erroneous opinions touching Fayth against the then present Church of God But to returne more particulerly to the Subiect of this Treatise The source from whence this Libertinisme in beliefe impugned heere by me did take it origen and beginning is the contempt of the authority of Christs Church and the assumed authority of ech mans priuate Spirit For thus reasoneth the Neutrallist in Religion Both the Papists and Protestants do agree in belieuing the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion c. But they maynly dissent touching Purgatory praying to Saints Freewill Sacrifice of the Masse c. Therefore I will imbrace and follow the acknowledged doctrine of them both meaning the Doctrine of the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion and hould it necessary only to Saluation since in it all sides do conspire But seeing the dissentions in religion amonge the Papists and the Protestants are of these secondary and lesse principall points only to wit Purgatory prayer to Saints c. and seeing it is impossible that both the Protestant and the Papist should teach truly in the sayd Articles for they teach meere contrary doctrines therein so as if the one side teach true it necessarily followeth that the other side teacheth false And further seeing I haue no more reason once reiecting the authority of Gods visible Church to belieue the one partie more then the other and it is impossible for me to belieue them both Therfore my priuat Spirit biddeth me to belieue neyther but to hould the doctrines of Purgatory prayer to Saints Freewill c. and all other controuerted points of Fayth at this day betweene the Papist and the Protestant to be matters meerely accessory and of such indifferency as that neyther the true or false beliefe of them can further nor hinder my Saluation Thus farre argueth our Newtrallist who whyles he wil be of all Religions is indeed of no Religion Then which as if Religion were but a meere abstracted Notion in the mynd what can be excogitated to be more impious and Athiestical in it selfe more repugnaÌt to the sacred Scriptures more crosse to the practise of all Antiquity and as heerafter shall be proued more aduerse to all naturall Reason But good Reader as vnwilling to traÌsgresse the accustomed limits of a Preface I will detayne thee no longer only for some delibation and tast of the Subiect heerafter handled I will conclude with the sentence and iudgment of S. Augustin passed vpon the Pelagians who belieued in the Trinity in Christ and his PassioÌ were men of honest and morall conuersation yet for houlding That only by the force of Nature without the assistance of Gods grace a Man was able to exercise vertue flie vice a point no more fundamental then most of the CoÌtrouersies betweene the Catholikes the Prostants they are registred for Heretikes by S. Augustin and consequently not to be in his iudgment in state of Saluation His words are these (9) Epist. 120. c. 37. Nec tales sunt Pelagiani quos facilè conteÌnas sed continenter viuentes atque in omnibus operibus laudabiles Nec falsum Christum sed vnum verum aequalemque Patri coaeternum veraciterque hominem factum venisse credentes venturum expectantes sed tamen ignorantes Dei iustitiaÌ suam constituere volentes Haeretici sunt Thus S. Augustin with whom I end leauing thee Curteous Reader to the deliberate and studious perusall of these ensuing Leaues and intreating most earnestly the prayer of all good Catholikes for the remission of my infinite sins for a happy hourâ of the dissolution of my old and decayed Body Thy Soules wellwishing friend VV. B. P. The Contents of the ensuing Treatise THAT a man who belieueth in the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion c. And yet belieueth not all other Articles of ChristiaÌ Fayth cannot be saued And first of the definition of Heresy and of an Heretike Chap. 1. The foresayd Verity proued from the Holy Scripture Cap 2. The same proued from the definition nature and propriety of Vnity in Fayth Cap. 3. The same proued from the want of Vnity in Fayth between the Catholike and the Protestant touching the Articles of the Creed Cap. 4. The same euident from the like want of vnity of Fayth betweene the Catholike and Protestant in Articles necessarily to be belieued and yet not expressed in the Creed Cap. 5. The same proued from the authority or priuiledge of Gods Church in not erring eyther in her definitions of Fayth or condemnation of Heresies and first by Councells Chap. 6. The same proued from the like infallillible authority of the Church in not erring manifested from the testimonies of particuler Fathers Cap. 7. The foresaid Truth euicted from that Principle that neither Heretikes nor Schismatikes are members of the Church of God Chap. 8. The same proued from the punishment ancieÌtly inflicted vpon Heretikes by the Church Chap. 9. The same proued by arguments drawne from Reason Chap. 10. The same proued from the different effects of Catholike Religion and Protestancy touching Vertue and Vice Chap. 11. The same Veritie proued from the feareful deaths of the first broachers of Protestancy Ch. 12 The same confirmed from the doctrine of Recusancy taught by Catholikes ProtestaÌts Ch. 13 The same manifested from the writings of the Catholikes and Protestants reciprocally charging one another with Heresy and from the Insurrections Warrs and Rebellions begun only for Religion Chap. 14. The same proued from the Protestants mutually condemning one another of Heresy Chap. 15. The same demonstrated from the many absurdities necessarily accompanying the contrary doctrine Chap. 16. The Conclusion of the whole Chap. 17. THAT A MAN WHO BELIEVETH IN the Trinity Incarnation Passion c. And yet belieueth not all other Articles of Christian fayth cannot be saued And first of the definition of Heresy and an Heretike CHAP. I. BEFORE we come good Reader to dispute particulerly of the Subiect of this Discourse I hould it most conuenient in place of a short Prolegomenon or Preface to prefixe and set downe the true definition of Heresy or an Heretike since this method will giue light to this whole ensuing Treatise diuers passages therof being principally founded vpon the definition and nature of Heresy and will best manifest what opinions be Heresyes and what men Heretikes and consequently seing Heresy is incompatible with saluation and cannot stand with the purchase of Heauen will demonstrate that not any one Religion professing the name of Christians which doth maintaine but one Heresy can iustly promiââ to it selfe the hope of Eternall life Well then Heresy or Haeresis as wâ tearme it in Latin is a Greeke word ââgnifying as much as Electio Election ãâã Choyce comming of the Greeke verââ ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Latine Eligo to Choose or maââ Choyce of as (a) lib. de praescript c. â Tertullian and S. Iârome (b) in c. 5. Epist. ad Galat. do well note so that this woââ Haeresis
est inquirentibus se remunerator sit ãâã that commeth to God must belieue that God iâ and is a rewarder to them that seeke him Hee is imposed a necessity as appeareth by tââ word Oportet to belieue not only that the is a God but that this God giueth rewarâ to such as seeke him to wit eternall lyâ But to belieue that God is a rewarder of goâ men is an article in it selfe wholy distinct ãâã differeÌt from the articles of the Trinity thâ Incarnation the Passion c. and in natuââ independent of these other for a man maâ belieue that God is a rewarder of good meâ with eternall felicity and yet not belieuâ these other supreme Mysteryes as man vertuous men no doubt did in the law oâ nature and in the time of the old Testâment and on the contrary side a man maâ belieue those chiefe articles of Christianity and yet not particulerly belieue that God is a rewarder of such as seeke him And yet we see the beliefe of this later point is necessarily exacted by the Apostle of all those who come to God consequently of all those who shal be saued seeing no man can be saued but such as come to God THE SAME PROVED FROM THE DEfinition Nature and Propriety of Fayth CHAP. III. IN this place we shall first take into our consideration the definition of fayth set downe by S. Paul Secondly the dignity worth of âayth much celebrated by diuers of the Aâostles Thirdly the inseparable propriety âf Fayth which is Vnity for so doth the âcripture delineate and describe Fayth ââom all which it will ineuitably follow âhat that Fayth which saueth man is not âo be restrayned only to the Trinity the âncarnation and other such sublime points âf Christian Religion though in other points it be erroneous but to all points whatsoeuer which the Church of God propoundeth to be belieued And to beginne with the definition of Fayth giuen by the Apostle He thus deâneth Fayth (a) c. 11. ad Hebraeos Fayth is the substance of thiâ to be hoped for the argument of things not appâring The sense wherof is this first thâ Fayth through an infallible certainty caâseth those things to subsist and haue a bâing in the mind of man which are yâ to come but hoped and looked for Sâcondly that fayth causeth the vnderstaâding to giue an assent to those points whiâ it vnderstandeth not acknowledging theâ to be more certaine then any other thinâ whatsoeuer according to those words of ãâã Thomas (b) quaest 4. art 8. Multo magis homo certior est de eo qââ audit à Deo qui falli non potest quà m de eo quâ videt propria ratione quae falli potest Now heeâ I trust no man wil deny but the Apostle dâfined that Fayth of a Christian which sâueth him This being graunted for to denâ it were both impious in the denier moâ iniurious to the Apostle we are to remember the nature of euery true definition sâ downe by the Logitians to wit as is aboue intimated that the thing defined anâ the definition be of one and the same extenâ latitude so as whatsoeuer is compreheÌded vnder the definitioÌ the same is also contayned vnder the thing defined This theâ being presupposed by force of all reason foâ Logike is but an artificiall haÌdmaid to Reason we find that this definition of Fayth âmpriseth in it selfe not only the Doctriâe of the Trinity of the Incarnation c. ând this not articulately but only by way âdeduction but also it containeth all seâândary points of Religion seeing the forâr definition doth predicate or may be ââd of all the sayd secondary and lesse prinâall points of Religion controuerted betâeene Christians at any time Therfore the âng heere defined which is the sauing âayth of a Christian is in like sort to exâând it selfe to all the sayd secondary points â Religion how indifferent soeuer they ââme in mans iudgment This inference is ãâã demonstratiue being taken from the forâer definition of Fayth as that the Apostle ââmselfe presently after the former words ââginning to instance the seueral Obiect of ââyth among diuers other examples setâh downe that to belieue Noahs floud ãâã the deluge of the world by water for âne is an article of Fayth for thus he ââyth By Fayth (c) Hebr. 11. Noah hauing receaued an ansââre concerning those things which as yet were âot seene fearing framed the Arke for the sauing of âis howse But to proceed further If the Articles of he Trinity the Incarnation and the like ãâã the only essentiall points of a true Christian Fayth it is more then wonderfull that the Apostle vndertaking to set down the true definition of an auailable Fayth and exemplifying it in it seuerall Obiects should wholy and silently omit the say articles of the Trinity Incarnation PassioÌ c. he in that Chapter not expresly speaking one word of them And thus much touching the definitioâ of Fayth giuen by the Apostle from whicâ definition we conclude that whosoeuââ seeketh to haue a true Fayth necessary to saâuation must belieue besides the mysteriâ of the Trinity the Incarnation c. diueâ others dogmaticall articles of Christian Râligion And therfore answereably therâ we assure our selues that when our Sauioâ sayd He (d) Marc. 16. that belieueth not shal be condemneâ he did speake of the belieuing of the whoâ corps of Christian Fayth and Doctrine aâ not only of any part therof for so in this lâter maner it would be both false absurâ In like fort where our Blessed Sauiour ãâã the same Chapter sayth to his Apostle Preach the Ghospell to all creatures c. He dâ vnderstand the whole Ghospell which cââtayneth many other points besides the Tâânity Incarnation and Passion c. In this next place we will descend ãâã those passages of holy Scripture which much magnify the efficacy and vertue of ââyth And accordingly heerto we find it ãâã said (e) Marc. vlt. He that belieueth and is baptized ââalbe saued but he that belieueth not shal be conââmned Againe our Sauiour said to the âind men praying to receaue their sight According to your faith be it donne vnto you (f) Mat. 9. ând further (g) Hebr. c. 11. Without fayth it is impossible to âase God And more (h) 1. Ioan. c. 5. Our fayth is the virie which ouercommeth the world Now in ââese and many other such texts for breuity âitted I demaund what fayth is vnderâod or meant If it be answered a true âyre perfect faith belieuing all points Christian Religion proposed by Gods ââurch it is true and that which I heare âe to prooue Yf an vnperfect and munâl faith belieuing some points of Chriâââââ Religion and reiecting others and so ârroneus faith being partly true partly â I say it can neuer deserue these prayses ân by the Euangelists and Apostles neiâââ can it produce such supernaturall efâ aboue specifyed no
auditis nec vocatis Geneuae 1582. A threefold Answere to the Brethren of Tubinga their threefold writing concerning three most weighty Questions c. Of the supper of the Lord Of the Maiesty of Christ as Man And of not condemning the Churches of God before they be heard or called Ad Iohannis Brentij argumenta Iacobi Andreae Theses quibus carnis Christi omni praesentiaÌ nituntur confirmare id est aduersum renouatos Nestorij Eutichetis errores Responsum Geneuae 1570. An Answere to the Arguments of Iohn Brentius to the Conclusions of Iacobus Andreas by which they endeauour to confirme the Vbiquity or presence of Christs flesh euery where that is to say against the renewed Errors of Nestorius Eutiches Apologia ad omnes Germaniae Ecclesias reformatas quae sub Zwingliani Caluiniani nominis inuidia vim iniuriaÌ patiuntur Tiguri 1578. An Apology of all the Reformed churches of Germany which through the Enuy of the Name of Zuinglius Caluin do suffer violence iniury Christopheri Pezelij Apologia verae doctrina de dâââitione Euangelij apposita Thrasonicis praestigijs Iohannis Wigandi Wittenbergae 1572. An Apology of the true Doctrine concerning the Definition of the Ghospell against the Thrasonicall enchantments of Ioannes Wigandus by Christophorus Pezelius Colloquij Montisbelgardensis inter Iacobum Andreae Theodorum Bezam Acta Tubingae 1584. The Actes of the Colloquy at Montbelgard betweene Iames Andrew Theodore Beza Veritatis victoria ruina Papatus Saxonici Losannae 1563. The Victory of Truth the Ruine of the Popedome of Saxony Hamelmannia siue Aries Theologizans Diaâgus oppositus duabus narrationibus historicis Herâanni Hamelmanni Neostadij 1582. Hamelmannia or the Theologizing Ramme A Dialogue against two Historicall Narrations of Hermanus Hamelmannus Christiani Kittelmanni decem graues perâiciosi errores Zwinglianorum in Doctrina de pecâatis Baptismo ex proprijs ipsorum libris colleâi refutati Magdeburgae 1562. Ten weighty pernicious Errors of âhe Zwinglians in the Doctrine concerning Sinne Baptisme Collected out of their owne books refuted by Christianus Kittleman Iohannis Mosellani Praeseruatiua contra venenum Zwinglianorum Tubingae 1586. An Antidote or Preseruatiue againsâ the poyson of the Zwinglians by Ioannââ Mosellanus De Vnitate personali supernaturali duarââ Naturarum in Christo contra blasphemam Dispâtationem Eusebij Cleberi Pastoris Saugalensis iâ Heluetia Tubingae 1586. Of the Personall Supernaturall Vnity of two Natures in Christ against the blasphemous Disputation of Eusebius Cleberus Pastour of Saugall in Suitzerland De gaudijs aeternae vitae quomodo Sacramentarij nobis illa gaudia imminuant Erfordia 1585. Of the Ioyes of Eternall life And how the Sacramentaries do in part defraude ãâã of them Now from all the premises aboue I hauâ conclude that if the seuerall opinions among the Protestants be not in their iudgement maters of Indifferency but are by theÌselues truly reputed for Heresies the maintayners of them not houldden to be in state of Saluation as appeareth both from the Protestants reciprocall coÌdemnations of one another as also from the former Titles of their owne Bookes written agaynst one another then with much more reason may the same sentence be pronounced of the many irreconciliable Controuersies differently belieued and houlden by the Catholikes and Protestants And the rather since as is aboue sayd there is a farre greater disparity and difference of doctrine betweene the Catholikes and the Protestants then betweene the Protestant the Protestant THE TRVTH OF THIS FORMER Doctrine demonstrated from the many Absurdityes necessarily accompanying the contrary doctrine CHAP. XVI SVCH is the sweet Prouidence of the Diuine Maiesty in disposall of thinges as that he euer causeth truth to be warranted with many irrefragable reasons and falshood to be attended on with diuers grosse and ineuitable absurdityes that so the iudgment of man may be the better secured for the imbracing of truth and remayne the lesse excusable if in place of truth it entertayne falshood Errour Of the reasons conuincing the infallible truth of our doctrine maintayned in this treatise I haue already discussed aboue in the tenth Chapter Now heere I will a little insist in disclosing the many and palpable absurdities accompanying the contrary doctrine which point will chiefly rest besides some other short insertions in a recapitulation of most of the former heads or braunches aboue handled For if this doctrine were true to wit that euery one might be saued in his owne Religion or that the beliefe only of the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion or the Creed were sufficient thereto notwithstaÌding the beliefe of other erroneous opinions and heresies Then would it follow First that the holy Scriptures of Christ and his Apostles were most false which haue inueyghed so much agaynst Heresies and haue denounced the heauy iudgment of damnation agaynst the professours of them as aboue is shewed which comminations and threats the scripture in some places not only extendeth to all Hersies or Heretikes in generall without (a) Tit. 3. Gal. c. 5. Rom. c. 16. 1. Tim. 1. any limitation but also in some other they are particulerly restrayded to certayne Heresies seeming of smaller importance then the denyall of the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion the Creed c. as is euident touching the denying (b) 1. Tim. cap. 4.2 Tim. c. 2.1 Ioan. c. 2. of marriage and of eating of certayne meates and touching the Natures of Christ c. Now that the denyall of other inferiour articles of fayth then of the Trinity Incarnation c. is playne Heresy is demonstrated aboue both from the definition of Heresy and from the iudgment of the Primitiue Church Secondly the foresayd doctrine impugneth the definition of Fayth giuen by the (f) Hebr. c. 11. Apostle which definition of fayth comprehendeth a generall beliefe of all articles of Christian Religion and is not therefore to be limited to any one kind of them In like sort it destroyeth the priuiledges dignity of fayth set down by the foresayd Apostle who (g) Mat. vltimo Hebr. 11. promiseth saluation to him that hath faith as also that without fayth we cannot (h) Ephes 4. Act. 4. Rom. 12. c. please God but such excellencies cannot be ascribed to a Bastard fayth which belieueth some thinges true others false they are therfore eyther to be giuen to a true entire and perfect fayth in all points or els the Apostle grossely erred in assigning to fayth the aforesayd priuiledges seing a false fayth is no better then no faith at all Againe it depriueth a Christian faith of its true mark or character of Vnity so much celebrated by the (h) Ephes 4. Rom. 12. vide Cant. c. 6. Apostle Now then if Vnity of fayth be necessary to Saluation how can both Protestants and Catholikes expect saluation seeing there is no greater distance betweene the opposite parts of a Diameter then there is
