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faith_n	rule_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	12,255	5	9.8749	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03334	The first motiue of T.H. Maister of Arts, and lately minister, to suspect the integrity of his religion which was detection of falsehood in D. Humfrey, D. Field, & other learned protestants, touching the question of purgatory, and prayer for the dead. VVith his particular considerations perswading him to embrace the Catholick doctrine in theis, and other points. An appendix intituled, try before you trust. Wherein some notable vntruths of D. Field, and D. Morton are discouered.	Higgons, Theophilus, 1578?-1659.	1609 (1609)	STC 13454; ESTC S104083	165,029	276

who saieth that to call any thing in question which is frequented by the vniuersall Church insolentissimae est insaniae it is the part of most insolent madnesse Which sentence applying it self clearely vnto my purpose inforced me to conclude that either S. Augustine was a prodigious asse in his cariadge of this matter or els that we Protestants are insolently mad who partly in the violēt streame of passion renounce the instruction of the vniuersall Church herein and partly by sinister interpretatiōs deriue it against hir knowen intention expressed so abundantly by hir chiefest Doctours Consuetudo est optima legis interpres and perpetuated so eminently by a continuall succession 5. Wherefore retiring my thoughts a little and drawing them from their former meditations I beganne to speake thus feelingly vnto my soule Canst thou desire testimonies more graue then theis in respect of the Authours more perspicuous in words or more effectuall in waight Where doth S. Augustine contradict this relation or who did euer contradict him therein Is Doctour Field a better witnesse and more to be respected in this decision then S. AVGVSTINE who being greatly experienced in the customes of the Vniuersall Church hath in his maturity of iudgement left vnto thee a fayre and euident prescriptiō in this behalf neuer reuersed by himself nor impugned by others hauing also the voyce of all ages both in doctrine and practise for its corroboration and strength Truly if it were so that in his ignorance or malice or some other obliquity and defect he had exceeded the purpose of the Catholick Church herein it is very probable that this errour could not escape him vnespied in all his diligent Retractations And if he were so vnhappy that he had no friēd to informe him for his amendment yet he could not be so happy as that no enimy should note it for his disgrace 6. Now therefore dearely beloued contreyman tell me I pray thee tell me in the vprightnesse of thy conscience and in the presence of him who searcheth the heart and reynes to whose direction guydance and instruction could I in this case committ a poore afflicted soule which I should endeauour to saue with care since Christ died for it in loue and whom could I follow herein with more alacrity and confidence S. AVGVSTINE or D. FIELD with all the troupe of Lutherans Caluinists Protestants Puritans or others howsoeuer they are distinguished in name or diuided in opinion 7. I saw antiquity in the first nouelty in the second I saw fidelity in the first * See the second Booke Part. 1. vnfaithfulnesse in the second I saw profound learning in the first very commendable also but yet much inferiour in the second And though I perceyued that his owne booke doth iustly afford that censure against him which is deliuered against Nestorius by a worthy q Vincent Lirinens cap. 16. Authour viz. Plussēper admirationis in illo quàm vtilitatis plus famae quam experientia fuit yet I will rather say that the * Bellarmine is no wayes matchable with Caluin and others in piety or learning though he weare a Cardinalls hart cōparisō which r pag. 149. he is pleased to make betwixt C. Bellarm. M. Caluin hath a more due proportion betwixt S. August and himself 8. Finally I considered that none of the Fathers resisted the first herein but who doth assist the secōd The doctrin of the first is now cōfirmed by the practise of that Church which we phrase a Popish Antichristian Synagogue c. but the reformed Congregation of D. Field hath no resemblance of theis things For though ſ Contra Campian pag. 262. D. Humfrey in his rhetoricall flourishes doth pretend that in our Colledges we retayn the ancient cōmendation of the dead yet I noted that the differences are many and chiefly theis three First in respect of the PLACE for the ancient commendation of the dead was at the * In precibus Sacerdotis quae Domino Deo ad eius ALTARE funduntur locū suum habet commendatio mortuorum S. Aug. de cura pro mort cap. 1. Altar but we haue none Secōdly in respect of the ACTION for it was in the holy Sacrifice but we contemne it Thirdly in respect of the INTENTION for it was to relieue the soules of the dead but we disclayme this doctrine Besides since our Zuinglian Communion is such a naked and contemptible feast as t See his Confess Luther himself abhorred and his disciple Conradus did tremble to behold for they had a more religious estimation of our Lords Supper then the Sacramentaries who deride the LVTHERANS because they absurdly and superstitiously attribute a sanctifying virtue vnto the * Hoc est Corpus meum words of Christ as it pleaseth u Decad. 