any reason The which briefe compendious resolutioÌ„ of faith whosoeuer will as euery one may securely and as in the discourse following shall bee declared must necessarily embrace beside the ease he shall also reape this commoditie that cutting of all occasions of needlesse and fruitelesse doubtes questions and disputes concerning matters of faith wherein vnsettled mindes spend their time and spirit hee shall haue good leisure and better likinge then ordinarily such vnquiet mindes can haue to emploie his endeuoures more fruitfully otherwaies to witte in building vpon the firme foundation of stedfast faith the gould pretious stones of Gods loue and other vertues in practise whereof consisteth that good life which maketh a man become the liuing temple of almightie God the which temple Gods spirit will not only visitte with holy inspirations blessings oftentimes in this life but he will also inhabite and dwell continually in it both by grace here and by glory in the other most happy and euerlasting life A TREATISE OF FAITH CHAP. I. That true faith is absolutely necessarie to saluation WHosoeuer hath a true desire to please God an earnest care to saue his owne soule the which should bee the chiefest desire and care of euery Christian man must first resolue and settle himselfe in a sound beliefe of matters of faith holding it for a most assured ground That there is a faith which whosoeuer wanteth cannot possibly please God nor consequently be saued sith none are saued that do not please God This ground is set downe by S. Paul himselfe who saith Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo without faith it is vnpossible to please God The same is confirmed by S. Augustine who saith Constat neminem ad veram posse peruenire beatitudinem nisi Dâ—o placeat Deo neminem placere posse nisi per fidem Fides namque est bonorum omnium fundamentum Fides est humanae salutis initium Sine hac nemo ad siliorum Dei consortium peruenire potest quia sine ipsa nec in hoc seculo quisquam iustificationis consequitur gratiam nec in futuro vitam possidebit aeternam It is certaine that none can come to true happines vnlesse he please God and that none can please God but by faith For faith is the foundation of all good things Faith is the beginning of mans saluation Without this none can come to the fellowship of the children of God because without this neither doth any in this world obtaine the grace of iustification neither shall he in the next possesse eternall life Thus faith S. Austen And the same might bee confirmed out of other Scriptures and Fathers but that the matter is cleare enough onely this I will adde that when the Scriptures do require faith as a thing absolutely necessary to saluatioÌ„ the common tradition of councells and Fathers do interpret not only that there is a positiue precept of faith for if it were but a positiue precept ignorance might excuse in some case but that at least some kinde of faith is necessaria necessitate medij that is to say is ordained as a necessary meanes without which no man can attaine saluation in any case and that in this matter Si quis ignorat ignorabitur If any man by ignorance doe not know he shall not be knowne as S. Paule speaketh CHAP. II. That this faith necessary to saluation is but one THis faith which I haue shewed to be so absolutely necessary to saluation is but One only This is plainly proued out of S. Paule who saith Vnus Dominus vna fides vnum baptisma signifying that like as there is but one Lord one Baptisme so there is but One faith The same is confirmed with the auctoritie of the ancient Fathers Nisi vna est saith S. Leo. Fides non est dicente apostolo vnus Dominus vna fides vnum baptisma Vnlesse it be one it is not faith sith the Apostle saith one Lord one faith one Baptisme Omni studio saith S. Hierome Laborandum est primùm occurrere in fidei vnitatem We must labour with all diligence first to meete in the vnity of faith Hanc fidem saith Irenaeus ecclesia in vniuersum mundum disseminata diligenter custodit quasi vnam domum inhabitans similiter credit ijs quasi vnam animam habens vnum cor consonanter haec praedicat docet tradit quasi vnum possidens os Nâ— quamuis in mundo dissimiles sint loquelae tames virtus traditionis vna eadem est This faith the Church spreade ouer the vvhole world doth diligently keep as dwelling in one house and doth belieue in one like manner those things to witt which are proposed for pointes of faith as hauing one soule and one heart and doth preach and teach and deliuer by tradition those things after one vniforme manner as possessing one mouth For although there be diuers and different languages in the world yet the vertue of tradition is One and the same Thus saith this Father By whose words we may vnderstand not onely that there is but one faith but also how it is saide to bee one which might seeme not to be one considering there are so many points or articles which we beleeue by our faith and so many seuerall men who haue in them this faith yet One saith this Father it is because the whole Church doth beleeue those pointes in one like manner That is to say because the beliefe of one man is in all pointes like and nothing different from the beliefe of another or because euery faithful maÌ„ beleeueth euery point or article for one and the like cause or formall reason to witt because God hath reuealed it and deliuered it to vs by his Catholike Church to be beleeued For which reason euery one should beleeue whatsoeuer hee belieueth as a point of Christian faith CHAP. III. That this one faith necessary to saluation is infallible THIS one faith without which we cannot be saued must be infallible most certaine This is cleare because faith is that credite or inward assent of minde which we giue to that which God who is the prime or first veritie which neither can deceiue nor be deceiued hath reuealed vnto vs by meanes of the preachinge or teachinge of the true church as we may gather out of S. Paule when he saieth Quomodo credent ei quem non audierunt quomodo andient sine praedicante quomodo praedicabunt nisimittantur c. ergo fides ex auditu auditus autem per verbum Christi The sense of which wordes is that sith we can not beleeue vnles we heare nor heare vnles some lawfully sent do preach vnto vs faith is bredde in vs by hearing and yeelding assent or credite to the worde of Christ made knowen vnto vs by the preachinge of the true Church which onely is lawfully sent of God wherefore like as the worde of Christ being God
dominicam infiâ—iunt Nothing can bee more perillous then these heretiques who when they runne vprightly through all the rest yet with one word as with a droppe of poyson doe infect that true and sincere faith of our Lord. CHAP. V. That there must be some meanes prouided by Almighty God by which all sorts of men may learne this faith which is so necessary to saluation AS this one infallible entire faith is necessary to saluatioÌ„ to al sorts of men as well vnlearned as learned so we must say that almighty God Qui vult omnes homines saluos fieri ad agnitionem veritatis venire who would haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of truth hath for proofe that this of his part is a true will prouided some rule or meanes wherby euery man learnâ—d and vnlearned may sufficiently in all points questions or doubts of faith be infallibly instructed what is to bee holden for the true faith and that the only cause why any man misseth of the true faith is either because hee doth not seeke out and find this rule meanes or hauing found it he will not vse it in all pointes submitting his owne sense self-opinion and proper Iudgement obediently yeeld assent vnto it as the nature of diuine faith and the duety of euery Christian bindeth him to do This is proued Because if Almighty God hath a true will of his part to leade all men to this happy end of eternall saluation as it may bee plainely proued that he hath out of Scripture and Fathers hee must needes prouide them sufficient meanes by which it may at least bee possible for them to attaine that end For wee neuer say that God hath a will to do any thing vnlesse he do either absolutely worke the thing or at least prouide meanes sufficient by which it is possible to be done But vnlesse there bee such a rule or meanes prouided by which euery one learned vnlearned may attaine to this one infallible entire faith of which I haue spoken before there are not sufficieÌ„t meanes prouided by which it is possible for all men to come to saluation sith as I proued without that faith it is vnpossible for any one to come to saluation Therefore wee must needes say that Almighty God hath prouided this rule or meanes by which euery man eueÌ„ the most vnlearned may sufficiently bee instructed in matters of faith To this purpose saith S. Austen Si Dei prouidentia praesidet rebus humanis non est desperandum ab eodem ipso Deo auctoritatem aliquaÌ„ constitutam esse qua velut certo gradu nitentes attollamur in Deum If Gods prouidence saith he rule and gouerne humane matters as he proueth that he doth we may not despaire but that there is a certaine auctority appointed by the same God vpon which staying our selues as vppon a sure step wee may be lifted vp to God Saint Austen therfore doth acknowledge some auctority to be needful as a meanes whereby wee may bee lifted vp to God The which lifting vp to God is first begunne by true faith and because this auctority is so needfull a meanes he would not haue vs doubte but that God whose prouidence stretcheth it selfe to all humane matters hath not failed to prouide this meanes for vs it being a principall matter and so principall as vpon which according to the ordinary course depeÌ„deth the summe of our saluation We are not therefore I say to doubt but that almighty God hath prouided a meanes whereby Animalis homo qui non percipit â—a quae sunt spiritus Dei a sensuall man who hath no vnderstanding of the diuine misteries of faith may come to know them by a firme and infallible beliefe Onely the question is what manner of thing this meanes must be and where euery man must seeke and finde it that hauing found it he may as S. Austen speaketh stay himselfe vpon it as vpon a sure steppe thereby to bee lifted vp to a true faith and by faith to God The which question being of so great consequence that it being well determined a maÌ„ need neuer make more question in matters of faith I will God willing in the chapters following endeuor to resolue it as clearly as I can And this I purpose to do first by setting downe what conditions or properties this rule of faith must haue afterwards by prouing particulerly that neither Scripture alone nor any natural witte or humane learning nor priuate spirit can be this rule of faith And finally that this rule which all men may safely and must necessarily follow can be no other but the teaching of the Catholique Church CHAP. VI. What conditions or properties must be found in the rule of faith THis rule which almighty God hath prouided as a sufficient meanes to direct meÌ„ to the knowledge of true faith necessary to saluation must haue three conditions or properties First it must be certaine infallible for otherwise it cannot be a sufficient fouÌ„dation whereupon to build faith which as is proued before is absolutely infallible Secondly it must bee such as may bee certainely and plainely knowne of all sortes of men For if to any sorte it could not be knowen or not certainly known it could not be to them a rule or meanes wherby they might direct themselues to the certaine knowledge of the true faith Thirdly it must bee vniuersall that it may not only make vs know certainely what is the true faith in some one two or moe pointes but absolutely in all pointes of faith For otherwise it were not a sufficient meanes whereby we may attaine to an entire faith which integrity of faith is necessary to saluation in such wise as hath beene declared and proued before CHAP. VII That Scripture alone cannot bee this rule of faith OVT of these former grounds foure conclusions The first coÌ„clusion is that Scripture alone especially as it is by Protestants translated into the English tongue cannot bee this rule of faith This I proue First for that these translations faile in the first condition that is to say they are not infallible as the rule of faith must be for neither were the Scriptures written in this language immediately by the holy Ghost neither were the translators assisted by the same holy Ghost infallibly Infallibly I say that is in such sort as it were vnpossible that they should erre in any point Sith therefore the translators as being but men may erre To say nothing of that which by Gregory Martin is proued and by the often changes of new and variable translations is shewed that some haue erred how can a man and especially an vnlearned man who hath not sufficient meanes learning nor leisure to compare the translations with the prime authentical originall how can I say such a man be infallibly sure that this particuler traÌ„slation which he hath doth not erre if in some places it erre