Articles of the Creed âât it is extended in it own nature consiâering that according to al Art the definitioÌââd the thing defined ought to be of an eâall latitude or extent to any erroneous ââinion whatsoeuer frowardly defended ãâã a man and impugned by the Church of âod So as it is as perfit an Heresy and âe belieuers therof are as true Heretikes to deny that there is a Purgatory or to deny Freewill praying to Saints the doctrine oâ Indulgences the necessity of Baptisme oâ any other Article affirmed by Catholikes granting the doctrine of Catholiks in thesâ Articles to be true as to deny the Trinity the IncarnatioÌ of Christ his death Passion c. supposing the denyall of these to bâ but Heresies And a man shal be aswell daÌned in Hell for denying these former as foâ these other though the denyall of these lâter do exceed the other in malice since thâ blasphemies of them are in themselues moâ wicked heynous And thus much toâching the definition of Heresy or an Heretikâ which being iustly premised we will conâ now to the mayne Controuersy handleâ in this Treatise THAT EVERY CHRISTIAN CANNOâ be saued in his owne Religion Proued from tâ holy Scripture CHAP. II. NOw then to beginne to fortify anâ warrant this vndoubted truth that euâry Christian cannot be saued in his owne Religioâ I will draw my first kind of Proofe froÌ tâ sacred wordes of holy Scripture And theâ testimonies shal be of three sorts One coÌceâning Heretikes textes which are not-restrâned to any particular Heresies but deliuered of Heresy in generall The second branch of authorities shall touch Heretikes euen for certaine particuler Heresies different from denying the Trinity the Incarnation of our Sauiour his Passion other like principall and fundamentall articles of Christian Religion The third shall containe the necessity and dignity of Fayth without any restriction to the pointes or articles which are to be belieued And first to beginne with the first We read the Apostle thus to speake of an Heretike in generall (a) Epist ad Tit. c. 3. A man that is an Heretike after the first or second admonition auoyd knowing that he that is such is subuerted and sinneth being condemned by his owne iudgment Where we see the Apostle commaundeth vs to auoid an Heretike which he would neuer haue done if the sayd Heretike had bin in state of Saluation The Apostle further adding this reason in that he sinneth and in that such a maÌ as being a pertinacious willfull Heretike is condemned by his owne proper iudgment that is because he aduaunceth his own iudgment aboue the iudgment of Gods Church and because he needeth not that publike coÌdemnation of the Church which vpon other offenders by way of Excommunication is inflicted Of which text of the Apostle Tertullian both pithily and excellently giueth his glosse saying (b) Lib. de praescript c. 6. Quia in quâ damnatur sibi elegit Moreouer the Apostle elsewhere coniureth as it were in the name of Christ thaâ we should auoyd all false belieuers in thesâ words (c) 2. Thess cap. 3. We denounce vnto yow Brethren iâ the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you withdraw your selues from euery Brother walking in ordinatly and not according to the Tradition whicâ they haue receiued of vs. This place concernetâ Fayth and doctrine as the whole Chapteâ sheweth But if those men heere to be eschewed were in state of Saluation theâ ought not then to be eschewed Agayne this text cannot haue refereÌce to those whâ deny the Trinity Incarnation and PassioÌ seeing the denyers of those high Articleâ are not Brethren in Christ and yet the Apostle styleth them Brethren whom he heeâ reprehendeth The Apostle also in anothââ place thus forewarneth (d) Epist. ad Galat. c. 5. The workes of thâ flesh be manifest which are fornication vncleaneâ impurity c. dissentions (*) or Heresies according to the Testament of an 1576. Sects c. They whicâ do these things shal not obtayne the kingdom of Goâ where we see there is expresse mentioâ made of Sects and that the maintainers oâ any Sects in opinion of Fayth much morâ of any Heresy which is euer auerred witâ greater contumacy and frowardnes anâ with neglect to the Churches Authority shall not enter into the kingdome of Heauen From which testimony we may furâher conclude that as one only act of fornication barreth a man from the kingdome of God so also one Heresy excludeth him froÌ the same A fourth place is this (e) Epist. ad Rom. c. 16. I desire you Breâhren to marke them that make dissentions and scandalls contrary to the doctrine which you haue learned and auoyd them for such do not serue Christ our Lord. But if such men be to be auoyded and do not serue Christ then no doubt they continuing in that state cannot be saued Fiftly the Apostle speaketh of certaine men saying of them (f) 1. Tim. 1. Quidam circa fidem maufragauerunt Certaine men haue made shipwracke of their Fayth Where the Apostle vseth the Metaphore of shipwracke therby to expresse more fully that Heretikes once falling out of the shippe of the Church of Christ are cast into the sea of eternall damnation To conclude the EuaÌgelist S. Iohn speaketh of all Heretikes in generall not imbracing the Doctrine of Christ within which all secondary questions of Christian Religion are contayned in this sort If any (g) 2. Ioan. man come to you and bring not the doctrine of Christ receaue him not into your house nor sââ God saue you vnto him But a man is bound â charity to suffer any one which is in staâ of Saluation to come into his house and â salute him or say God saue him Now whâ can be replyed against these former texts â cannot be sayd that they are meant only â such Heretikes as deny the mysteries of tâ Trinity the Incarnation of Christ hâ Passion and such like supreme points â Christian Religion This I say cannot ãâã auerred for these reasons following Fiâ because those who in the Apostles tymâ denyed these principall points of Christiânity could not be truly termed Heretikeâ but rather Iewes or Heathens seeing he ãâã an Heretike truly as is aboue shewed whâ was once a member of Christs Church bâ Fayth ãâã 1 but after ceaseth to be therof by erring in some secondary points touchinâ Christian Fayth Secondly by reason thaâ according to the true definition of Heresââ or Heretikes aboue set downe the formeâ texts haue a necessary reference to all Heresies and Heretikes whatsoeuer whetheâ the subiect of the sayd false opinions be smaââ or great Thirdly because that in the former texts of Scripture there is no restriction of the word Haereticus or Haeresis to the chiefe or highest points of Christian Religion but it is extended to all kind of Hereâikes and Heresies whatsoeuer euen by the Apostle without exceptioÌ who no doubt âf he had vnderstood Heretikes or
more then darkeâ an produce light since Truth himselfe ãâã taught vs (i) Luc. 6. That we cannot gather figges âornes nor grapes of bushes And hence by premises we are to vnderstand that we ân entyre perfect fayth that by the âh we belieue all supreme articles of the Trinitie Incarnation Passion c. anâ all the articles of the Creed expressely articulately in their true sense and do belieue all other inferiour articles at least implicitely that is that we haue a readie preparation of mind to belieue all other articles which the Church of Christ dotâ propound to be belieued so as that thougâ we do not belieue euery article of Chrâstian Religion with an explicite and expresse faith yet we are bound vnder painâ of damnation nor to belieue any doctrinâ contrary or repugnant to the said articleâ which the Church of Christ doth prâpound to be belieued from which it vnauoydably followeth that once grauntinâ that the Church of Christ propoundeth ãâã be belieued that there is a Purgatory â that we may pray to the Saints he incureth damnation who belieueth that theâ is no Purgatory or that we ought not ãâã pray to Saints Now in this third place we will toucâ that inseparable Attribute of true Chrâstian fayth which is Vnity in fayth ãâã doctrine This marke is so indissolubââ annexed to the true fayth of Christ as thâ we find his Apostles euer readie most ââriously to inculcate the same to their dâciples Thus accordingly the Aposââ exhorteth the Ephesians saying (k) Ephes 4. Be you carefull to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace And immediately againe (l) Ephes vbi supra There is one Lord one fayth one Baptisme Where we see that Vnity in fayth is expressely set downe As also in another place (m) Ephes loc cit I beseech you that you speake all one thing be you kâit together in one mind and one iudgment And as this was the exhortation of the Apostle To we read that the first belieuers followed âhe same of whom S. Luke thus saith The (n) Act. 4. multitude that belieued were of one hart and âne soule And hence it proceedeth that the Church of Christ which comprehendeth the Professours of this vnanimous faith is âtyled by Gods holy writ (o) Rom. 12. One Bodie one (p) Cant. 6. Spouse (q) Ioan. 10. one flocke of sheepe A truth âo euident as that besides the frequent teâtimonies of the Faâhers (r) Athanasius orat 1. con Ani. Chrysost opere imperfecto in Mat. Hom. 20. Tertullian de praescript Irenaeus l r. c. 5. confirming the âame euer the Protestants subscribe in iudgâent heerto For thus (Å¿) Luther tom 3. Wittenberg in psal 5. fol. 166. Luther himselfe to omit (t) see herâââf the Deuines of Mansfeild against the Sacramentaries And the Deuines of Heidelberg against the Anabaptists others writeth A kingdome deuiâed in it selfe shall not stand neither haue any âeretikes at any tyme bine ouercome by force or âbtility but by mutuall dissention neither doth âhrist fight with them otherwise then with a spiâât of giddines and disagreement Now then this Vnitie of faith is so to be ânderstood as that it is not repugnant therto that one and the same point should at one time not be houlden as necessary to be belieued the which after it hath vndergone a definitiue sententionall decree of Gods Church is necessarily to be belieued As for example it was not necessary in the beginning of Christianity to belieue that the booke of the Machabees the Epistle of S. Iames S. Iude the second Epistle of S. Peter the second and third of S. Iohn to be Canonicall Scripture till they were defined so to be by the third Councell (u) Can. 47. of Carthage at which S. Augustine was present But after this Councell had by the assistance of the holy Ghost defined them to be Canonicall and this after confirmed by the consent of the whole Church then it was and is Heresy to deny them to be Canonicall And the reason of this disparity is because it is Gods good pleasure wisdome not to reueale to his Church all articles of faith in the beginning and at one time but at seuerall times and vpon seuerall occasions as to his diuine Maiesty best seemeth expedient Thus the fayth of a Christian is capable of dilatation and of a more large vnfoulding or exposition but not of any contrariety in beliefe chaunge or alteration Anâ thus to insist in the former example yâ may well stand with Christian faith in the âeginning not to accept the former bookes or Canonicall till the authority of the Church had pronounced them for such But it standeth not with sound faith that one man should positiuely belieue now after the Churches definition therof giuen as an article of fayth that the Machabees and the rest of the bookes aboue specified are not Canonicall Scripture but the prophane writings of man and another man should belieue as an article of Faith that they are Canonicall Scripture since the one of these contrary beleifes must be Hereticall This verity of the Vnity of faith being warranted by the word both of God and man as is aboue said we will take into our consideration the Catholike and Protestant Religions both which ioyntly do professe to belieue in generall in the Trinity in Christs Incarnation his Passion and the Creed of the Apostles and so we shall discerne whether the faith of all these seuerall Professours doth inioy the foresaid marke of vnity in doctrine or noe But seing this Subiect is most ample and large I will therfore sepose this ensuing chapter for the more full and exact discouery of the many and great disagreements betweene the Catholikes and the Protestants in their fayth and Religion THE SAME PROVED FROâ want of vnity in fayth betweene Catholikes anâ Protestants touching the Articles of the Creed CHAP. IIII. VNDERTAKING in this place tâ set downe the multiplicity of opinions betweene Catholikes anâ Protestants though they all iointly belieue in the Trinity the Incarnation oâ Christ his Passion and the like and consequently that this their general beliefe wanteth that true Vnity of fayth which out of thâ holy Scriptures Fathers the Protestants I haue aboue shewed to be most necessary to Saluation I will first examine how the Protestants and Catholikes doe differ touching the beliefe of the Creed made by the Apostles Next I will demonstrate that supposing all Professours of both Religions should agree in the true sense and meaning of the Creed yet there are diuers other dogmaticall points necessarily to be belieued and are at this instant belieued both by Protestants and Catholikes which are not expressed or mentioned in the Creed nor by any immediate inference can be drawne from thence Lastly I wil set down the great difference betweene Catholiks ProtestaÌts in other points of fayth of which the Creed makes no intimation or
against Gods Church shal be damned But here I will stay my selfe wading no further in the disquisition and search of the great dissentions betweene Catholikes and Protestants touching faith and beliefe only I will reflect a litle vpon the premises And heere it is made most euident first that the Catholikes and Protestants do mainly differ in the sense and construction of the Articles of the Creede and consequently seing the sense and not the words do make the Creed that they both do not belieue one and the same Creede but haue to themselues seuerall Creedes from which point is sufficiently discouered the want of Vnity in faith among them both which Vnitie is so necessarily required to mans saluation as in the precedent chapter is demonstrated Secondly that though by supposition they did belieue the Creede and the true sense therof with an vnanimous consent yet it is proued there are diuers other articles not contayned in the Creed which are indifferently belieued as necessary to saluation both by Catholike and Protestant Thirdly seing also there are sundry Controuersies in Religion as is aboue exemplified which immediatly concerne saluation being houlden as necessary meanes therof by Catholikes but disclaymed from and abaÌdoned by the Protestants as mayne errours and false doctrines Therfore from all the former premises I do auerre that it is a manifest errour to make the Creed the sole rule of Fayth and that he who maintaynes that both the Catholikes and Protestants notwithstanding their great disparitie of beliefe and fayth the one side necessarily belieuing maintayning Heresie can be saued or enioy one heauen is wholy depriued of all true iudgement reason and discourse and for want thereof may deseruedly be ranged among them of whome the psalmist speaketh (h) Psal 11. nolite fieri sicut equus mulus quibus non est intellectus THE SAME PROVED FROM the authority and priuiledge of the Church in not erring in her definitions and condemnation of Heresies and first of Councels CHAP. VI. FROM the inuiolable vnitie of faith we will next descend to the priuiledges of Gods true Church Of which priuiledges I will at this time take only one into my consideration that is that the Church of God is endued with a supreme priuiledge and prerogatiue of not erring in her definitions of fayth or condemnatioÌ of heresie This point is warranted by innumerable texts of holy Scripture as where it is sayd (i) Esay 72. Vpon thy wall ô Hierusalem I haue set watchmen all the day and all the night they shall not be silent But God did not set watchmen ouer his Church to teach errour And agayne The (a) 2. Tim. 3. Church of God is the pillar and foundation of the truth what more perspicuous And further whereas ech man âs commaunded to repayre in difficulties matters of small consequeÌces to the Church it is threatned by Christ himselfe that who wil not heare the Church shal be accompted âs an Heathen or Publican according to âhat his commination Si Ecclesiam non auâierit (b) Mat. 18. sit tibi sicut Ethnicus Publicanus where we find no restriction but that in all things we are to heare the Church Agayne Christ himselfe speaketh to his Apostles and in them to the whole Church He (c) Luc. 10. that heareth you heareth me But if the church could erre neither would Christ refer vs to the church especially vnder so great a penalty neither by hearing the church could we be iustly sayd to heare Christ Finally the Church is so gouerned by Christ as its head or spouse and by the holy Ghost as its soule as therefore we find the Apostle thus to write (d) Ephes 1. thereof God hath made him head speaking of Christ ouer all the Church which is his body And agayne (e) Ephes 4. One body and one spirit yet more The (f) Ephes 5. man is the head of the woman as Christ is head of the Church From which texts it followeth that if the church should erre in its definitioÌs or resolutions of fayth and condemnation of Heresy this erring might well be ascribed to Christ and to the holy Ghost and consequently it followeth that the Apostles in making the creed would haue omitted that Article I belieue in the Catholike Church For why should we be bound to belieue the church if the church could erre This truth I meane that the church of Christ cannot erre in her sententionall decrees is so illustrious and euident that Tertullian speaking of certaine Heretikes of his tyme obiecting the erring of the whole church thus figuratiuely or Ironically writeth Age Omnes (g) in l. de praescript c. 28. Ecclesiae errauerunt nullam respexit spiritus Sanctus vti eam in veritatem deduceret ad hoc missus à Christo ad hoc postulatus de Patre vt esset doctor veritatis c. That is Go to Belike all the Churches haue erred and the holy Ghost hath regarded no Church that be might lead it into truth being sent for this purpose by Christ and to the same end begged by Christ of the Father âhat it might be the teacher of truth And S. Augustine Disputare (h) Epist 118. contra id quod Ecclesia vniuersae sentit insolentissimae insaniae est To dispute agaynst any point maintayned by the whole Church is extreme madnes To whose iudgment herein most of the more sober and learned Protestants do indisputably subscribe since diuers of them doe with all feruour earnestnes maintayne that (i) D. Bancrost in his Sermon printed anno 1588. Fox Act. mon. fol. 464. b. art 4. The deuines of Geneua in their propositions and principles disputed c. p. 141. and diuers others the church of Christ cannot erre and that what she defineth for truth is most true or what for Heresy or âalshood is hereticall and to be condemned This Basis or foundatioÌ of the church not ârring being thus firmely layde we are heereupon to conclude that what points of Religion the catholike church of Christ hath condemned for Heresies the same are by vs to be reputed for Heresies since the churches condemnation or approbation is most infallible and the maintayners of the sayd Heresies for Heretikes and consequently that such Heretikes as departing out of the Church of God by their houlding of the sayde Hereticall opinions cannot be saued Now because the iudgment of the Church in matters of fayth is discouered two wayes first by the sentence of generall Councells secondly by the frequent attestations of the sayd chiefe Doctours of the Church in euery age in their particuler wrytings they not being contradicted therin by any other Orthodoxall Fathers or Doctours of the same age I will therefore distributiuely handle both these wayes shewing that both in generall by Councels and also by the particuler iudgement of the learned Fathers many opinions though not touching the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion or the expresse Articles of