5. Serm. 6. H. Bullinger to speake I was desirous to vnderstand how a piece of bread and a draught of wine may haue any power validity for theis purposes vnto which the holy * See S. Au. de Ciuit. Dei l. 22. c. 8. how one of his Priests offering the sacrifice of our Lords Body in the house of a lay person deliuered his family from the vexation of vncleane Spirits Fathers did often referr the sacred Oblation in the diuine Sacrifice of the MASSE or how our Zuinglian Communion can be a reuerend and dreadfull mystery such as wherein the holy Angels humble themselues vnto our common Lord by the offering whereof the mercy of God is intreated for the Soules of some men deceased in Charity and in the Catholick faith For I must professe that a serious consideration of theis things wrought a deepe impression in my heart 9. This was the summe of my DOCTRINALL REASON branched as you haue seene into two Parts that is to say deriued partly from Scripture and partly from Tradition in both which I followed the impeachable resolution of Antiquity and with it I must either stand or fall It is my comfort though it were sometimes my grief to see that as Dagon fell on his face before the Arke 1. Reg. 5. so Protestancy suffereth vtter confusion when it is presented before the Tribunall of the ancient Church I deliuer this assertion faithfully and iustly I speake the truth in Christ I ly not my conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost I haue tasted the wines of Caluin and Augustine I haue digested both I haue iudged of both and out of some experience which I haue had of both I am bold to assure you louing contreymen who spend your pretious time and exercise your noble witts in many froathy volumes that if you will repayr discreetely and conscionably vnto the blessed Fathers you shall draw better wine at the latter end then at the beginning Then you will clearely discerne See before § 1. num 3. whether Doctour Humfrey had any reason to impute Phrensy vnto his Romanists or not then you will ingenuously confesse with the penitent Donatists

and other hereticks 8. And here you may perceiue the singular falsehood of M. † in apolog Iewell pretending that they whom Papists do contumeliously call Lutherans and Zwinglians are truly FRIENDS and BRETHREN For as S. Luther himself would by no meanes permitt the name of BRETHREN vnto the Zwinglian but repelled them for hereticks as he testifieth in a certain * cited by Brentius in Recognit c. pag. 276. epistle so † ibid. pag. 282. Brentius and Melancthon resolued that they could not acknowledge them to be their brethren in regard of their impious and vayn opinions And though the judgement of Melancthon chandged as the moone whence his name is * See the examen of Fox his calendar chap. 16. num 72. 7● c. odious vnto the truest disciples of Luther yet the Lutheran part of the Synod holden at Maulbrune 1564. make this declaration Whereas the Zwinglians haue deliuered abroad that we agnize them to be our BRETHREN this is fayned by them so impudently that we cannot sufficiently admire their impudency herein For as we grant them no place in the Church so we do not take them to be our brethren whom we haue found to be caried with the spiritt of lies and to be contumelious against the Sonne of man 9. Theis things are very playn and therefore I referr the decision of this whole matter vnto your self let your owne heart be the oracle whence you may assume a faithfull resolution And if your conscience shall assure you that the LIKE differences were not betwixt the ancients as are and were betwixt the primitiue fathers and brethren of your ghospell then iudge of your Doctours fidelity wherein you haue formerly had such a firme repose 10. I come vnto a SECOND pretense of your learned Doctour saying that the Papists themselues haue diuisions and differences pag. 168. c. and that therefore nothing can be concluded against the Protestants or for the Papists from the note of Vnity or from diuision which is opposite thereunto 11. But this poore recrimination can yeald you no defence For if the ey may be a iudge in this case we see a comfortable harmony in the Catholick Church the same doctrine preached the same Sacraments administred the same gouernment established But as your Ecclesiasticall gouerment in England in Scotland in Heluetia in Saxony is distinct so the doctrines betwixt your sayd Churches conspire not in some essentiall poynts In a word The Catholicks in Asia