the ordainings of Formosus ought to be void And this * Pag 42. 7 Concil Rauen An. Do 898. Sigon de Reg. Itaâ— li. 6. Master Hart against Doctor Raynolds confesseth to be an error in faith And Iohn the ninth in the Councel of Rauenna condemned Stephen and his Councell and therein their new ordainings are forbidden and matched with new Baptizings Pope Coelestine the third did set forth a decrée that when of married persons one falleth into heresie the marriage is dissolued and the Catholike partie is free to marrie againe Mat. 19.9 flat against the Scriptures And Alfonsus Alfon. à Castro aduer Haeres li. 1. ca. 4. a famous patron of the Papacie doeth shewe that he defined it For that Pope Coelestine did erre saith Alfonsus about the marriage of the faithfull of whome one falleth into Heresie It is manifest to all men Neither was this errour of Coelestine such as ought to bee imputed to negligence alone That wee may say he erred as a priuate man and not as a Pope who in defining of any serious matter should aske counsel of learned men For this definition of Coelestine was extant in the olde Decretals which I my selfe haue séene and read Super quart decretal c. quanto de â—iuortijs â— IdeÌ„ siquidem de coÌ„â—ers infid c. audabilem Gratia dist 9. c. in â—omi § â—drian in 4 â—ent de conâ—irma ca. vlt. Gerson Almain Paâ—isieÌ„ses Theâ—logi Decret li 4. â—e diuort â—uanto â— Ibid. praedecessor Decretal li. â— de deâ—oÌ„sa duoruÌ„ 〈◊〉 licet praeter And this is confirmed by Cardinal Hostiensis who noteth the very paragraph of the Chapter in the which it was and speaketh of it as a Decretall And that the Pope may erre in iudgement of faith Gratian Adrian Gerson and Almaine the Diuines of Paris affirme Innocentius the third when he decided the cause confessed that one of his predecessors had decréed otherwise which saith the Gloze was Coelestinus whose resolution was in the old Decretals and it was euill that Coelestinus sayd Alexander the third in a matter of great importance sayd Quamuis aliter à quibusdam praedecessoribus nostris sit aliquando iudicatum Though some of our predecessors haue heretofore otherwise giuen iudgement And if you obiect for you will euer find some shift that these were matters of mariage and not of faith as though the seuering of those whome God hath ioyned did not touch the faith â—e conse â—istin 2. Ego Beren Nicolaus the second in a Councell of 114. Bishops appointed Berengarius to confesse That the very body of Christ is in trueth and sensually broken and bruised in pieces with the téeth of the faithfull And this confession the Pope receiued allowed and sent to the Bishops of Italy Germany and France as Catholike which your owne Gloze saith Ibid. c. dentibus is a greater heresie than euer Berengarius held vnlesse you vnderstand this of the outwarde formes of Bread and Wine and not of the body of Christ Honorius the Pope did hold and teach the Monothelites heresie 1. Tim. 3 16 Luk. 22.42 who whereas Christ is made our Sauiour and Redéemer by that he doeth consist of two natures God and man and as of two natures so of two willes agréeable to the natures they say that Christ hath but one will onely and by consequent but one nature The sixt general Councel hath handled the cause of the Monotholite heretikes in 18. actions as they are tearmed In the first action the 8. and the 11. the heretikes alleage in their owne defence that Pope Honorius taught as they do In the 12. 13. his writings are examined his heresie discouered himselfe condemned and cursed In the 16. 17 18. Honor. haâ—retico Anthema the sentence which was giuen against him and the curse are repeated often againe and againe with acclamation of the Councel yea the principal point of his Decrées Vid Raynâ— ver Hart â— diu 2. pag 293. set forth to teach the Church was the Monothelites heresie this is confirmed by chiefe Papists Abbas Vrsâ—erg Ann. 1080. â—aâ—ciculus â—er sciendar â—n vita â—est Hildeâ—randi Pope Gregory the 7. was condemned by the Bishops of France and Germany as the ancient disciple of the Heretike Berengarius and swaruing from the true faith And in speciall words This is Hildebrands Decree in which hee erred from the Catholike doctrine and faith Now let the indifferent Reader iudge betwéene you and vs whether the Pope be a competent iudge But how may it appeare that to him is committed so great a charge and that his sentence is so absolute that all authorities of Scripture Fathers and Councels must submit themselues to his Censure Papist The absolute authority of his Holinesse is prooued by many places of Scripture as Thou art Peter Mat. 16.18 and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it â—uk 22.32 and I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith faile not and Thou being conuerted strengthen thy brethren and Feede my sheepe â—oh 21.17 Feede my lambes And many other places of Scriptures Fathers and Councels doe conferre this speciall priuiledge vpon Peter and Peters Successours By which means all Controuersies whatsoeuer may be determined Protestant This is strange Diuinitie and stranger Logicke Christ sayd Thou art Peter vpon this Rocke will I build my Church Ergo the Church is builded onely vpon Peter and the Pope The gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against the Church Ergo Peter and the Pope are the Church against which the gates of hell shall not preuaile I haue prayed for thée Peter that thy faith faile not Ergo whatsoeuer is determined by the Pope is not subiect to error And Christ sayd to Peter Feede my shéepe Ergo hée made him supreame head of the Apostles Or thus Christ did charge Peter to féede his shéepe But the Apostles were shéepe of Christ Ergo hee had the charge of féeding them also and so had absolute authority Nowe to make you sée the folly of this manner of reasoning obserue this argument and you shall by that meanes easily discerne the weakenesse of your owne reason Christ did charge his Apostles to preach the Gospel to euery creature But Peter was a creature Ergo they had charge of preaching to him also And this must néedes ouersway your reason if a man would play with words For Christ said not to Peter féede al my sheep but he said to the Apostles preach to euery creature And if these consequents bée good then is it an easie and a safe way to decide all differences and wee might well haue spared all these paines for it will necessarily follow that if the Pope cannot erre in any point of doctrine or discipline of the Church then the Scriptures Fathers Councels are superfluous Act. 15. Neither is that Gloze to any purpose that the Rhemists
sée it the Sepulchâ—e opened for his sake and the body assumpteâ— into heauen he saith not one word of these conceits Nay he rather saith against them for he noteth namely That Iames was also present the brother of the Lord and Peter the chiefest and ancientest top of the Apostles And it is not likely he would haue noted two if they had beene all present here is no lesse than seuen lies in lesse than sixe liues Now let vs sée how Damascen your Portesse agréeth For DamasceÌ„ saith The Angels sung almost thrée dayes The Portesse thrée whole dayes Damascen saith The rest of the Apostles would shew to one of them who was absent the bodie The Portesse saith Thomas who was absent would worship the bodie Now what thée Damascen was let your owne doctors tell you who except against him for his tale of Gregory the Pope â—anus locoâ—m Theol 〈◊〉 11. â— Hessels â—nsure de â—stor sanct â— 3. â—erm de funct in 〈◊〉 and Traiane the Emperour Thus Damascen reporteth That Gregorie while he went ouer the market place of Traian did pray for Traians soule to God and behold a voice from heauen I haue heard thy prayer and I pardon Traian but see thou pray no more to me for the wicked These be good places to prooue prayer for the dead and yet it is against popish doctrine that prayer can deliuer any out of hell And if he had béen in Purgatory the Pope could haue dispatched that of himselfe without praying The next is Athan in Euang. de deipara who speaks not one word of your miraculous fault And yet is the same Athanasius reiected for a bastard in your owne edition In edit Petr. Nannij Louan praefat ad episcop Atiebat The last is fiue sermons of S. Barnards in all which likewise there is not one worde of that miracle So that vnlesse they were disposed to lie for the whetstone it is to be wondred how they dare thus abuse their Readers both with the names of counterfeit Fathers and false forgeries If I should collect all such like stuffe it would growe greater than this smal Tract But let the Christian Reader iudge of the rest as hee prooues these to be truly brought against them And if any desire further proofe of the Rhemists sincerity in alleaging Fathers let him obserue these places viz. The constitutions of Clement Luk. 4. Sect. 1. Ignatius Matt. 4. Sect. 2. 