commauÌded by the church not to performe the publike lyturgy of the church if he did contrary therto he was adiudged by the church to sinne mortally In like sort a Bishop leauing his Fayth and maintayning any one Heresy did thereby loose all his authority of Iurisdiction and thereupon during such his state all his AbsolutioÌs censures punishments and sentences practiced by him towardes any Person were adiudged by the church of God to be of no force or validity To which practice of the church (a) In 3. p. q. 39. ar 3. Saint Thomas subscribeth in these words Haeretici non possunt absoluere nec excommunicare nec Indulgentias facere aut aliquid huiuscemodi quod si fecerint nihil actum est Heretikes speaking of Cleargy men cannot absolue any one nor excommunicate nor giue Indulgences nor exercise any such like point of spirituall Iurisdiction and if they attempt contrary heereto they do but practice in vayne Touching Politicall or ciuill censures or punishments anciently inflicted vpon Heretikes The first may be that such men were forbidden to contract any marriage with other Religious and faythfull Christians and such of the faythfull christians as did marry with them did sinne mortally This is proued out of the (b) Can. 31.32.33 Laodicean councell aboue touched prohibiting all such mariages also all praying and communicating in Sacraments with Heretiks of which point I will heerafter intreate more fully Another punishment was that Heretiks were wholy restrained by the church from all practice of their Religion This appeareth from the actions of Constantine the Great who was so farre from graunting liberty of Religion to the Arians as that he threatned banishment to all who would not subscribe to the Nicene councell The same is proued from the like iudgement of Iouinianus who being elected Emperour by the souldiers admitted the acceptance thereof with this condition and not otherwayes to wit that all the subiectes of the Empire would promise to keep an entire vnity of christian beliefe practice The like iudgment herein is of the Auncient Fathers And first S. (c) Epist. 33. ad Mar. cell soror Ambrose though sollicited therunto by the Emperor Valentinianus would not suffer the Arians to haue within his Iurisdiction any one Church for the practice of their Religion to be allotted for them (d) As appeareth out of Theodor. l. 5. c. 32. S. Chrysostome being mooued by the Emperor of his tyme to graunt a Church to one Gayn as a Duke for the practice of his Heresy with great Christian courage openly withstood the same (e) Ep. 76. S. Leo did much reprehend Anatholius Bishop of Constantinople for permitting Heretikes to liue promiscuously with Catholikes Finally (f) Ep. 29. S. Augustine did vehemently persuade one Olympius an Earle that he would diuulge and put in practice the lawes of the Emperour made against the Heretikes Donatists who taught the Inuisibility of the Church that so throgh force of the lawes they might not be suffered to make any profession of their Religion A third punishment concerneth thâ books of Heretikes which the Church ãâã God euer prohibited to be read indiffereÌtlâ of all but only by such learned men ãâã were able to refute the Errours and Heresie contained in the sayde books And hence ãâã is that we finde that the fourth Counceââ of (g) Ca. 18. Carthage admonished the Bishop that they would reade the bookes of Heretikes ãâã only for necessity In like sort the seauenth Câuncell prohibited the books of the I conoch Heretiks who did write virulent Treatises against the Religious vse of Images To proceed further there were diuers other chasticements appointed for Heretiks in the auncient Church (h) Wherof see L. Ariani ca. de Haereticis and by the auncient Christian Emperours in their lawes as Bannishment a pecuniary (i) L. Cuncti Haeretici mulct or fine the losse (k) L. Manichaeri of all their goods And lastly when the insolencie of Heretiks did grow insufferable euen death it selfe which punishment of death Valentinian and Marcian the Emperours did first decree of which point see the iudgment of the Councell (l) Act. 1. of Chalcedon of (m) In c. 5. ad Galat. Ierome and lastly of (n) Li. 2. contra literas Petiliaeni c. 83. Augustine who ex professo proueth that Magistrates haue power to punishe Heretikes euen which the sword Thus far touching the punishments auncieÌtly appointed by the church of God against Heretiks Now to apply this to our purpose I do heere wish the reader to take into his consideration two things first that here is no mention made in the former authorities what the Heresies were against which such seuere proceedings were put in execution neither is there any intimation in them of the deniall of the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion c. but the sayd punishments were extended to all Heretiks indifferently and without any limitation of peculiar Heresies Now that these punishments were not ordayned for the denyers of the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion c. is euident for two reasons first because as is often aboue sayd the denyers of these supreme poynts are not Heretykes but Infidels or Iewes secondly because the punishment of death only and no inferiour punishment aboue mentioned was appoynted by the church for those who once were Christians but after did fall into Infidelity by denying those supreme poynts of Christian fayth Secondly the Reader is to obserue that seing Heretikes though not denying the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion the Decalogue c. did vndergoe the foresayd punishments the whole Church oâ God with is gouerned with the spirit of the holy Ghost would neuer haue inflicted vpon them erring only in lesser matter then about the Trinitie IncarnatioÌ Passioâ c. such seuere and rigorous punishments aâ are aboue meÌtioned if she had thought thaâ the defence of those errours how small soâuer they seemed could haue stood with thâ saluatioÌ of mans soule since otherwaies thâ church should haue discouered her selfe ãâã be a most cruell Tyrant and not an Induâgent mother to her Children members THE SAME PROVED FROM Arguments drawne from Reason CHAP. X. TO passe froÌ the authority of Gods sacred word his holy church the Auncient Fathers the pillars thereof touching the nature of Heresy and Heretiks as also touching the vnity and Infallibility of the same church and the persons disincorporated separated from it from all which heads it hath been euidently euicted that a man obstinatly defending any one Errour in faith and Religion cannot expect saluation It now remaynes that the same be made euident euen by force of reason that therby all men enioying the faculty of reason may the more easily subscribe to so vndeniable a veritie say with the Psalmist heerin (i) Psa 91. Testimonia tua credibilia facta sunt nimis Well then the first and cheifest reason is taken from the causes of true fayth
where for the better conceauing thereof we are to vnderstand that fayth is a supernaturall habit not obtayned by the force of nature Therfore to the beliefe of any one Article or point of fayth two things concurre the one is the first reuealing Verity as Scholemen speake which is God Himselfe the secoÌd is the Church propounding the article to be belieued Now when we belieue any point of fayth God who is the first reuealing Veritie as is sayd reuealeth it to the church and the church propounds it so reuealed to vs to be belieued And thus we belieue a point of fayth through the authority of God reuealing the church propounding and where we belieue any thing though it be true not through this authority this is not supernaturall beliefe in vs but only an opinion grounded vpon other reasons inducements Euen as the Turke belieueth that there is a God Creator of the worlde yet this his beliefe is no true fayth but only a meere opinion of a thing which is true since this his beliefe is grounded not vpon Gods authority reuealing this but only vpon his Alcaron being otherwayes a fabulous booke though of the being of one God it speaketh truly Now to apply this This first reuealing Verity which is God through whose authority we ought to belieue euery article doth with one the like authoritie reueale all Articles of Christian Religion to the church so as it is as forcibly reuealed to be belieued that there is for example a Purgatory or that we ought to pray to Saints graunting these articles to be true as that there is a Trinity or that Christ was Incarnate from whence it vnauoydably followeth that who belieueth in the Trinity and yet doth not belieue that there is a Purgatory or that we may pray to Saints hath no true and supernatural beliefe of the Trinity but only belieueth that there is a Trinity because he so vnderstandeth or is persuaded thereto only by his owne reason or through some other humane motiues according to that sentence of S. Augustine lib. de vtilitate credendi cap. 11. Quod intelligimus aliquid rationi debemus quod autem credimus authoritati For if he did belieue that there is a Trinity or that Christ was Incarnate through Gods authority so reuealing this truth to be belieued by the same authority he would haue belieued that there is a Purgatory or that we ought to pray to Saints seing both the Articles of the Trinity and Purgatory or praying to Saints are equally indifferently a like propounded by God and his Church to be belieued Thus we may demonstratiuely conclude that what ProtestaÌt doth belieue in the Trinity and yet doth not belieue that there is a Purgatory praying to Saints Freewill the Reall presence admitting them once to be true or any other point controuerted betweene Catholikes and Protestants the samâ man hath no true fayth at all of the Trinity or Incarnation and consequently for wanâ of a true and supernaturall fayth cannot bâ saued since we read (a) Marc. 16. Qui non credit condemnabitur Who belieueth not shal be condemned And from this former ground it proceedeth thaâ (b) 2. 2. q. 5. ar 3. S. Thomas all other learned Schoolemen teach that who belieueth not only for Gods authority so reuealing any poinâ whatsoeuer great or small fundamentall or not fundamentall the same man belieueth not any other Article at all with a true and supernaturall fayth and heereto accord those wordes of (c) Lib. de praescript Tertullian against Valentinus the Heretike Some thinges of the law and Prophets Valentinus approueth some thinges he disalloweth That is he disalloweth all whilest he disproueth some Which sentence of Tertullian must of necessity be true since who reiecteth the authority of God in not belieuing any one article propounded by God to be belieued the same man begetteth a suspition or doubt of Gods authority for the belieuing of any other article how fundamentall soeuer Another reason may be taken from a distinction of fayth which according to the learned is of two sortes The one they call explicite fayth the other implicite Explicite fayth is that which all men vnder payne of damnation are bound to belieue As according to most of the Schoolemen the Trinity the Incarnation of our Sauiour his Passion the Decalogue or ten Commaundements the articles of the Creed Implicite fayth comprehendeth all those points which euery vnlearned man is not bound expressely distinctly to belieue and knowe in particuler though he be expressely bound not to beâieue any thing contrary thereto but is to âest in the iudgment of the church concerning all such points and what the church of Christ houldeth therein he is bounde âmplicitely to belieue This distinction is warranted not only in the iudgment of all Catholike Schoolemen but also of the most âearned (d) D. Bar. l. defide eius ortis p 40. Hooker in his Ecclesiast policy in the preface p. 28. by Melancton l. 1. Epist Epist ad RegeÌ Angliae Protestants though they commonly forbeare the phrase of explicite imâlicite fayth particulerly of D. Feild who ân these words following giueth the reason âhereof saying For (e) In his Treatise of the Church in his Epist Dedicat to the L. Arch-Bishop seeing the Controuersies of Religion in our time are growne in number so many ând in nature so intricate that few haue time and ââasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to exaâine them what remayneth for men desirous of saâisfaction in things of such consequeÌce but diligently â search out which amongst all the Societies of men âs the worlde is that blessed Company of holy ones ãâã at househould of fayth that spouse of Christ and Church of the lyuing God which is the Pillar and ground of truth that so they may imbrace her communion follow her directions rest in her iudgments Thus D. Feild Now this distinction being presupposed I thus argue Both these kinds of fayth are necessary to saluation Explicite fayth because it comprehendeth all those fundameÌtall and supreme points of Christian Religion without which and the expresse and articulate beliefe of which a man cannot be saued And these be those only which our Newtrallists in Religion hold necessary to be belieued Implicite fayth of other points also is necessary to saluation because otherwyse then belieuing implicitely inuoluedly what the church teacheth therein we cannot according to the former Doctours words range our selues to the blessed company of holy ones the househould of fayth the spouse of Christ and Church of the lyuing God Againe seing Implicite fayth is necessary to saluation we must graunt that this Implicite fayth hath some Obiect This Obiect is not the Articles of the Trinity the Incarnation the Decalogue c. according to the foresaid iudgment of the Schoolemen since these are thâ obiects of explicite fayth as is aboue mentioned therfore Articles of seeming lesser importance are the
obiect of implicite fayth thâ which articles as a man is bound implicitely to belieue in the fayth of the church so âhe is bound expressely not to belieue any thing contrary to the sayd articles Seing then diuers Controuersies betwene the Catholikes the Protestants are included vnder this implicite fayth and that the church of God houldeth of them but one way It manifestly followeth that the contrary belieuers of those points doe erre in their beliefe and consequently for want of this true implicite and necessary Fayth cannot be saued 3. A third reason may be this It is proper and peculiar to vertues infused such âe Fayth Hope Charity that euery such vertue is wholy extinguished by any one act contrary to the said vertue Thus for example one mortall sinne taketh away all chaâity and grace according to that (f) Matth. 28. He that âffendeth mone is made guilty of all One act of Despayre destroyeth the whole vertue of Hope then by the same reason one Heresy wholy corrupteth extinguisheth all true âayth Therefore seeing Fayth is a Theoloâicall and infused Vertue this fayth is deâroyed with one act of Heresy whether it âe about Purgatory Prayer to Saints Freewil or any other Controuersy between the Catholiks the ProtestaÌts Therfore whosoeuer denyeth Purgatory or any of the rest graunting their doctrines to be true is depriued of all infused fayth touching any articles of Christian Religion whether they concerne the Trinity or the Incarnation or any other fundamentall point which he may seeme to belieue But without (f) Hebr. 11. Fayth that is without true infused and Theologicall Fayth it is impossible to please God as the Apostle assureth vs. 4. A fourth reason shal be this It is most certaine that what generall propension nature or rather God himselfe by nature as by his instrument hath engrafted in all men the same is in it selfe most true certayne and warrantable As for example Nature hath implanted in each mans soule a secret remorse of conscience for sinnes transgressions committed as also a feare of future punishment to be inflicted for the sayd sinnes perpetrated therefore from hence it may infallibly be concluded that sinne it selfe is to be auoyded and that after this life there is a retribution of punishment for our offences acted in this world since otherwise it wold follow God should insert in mans soule idlely vainely and as directed to no end certayne naturall impressions and instincts which to affirme were most derogatorâ to his diuine Wisdome and repugnanâ to that aunciently receaued Axiome God Nature worketh nothing in vayne Now to apply this we find both by history and by experience that diuers zealous feruent Professours of al Religions whatsoeuer both true and false haue bin most ready to expose their liues in defence of any impugned part or branch of their Religion From which vndaunted resolution of theirs we certainly collect that this their constant determination of defending the least point of their Religion proceedeth from a general instinct of God impressed in mans soule teaching each man that death it selfe is rather to be suffered then we are to deny any part of our Fayth and Religion And thus according heereto we find that euen the Athenians who were Heathens though they did err touching the particuler Obiect heerin as worshipping false Gods were most cautelous that no one point should be infringed or violated touching the worship of their Gods The like Religious seuerity was practized by the Iewes as Iosephus witnesseth And God himselfe euen in his owne written word threatneth that (g) Apoc. 22. Whosoeuer âhall eyther adde or diminish to the booke of the Apocalyps written by the Euangelist from him he wil take away his part out of the booke of life Now âf such daunger be threatned for adding to or taking from more or lesse then was set downe by the Euangelist in this one booke how can then both the Catholiks