how caÌ„ he be infallibly sure that in those places which doe seeme to fauour that sect which he followeth it doth not erre vnlesse he will admit an vnfallible auctority in the Church to assure vs that such or such a translation doth not erre in any point of which auctority I shall speake more hereafter Secondly they faile in the second conditioÌ„ or property which the rule of faith should haue For the Scriptures theÌ„selues alone in what language soeuer bee obscure and hard to be vnderstood at least to vnlearned men who caÌ„not read them and therefore the Scriptures alone cannot bee vnto vnlearned men a sufficient rule to instruct them in al points of faith as is plaine For locke vp an vnlettered man and an English Bible for a time in a studdy and he will come forth I warrant you as ignorant in matters of faith as he went in if wee adde no other meanes to instruct him but the bare written Word which he cannot reade And yet vnlearned men may bee saued and saued they cannot be without an entire and vnfallible faith and this they cannot haue vnlesse there be some certaine rule and vnfallible meanes prouided by almightie God meet for the capacity to teach them this faith and Scripture alone as is now proued is not a rule meete for the capacity of vnlearned men or apte to instruct them sufficiently in all points of faith But what speake I only of vnlearned meÌ„ sith also learned men cannot by onely reading the scriptures be vnfallibly sure that they rightly vnderstand them For while they vnderstand one way perhaps they ought to vnderstand another way that which they vnderstand plainly and litterally ought perhaps to be vnderstood figuratiuely and mystically and contrary that which they vnderstand figuratiuely ought perhaps to bee vnderstood properly And seeing that it is most certaine that all do not expound right sith the exposition of one is contrary to the exposition of another as right is neuer contrary to right how should one be vnfallibly sure that hee onely expoundeth right hauing nothing to assure him but the seeming of his owne sense reason which is as vncertaine and fallible as the iudgments and persuasions of other men who seeme to theÌ„selues to haue attained as well as he the right interpretation or sense Moreouer there be many things required to the perfect vnderstanding of Scripture which are found but in verie few and those also in whom those giftes are are not vnfallibly sure that they are so guided by those giftes but that both they and others may prudently doubte least sometimes in their priuate expositions as men they erre And consequently their priuate expositions cannot bee that rule of faith which wee seeke for which must on the one side bee determinately and plainely vnderstood and on the other side it must bee vnfallible certaine and such as cannot erre Thirdly they faile in the third condition For the Scriptures are not so vniuersal as the rule of faith had need to be For this rule ought to be so vniuersall that it may be able absolutely to resolue determine all doubtes questions of faith which either haue bin or may hereafter bee in controuersie for otherwise there were not sufficient meanes prouided by which schisme and heresies might bee aâ—oided vnity of faith so necessary to saluatioÌ„ might be conserued among Christian men But the Scriptures bee not thus vniuersall For there bee diuers questions or doubtes moued now a daies and those also touching very substantiall matters which are not expressely set downe nor determined by onely expresse Scripture For where haue we any expresse Scripture to proue that all those and onely those bookes which Catholikes or Protestants holde for Scripture or indeede Gods word and true Scripture this wee shall not finde expressely set downe in a part of Scripture This point therefore whereupon dependeth the certainety of euery point proued out of Scripture caÌ„not be made certaine to our knowledge or beliefe vnlesse we admitte some other infallible rule or auctority whereupon wee may ground an vnfallible beliefe which infallible rule if we admitte to assure vs that there is at all any Scripture and that those bookes and no other bee Canonicall Scripture why should wee not admitte the same to assure vs vnfalliblie which is the true sense and meaning of the same Scripture Hereupon S. Austen saith very well Cur non apud eos diligentissime requiram quid Christus praeceperit quorum auctoritate commotus Christum aliquid praecepisse iam credidi Tu ne mihi melius expositurus es quid ille dixerit c. Why should I not most diligently aske or learne of those hee meaneth of the Catholike Church what Christ hath commanded by whose auctority I was moued to beleeue that Christ coÌ„manded any thing at all what Wilt thou expound vnto me better what he hath saide that is to say the meaning of his words Quae saith hee ista tanta deâ—entâ—a est illis crede Christo esse credendum â— nobis disce quid ille dixâ—rit multo facilius â—ibi persuaderem Christo non esse credendum quam de illo quidquam nisi ab ijs per quos ei credidissem discendum What a madnes is this in thee to say beleeue them to witte the Catholikes that we must beleeue Christ and the Scriptures to bee his word yet learne of vs what Christ said that is to say what is the meaning of his word I should saith S. Austen much more easily perswade my self that I ought not to beleeue Christ at all then that I must learne any thing coÌ„cerning him of any except of those of whom I haue already learned to beleeue in him Thus I haue proued that those english translations wherupon Protestants commonly build their faith cannot be a sufficient rule of true Christian faith First because they are not infallibly free from errour Secondly for that all men cannot reade them neither can any by only reading bee sure to attaine the right sense without which to haue the wordes of Scripture is to haue them as Austen saith ad specieâ— non ad salutem for a shew but not to saluation Lastly for that all pointes of doctrine which appertaine to true Christian faith are not expresly set downe in Scripture as beside my proofe S. Austen S. Basiâ—l and Epiphanius doe affirme Some of which reasoÌ„s haue also force to proue that Scripture alone in what language soeuer is not a fitte meanes to instruct sufficiently all sorts of men in al matters of faith Wherefore I may absolutely coÌ„clude that Scripture alone cannot be that 〈◊〉 of faith which we seeke for Some obiect against this coÌ„clusion that place of S. Paul Omnis Scriptura diuinitus â—â—â—spirata vtilis est ad doceÌ„dum c. vt perfectus 〈◊〉 homo c. But this place proueth nothing against that which I haue said For it saith not that Scripture alone is sufficient to instruct
the touchstone of the true Pastours of the Catholique Church who may say with S. Paul non ignoramus cogitationes Sathanae we are not ignorant of the cogitations of Sathan and who may also say with S. Iohn Nos ex Deo sumus qui nouit Deum audit nos qui non est ex Deo non audit nos In hoc cognoscimus spiritum veritatis spiritum erroris We are of God he that knoweth God heareth vs he that is not of God doth not heare vs. In this wee know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of errour Now if any will not admitte this manner of trying and discerning the spirit of truth from the spirit of errour but will trust their owne iudgement alone in this matter feare they may iustly nay rather they may be sure as Cassian saith that they shal worship in their thoughts the angell of darkenes for the Angell of light to their exceeding great harme And at least howsoeuer their priuate affection and selfe-loue encline them to thinke well of themselues of that spirite which they permitte to teach them those singuler points of new and strange doctrine yet sure it is that this their perswasion of the goodnes of their spirit is not infallible as the rule of faith must be sith diuers now adaies perswade themselues in the same maner to be taught by the holy Spirit yet one of them teaching against another it is not possible that all that thus perswade themselues should bee taught by this spirit sith this Spirit doth neuer teach coÌ„trary to it selfe And therefore some in this their perswasion must needes be deceaued And therfore who hauing no testimony of euideÌ„t miracle or some other vndoubted proof dare arrogantly affirme that he onely is not deceaued especially in such sorte as to condemne all other and to propose himselfe to himselfe others as the only sufficient rule of faith considering that others who presume perswade themselues altogither in like manner are in this their perswasion deceaued But suppose one could assure himselfe that he were taught by Gods Spirite immediately what is the true faith in all pointes in such sort that he could erre in none as it is not the manner of almighty God to teach men immediately by himselfe alone or by an Angell but rather as the Scripture telleth vs fides ex auditu Faith is bredde in vs by hearing and is to bee required ex ore Sacerdotis out of the mouth of the Priest and is to be learned of Pastors and Doctors whom God hath appointed in his Church of purpose to instruct vs and continue vs in the ancieÌ„t faith but suppose I say that one could assuredly perswade himselfe to be immediately taught of God what is the truth in all pointes How should hee without testimony of miracle glue assurance to others that hee is thus taught especiallie when hee teacheth quite contrary to the Catholike Church which by plaine promises and testimonies of Scripture vvee know to be taught of God Perhaps he will alledge that generall promise of Scripture Omnis qui petit accipit assuring them therby that euery one that prayeth for any thing receiueth it and that he hath earnestly prayed for the spirit therefore he must needes haue it But to this argument we may easily answere that this promise of our Sauiour is not so vniuersally to be vnderstood as though euery one that prayeth for a thing shall infallibly obtaine it without any condition at least in the manner of praying required of our part For we reade euen in Scripture petitis non accipitis eo quod male petatis You aske or pray and receiue not the thing requested because you aske amisse By which place wee learne that to obtaine any thing by prayer requireth a condition of praying wel or in such sorte as is fit the which condition doth as learned men obserue include many circumstances for fault of the due obseruance whereof it may and doth often happen that our prayer is not well made nor in such sort as is fit and is consequently frustrate of the efficacy which otherwise by the promise of our Sauiour it should haue had Now these circumstances being many and diuers of them very inward it is not very easie For any man to be absolutely sure that hee hath obserued them in such sort as is fit and therefore he cannot bee absolutely sure that his praier hath taken effect therefore it is no sufficient proofe whereby one may perswade others that hee hath the Spirit of God to say hee hath prayed for it especially coÌ„sidering that we may finde very many most contray in religion one to another who notwithstanding will say that they daily pray for the spirit and I doubt not but many of them in some sort yea earnestly after their manner doe pray for it yet sure it is that all these being thus contrary haue it not How shal we then be assured that this or that man who presuming vpon the assistance of this spiritt which he thinketh he hath obtained by prayer setteth a broache a singular and new inueÌ„ted doctrine how shall we be sure I say that such a maÌ„ hath the spiritt of God indeed Some will perchance saye that we may safely beleeue them because they preach nothing but pure Scripture while as for euery pointe of their doctrine they cite still sentences of Scripture But this answere will not serue First because for in the name of scripture they bring forth their false corrupt translations which do differ in some places euen in wordes from true scripture Secondly supposing that they did alwaies cite the true wordes of scripture yet they may easily applye them to a wronge sense or meaninge to witt to that which they falsely imagine being seduced by their own appetite or by their own former error to be the true sense For as S. Austen saieth Ad Imagines phantasmatum suorum carnalis anima conuertit omniâ— sacramenta verba librorum sanctorum a carnall and sensâ—all minde such as heretiques are not without sith heresie it selfe is accounted by S. Paule a worke of the flesh doth conuert or turne all the misteries and words of holy bookes vnto his owne imaginations phantasies Whereupon it commeth to passe that as the same S. Austen saith Omnes haeretici qui in authoritate Scripturas recipiunt ipsas sibi videntur sectari cumsuos sectentur errores All heretickes that receiue and admitte the authority of the Scriptures seeme to theÌ„selues to follow the only Scriptures wheÌ„ they follow their owne errours And as they may seeme to themselues to follow onely the Scriptures when they follow their owne errours so they may seeme especially to the simple people or to those who being seduced by them wholy build their beliefe vpon theÌ„ to preach nothing but pure Scripture wheÌ„ indeed they preach their owne erronious opinions coloured and painted with words of
