gratiâ infinita increata That is Christ merited for all sufficiently on his part in that grace was found in him not as in a particular man but as in the Head of the whole Church for which cause the fruit of his passion might redound to all the members of the same Church and because as Damascene sayth by reason of the vnion of the natures of God and Man in his Person he doth the workes of a man in a more excellent sort then any meere man can do the benefite and force of his working and operation extended to the whole nature of Man which the action of a meere man cannot do The reason of which difference is not to be attributed to any habituall created grace but to that which is increate for that the finite grace that is in Christ that is his vertue and worke of vertue is availeable for the good of many it is from his infinite and increate Grace CHAP. 21. Of the benefits which wee receiue from Christ. HAuing spoken of the Satisfaction and Merit of Christ it remaineth that we speake of the benefites which we receiue from him which are all most fully expressed by the name of redemption which is the freeing of vs from that miserable bondage and captiuity wherein we were formerly holden by reason of Adams sin This bondage was twofold first in respect of sin and secondly in respect of punishment In respect of sinne we were bondmen to Sathan whose will we did according to that of the Apostle His seruants ye are to whom ye obey In respect of punishment we were become bondmen to Almighty God the righteous Iudge of the world who vseth Sathan as an instrument of his wrath and an Executioner of his dreadfull Iudgments against such as do offend him and prouoke him to wrath These being the kinds of captivity and bondage wherein we were holden it will not be hard to see how we are freed and redeemed from the same There is no redemption as the Diuines do note but either by exchange of prisoners by force and strong hand or by paying of a price Redemption by exchange of prisoners is then when wee set free those whom we hold as captiues taken from our Enemies that they may make free such as they hold of ours and this kind of redemption hath no place in the deliuerance of sinnefull men from sinne and misery but their deliuerance is onely wrought by strong hand and paying of a price For Christ redeemed vs from the bondage of sinne in that by the force and working of his grace making vs dislike it hate it repent of it and leaue it he violently tooke vs out of Sathans hands who tyrannically and vnjustly had taken possession of vs but from the bondage of punishment in respect whereof we were become Bondmen to Almighty God hee redeemed vs not by force and strong hand but by paying a price satisfying his justice and suffering what our sinnes had deserued that so being pacified towards vs he migh cease to punishvs and discharge Sathan who was but the Executioner of his wrath from afflicting vs any longer In this sort do wee conceiue of the worke of our redemption wrought for vs by Christ and therefore it is absurdly and vntruely sayd by Matthew Kellison in his late published Suruey of the supposed new religion that we make Christ an absurd Redeemer for we speake no otherwise of Christ the Redeemer then we haue learned in the Church and House of God But for the satisfaction of the Reader let vs see how he goeth about to conuince vs of such absurdity as hee chargeth vs with The Protestants sayth he do teach thē which nothing can be more absurd that Christs passion was our Iustice Merit Satisfactiō that there is no Iustice but Christs no good workes but his workes no merit but his merite no satisfaction but his satisfaction that there is noe justice or sanctitie inherent in man nor none necessary that no Lawes can bind vs because Christs death was the ransome that freed us from all Lawes Diuine Humane that no sinnes nor euil workes can hurt vs because Christs Iustice being ours no sinnes can make vs sinners that no Hell or Iudgment remaineth for vs whatsoeuer wee doe because Christs Iustice being ours sins can neither be imputed to vs in this life nor punished in the next and that herein consisteth Christian liberty A more shamelesse slanderer and trifling smatterer I thinke was neuer heard of For some of these assertions are vndoubted truths against which no man may oppose himselfe vnlesse he will be branded with the marke of impiety and blasphemy as that Christs passion is our justice merite and satisfaction that there is no merite properly soe named but Christs merite no propitiatory and expiatory satisfaction but Christs satisfaction and the other are nothing else but shamelesse and hellish slaunders and meere deuices and fancies of his idle braine without all ground of truth as that there is no justice nor sanctity inherent in Man nor none necessary that good workes are not necessary that noe lawes canne binde vs that noe sinnes nor euill workes canne hurt vs and that no hell nor judgment remaineth for vs whatsoeuer wee doe For we most constantly affirme and teach that there is both justice and sanctity inherent in Man though not so perfect as that hee may safely trust vnto it desire to bee judged according to the perfection of it in the day of Tryall Likewise