and Protestants haue their names written in the booke of life Since it is certayne graunted on all sides that eyther the Catholike addeth more to the fayth of Christ then was by him instituted or the Protestant taketh from the sayd fayth diuers Articles which Christ and his Apostles did teach But to returne to our former reason From all this we deduce that no points of true Christian Religion are of such cold IndiffereÌcy as that they are not much to be regarded or that they may be maintayned contrary waies by contrary spirits without any daunger to mans Saluation but that they are of that nature worth and dignity as man is to vndergoe all kind of torments yea death it selfe before he yield or suffer the least relapse in denying any of the sayd verityes 5. The fift and last reason to proue that the maintayning of false doctrines now questioned betweene the Christians of these tymes are most preiudiciall and hurtfull to the obtaining of our Heauenly blisse wherin at this tyme I will insist may be taken from the consideration of the different effects which the contrary doctrines particulerly betweene the Protestants and Catholikes produce in mens soules touching the exercising of vertue or vice Since most vndoubted it is that the belieuing of such opinions which of their owne nature do impell and as it were violently draw the soule to vice loosenes and impurity of manners and conuersation cannot stand considering Gods infinite hate to sinne and sinners with the hope of eternall happynes And the chiefe reason hereof besides others is this In that the Will which is the seate of vertue or vice doth necessarily irresistably worke as the Vnderstanding in which resideth Fayth all false doctrine doth dictate to the Will Now then the Vnderstanding being infected with Heresies tending directly to the planting of vice and eradicating of all vertue in the soule it of necessity followeth that the Will must worke and exercise it selfe according to those false principles which the Vnderstanding suggesteth to the will for true this with the greater facility in regard of the pronesse of mans nature throgh our first Parents fall enclined to liberty pleasure and sensuality But because the subiect of this reason is a large field to walke in and the truth therof is to appeare by seuerall instances drawne from diuers particuler doctrines maintayned at this present by the Protestants and all breathing nothing but vice dissolution and all turpitude in manners therefore I will reserue the ensuing Chapter for the fuller manifestation of the truth in this point THE SAME PROVED FROM the different effects of Vertue and Vice which Catholike and Protestant Religion doe cause in their Professours CHAP. XI THE first doctrine of this Nature wherein we will insist mantayned by the Protestants denyed by the Catholikes is the Impossibility of keeping Gods commaundements according heerto (a) Ser. de Moyse Luther sayth The ten commaundements appertayne not to Christians with whom Fox conspireth in
whom he sheweth all his Euidences some of which Euidences do cary a title only in grosse and in generall others proue a more particuler more restrayned right to the sayd Lands Imagine further that vpon the diligent perusall of these Euidences the ioynt consent and iudgment of all the sayd Lawyers should after their longe and serious Demurrs conspyre in this one point to wit that for the recouering obtayning of the said Lands the foreshewed Euidences in generall are not sufficient alone seeing diuers other men not hauing any true interest in the sayd Lands may neuerthelesse insist and vrge their like generall clayme but that with the help of the sayd Common Euidences he must more punctually relye for the gayning of his presumed inheritance vpon other more particuler and personall Conueyances and Assigments Now all these learned Counsellours agreeing in this sentence fortyfying their iudgments herein with their owne experience in the like case with the new Reports warranting the same with the authority of all the auncient learned ReuereÌd Iudges before them lastly with the force of reason confirming no lesse If some one Empericke Atturney or other skilfull only by a litle experience in making a Nouerint vniuersi should steppe forth armed only with impudency and ignorance pronounce the foresayd sentence of all those learned Sages to be false and that the party pretending right to the sayd lands were sure by his generall Title and Euidences only to obtayne the same all other his more particuler Euidences being but vnnecessary needelesse theerunto who might not heere iustly contemne and reiect the rash censure of such a fellow Or could not the party clayming the former inheritance be worthily reprehended if by reiecting the graue Counsell of the learned Lawyers and following the aduyce of this ignorant man should finally loose all clayme title and possibility to his sayd Inheritance Our case is not much vnlike heerto Wee all pretend a right to the Inheritance of the kingdome of Heauen for we reade (*) lac 1. Coronam vitae praeparauit Dominus diligentibus se Our title in generall therto is our beliefe in the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion c. the beliefe whereof is most necessary but not sufficient All emineÌt men for learning both Catholikes and Protestants do proue from the Scriptures from the authority of Gods Church from the nature of Heresy from the definition of true fayth from diuers other principles and reasons aboue expressed that no man can attayne to his heauenly Inheritance by belieuing only the former fundamentall points of Christianitie if so he haue not a true and particuler fayth of many other lesse principall Articles of Christian Religion Nowe commeth heere a dissolute gamnelesse ignorant fellowe not practised in any kind of good literature for it is obserued as aboue is sayd that all our most forward Neutrallists are meÌ for the most part voyde of Learning Vertue and Conscience who pereÌptorily out of his Pythagorean chayre that is without any proofe affirmeth that a beliefe in generall of the Articles of the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion is only sufficient to mans saluation that the doctrines of Purgatory Freewil Reall Presence and other Controuersies betweene the Catholiks Protestants are not in any sort necessary to the purchasing of our eternall welfare what way soeuer we hould but are to be reputed in respect of that end points indiffereÌt vnauayleable and as the Greeke is meerely ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Bye-matters Who would heere not commiserate the folly and ignorance of such a man but especially pittie the soules seduced by so blind a Guyde THE CONCLVSION of the whole Treatise CHAP. XVII HITHERTO Good Reader it is sufficiently I hope demonstrated that euery Religion though professing the name of Christ and belieuing in the Trinity the Incarnation and the like fundamentall points of christian Fayth if their beliefe in other secondary lesse principall points be erroneous cannot promise to it selfe any security of Saluation and consequently that the controuerted articles at this day betweene Catholikes and Protestants touching Purgatory Freewill Praying to Saints Sacrifice c. are of that great importance as that the professours on both sides to vse the phrase of a blessed martyr (*) Camp in decem rationib rat 10. in the same case vnuÌ caeluÌ capere non potest It now remayneth to shew that seeing at this day there are originally but two different Religions among christians to wit the catholike Religion and the Protestant within which are included all its branches and descendents whether the catholike or the Protestant Religion is that wherein a man may be saued But seeing this Subiect is most learnedly and painefully intreated âf by many Catholike wryters who from ãâã authorities both Diuine humane haue âefragably euicted the truth of their owne âeligion and falshood of the Protestants âofession and consequently that in the âatholike not in the Protestant fayth the âules eternall happynes is to be purchased âerefore I doe remit the reader for his greaâer satisfactioÌ therin to the perusal of the said âookes particulerly to the studying raâer theÌ to the reading only of that most elaâorate learned and vnanswerable Worke âf the Protestants Apology of the Roman Church Only before I heere end I must make âould to put the Reader in remeÌbrance with that the Protestant Religion in this former Treatise though but casually and incidentây is most truly charged to wit First with âarticuler coÌdemnations passed vpon diuers âf its chiefest articles euen by seuerall senteÌâes iudgements of the Primitime church ând that therefore those doctrines so condeÌâed yet after defended with all froward âertinacy agaynst the church of God are hereby discouered for playne and manifest Heresies this point being further euicted âmplicitely both from the testimonies of hoây Scripture as also from the definition of Heresy aboue expressed Secondly that the doctrinall speculations and positions in thâ Protestants fayth most strongly mooue tâ Wills of such as beliefe them to all vice ââberty and sensuality Thirdly that God oâ of the infinite abisme of his Iustice hath pânished euen in this world as earnest giuen ãâã far greater punishment reserued in the lyâ to come with most fearefull vnnaturall ãâã prodigious deaths the first InueÌtours in oâ age Promulgatours of the sayd doctrineâ and such deathes as his diuine Maiesty is accustomed to send to his professed enemyes Fourthly that Protestancy is torne asundeâ with intestine diuisions diuers Professourâ of it charging their Brethren-Professourâ with Heresy despayring of their future saluatioÌ From all which we may conclude that except Heresy dissolution of manners most infamous and calamitous deathes anâ disagreements in doctrine betweene one the same sect be good dispositions meanâ to purchase Heauen the Protestant Religioâ can neuer bring her Belieuers thereto What then remayneth but who will expect saluatioÌ should seeke it only in the Catholike
originally primitiuely signiââeth Election or Choyce as is said in generalâ yet because they who deuide themseluââ by maintaining false opinions from tââ Church of Christ do make choyce ãâã these their new opinions and so therbâ do separate themselues from the Churcâ therfore this word Haeresis loosing it foâmer generall signification is restraynâ by the Apostles and the Ancient Fatheâ through an Ecclesiasticall vse acceptancâ and appropriation which course we finâ houlden in diuers other wordes noâ taken by the Church in a secondary aâception to signifie anie false or neâ opinion in Religion among Christian of which a man maketh choyce pertânaciously defendeth against the Churââ of God and the maintainers therof aâ commonly styled Heretikes Thus three things necessarily concurre to make any false opinion Heresy and the defendours âherof Heretikes First it must be some erâour touching the Faith of Christ And the âeason hereof is because he that neuer proâessed or imbraced the Christian Faith is not an Heretike though he erre but a Iew or a Pagan and Heathen This is the doctrine of S. (c) quast 11. art â Thomas of all learned men The second condition necessarily âoncurring to euery Heresy is that there âe an erreneous iudgment in the vnderâtanding of him who maintayneth the Heresie from whence it followeth that ân externall deniall of a mans Faith is not Heresy except it proceed from an interâall errour of the vnderstanding but is raâher to be accompted dissimulation or âchisme as S. Thomas (d) quaest 10. 2. 2. teacheth The third and last condition is that this ârrour be maintained with great obstinacie âgainst the authority of Christs Church âeaching the contrarie doctrine and that âhe defendour therof being admonished of âis errour will neuerthelesse openly resist âhe authority of the Church therin seeing âf he be admonished by the Church of his Errour and instantly therupon do forsake âis false opinion he is to be accompted only erroneous and his false doctrine only an Errour This agreeth to that of S. Augustine (e) l. 18. de ciuit Dei c. 51. Qui in Ecclesia Christi aliquid prauum sapiunt si correpti vt sanum rectumque sapiant resistant contumaciter suaque pestifera mortisera dogmata emendare nolunt sed defensare persistant Haereticiâ fiunt foraes exeuntes habentur in exercentibus Haereticis That is Who belieue any false or wrong opinion in the Church of Christ and being counsailed and admonished therof do contumaciously and stubbornly resist and will not recall their pestiferous and deadly opinions but do persist in defending of them they are therby become Heretikes and so departing out of the Church they are taken for such as vent forth open and willfull Heresies Thus S. Augustine This Construction both touching the foresaid definition of Heresy in taking the words Haeresis and Haereticus in an euill restrayned and appropriated sense is warranted by the Apostle by the Auncient Fathers and lastly to omit the like acknowledged iudgment of the Catholikes by the learned Protestants By the (f) 1. Cor. 21. Apostle for thus we find him to say There must be Heresies among you that they which are approoued among you may be knowne Againe (g) Galat. 5.19 vid e Testam nouum 1576. The workes of the flesh are manifest which are adulterie fornication c. seditions Heresies c. As also (h) Tit. 3. A man that is an Heretike after the first second admonition auoyde And (i) Act. 5. finally Those which were of the Heresie of the Sadduces c. laid hands vpon the Apostles By the Auncient Fathers For S. Ierome (k) in ca. 3. ad Titum shewing the difference betweene Heâesie and Schisme thus defineth Heresie âaeresis est quae peruersum dogma habet Heresie is âat which containeth a peruerse froward opiâon And S. Augustine (l) l. de fide simbolo ca. 10. defineth Hereâkes in these wordes Haeretici sunt qui de Deo ââsa sentiendo fidem violant Heretikes are those âho do violate their faith by houlding false opiâons touching God By the Protestants For to name one or wo among many M. (m) Dial. 2. Ormerod a most âorward Protestant thus defineth an Hereâike He is an Heretike who so swarueth from the âholesome doctrine as contemning the iudgment ââth of God and the Church persisteth in his opiâion c. With whom conspireth D. Couell ãâã saying Heretikes are they who directly gainâ some article of our faith Now out of this former definition of âeresie I am to promonish the Reader of âee pointes the which in the perusing of is Treatise I would haue him often to âll to remembrance first that euery Heây is maintained as is aboue taught ââth obstinacie against the authoritie of the Church of God and therfore the maintayners therof are said by the Apostle (o) Ioan. 2.29 that they went out of vs that is out of God Church and for the same reason the Apostle (p) Tit. 3. doth pronounce an Heretike to ãâã condemned by his owne iudgment because hâ preferreth his iudgment before the iudgment of the whole Church From whicâ consideration it followeth that what maâ soeuer houldeth an erroneous opinion â touching Christian Faith and being aduertized therof by Gods Church and nâ captiuating his iudgment in all humiliââ therto is therby become an Heretike Anâ such is the state of Catholikes and Protestants since the one doth euer reciprocall charge and condemne the other with falâ doctrine and therfore seing the Church ãâã Christ must be with the one of them it followeth that the other not submitting the iudgment to it are proclaymed therby Hâretikes And thus it may sometimes fall oââ that the first Inuentour of a false opiniââ may be no Heretike as maintayning it bâfore it be condemned by the Churcâ wheras the Professours of it after its coâdemnation are become Heretikes accâding to that of (q) l. aduersus Haeres Vincentius Lyrinenâ O admirable change of things the authours of ãâã and the same opinion are esteemed Catholikes ãâã their followers are iudged Heretikes Thus we see that pertinacity of iudgment doth euer consumate an Heresy The second that the denyall of the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion c. are not properly called Heresies but rather blasphemies the denyers of them not to be accouned Heretikes but Infidels Iewes or Pagans From whence it proceedeth that what places of Scripture or of the Faâhers are spoken of Heretiks the same cannot be truly applyed to the denyers of the Trinity the Incarnation Passion c. The third is that the forsayd definition âf Heresy being the only true definition ând acknowledged for such on all sides is âot restrayned eyther in it selfe or by the âeaning of the Apostle only to the most âupreme as they are called fundamental âoints of Christian Fayth as of the Trinity ââe Incarnation of Christ his passion the âecalogue and the