Scripture as it is the manner of euerie sect maister to confirme his errour with words of Scripture yea the Diuell himselfe doth sometime for his purpose alledge words of Scripture Wherefore there is no reason wherby wee may bee assured that such men haue the Spirit of God but we may finde many reasons to conuince that they haue not this Spirit And to omitte for breuity sake the seeking out of any other euen the singularity or priuatenes of their spirit is sufficient not onely to moue vs to suspect it but also to condemne it and to assure vs that it cannot bee the Spirit of truth as is very well signified by S. Augustine who saith Veritas tua Domine nec mea est nec illius sed omnium quos ad eius communionem publicè vocas terribiliter admonens nos ne eam habere velimus priuatam ne priuemur ea Nam quisquis id quod tu ad fruendum omnibus proponis sibi propriè vendicat suum esse vult quod omnium est à communi propellitur ad sua id est à veritate ad mendacium Thy truth O Lord is neither proper to mee nor him but common to all whom thou dost publiquely call to the common partaking of its warning vs terribly to take heede that wee will not haue it priuate to our selfe least we be depriued of it For whosoeuer doth challenge that to himselfe priuately which thou dost propose publiquely to be enioyed of all and will haue that his owne which is common to all he is driuen from the common to this owne that is to say from the truth to a lie CHAP. X. That the doctrine and teaching of the true Church is the rule of faith THE fourth Conclusion is that this infallible rule which euery one ought to follow in all points of faith is the Doctrine and teaching of the true Church or coÌ„pany of the true faithfull of Christ. This I proue by this reason If our Sauiour Christ hath promised to any coÌ„panie of men the presence of himselfe and the assistance of his holy spiritt of purpose to instructe teach them all trueth giuing withall peculiar charge commission to them to teache all natioÌ„s and to preache to euery creature giuing also warrant to all that they may safely heare them giuing also commandement whereby he bindeth all to doe in all thinges according to their saying and threatning greatly those who will not heare and beleeue them then certainely the doctrine teaching of these men is in all pointes most true and infallible such as if the other conditions required in the rule of faith be not as they are not wanting may well be proposed to all sortes as an assured ground whereupoÌ„ they may safely build an infallible Christian faith For looke what our Sauiour Christ hath promised must needes be performed and whatsoeuer he warranteth or commandeth may safely without danger of errour be done nay must of necessity be done especially wheÌ„ he threatneth those and will not doe it and consequently if he haue promised to sende his holy spirit to teach any company of men all trueth it is not to be doubted but that he sendeth this his holy spirit and by it teacheth them all trueth sith the teaching of this spirit is vnfallible we are not to doubt but that this company is in all pointes infallâ—bly taught the trueth If also the same our Sauiour gaue warrant and commandement that they should teach vs that we should heare them and doe in all thinges according to their saying we may not likwise doubt but that they shall be able to teache all sortes of men in all pointes the infallible trueth and that all sortes of men may if they will learne of that company what in all pointes is the infallible trueth For otherwise by this generall commaundement of hearing them and doing according to their saying we should be bouÌ„de sometime to heare beleeue an vntruth and to doe that which were not vpright and good which without blasphemy to Christ his veritie goodnes can no way be thought But so it is that Christ our Sauiour hath in holy Scripture promised giuen commission warranted commaunded and threatened in manner aforesaide Therefore we can not doubt but that their is a certaine company the which is called the true Church of Christ which both is in all pointes of faith infallibly taught by the holy spirit and is likewise to teach all sortes of men in all pointes of faith what is the infallible trueth and therefore the teaching of this companie may well be assigned and proposed to all men as an vndoubted sufficient rule of faith The promise of our Sauiour Christ we haue first in the Gospell of S. Mathew ego â—obiscum sum omnibus diebus vsque ad coÌ„sumâ—ationem seculi I am with you al the daies vntill the ende of the world in which wordes is promised the continuall presence of Christ himselfe who is veritas the trueth it selfe with his Church not for a while then or for a while now but all the daies vntill the end of the world Secondly we haue an other promise in the gospell of S. Iohn Ego rogabo patrem alium paraclitum dabit vobis vt maneat vobiscum in aeterâ—um spiritum veritatis I will aske my father and he will giue you an other paraelite the spirit of trueth that he may remaine with you not only for 600. yeares but for euer And againe in the same S. Iohn to shew vs for what purpose he would haue his holy Spirite remaine among vs for euer he saith Paraclitus quaÌ„â—ittet pater in nomine mâ—o ille vos docebit omâ—â—a suggeret vobis omnia quaecunque dixero vobis the paraclite whom my Father will sende in my name shall teach you all things shal put you in mind of al things whatsoeuer I shall say vnto you And againe Cum venerit ille spiritus veritatis docebit vâ—s omneÌ„ veritateÌ„ WheÌ„ that spirit of truth shall come hee shall teach you all truth The charge and commission is plaine in S. Mathew cuntes docete omnes gentes Going teach all nations And in S. Marke euntes in mundum vniuersum praedicate Euangelium omni creaturae Going into the whole world preach the Gospell to euery creature The warrant we haue in S Luke Qui vos audit me audit Hee that heareth you heareth mee By which wordes appeareth plainely that our Sauiour Christ would haue vs to heare and giue credit to his Church no lesse then to himselfe The commandemeÌ„t is expressed in S. Mathew Super Cathedram MoysisederuÌ„t Scribae Pharisaei Omnia ergo quaecunque dixeriâ—t vobis seritate facite The Scribes Pharisies haue sitten vpon the chaire of Moses All things therfore whatsoeuer they shall say vnto you obserue and doe Out of which words we may gather that wee are bound in all pointes
A TREATISE OF FAITH WHERIN IS BRIEFELY AND PLANLY SHEWED A DIRECT WAY BY WHICH EVERY man may resolue and settle his minde in all doubtes questions or controuersies concerning matters of Faith Isa. 30. Haec est via ambulate in ea This is the way walke in it A. D. Permissu Superiorum 1605. A TABLE OR BRIEFE Summary of the whole Treatise Cap. 1. THat faith is absolutely necessary to saluation Cap. 2. That this faith is but one Cap. 3. That this one faith must be infallible Cap. 4. That this one infallible faith must be entire Cap. 5. That Almighty God hath prouided some sufficient meanes whereby all sorts of meÌ„ may at all times learne this one infallible and entire faith Cap. 6. What conditions or properties are requisite in this rule or meanes prouided by almighty God Cap. 7. That Scripture alone cannot bee this rule or meanes Cap. 8. That no naturall witte of man or humane learning either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise can bee this rule of faith Cap. 9. That priuate spirit cannot be this rule Cap. 10. That the doctrine or teaching of the true Church of Christ is the rule or meanes wherby al men must learne the true faith Cap. 11. That this true Church of Christ of which wee must learne the true faith is alwaies to continue without interruption vntill the worldes end Cap. 12. That this same Church must alwaies be visible Cap. 13. How we should discerne or know which company of men is this true visible Church of which wee must learne true faith Cap. 14. That those Notes or markes which heretikes assigne To wit true doctrine of faith and right vse of SacrameÌ„ts be not sufficient Cap. 15. That these foure Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica One Holy Catholique Apostolique be good markes whereby men may discerne which is the true Church Cap. 16. That these foure markes agree only to the Romane Church That is to say 〈◊〉 that company of men which agreeâ—â— in professioÌ„ of faith with the Church of Rome § 1. That the Romane Church onelyâ— One § 2. That the Romane Church onely is Holy § 3. That the Romane Church is onely Catholique § 4. That the Romane Church is onelie Apostolique Cap. 17. The conclusion of the whole discourse Viz. That the Romane Church is the onely true Church of Christ of which all men must learne the one infallible entire faith which is necessary to saluation And that the Protestants Congregation cannot be this true Church THE PREFACE BEing moued by some friendes to conferre with one of indifferent good iudgement and of no ill disposition of nature though very earnest in that religioÌ„ which he did professe I was desirous to doe my best endeuours to let him plainly see that the Catholique Romaine faith was the onely right For which purpose I did chose to let passe disputes about particular pointes and in generall to shewe First that it is necessary to admitte an infallible authority in the true Catholique church by reason whereof euery one is to learne of it onely which is the true faith of Christ. Secondly that those onely which professe the Romaine faith are the true Catholique church The which hauinge proued I did consequently conclude that the faith beleife which the authoritie of the Romaine church doth commend vnto vs ought without doubt to be holden for the true faith Vpon which pointes when he had heard my discourse he desired me for his better remembrance to sette downe in writtinge what I had said The which I had first thought to haue done briefely and to haue imparted it onely to him but by some other frieÌ„des it was wished that I should haÌ„dle the matter more at large they inteÌ„dinge as it seemed that it might not onely doe good to him but to others also that should haue need of it aswell as he Of which sorte of men standinge in this need as I could not consideringe their miserable case but take great pittie so I was easily moued especially at my friendes request to be willinge to doe my endeuour which might be for their reliefe succour and to take any course which might turne to their helpe and profit Now of all other courses which haue beene and might be vndertaken that which in my speach I did choose as most expedient for him with whome I did conferre seemed best also for me to prosequute in this my writinge for the benefit of him and others and this for foure reasons First because it is very briefe compendious and consequeÌ„tly such as euery one might haue leisure and should not be much weary to reade it Secondly because it standinge onely vpon few but most certaine conclusions and groundes is free from many cauils of the captions which more ample discourses are subiect vnto Thirdly because the matter handled in it is not very high nor hard but common easy plaine and such as may be vnderstoode of any who hauing but a reasonable witte or vnderstanding will carefully reade it as the importance of the matter requireth with iudgment deliberation which is chiefe with praier to God and a resolute good will to follow that which he shall finde to be right Fourthly because these few plaine pointes which are here sett downe include all other and whosoeuer shall by the help of Gods grace and the force of these or other reasons yeeld assent to the pointes proued in this discourse must by coÌ„sequence without farther disputing or difficultie yeeld to all particular pointes which the aforesaid church commeÌ„deth for pointes of faith and wil be moued to settle himselfe in the stedfast belefe of all For if he once admitte that there 〈…〉 Church or company of meÌ„ on earth infallibly taught by the holy gost what is the true faith in all pointes and that this church is by Gods appointemeÌ„t to teach all men in al matters of faith which is the infallible trueth and further that this Church which is thus taught and must teach vs is no other but that visible company which professeth the Romaine faith then he shall not neede to straine his wittes in studying or to wast wordes in wrangling about particuler pointes of controuersies or to vse any such trouble some and vncertaine meanes to finde out the trueth but may easely and most certainely be instructed in all by onely enquiring and finding out which all sortes of men may easely doe what is generally holden by the Church for truth in all particuler pointes whereof they doubt Of which pointes also If they be desirous they may haue sufficient authoritie and reason yeelded by the learned of the same Church though they should not so desire reason to be yeelded that without reason be giuen they would not beleeue at all or as grounding their faith vppon the reason giuen sith Christian beleife ought onely to be grounded vpoÌ„ the authority of God speakinge by the mouth of the church who ought to be beleeued in all matters without giuing
is absolutely infallible so also the creditt giueÌ„ to this worde which is our faith must needes be also most certaine and infallible Fides saieth S. Basille est eorum quae dicta sunt assentiens approbatio sine vlla haesitatione cum animi persuasione de eorum veritate quae Dei munere praedicata sunt Faith is a consenting approbation of those thinges which are saide an vndoubted perswasion of minde of the trueth of those thinges which are preached by the guift of God Fides saieth S. Chrysostome dici non potest nisi circa â—a quae non videntur amplius quam circa ea quae videtur certitudinem quis habeat It can not be called faith vnles one be more certaine of those things which are not seen then of those thinges which are seene The reason whereof the same S. Chrysostome declareth in an other place saying Superet sensum rationem nostram sermo ipsius Dei nam verbis eius fraudari non possumus sensus vero noster deceptu facillimus est Let Gods worde saieth he surmount our sense and reason for wee can not be deceiued by his wordes but our sense is most easely deceiued Sith therefore our faith is grounded on the word of God reuealed to vs by Iesus Christ our Lord speaking by the mouth of the Church as he saieth himselfe Qui vos audit me audit he that heareth you heareth me we ought to receaue the word of faith preached by the true Church not as the worde of maÌ„ but as it is truely the worde of God and consequently we must account it a thing most certaine and absolutely infallible CHAP. IIII. That this one infallible faith necessary to saluation must also bee entire THis one infallible faith without which we can not please God must also be entire whole souÌ„d in al points it is not sufficient to beleeue stedfastly some points misbeleeuing or not beleeued obstinately other some or any one The reasoÌ„ of this is because euery point of doctrin yea euery word that almighty God hath reuealed and by his Church propounded vnâ—o vs to be belieued must vnder paine of damnation be belieued as we may gather out of S. Marke where when our Sauiour had giuen chardge to his Disciples to preache the gospell to euery creature the which chardge he also gaue in S. Mathew sayinge docete omnes gentes c. docentes eos seruare omnia quâ—cumque mandaui vobis teach all nations c. teachinge theÌ„ to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you he pronounceth indefinitely Qui non crediderit condemnabitur he that shall not beleeue shall be coÌ„demned not excepting or distinguishing any one pointe of doctrine as needles to be belieued or which a man might at his pleasure misbelieue or doubt of