wee teach that good workes are in such sort necessary to saluation that without Holinesse a desire at the least to performe the workes of sanctification no man shall euer see God Neither doe we say that no Lawes can binde vs as he slaunderously misreporteth vs but wee constantly teach that not to doe the things contained prescribed in the Law of God is damnable damning sinne if God vpon our repentance forgiue it not And therefore Bellarmine though hee wrongeth vs in like sort as Kellison doth yet in the end like an honest man he confesseth ingenuously that he doth wrong vs and sheweth at large that Luther in his booke de votis Monasticis defineth the liberty of a Christian to consist not in being freed from the duty of doing the things prescribed in the Law of God as if at his pleasure he might doe them or leaue them vndone but in that there are no works forbidden in the Law that may stand with Faith so euill that they can condemne vs nor none there prescribed performed by vs so good as to cleare defend justifie vs So making vs free non ab operibus faciendis sed defendentibus accusantibus that is not from the necessitie of doing the things that are commaunded as good but from seeking justification in workes or fearing condemnation for such euil workes as wee consent not fully vnto but dislike resist against and seeke remission of Whereunto Caluin agreeth teaching that Christian
OF THE CHURCH FIVE BOOKES BY RICHARD FIELD DOCTOR OF DIVINITY AND SOMETIMES DEANE OF GLOCESTER THE SECOND EDITION VERY MVCH AVGmented in the third booke and the Appendix to the same ·PECCATA·TOLLE·QVI·EMISTI·O·AGNE·DEI·IESV·CHRISTE ECCE·AGN DEI AT OXFORD Imprinted by WILLIAM TVRNER Printer to the famous Vniuersity 1628. TO THE ILLVSTRIOVS PRINCE THE DVKE OF BVCKINGAM HIS GRACE LORD HIGH ADMIRALL OF ENGLAND c. RIGHT HONOURABLE THat especiall fauour which your Grace was pleased to shew vnto the Author of this worke while he liued hath imboldned me to commend the worke it selfe as it is now inlarged vnto your Gracious protection And though the Authors particular obligement had not directed me in my choyce I know not vnto whom I might more fitly haue presented it then vnto your Grace who in a more peculiar manner then others haue vndertaken the protection of Schollers One example amongst many this Author might haue beene had hee liued but a little longer of your honourable care for the aduancement of learning and encouragement of Schollers The volume which I present vnto your Grace for the bulke and bignesse is not great especially if it be compared with the writings of our Aduersaries whose voluminous workes would make the ignorant beleeue that they had ingrossed all learning vnto themselues But asmany times wee may find in little men that strength of body and vigour of mind which is wanting in those of greater stature so experience telleth vs that amongst bookes the greatest are not alwaies the best Saepius in libro memoratur Persius vno Quam leuis in tota Marsus Amazonide And those that are acquainted with the writings of our Aduersaries are not ignorant how for the most part their great volumes are stuffed If a man will take the paines to reade them like those that digge in mines for gold he must expect to finde paruum in magno but a little gold in a great deale of vnprofitable earth Of this worke I thinke I might safely say thus much that it compriseth much in a little but I intend not a Panegyrique in the praise thereof If I giue it not that praise which it deserues my neare relation vnto the Author may be my excuse seeing whatsoeuer I should say would seeme rather to proceede from affection then judgment VVhat my opinion of it is I thinke I haue sufficiently expressed in that I haue thought it not vnworthy your Graces patronage And thus praying for the continuance of your Graces prosperous and happy estate I remaine Your Graces most humbly obliged seruant NATHANIEL FIELD TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD MY VERY GOOD LORD THE LORD Arch-bishop of CANTERBVRY his Grace Primate and Metropolitan of all England MOst Reuerend in Christ the consideration of the vnhappie diuisions of the Christian world and the infinite distractions of mens mindes not knowing in soe great variety of opinions what to thinke or to whom to joyne themselues euery faction boasting of the pure sincere profession of heauenly truth challenging to it selfe alone the name of the Church and fastning vpon all that dissent or are otherwise minded the hatefull note of Schisme and Heresie hath made me euer thinke that there is no part of heauenly knowledge more necessary than that which concerneth the Church For seeing the controuersies of Religion in our time are growne in number so many and in nature so intricate that few haue time and leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them what remaineth for men desirous of satisfaction in things of such consequence but diligently to search out which amongst all the societies of men in the world is that blessed company of holy ones that houshold of faith that Spouse of Christ and Church of the liuing God which is the Pillar and ground of truth that so they may embrace her communion follow her directions and rest