1. Peter 2. Sect. 6 Dionysius Areopag Act. 8. Sect. 6. Hypolitus Mat. 24. Sect. 5. Policarpus Act. 6. Sect. 1. Miltiadi Fabian Act. 8. Sect. 6. S. Andrew S. Martiall Hebr. 10. Sect. 11. The Masses of S. Iames Basil and Chrysostome 1. Cor. 11. Sect. 10. Clicton for Ciuil Ioh. 11. Sect. 1. and Paulinus Ioh. 9. Sect. 2. All these are counterfeit Fathers and vrged by the Papists vnder the names of true Fathers to countenance their corrupt doctrine And therefore no maruell if popish leaders instruct their followers to get vs into the plaine field of their Motiues out of our weake and false castell of onely Scripture as Bristowe the Licentiate tearmeth it Brist Motiu 48. And it is no maruell that they haue such store of the Fathers and that our new masters as they tearme vs cannot compare with these Fathers in the doctrines they deliuer when they bring vs onely the names of fathers I could giue instance likewise how the Fathers are often contrary one to another yea contrary to themselues Thus I hope it is plainly prooued by these foure iust exceptions that the Fathers iudgements are no infallible rule for a man to build his faith on though it be imbellisht with the churches exposition And yet wee reuerence and honor them as men that haue brought great light to the vnderstanding of the Scriptures But what doâ— you vnderstand by intituling the ancient Fathers with the name of the church Papist I meane Harâ—â—g Rai that the ioint consent of the Fathers in all doctrines deliuered by them is the doctrine of the Church Protestant 15 What doe you meane by the ioint consent of the Fathers Papist I mean by the ioint consent of the Fathers that which all or the most part of them doe deliuer for trueth wherin if there be any difference the greater number is to be followed for a fewe may bee deceiued more easily than many Protestant 16 This rule séemes to be very vncertaine for you knowe that king Ahab was deceiued by the consent of false prophets 2. Chron. 1â— 5 11. euen 400. against Micaiah yea when the Fathers in the great Councel of Nice were about to decrée that Bishops Priests DeacoÌ„s should not vse their wiues Paphnutius alone Sozom. li. 1. cap. 2â— rose vp in the midst of their Councell and fréely contradicted it and preuailed Besides in the third Exception before it is plainely shewed that the greater number of Fathers are by your selues reiected in the diuision of the coÌ„mandements and in the controuersie betwéene S. Austine and Hierom touching Peters reproofe par 1. wherein your selues grant Torrensis confes Aug. lib. 2. cap. 1. tim â— that Austin iudged more soundly What is therefore then to be done that a certaine and sure ground may bee found out Papist Then a better and more sure way is that which by the faithfull Pastors of the Church is decreed in a generall Councell which cannot erre Protestant 17 Indéed I must confesse it is a sure way to build our faith vpon those Councels which cannot erre But how shal we be assured that they cannot erre Papist We are assured by the Scriptures That the Church cannot erre as is euident by these places following Mat. 18.20 Our Sauiour Christ saith That when two or three are gathered together in his name that he will be in the midst And Ioh. 16 13. he promiseth to send vnto his Church the holy Ghost which shall leade them into all trueth 1. Tim. 3. And S. Paul calles it the Pillar and ground of trueth Vpon which places and many other which for breuity I omit wee conclude that the Church cannot erre which to speake as the Schoolemen doe we call the Church representatiue because the whole Church is there represented in a gerall Councell Protestant 18 Take héede what you doe Will you bring the Church contrary to the iudgement of many learned Papists mentioned in the preface of this booke to take her authority from the Scriptures and to be tried by them whether it may erre If you doe it will be the vtter ruine and destruction of your Religion for the Scriptures will conuince the Councel of Constance of error in taking away the cup from the Laitie contrary to S. Pauls expresse commandement saying 1. Cor. 11. Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. And contrary to the Institution and commaundement of Christ himselfe saying Drinke you all of this Mat. 26.27
same opinion with vs. Panormitane the best of your Canonists yea a reuerend Archbishop and a renowmed Cardinall saith A Councel may erre as otherwise a Councel hath erred about mariage to be contracted betwéene the Rauisher the Rauished and the saying of Hierome as being of the sounder opinion was after preferred before the Statute of the Councel And the argument which Papists make That the church should faile in faith if Councels should erre he reiecteth as friuolous saying Panor ibid. It hindereth vs little if it be said that a Councel cannot erre because Christ prayed for his Church that it should not faile For though a generall Councell represent the whole vniuersall Church yet to speake trueth the vniuersall Church is not there precisely but by representation because the vniuersall Church consisteth of all the faithfull And this is the Church which cannot erre c. Pighius Hieraâ— eccl li. 6. ca. 4. 5. Pighius saith it is certaine that Councels are not the vniuersall Church In none of all the generall Councels shall you find the fathers to haue arrogated thus much to themselues as to say they represented the Catholike Church besides these two last Councels of Constance and Basil which we now impugne And that General Councels may erre he sayth Li. 6. ca. 13. It is certaine that not onely these Councels of Constance and Basil which we now disproue haue shamefully absurdly erred but also many others And againe We find that General Councels euen of holy Fathers haue erred in decrees of faith for example of General Councels The Councell of Ariminum vniuersall no doubt and also the second Councel of Ephesus and that likewise vniuersall These I say are witnesses That euen general Councels and those lawfully gathered may erre The Bishops that were present at Ephesus commplained after in the Councell of Chalcedon Chalced. Conc. Act. 1. that they were threatned and forced Now if Bishops may be forced they may likewise bee circumuented as they were in the Councel of Ariminum or deceiued in opinion as they were in the Councels of Carthage Constance and Basill by the confession of learned Papistes themselues And if they may by all these wayes bee peruerted when they are assembled Ergo they may make both an erronious an iniurious conclusion Wherefore since it appeares euidently by this little that hath béene sayd That Generall Councels are no infallible rule to build our faith on What must wee then doe to finde out a sure Ground whereupon to ground our Religion Papist The last and onely meanes without all exception is the Pope whose faith cannot faile neither can he erre iudicially So that whether with the Councels or without the Councels That which he determineth and teacheth is a certaine trueth That which hee condemneth is a manifest Error Protestant 19 This aunswere doeth manifest to all that are not wilfully blinde that what brags soeuer you make of Fathers and Councels who as Campian boasted in his tenne Reasons were al as sure on your side as Pope Gregory the thirtéenth that yet yet the Pope is the man vpon whom you ground your Religion neither estéeming Fathers Councels or the learned of your owne side further than they may stand and concurre with the Popes good pleasure which by this little Tract may euidently be deduced For first you ground your Religion on the Word the Word on the Fathers the Fathers on Councels and the Councels on the Pope So that in all the controuersies betwéene vs and you we must stand to the censure of your Pope who must be both Iudge and partie And if he giue iudgement on our side I will neuer trust him But to ouerthrowe this pillar of Popery thorowly I will prooue that the Pope hath erred iudicially â—hâ— Test â—uk 22. â—ect 11. For albeit they confesse that the Pope may be an Heretike yea that Liberius the Pope might yéeld in persecution Marcellinus the Pope for feare might commit idolatrie Honorius the Pope might fal to heresie and more than all this that some Iudas might créepe into the office as their Rhemists confesse yet they distinguish betwéene the person and the office And as their last shift and refuge hauing béen driuen by force of reason and examples to acknowledge thus much They now insist vpon this last anchor as their last hope to auoide shipwracke That the Pope cannot erre iudicially that is in their Consistories Courts Councels decrées deliberations or consultations kept for decision and determination of such controuersies doubts or Questions of faith as shall be proposed to them Now what wrangling and shifting is this to aske for the place where and the time when the Pope decréed for error For if he may erre at home he may likewise erre abroad If the Pope be an Heretike in his chamber hee cannot bee a Catholike in his Consistorie And if the Pope may beléeue defend and preach an error what néede we care whether his sentence be conclusiue or perswasiue definitiue or interlocutorie And if you thinke that this idle distinction can frée your Pope from his errors because thy haue not been definitiuely pronounced in their publike Consistories wee could name infinite Bishops and churches that haue not erred in this precise maner For how can you prooue that euer the Bishops of Yorke or Durham in England of Poycters or Lions in France of Valeria or Corduba in Spaine of Rauenna or Rhegium in Italy of Corinth or Athens in Greece of Miletus or Sardis in Asia gaue definitiue sentence against the faith in their publike Consistories Infinite others might be obiected against whom it could neuer bee proued that they haue erred in this kind and therfore this cannot but be a strong Bulwark wheron you depend boast That it cannot be prooued that the Bishop of Rome hath erred iudicially or definitiuely For if Popes haue erred in writing and teaching they were as right Heretikes as euer were Arrius Sabellius Nestorius Eutiches and such like which neuer gaue Definitiue sentence against the faith in Courts and Consistories but onely taught or wrote against the trueth But this new Popery was not then nor many yéeres after found out though the quaint Iesuits haue of late refined their late Poperie to giue a colour to the Popes priuiledge And albeit this were sufficient yet will I briefly procéede and prooue that the Pope hath erred Definitiuely or Iudicially as his Decretals which are Definitiue sentences shall euidently prooue In Chronic. Supputat Romanor poÌ„t de Reg. â—tal li. 6. First Sigebert Martinus Polonus and Sigonius doe witnesse that Pope Stephen the 6. decréed in a Councel That they who were ordained Bishops by Pope Formosus were not ordained lawfully because the man was wicked by whome they were ordained And hee did not onely depriue and vnordaine them who were ordeined by Formosus but he decréed too as Sigebert noteth Ordinationes eius omnes irritaâ— esse debere decernit That all