The LutheraÌs are generally âhe same opinion Protestants do interpret this article of Christs descending into his (p) D. Willet in his Lymbomastix D. Fulke âged by D. Willet in Synop. p. 605. 606. ââaue so by the word Hell vnderstanding ââe graue But (q) l. 2. Instit c. 16. §. 20. Caluin teacheth that by Christs descending into Hell is vndertood that Christ apprehended God to be âost angry and offended with him for our âakes and that thereupon Christ suffered ââeat anxiety and griefe of soule and which is more most blasphemously Caluin teacheth that Christ vttered words of desperation in saying O God my God why hast thou forsaken me Touching the article of Christs ascending into Heauen we Catholikes and the Caluinists do belieue heerby that Christ truly in body ascended vp into Heauen wheraâ all Lutherans (r) Luther in l. de Sacrament Coenae Domini tom 2. fol. 112. where he saith Credimus quòd Christus iuxta humanitatem est vbique praesens The same is taught by Brentius in Apolog pro Confess Wittenberg And finally by all the Lutherans do teach that Christs Body is in all places with the diuinity and that therfore it did not really after his Passion ascend vp into Heauen it being there both before and after his Passion Thus the Lutherans both in ours and the Protestants iudgments do destroy by this their construction the whole Creed and particulerly Christs Incarnation Natiuity Passion death ascending to Heauen and his comming to Iudgment for supposing Christs body to be in all places all these articles were but apparently or phantastically and not truly and really performed Touching the article of Christs iudging the quicke and dead We Catholikes do beleiue that Christ at his comming to iudgment will so iudge man as that his good workes receauing all their force from our Sauiours PassioÌ shal be rewarded wheras the Protestants denying all (s) Calu. l. 3. Instit c. 5. §. â Bucer in actis Colloq Ratisbon Beza Zwinglius and most ProtestaÌts merit of workes as iniurious and derogatory to his death and Passion doe hould that Christ shall then reward only a bare and speciall (t) Calu. in Antidoto Conc. Tri. Kemnitius in examen Conc. Trident. and most other Protestants fayth Concerning the article I beleiue in the holy Ghost Wheras all Catholikes and many Protestants do beleiue that the holy Ghost is the third Person in the most Blessed Trinity Caluin how euer he was persuaded of the truth or falsehood therof much laboureth notwithstanding to auoyde the force of arguments drawn from the chiefest places of scripture and vsually alleadged by al Antiquity in proofe of the holy Ghost being the third Person in the Trinity Thus we find that Caluin (u) Instit l. 1. c. 13. §. 15. will not haue coÌtrary to all Antiquity that passage of Scripture Psal 33. By the word of the Lord the Heauens were made and al the Host of theÌ by the spirit of his mouth to be vnderstood of the diuinity of the holy Ghost In like sort he reiecteth the argumeÌt (x) See of this Subiect against the Trinity Aegidius Hunnius a ProtestaÌt in his booke entituled Caluinus IudaizaÌs drawn froÌ that other most ââmarkable text Iohn 5. There be three that giue testimony in Heauen the Father the word the holy Ghost and these three be one Caluin vpon this place thus saying heerby to take away froÌ thence the proofe of the holy Ghost Quòd dicit tres esse vnum ad essentiam non refertur sed ad consensum potiùs Finally Luther was so far from acknowledging the holy Ghost to be the third Person in the Trinity or to confesse the Trinity it selfe that thus he writeth (*) Luther Confut ration Lat. Anima mea odit hoc verbum Homousion vel Consubstantialis My very soule doth hate the word Homousion or Consubstantiall Concerning the article I belieue the holy Catholike Church The Catholikes do belieue this Church to be a visible company of men professing the present Roman Catholike fayth of which some are predestinated others reprobated The Protestants doe belieue this Church to coÌsist only of the (y) Confess Augustana Art 7. Luther l. de Conc Eccles Cal. l. 4. Inst. c. 1. §. 2. Elect and Predestinate Touching the Article the Communion of Saints The Catholikes doe heereby belieue such a CommunioÌ to be betwixt the Saints in Heauen the Soules in Purgatory men vpon earth that the one part doth help the other with their most auaylable prayers and Intercessions The Protestants deny all such entercourse of benefits betweene these seuerall parts âf the Church of Christ (z) Calu. l. 3. Instit c. 5. §. 6. Centuriatores Cent. 1. l. 2. c. 4. col 460. Brentius in confes wittenberg c. de Purgatorio accounting the Catholikes doctrine heerein superstitious sacrilegious Lastly touching the Article of forgiuenes of Sinnes we Catholikes do belieue that this remission of sinnes is performed when the soule by a true and inherent Iustice and by the infused gifts of God enioyeth a renouation of herselfe and thereby becommeth truly iust in the sight of God The Protestants disalowing all inherent Iustice doe only acknowlege an (a) Keânit in Examen Concil Trident. Cal. l. 3. Instit c. 11. imputatiue Iustice or righteousnes which coÌsisteth in that the Iustice of Christ is as they teach only imputed vnto sinners so as we remayne still sinners though our sinne be not imputed vnto vs through Christs Iustice A doctrine iniurious to the most meritorious Passion and death of Christ Thus haue we runne ouer the chiefe articles of the Creed from whence we collect that seeing as is aboue demonstrated He only belieueth auailably truly the Creed who belieueth it in that sense in which the Apostles did write it seing there are meere different or rather contrary constructions of euery Article giuen by the Catholikes and the Protestants so as if the construction of the Catholiks be true it followeth necessarily that the other of the ProtestaÌts be false or contrarywise we may therefore iustly conclude that it is not sufficient to saluation for any one to say that he beliueth the Creed who belieueth the words of it in general without restrayning them to any peculiar construction giuen eyther by Catholikes or Protestants except he belieue it in that one particuler sense and none other which was intended by the holy Ghost when it was first framed by the Apostles Now in this next place we are to demoÌstrate that graunting for a tyme by an Hypothesis or supposall that a man did belieue all the Articles of the Creed in their true sense and construction yet followeth it not that this beliefe though it be most necessary were sufficient for a man to obtaine his saluation hereby and the reason hereof is because it is most certayne that there are diuers points of Christian Religion houldeâ necessarily to be belieued in
iudgment both of Catholikes and Protestants and accordingly are belieued iontly both by Ptotestants and Catholikes yet the sayd pointâ are not contained or expressed in the Creed Among others I will insist in these following First That there are certayne diuine writings oâ infallible authority which we commonly callâ the Scriptures of the old new TestameÌt of which Testaments we find no mention in the Creed and yet all men are bound vnder payne of damnation to belieue thaâ there are such writings since other wayeâ abstracting from the authority of thâ Church there were not sufficient meane left to belieue that it were a sinne to breakâ any of the ten Commaundements oâ which is more that Christ Iesus was thâ true Sauiour of the world for though wâ read in the Creed that he suffered and died yet we read not expresly there that he dyed to redeeme man 2. That there are spiritual Substances which we call Angels which now enioy the most happy sight of God and that many thousands of them did fall presently after their Creation and are become those malignant Spirits which vsually are tearmed Diuells 3. That there is any materiall place of Hel where the wicked are tormented of which we find nothing in the Creed in the iudgment of the Protestants for though the word Hell be mentioned in that Article He descended into Hell yet by the word Hell the graue is vnderstood by most of the Protestants 4. That the paynes of the damned shal be for all eternity and not for a certayne tyme only 5. That Adam did presently vpon his Creation fall from the grace of God and thereby transferred Originall sinne vpon all mankind so as by reason of his fall all men are borne in Originall sinne 6. That the world was once drowned for sin which Inundation is coÌmonly called Noës floud 7. That our Sauiour whiles he conuersed heere vpon earth did any miracles 8. That S. Iohn Baptist was our Sauiours Precursor or forerunner and that our Sauiour did choose vnto him certayne men for his Apostles which did first preach and plant the Christian fayth throughout the world 9. That Circumcision is now forbidden as a thing most vnlawfull vngodly 10. That there are any Sacraments of the new Testament as the SacrameÌt of Baptisme or Eucharist and instituted by Christ for the spirituall good of mans soule These points besides some others all christians aswell Protestants as catholiks do belieue and do hould that their beliefe of these points is necessary to saluation yet not any one of all these Articles is expressed or set downe in the Apostles creed From whence I would conclude that the Apostles Creed cannot be a sufficient boundary to contayne and limit an auayleable fayth For what hope can that man haue of his saluation who belieueth that there are neyther any diuine scriptures nor Angells nor Diuellâ nor any Decalogue commonly called the Ten commaundements nor that Christ did worke any miracles nor that he dyed for man nor that he instituted any Sacrament and particulerly the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Eucharist nor finally to omit the rest that there is any place of Hell or any eternity of punishment for the damned And heere I am to premonish the Reader that it is no sufficient answere to reply that most of all the foresayd points are expressed in the Scripture and therefore are to be belieued This I say auayleth not seeing heere I dispute against those who maintayne with wonderfull pertinacity of iudgment that it is sufficient to saluation to belieue only the Articles and nothing els which are contayned in he Creed buâ not any of the former Articles are contayned therein Agayne seing to belieue that there are any diuine scriptures is not expressed in the Creed it conduceth nothing to the answering of this our argument to say that the forementioned articles are proued out of Scripture and therefore are to be belieued Neither secondly can the force of our said argument be auoyded in replying that all the former articles are virtually and potentially comprehended in that article I belieue the holy Church because the Church teacheth that all these articles are to be belieued This is no warantable answere by reason that as these may be reduced to this Arâicle of the creed so also may all other points controuerted between the catholikes and the Protestants be in like maÌner reduced to the said Article seeing the church of God setteth downe what is the truth and what is to be belieued in the sayd controuersies bynding her children vnder payne of damnation aswell to belieue the truth in the controuersies of our dayes as to belieue the former mentioned articles which are not expressed in the creed And yet these our Newtrallists in Religion who make the Creed the sole square of their Fayth doe not thinke that those questions of Religion insisted vpon betweene the Catholikes and the Protestants are in belieuing or not belieuing of them any way hurtfull to their Saluation THE SAME PROVED FROM the want of vnity in fayth betweene Catholikes and Protestants in Articles necessary to be belieued and yet not expressed in the Creed CHAP. V. IN this third and last place we wil ânsist in certayne controuersies of Religion necessarily to be belieued the one way both in the iudgment of âatholikes and Protestants and not contained in the creed and yet so differently maintayned by Catholikes and Protestants as that graunting the maintayners on the one side hould the truth it followeth that the other party vphouldeth falshood and Heresy Now for the more daungerous wounding of our Newtralizing Christians heerein I will omit heere to speake of the coÌtrouersies touching Purgatory Praying to Saints Freewill Monachisme and diuers other such like will restrayne my selfe only to those Controuersies the subiect of which Controuersies are taught by the one side to be vnder Christ the immediate meanes of our grace and Saluation denyed by the other party to be of any such force or efficacy for the soules euerlasting good So as if it be shewed that the Protestants and the Catholikes doe maynely dissent in the meanes of obtayning grace and purchasing of saluation it must of necessity be inferred that both the Protestants and Catholikes continuing in such their contrary fayths cannot attayne grace and saluation since not only Philosophy but euen naturall reason teacheth vs that he neuer shall attayne the end who vseth eyther not the same meanes or contrary to those meanes which are only and necessarily instituted to the gayning of the sayd end But to proceed to these points first Concerning the Sacraments in generall the Catholikes do belieue that all of them where no iust impediment is doe conferre grace into the soule of man by the help and continuance of which grace the soule in the end obtayneth saluation The Protestants doe not ascribe any such supernaturall effect or operation of grace to them And to come more particulerly to the Sacraments
of Carthage wherat S. Austine was present pronounced that the doctrine of prayer and Sacrifice for the dead was according to the true fayth of Christs Church and condemned the contrary opinion for Heresie and the maintainers therof for Heretikes The Councell of Constantinople vnder Pope Vigilius condemned Origen for his Heresy in which he taught that the Diuells should in the end be saued as (d) in vita Iustiniani Zonaras and (e) lib. 17. c. 27. Nicephorus relate Finally the seauenth Synod or Councell of Nice condemned all them for Heretikes who taught that the Images of Christ his Saints were to be depriued of all due respect and reuerence and to be contemned and broken Of this point see Paulus (f) l. 23. Rerum Românarum Diaconus and (g) in CoÌpendio Historiarum Cedrenus Thus far concerning Councells condemning for Heresies falsâ opinions touching fayth and Religion where I haue restrayned my selfe only to those Councels this last only excepted which were within the first fiue hundred yeares or little more because those times are more prized and esteemed then later tymes I haue also made choyce to exemplify some of the Controuersies of these dayes condemned in these Councels The like course was coÌtinued by Councels for condemning resisting of Innouations and false doctrines though not concerning the Trinitie the Incarnation or the Apostles Creede in the succeeding ages which I purposely omit But now I heare demaund First how can it stand with the infallible authoritie of Gods Church in not erring in matters of faith of which priuiledge I haue intreated in the beginning of this chapter if so she shall define the former Errours for condemned Heresies and anathematize curse the maintayners of them for wicked Heretikes though otherwyse they belieued in the Trinity Incarnation Passion c. if the Doctrines be but only matters of indifferencie and such as may stand with Saluation Secondly I aske how both the defenders impugners of the sayd Doctrines can be freed from the brand of Heresie seing the true definition of Heresy nessarily agreeth to the Doctrines maintayned by the one side for it is certaine that either the Catholikes or Protestants doe make choyce of new opinions heerin and do stubbornely maintaine these their Innouations against Gods Church THE SAME PROVED FROM the Authority of Gods Church condemning Heresies manifested by the writinges of particuler Fathers CHAP. VII NOw to come to the second way of discouering the Churches senteÌce in the foresaid points which by the particuler iudgment of the Auncient and learned Fathers who were in their seuerall ages the shining lampes of Gods Church and whose authorities all succeeding ages are to reuerence is easily euicted froÌ Gods holy writte for answereably heereto we read in (b) Ca. 32. Deuteronomie Remember the old dayes thinke vpon euery generatioÌ aske thy fathers and they will tell thee thy Elders and they will declare vnto thee And the Protestant ConfessioÌ of Bohemia conspireth thereunto saying The Auncient (i) In the Harmony of CoÌfessions p. 400. Church is the true and best mistresse of Posteritie and going before leadeth the way Comming then to the Fathers I will first insist in the particuler Errours not touching either the Trinity the Incarnation or Passion of our Sauiour or the Articles of the creed but points seeming of more indifferencie condemned by them for open and damnable Heresies Next I will set downe diuers of the Fathers sayings and sentences pronounced of Heresie and Heretiks in generall But before we come to the condemnation of particuler Heresies we must conceaue that reason it selfe and reuerence due to the cheife Doctors Fathers of the Primitiue Church must presuppose that in those times all those opinions were generally acknowledged for damnable Heresies which are placed in the Catalogue of Heresies by Ireneus Hierome Epiphanius Philastrius Augustine Theodoret and other approued authours This by drift of all reason is to be acknowledged for two respects first because we cannot finde any Doctor or wyter of the same ages who contradicted the foresaid Fathers for placing in their Catalogues any opinion for Heresy which was not Heresy Secondly in that the forenamed Fathers and Authours of the Catalogues of Heresies were godly and learned men and therfore neither would nor durst brand any opinion with the note marke of Heresie which the whole church of God did not then take as Heresie All this then iustly and truly presupposed let vs proceed to the particuler Heresies so registred for such by some of the foresaid fathers where for the fuller coÌuincing of our Newtralists in Religion my greatest choyce some few only excepted shal be of the controuersies remayning still at this day betweene the Catholikes and Protestants 1. That God was the authour of sinne was maintayned by Florinus condemned for Heresy or rather Blasphemie by (k) as Eusebius relateth l. 5. Hist c. 20. Irenaeus and Vincentius (l) in suo Commonitorio Lyrinensis 2. The opinion touching the Impossibility of the Commaundments was maintained by certaine Nouellists of those tymes and condemned for Heresy by (m) in explanat Simbol ad Damasum Ierome in these words Execramur c. We do execrate and abhorre the blasphemy of those who say that any impossible thing is commaunded by God to be kept and obserued by man See also the like condemnation thereof giuen by (n) de tempore serm 101. Augustine 3. That man had not freewill is auerted by the Manichees and condemned for an explorate Heresy by (o) in prefat dial contra Pelag Ierome in these words Manichaeorum est hominum damnare naturam liberum auferre arbitrium The Manichees doe condemne mans nature doe take away freewill As also by S. (p) l. de haeres c. 46. Augustine saying Peccatorum originem non tribuunt Manichaei libero arbitrio The Manichees do not ascribe the beginning o sinne to Freewill 4. That Fayth doth only iustify was condemned for an Heresy in the Eunomians by Saint Augustine (q) l. de haeres c. 54. who further sayth (r) l. de fide operibus c. 14. That it first proceeded from the false vnderstanding of S. Paul in his Epistles 5. That Prayer or Sacrifice could not be offered vp for the dead is maintayned by Aërius his followers who also taught that no set fasting-dayes are to be appointed by the church yet were these two opinions condemned for Heresies by (s) haeres 75. Epiphanius and Saint (t) lib. de haeres c. 33. Augustine who thus wryteth Aëriani Haeretici docent non oportere orare aut offerre sacrificium pro mortuis nec statuta solemniter celebraÌda esse ieiunia sed cùm quisque voluerit ieiunandum ne videatur esse sub lege The Aërian Heretikes doe teach that we ought not to pray or offer sacrifice fo the dead that solemne fasting dayes are not to be celebrated but that euery