Africk Europe America haue a iust correspondency in faith but the Protestants in Europe for in it and some part of it alone are they confined haue great diuersity in faith and one faction doth prosecute the other with Vatinian hatred 12. Wherefore a THIRD pretense which your learned Doctour doth affect against the certainty of our experience will easily refute itself VVe want not a most certayn rule sayth * D. Field pag. 169. he whereby to iudge of all matters of controuersy and difference to witt the Scripture or written word of God expounded according to the rule of faith practise of the Saints and the due † Ad alium scripturae locum recurrendum est non expectanda hominis sententia ad litē dirimendam sayth Zwingl tom 2. in respons●ad epist Eckij comparing of one part of it with an other in the publick confessions of faith published by the Churches of our confession In all which there is a full consent whatsoeuer our malicious aduersaries clamorously pretend to the contrary c. 13. If this rule be most certayn how commeth it to passe that the difference betwixt Lutherans and Caluinists standeth vncōposed at this day Why did * See loc cō Luth. part 5. pag. 52. Luther pronounce so seuerely that the Anabaptists and Sacramentaries contemne the WORD howsoeuer they make a shew of religion Why did Zwinglius so peremptorily affirme that Luther oppressed the Euangelicall truth Why did M. Cartwright so constantly protest that the Church of England is destitute of one moity of the word Finally why do all your sects as well the supreame of Lutherans and Caluinists as the subordinate factious in each cry out continually the word the word and yet no rule hath drawen them vnto a conformity of sense therein 14. Giue me leaue therefore to except against the pretended rule of D. Field for three respects FIRST because the Principle of your religion excludeth the meanes of reconciliation viz. the grauity of Councells the dignity of Fathers the authority of the Church For though D. Field in his epistle vnto the Archb. of Cant. doth iudiciously aduise all men to rest in the iudgement of the Church and sayth elswhere that you admitt a triall by the Fathers yet your ghospellers haue not accepted nor practised this direction It is not accepted by you for Clebitius to name one amongst many setting downe the lawes of a Synod betwixt the Lutherans and Zwinglians sayth precisely Solum Dei verbum sit iudex let the word of God be the onely iudge Likewise Zwinglius deliuereth this assertion against the Catholicks we will endure no other iudge but the word alone Now where is the meanes to define the questions of religion See F. Cam● piās fourth reason and compare it with the assertion of D. Field pag. 168. viz. the authority of a Councell is not the if the Church of God represented in a lawfull Councell hath not authority to iudge of the sense of Scripture and to oblige men to rest in hir decision But this prescription is not practised by you for you receiue the ancient Oecumenicall Councells with this restriction as farr as they agree with the scripture and so euery man is left vnto his owne choyce to determine whether this or that particular in the Councell be agreable vnto the scripture or not Notwithstanding this liberty is not permitted by your Bishopps vnto their owne inferiours for they know what inconuenience would follow by leauing the * Ministers vnto that vncertayn limitation and so they presume to require more duty of their children then they dare yeald vnto their Fathers but with what equity and indifferency your wisedome may easily conceiue as also how the vnity such as it is in your Church proceedeth onely from the vigour of law and not from the principles of Religion 15. My SECOND exception against D. Fields pretended rule is taken from a consideration of your persons which haue not that subordination which is requisite in this behalf For lib. 1. ep 3. whereas S. Cyprian doth excellently obserue that heresies arise from no other cause then that the Priest of God is not obayed and that men think not of one Priest and Iuge in stead of Christ it is most euident that heresies will increase daily in your Churches and no conclusion of peace can possibly ensue because there is not submission of judgement nor subjection of spirit nor vnion of members vnto their head Lutherans seeke