euen by the learned Papists themselues and their Vniuersities yet doe they alleage them against vs in many of their bookes especially in the Rhemes Testament to giue countenance to Popish errors See pag. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 10 That the consent of the Fathers cannot be shewed nay scarce any ancient Father that all controuersies are to bee determined by the Pope or that hee cannot erre or that hee must summon Councels or that they are of no authoritie vnlesse they bee confirmed by the Pope And yet are these doctrines held Catholike by the Papists and reputed the chiefe pillars of Popery See pag. 75. 11 That al those places of Scripture which are brought by the Papists either to prooue the Popes prerogatiue or the authority of the Church or that the Church cannot erre are by the Fathers writing purposely vpon the same places expounded according to the Protestants sense giuen and contrary to the sense which the Papists giue So farre are the Papists from proouing the generall consent of the Fathers in expounding these Scriptures which they commonly obiect against vs as Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Or the promises of the holy Ghost to be sent to the Church to leade it into all trueth Or To thee will I giue the keyes of the kingdom of Heauen Or The Church is the pillar and ground of Trueth Or Tell the Church Or if hee heare not the Church let him be to thee as an heathen or as a Publicane Or whatsoeuer thou bindest in earth shall be bound in heauen Or any other place of Scripture to the sayd purposes to bee on their side as namely that those Texts should be meant of the Pope Generall Councell or the Church of Rome See pag. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 12 That Generall Councels haue erred haue beene contrary one to another haue been reiected by the Papists themselues and so are no sure Rule to build our faith on See pag. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 13 That the Popes whom they would haue to be supreame Iudges in al Controuersies haue erred iudicially haue been heretikes as maintaining the heresie of the Monothelites subscribing to the Arrian heresie to the Nestorian heresie haue offered sacrifice to idoles haue been Necromancers and Coniurers See pag. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 14 That the Pope can be no competent Iudge and whereunto the Fathers referre vs. See pag. 93 c. LEt me request thee Courteous reader to take noâ—ice that the Texts of Scripture and testimonies of the Fathers cited by me in this Treatise should all haue been set downe in a different letter from the rest of the matter wherewith they are ranked accordingly as you see performed in the Preface and in the later halfe of the booke Now by meanes of my absence and want of direction giuen in this point it could not be discerned by the Printer howe farre the wordes of the Text and Testimonies so to bee distinguished might reach And therefore I cannot but free him from that blame as likewise 2. or 3. literal escapes only excepted from imputation of any the faults hereunder specified some of them being committed in my Copie and the rest through difficulty and darknes of the hand might easily be mistaken In the Text. Page 5. line 7. for allured reade allowed pag. 8. l. 17. Trations Traditions p. 11 l. 19. Priests proofe p. 29. l. â—6 addeth alleageth p. 29. l. 17. tehimony testimony p. 31. l. 2. for 25 15. p. 33. l. 7. fault fable p. 40. l. 9. châ—ice chiefe p. 72. l. 8. cannot which cannot p. 89. l. 1. sense the sense In the Margent Pag. 7. for De Bapt. c. 6. li. 1. reade De Bapt. cont Don. li. 3. pag. 7. prat reade pont pag. 8. 1. Thes 2. Thes pag. 12. 1. Pet. 2.18 1. Pet. 1.18 pag. 20. Aug. in Frut Aug. in Enar. pag. 14. de fulta de falsa pag. 35. li. 1. cap. 22. li 1. cap 23. pag. 36. Tim. Tit. pag. 52. Epist 16 7. Epist 167. pag. 59. against Pope Coelestine C. laudab de conuers Infidel is omitted
which be Canonicall and which be Apocrypha Protestant 8 How do you know which is the Church And by what meanes may it be knowen that the Church hath authoritie to determine which be Scriptures and which of them be Canonicall and which be Apocrypha Papist There be many notes and markes reckoned vp by the learned of our side by which the Church may be knowen But we insist chiefly vpon these Antiquitie Vnitie Vniuersality Succession and the power of Miracles And for the authority of the Church it is prooued by the Scriptures Protestant 9 This answere is common to all Heretikes for they alleage somtimes the a Author ope Imper. in Mat. Ho. 48. Church sometime b Iren. adu Haere lib. 3. cap. 2. Traditions sometime c Aug. coÌ„tr Maxim Ariâ— episc li. 1. Councels sometime d De Bapt. c. 6. li. 3. Fathers sometime e In Ioh. ca 2. tract 13 Miracles sometime f De vnit eccle c. 16. Visions sometime g Epist 65. ad gener Succession of Bishops yea h Act. 19.27 Demetrius pretended Vniuersalitie And the i Act. 17 18 19. Philosophers Epicures and Stoickes Antiquity And k Vinc. Lir. ca. 6 ca. 4. Vincentius Lirinensis disproueth Vniuersalitie by the example of the Arrians and Antiquity by the example of the Donatists And for their l In Chron. Suput Rom. prat Sigon de Regn. Ital li. â— Vnitie let that appeare in the seuerall oppositions of their Popes one condemning the decrées of another and decréeing one contrary to another And therefore this is no sufficieÌ„t reason for a man to ground his faith and Religion if we beléeue the m StapletoÌ„ Fortresse Hart. ag Ra. pag. 118. Papists in the like cause for it is a common obiection by them that because Heretikes alleage the Scripture therefore they are no suffieient rule Moreouer this answere passeth the limits of the proposition for it presupposeth the authoritie of the Church to be prooued by the Scriptures and the Scriptures to be prooued by the authority of the Church which is Ignotum per ignotius Idem per idem A proofe of a thing vnknowen by a thing lesse knowen and so no proofe at all Therefore to procéede to the next part of the diuision what doe you vnderstand by Traditions Papist I vnderstand Apostilicall doctrine commonly called vnwritten verities and as D.B. P. in his booke against M. Perkins diuides them Some are Diuine some Apostolicall and some Ecclesiasticall all which according to the Councel of Trent are to be receiued with equall reuerence Conc. Trid. Sess 4. and religious affection as we do the Scriptures Protestant 10 How doe you proue Traditions or vnwritten verities to bee Apostolicall doctrine and that they be Diuine Apostolicall and Ecclesiasticall and that they are to bee receiued with equall reuerence and religious affection as we doe the Scriptures Papist 2. Thess 2 15. I proue it by the Scriptures interpreted by the Church Saint Paul saith Hold the Trations which yee haue learned whether it bee by word Conc. Trid. â—ess 4. or by Epistle which by the Churches exposition proueth vnwritten verities to be receiued with equall authoritie to the Scriptures and to explane the same D.B.P. aforesayd affirmeth that Diuine Traditions come from our Sauiour Christ Apostolicall Traditions from the Apostles And the Decrees of the Church hee tearmeth Ecclesiasticall Traditions which are likewise of equall authoritie with the Scriptures Protestant 11 This is a common fault with you to vse this point of Sophistrie called by the Logicians Petitio principij for you wil stil take it for graunted that you are the Church though you neuer prooue it And this is a necessary consequence That if the trueth be doubted of the church must néedes bee much more doubted of because the Church is the number of men professing the trueth And how can the professors of the trueth be seuered from others so long as the trueth by which they should bee knowen is in question Therefore the supposing your selues to be the church when your faith Religion should be tried is fond vain But if S. Paul in that place by Deliuered Tradition meane nothing but the doctrine deliuered to them by word of mouth yet comprised in Scripture too then must you graunt that you are deceiued to thinke that vnwritten Traditions are approued by S. Pauls Traditions Now what the things were which S. Paul deliuered by word to the Thessalonians is shewed in the 17 of the Acts saying Now as they passed thorow Amphipolis and Apolonia they came to Thessalonica where was a Synagogue of the Iewes and Paul as his maner was entred in vnto them and thrée Sabbath dayes hee discoursed vnto them out of the Scriptures opening and alleaging That Christ must haue suffered and risen againe c. In which wordes it is opened both what Paul deliuered to the Thessalonians