without danger and this not without reason for not to belieue any one pointe whatsoeuer which God by reuealing it doth restifie to bee true and which by his Church he hath commanded vs to belieue must needes be damnable as being a notable iniurie to Gods veritie a great disobedieÌ„ce to his will But all pointes of faith are thus testified by God commaunded to be belieued otherwise they be not pointes of faith but of opinion or some other kinde of knowledge Therefore all pointes of faith must vnder paine of damnation be belieued beleiued I say either expresly and actually as learned men may doe or implicite and virtually as vnlearned Catholikes commonly doe who beleeuing expresly those articles which euery one is bound particulerly to know doe not in the rest obstinately doubt or hold some errour against the Church but haue a minde prepared to submitte themselues in all thinges to the authority of the Church which they are sure is taught directed by the spirit of God and doe in general hold for vndoubted truth whatsoeuer the Catholike or vniuersall Church doth beleeue Secondly that man which beleeuing some points should deny others cannot while he doth thus haue one the same faith which other Christians haue Sith hee doth not as Erenaeus requireth to thâ— vnity of faith belieue the points of faith in a like but in a different manner from other Christians That iâ— to say Neither doth hee beleeue all the pointes which they doe neither doth hee beleeue those points wherin he doth agree with them for the same reason that they doe that is to say He doth not beleeue those pointâ— which hee seemeth to beleeue precisely for that God hath reuealed them and by his Church propounded them for if heâ— did sith this reason is coÌ„mon to al point of faith he should assoone beleeue all 〈◊〉 any one He hath not therfore I say one and the same faith which other Christians haue who notwithstaÌ„ding haue the true faith And sith as S. Leo said nisi 〈◊〉 est fides non est If it bee not one faith it iâ— no faith at all It followeth that he thaâ— beleeueth not entirely al points of faith hath no faith at all and consequentlie sith one that hath no faith can no way be saued It is euident that he that beleeuing some articles doth obstinately deny others cannot be saued Thirdly to beleeue some pointes oâ— faith and to deny others or any one is heresie as to deny all is absolute Infidelitie But it is sure euen out of Scripture that Heretiques shall not bee saued no more then Infidels For as it is saide Qui non credit iam iudicatus est he that beleeueth not is already iudged so the Apostle Saint Paule reckoneth heresies among the works of the flesh of all which hee doth pronounce Qui talia agunt regnum Dei non consequentur Those which doe such like thinges shall not attaine the kingdome of God Fourthly I may confirme the same with the testimony of the auncient Fathers First of S. Athanasius in his creede which is commonly knowne and approued of all Quicunque saith he vult salvus esse ante omnia opus est vt teneat Catholicam fidem quam nisi quisque integram inuiolatamque Seruauerit absque dubio in aeternum peribit VVhosoeuer will bee saued before all things it is needfull that he hold the Catholike faith which vnlesse euery one doe keepe entire and vnuiolate without doubt hee shall perish euerlastingly Qui sunt in Sacris Litteris eruditi saith S. Basill ne â—nam quidem sillabam diuinorum dogmatuÌ„ prodi sinunt sed pro istius defensione si opus est nullâ—â— non mortis genus libenter amplectuntur Those that are well instructed in holy Writte doe not suffer one sillable of diuine doctrine to be betrayed or yeelded vp but for the defence thereof if neede bee doe willingly embrace any kinde of death Nihil periculosius saith Nazianzen his haereticis esse potest qui cum integrè per omnia decurrant vno tamen verbo quasi venem guttâ— veram illam ac simplicem fidem
a man to perfection but that it is profitable for this purpose as it is indeed the rather because it commendeth vnto vs the auctority of the Church which as I shall afterwards proue is sufficient Now it is certaine that to bee profitable and to bee of it selfe alone sufficient bee farre different things Stones Timber be profitable to the building of an house yet they alone without a worke-man to square them set them in order bee not sufficient for this purpose CHAP. VIII That no naturall witte or learning can be the rule of faith THE Second Conclusion is that no one mans naturall witte learning neither any company of men neuer so learned only as they are learned men not infallibly assisted by the holy Spirit of God can either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise be this rule of faith This I proue Because all this wit and learning be it neuer so exquisite or rare is humane naturall and fallible and therefore it cannot be a sufficient foundation whereupoÌ„ to build a diuine supernatural and infallible faith This reason I coÌ„firme Because whatsoeuer a man neuer so witty and learned propoundeth to others to bee beleeued vpon the only credit of his word wit oâ— humane study and learning it can haue no more certainety then is this his word wit and learning But these being all naturall and humane are subiect to errour and deceipt For Omnis homo mendax then is no man but he may both deceiue and be deceiued and may if hee haue no other helpe but of nature industry both be deceiued in thinking that to be Gods word which is not or that to be the true meaning and sense of Gods word which is not may also deceiue others whilest being to confident of his wit learning hee presumeth to teach others these his erronious opinions Therfore the beliefe which shall be builte vppon such a mans word and teaching is or may bee a false beliefe and alwaies is vncertaine and fallible and therefore can neuer bee a true diuine and Christian faith which alwaies is most certaine and infallible And this which I haue said of the wit and learning of one particuler man may also bee applied to proue against the witâ— and learning of any company of men hauing no assistance but their owne naturall giftes â—nd industrie of studie or reading This same reason I coÌ„firme yet againe more strongly For the rule of faith must be able to propose to vs vnfallibly not onely the letters seeming sense but the true sense of Gods word the sense inâ—ended by the holy Spirit of God the authour of this word otherwise it cannot be a sufficient meanes to breede in vs an infallible Christian faith and beliefe which is only grounded vppon the true seÌ„se inteÌ„ded by almighty God the prime or first verity the speaker of this word But no maÌ„ nor no coÌ„pany of men can by their naturall witte and learning tell vnfallibly what especially in all points of faith is the true intended sense of Gods word For as S. Paul saith Quis câ—gnouit sensâ—m domini who hath knowen to wit by nature arte or learning the sense of our Lord. Quae Dei sum saith the same S. Paul nemo cognouit nisi spiritus Dei those thinges which are of God no man hath knowen but the spirit of God And therefore that knowledge which himselfe had of diuine matters came not from any naturall witt of man but as hee plainely affirmeth from the spirit of God nobis reuelauit Deus per spiritum suum God hath reuealed vnto vs saith he by his spirit Therefore wee may well conclude That no one man nor 〈◊〉 company of men without the assistance of Godâ— spirit can either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise be the rule of faith Hence I inferre that those who for matters of faith relie wholy either vpon their owne priuate opinioÌ„ or iudgment of the sense and meaning of Scripture oâ— vpon the learning and iudgement of others who are but men not infallibly assisted by the holy Ghost nor by him vnfallibly preserued from errour as many or rather all Protestants do those I say cannot haue diuine and Christian faith but only fallible opinioÌ„ humane faith CHAP. IX That a priuate spirit cannot bee the rule of faith THE Third Conclusion is that no priuate man who perswadeth himselfe to be singulerly instructed by the Spirit can be this rule of faith especially so far forth as hee beleeueth or teacheth contrary to the receiued doctrine of the Catholique Church This I proue First because S Paule saith Si quis vobis â—â—â—ngelizauerit praeter id quod accepistis Anathemasit Pronouncing generally that whosoeuer teacheth or preacheth contrary to the receiued doctrine of the Catholike Church should be held Anathematized or accursed Secondly the rule of faith must be infallible plainely knowne to all sortes of men and vniuersall that is to say such as may sufficiently instruct all men in all pointes of faith without danger of error As hath beene proued before But this priuate spirit is not such For first that man himselfe cannot be vnfallibly sure that he in particuler is taught by the holy Spirit For neither is there any promâ—se in Scripture to assure infallibly that hee in particuler is thus taught neither is there any other sufficient reason to perswade the same For suppose hee haue such extraordinary motions feelings or Illustrations which he thinketh cannot come of himselfe but from some Spirit yet hee cannot in reason straight waies conclude that he is thus moued taught by the Spirite of God For sure it is that euery spirit is not the Spirit of God As there is the Spirit of truth so there is a spirit of errour As there is an Angell of light so there is a prince of darkenesse Yea sometimes Ipsa Sathanas transfigurat se in Angelum lucis Sathan himselfe doth transfigure himselfe into an Angell of light Wherfore he had neede very carefully to put in practise the aduise of Saint Iohn who saith Nolite credere omni spiritui sed probate spiritus si ex Deo sint Doe not beleeue euery spirit but proue or try them whether they be of God or noe Neither doth it seeme sufficient that a priuate maÌ„ try them onely by his owne iudgement or by those motions feelinges or illuminations which in his priuate conceipte are confirmable to Scripture because al his trial is very vncertaine and subiect to errour by reason that our owne iudgement especially in our owne matters is very easily deceaued and that Sathan can so cunningly couer himselfe vnder the shape of a good Angell so colour his wicked designements with pretense of good and so guild his darke grosse errours with the glistering light of the words and seeming sense of Scripture that hardly or not at all he shal be perceiued Wherefore the safest way were to try these spiritts by
to do according to the doctrine of the Prelates of the Catholike Church yea although it should happen that their liues were not laudable but bad For although our Sauiour in this place doth only in expresse wordes make mention of the chaire of Moses in which the Priests of the old Law did sit yet he is to be vnderstood to speake also of the chaire of S. Peter his owne Vicegerent in which the Priestes of the new Law doe succeed And this à fâ—rtiori because we haue greater reason to thinke that our Sauiour inteÌ„ded in his doctrine to giue rules to the Priests and people of his new Law which was presently to begin and to continue till the worldes end then only to giue documents to those of the old Law considering he knew that it should so shortly cease Wherefore the ancient fathers do vnderstand that place to bee meant of the Priestes of the new Law and namely S. Augustine who saith thus In illum ordinem Episcoporum qui ducitur ab ipso petro ad Anastasium qui nunc in eadem Cathedra sedet etiamsi quisquam traditor per illatempora subrepsâ—sset nihil praeiudicaret Ecclesie innocentibus Christianis quibus prouidens Dominus ait de praepositis malis quae dicunt facite quae faciunt facere nolite Into that order of Bishoppes which is deriued from S. Peter himself vnto Anastasius who now sitteth vpoÌ„ the same chair although some traytor had crept in in those times he should nothing hurt the Church and the innocent Christians for whome our Lord prouiding saith of euill Prelates what they say do what they do do not The threates we may gather First out of S. Luke when our Sauiour faith Qui vos spernit me spernit Hee that despiseth you despiseth me Signifying that look what sinne it were not to heare but to despise our Sauiour Christ himselfe that wee should account it the same to despise not to giue eare and credit to the Catholike Church Insinuating therby that the like punishment is to be expected for the saide contempte Secondly in S. Mathew the same our Sauiour expressely saith Si Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi sicut Ethnicus publicanus If he wil not heare the Church let him be to thee like an Ethnicke and a Publican Finally in S. Marke after hee had giuen charge coÌ„mission to preach the Gospell to euery creature hee pronounceth this threate to those that will not beleeue saying Qui non crediderit condemnabitur hee that will not beleeue shall be condemned Thus you see our Sauiour Christ hath promised to his Church the continuall presence of himselfe and of his holy Spirit to teach that coÌ„pany all truth Wherof followeth that it is infallibly taught al truth Moreouer hee hath giuen charge and commission to that Church to teach vs and hath warranted and commanded vs in all pointes to heare and do according to the saying of this Church which proueth that it appertaineth to this Church to instruct vs in all pointes of faith and that we ought to learne of it in all matters of religion what is the fallible truth consequently that the doctrine of this Church is the rule of faith Worthily therefore doth S. Paule call this Church columnam firmamentum veritatis The pillar and ground of truth Worthily also saith S Austen Scripturarum à nobis tenetur veritas cum id facimus quod vniuersae placet Ecclesiae quam earundem scripturarum commendat authoritas vt quoniam scriptura sancta fallere non potest quisquis falli â—etuit huius obscuritate questionis ecclesiam de illa consulat quam sine vlla ambiguitate scriptura sancta demonstrat The truth of the Scriptures is holden