to predominate Caluinists will not obay where is the vmpire of their contention 16. It is a memorable history which Sturmius recordeth in his booke * fol. 33. de ratione concordiae ineundae complayning pathetically against the Lutherans who are so deepely exasperated against the Zwinglians that they will not endure any conference with them but reject them as damned hereticks anno 1560. vnworthy of any farther dispute Thus the Ienensian Lutherans made their supplication vnto the Princes that a lawfull Synod consisting onely of such as embrace the cōfession of * Sacramētaries deny to subscribe therevnto whatsoeuer D. Field pretendeth See Iosias Simlerus in vita Bulling Augusta might be assembled to condemne the Zwinglians and all other enimies of their religion Likewise the Flacians a particular sect of Luthers ghospell desired to haue a publick Synod but with this caueat that all Sacramentaries Swhenchfeldians Osiandrines should be excluded from the same Which vnequall courses stirred vp Bullinger to write that since the Lord hath freed vs from the seruitude of the Pope we will not suffer our selues to be oppressed by the new tyrany of such as vnder the pretense of the ghospell aspire vnto a primacy and dictature in the Church We w●ll not be shutt out from the company of Saints at their choyce and pleasure c. 17. But their mutuall fury is so augmented that Sturmius seing no submission on either side professeth vnlesse the Euangelicall kings and princes interpose their authority to take away theis contentions without doubt the Churches will be infected with many heresies and hence a great vastation of Christianity will ensue as it came to passe in Asia Greece and Africk for the like causes The fundations of our Religion are conuelled the chief articles are called in question a playne way is prepared for Turcisme and Atheisme to enter in vpon vs If I would proceed farther in this argument I might informe you how fatall and vnhappy the conuents of your Ghospellers haue bene at Marpurge at Swabach at Smalcald at Maulbrune where they treated about their owne Religion and at Ratisbone where they should haue entred into a conflict with the Catholicks but the precedents are sufficient to let you vnderstand that you haue not a due subordination of persons and consequently no rule of peace pag. 169. howsoeuer D. Field is pleased to affirme that with your Churches an end is made of all controuersies c. See the place and iudge of his exactnesse 18. My THIRD exception against D. Fields pretended rule is in respect of the matters wherein your dissension doth consist For they are many in number reall in euidence substantiall in waight as I could prooue abundantly out of the writings of Luther Hunnius Conradus c. of the one part Zwinglius Sturmius Clebitius c. of the other to the iust reproof of D. Field who sayth that your differences admitt an easy reconciliation and that this shall be iustified against the proudest Papist of them all 19. My counsayle vnto you is alwayes the same TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST you haue already seene an example of his reconciling art in one poynt and by that you may take an estimate as well of his syncerity as of his solidity in the rest If your excellent and heroicall Spirit will be so grossly abused and deluded by him or any other to the certayn perill of your soule you can neuer plead inuincible ignorance for a iust excuse 20. Now to conclude this chapter good Sir if I did not experimentally know the variety and vanity of opinions in your Church 2. Timoth. 4. and that as some men heape vp a multitude of teachers vnto them selues so others confine all things vnto their owne sense and spirit I could easily belieue that you would admitt a triall by the Fathers and that you would rest in the iudgement of the Church But forasmuch as I know that neither all nor the greatest part of ghospellers in England will submitt themselues dutifully and humbly vnto this rule though I may and do challendge it at their hands therefore I will lay downe three considerations whereby you may see the equity yea the necessity of the sayd rule and how you are bound in Christian simplicity to accept it with true and hearty obedience 21. FIRST it is impossible without extraordinary reuelation to distinguish Canonicall Scripture from Apocryphall otherwise then by the testimony of the Church SECONDLY when by the testimony of the Church you can thus distinguish the Scripture yet you must giue credit vnto some translatours since you vnderstand not the originall text and if they render the Scripture vnfaithfully how can you buyld your faith vpon it with infallible euidence THIRDLY when by the authority and warrant of the Catholick Church you haue the Scripture faithfully translated the principall poynt is yet behind Tantum obstrepit veritati adulter sensus quantū corruptor stylus Tertull. in praescript c. 17. to witt the sense which is the very soule thereof If pure necessity compell you to fly vnto the Church for your assurance in the first and second poynts will you rely vpon your owne discretion and wisedome in the third If you obiect your Spirit I also obiect mine If inward testification I haue the same You compare Scriptures so do I. You pray I do the like You are sure my certainty is as great You haue reason mine is as strong You haue faith mine is not inferiour Thus our contention is earnest and our successe is none 22. What remayneth but that we both should try our Spirits