by word and from whence From whence Out of the Scriptures What That it behooued Christ to suffer and rise againe Besides Saint Paul witnesseth both to small and great that hee said no other thing than that which the Prophets and Moyses did say should come Act. 26 22 The Traditions therefore that Paul doth exhort the Thessalonians to hold is the Tradition of the Gospel as Saint Ambrose writing vpon the same place calleth it very well which the reason also doth prooue that Saint Ambrose noteth that Paul doth there gather saying God hath raised you to saluation by our Gospel therefore stand ye fast and holde the Traditions which ye haue learned whether it be by word or by Epistle Now I hope there is none so impudent to denie that the Gospel is written But here another difficultie incounters vs If it were granted by the Churches interpretation that there were doctrines or Traditions Diuine Apostolicall or Ecclesiasticall deliuered by word of mouth vpon what sure grounds might wee be assured which be the Traditions that were so deliuered by Christ his Apostles or the Church Papist The ancient Fathers chiefe Papists doe plainely teach that many points of doctrine wherein you varie from vs as halowing the Font the blessing of the oyle the anointing the Baptized Exorcismes Fastes Festiuities prayer for the dead prayer to Saints worshipping of Images the oblation of the Sacrifice their Annealing their Primacie of Rome their fiue pretended Sacraments the merit of workes their satisfactions the numbring their sinnes to the Priest their Real presence their halfe CommunioÌ„ c. See the preface for Priests and See Master Middletons booke called Papisto-Mastix Sect. 5. almost all these things which you defend against vs are proued by the Fathers to be deliuered by Tradition Protestant 12 This sheweth euidently that you are guilty of the same fault that the Pharises were Mark 7.9 by Christs owne reproofe saying You cast aside the commaundements of God to maintaine your owne Traditions Mat 15.9 teaching for doctrine
Scriptures because it is not of faith it is sinne Saint Hillary Hillarâ—us ad Constan August Séekest thou for faith Emperour saith he to Constantius heare it not out of the late Scrolles but out of Gods Bookes Heare I beseech thée that which is written of Christ lest vnder pretence thereof things not written be preached And in another place pressing his aduersary Thou Idem de Trinitat li. â— saith he that deniest things written what remaineth but that thou beléeue things vnwritten You sée that was counted for a passing absurdity in that age which since the Papists haue established as the surest way to discerne trueth Tertullian refelling the Heretike Hermogenes Tert ad Heade praesci ad Haeres I adore saith hee the fulnesse of the Scriptures let Hermogenes shew me where this that he teacheth is written If it be not written let him feare the curse prouided for adders and diminishers It séemes this Father vnderstood the Text of Deuteronomie and the Apocalypse otherwise than D.B.P. in his booke against M. Perkins Iren. li. 3. â—ap 1. Irenaeus saith The disposition of our saluation we knew by none other than by those by whom the Gospel came vnto vs the which at first they preached by mouth but afterward by Gods appointment they did deliuer it to vs in writing that it should be the foundation and pillar of our faith The mountaines of Israel whereon God promised to féede his flocke Aug. de pastor ca. 11. are saith Augustine The writers of the diuine Scriptures féeding there you féede safely whatsoeuer you learne thence count it sauourie whatsoeuer is besides them refuse it Therefore whether it be touching Christ or his Church oâ— any matter else which concerneth our faith and life dem contr Litt Petil li. 3. ca 6. I say not if we saith Saint Austine but as â—oâ—â—weth in Paul If an Angel from heauen teach any thing besides that which you haue receiued in the Scriptures of the lawâ— and the Gospel holde him accursed But I will conclude this point wherein there is â— multitude of witnesses against you which to auoide tediousnesse I omit S. Augustin teacheth Paulina Epistâ—us Not to follow his authority or to beléeue a thing because he hath said it but to beléeue the Canonicall Scriptures L◠〈◊〉 de piâ— rit câ— We say therefore with him let vs yéeld and consent vnto the holy Scriptures which can neither deceiue nor be deceiued And againe I require the voice of the Shepheard Reade me this matter out of the Prophets De pastâ—â— cap. 14. reade it out of the Psalmes reade it out of the Lawe reade it out of the Gospel reade it out of the Apostles writings And so I ende with this sentence of his I owe my consent De naturâ— gratia ca. 61. without gain-saying only vnto the Canonical Scripture Now let the indifferent Reader iudge of the handling of this first part whether he will beléeue the Fathers speaking for and with the Scriptures or for Traditions without and and besides the Scriptures Surely had these Fathers liued in this age they had béen condemned for Heretikes as we are for holding the same doctrine so well doth this new Poperie agrée with Antiquitie And the Papists had néed to haue these places and infinite oâ—hers to this purpose Deut. 4 â— 12 32. 28 5â— Io. 20.31 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17. to be purged by their Index expurgatorius out of the Fathers lest this thiefe and fundamentall point agréeing so directly with the Scriptures prooue the downeâ—all of all Papistrie Now let vs briefly procéede to the second Exception to shew the errour of the Fathers First Cyprian condemned the Baptisme of Heretikes as vnlawfull wherein a Councell of Carthage of 87. Bishops vnder him erred with him â—ag de ciuitate Dei lib. â—1 c. 17. Origen thought That the diuels themselues should be saued at length Tertullian doeth with Montanus condemne second mariage a In dialog cum Tripho Iud. Iustin the Martyr b Hier. commen in Esay li. 18 in praefat Irenaeus c Euseb hist Ecclesi lib. 3. ca. 36. Papias d De spefidel vt cita ab Hierom Tertulâ—ian e Hier. scrip eâ—cl in ver papias Victorinus f Diâ—â—nar instit lib 7 cap. 23. Lactantius g Hierom. comment in Esay lib. 18 in Psalm Apolinarius h Hierom. comeâ—t in Ezech lib. 11. Seuerus and i Euseb Hist Eccles lib. 7. cap. 23. Nepos did erre in that they thought that Christians after the resurrection should raigne a thousand yéeres with Christ vpon the earth in a golden Ierusalem and there should marrie wiues beget children eate drinke and liue in corporall delights k Irenaeus ad Hier lib. 5 ca. 2â— Irenaeus l Hilar. diuinar instit li 7 ca. 14. Hillarie m Lactant in Matt. Can. 17. Lactantius n Hieron epist 139 ad Cypr. Hierom and o Iust Mâ—rtyr Respon ad Orthod q. 71. Iustin Martyr erred for that they thought that the world should last but sixe thousand yeres which opinion p Aug in Erur Psal 89. de ciuitate Dei lib. 18. cap. 33. S. Augustine doeth reprooue as rash and presumptuous Hillarie erred touching the humanitie oâ— Christ and did not speake of the person of the holy Ghost as the church speaketh Irenaeus erred in affirming That Christ died in the fiftith yeare of his age contrary to the Scriptures Luke 3.23 And Iohn the Euangelist remembreth thrée Passeouers after the Baptisme of Christ and in the third he was crucified as he affirmeth Thus you sée the second Exception iusâ—fified but I will forbeare to enlarge this part any further because I am vnwilling to discouer their nakednes The third Exception is That the Papists themselues reiect the Fathers Bristowes motiues notwithstanding the great brags they make of them as thâ—ugh they were wholly theirs wherein I will bee short as I haue béen in all the rest When we affirme by Saint Hieromes testimony that Pope Liberius subscribed to the Arrians Master Hardin answereth Iewel aga Har. pag 6â— that Hierome was deceiued by a rumour dwelling in the East The Rhemists except against Augustines exposition of these words Vpon this Rocke Mat. 16 sect 8. c. which he expoundeth not of Peters person but of Peters faith Princ. doct li. 6. cap. 3. Also Doctor Stapleton calles the same exposition Lapsus humanus An humane ouersight And yet the same exposition is confirmed by a Gregorie Nissen b Cyril c Chrysostome d Ambrose and e Hillary All agréeing that this Rocke is the confession of Peter Bellarmine reiects S. Augustines interpretation of S. Paul in this place He shall be saued as through fire which Austine interpreteth to be the afflictions or tribulatioÌ„s of this life But Bellarmin expounds it of Purgatory The Rhemists reiect S. Augustines reading Heb. 11. ver 21. who saith 〈◊〉 â—t