of vs when wee doe that which pleaseth the vniuersall or whole Church the which is commended by the authority of the Scriptures themselues that because the holy Scripture cannot deceiue whosoeuer feareth to bee deceiued with the obscurity of this question let him require the iudgement of the church which without any ambiguity the holy Scripture doth demonstrate by which wordes hee sheweth plainely that the sentence of the Church is of infallible and vndoubted truth that the way not to bee deceiued in an obscure question is to aske and follow the iudgement of the Church Wherefore worthily also do we all say Credo Ecclesiam CatholicaÌ„ I beleeue the Catholike Church worthily also may I conclude that neither Scripture alone nor naturall witte and learning nor priuate spirit nor any other thing but onely the teaching of the true Church of Christ is that ordinarie meanes which Almighty God hath prouided whereby all men may learne that one infallible entire faith which I proued to be necessary to saluation CHAP. XI That the Church whose doctrine must bee to vs the rule of faith must alwaies continue without interruption from Christ his time till the worldes end COnsidering what had bene proued in the former Chapter about the infallible authorite of the doctrine of the true Church I hope no Christian will denie but that so longe as this Church doth continew we haue of it a sure pillar and a firme foundation whereupon we may safely build our beleefe For either a maÌ„ must denie that euer our Sauior did make any such promise gaue such charge and commission left any such warrant sett forth such a commaundement or thundred out any such threates as before is rehearsed which were to denie the scriptures which scriptures are generally receiued by all Christians no otherwise theÌ„ as they are the vndoubted worde of God or els he must wrest the interpretation thereof both from that which the wordes of themselues naturally yeeld also from the common sense and vnderstanding either of al or the most learned and almost of the vnlearned also of the whole Christian world or els he shal be forced to confesse that which not I but S. Paule hath saied ecclesia est columna firmamentum veritatis the Church is the pillar and ground of trueth Onely it may perchaunce seeme to some of those that doe at this day oppose themselues against the authoritie of the Church that this was true for S. Paules time and perhaps for some 3.4.5 or 6. hundred yeares after but not to be presumed vpon in latter times and namely when Luther began his reformation as they tearme it or now a dayes Against these men I set downe this assertion The true Church of Christ which the forenamed testimonies of Scripture do commend was and is to continew without interruption till the worldes end This I proue First out of the very wordes of those promises which I cited out of S. Mathew S. Iohn For how can Christ our Sauiour or his holy Spirit be with his Church in such sort as there is promised to witt till the worldes end and for euer and especially as is saied in S. Matthew omnibus diebus
vsque ad consummationem seculi all the daies euen to the end of the world vnles the Church also be al the daies vntill the end of the world For if the Church for any time daies moneths or yeares doe cease to be Christ can not for those years moneths and daies be truely saied to be with his Church sith he can not be with that which is not and consequentely he can not be saied to haue fulfilled his promise wherein he saied he would be with his Church all the daies vntill the end of the world Secondly I proue the same out of an other promise or prophesie of our Sauior Christ to his Church wherein hee saith portae inferi non preualâ—bunt aduersus eam the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it For how was it true that the gates of hell shall not preuaile if they haue preuailed so much as vtterly to abolish the Church or at least to bannishe it quite out of the world for so long a time grauÌ„ting therefor which euery Christian must needes graunt that the prophesies and promises of our Sauiour are alwaies fullfilled and that they are vnfallibly true we may not doubte but that the Church hath euer beene since Christ his time shall neuer cease to be in the world Thirdly I may confirme the same out of other scriptures where the perpetuitie of the Church is either affirmed or promised of which kinde of testimonies being very many I will onely rehearse some few of the Church if we will beleue S. Austen his exposition it is saide Deuâ— fundauit eam in aeternum God hath established it for euer And of it signified by the name of the kingdome of Christ the prophet Daniel saieth Suscitabit Deus caeliregnum quod in aeternum non dissipabitur The God of heauen shall raise vp a kingdome which shal not be broken in peeces for euer As is also saide in S. Luke regni eius non erit sinis there shal be no ende of his kingedome Lastly I might coÌ„firme the same with the testimonie of the auncient Fathers Origen S. Chrysostome S. Bernard and especially of S. Austen who disputing against the Doâ—atistes saieth thus as rehearsing one of their speeches Sed illa Ecclesia quae fuit omnium gentium iam non est perijt That Church which was of all nations is not now it is perished Vnto which their speach he answereth O impudentem vocem Accounting it great impudencie to saye the Church is perished And in the same place he bringeth in the Church as speaking personally thus Quamdiu ero in hoc siculo annuncia mihi propter illos qui dicunt Fuit iam non est apostatauit perijt Ecclesia ad omnibus gentibus Et annunci auit nec vacua fuit vox ista Quis annunciauit mihi nisi ipsa via quando annunciauit ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus vsque ad consummationem seculi How long shall I be in this world tell me in regard of them who saye the Church indeede was but it is not now it is become apostata and is perished out of all nations And he tould me neither was this word in vaine who tould me but the way it selfe to witt Christ who faieth I am the way when did he tell Behold I am with you vntill the end of the world CHAP. XII That this Church which must be to vs the rule of faith as it must alwaies continue so it must also alwaies be visible NOVV hauing proued that the true Church of Christ must alwaies coÌ„tinue without interruptioÌ„ till the worlds end it remaineth that I shew also in what manner it is to continue to wit whether it shall alwaies be visible That is to say whether in all ages it was and shall be a company of men who may be seene and in some sort plainely knowne to be that company which men are to beleeue by faith to be the true Church of Christ or that it shal be sometime at least inuisible that no man can see those meÌ„ nor know them to be that company which we must beleeue to be the true Church of Christ. In which matter My Assertion is that the true Church of Christ of which the places of Scripture afore cited doe speake must alwaies bee visible This I proue First by that plaine Prophesie of Isaias in the 61. chapter Which chapter to be vnderstood of our Sauiour Christ his Church wee may gather out of S. Luke where our Sauiour himselfe citeth some words out of that chapter and expoundeth them to be fulfilled in himselfe the words of the Prophesie are these Faedus perpetuum feriam eis scietur in gentibus semen eorum Omnes qui viderint eos cognoscent illos quoniam isti sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus I will make a perpetuall couenant or league with them and their seede shall be knowne among nations all that shall see them shall know them that they are the seede which our Lord hath blessed How could he more plainely haue foretould the visiblenes of the Church Secondly our Sauiour hath ordained this his Church to bee the light of the world according as he saith vos estis lux mundi you are the light of the world and to be a rule or meanes by which all men at all times may come to the knowledge of that One infallible entire faith which is necessary to saluation as hath bin proued But how can it bee the light of the world if it selfe be inuisible nemo accendit lucernam ponit eam sub modio No man lighteth a candle when he hath done setteth it vnder a bushell where it cannot be seene And how can it bee a meanes by which at all times the infallible truth may bee made knowen to all sortes of men if it selfe at any time could not be knowne of men Or if you say that some times it could neither be knowne it selfe nor be a meanes by which the true faith might be made knowne then sith that I proued that it is a necessary meanes and so necessary that without it according to the ordinary course there is not sufficieÌ„t meanes prouided by almighty God to instruct all men infallibly in all points of faith Then I say men that liued at that time wanted necessary meanes wherby they might attaine to the knowledge of true faith and consequently whereby they might come to saluation which if it were so How is it vniuersally true which is vniuersally saide in Scripture Dâ—us vult omnes homines saluos fieri ad agnitionem veritatis venire God would haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth For how can he be saide to haue a true will to saue all men if he haue not at all times prouided meanes sufficient whereby all men may come to the knowledge of true faith and thereby by degrees to saluation Sith especially
is the true Church we must haue speciall regard to assigne those things which in some matters may be apparant to all sortes of men sith all sortes of men had neede to seeke out and according to their capacitie discerne which is the true Church we must also assigne those thinges which agree to no other companie but that which is the true Church to th' intent that a man shall see all those thinges which be assigned as marks to agree to any companie he may streightwaies conclude that company to bee the true Church as on the contrarie side if he perceiue either all or any one of them to be wanting in any company he may be sure that that company is not the true Church CHAP. XIIII That those markes of the Church which Haeretiques assigne be not good markes OVT of that which in the former chapter I briefely noted about the nature of a good marke we may easily gather that those markes which some Haeretiques assigne to wit the true doctrine of faith and the right vse of the Sacraments are no good markes by which all sortes of men may come to knowe which is the true Church but are meanes as Haeretiques vse them to cast a myste ouer the whole matter when as they know that they can most easily conuert all the Sacramentes and holy wordes of Scripture Ad imagines phantasmatum suorum vnto their owne imaginations and phantasticall opinions as out of S. Austen we may gather that the manner of Haeretiques is especially when the authoritie of the Church which should correct those deprauations and false expositions is not first by other markes knowen and admitted The doctrine of faith therefore I say and the right vse of Sacramentes be not good marks whereby men may discerne which is the true Church This I proue First for that by the true doctrine of faith which they assigne for a marke of the Church either they meane true doctrine in some pointes onely or in all True doctrine in some pointes onely is no good marke because the Haeretiques teache the trueth in some pointes This therfore being not proper to the Church but agreeing rather to Haeretiques can bee no good marke of the true Church because it wanteth the first condition of a marke which is to be proper agreeing onely to the thing whereof it is a marke True doctrine also in all pointes although it be proper if we ioyne to it the right vse of Sacramentes with obedience to lawfull pastours agree onely to the true Church yet it is no good marke because it faileth in the second condition which is required in a good marke that is to say it is not apparant or easy to be knoweÌ„ of al those who should seeke out the true Church As I may easily proue because to know which coÌ„panie teacheth the trueth in all pointes requireth first learning wherby one may vnderstand the tearmes and state of the question or controuersie besides iudgement to discusse and weigh prudeÌ„tly the worth and sufficiency of the authorities and reasons of both partes that vpoÌ„ this pondering of reasons he may prudently conclude which is the better part Moreouer one had neede to haue a supernaturall light of Gods grace and the assistaÌ„ce of his Spirit whereby he may discerne see those thinges which be aboue all naturall rules and reasons Ad haec quis idoneus Who can saye that himselfe is sufficiently furnished with these helpes who can bee infallibly sure that he hath all these in such sorte as is requisite for obtaineing by his own industrie true vnfallible faith in all points surely at least the vnlearned must needes confesse that in diuers mysteries they doe not so much as vnderstand the tearmes and state of the question and much lesse are they able to examine sufficiently the worth of euery reason neither are all such as can perswade themselues that they are singularly inlightened and immediately taught of Gods Spirite neither if they did thus perswade themselues could they be vnfallibly sure that in this their perswasion they were not deceiued sith it is certaine that some of them that most strongely perswade themselues to be thus taught are in this their perswasion deceiued neither can the vnlearned sufficiently know the truth in euery particuler point by giuing credit to some one or other learned man or any companie of the learned vnles that company bee first knowen to be of the true Church coÌ„sequently to be guided in their teaching by the holy Ghost as I proued before So that it is most hard or rather vnpossible for a maÌ„ and especially for an vnlearned man in all pointes liquidam à tot erroribus discernere veritatem to discerne the plaine truth from so many errours as S. Austen saith It is also most hard for a man of himself to iudge which vse of SacrameÌ„ts is right if he be not first taught by the Church sith this is a principall point of the true doctrine of faith which is as I sayde very hard or rather vnpossible to be perfitely knowen by a mans owne selfe But to know first which company is the true Church and then by giuing credit to it to learne which is the true faith which vse of Sacraments is right there are not so many things required nor any great difficultie as shal be declared For the Church is that direct way which Isaias speaketh of when hee saith Haec erit vobis directa vta ita vt stulti non errent per eam This shal be to you a direct waye so that euen fooles to wit simple vnlearned men may not erre in it Secondly I proue the same because when we seeke for the true Church we seeke it principally for this end that by it as by a necessary infallible meanes we may heare and learne of it the true faith in all pointes which otherwise in it selfe is hidden obscure and vnknowen to vs according to that of S. Paule Animalis homo non percipit â—a quae sunt Spiritus Dei the sensuall man doth not perceiue those thinges which are of the Spirit of God For sith none by the onely power of naturall wit which in vnderstaÌ„ding vseth the help of outward senses can obtaine the supernaturall knowledge of diuine mysteries which we belieue by our faith neither doth the Spirit of God who as the principall cause infuseth this guift of faith into our soules ordinarily instruct any man in the knowledge of true faith immediately by himselfe alone or by an Angell sent from heaueÌ„ we must needes if we will haue true faith seeke first for that which it pleaseth almighty God to vse as the ordinary instrument and as a necessary meanes by which men may learne true faith the which is no other but the preaching and teaching of the true Church according to that saying of S. Paule Quomodo credent ei quem non audierint quomodo audient sine praedicante quomodo