and examine our priuate thoughts according to the perpetuall and generall doctrine of that Catholique Church from which we receiued the Scriptures and which by singular notes of Antiquity Vniuersality Consent Succession c. is most eminently approoued vnto vs For which cause † cap. 15. Tertullian doth excellently prescribe and if I be not much deceyued * in his epist to the Archb. of Cant. D. Field doth condescend vnto him that Whereas Hereticks pretend the holy Scriptures and as they mooue some men with their boldnesse before hand so in the congresse of disputation they tire the strong and insnare the weake and dismisse the middle sort with scruples we must preuent them in their course and not admitt them vnto any disputes concerning the Scripture and if this be their strength we must consider first of all to whom the possession of Scriptures doth agree least he be admitted vnto them who hath no right therein c. The residue I commend vnto your owne perusall and so I referr the euent of all vnto the blessed disposition of our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ CHAP. 3. The falsehood and inciuility of D. Field traducing Card. Bellarmine §. 1. Three criminations deuised against the worthy Cardinall by D. Field 1. Your learned Doctour hath sprinkled many vntruths in his discourse to the personall disgrace of Bellarmine and then

and I know not where they haue placed hir They can not assigne vnto me any persons time or place wherein their Synagogue had a resplendent face and a laudable dilatation §. 2. The SECOND Consideration touching a visible Church free from any damnable errour The Protestants loosenesse and confusion in their description of the Church 1. I Considered Secondly that this VISIBLE Church can neuer be taynted vniuersally with any errour and specially if it be such as either expressly or implicitely indangereth the principles of saluation for in matters of the necessity of saith she is freed from the possibility of errour 2. Hence it is that i Part. 4. de Vnit. Grac. Considerat 6. Iohn Gerson a man highly * See afterward c. 3. § 3. num 4. c. aduanced by D. Field prescribeth this ensuing obseruation as an infallible rule VVhatsoeuer is determined by the Pope of Rome together with his generall Councell of the Church in matters appertayning vnto faith that is vndoubtedly true and to be receiued of all the world For this consideration is founded in the articles of our faith VVe belieue that there is an HOLY CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH which is exempted from errour in hir faith c. 3. As this position was credible with me for the Authours sake and he vpon D. Fields singular commendation so I was induced farther and more strongly perswaded to intertayn it by the certayn warrant of him who is TRVTH it self and promised his Spirit vnto the holy Apostles with assurance Io. 16.13 that he should lead them into all Truth 4. In quality it is Truth without errour In quantity it is All truth necessary and expedient for them or vs in this peregrinant estate For as this promise belonged then particularly vnto each Apostle so it belongeth now generally vnto the whole Church which being taken either in hir latitude as she is diffused ouer the world or in hir representation as she is collected into a lawfull Synod is priuiledged from errour in hir doctrinall determinations 5. And this was clearely imported vnto me in a sentence of S. 1. Timoth. 3.15 Paull vnto his beloued Timothy whom he instructed how he should behaue himself in the house of God which is the ground and PILLAR OF TRVTH 6. For howsoeuer it pleaseth D. k Pag. 199. The church of Ephesus hath erred damnably in faith Field to elude the grauity and power of this Scripture by restrayning the Apostles sense therein particularly vnto the Church of Ephesus which was committed vnto the Episcopall care of Timothy yet as many reasons did preuayle with me to reiect his exposition so I preferred the authority of S. l Comment●r ibid Ambrose saying that VVhereas the whole world is Gods the Church is sayd to be his howse of which vniuersall Church Damasus the Pope is Rectour at this day This Vniuersall Church is the Pillar of truth sustayning the edifice of faith 7. Herevpon l Prascripe cap. 28. Tertullian deriding the hereticks of his time esteemeth it a base and grosse conceipt in any man to suppose that the holy Ghost who was asked of the Father and sent by the Sonne to be the Teacher of TRVTH should neglect that office vnto which he was designed and that he should permitt the Church to vnderstand the Scriptures otherwise then he spake by the mouth of the Apostles And farther Is it probable saieth he that so many and so great Churches if they did erre should erre thus conformably into the same faith VARIASSE debuerat ERROR doctrinae Ecclesiarum Caeterùm quod apud multos VNVM inuenitur non est erratum sed TRADITVM Errour bringeth variety but