thine O Florinus to speake friendly are not true nor wholsome These opinions are repugnant to the Church c. I may truly protest that if the holy and Apostolicall Priest Policarpus had heard of such opinionâ as thou defendest he would haue stopped his eares cryed out according to his fashion o good God vnto what miserable tymes hast thou reserued me tâ heare these things and presently would haue runâ forth of the place where he had byn standing or sâting where such doctrine had byn vttered Buâ now to reflect a little vpon the premises Cerinthus Marcion Florinus did all belieue in the Trinity the Incarnation of oââ Sauiour and receaued the Apostles creed and erred only in lesser points For if the had erred in denying the Trinity Incarnation Passion c. they had not byn repute for Heretikes but rather for Iewes Pagans âor Infidells as aboue is noted and yet we âee what sharp reprehensions were vsed agaynst them by S. Iohn and S. Policarpe his âcholler as to flie out of their company to acknowledge them to be the Children of the Diuell to âtoppe their owne eares for not hearing of their Erâours c. all which speaches had byn ouer much aggrauated and transcended the bond of Charity if their Errours had rested only vpon matters of Indifferency and had byn âut such as had byn compatible with mans Saluation But to proceed to the sentences of other Fathers in this point S. Ierome expresly thus writeth (n) Lib. 3. Apolg. contr Ruffin For one word or two contrary to the âayth many haue byn cast out of the Church Yea âe pronounceth and proceedeth further exâressely thus wryting Haeretici quicuÌque Chriâtiani non sunt whosoeuer are Heretikes those men âre not Christians Basill was wont to say as (o) Lib. 4. hist c. 17. Theodoret recordeth Those who are truly ânstructed in the diuine doctrine will not suffer any âllable of the diuine decrees to be corrupted but for âs defence if necessity forceth them will vndergoe âny kind of death (p) Lib. de praescript Tertullian that Aunciânt Father hath a sentence not much diffeâing from that of the former Father (q) Lib. 4. contra Do. cap. 8. S. Augustine Imagine a man to be chast continent âât couetuous not seruing Idolls ministring hospitality to the poore enemy to none maligning no body sober frugall c. But yet if he be an Heretike certainly no man doubteth but for this alone that he iâ an Heretike he shall not possesse the Kingdome oâ God A dreadfull saying of so learned godly a Father The Donatists for disagreeing from S. Augustine in some Traditions not specifyed in the Scripture much lesse in the Creed are thus repreheÌded by him In (r) Aug. in explan psal 54. these points those Heretikes were with me in Heresy not witâ me in many thinges with me in a few not witâ me the many could not help theÌ in which they weââ with me And yet these Donatists belieued with Saint Augustine the Trinity the Incarnation and recited with him the Apostles creed Briefly S. Augustine in q. 11. in Matt. thus describeth an Heretike Hereticus est qui de aliqua parte doctrinae Christianae falsum credit He iâ an Heretike who belieueth any false thing touching any part of Christian fayth within which definition it necessarily followeth that eytheâ the Protestants for not belieuing Purgatory Prayer to Saints freewill merit of worke c. or the Catholikes for belieuing of them are to be included S. Gregory Nazianzeâ orat 37. Vnum vni coharet c. One point oâ fayth agreeth with another so as of them altogether there is made a certayne golden and wholesome chayne therfore if but one opinion or article be taken away or made doubtfull the whole chayne of fayth will become broken S. (s) Lib. 1. ad Mag. Cyprian Dominus noster Iesus Christus c. When our Lord Iesus Christ did testify in the Ghospell that those were his enemyes who were not with him he noted not any one Heresy but he manifestly sheweth that all Heretikes whatsoeuer are his enemyes saying He that is not with me is agaynst me and he that doth not gather with me disperseth S. (t) In Epist ad Galat c. 10. Chrysostome sayth Quemadmodum moneta Regia c. Euen as who pareth away a little of the Kings siluer maketh the whole peece to be adulterate EueÌ so who ouerthroweth the least branch or part of true Faith may be sayd to corrupt the whole he proceeding from these small beginnings to worser courses To come to an end of the Fathers iudgments in this poynt S. Ambrose shall (u) Lib. 6. in Luc. c. 9. conclude all who thus plainly writeth heereof Si vnum horum retraxeris c. If thou shalt recall or deny any of these points thou hast retracted thy owne Saluation for euen Heretikes seeme to challenge Christ to them for no man will deny the name of Christ neuerthelesse he indeed denyeth Christ who doth not confesse al points of sayth instituted by Christ Thus far of the Fathers iudgments in this matter where I am to aduertise the Reader first as aboue I haue touched in the Councells that if all false Doctrines whatsoeuer pertinaciously defended against the church of God be heresies as the definition of Heresy aboue explicated proueth them to be and as the Fathers of the Primitiuâ church and in them the whole church of God haue maintayned then either the Protestants or Catholikes for their different houlding of contrary Doctrines touching Freewill Purgatory Prayer to Saints Sacrifice c. are to be accoÌpted Heretikes coÌsequently both cannot be saued in their Religion For that Heretikes continuing Heretikes cannot be saued is demonstrated first from the fearfull threats and comminations of the Apostles thundred out against Heretikes of which point I haue discoursed aboue Secondly from the Authority of the church of Christ which excludeth all Heretikes as I haue shewed from all hope of saluation and lastly to omit many other reasons from that principle that Heretikes are no members of Christ his Church of which point we are to dispute in the next place The Second thinge to be aduertised is that not any of the former authorities of the fathers against Heresy are restrayned by them to Heresies touching the Trinitie the Incarnation of Christ hiâ Passion or the Articles of the creed supposing the denyall of them to be heresies aâ indeed they are not but rather blasphemyes Infidelity for of these there is made no mention or intimation in their authorities within which compasse our Formallists in Religion seeke to confine their fayth but they are implicitely extended by the fathers to all Heresies whatsoeuer whether they concerne the supreme and fundamentall pointes of Christian Religion or any other secondary and lesse principall points of the sayd Religion THE SAME PROVED FROM that Principle That neither Heretikes nor Schismatiks are members of Christs Church
CHAP. VIII IN this last place concerning the church we will set downe another Principle of Christian fayth and after will deduce from thence by way of most necessary infereÌce our conclusion here handled The Principle is this That Heretikes houlding any Heresies whatsoeuer are no members of the Church of Christ the deduction is that Heretikes therfore cannot be saued since none can be saued but such as are members of Christs church This principle is proued as aboue is intimated out of Gods holy worde as where it is (a) 1. Tim. 1. sayd Certaine men made shippewracke touching fayth that is they fell out of the shippe of the church by forging of Heresies And againe (b) 1. Ioan. 2. They went out of vs that is as S. Augustine expounds it out of the church whereof we are The exposition of which texts are warranted euen by force of Reason for seing the church is an vnited multitude for it is one kingdome one people and one bodye and this vnion cheifly resteth in the profession of one fayth it is repugnant to reason that they should be reputed as members of the body of the church who haue no coniunction at all in the cheifest matters with the body If we proceed to the testimonie of the Auncient Fathers we shall finde them of an vnanimous iudgment heerein to wit that Heretikes are no members of Christs church therfore cannot be saued And first occurreth (c) Lib. 3. c. 3. S. Irenaeus who sayth that Policarpe did conuerte many Heretikes to the Church therfore it may be concluded that those Heretikes before their conuersion were not of the church S. (d) Epist ad Iubaianum Cyprian saith Heretikes though they be out of the Church do challenge to themselues the authoritie of the Church after the manner of Apes who not being men would be accounted to be men The same father thus in another place wryteth Cum (e) Lib. de vnitate Ecclesiae Deo manere non possunt qui in Ecclesia Dei vnanimes esse noluerunt They cannot remayne with God who dissent in iudgment from the Church of God And yet more fully in the same place Non peruenit ad Christi praemia c. He arriueth not to the rewards of Christ who leaueth the Church of Christ he is an alien he is profane he is an enemie he shall not haue God for his father who hath not the Church for his mother S. Ierome Qui non à Domino Iesu Christo sed ab alio (f) In dialogo coÌtra LuciferiaÌ c. Who take their denomination or name not from our Lord Iesus Christ but from some other as the Marcionists Valentinians Montanists c. are not the Church of God but the Synagoge of Antichrist Finally S. Augustine for I haue allready dwelled ouer longe in the authoritie of the fathers pronounceth that Nihil sic formidare debet c. (g) tract 27. in Ioannem A Christian ought to feare nothing so much as to be separated from the body of Christ which is his Church and which is one and Catholike for if he be separated from the body of Christ he is not a member of Christ then is he not strengthened with his spirit But who hath not the spirit of God the same man is not of God Thus far S. Augustine with whom euen the Protestants do ioyne heerein in iudgment for D. Doue thus saith This proposition that Heretikes are not to be communicated withall is vndoubtedly true And D. Sutcliffe in his examen p. 9. alleadgeth the Laodicean councell Can. 31.32.33 in proofe therof thus concluding The Laodicean Councell doth directly coÌdemne Communion with Heretikes either in Marriage or Prayer This allready alleadged may serue to proue that Heretiques are no members of the Church of Christ and consequently cannot attaine saluation since it is agreed amongst all learned men that only the members of the church of Christ can fynd Saluation in Christ Now heere by Heretikes we cannot vnderstand those who deny the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion c. seeing the denvers of these Articles are not Heretikes as is aboue shewed in the definition of Heresy but they are either Iewes Pagans or Infidels froÌ which it followeth that the fathers authorityes aboue set downe against Heretykes cannot be applyed to the denvers of the Trinity the Incarnation c. but they are to be limited to such Heretyks who maintayne lesser errours touching Christian fayth We will in this place descend to Schismatiks who if they be neyther of the church of God nor can iustlie expect any saluatioÌ during such their state then a fortiori no Heretike can expect anie saluation since a schismatike belieuing all articles of Christian fayth doth only in will diuide himselfe by disobedience in not communicating with the church in Prayers and Sacraments wheras an Heretike with greater malice as is aboue sayd willfully and contumaciously maintaineth in his iudgmeÌt Errours and false opinions condemned by the church Now that a Schismatike is not a member of Christs church is first proued from those texts of scripture aboue in part touched where the church is called one sould of sheepe Iohn 10. one Body Rom. 12. one spouse and one Doue Cant. 6. But now Schisme according to its Etymologie diuideth that which was one into parts for Schisma being a greeke word commeth of the verbe ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is scindere therfore as a member being cut from the body is no longer a part of the body so a schismatike diuiding himselfe by his owne disobedience from the communion of the church is no longer a member of the sayd church This verity to wit that Schismatiks are not members of Christs church is besides the former proofs warranted with the authoritie sentences of the Auncient fathers And first S. Cyprian thus purposely writeth of Schismatikes (h) Lib. 41 Epist â ad Florinum Qui cum Episcopo non sunt in Ecclesia non sunt Those who agree not with the Bishop meaning the supreme Bishop of Gods church are ãâã in the Church The sayd (i) Lib. de vnitate Ecclesiae Father most elegantly compareth Schismatikes to beames diuided froâ the sunne to boughes cut from the tree and to Ryuers wholly separated from theiâ springs S. Chrysostome discoursing of Schismatikes thus (k) Hom. 1. in Epist 1. ad Cor. sayth Schismatis significatio satiâ eos arguit c. The very signification of the woââ Schisme doth sufficiently reprehend them or rathââ the verie name of Schisme is a vehement condemnation of them c. which Father in anotheâ (l) Homil. 13. in Epist ad Ephes place coÌpareth a Schismatike to the hanâ cut from the body which therupon ceasetâ to be a member and expressely affirmeth that Schismatikes though they consent with the Church of Christ in Doctrine yet anâ not in Christs church but in altera Ecclesia meaning in a Church differing from Christs
Church S. Ierome distinguishing Schisme from Heresy thus discourseth Inter (m) In c. 3. ad Titum Haeresim Schisma hoc interesse arbitramur c. We take this to be the difference betweene Heresy and Schisme That Heresy maintayneth a peruerse and false Doctrine wheras Schisme ab Ecclesia pariter separat in like manner separateth a man from the Church in regard of dissention and disobedience iâ our Bishops S. Augustine thus woundeth a Schismaââke (n) Lib. de fide sym c. ro Haeretici Schismatici congregationes âas Ecclesias vocant c. Heretikes and Schismaââkes do call their congregations the Churches But âeretikes do violate their fayth in belieuing falsely ââuching God whereas Schismatikes though they ââlieue the same points which we belieue yet throgh ââeir dissentions they do not keep fraternall Charity âherfore we conclude that neyther an Heretike beâogeth to the Catholike Church because he loueth ãâã God nor a Schismatike because he loueth not âs neighbour To conclude (o) Lib de fide ad Pet. c. â S. 3â Fulgentius agreeth âith the former reuerend Fathers thus sayââg Firmissimè tene c. Belieue for certayne and ââubt not that not only Pagans but also Iewes Heââtikes Schismatikes who dye out of the Church âe to goe into euerlasting fire And thus far concerning Schismatikes âho because they be not of the Church caÌâot obtayne saluation which point being âade euident by so many authorityes both ââuine humane then much more strongââ may we conclude that Heretikes as exââeding the Schismatiks in prauity and maâe and being excluded with them in like âârt out of Christs Church cannot be saâed But before I end this Chapter giue me âaue good Reader to expatiate a little beyoÌd my designed limits O then you Schismatikâ heere in our owne Countrey whose souleâ are wholly absorpt in earthy and muddâ considerations cast your eyes vpon you owne states and vse some small introuersion vpon your selues You see heere whaâ a daungerous censure the Auncient church of Christ by the mouths of its chiefe Pastorâ and Doctours hath thundred agaynst you It sayth you are not of Christs Church you aâ aliens straungers thereunto It further pronounceth that dying in such your state yoâ are depriued of all hope of saluation Gooâ God! what stupor and dulnes of yours â this Are you Christians preferre then Chriââ before the world Feare you God more theâ man Giue then to God what is Gods and to Casaer what is Caesars Reflect vpon three principles of the Catholike and therefore you owne Religion The first that God ordinarily deriueâ his grace into mans soule by the conduits oâ the Sacraments and giueth absolution oâ ones sinns particulerly by the Sacrament ãâã Pennance and confession not otherwise you wilfully depriue your selues of the participation of the Sacraments and thereby ãâã grace and of the remission of your sinnes are you not then as dryed branches void that heauenly iuyce which giueth lyfe the soule you want this grace and forgiuenes of your sinnes where then is your hope of eternall life remeÌber the Apostles words ând be afrayd gratia Dei vitae aeterna and do not disioyne those asunder which S. Paul âath so inseparably vnited The second is The vncertainty of any parâicular mans saluation which point is able âo stryke you dead through feare and the âather since it is no small signe of a mans fuâure damnation deliberately and wilfully yeare after yeare to deuide himselfe from Christs church and from all the spirituall ânfluences streaming from thence The third That there is a Purgatory the âaynes whereof though terminable yet are ânsupportable Suppose then the best that ãâã that you finally dye with true RepentaÌce ând reconciled to Christs church which âet is not in your owne power but out of âhe maine Ocean of Gods mercy neuertheâesse your owne fayth assureth you that you must suffer in that place euen insufferable âorments for your former disunction that âour continuance in dissembling thus with God serues but as bellowes the more to âlow that dreadfull fire O how great inteâest then are you to pay in the end for the ânioying of this your mispent tyme If you ââe Catholikes though but in hart you belieue all heere sayd and therefore may the more assuredly presage of your owne future misery Yf you doe not belieue these three points of Catholike Religion then are youâ damned no lesse for want of true Fayth in Christ then otherwise by your vnchaungeable Schismaticall liues for want of due coÌformity to the church of Christ Therefore I wish you to awake out of that spirituall letargy of the soule daily meditate on thaâ of the Apostle Corde creditur ad iustitiam orâ fit confessio ad salutem (q) Rom. 10. With the hart we belieuâ vnto iustice but with the mouth Confession is maââ vnto saluation And lest that dreadfull commination and threate of our Lord and Sauiour preuayle with you heerein (r) Luke 12. ãâã that denyeth me before men shal be denyed before the Angells of God But I will stay my selfe remembring my vndertaken Subiect and will proceed to the next Head THE FORMER TRVTH PROVED from the consideration of the punishments anciently inflicted vpon Heretikes by the Churcâ of Christ CHAP. IX HAVING in the precedent Chapters shewed the Iudgement of tââ church of Christ by way of doctrine speculation agaynst Heresy and Heretikes in generall we will in âhis place insist in relating the practice of the âayd church agaynst Heretikes consisting in âhe punishments aunciently inflicted vpon Heretikes by the authority of Gods church from the consideration wherof we may easily gather that the church of Christ in those âymes infallibly taught that Heretikes so liuing and dying could not be saued seeing ât would neuer impose such multiplicity of âeuere punishments vpoÌ men for their houlling of those doctrines which might stand with the saluation of the belieuers of them And first we are heere to obserue that the punishments inflicted vpon offendours by the church were eyther Ecclesiasticall or Politicall Ciuill The first of Ecclesiasticall punishments âor Heretikes was Excommunication by the which Heretikes were driuen away from âhe Sacraments were depriued of the common suffrages and prayers of the whole church and finally banished from the community comfort of the godly and faythfull This censure of Excommunication of Heretiks is most auncient seeing that it had ãâã beginning from the first times that counâells began to be celebrated for the extirpaâion and rooting out of Heresies is founded vpon all those places of Scripture in the foregoing chapters alleadged agaynst Heresy and Heretikes Another Ecclesiasticall censure agaynst Heretikes is the depriuing them of all the vse of spirituall power and authority whether it be of order or Iurisdiction This kind of power belongeth only to Ecclesiasticall Persons or the Cleargy according heereto if a Priest became an open Heretike he was