praedicabunt nisi mittantur How shall they beleeue him whom they haue not heard how shall they heare without a preacher how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent Therefore the true Church which only hath preachers truely sent of God must first be found out that by it we may heare and know which is the true faith Therefore of the two the true Church is rather a marke whereby we may know the true preaching and consequently the true doctrine of faith then contrary that as heretiques say the doctrine should be a marke whereby all men must know which is the true Church Thirdly true faith is included in the true Church and as it were enclosed in her belly as S. Austen saith vpon those words of the Psalme Errauerunt ab vtero â—â—quuâ—i sunt falsa In ventre ecclesiae saith he veritas manet quisquis ab hoc ventre separatus fuerit necesse est vt falsa loquatur Truth remaineth in the belly of the Church whosoeuer is seperated to wit by difference in doctrine froÌ„ this belly of the Church must needs speake false Therfore like as if a man had golde in his belly we must first find the man before we can come to see the golde it selfe so we must first by other markes find out the true Church which hath the gold of true faith hidden in her belly before we come to see the gold of true faith it selfe Sith especially we cannot see it vnlesse shee open her mouth and deliuer it vnto vs that we cannot being spiritually blind certainely know it to be true not counterfeite but by giuing credit to her testimony of it According as the same S. Austen saith Euangelio non crederem nisi me ecclesiae authoritas commoueret I should not beleeue the Gospell it selfe vnlesse I were moued by the authority of the Church For if we had not the testimony of the Church how should we haue bin infallibly sure that there were any Gospel at all or how should wee haue knowne that those bookes which beare title of the Gospell according to S. Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn Are true Canonicall Scripture rather then those bookes which are writen in the name of Nicodemus and S. Thomas bearing the same title or inscription of Gospell Fourthly if the true doctrine of faith in all particuler pointes must bee fore knowne as a marke whereby to know the true Church then contrary to that which hath bin proued the authority of the Church should not be a necessarie meanes whereby men must come to the knowledge of the true faith For if before wee come to know which is the true Church we must by other meanes haue knowne which is the true faith what neede then is there for getting true faith already had to seeke or bring in the authority of the same Church Fiftly If before we giue absolute and vndoubted credit to the true Church we must examine and iudge whether euery particuler point of doctrine which it holdeth be the truth with authority to accept that only which we like or which seemeth in our conceipt right and conformable to Scripture to reiect whatsoeuer wee mislike or which in our priuate iudgement seemeth not so right and coÌ„formable then we make our selues examiners and Iudges ouer the Church consequently we preferre our liking or disliking our iudgement and censure of the interpretation sense of Scripture before the iudgement and censure of the Church of God But it is absurd both in reason and religion to preferre the iudgment of any priuate man be he neuer so witty and learned or neuer so strongly perswaded in his owne mind that he is taught by the Spirit before the iudgement definitiue sentence of the Church of God the which is a company of men many of which both are alwaies haue bin vertuous wise and learned which is chiefe is such a company as according to the absolute and infallible promises of our Sauiour hath vndoubtedly the holy Spirit among them guiding them and teaching them all truth and not permitting them to erre as before hath beene proued But you may perhaps say that in Scripture we are willed not to beleeue euery spirit but to try spirits whether they bee of God or no and that therefore we must examine and try the spirit of the Church by looking into euery particuler point of doctrine which it teacheth I answere That in that place of Scripture it is not meant that it belongeth to euery particuler man to try all spirits but in generall the Scripture giueth the Church warning not to accept euery one that boasteth himselfe to haue the Spirit and willeth that they should trie those spirits not that euery simple or priuate man should take vpon him to trie them but that those of the Church to whom the office of trying spirits doth appertaine to wit the Doctors and Pastors which almighty God hath put in his Church of purpose Vt non circumferaâ—ur omni vento doctrinae that we may not be caried away with euery wind of doctrine and Vt non simus paruuli fluctuantes that we may not be litle ones wauering with euery blast of those that boast themselues to be singulerly taught by the Spirit So that this trying of spirits is only meant of those spirits of which men may well doubt whether they be of God or no theÌ„ also this trial beloÌ„geth to the Pastors of the Church But when it is certaine that the spirit is of God we neither need nor ought doubtfully to examine or presuÌ„ptuously to iudge of it but submitting obediently the iudgement of our owne sense and reason wee must beleeue the teaching of it in euery point Now it is most certaine that the Spirit of the true visible Church is of God as out of holie Scripture hath bin most euidently proued And therefore our only care should be to seeke out those markes by which all men may know which particuler coÌ„pany of meÌ„ is the true Church of Christ whose doctrine we neither need nor lawfully may examine and try in doubtfull manner but must obediently and vndoubtfully in all points beleeue as the only assured and infallible truth CHAP. XV. That these foure properties Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica that is to saie One Holy Catholique Apostolique are good markes by which men may know which is the true Church SITH our Sauiour Christ hath thought good to plant a visible Church vpon earth which he would haue to continue vntill the worlds end for this speciall inâ—ent and purpose that all men in all ages by meanes of it may learne the doctrine of the true faith the true worship of God the right vse of the Sacraments the holesome lawes of good life and generally all good thinges that appertaine to the glorie of God and the saluatioÌ„ of our soules wee haue not any reason to doubte but that the same our Sauiour for the exceeding loue which of his part
without exception or respect of persons he beareth to al maÌ„kind hath ordained some marks or notes by which all sortes and consequently euen simple men may sufficieÌ„tly discerne which company among many which challenge to themselues the title of the true Church is indeede the true Church For sith hee would haue euery one to heare and learne thinges necessary to saluation only of the true Church we must needes thinke his wisedome and goodnes to haue marked this his Church with such manifest signes properties that all men may easily know it and discerne it from others whome he knew would take vpoÌ„ them though falsly the title and profession of the true Church This seemeth to haue beene expressely foretold by the Prophete Isaias when he saieth Scietur in gentibus semen eorum germen eorum in medio populorum Omnes qui viderint â—os cognoscent illos quia isti sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus Their seed shall be knowen in the nations their ofspring in the middest of people all that shall see them shall know them because these are that seed which our Lord hath blessed Which is as much as if he should say that the Church shall haue such manifest markes that it shal be easy for euery one to know them to be the true Church Some of these markes are set downe by S. Austen who calleth them bandes or chaines which doe hold a faithfull man in the Catholique Church although for the slownes of his wit or for some other cause he doth not euidently see the truth of the doctrine in it selfe Of these markes diuers authours haue written at large I for breuitie sake haue chosen out onely these foure Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica One Holy Catholique Apostolique because I hope these will be sufficient and because I finde these eâ—pecially set forth in Scriptures commeÌ„â—ed by Councels and generally admitâ—ed of all sortes both Catholiques and Protestantes as now I am to declare First for the generall admittance of these properties of the true Church I need no other proofe but that both Catholiques and Protestantes allow of the Nicene Constantinopolitane Creed whereâ—n we profes to beleeue the true Church â—he which Church is there described with these onely foure properties which before I named as though by those onely euery man might sufficiently know that Church which in euery pointe they are bound to beleeue Now if besides this proofe out of the generally receiued Councels some precise man would haue â—eproue these properties to agree to the true Church out of the Scripture it selfe this also I may easily doe The true Church is signified to be One by those wordes of the Canticle Vna est 〈◊〉 mea if we will beleeue the exposition of S. Cyprian and S. Austen Also we may gather the same out of those wordes of our Sauiour in which he calleth his Church vnum ouile one sheepfold Also by those places of S. Paul where he tearmeth the Church vnum corpus one body Moreouer Christ our Sauiour praying for his Church did specially intreate without doubt obtained vt omnes vnum sint that all the membres therof should be one thing to wit that at the least they should al professe one and the same faith all partake of one and the same baptisme and other Sacramentes all liue vnder one and the same Lord in due subordination subiection to that vniforme and orderly gouernement of lawfull pastours ordained appointed in the Church by him The true Church of Christ therefore is one Contrary the conuenticles of Heretiques are destitute of this marke of vnitie according as Tertullian affirmeth saying Denique penitus inspectae Haereses omnes in multis deprehenduntur cum auctoribus suis dissentientes Finally all Heresies if they be well looked into are found to differ in many thinges from their first founders And the reason of this disagreemeÌ„t amoÌ„g Heretiques the same Tertullian assigneth very well in the same place saying Variant inter se Haeretici dum vnusquisque pro suâ— arbitrio modulatur quod accepit quemadmodum 〈◊〉 pro arbitrio composuit ille qui tradidit Heretiques do differ in pointes of doctrine â—mong themselues while as euery one taâ—eth vpon him to fashion the faith which he receiued according to his owne liking 〈◊〉 fancie like as he that first deliuered it â—nto them did inuent it according to his owne will and pleasure The true Church is also proued to bee â—â—ly by that of S. Paule Templum Dei sanctum est quod estis vos The temple of God is holy which temple you are By which place notwithstanding S. Paule did not â—eane to signifie that euery one of this companie was holy For a litle after in the same Epistle hee saith to the same coÌ„panie Omnino auditur inter vos fornicatio â—â—lis fornicatio qualis nec inter gentes There is plainely heard fornication among you and such fornication as the like is not among the heathen He doth not therfore I say meane that euery one of the Church is holy but that the whole company is to be tearmed holy because the profession thereof doth of it selfe wholy tend to holines the doctrine being such as withdraweth from all vice and instructeth and moueth men to vertue the Sacraments also do not only signifie but in the vertue which they haue from Christ his Passion they also worke in vs as instrumentall causes true inward sanctitie Wherfore although euery one that is in the Church be not holy yet no doubt alwaies some are the which their holines it pleaseth almighty God to testifie and make knowne sometime by miracle and ordinarily he vseth to make it apparant enough by the light of their vertuous actions which at all times in many members of the true Church doe so shine before men that by it men are moued to glorify God and sometimes to imitate in their owne life that which in others they admire And whatsoeuer member of the Church faileth from this holines of life it is euident that the faulte is only in himselfe who liueth not according to the prescript of his profession nor vseth in due sort those meanes which it hath of the holy Sacraments which as I said before are effectual instruments of sanctification Contrariwise no sect of Heretiques is truely holy neither was there euer any person that did inuent or obstinately adhere vnto any sect of heresie which â—ad in him true saÌ„ctity And no merueile Because the very profession and doctrine it selfe of euery heresie is opposite to the very rootes of true sanctity the which rootes be true Christian faith and humilitie For how can he be truely holy and iust who being possessed with the spirit of heresy must needs be depriued of true faith without which the iust man cannot liue according to that saying of S. Paule Iustus ex fide viuit Or how can he be holy that doth