where vnity is there is the truth Thus the Churches are many in number but one in faith diuided in place but ioyned in opinion 8. Mine earnest meditation in this point taught me to lament the confusion of our Protestants admitting innumerable sectaries into our vast and incongruous Church Fox in Act. Mon. See the 3. Conuers of Englād which is a very Chimaera thrust together and fashioned in specificall disproportions But this was our necessity hard necessity and not our choyce to make such a pitifull delineation of our Church For whereas we had not any certayn succession to deriue hir descent and petigree from the Ancients we were compelled in this respect to deale liberally like good fellowes and take sondry hereticks with incompatible factions into our society least by the same reason for which we exclude others we should exclude our selues also from the communion of the Church pag. 137. 9. Hence it is that D. Field laying the fundation of his Babell feareth not to say that the Churches of Russia Armenia Syria AEthiopia Greece c. are and continue parts of the TRVE CATHOLICK CHVRCH A position manifestly repugnant vnto Reason and Authority Vnto reason for if truth of doctrine be a Note of the Church as we defend how is that a true Catholick Church which impugneth the truth and how is that one Church which is distracted into many faiths Vnto authority for S. * de haeres in perorat See the 3. conuers of England Part. 2. chap. 10. num 10.15.16.17 c. Augustine doth constantly affirme that whosoeuer maintayneth any heresy registred or omitted by him in his Treatise he is not a CATHOLIQVE Christian and consequently no member of that Church wherein alone we haue the promise of saluation For as our * Fides in Christum faith in Christ must be TRVSTFVLL liuely and actiue by a speciall application of his merits vnto our selues so our * Fides de Christo faith of Christ must be TRVE syncere and absolute by a iust conformity vnto the will of God reuealed by him and propounded by his Church And therefore D. Fields * Part. 4. de vnit Graecorum considerat 4. Gerson intreating of peace and VNITY in the Church laboureth to draw all men into a communion of faith and iudgeth it a great folly in any man to conceiue that we may be saued in our particular sects and errours 10. When I had discouered by an earnest prosecution of this point how naturally and powerfully our Protestāticall * The Church may erre Diuers Churches though erring grosly in faith make vp one Catholick Church c. doctrines conuaigh men into Laodiceanisme and a carelesse neglect of vndefiled Religion whence Atheisme must necessarily ensue I resolued with hearty affection to vnite my self vnto that Church which is pure and single in Religion wheresoeuer I should deprehend the same For though I saw that the Protestants religion was false in some things yet I had great hesitation and doubt whether the Papists were true in all as S. * Confess lib. 6. cap. 1. Augustine spake sometime vnto his louing Mother I am now no Manichee nor yet a Catholick Christian And so mine estate as well as his might be resembled vnto the case of that patient * S.

te exponente clariùs quod anteà obscuriùs credebatur c. 5. In REIECTING the Fathers and recurrring vnto the Scripture alone I saw that I should striue without successe not because the truth wanteth defence in this kind but because I feared least I might sweare fealty vnto mine owne sense and dwell therein as a snayle taketh impotent sanctuary in the shell which hir naturall art hath fashioned out of hir proper stuffe 6. Thus Iouinian a worthy Progenitour of Luthers ghospell did so wrest and peruert the sacred writt to establish his sottish heresy concerning the equallity of Ioyes in Heauen and Paynes in Hell that ſ Contra Iouinian lib. 2. paulò post med S. Hierome himself is forced to confesse Quis electorum Dei non tentetur c. who euen of Gods elect childrē may not be tempted with theis Scriptures which this subtile disputer hath artificially and cunningly inflected vnto his purpose In which scriptures Iouinian did so exult and triumph that being construed by his owne spirit they seemed inuincible in his conceipt 7. But the desperate folly of such as renounce the iudgement of the Fathers and dwell in their owne sense of holy Scripture discouereth it self most playnely in the late Founders of our Ghospell For thought t Tom. 1. in explanat Art 64. Zwinglius declining the triall of Antiquity saieth whereas Papists cry out Fathers Fathers I answere that neither Fathers nor Mothers shall cary it away but the word of God alone we will endure no other Iudge yet euery simple fellow doth know that Zwinglius erred notoriously and damnably in his exposition of the scriptures whence Luther protesteth that he was insathanized persathanized See the Tigurin Confess See Luth. Confess c. and supersathanized and in sondry places of his workes he challendgeth him