in â—nesis q. 162. Iacob by faith worshipped God vpon the end of his staffe But they traÌ„slate Iacob adored the top of his Rod to countenance their Idolatrie â—n confes Aug. i. 2. c. 8. Tit. 5. Torrensis the Iesuite in the diuision of the coÌ„mandements saith that 3 of them concerne our duty towards God and 7 towards men This doctrine is imbraced by the Papists vpon Austin and Clements authority contrary to al these Fathers folowing whose iudgements they may truely be said to reiect in preferring two before so many As first by the Hebrewes as Li. de decal 〈◊〉 duob opusc â—le legib speciâ— lib. Philo Antiquit. â—ude li. 3. ca. 4. Iosephus In Exod. 20. Aben Ezra next by the Grecians In versib de â—ecalog Gregory Nazianzen In Exod. â—o 8. Origen In Synop. â—et Scriptur Athanasius and In Mat. oper â—mperf Ho. 49. Chrysostome Lastly by the Latines In Epist ad â—ph cap. 6. S. Ambrose In â—pist ad â—phes ca. 6. S. Hierome And one yet ancienter than they both Aug. q. vet Nou. Test â—p 7. The Author of the questions of the Old and New Testament who all affirme that foure Commandements concerne our duety towards God and sixe towards men Epiphanius is reiected by D. Hardin Iewel pagâ— 548. for breaking of Images Cyprian is condemned by Dureus because he teacheth that onely Christ is to be heard Their reiection of the Fathers is so commonly knowen to all that reade Controuersies See their Iâ—dex expurgatorius as is euident by the infinite testimonies alleaged by vs out of the Fathers against the Papists that I shall not néede to insist of more particularities in which few may yet be obserued that they reiect the greater number which they tearme the Churches exposition when they make against them Stapleton and Hart. The fourth Exception is that there are many counterfeits bearing the name of Fathers which are likewise often alleaged by the Papists to abuse vs with their names For proofe wherof there be nine volumes of S. Hieroms workes whereof 3 are none of his and yet vitae Patrum a Legend how wrongfully fathered on him CoÌ„ment in epi 2. ad Tâ— mo ca. 4. lâ— cor Theolâ— li. 11. ca. 6. your Espencaeus and Canus both shew As also a barbarous and sottish fable of the natiuity of S. Mary as Canus calleth it Likewise of ten volumes of S. Austins there is not aboue one or two that hath not more or fewer of such Pamphlets patched to it both by the censure of Erasmus Censura theologoruÌ„ Louanienâ—um in AppeÌ„di c Tomâ— secundi ceteroâ—um August and the Diuines of Louain who shew that sundry things beare Saint Austines name whereof some are vnlearned some lewd and hereticall Sixtus â—eneâ—s de â—â—lcâ— librotum inscrip Stapl prinâ— doctr li. â— cap. 14. Sixtus Senensis whom D. Stapleton doeth commend hath proued that books are fathered falsely not onely vpon Augustine and Hierome but also vpon Ambrose Cyprian Athanasius Eusebius Emisenus Iunilius Cyril Eucherius Arnobius and Thomas of Aquine And with this discourse hee closeth vp the former volume of his holy Librarie In which he hath shewed Bibliotheca Sanctâ— lib. 2. 4. that Clemens Abdius Origen Chrysostome Hipolitus and many mo haue had their names defaced with the same iniurie I will omit diuers others for breuity and although this may séeme no iust Exception against the Fathers yet it ought to make vs cautious how we trust them to be the true Fathers and not counterfeits the rather for that the Papists haue often alleaged such counterfeit Fathers to credit their doctrine with For proofe whereof Torrensis the Iesuite citeth such bookes for S. Augustines as are knowen and granted to bee none of his â—n confess â—ng li. â— ca. â— Tit. 2 c. assiâ— as namely The Sermon of Saint Peters chaire and other pretie Pamphlets of the same litter And although in the preface of his confessions to the Reader he makes an exception yet our of that exception he saith that although they doe not auaile much to conuince the opinion of Sectaries Neuerthelesse there will be godly men and learned who will permit and iudge them to be Saint Augustines owne and will both take delight and profit by trading them And yet amongst theâ—e bookes there is one that teacheth contrary to Saint Augustine as namely The booke of visiting the sicke wherein the Bastard Austin alloweth the worship of images for good De visitat Infirmor li 2. ca. 1. De moribuâ— Ecclesiae ca. 3â— which â—he true Austin doth note as an abuse and saith the Church misliketh it And yet this booke alleaged by the Iesuite for worshipping of iâ—ages is set as a flower in his Austins conâ—â—tions though it be iudged a bastard Austin by the Diuines of Louain Censura Louaniensium Non est August princ doctr li. â— cap. 15. Arnob. com in psal â—â— Hier. de Scriptoriâ— eccle Biblio sanct li. 4. Histor Tâ—ip li. 5. c. 5. Coment in â—sal 105. D. Stapleton alleageth Arnobius vpon the Psalmes to prooue that who goeth out of Peters church shall perish and that this is a counterfeit Father Saint Hierome and Sixtus Senensis dot shew for that the most ancient Arnobius was elder than that he might heare of the heresie of Photinus whereas this Arnobius that writeth on the Psalmes doeth mention Photinus and wrote by name against his Heresie S. Basil is often alleaged by the Papists in many of their bookes Basil de Spir. sanct ca. 27. for Traditions not written These words are vrged as his Of the doctrines which are taught in the Church wee haue some laid down in writing some againe we haue receiued by Tradition from the Apostles in a mystery that is in secret whereof either haue like force to godlines neither doth any man contradict them that is but meanly acquainted with the lawes of the Church for if we go about to reiect those customs which are not written as of no moment before we beware we shal condemne those things which are in the Gospel necessary to saluatioÌ„ yea rather we shal bring the preaching of faith to a naked name And not long after in the same booke If nothing else hath béen receiued without scriptures Ibid. ca. 29. neither let this be receiued But if wee haue receiued many secrets without writing let vs also receiue this among those many I thinke it Apostolike to cleaue to TraditioÌ„s not written Now this booke is prooued a counterfeit by the reasons following First though it hath Saint Basils name to it Epist Eras dedicat ad Episc Culmens praefiâ—â— ca. 17. yet the later part thereof whence those patches are taken haue neither S. Basils stile learning spirit nor age which Erasmus confessed when he translated the booke Besides this place of Basils directly contradicts the two places afore mentioned of of S. Basil
rather to the whole Church consisting of the faithfull as the Protestants vnderstand it S. August saith Aug. in Psal 47. in prâ—ef We may not vnderstand the second of the Sabbath to be any other than the Church of Christ yet the Church of Christ in the Saints the church of Christ in those that are not ouercome with the tentations of this wicked world for they are worthy the name of firmament Therfore the church of Christ is called the firmament in those that are firme which is saith hee the Church of the liuing God the pillar and firmament of trueth Aug. de Bap li. 7. cap 3 Tom. 6. The like saying hath S. Augustine in many other places but specially where he writeth against the Donatists Saint Chrysostome expoundeth this place of the verity it selfe Chrys Hoâ— 11 in 1. Tim. 3. and not of the Pastors or Councels as the Papists do For sayth he the verity of the church is both the pillar and the firmament And if you will sée that the Fathers haue vnderstood the church as the Protestants do reade S. Augu. Enchirid. â— Laurent caâ— 56. expounding the Articles of the Créed where he saith that the Church is here to be taken for the whole not for that part onely which is a stranger vpon earth Aug. in Psal 137. Againe he saith There is a Church beneath there is a Church aboue the Church beneath in all the faithfull c. Ibid. Psal 90. Conc. 2. Likewise the whole church euery where diffused is the body of Christ and hee is the head of it Not onely the faithfull which are now but also they that were before vs from the beginning of the world and they that shall be after vs to the ende of the world doe all pertaine to this bodie The church is the bodie of Christ not the church which is here or there but which is here and euery where thorowout the world c. And often times in his writings he affirmeth the Catholike church to consist of all the predestinate De ciuitat Dei li. 21. ca. 25. de Bapt. â—i 6. ca. 3. In Iohn Tract 45. which are the members of Christs mysticall bodie and that no wicked men perteine vnto it but only the good holy and iust But to conclude this point with one whom you haue euer reputed your owne Anselmus super hunc locum saith The house in which God dwelleth is the whole congregation of the faithfull who are to be taught diuersly and the same Church is in the perfect a pillar that is sublime streight inconcussible supporting and lifting vp the yonger sort and in the same perfect it is the firmament of trueth because both by words and examples it confirmeth in the hearts of the weake the veritie of faith and Gods commandements Thus you sée the Church is by these testimonies vnderstood to be the congregation of the faithfull and not generall Councels or Pope And it is truely gathered out of these words of Anselmus which are to be taught that the church consisteth aswell of the Laity as the Cleargie Now if you will see how the church may be knowen Chrysostome saith Hom. in Mat. 49 Before it might be shewed many waies which was the church of Christ But nowe it is no way to be knowen but onely by the Scriptures S. Augustine saith as we may truely say of the Papists Let the Donatists saith he shew their church De vnitat eccles ca. 16. not in the rumors and speaches of the men of Africa nor in the Councels of their Bishops nor in their discourses of any writer whosoeuer nor in signes and miracles that may be forged but in the prescript of the law in the predictions of the Prophets in the verses of the Psalmes in the voices of the shepheard himselfe in the preachings and workes of the Euangelist that is in all the Canonicall authorities of the sacred Scriptures And binding himselfe to the same condition he addeth But whether they hold the Church Ibidem let them shew no otherwise than by the Canonical books of the holy scriptures because wee our selues doe not say wee must therefore bee beléeued for that wee are