Churches afterward did borrow and do daily borrow the ofspring of faith and the seeds of doctrine that they may be made Churches and by this meanes these also shall be accouÌ„ted Apostolique as being the issue of the Apostolicall Churches Contrariwise no conuenticle of heretiques can be Apostolique by reason that heresie being an vpstart nouelty contrary to the former receiued faith of the Church cannot haue any Apostle or Apostolique man for auctor and founder but is forced to acknowledge some other of whom as it receaued the first being so most comonly either the doctrine or the men that follow it or both receiue also their name as of Arrians came Arrianisme and the Arrians of Montanus came the Montanists and Montanisme and there was neuer yet heretique which could deriue the pedegree of his congregation by vninterrupted succession from the Apostles which maketh Tertullian to vrge them so earnestly saying Edant haeretici origines ecclesiarum suarum euoluant ordinem Episcoporum ita per successiones decurrentes vt primus ille Episcopus aliquem ex Apostolicis viâ—is qui tamen cum Apostolis perseuerauerit authorem habuerit antecessorem Let the hetikes shew the beginning of their Churches or as they had rather say of their Congregations let them vnfold the order of their Bishops or superintendents so running downe by successions that the first of them shall haue for his auctor in doctrine and predecessors in place any Apostolique man who did perseuer and did not forsake the Apostles Thus did Tertullian vrge them because he knew well that they could neuer make this proper note of the true Church to agree to their company It appeareth therefore plaine enough that these foure properties One Holy Catholique and Apostolique agree only to the true Church and sith it is no hard matter for any to see or know which company of Christians hath these properties as in the next chapter I shall declare It is also plaine that these foure One Holie Catholique Apostolique being proper to the true Church and apparant enough are good notes or markes by which meÌ„ may discerne which company of those which haue the name of Christians and which professe as euery company professeth themselues to teach the true doctrine of Christ is indeed the true Church which doubtlesse teacheth in all points the true doctrine of Christ. CHAP. XVI That the Romane Church is One Holy Catholique Apostolique and therefore the true Church THVS farre my discourse hath gone along all in generalities in shewing the necessity of true faith and that this faith is to be learned of the true Church and that this Church continueth alwaies and is visible as being a visible company of men professing the true faith of Christ partaking his Sacraments and liuing vnder the gouernement of lawfull Pastors his substitutes that whereas diuers companies of men take vpon them the title of this Church whereby some do stand in doubt which company is the true Church there bee certain marks by which the true Church may be certainely knowen discerned from all other companies or congregations and finally that these markes bee those foure One Holy Catholique Apostolique which are certainely knowne to bee the properties of the true Church both by the Nicene Creed and also by plaine testimonies of Scriptures and Fathers Now it wil be good to see if we can by these generall grounds conclude which particuler company of men is the true Church of Christ. A conclusion of exceeding great consequence as touching all matters in controuersie concerning the doctrine of faith as may appeare by the drifte of all my former discourse For the framing of which conclusion we shal not need to bring in comparison all the companies or sectes of diuers religions that haue bin and are in the world because euery one can easily discerne of themselues and especially by the helpe of that which hath beene saide that neither Turkes nor Iewes nor whatsoeuer other Infidels can be the true Church of Christ because these neither haue the name of Christians neither do they professe to haue the name of Christ. Neither am I now to meddle with heretiques and schismatiques of former ages the which as they haue bin condemned by the generall consent of the Church so in continuance of time they haue beene worne out by the same Church in so much that euen the memory of them God be thanked seemeth to be perished with them My chiefe question and comparison therfore shal be betwixt the Romain Church that is to say that company which comâ—unicateth and agreeth in profession of faith with the Church of Rome liueth vnder the obedience as touching spirituall matters of the Bishop of Rome other Bishops and pastours vnder him and the Protestantes that is to say that companie which from Luther his time hitherward haue opposed themselues against the Romaine Church either all or any one sect of them my question I say or comparison shal bee to which of those two the foure forenamed markes agree and consequentely which of them is the true Church § SECT I. That the Romaine Church onely is one FIrst I finde that the Protestants Church is not perfitely One or vniforme in dogmaticall points of faith but variable according to the varietie of times persons now holding one thing then an other and that the learned men thereof are so much at Iarre among themselues in matters of faith that it is hard to finde three in all pointes of one opinion and which is chiefly to bee pondered as principally appertaining to the marke of Vnitie they haue no meanes to end their controuersies so to returne to vnitie and to continue therein For while as they admitt no rule of faith but onely Scripture which scriptures diuers men expound diuersely according to the diuers humours and affections opinions and phantasies of euery one neuer one admitting any one head or cheef ruler infallibly guided by the holy Ghost in his doctrine to whose censure in matters of faith euery one should of necessitie submit theÌ„selues vt capite constituto schismatis tollatur occasio that as S. Hierome speaketh a head or chiefe ruler being ordained occasion of schisme or diuision may bee taken away Whilst they do thus as they all doe thus al proclaiming to be ruled by only Scripture and yet almost in euery one in one point or other expounding Scripture diuersely and one contrarie to an other according to the diuers seeming of euery ones sense and neuer one admitting any one superiour infallibly guided by the â—oly Ghost to whose definitiue sentence â—e and the rest wil be bound to submitte â—â—eir doctrine expositioÌ„s whilst I say â—hey doe thus it is vnpossible that they â—hould in fidei occurrere vnitatem meete as S. Hierome consaileth in the vnity of faith The which vnitie in profession of faith notwithstanding is one principall thing â—ertaining to the vnitie of the Church and Vnitie of the Church is one
chiefe mark by which we must discerne which is the true Church Contrary wise the Romane Church is alwaies one and vniforme in faith neuer vaâ—ying or holding any dogmaticall point contrarie to that which in former times from the beginning it did hold The learâ—ed men thereof though sometimes differing in opinion in matters not defined by the Church yet in matters of faith all coÌ„spire in one And no meruaile because they haue a most conuenient meanes to keepe vnity in professioÌ„ of faith sith they do acknowledge one chief pastor apointed ouer them to wit the successour of S. â—eter to whose definitiue censure in matters coÌ„cerning religion they wholy submitte themselues knowing that to Saint Peter and his successours Christ our Sauior promised the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and that hee would vpon him and his successours as vpon a sure rocke build his Church Knowing also that the same our Sauiour did specially pray for S. Peter and euery one his lawfull successour that this faith should not faile at least so farr as to teach the Church a false faith to the intent that he might bee alwaies able to confirme his brethren if at any time they should faile in the doctrine of faith Knowing lastly that to S. Peter and his successours which word I adde not without sufficient authority and reason Christ our Lord gaue most ample power ouer his vniuersall Church saying pasce ouâ—s mâ—as feede my sheepe that is to say Rule or gouerne as chief pastor vnder me my sheep that is all those that pertaine to the sheepefolde which is the Church giuing him and his successours charge to feed them with the food of true doctrine of faith and consequently binding these his sheep to receiue obediently this foode of true doctrine of faith at their hands consequently tying himselfe so to assiste him and his successours â—ith the guiding of the holy Ghost that â—â—ey should alwaies propose vnto the â—ocke of Christ which is his vniuersall Church the foode of true faith and that â—hey should neuer teach ex Cathedra any â—â—ing contrary to true faith sith if hee â—â—ould not thus assist but should pemitte â—â—em to teach the Church errors in faith â—â—eÌ„ the Church which he hath bound 〈◊〉 heare this Pastor in all points might â—ontrary to his purpose erre nay should 〈◊〉 him be bound to erre which without â—lasphemy cannot be said All Catholike â—earned men therefore knowing this do â—cknowledge that the definitiue senteÌ„ce 〈◊〉 this chiefe Pastor either alone or at â—â—ast with a generall councell must needs â—ee alwaies an vnfallible vndoubted 〈◊〉 and that therefore they may safeâ—y yea they must necessarily submitte all â—â—eir iudgements and opinions either in â—â—terpreting Scripture or otherwise in â—â—tters concerning religion to the cenâ—â—re of this Apostolike seate The which â—hile they doe as they must alwaies do 〈◊〉 they wil be accounted Catholike men 〈◊〉 will not cast out themselues or bee cast out of the company of Catholiques how is it possible that one should dissenâ— from another in matters of faith or aâ— least obstinately as heretiques doe erre in any point of faith So that this difference may be assigned betwixt any sect of heretiques and the Romane Church that heretiques are a company not vnited among themselues by any like which is able to containe continue them in vnity of faith whereas the Romane Church is Plebs Sacerdoti adunata grex Pastori suo adhaerens as S. Cyprian saith a Church should bee a people ioyned to their Priest and a flocke cleauing to their Pastor whom whilst it heareth as it is alwaies bound to do it is vnpossible but that it should retaine the vnitie of faith like as on the contrary side according to the saying of S. Cyprian non aliunde haereses obortae sunt aut nata schismatâ— quà m inde quod Sacerdoti Dei non obtemperatur nec vnus in Ecclesia ad tempus Sacerdos nec vnus iudex vice Christi cogitatur Not froÌ„ any other root haue heresies schismes sproung vp but from this that men doe not obey the Priest of God neither doe they consider how that in the Church there is one Priest and one Iudge for the time in steed of Christ. § II. That the Romane Church only is Holy SECONDLY I finde that the Protestants Congregation is not Holy Beâ—ause not only most of their men be euiâ—ently more wicked then men which â—oth in olde time and in latter yeares liâ—ed in the Roman Church as those can tell which haue seene both and is confessed 〈◊〉 Luther himselfe who saith thus Sunt 〈◊〉 homines magis vindict cupidi magis 〈◊〉 magis ab omni misericordia remoti magis â—â—â—desti indisciplinati multoque deteriores 〈◊〉 fuerunt in Papatu Men are now more â—euengfull more couetous more vnmerâ—â—full more vnmodest and vnruly and â—uch worse then when they were Paâ—ists The like testimony you may find â—â—uen by another of their Doctors called â—â—idelinus which for breuity sake I omit â—ut chiefely their company is not holy because there was neuer yet Saint or holy â—an of it neither is their doctrine such 〈◊〉 may of it selfe leade the most precise obseruers of it to holines but doth by â—â—uers points which haue bin taught rather encline men to liberty and loosene of life As for example it enclineth them to breake fasting daies and to cast away secret confession of sins to a Priest both which are knowne to bee soueraigne remedies against sin Also it enclineth them to neglect good workes for they hould them either not to be necessary or noâ— meritorious of life euerlasting which must needs make men lesse esteeme the practise of them Also it maketh men carelesse in keeping Gods commandements because diuers Protestants if not all hold them vnpossible to be obserued and as it is said impossibilium non est electio No man chooseth or laboureth to atchiue that which he thinketh to be altogether vnpossible It maketh men also not to feare or to bee carefull to auoide sinne because it is held among them that whatsoeuer we do is sinne and that wee cannot chuse but continually sinne and that all sinnes are of themselues mortall which whosoeuer thinketh how can hee be afraid to sin sith stultum est timere quod vit ari noÌ„ potest it is foolishnes to feare that which no way can bee auoided Finallie their doctrine of predestination is able to make men carelesse or desperate in all actions and consultations sith some of them hould all things so to proceede of Gods eternall predestination that man in matters of religion at least hath no free-will to doe well or to auoid ill but that God himselfe is author and moueth them effectually and forcibly not onely to good workes but in the same sort vnto the acte of sinne Loe whither this doctrine leadeth a man vvhich giueth grounds which of themselues encline a man to