throghout the world spending their whole liues in spreading and defending the same by their wrytings Finally seeing God did cut them off by such calamitous miserable and prodigious deaths which is to be feared were but presages of the eternall deaths of their soules who can otherwise be perswaded but that all this was wrought by the iust hand of God not so much for their personall sinnes proceeding of humane frailty for there were and are many others as great sinners as they and yet escaped such dreadfull ends but for their first inuenting maintayning and preaching of the Protestant fayth and Religion and empoysoning almost all Countreyes with such their false sensuall doctrines which being graunted how then can it with any truth of reason be supposed that the positions of Protestancy impugned by the Catholikes should contayne nothing but matters of Indifferency or that a man whether he belieue them or not belieue them may alike and indifferently be saued THE SAME PROVED FROM the doctrine of Recusancy taught both by Catholikes and Protestants CHAP. XIII I Haue thought good to draw another argument from the common taught and approued doctrine of Recusancy in euery ReligioÌ though this head may seeme to haue a speciall reference to the reason afore touched in part be therein implicity included wherein is shewed that nature herselfe hath imprinted in the professours of all Religions a Religious care punctually to keep and preserue euery article of their Religion Now heere we are to premonish that if in the iudgement of all learned men both Catholike and Protestant it is thought an action most wicked vnlawfull and not to be performed but without finall repentance vnder payne of eternall damnation that a man should communicate only in going to the Church and in hearing but a sermen contrary to that Religion which himselfe belieueth for true though this may seeme to be coloured vnder pretense of obseruing the Princes commaundement for feare of loosing our temporall estates I say if this action be thought vnlawfull wherin neuerthelesse the performers thereof doe not punctually vndertake to maintayne or belieue any one Hereticall or erroneous position how then can it be reputed as consonant to reason or Religion that men belieuing different opinions of fayth and promiscuously communicating in prayer with a contrary Religion to their owne should neuerthelesse all be saued since the first fault coÌsisteth as some would interprete though falsely only in an externall and materiall as the SchoolemeÌ speake going to the Church of a different Religion whereas this other doth directly and openly rest in defending articles at least in its owne iudgment of a Religion contrary to the truth of Christian Religion for such is the case herein eyther of Catholikes or Protestants But before we particulerly enter into this discourse we will heere insist as most pertinent to our purpose in relating the two most religious Examples of Eleazar and the Widow with her seauen Sonnes recorded in the Bookes of the Machabees Touching the first we reade (1) 2. Machab c. 6. that Eleazar being a most auncient graue and learned Man was so far from eating of the meates sacrifized to Idolls according to the prohibition of the Iewish lawe that when certaine men as tendring his old age and moued thereto as the Text sayth iniqua miseratione through vnlawfull pitty proffered him other flesh to eate vnder colour whereof they would tell the Tyrant King thereby to saue his lyfe that he had eaten of the sacrifized meates that he did choose rather to vndergoe a most cruell death then to feigne that he had eaten of the sayd sacrifized flesh And so accordingly he suffered â most glorious Martyrdome thus speakinâ to God in the middest of his torments (2) Vbi supra For thy feare ô Lord I do suffer these things As concerning the (3) 2. Machab c. 7. Widdow with bâ seauen Sonnes O what spirituall resolutioâ appeared in them all Indeed able to vpbrayd vs ChristiaÌs with our luk-warmnest in professing our fayth They all suffered most exquisit torments and in the end most bloudy deaths only because they would not at the Kings command eate of Swynes flesh which was contrary to the Lawe of Moyses And this both the Mother still exhorting her sonnes to constancy heerein all her seauen Sonns performed with such an admirable resolution both in their answeres to the Tyrant during their torments and in their patience of suffering death as that considering her sex and the tendernes of their yeares it might be truly sayd that weaknes was heere able to instruct strength and youth old age Now from these two most remarkable Examples I thus argue The tyme of the old Testament was much inferior in worth dignity and many priuiledges to the new testament seing to them in the Old things as the (4) 1. Cor. 10. Apostle witnesseth did happen as in a figure whereas the new Testament (5) Hebr. 8. as the sayd Apostle affirmeth is established in better promisses But now if in the old Testament men did choose to endure most cruel deaths rather then they would contrary to the Law eate forbiden Meates which in themselues were lawfully to be eaten were it not for the prohibition annexed vnto them And seeing though they had consented to the eating of them yet this being but anâ externall Act or Ceremony they might neuerthelesse inwardly haue retayned and kept their true beliefe touching the Law yet since the performaÌce of so small a matteâ as it appeared in outward show could noâ be without greate sinne and damnation oâ the party so offending Shall any Christian thinke that now in the tyme of Grace anâ of the New Testament which tyme exacteth more perfection at our hauds for ãâã (6) Luc. 12. whome much is giuen of him much shal be râquyred that men professing to belieuâ with contempt of the Churches authoritâ interposed therein contrary articles touching Christian Religion and dying sucâ their different fayths in which the one sydâ must of necessity mantayne a false fayth that men I say of both these sides can bâ saued it is against all force of ReasoÌ againââ the iudgment of the Primitiue Church â finally against Gods Iustice And thus far concerning the two fore sayd exaÌples in the Machabees Which Booke admitting them for the tyme not to be diuine Scripture yet it is acknowledged oâ all sydes that the Histories recorded in the are true and that Eleazar and the Widâ with her seauen Sonns performed most worth examples of piety and Religion and that they had yielded to the Kings Command in eating of forbidden meates they had as violating the law giuen to them by God without repentance incurred damnation And this is the iudgment of the auncient Fathers Catholike Doctours and the learned Protestants But let vs descend more particulerly to the doctryne of Recusancy and examine whether it be lawfull to exhibite our selues present at that Church in tyme of diuine seruice
defence of the Apology KeÌnitius in exam Concil Trident. part 1. p. 74. diuers others Protestants themselues exempt her from errour most truly insufferably erred in condemning certayne opinions which are not fundamentall for Heresyes and their maintayners for Heretikes and consequently the Scripture and Christ himselfe haue deceaued vs by ascribing to the church an (m) Mat. 18. Luc. 10. 1. Tim. 3. c. infallibility of erring in her definitions of fayth and condemnation of Heresies and by commaunding vs to obey the churches authority and sentence in all things as styling her the pillar and foundation of truth And further it should follow that the Church should thus intollerably erre both in generall councells the highest Tribunalls heere vpon earth as also in the priuate Authorities and sentences of all the learned Fathers in those firster tymes And thus for example the councell of the (n) Act. 15. Apostles should haue erred in decreeing it vnlawfull to eate in those tymes bloud strangled meates In like sort the first councell of (o) Euseb l. 3. de vita Constant Epiphan haeres 70. Nice should haue erred in condemning the Quartadecimani for Heretiks because they would not keep Easter day according to the custome of the Church And to pretermit all the other Councells aboue alleadged the Councell (p) Euseb l. 6. Hist. cap. 33. of Rome vnder Cornelius for condemning the Heresy of the Nouatians who reiected the Sacrament of Pennance as also for condemning of Anabaptisme And thus farre of Councels condemning points of seeming Indifferency for open wicked Heresies But now heere graunting that the sayd points as they were houlden by the maintayning of them were not Heresyes that the belieuers of them be saued then two mayne absurdities doe immediatly follow the first as is sayd is the erring of the whole Church of God in coÌdemning them for Heresies they being not Heresies but true doctrines The second the inconsiderate cariage of the Church in these matters For to what end or purpose were all these Councells consisting of many hundreds of the most graue and Reuerend men of all Christendome celebrated with such labour trauayle out of all countreys infinite charges if the doctrines for the impugning resistng and condemning whereof they were gathered might be indifferently maintayned defended on all sides without breach of true fayth or daunger of Saluation The erring of the church is no lesse manifested in the sentences and condemnations giuen by many of the most auncient famous leârned Fathers in the Primitiue Church not any one Orthodoxall Father contradicting them therein agaynst diuers maintayning opinions that seemed in regard of the Trinity Incarnation c. of small importance âf so those opinions be not Heresies nor the belieuers of them Heretikes but men in state of SaluatioÌ And thus according heerto Floâinus though he taught God to be the Auâhour of sinne might be saued In like sort the Heretikes who in S. Ieâome his dayes denyed the possibility of the Commaundements The Manichees who âenyed freewill The Eunomians who âaught that only fayth doth iustify The Aeâians who denyed prayer sacrifice for the âead and tooke away all fasting dayes Vigilantius who taught that Priests might marry and that we ought not to pray to Saints Iouinian who held marriage better then virginity The Donatists who taught the Inuisibility of the Church And finally to omit many others for breuity sake the Pelagians who denyed the necessity of Baptisme in Children All these men I say might be saued notwithstanding their former doctrines if so it be that euery man might expect Saluation in their Religion And yet we find that the foresaid men were branded for wicked Heretikes their doctrines for damnable Heresies as in the seauenth chapter aboue is shewed by Ireneus Ierome Epiphanius Philastrius Augustine Theodoret and others diuers of which holy Fathers writing catalogues oâ Heresies did place the foresayd doctrines their Authours within the sayd catalogues this they did without any reluctation oâ gain-saying of any other auncient and learned Father of their tymes From which consideration I doe gather if those opinions were not iustly condemned for Heresies and their Authouâ for Heretikes Then not only the churcâ did fouly erre in so great a matter but alâ euen the aforesaid alleadged Fathers to wiâ Ireneus Ierome Epiphanius Austine witâ many such others should deseruedly be reputed for Heretikes for their condemning of true Doctrines for Heresies and the belieuers of them for Heretikes and on the contrary syde Florinus the Manichees the Eunomians Vigilantius Iouinian the Donatists Pelagius many other such should be accompted for their teaching of true Doctrines Orthodoxall Authors and might haue iustly complayned of their insupportable wronges and indignities proceeding from the pens of the foresaid fathers An absurdity which I thinke no man enioying the benefit of his fiue senses wil allow And yet the admittance of our Newtrallists Paradoxe inanoidably draweth on this infereÌce Another Absurdity accompanying the former doctrine is this that Heretikes should be true members of Christs church This I thus deduce for seing by the consent of all learned men none can be saued but such as are true members of Christs church for otherwyse Turkes and Iewes dying in the state of Turcisme and Iudaisme might be saued and seing the foresaid registred Doctrines and their Authours are condemned for Heresies Heretiks both according to the Authority of Gods church according to the true definition of Heresy aboue in the beginning set downe for the said Heretikes haue made choyce of those their heresies and do maintaine them most frowardly against the whole church of God not submitting their iudgments to it must of necessity follow that if those men could be saued then Heretikes continuing Heretikes are members of Christs true church then which what Paradoxe can in it selfe be accompted more absurd or in the iudgment of learned men more incredible considering with what acerbity of comportement the Apostles and all the Orthodoxall learned pious Fathers both in their wrytings and otherwyse haue in all ages entertayned Heretikes as aboue I haue manifested Furthermore if an Heretike continuing an Heretike can be saued then hath the auncient church of Christ vsed great tyranny to diuers such Professours by vndeseruedly punishing such meÌ with losse of Goods Imprisonments Excommunication Banishment sometymes with death it selfe for such were the punishments appointed by the auncient church and Christian Emperours against Heretyks as I haue shewed in the nynth chapter Againe supposing the truth of the doctrine of these Omnifidians yet obserue how repugnant it is to all reason and otherwise absurde eueâ in it owne nature I will heere passe ouer diuers reasons alleadged in the precedent Chapters insist a little in some few of them The first It is certaine that that Faith which belieueth some articles and yet belieueth not other articles which are no lesse true and
Church it being that Arke erected by our second Noë within which who truly belieue and liue vertuously are exempted from that vniuersall deluge of eternall damnation For only in this Church is professed ãâã taught that Fayth to which by long presâiption a continued hand of tyme is peâliarly ascribed the name Catholike (a) Pacian Epist ad Symphron quae est de Nomine Catholico Caâolicum istud nec MarcioneÌ nec Apellem nec Monnum sonat nec Haereticos sumit autores That âyth which was prophesied to be of that âlating and spreading nature as that to it all (b) Esa 2. expouÌded in the English Bibles of the yeare 1566. Of the vniuersality of the Church or fayth of Christ Nations shall follow which shall haue the (c) Psal 2. expouÌded of the Churches vniuersality by the foresayd English Bibles of the yeare 1576. end of the earth for its posession from sea to sea (d) Psal 72. beginning (e) Luc. 4. at Hierusalem among all nations âhat Fayth the Professours whereof shal be (f) Dan. 2. in which is included the vninterrupted continuânce of the Church Kingdome that shall neuer be destroyed but âall stand for euer coÌtrary to the short curânts of all Heresyes of which S. Augustine âus wryteth (g) In psal 57. Many Heresies are already dead âey haue continued their streame as long as they âere able now they are runne out and their ryuers âe dryed vp the memory of then that euer they âere is now scarce extant That fayth the memâers whereof in regard of their euer visible âminency are stiled by the holy Ghost A (h) Esa 2. wherby is proued âhe Churches euer visibility mountayne prepared in the top of mountaynes âalted aboue Hills with reference wherto âo wit in respect of the Churches continuâl visibility the foresayd S. (i) Tom. 9. in Ep. Ioan. tract 2. Augustine âompareth it to a Tabernacle in the Sunne That âayth whose vnion in doctrine both among the professours thereof and with their head is euen celebrated by Gods holy writ sinâ the Church of God is therefore (k) Rom. 12. Cant. 6. Ioan. 10. which places prooue the Churches vnity called oâ Body one spouse and one sheepfould which prâuiledge S. (l) Epist ad Damasum Hierome acknowledgeth bâ his owne submission in these words I dâ consociate or vnite my selfe in Communion with thâ Chayre of Peter I know the Church to be buildeâ vpon that Rocke whosoeuer doth eate the Lamb out of this house is become prophane That fayth for the greater confirmatioâ whereof God hath vouchsafed to disioynâ the setled course of Nature by working dâuers stupendious astonishing (*) See examples hereof in Ierome in vita Hilarionis Athanasius in vita Antonij Theodoret hist l. 5. c. 21. Eusebius histor l. 7. c. 14. Zozomenus hist l. 3. c. 13. August l. de ciuit Dei 22. c. 8. l. 9. Confess c. 7. 8. miracleâ according to those wordes of our Sauiouâ (m) Mat. 10. in which wordes oâ Sauiour maketh miracles a signe of true fayth or of thâ Church Goe preach you cure the sicke rayse the dead cleanse the leapers cast out diuells c. A Prerogatiue so powerfull and efficacious with S Augustine as that he expresly thus confessetâ of himselfe (n) Tom. 6. contra Epist Manichaei cap. 4. Miracles are among those things which most iustly haue houlden me in the Churchâ bosome To conclude omitting diuers other Châracters as I may tearme them or signes oâ the true fayth That fayth which is of thâ force as to extort testimony and warraâ for it selfe euen from it most capitall and designed enemyes answereably to that (o) Deuteron 32. which words include the confession of the Aduersary to be a note of truth Our God is not as their Gods are our enemies are euen witnesses since the Protestants no lesse from their owne (p) This is proued in that Protestants doe not rebaptize Infants or children of Catholike PareÌts afore baptized now these Infants are baptized in the fayth of their Parents as all childreÌ are euen by the doctrine of all Protestants But if this faith of Catholike Parents be sufficient for the Saluation of their Children dying baptized therin then much more is it sufficient for the saluation of the Parents themselues since it is most absurd to say that the Catholike faith of Parents shold be auaylable for their Children or Infants dying baptized therin yet not auaylable for the Parents themselues practice then from their (q) According heerto to omit the lik testimonies of many other Protestants D. Some in his defence against Penry p. 182. thus writeth If you thinke that all the Popish sort which dyed in the Popish Church be damned you thinke absurdly dissent from the iudgment of all learned Protestants With whom D. Couell in his defence of M. Hookers fiue bookes of Ecclesiasticall Policy p. 77. thus conspireth saying VVe affirme that those who liue dye in the Church of Rome may be saued acknowledgment in words doe ascribe to our Roman fayth the hope of Saluation Of which subiect see most amply in the forsayd learned booke of the Protestants Apology Tract 1. Sect. 6. subdiuis 1. 2. 3. as also Tract 2. cap. 2. Sect. 14. To this Fayth then with an indubious assent adhere both liuing dying flye Newtrallisme in doctrine as the bane of all ReligioÌ flye Protestancy as the bane of Christs true Religion and say with (r) Pacian Ep. ad Symphron Pacianus Christianus mihi nomen est Catholicus verò cognomen illud me nuncupat istud me ostendit A Christian is my name a Catholike my Syrname that doth denominate me this doth demonstrate me FINIS