in the church of Christ or else for that Optatus Ambrose and infinite other Bishops of our communion haue commended the church which we hold or because our Church hath béen published in the Councels of our Collegues Chrysost in Mat. Hom. 16. Chrysostome sayth Euen so touching this new Ierusalem which is the Church they that were spiritual Christian men leauing the bodily church which the wicked by violence had inuaded departed out froÌ„ them Or as S. Iohn expoundeth it they rather departed out froÌ„ vs for hee séemeth not indeed to depart from the church that bodily departeth but he that spiritually leaueth the foundations of the Ecclesiastical truth We haue departed froÌ„ them in body they haue departed from vs in mind we from them in place they from vs by faith we haue left with them the foundations of the wals they with vs the foundations of the scriptures we are departed froÌ„ them in the sight of man they are departed froÌ„ vs in the iudgement of God But now after that the spirituall church is come forth the bodily church is left forsaken that is to say froÌ„ the people that séemed to be a christian people was not this people is gone forth that séemed not outwardly but was so indéed notwithstanding as we haue said before they are rather departed from vs than we from them Now let the indifferent Reader iudge by Chrysostomes iudgement whether the Papists or we by this description may be truliest reputed the true church for I thinke it is euident to all that they haue the foundations of the wals and we the foundations of the Scriptures which they so blasphemously speak of we are departed froÌ„ them in the sight of man but they froÌ„ vs in the sight of God who they were that séemed to be a christian people and were not let that be tried by the Scriptures And if you wil know what authority the Fathers giue to the church S. Aug. saith Cont. Crescâ— li. 2. ca. 21. Idem oper imperf in Mat. Ho. 49 The church may not preferre her selfe before Christ neither may we beleeue the true churches themselues vnles they say do those things that are consonant to the scriptures The church may not preferre her self before Christ Idem contrâ— Crescon li 2 cap. 21. for so much as hee alwaies iudgeth rightly ecclesiastical Iudges as being but men are often deceiued Many be the testimonies that might be brought to this purpose but to procéed we make the same iust exceptions against general Councels that we did against the Fathers First we will prooue that they are contrary one to another Secondly that they haue erred And lastly that they are reiected by the Papists Canon 59. The first Exception I prooue
make That the various meanes of determination triall and declaration of the trueth is necessary for the recouery of Heretikes and for the contentation of the weake who not alwaies giuing ouer to one mans determination wil either yéeld to the iudgement of all the learned men and Blshops of all Nations or else remaine desperate For since there is so variable censures of Councels Aene. Sylu. de Concil Basil contr Flor. Ferrar in Conc. indict Concil Const Sess 4. 5. some holding the Pope to bee aboue the Councell and some holding the Councell to be aboue the Pope If this point be soundly prooued That Peters Sée hath so the assistance of the holy Ghost that it cannot erre all other causes of the necessitie of Fathers or learned Bishops of all Nations is superfluous for if the priuiledge of not erring belong to the Pope and his successors why is it made common to them with the rest of the Church If it appertaine to the whole Church why is it appropriated to the Pope But why doe they bring Scriptures to prooue this speciall priuiledge to belong to the Pope Séeing Canus and Bellarmine two great Champions of the Romish Church doe both confesse that It is not in the Scripture but by Tradition that the Pope hath this supremacie Locor Theolo li 6. c. 8. First Canus doth graunt That it is not written in the Scriptures that the Pope succeedeth Peter in the supremacie And Bellarmine the great Iesuite sayth That whereas Canus thought that the stories haue sufficient ground to conuey Peters right vnto the Pope because they say Peter set his chaire at Rome there died yet sayth he Controu 4. q. 5. de pont finitae 26. Maij. An. 1578. if learned men shall not allow of that Another ground may bee that the Church receiued it though not by Scripture yet by Tradition And to put the matter out of controuersie he defineth that indeed it is a Tradition not of Christ Licet Romanos Episcopos Petro succedere in sacris libris nō habeatur Scriptum ab Apostolis tamen Ecclesiae quasi per Manus Traditum est Romanum pontificem esse Petri successorem in pontificatu totius orbis habetur extraditione Apostolica etri but of the Apostles and lest we should doubt of which of the Apostles he nameth the man Peter euen a tradition of Peter And therefore if you will follow the iudgement of this learned Iesuite which you all receiue with so great applause then renounce the vnlearned follies of your Rhemists and others who violently wrest the Scriptures to prooue the Popes priuiledge For when you vrge these places Thou art Peter and on this rocke c. and I haue prayed for thee Peter and Peter feede my sheepe You presume much of the simplicitie of your hearers otherwise you would neuer reason so absurdly For though Stapleton and some others vpon the 16. of Matth. by these words Thou art Peter c. alleage the first Popes of Rome most holy martyrs to prooue the Popes Supremacie by the Scriptures and do reckon vp Anacletus Alexander the 1. Pius the 1. Victor Zepherinus Marcellus Melchiades Locor Theolo li. 6. c. 8 Bellar. cont 4. q. 5. Iulius and others yet doeth Canus and Bellarmine prooue that it is grounded on Tradition and Canus doth cite for witnesses therof the first Popes of Rome most holy martyrs And the same Popes which are alleaged by Canus to prooue the Supremacie to be an vnwritten trueth the very same Popes are alleaged by Stapletō to proue that It is written euen Anacletus Victor Zepherinus Marcellus Melchiades Iulius yea the very same Epistles are alleaged by Stapletō which are alleaged by Canus Now if they be rightly cited by Canus how may we trust Stapletō if rightly by Stapl. how may we trust Canus if rightly by both what trim Popes are they the with one breath do say That the same thing is both written and vnwritten But the Iesuite dealeth more warily who séeing the danger of naming speciall men and places doeth shrowde himselfe in the generall tearmes of Councels Popes and Fathers Thus you sée how the Lord doth sheath the swords of the Madianites in their owne sides Iudg. 7.22 But let vs sée how the Fathers vnderstood these Scriptures that are brought to priuiledge the Pope from erring and set downe their sayings at large though we haue briefly before in the 14. Question part 3 vrged their authorities Aug. de ver Domini secundū Mat. serm 13. S. Augustine expoundeth the first place thus Thou art Peter saith Christ and vpon this Rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this Rocke which thou hast acknowledged by saying Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God wil I build my Church that is vpon my selfe the Sonne of the liuing God will I build my Church I wil build thee vpon me not my selfe vpon thee S. Hillary saith Hillar de Trin. li. 30 This onely is the immoueable foundation This onely is the happy rocke of faith which was confessed by Peters mouth Thou art the Son of the liuing God Then vpō this rock of cōfession standeth the building of the Church Ambr. in 2. ca. epist ad Ephe. Saint Ambrose saith The Lord saith to Peter Vpon this rocke will I build my Church that is in this confession of the Catholike faith Faith therefore is the foundation of the Church for it was not spoken of Peters flesh but of faith That hell gates should not preuaile against it but that confession conquered hell Chrys Hom. 55. in Mat. Chrysostome sayth Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church that is vpon this faith and confession Bed in ca. 21. Iohan. Bede likewise Vpon this Rocke which thou hast confessed will I build my Church That Rocke was Christ vpon the which foundation euen Peter himselfe was to be builded 1. Cor. 3. These Fathers meane as Saint Paul doth saying Another foundation can no man lay than that which is already layd which is Iesus Christ Others there are of the Fathers that applie this rocke to Peter but not as though he alone were the foundation but including the rest with him Hiero. lib. 1. aduer Iouin As for example Saint Hierom saith Thou wilt say the Church is built on Peter notwithstanding the selfe same in another place is done vpon al the Apostles and they all receiue the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen and the stedfastnesse of the Church is equally setled vpon them Origen sayth If onely vpon Peter Origen in 16. Math. Tract 1. thou thinkest the whole Church to be built what wilt thou say to Iohn and euery of the Apostles shall wee dare say that against Peter onely the gates of hell shall not preuaile And that also vpon this Rocke I will builde my Church For if this speach To thee will I giue the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen be common to all why then should