in her iudgement Hence it commeth that all wise and iudicious men do more esteeme bookes of doctrinall principles than those that are written of any other argument and that there was neuer any treasure holden more rich and precious by all them that knew how to prize and value things aright than bookes of prescription against the profane nouelties of Heretiques for that thereby men that are not willing or not able to examine the infinite differences that arise amongst men concerning the faith haue generall directions what to follow and what to avoid Wee admitte no man sayth Tertullian in his booke of prescriptions to any disputation concerning sacred and diuine things or to the scanning and examining of particular questions of Religion vnlesse hee first shew vs of whom he receiued the faith by whose meanes he became a Christian and whether hee admitte and hold the generall principles wherein all Christians do and euer did agree otherwise prescribing against him as a stranger from the common-wealth of the Israel of God and hauing no part nor fellowship in this businesse But as in the daies of the Fathers the Donatists and other Heretickes including the Church within the compasse of Africa and such other parts of the world where they their consorts found best entertainment reiected all other from the vnity of the Church excluded them from hope of saluation and appropriated all the glorious things that are spoken of it to themselues alone soe in our time there are some found so much in loue with the pompe and glory of the Church of Rome that they feare not to condemne all the inhabitants of the world and to pronounce them to be Anathema from the Lord Iesus if they dissent from that Church and the doctrine profession and obseruations of it So casting into hell all the Christians of Graecia Russia Armenia Syria and Aethiopia because they refuse to be subiect to the tyranny of the Pope and the Court of Rome besides the heauie sentence which they haue passed against all the famous States and Kingdomes of Europe which haue freed themselues from the Aegyptiacall bondage they were formerly holden in These men abuse many with the glorious pretences of antiquity Vnity Vniuersality Succession and the like making the simple beleeue that all is ancient which they professe that the consent of all ages is for them and that the Bishops succeeding one another in all the famous Churches of the world neuer taught nor beleeued any other thing than they now doe whereas it is easie to proue that all the things wherein they dissent from vs are nothing else but nouelties and vncertaineties that the greatest part of the Christian world hath beene diuided from them for certaine hundreds of yeares that none of the most famous and greatest Churches euer knew or admitted any of their heresies and that the things they now publish as Articles of faith to be beleeued by all that will bee saued are so farre from being Catholike that they were not the doctrines of that Church wherein they and wee sometimes liued together in one communion but the opinions onely of
ever after restore them againe Hoc est Angelis casus quod hominibus mors saith Damascene The reason why God limited so short a time to them and assigned so long a time to men was because they were spirituall substances all created at once and that in the empyreall heauens and so both in respect of nature condition and place were most readily prepared disposed and fitted for their immediate everlasting glorification so that it was fit there should be set vnto them a short time to make choice of their future state never after to be altered againe to wit till their first deliberate conuersion vnto him or auersion from him But man being created in a naturall body to fill the world with inhabitants by procreation being set in a place farre remooued even in an earthly paradise had a longer time set him before he should be in finall stay or haue his last judgement passe vpon him to wit till death for particular and till the end of the world for generall judgement when the number of mankind shall bee full These are the reasons that mooued Almighty God that spared not the Angels to shew mercie vnto the sonnes of men So that as god in the day of the creation called foorth all both men and Angels from among the rest of his creatures to whom he denied the knowledge enjoying of himselfe that these onely might know feare and worship him in his glorious Temple of the world and be vnto him a selected multitude and holy Church so when there was found amongst these a dangerous Apostasie and departure from him he held of the Angels so many as hee was pleased and suffered them not to decline or goe aside with the rest and raised vp and severed out of the masse of perdition whom hee would among the sonnes of men The Angels now confirmed in grace and those men whom in the multitude of his mercies he deliuereth out of the state of condemnation and reconcileth to himselfe doe make that happie society of blessed ones whom God hath loved with an everlasting loue This society is more properly named the Church of God than the former consisting of men and Angels in the state of that integrity wherein they were created in that they which