for intolerable corruption of the Scripture 8. Howbeit Luther himself was not inferiour vnto Zwinglius in this kind And hence it is that u In respon ad Luth. Confess Zuinglius biddeth all men to behold consider how Sathan endeauored to possesse this whole man For whereas he doth erre very often and is miserably deceyued in the sense of Scripture he will compell God to excuse him to satisfy for him deuising this refuge and shift viz. If I be seduced Quàm certum est Deum esse Deum tam certus diabolicus mendax est Lutherus saith Campanus a renouned Zuinglian in colloq lat Luth. tom 2. fol. 351. or mistaken God hath seduced deceaued me c. 9. Werefore seing and estimating vprightly what immortall contentions and intestine conflicts passed betwixt our Founders and how this hereditary warr is descended vnto vs with farther addition and increase how could I belieue them or why should I not distrust my self hereafter in buylding my faith vpon that peculiar sense which a new and late Spiritt suggesteth contrary vnto the resolution of Fathers and Councells and the cleare consent of the Christian world O how iustly and fittly doth w Prascript c. 17. Tertullian insinuate vnto vs the condition of wrangling Hereticks He that is most exercised in holy Scriptures saith he may loose his voyce by contention with them purchase choler by their blasphemies For if we affirme any thing they will deny it yf we deny it they will affirme it and thus the victory will be none or very dubious or not certayn by this course 10. For theis and many more waighty considerations I setled my thoughts in this infallible position not doubting to find the concurrency of all wise discreete and learned Protestants with me in this behalf viz. See S. Aug. ep 118. This epistle is often cited against the Puritas namely by D. Whitgift against T. C. No exposition of Scripture is sound and perfect which is formed against the doctrine or practise of the knowen visible professing Church Whereunto I may add in remembrance of M. Iewells challendge this clause viz. for the space of 600. yeares after Christ §. 2. Some chief points in the former discourse to be obserued SECONDLY I considered the particulars of this discourse and waighed euery syllable as vprightly as I could ballance it in my vnpartiall reason For I did not favour the poore thing for the Authors sake nay I was more seuere vnto it in that respect 2. The conclusion of all was briefly this that the said discourse is TRVE or FALSE and so consequently either I must refute it or it must conuince me 3. If it be TRVE then my faith is conquered absolutely in this point and probably at the least if not necessarily in all the rest and specially wherein I haue dissented from the Romane Church 4. For Charity and Faith resemble each other in the nature of their processe Charity is the common bond of the Decalogue and tyeth all the precepts together Whence x Rom. 13.10 S. Paull sayeth that Loue is the fulfilling of the law and y 2. 10. S. Iames testifieth that VVhosoeuer breaketh one commandement he is guilty of all 5. Likewise Faith is * Ephes 4.4 one not in the matters belieued but in the manner of belieuing not in the object but in the habit All the Articles of our Creed all the doctrines of Christian Religion haue a iust connexion in the order course assurance of our belief whence morall reason doth dictate this rule vnto all mens vnderstandings that the certainty of errour in one point of faith doth prooue the vncertainty of truth in all euen as an errour in any one parcell of the Kings Patent maketh a nullity in his whole grant 6. I noted farther that as this Rule is infallible in all points of my faith a negative faith buylt for the most part ex destructione veritatis as z Praescript cap. 42. Tertullian speaketh of the heresies in his time so principally in this which consisteth in the impugnation of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead because I conceiued Nota. that the Papists doctrine herein was no lesse weake in fundation then it seemed dangerous in consequence 7. For which respect I promised a certayn victory vnto my self when first I singled forth this matter to be the subiect of my * With a Catholick in England dispute relying more vpon the weakenesse of mine aduersaries cause then vpon the confidence of mine owne strength 8. If it be FALSE then the contrary vnto it must needs be true For as there is a Truth in all things though more difficill and obscure in some then in others so it is but one and simple Yea truth and falsehood are so diametrically opposed the one affirmative the other negatiue that where all due circumstances are obserued there a Contradiction must necessarily ensue 9. Here I attempted as fairely and substantially as I could deuise to oppose a CONTRARY assertion vnto each particular going before For I conceiued that as this was a syncere and perfect way for me to discouer falsehood