not all that which goeth before and followeth after as spoken to Peter be common to them all The next place is I haue prayed for thee Peter c. What then shall wee conclude hereof that Peter and his successours cannot fayle in any point of faith wherein they giue definitiue sentence and that the Pope cannot erre iudicially No but hereby is meant a liuely Christian faith which is not our priuate exposition as they commonly obiect against vs but the iudgement of Austin Aug. de correp gratia ca. 8. Chrys Hom. 83. in Mat. 72. in Iohn Prosper de vocatione gent. c. 24. Theoph. in Luk. 22. Chrysostome Prosper and Theophilact who all doe vnderstand by faith in that place a liuely Christian faith and say That Christ prayed that Peter might continue therein to the end which grace neither they nor any Father sayth that all the Popes haue Nay your Doctors Turrec in sum de eccle ca. 12. Can. locor Theo. li. 6. cap. 1. Bellar. cont 4 par 2. q. 1. In annot Luk. 22. Bed in Gal. 2 Theophil in Luc. 23. Chrysost in Mat. Ho. 83. Turrecremata Canus Bellarmine and your Rhemists confesse the contrary As I saith Bede speaking in the person of Christ haue by prayers protected thy faith lest by temptation of Satan it should haue failed so thou also remember to lift vp and cōfort thy weake brethren by example of thy repentance lest peraduenture they should despaire of pardon And our Sauiour Christ did by these wordes put him in mind of his fall to coole the heate of pride and vainglory if I may so say with Theophilact and Chrysostome Fulk in Rhem. Test in Luk 22. Sectin And S. Basil citeth this text to prooue that we ought to pray for them that are sought in tēptations In these words you sée are taught the duety of Peter of euery Christian man in the like case no prerogatiue either for Peter or his successors And vpon that place Feed my sheepe the Fathers build no prerogatiue of Peter but rather do interpret it of his loue duty as S. Augustine Aug. 123. in Ioh Tract Cyril li. 12. ca. 46. in Ioh. Chrysost in Ioh. Ho. 87. Cyril and Chrysostome doe expound the place where to a thréefold denial is rendred a thréefold confession lest his tongue should be lesse seruiceable to loue than it was to feare And there is a reason giuen according to the Scripture why Peter should loue more because he had offended more for to whō more is remitted he ought to loue more as Cyril saith So that out of the iudgement of these Fathers Peters offence to be greater than the rest may better be proued than any prerogatiue to Peter or the Pope Fulk in Rhe. Test in Ioh. 21 sect 4. sée their testimonies more largely set downe by D. Fulke against the Rhemists yea this point is so cléere that it is confirmed by the testimonie of chiefe and learned Papists themselues Alfonsus saith Alfons li. 1. ca. 4 caus 24. q. Euery man may erre in faith euen the Pope himselfe and the same is confessed by the best of your side both Canonists and Diuines De Flect C. Significast Panormitane saith A Councel may condemne the Pope of Heresie as appeareth in in the 40. dist ca. Si Papa where it is saide That the Pope may be an Heretike and iudged of Heresie Alfonsus saith The Pope may erre in faith Alfons li. 1. cap. 7. as the truer opinion is euen of them that fauour the Popedome verie much Amonge whome is Innocentius the 4. of that name Bishop of Rome writing vpon the first Chapter de trinitate Arboreus Theosoph li. 4 cap. 32. a Doctor of Paris one of your chiefe Sorbonistes saith The Pope may erre in faith And he seemeth to me to be in foule Error that thinketh otherwise Surely they but flatter the Bishoppe of Rome that make him free from falling into Heresie and Schisme Gerson the Chancellor of Paris saith The Pope may swarue from the faith Gerson in Tract An liceat in causa fidei à pontifice appellare Panor apud Syl. de fide § 9. Syluest de ecclesi § 4. as well as an other Bishop Panormitan sayth Thus must the Gloze be vnderstood which sayth that the Church cannot erre is not the Pope but the congregation of the faithfull that is such as holde firmely that doctrine which S. Peter with other people taught And the Popes owne Gloze vpon his Decrées doth describe the Church which cannot erre Can. 14. q. 1 Can. A recta in gloss to be the Congregation of the faithfull saying I aske thee O Pope Lucie of what Church thou vnderstādest that which thou tellest vs in this place to wit That the Church cannot erre for if thou vnderstandest it of the Pope himselfe it is very certaine that the Pope may erre I answere therefore that the Church is here taken for the congregation of the faithfull and such a Church cannot erre Lyrain Mat. ca. 6. Lyra sayth Many Popes haue proued Apostates But what néede I to descend to particulars to prooue that the Pope may not only erre in doctrine but also be an heretike since it is a ruled case by your Schoolemen and Canonistes As a in dial p. 1. li. 6. ca. 1. Occam b In summa lib 5. Tit. de Haeret. Hostiensis c Summa de eccles li. 2. ca 93. 112. Turrrecremata d De Schismat pont Zabarella e De concord Catho li. 2. cap. 17. Cusanus f Summa part 3 Tit. 22 cap. 7. Antoninus g Aduers Haer. li. 1. ca. 2 4. Alfonsus h Locor Theol. lib. 6 cap 8 Canus i De visib Monar li 7. Sanders k Contro 4. p 2. qu. 1. Bellarmine l Canonist in distinct 40 si Papa Archid. Iohan. Andrae in fidei de Haereticis in Sext. Caietan de authoritat Pap. Conc. cap. 20. 23. and others m Dist 40. si Pa yea the Canon lawe it selfe n Synod Roma quint. sub Symacho Math. Paris in Henrico 3. sub Anno 1253. Mathaei Chroni in An. 1409. yea A Councel a Romane Councell confirmed by the Pope doe graunt it But to conclude this point wherein it may séeme I haue béen too tedious Sixe hundred prelates 124. Diuines and almost thrée hundred Lawyers with the whole Colledge of Cardinals in your generall Councell of Pisa deposed two Popes Gregory the 12. and Benedict the 13. o Naucler Chronogr genera 47. Anno 1409. as Schismatikes and Heretikes Your Councel of Constance whereas you say were p Genebrard li 2. Chronograph Anno 1414. 4. Patriarches 29. Cardinals 47. Archbishops 270. Bishops 564. Abbots and Doctors in all aboue 900. deposed the same Benedict persisting in his Popedome notwithstanding the former sentence as being Schismaticum Haereticum c. A Schismatike Conc.
Constant Sess 37 and an Heretike swaruing from the faith and a wilfull notorious manifest subuerter of the Article of our faith One holy Catholike Church Nowe can there bee any doubt that these Popes were neuer comprised in that prayer which Christ made for Peter Or that hel gates haue not preuailed against them When Pope Marcellinus did offer sacrifice to idols as appeares in the Synuessan Councel Pope Liberius subscribed to the Arrians as is testified by S. Hier. confessed by Nicholaus Cusanus and Alfons de Castro both Papists great schoolmen Pope Syluester the 2. was a Necromancer a CoÌ„iurer as Stella Platina Petrus PraemoÌ„strateÌ„sis Nauclerus Antonius do witnes And Pope Anastatius was a NestoriaÌ„ Heretike Li 1. de Haerca 4 as is witnessed by Alfons de Castro And many such instances might be prooued out of their owne stories Thus you sée in what sense soeuer the Papists vnderstand the Church it is proued That it may erre Wherefore are you not singular men to abuse both the scriptures Councels Fathers yea your silly seduced followers with such coÌ„clusions Are these good consequents at Rhemes Peter was set ouer the Church or made Pastor of the Lords flocke Ergo none but Peter Euen so may you reason with much more warrant from the scriptures to proue the supremacie to be in Paul For he saith 1 Tim 1. â—â— The glorious Gospel of the blessed God which is committed to me Ergo to none but Paul Yea he saith 2 Cor 11 26 The care of all Churches were coÌ„mitted to him Ergo to none but him This had béen a pregnaÌ„t place for the Papists if it had béen spoken of Peter according to such inferences as they make And to vrge you a little further It is your maner in the Rhemes Test to say often All the Fathers say this and this and I knowe you bragge much of them That you can prooue all the doctrine you hold by them I pray produce their ioint consent to prooue That all controuersies are to be determined by the Pope Or that he cannot erre Or that he must summon Councels Or that they are of no authority vnles they be confirmed by the Pope All this is Catholike doctrine with the Papists and yet I thinke they cannot name any one Father that is ancient and not counterfeit to confirme thus much or to auowe any of these points Is it not strange therefore that you should reiect the Scripture which is the onely rule of faith to build your Religion on such vncertainties as in this small Tract hath béen declared and shewed This Gerson a learned Papist sawe and therefore hée sayth Gers primâ—l part de exa doctrin considerat 5. That there is more credit to be giuen to one man learned in the Scriptures and hauing them of his side than either to the Popes sentence or to the decrees of a generall Councel This made Cardinal Caietane say In praef coÌ„ment in libr. Moyse That God hath not tied the exposition of the Scriptures vnto the senses of the Fathers And that if he fall vpon a newe sense agreeable to the Texte though it goe against the streame of the Fathers he doth aduise the reader not to mislike it Andrad defensi fidei Trid. li. 2. This made Andradius the defender of the Tridentine Councel to defend Caietan against Canus saying That experience forceth vs to confesse vnlesse we will bee vnthankfull to most excellent wits that very many things in Moyses and the Prophets are in this our age expounded more exactly through the diligence of learned men than euer they were before And concludeth that the holy Ghost the onely and faithfull interpreter of the Scriptures would haue many things to be knowen to vs which our ancestors