pertaine to this happie company are called to the participation of eternall happinesse with the calling of a more mighty potent and prevailing grace then the other For whereas they were partakers onely of that grace which gaue them power to attaine vnto and continue in the perfection of all happie good if they would and then In tanta felicitate non peccandi facilitate in so great felicitie and facilitie of not offending left to themselues to doe what they would and to make their choice at their owne perill These are partakers of that grace which winneth infallibly holdeth inseparably and leadeth indeclinably in the wayes of eternall blessednesse CHAP. 4. Of the Church of the Redeemed ALl these aswell Angels that stood by force of grace vpholding them as men restored by renewing mercy haue a most happie fellowship among themselues and therefore make one Church of God yet for that the sonnes of men haue a more full communion and perfect fellowship being all delivered out of the same miseries by the same benefit of gracious mercie Therefore they make that more speciall society which may rightly be named the Church of the redeemed of God This Church began in him in whom sinne beganne euen in Adam the father of all the liuing repenting after his fall and returning to God For we must not thinke that God was without a Church among men at any time but so soone as Adam had offended and was called to giue an account of that he had done hearing that voice of his displeased Lord and Creator Adam where art thou that so he might know in what estate he was by reason of his offence the promise was made vnto him that the seede of the woman should breake the serpents head Yet for that Abel was the first that the Scripture reporteth to haue worshipped God with sacrifice and to haue beene divided from the wicked in whom GOD had no pleasure euen cursed Cain that afterward shed his innocent blood therefore we vsually say the Church or chosē company of the redeemed of the Lord began in Abel who being slaine by Cain God restored his Church again in Seth in whose race and posterity he continued his true worship till Noe. In whose time the wickednesse of men being full hee brought in the flood destroyed the whole world Noe onely and his family excepted whom he made a preacher of righteousnesse to the world before and after the flood and chose from among his children Sem his eldest sonne in whose race hee would continue the pure and sincere knowledge of himselfe and the expectation of that promised seede that should breake the serpents head This Sem was the father of all the sonnes of Heber of whom the people of god were afterwards named Hebrewes who was also as some thinke Melchisedech in whose posterity the true Church continued so that God vouchsafed to be called the God of Sem till the dayes of Abraham in whose time there being a great declining to Idolatry after the flood as there was in the dayes of Noe before the flood so that the defection was found not onely amongst those that descended of Cham and Iaphet but euen among the children of Sem and the sonnes of Heber also of whom Abraham was God called him out from his fathers house and gaue him the promise that he would make his seede as the starres of heaven in number that in his seede all the nations of the world should bee blessed and gaue him the seale of circumcision so that all posterities haue ever honoured him with the name and title of the father of the faithfull This man obtayned a sonne by promise in his old age when Sara his wife was likewise old and it ceased to bee with her after the manner of women and named his name Isaac of whom came Esau and Iacob concerning whom GOD pronounced ere they were yet borne or had done good or euill The Elder shall serue the yonger I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau. Iacob therefore prevailed with God and was named Israel the father of the twelue Patriarches of whom came the twelue Tribes of Israel and that chosen Nation of holy Hebrewes who were also named Iewes of Iudah the Patriarch to whom the Scepter and kingly dignity pertained to whom his fathers sonnes bowed according to the tenour of Iacobs blessing concerning whom the Lord did promise that the Scepter should not depart from Iudah nor a law giuer from betweene his feete till the Shilo were come Great was the honour of this people aboue all the Nations of the World for vnto them were committed the
fallen into the last and worst times wherein shee is in her declining CHAP. 9. Of the name and title of Catholicke THe fift note assigned by them is the name and title of Catholicke which they say is an vndoubted proofe of the true Catholicke Church wheresoeuer it is found And because our aduersaries doe not more insolently boast and glory of any thing than of the bare and emptie name and title of Catholicke I will therefore make it euident to all them that know their right hand from their left that howsoever it was in the dayes of the fathers it is not now proper to the true Church but common to Schismatickes and Heretickes and therefore that it cannot now serue as a marke or note distinctiue whereby the true Church may bee knowen from mis-beleeuers This therefore is to bee reckoned