burthen light The which moueth a man to conceiue great hope of eschewing euill and liuing wel which hope consequently hart to do well a man cannot haue who perswadeth himself that Gods commandements be vnpossible to be obserued as I shewed before Againe it teacheth that as a man may by grace auoid sinne and easily keepe Gods commandements by doing good workes liue well so this good life is pleasing acceptable vnto God and these good workes as proceeding from grace and receiuing vertue froÌ„ the merits of Christ of which this grace doth depend are meritorious and such for reward whereof God will giue to them that perseuerantly do them euerlasting blisse in the kingdome of heauen The which doctrine will doubtlesse if it be duely considered breed in a mans mind great loue and delight to doe well as the contrary must needs breed at least a coldnes in deuotion if not a contempt loathing of good deeds and specially of those good deeds which haue any difficulty annexed to them It teacheth also that for sinners are prepared exceeding great punishments in the next life and that though there be meanes in the Church to get remission of sin pardon of the paine yet it teacheth that a man caÌ„not ordinarily be absolutely certaine that hee hath so vsed those meanes as that hee hath thereby gotten that remissioÌ„ or pardon which is a great motiue to make men wary not to fall into sinne and to moue them Cum metu tremore operari salutem with feare and trembling to worke their saluation whereas Protestants vpon supposed certainety of saluation cast away this holesome feare and so may easily become carelesse of auoiding any sinne Furthermore it prescribeth holesome lawes and customes of fasting and prayer and of other exercises of vertue piety wherby the flesh may be subiect to the spirit and the spirit to God It maintaineth also secret confession of sinnes to a Priest as being a thing necessary and commanded by our Sauiour himselfe the which both is a great bridle to hold men backe from sinne as experience teacheth and is a speciall meanes whereby the Pastours of the Church knowing the inward coÌ„science of their flocke may better apply fitte remedies to their spirituall diseases prescribe to euery one fit exercises for their practise and progresse in vertue Finally the profession of this Church is such that euen simple Protestants when they see any Catholique do a thing amisse will ordinarily say You should not thus or a man of your profession should doe otherwise So that those which be sinful in the Roman Church cannot in any sort ascribe their sinnes to any defect or peruersity of the doctrine of the Church but must needes acknowledge theÌ„ to proceed froÌ„ their own frailty or malice coÌ„trary to the teaching of the Church sometimes eueÌ„ coÌ„trary to their owne conscience actuall knowledge Wherefore I may conclude that although there be some sinfull men in the Romane Church yet it may well be called Holy because the doctrine which it beleeueth and professeth of it owne nature enclineth and directeth a man to the true holines and consequently is of it selfe holy and also because there be many holy persons in it some of which are certainely knowne in particuler to be such by proofe of miracle others are onely knowne by this probable reason to wit that they hold the same faith which was holden by those who haue bin certainely knowen holy men and houlding the same faith which must needs be the true faith sith none are truly holy or can possibly please God without the right faith which is but one they haue in them a root out of which true holines is apte to spring and therefore when wee see no apparant euill fruite whereby wee may discouer some euill roote but only good which is apt to spring of this good root and especially when we see the fruite of their good workes to be conformable like to the workes of those which are knowne Saints wee haue great cause to iudge that they also are iust men and in some sorte holy if not perfectly Saintes Sith therfore many men which haue bin and are members of the Romane Church haue beene and are knowne either by absolute proofe of miracle or at least in this other manner to be holy Of these as of the better more worthy and principall part the whole may be as I said before tearmed holy as a tree that hauing a roote apte to giue life to the braunches some of which being deade others haue life is absolutely said to be aliue which if wee should see to haue a corrupted roote and could not perceiue it to haue any liuing braunches wee should haue cause to affirme absolutely that it were dead and not aliue §. III. That the Romane Church onelie is Catholique THIRDLY I finde that the Protestants company is not Catholique that is to say vniuersall neither in time nor in place for it came vp of late and is but in few places of Christendome neither in points of doctrine for their doctrine consisteth chiefely of negatiues that is to say in denying diuers pointes which haue beene generally held in former ages as appeareth by the Chronicles of the Magdâ—burgenses their owne doctors who confesse that the ancient Fathers held this and that which they now deny And there is no learned Protestant vnles he be too too impudent but he will confesse that there cannot bee assigned a visible company of men professing the same faith which they doe euer since Christ his time continuing without interruption till now And therefore will he nill he he must confesse that the Protestants Church is not vniuersall and therefore not Catholique as out of Scripture I shewed Christs true Church must be But the Romaine Church is Catholique For first it hath bene continually without ceasing since Christ and his Apostles time stil visibly though sometimes in persecution professing the same faith which is receiued from the Apostles without change tilâ— this day It is therefore Catholique or vniuersall in time It hath also had and hath at this day some in euery countrey where there are any Christians which is almost if not absolutely euery where that communicateth and agreeth with it in profession of faith Therefore it is also Catholique or vniuersall in place It teacheth also an vniuersall and most ample vniforme doctrine of God of angels of all other creatures specially of man of mans first framing of his finall end of things pertaining to his nature of his fall by sinne of his reparation by grace of lawes prescribed vnto him of vertues which hee ought to embrace of vices which hee ought to eschew of Christ our Redeemer his Incarnation life death resurrection ascension and comming again to IudgemeÌ„t of Sacraments and all other things that any way pertaine to Christian religion Neither doth it at this day denie any one point of doctrine of faith which in former times
was vniuersally receiued for a veritie of the Catholique Church The which if any man will take vpon him to gainesaye let him shew and proue if he can what pointe of doctrine the Romaine Church doth denie or holde contrarie to that which by the Church was vniuersally held before As we can shew diuers pointes that the Protestants so hold or denie Let him I say shew and proue by setting downe the point of doctrine the authour the time the place what companie did oppose themselues against it and who they were that did continew as the true Church must still continew in the profession of the former faith lineally without interruption till these our daies as we caÌ„ shew and proue against them Let him also shewe what countrie there is or hath beene where Christian faith either was first planted or afterwards continued where some at least haue not holden the Romaine faith As we can shew euen at this day diuers places where there religioÌ„ is scarse heard of especially in the Indian Iaponian and China countries which were not long since first coÌ„uerted to the Christian faith onely by those who were membres oâ— the Romaine Church chiefly by Iesuiteâ— sent thither by the auctoritie of the Pope And to goe no further then our dearâ— countrie England Wee shall finde in thâ— Cronicles that it was conuerted by Auâ—ustine a Monke sent by S. Gregory the Pope and that it continued in that faith without knowledge of the Protestants religion which then and for diuers huÌ„dred yeares after was neuer heard of as being then â—nhatched The like record of other countries conuerted by meanes of those onely who either were directely sent by â—he Pope or Bishop of Rome or at least communicated and agreed in profession of â—aith with him we may finde in other hiâ—tories Lastly let him shew some space of time in which the Romaine Church was â—ot since Christ and his Apostles time or 〈◊〉 which it was not visible and knowen As wee can shew them many hundred â—eares in which theirs was not at all Let â—im I say therfore shew proue which â—euer any yet did or can proue that euer â—he Romaine Church did either faile to be 〈◊〉 to be visible or being still visible when â—he profession of the ancient faith which 〈◊〉 receiued from the Apostles did faile in 〈◊〉 and when and by whom the profession â—f a new faith began in it As we can shew â—hen where by whome this new no â—ith of theirs began Certaine it is that once the Romaine Church had the true faith was a true Church to wit when S. Paule writ to the Romanes saying vestra fides annunciatur in vniuerso orbe your faith is renowmed in the whole world When therefore I pray you as the learned and renowned M. Campian vrgeth when I saye did Rome chaunge the beleefe and profession of faith which once it had Quo tempore quo Pontifice qua via qua vi quibus incrementis vrbem orbem religio peruasit aliena Quas voces quas turbas quae lamenta ea res progenuit Omnes orbe reliquo sopiti sunt dum Roma Roma inquam noua Sacramenta nouum sacrificium nouum religionis dogma procuderet Nullus extitit Historicus neque Latinus neque Graecus neque remotus neque citimus qui rem tantam vel obscure iaceret in commentarios At what time vnder what Pope what way with what violence or force with what augmentation or encrease did a strainge religion ouerflow the cittie and the whole world What speaches or rumours what tumults or troubles what lamentations at least did it breed was all the rest of the world a sleepe when Rome the Imperial and mother cittie whose matters for the most part are open to the view of the whole world when Rome I say did coine new Sacraments a new sacrifice a new doctrine of faith and religion Was there neuer one Historiographer neither Latin nor Greeke neither farre off nor neere who would at least obscurely cast into his commentaries such a notable matter as this is Certainely it is not possible if such a thing as this had happened but that it should haue beene resisted or at least recorded by some For suppose it were true which Protestants imagine that some points of the faith and religion which Rome professeth at this day were as contrary to that which was in it when Saint Paule commended â—he Romane faith as blacke to white darkenesse to light or so absurde as were now Iudaisme or Paganisme as one of their Historiographers accounteth it worse saying that indeede Augustine the Monke conuerted the Saxons from Paganisme but as the prouerbe saith saith hee bringing them out of Gods blessing into the warme Sunne Suppose I say this were true Then I would demaund if it were possible that any Prince in any Christian cittie and much more that the Pope in Rome the mother cittie could at this day bring in any notable obsurde rite of Iewish or Paganish religion for example to offer vp an Oxe in sacrifice or to worship a Cow as God and not only to practise it priuately in his owne Chappell but to get it publiquely practised and preached in all Churches not onely of that cittie but also in all the rest of the Christian world and that none should in Christian zeale continually oppose themselues that no Bishop should preach no Doctor write against this horrible innouation of faith and the author thereof that none should haue constancy to suffer martyrdome which Christians haue bin alwaies most ready to endure rather then to yeelde to a profession and practise so contrary to their ancient faith that there should be no true harted Christians who would speake of it or at least lament it nor no Historiographer that would so much as make obscure mention of it Could all be so a sleepe that they could not note or so cold and negligent in matters concerning their soules good as generally without any care to yeeld vnto it Noe certainely though there were no promise of Christ his owne continuall presence no assurance of the infallible assistance of his holy Spirit Yet it is not possible that such a grosse errour should arise among Christians and ouerwhelme the whole world without some resistance The Bishops and Pastors could not bee so simple or so vnmindfull of their duty but they would first note such an euident contrariety to the ancient and vniuersally receiued faith and noting it they would doubtlesse with common coÌ„sent resist contradict and finally according to Saint Paule his rule accurse it If therefore this could not happen now nor euer heretofore was heard that any such absurd errour or heresie did or could arise without noting or resisting what reason can any man haue to say that this hath happened at Rome not being able to alledge any writter that did note the thing the person the time and what oppositioÌ„ was made and