knew not And hath wrought by meanes vnknowen to vs knowen to him that the Fathers noted good and godly mysteries out of very many places of the Scripture whereof the right and naturall sense hath beene found out by the posteritie Thus you sée that if wee bee deceiued Scriptures Popes Councels Fathers and learned and chiefe Papists haue deceiued vs who haue taught the same trueth that wee defend Papist Well What colours soeuer you bring of Scriptures Fathers Councels Popes and learned men of our owne side yet this is an vndoubted position that vnlesse you maintaine that the Church cannot erre and that thereby you vnderstand the definitiue sentence of the Pope you bereaue your selues of all meanes to settle your selues in the vnity of faith neither haue you any meanes to end controuersies For leauing euery man to his owne priuate exposition whiles one expoundeth the Scriptures one way and another another way This sense is plaine in the exposition of the one That sense is contradicted by the opinion of the other there can neuer be end of these differences And therefore there must bee some Tribunall on earth where trueth may bee found at all times and of all men that be willing to seeke for it Otherwise there should bee no stay for Religion nor end of contention euery man pretending his faith to bee trueth and no man hauing authoritie to decide which is truth which were most absurd And therfore since you must of necessitie yeeld to haue a Iudge for auoiding so great inconueniences who can bee fitter than the Pope and the Church Protestant This is Redire ad vomitum and for the auoiding of a lesse fault to fall into a greater Since it is prooued in euery sense where you haue taken the Church That it may erre And therefore how much better were it that there should be continuall disagréement about matters of Religion than to maintaine false doctrine Saint Iude saith It was needefull for me to write vnto you Iude ver 3. to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once giuen vnto the Saints 1. Cor. 11.19 And Saint Paul saith There must bee Sectes amongst you that they that bee perfect may bee knowen For as wee must respect Vnitie so wee must take héede that it bee Secundum Iesum Christum According to Iesus Christ An vnitie in veritie For better a diuersitie in vnitie than an vnitie in Poperie And therefore wee are commaunded 1 Ioh. 4. 1 Thess 5. to trie the spirits whether they be of God Trie all things and holde fast that which is good Ephes 5. Bee not vnwise but vnderstand what the will of the Lord is Bee renewed in your minde Rom. 12. that you may discerne what the good and acceptable and perfect will of GOD is Phi. 1.9 This I pray that your loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that you may discerne the things that are best 1. Cor. 2. Hee that is Spirituall discerneth all things These exhortations were not giuen by the Spirit of God in vaine which of necessitie must follow if you debarre all Christians other
Christ hauing neuer béene prohibited as vnlawfull vntill the Councell of Constance which was 1400. yéeres after Christ But Controuersies may be ended and heresies abolished either by conuincing those out of the Scriptures that maintaine them as diuers heretikes were before either Pope or Councell were thought of Or by the authoritie of the Magistrate commanding for trueth and inioining their silence and obedience â— Chro. 14. â— 3 4 5. according to the examples of Asa the King of Iudah who commanded his people to doe according to the Law â— Chro. 29. c. And Ezechiah who restored the worship of God and diuers other Kings in the old Testament 2. Chro. 17 ver 3 4 5 8. ca. 19 ver 4 8 9 10 11 c 33. v. 11 12 13 15. câ— 34. v. 3 4 7 29.30 3â— 32 33. câ— 35. v. 1 2 3 4.5 6. as Iehoshaphat Manasses Iosiah and others yea Salomon did dedicate the Temple in his owne person and * 1. King 8. ca. 2. v. 3 cast out Abiathar from being Priest vnto the Lord and placed Zadok in his roume And Saint Austine in many places sheweth Kings are charged with Gods Law in respect of commanding it to others In the times of the Prophets saith he All the Kings which in the people of God did not forbid and ouerthrowe those things Aug. Epi. 5 which were brought in against the commandements of God are blamed and they that did prohibit and subuert such things are praised aboue the rest And for that part of the obiection that wee leaue euery man to his priuate exposition which though therein wee are wrongfully charged by our aduersaries yet the trueth is we challenge not to our selues as the Papists do the true interpretation of the Scriptures as if they were appropriated vnto vs But we submit our selues and our interpretations whatsoeuer according to the Generall and receiued doctrine of the Fathers in that point to be compared and tried by the Scriptures Or to auoide your cauelling if you will to the Church which are men speaking by the Scriptures Neither is this part of the obiection of so great weight or consequence as it may séeme at the first blush For most of the differences betwéene vs and the Papists are not touching the sense of the Scripture séeing it is confessed by learned Papists as I haue prooued in the preface of this booke that most of the doctrines wherein they vary from vs are grounded on Tradition And all men of reason know that where ther is no Text there néedes no Interpreter All the danger therefore lieth in the last part of the obiection when mens corrupt affections may take those things for trueth which are not and reiect those which are a thing impossible to bee preuented since euery man vnderstands according to the capacitie and conceite whereof himselfe is And herein likewise is the doctrine of Christ verefied as Saint Paul sayth 2. Cor. 4.3 If our Gospell bee hidde it is hidde to them that are lost For no man can come vnto mee sayth Christ except the Father which haue sent me drawe him Iohn 6.44 1. Cor. 3.4 6 Yea Paul may plant and Apollo may water but God must giue the increase For though the Sunne bée of most excellent brightnesse yet none can sée it but those which haue eyes euen so is it of the Scriptures which as Saint Peter sayth They that are vnlearned and vnstable 2. Pet. 3.16 doe peruert to their own damnation But shal we leaue the Triall of the Scriptures to which all the Fathers referre vs either because many peruert them or for that the diuel alleaged them or for that it is common to all Heretikes to make challenge and boast of them No for all Heretikes haue béen by the Scriptures rightly vnderstood confuted and confounded yea euen the deuill himselfe Mat. 3.7 as Christs owne example teacheth vs was conuicted by the same weapon wherewith hee thought to haue vanquished our Sauiour But to make this plaine by example what Lawyer will offer to defend a badde cause but hee will bring Lawe for his purpose and shall this debarre or preiudice the other that pleades against him That hée shall not by Lawe conuince the Errours and Sophistries or Quirkes and Quiddities which are brought against him Nay rather anie man of iudgement hauing heard both parties will readily distinguish and say The one makes a a shewe of Lawe but the other hath Lawe indeede And euen thus it rests in those controuersies that are betweene vs and the Papists touching the Sense of the Scripture onely and not for those differences which the maintaine by Tradition Petr. â— Soto adu Brent Canisi in catechi ca. 5. Lindan in pan li. 4. ca. 100. Peresius par 3. Rhe. Test Gal. 2. sect 4 which by the iudgement of their owne men as I haue already shewed are the greater number And albeit the Rhemists would insinuate That the controuersies betweene vs are whether the Iudge or the Euidence bee of greater authority yet that shift will not serue them for all men of iudgement knowe that that is not the question betwéene vs. But the difference is whether the Iudge or the Law bee of greater authoritie where euery wise man will graunt the Lawe to be supreame whereunto the Iudge is to obey and according to which to giue his sentence or else by the Lawe his erronious iudgement is to be reuersed Neither is there other Iudiciall authority in the Church than in the common wealth which is to determine controuersies according to the Lawe and the true meaning thereof And if there be question of the Sense of the Law The Lawmakers minde is to be discussed by his wordes and the circumstances and occasions of making the Lawe And euen so the meaning of the Scripture is to be taken onely out of the Scripture as Clemens saith â—iâ— 37. ca. â—elatum You ought not to seeke a strange and forraine sense without the Scriptures that you may confirme it by any means by the Scriptures But sense of trueth you must take out of the Scriptures themselues Saint Augustine * Confess Aug. praef ad lecto whose doctrine your selues doe acknowledge to be grounded on the lawes the maners the iudgements of all the Catholike Church whom you call a witnesse of the sincere trueth and Catholike Religion such a witnesse as no exception can be made against who assureth you as you say not onely of his owne but also of the common the constant faith and confession of the ancient Fathers and the Apostolike Church This Augustine hath written foure bookes of Christian doctrine wherein he purposely intreateth howe men should vnderstand the Scripture and expound it The summe of all his Treatise doeth aime at this marke That a Aug. de doct Christ li. 1. ca. 2. the meaning of the Scripture must bee learned out of the Scripture by the consideration of things