amongst those things that are proper and peculiar to the true Church but not perpetually proper and so amongst those notes that may difference the true Church from the false at some times and not at others The title of Catholicke doth most fitly expresse those both Christian men and societies of Christians which hold the common faith without particular diuisions from the maine bodie of Christianitie While therefore there was but the maine body of Christianity at vnitie in it selfe and such portions of seduced and misseled people as apparantly diuided themselues from it the name of a Catholicke was a note and distinctiue marke or character to know and discerne a Catholicke from an Hereticke or Schismaticke by and the naming after the name of any man a note of particularity and hereticall or Schismaticall faction Wherevpon one of the auncient sayd fitly to this purpose Christian is my name and Catholicke is my surname by the one I am knowen from Infidels by the other from Heretickes and Schismatickes But when the maine body of the Christian Church diuided it selfe partly by reason of different ceremonies vses customes and obseruations partly through the ambitious striuings of the Bishops and Prelates of the greatest richest and most respected places partly by occasion of some different opinions the name of Catholicke remained common to either of the parts thus diuided sundred and rent one from another though on the one side rested not onely errour but heresie also in the opinion of the other For who knoweth not that the Christians of the Greeke and Orientall Church are and haue beene as generally named Catholickes as the friends and followers of the Westerne or Latine Church Neither haue they any name or note of faction as all auncient Heretickes had but as in former times before this schisme began for distinction sake the whole Christian Church was divided into two moities the one called the Occidentall or Latine and the other the Orientall or Greeke Church so are they by the same notes of difference and no other knowen at this day Yet are the Grecians Armenians Aethiopians and other in the East parts of the world in the iudgement of the Romanists not onely Schismatickes but Heretickes also It was therefore more than ordinary impudencie in Bellarmine to affirme that the name of a Catholicke is a note of true Catholicke profession when hee knew it to bee common to such as himselfe pronounceth Heretickes And it is yet more intolerable that he sayth there is no heresie which receiueth not her name from some particular man the authour and beginner of it and that whosoeuer are named after the names of men are vndoubtedly Heretickes For of what man had the Apostolici their name whose authour and first beginner was neuer knowen as Bernard sayth that wee might assure our selues the Devill was authour of that damnable Sect and who dare pronounce all the Thomists Scotists Benedictines and the like to be Heretickes That wee may therefore make his folly to appeare in that hee sayth concerning Heretickes and the naming after the names of men as wee did in the former part touching the name and title of Catholick wee must obserue that Heretickes sometimes haue their names from the matter wherein they erre as the Monothelites in old time and the Anabptists in ours the first affirming that there is but one will in Christ whence they were named Monothelites the other vrging rebaptization of such as are baptized by Heretickes whence they are named Anabaptists that is rebaptizers sometimes of that they arrogantly challenge to themselues and make pretence of as the Apostolici for that they challenged to themselues more than ordinary perfection as equalling the Apostles or comming neerer to their examples and presidents than other men sometimes of the place where they began and most prevailed as the Cataphriges sometimes of the first authour of their heresie as Maronites Donatistes and the like Thus then wee see all Heretickes haue not their names from men But they will say they were all Heretickes that were named after the names of men Surely it is not to bee denied but that the naming after the names of men was in the time of the Primitiue Church peculiar and proper to Heretickes and Schismatickes onely Neither were there any Christians in the first ages of the Church called after the names of men but such as followed wicked seducers in Schisme or Heresie wherevpon it was a sure rule in auncient times that whosoever professing thēselues Christians were named after the names of men as Nouatians of Nouatus Pelagians of Pelagius they were to bee holden for Heretickes This rule is deliuered by Hierom against the Luciferians sicubi c. If any where thou finde men professing Christianitie called after the particular names of men know them to bee the Synagogue of Antichrist and not the Church of Christ. But as the honourable title of Catholicke sometimes a note of the true and Orthodoxe Church is now ceased to bee so in like sorte the naming after the names of men sometimes a note of Heresie is now ceased to be so which to bee most true the sundry manifold and diuers names of Dominicans Franciscans Benedictins Augustinians Thomists Scotists and the like doe make