One God One Fayth OR A DISCOVRSE AGAINST Those Lukewarm-Christians who extend Saluation to all kinds of Fayth and Religion so that the Professours do belieue in the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion c. howsoeuer they differ in other inferiour Articles VVritten by VV. B. Priest One Lord one Fayth one God Ephes 4. Because thou are Lukewarme neyther cold nor hoat I will vomit thee out of my mouth Apoc. 3. Permissu Superiorum M.DC.XXV THE PREFACE to the Reader GOOD READER Such are the lamentable Tymes wherein we lyue as that they not only bring forth Men who with great contention and heate of dispute do vndertake to mantayne particuler Errours directly repugnant to the Scriptures and the iudgment of Christ his Church But also they affoard some others as my owne experience assureth me taken from my conuersing with diuers such during my long endurance in England and before my departure from thence who are not affrayd to entertayne all Religions with such a cold Indifferency as that they hould that Saluation may be obtayned in any Religion if so the Professours thereof do belieue only in the Trinity the Incarnation and such fundamentall points of Christianity whether they be Papists Protestants Anabaptists Brownists or any other of these laâer Sects They heerupon further teach that we are not obliged vnder payne of any spirituall losse to imbrace any one of these Religions before another scornefully traducing all others who exact a more particuler and articulate beliefe of our Christian misteryes And thus these ADIAPHORISTS in Religion whose secret pulse doth indeed beate vpon Atheisme disclayme from all necessity of Truth euen iustifying the defence of Errours vnder the title of Errours and houlding only this One mayne Controuersy in Christian Religion to witt That in Christian Religion there are no mayne CONTROVERSIES Against these Ambi-dexter Christians so to call them who drawe their Soules perdition in the ropes of a supine and careles security I haue thought good to vndergoe the wryting of this short ensuing Treatise styling it One God one Fayth according to the words of the (1) Ephes 4. Apostle implying hereby That as there is but one God and not many so this one God wil be truly worshipped for the sauing of our Soules with one only entyre and perfect Fayth and not with multiplicity of Religions Now to make the passage more euen to this discourse by taking away some tacite Obiections much insisted vpon to the contrary by our Omni fidians in Religion these men thus dispute God is most mercifull therefore it would be much repugnant to his infinite Mercy to damne for all eternity any Man that beleiueth in him and in Iesus Christ as his Redeemer so that withall he forbeare doing of all wrong and do leade a vertuous at least a morall lyfe though ân other Articles of lesser importance perâaps he may erre To this I answere with the Apostle (2) Rom. 11. O altitudo diuitiarum sapientiae scientiae âei Gods Iudgments are inscrutable and âre to be admired not to be searched afâer Yf it was his diuine pleasure for one ânly Sinne and that but in thought âommitted as Deuines hould to damne âany thousands of Angells for euer If âarther he did not forbeare to punish all Mankind with infinite Miseryes for his first Parents fault committed only in eating of a forbidden Aple if lastly it pleased hym during seuerall thousands of yeares to make choyce only of the Iewish Nation a handfull of the whole earth for his elected People and to suffer all the rest of the world till our Sauiours comming to lye drowned in Idolatry and to be damned some few Gentills only excepted And if also after our Sauiours Incarnation he vouchsafed not for the space of many ages to enlighten whole Countryes with the Gospell of Christ but permitted thâm to continue to their Souleâ eternall damnation in their former Idolatry Heathenisme yea suffering to thiâ very day how long yet after his diuine Maiesty only knoweth diuers vaâ Countryes to perseuere in their foresaid Infidelity Yf now I say this proceeding in God is best lyking to himself and thaâ for the same it were blasphemy to charge him with Iniustice or Cruelty For (3) Esay 45. shall the Clay say to hym that fashioneth it What makest thou then dare any man expostulate God of Iniustice and want of Mercy for his diuine Goodnes is nothing but Mercy and Iustice (4) Psalm 84. misericordia veritas obuiauerunt sibi Iustitia Pax osculatae sunt If he suffer men to peâish eternally for want of an entyre complete and perfect fayth in all the Articles of Christianity especially in these tymes when no Christian can pretend for exâuse any inuincible ignorance in matâers of Fayth by reason that all the true Articles of Christian Religion are sufficiently propounded and diuulged by Gods Church to all Christians whomeâoeuer Therefore thouching Gods secret âudgments and disposall in these matâers we will conclude and confesse with the Prophet Esay (5) Psalm 30. Deus iudicij Doâinus This then being most true from hence it appeareth that diuers cold Protestants much wrong the Catholikes in charging âhem with want of Charity because âhey will not acknowledg that ProtestaÌts âying Protestants can be saued whereas ân the contrary part many learned Proâestants say they do graunt the hope of Saluation to Catholikes dying Catholikes or as now a dayes they terme them âapists To this we reply That heere is no want of charity in the Catholikes but rather a most vehement and burning Charity For what greater Charity can there be seing it is an vndeniable Truth That Men dying in a false Faith cannot be saued then to premonish and forewarne with all conuenient sedulity and endeauour (6) 1. Timoth 4. opportunè importunè their Christian Brethren of so great a danger as the euerlasting losse of their Soules coÌmeth vnto No the soules interminable weale or woe is not a matter of Complement that so for Ceremony the remembrance thereof is to be forborne to be inculcated and often spoken of especially where the most certaine truth of the matter insisted vpon and the charitable intention of the speaker do warrant the discourse And if Catholikes must be censureâ vncharitable for these their so wholesome Admonitions then by the samâ reason the Apostle himselfe is to bâ included within the like fault who seuerely (7) Tit. c. 3. chargeth vs to flie the company society of an Heretike of him who (8) Galat. 5. rangeth Schismes Heresyes among those sinnes the workers whereof shalâ not attayne the Kingdome of God In like sort the auncient Fathers of Christs Church I meane Augustin Ambrose Ierome Cyprian Epiphanius the rest must stand chargeable with the like want of Charity for their anathematizing and condemning both in generall Councells and in their particuler writings Catalogues of Heresies all such men as did hould any
mention at al and yet the different beliefe of them is houlden necessary to SaluatioÌ both by Catholike Protestant From all which it shall appeare how farre distant the Catholike and Protestant Religion are from that vnity in doctrine so necessarily required to that fayth wherby a Christian is to be saued I do heere begin with the Apostles Creed first because the articles of the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion are included in the Creed Secondly by reason there are many Adiaphorists in Religion as I may terme them who seeme to deale more largly and liberally heerin seeing they are coÌtent to extend the necessary Obiect of Fayth not only to the articles of the Trinity the Incarnation and the Passion but to all points set downe in the Creed who assure themselues that God exacteth at our hands the beliefe of no other articles then are contayned in the Creed Now heere aforehand we are to conceaue that true Fayth resteth in the true sense meaning of the words of the Creed which was intended by the Apostles and not in the words themselues seeing both in the iudgment of all learned Catholikes and Protestants to belieue the words of the Creed in a sense different from the intended sense of the Apostles and consequently in a false sense is no better then not to belieue the Creed at all And the reason herof is because a false construction drawne from the Creed no lesse then from the Scripture is not the word of God but of man and coÌsequently the sayd letter of the Creed so interpreted is subiect to the same censure wherunto the word of man is lyable from whence it followeth that whosoeuer belieueth the words of the Creed in another sense then was intended by the holy Ghost and the Apostles doth not belieue the Creed at all but only belieueth the word of man which euer standeth subiect to errour and mistaking So as that sentence of S. Ierome deliuered only of the Scripture may iustly be applyed to the Creed (a) In Epistola ad Paulinum Scripturae non in legendo sed in intelligendo consistunt Scriptures or Creed do not coÌsist in the letter but in the sense and true vnderstanding of the letter This then being thus iustly presupposed let vs beginne to examine the articles of the Creed and see how we Catholikes and Protestants do differ in the construction vnderstanding therof And first touching the first article of our Beliefe in God obserue how different it is The Catholikes do belieue that their God no way formally cooperateth or willeth sinne in man that he hath but one simple and expressed will touching Sinne and this in detesting or hating of Sinne that he will not punish vs for not keeping of such precepts the which are not in our power to keepe that he imputeth sinnes to euery man that committeth sinne briefly that he giueth to all sufficient grace to saue their soules and desireth that al men may be saued Wheras the Protestants belieue the meere contrary to all these points for they belieue that God (b) Beza his display of Popish practises p. 102. saith God exciteth the wicked will of one thiefe to kill another see Swinglius tom 1. de Prouiden c. 6. fol. 365. Calu. Instit l. 2. c. 18. sect 1. cooperateth forceth and willeth a man to sinne That he hath a double will and therfore a dissembling will the one expressed in Scripture according to which he forbiddeth man to sinne the other concealed to himselfe by the which he impelleth man to sin that he will (d) D. Reynolds in his 2. Conclusion annexed to his Conference p. 697. punish vs for transgressing the ten Commaundements it not being in our power to keep the sayd Commaundements (e) Luther tom 2. wittenb de capt Babilon fol. 74. D. VVhitaker de Eccl. contra Bellarm controuersia 2. quaest 5. p. 301. that to the faythfull sinning neuer so wickedly no sinne shal be imputed Finally that to (f) Calu. de Inst l. 30. 23. sayth Confilio nutuque c. God doth ordaine by his counsaile that among men some be borne to certaine damnation froÌ their mothers wombe See Willets Synopsis p. 554. affirming the same certaine men he giueth not sufficient meanes of Saluation but purposeth and decreeth from all eternity that some men lyuing in the eye of the world in their owne consciences neuer so vertuously shal be damned thrall to sempiternall perdition Thus we see how great a difference there is betweene the Catholikes and the Protestants in beleiuing the first article of the Creed And how necessarily it followeth that eyther the Catholikes or Protestants do stand subiect and obnoxious to that saying of S. Augustin (g) q. 29. sup Iosue Who imagineth God such as God is not he carieth euery where another God a false God in his mind Touching the second article which is And in Iesus Christ his only Sonne We (h) Concil Trid. Catholikes belieue in Christ who is God of God and equall to his Father a Sauiour who suffred death quoad sufficientiam for all mankind and who accomplished the function of his Sauiourship only according to hiâ humanity a Sauiour who dyed only in body and not in soule finally a Sauiour who from his first conception was endewed with all knowledge wisdome and prouidence and exempt from all ignorance passion and perturbation Wheras diuers cheife Protestants do belieue in Christ as their Sauiour who according to their faith is God of (i) D. Whitaker approueth this opinion alleadging Caluin in prooffe therof Contra CaÌpianum p. 121. himselfe and (k) Melancton in loc comm edit 1561. p. 41. inferiour to the Father who dyed only for the (l) So doth D. Willet teach in Sinopsi printed anno 1600. p. 780. as also Caluin and Beza in whole Treatises Elect who performed his mediation not only according to his humanity but also according to his diuinity though in the iudgment of all earned men true Diuinity is impassible who in the time of his Passion besides the death of the body as insufficient for our âaluatioÌ suffred in soule the tormeÌts (m) Melancton vbi supra D. fulke in his retent p. 89. (m) So teacheth Caluin Instit l 2. c. 16. sect 10. D. Whit. contra Duraeum l. 8. p. 556. of Hell briefly who laboured with ignoraÌce (n) So teacheth Beza in resp ad act Colloq Montisb part 1. p. 147. D. Willet Synop. p. 599. 600. passion and euen desperation it selfe Touching the Article of Christs descenââng into Hell the Catholikes do belieue ââereby that Christ descended in soule after his Passion into that part of Hell with is called Lymbus Patrum to deliuer from thence the soules of the Iust there detayned till âis comming of which iudgment are also some learned Protestants But the greatest part of (o) So D. Bilson in his Suruey of âââists suffring c. p. 650. 651. 652.
repugnancy betwixt both their beliefes Therfore if both of them though wanting this Vnity can be saued then hath the Apostle falsely and erroneously described and delineated the faith of a Christian But to reflect vpon the former passages is any man so stupid as to dreame that that doctrine should be true which giueth so open a lye to so many vnanswerable texts of Gods holy writ touching the condemning of Heretiks in generall as also touching the definition excellency and propriety of true Fayth It is impossible it is not to be imagined Gods word is like himselfe most true sacred and inuiolable and therefore it iustly witnesseth of it selfe that (i) Ioan. 2. scriptura ãâã potest solui And agayne (k) Mat. 24. Caelum terra transibunt verba autem mea non transibunt Heauen and earth shall passe but my wordes shall ãâã passe But to proceed further touching the forâsayd want of vnity and disagreements iâ Fayth If euery Christian might be saued iâ his owne Religion then might those be saued which belieue the Articles of the creââ in a most different sense and manner theâ which what can be more rashely and exorbitantly spoken seeing there is but one true intended sense by the Apostles of the creed the which if we attayne not then do we belieue that which is false but to belieue the creed in a false sense is no better then not to belieue it at all And therefore it would follow by way of inference that he might be saued who belieued not any one article of the creed at all Now that the Catholikes Protestants doe belieue the articles of the creed in different or rather contrary senses and consequently that the one side belieueth it in a false and erroneous sense is aboue proued in the fourth chapter If it be heere replyed that the maintayners of this doctrine do so far yield that they only are to be saued which in a true sense belieue the creed yet by this their restraint they condemne al those others who belieue ât in any other sense different from that intended by the holy Ghost and the Apostles ând consequently they condemne in their âudgement and depriue of saluation eyther âhe Catholikes or Protestants since of necessity the one of these do belieue the creed not in the true but in a false and hereticall âense and construction different from that of the Apostles But supposing that the Caâholikes and Protestants belieued the creed in that true sense inteÌded by the holy Ghost yet if our Newtrallists would haue the creed the square or rule thereby to measure our fayth then marke the Absurdities following For by this doctrine one might be saued who belieued not that there were any Scriptures at all written by the Prophets Apostles since the creed maketh no mention of any such deuine writings .. In like sort he might be saued who did not belieue there were any Angells or Diuells or that there is a materiall place of Hell or that the pains thereof are eternall or that Adam did presently vpon his creation fall from grace thereby transferred Originall sinne vpon all his posterity or that our Sauiour whilst he conuersed heere on earth wrought any myracles or made choyce of certayne men to be his Apostles to preach the Christian fayth throughout all the whole world or that he died for the saluation of mankind for though we read in the creed that he dyed and suffered yet the end why he dyed is not expressed in the creed Or that circumcision is now forbiddem antiquated or finally that there are any SacrameÌts of the new Testament as Baptisme the Eucharist c. I say by our Newtrallists Religion he should be saued who belieued none of the foresayd articles seeing not any one of them is expressed or set downe in the Apostles creed and yet the beliefe of the sayd Articles is necessarily exacted and required to Saluation in the iudgment both of Catholikes and Protestants both which parties doe with an vnanimous consent teach the necessity of belieuing the sayd articles But to proceed further and to come to the different Articles of fayth differenly belieued by the Catholike and Protestant and yet not expressed in the creed and articles of such nature as that they are houlden by the catholikes to be instituted by our Sauiour as subordinate yet necessary meanes of the grace of God and of our Saluation whereas the Protestants as not belieuing at all the sayd articles doe wholy disclayme from acknowledging any such meanes These Articles I haue recited aboue to wit That Sacraments in general do conferre grace That a Child dying without Baptisme cannot be saued That mortall sinne is not remitted without the Sacrament of Pennance and Confession That we are to adore with supreme Honour the blessed Sacrament That not only fayth but also works do iustify man That a Christian by thinking himselfe iust is not thereby become iust That euery Christian hath by God sufficient grace offered to saue his soule And that therfore God on his part would haue all men saued That without keeping the ten Commandements a man cannot be saued Finally that all Christians ought vpon payne of eternall damnation to communicate in Sacraments and doctrine with the Church of Rome and to submit themselues in all due obedience to the supreme Pastor of that Church In all which points the Protestants doe belieue directly the contrary condemning vs of Heresy Superstition yea Idolatry for our belieuing the foresayd points Now I say seing the former articles doe immediatly touch and concerne eyther remission of our sinnes or grace of our soule or our Iustification or our due honour and adoration to our Sauiours Body being accompanyed with his diuinity or Lastly our communion with Christ his church and head thereof in any of which as concerning so neerly our eternall happynes who erreth cannot possibly be saued And seing the Protestants as is sayd doe in all the sayd points maintaine the iust contrary to the catholikes and therby do abandon the catholikes acknowledged meanes of their Saluation I heere aske in all sobernes of iudgement what can be reputed for a greater absurdity then to affirme with our Newtrallists that the Catholikes and Protestants notwithstanding their so different contrary beliefe answerable practice in the former Articles so neerly touching mans Saluation may both be saued Seing it must needes be that eyther the catholikes shal be damned for setting downe certayne meanes of our Saluation contrary to Christs mynd and Institution supposing the sayd articles to be false or that the Protestants shal be damned for reiecting the former meanes of Saluation instituted by Christ admitting them to be true But to passe forward If euery Christian might be saued in his Religion in belieuing only the fundamentall points of the Trinity the Incarnation c. then hath the church of Christ eueÌ in her Primitiue dayes at what time the (*) D. Iewell in his