them did profitably vse the same for healing of the sicke Whosoeuer can by that vnction doe the like miraculous effects shall doe well to vse the same ceremony 28 Lastly it is false that our Churches beleeue and teach that prayer for the dead was not anciently in vse Wee say that the first ages whose examples should serue vs for a Law vsed it not and that God did not ordaine it Touching the Machabees it concernes vs nothing to know whether that as then they prayed for the dead For although the bookes of the Machabees are full of fables and that the same history is to be suspected yet although it were true our Religion is not ruled by the Iewes actions but by the commandement of God as also that prayer for the dead whereof wee speake is made with a reference to the resurrection and not to draw soules out of Purgatory The indifferent Reader will consider with what people wee haue to doe seeing that of the 28. Articles wherein they comprehend our Religion there are but foure which truely and without calumniation doe represent our doctrine and what hope is there to end our Controuersies by the Word of God seeing that they binde vs by the Word of God to proue those things which we beleeue not How should they faithfully propound our beleefe to their people when they disguise it vnto vs Put the case that our Religion were as full of errors as it is holy iust and true why doe they insteed of seeking to draw vs out of errours goe about to drowne vs therein why doe they study to make vs worse insteed of amending or bettering vs or doe they thinke that wee haue forgotten our Religion and that wee must be forc't to come to them to learne it Wee are vsed in the like manner by the Bishop of Luzon in his booke that he hath made against our Epistle dedicated to the King In the tenth page hee reduceth our Religion into twelue Articles which he hath forged out of some places of our Authors which he hath clipt and which doe not say that which he would haue them to say which we take for a iustification of our cause seeing that no man dares encounter with vs face to face nor come directly to vs but all of them take a wrong course and goe by-as way and discharge not their choller against our Religion but against another which they haue forged at their pleasures FINIS