it most apparant And besides this there are at this day innumerable Christians in the East parts of the world that are called Nestorians that hold not the Heresie of Nestorius nor any other speciall Heresie whence they might haue any such name of diuision faction or particularity For the better cleering of whatsoeuer may seeme doubtfull in this matter of names titles and appellations wee must obserue that they which professe the faith of Christ haue beene sometimes in these later ages of the Church called after the speciall names of such men as were the Authours deuisers and beginners of such courses of monasticall profession as they made choyce of to follow as Benedictins and the like sometimes of such principall men whose judgement and opinion they embraced and followed in sundry matters of great moment in the controversies of religion not yet determined by consent
the time of Tho Aquinas for he saith they did eat nothing in his time on their fasting daies till the 9th houre in which houre Christ gaue vp the ghost 14 they think it not lawfull to carry the Eucharist to them that are sicke 15 Touching marriage they haue these opinions 1 they think the state of marriage is not inferiour to virginity 2 they thinke if the son contract without consent of the father the father may voide the marriage so likewise the father of the wife 3 they think the bond of marriage is dissolued by adulterie that the parties separated may marry again 4 they permit not the father the son to marry with the mother the daughter nor 2 bretheren with 2 sisters 5 they dislike the marriage of widdowes of 60 yeares of age 6 they allow not the 4th marriage whereas Hierom saith non damno bigamos imò nec trigamos ac si dici potest octogamos that is I dare not condemne theÌ„ that marry the 2d 3d or 8th time 16 touching orders 1 they ordain children of 5 or 6 years of age deacons 2 no man is ordained a Priest or deacon amongst theÌ„ except he haue first contracted matrimony that with a virgin not with a widow or woman dishonoured but neither of these is permitted to marry a 2d wife 17 they think it vnlawfull to eat of things strangled or bloud 18 they judge it vnlawfull to fast Saturday or Sunday Lastly they teach that no man entreth into the kingdome of heauen vntill the generall judgement These Maronites are now said to bee joyned in Communion with the Church of Rome since the time of Clemens the eight but how far forth they haue changed either their opinions or their rites and ceremonies it doth not appeare These onely and the Indians of all the Christians of the Orient hold Communion with the Church of Rome Out of all that which hath beene said two things are obseruable First that by the mercifull goodnes of God all these different sortes of Christians though distracted and dissevered by reason of diuersity of ceremonies and outward obseruations different manner of deliuering certaine poynts of faith mistaking one another or variety in opinion touching things not fundamentall doe yet agree in one substance of faith and are so far forth orthodox that they retaine a sauing profession of all diuine verities absolutely necessary to saluation and are all members of the true Catholicke Church of Christ. The second that in all the principall controuersies touching matters of religion betweene the Papists and those of the reformed Churches they giue testimony of the trueth of that wee professe For first they all deny and impugne that supreame vniuersality of ecclesiasticall jurisdiction which the Bishop of Rome claimeth Secondly they thinke him subject to errour as all other Bishops are Thirdly they deny that hee hath any power to dispose the principalities and kingdomes of the world or depose kings Fourthly they acknowledge all our righteousnesse to be imperfect and that it is not safe to trust therevnto but to the meere mercy and goodnesse of God Fiftly they admit not the merit of congruence condignitie nor works of supererogation Sixtly they teach not the doctrine of satisfactions as the Romanists do 7 They beleeue not Purgatorie neither pray to deliuer men out of temporall punishments after this life 8 They reject the doctrine of the Romanists touching indulgences and pardons 9 They beleeue not there are seaven Sacraments 10 They omit many ceremonies in baptisme which the Roman Church vseth as spittle c. 11. They haue no priuate masses 12 They minister the communion in both kindes to all communicants 13 They beleeue not transubstantiation nor the new reall sacrificing of Christ. 14 They haue the diuine service in the vulgar tongue 15 Their priests are married and though they permit them not to marry a second wife without speciall dispensation yet if any doe they doe not voyde nor dissolue the marriage 16 They make no image of God 17 They haue no massie images but pictures onely 18 They thinke that properly God onely is to be invocated and howsoeuer they haue a kinde of invocation of Saints yet they thinke that God only heareth them and not the Saints CHAP. 2. Of the harsh and vnaduised censure of the Romanistes condemning all these Churches as Schismaticall and hereticall ALL these Churches societies of Christians in number many in extent large in multitudes of men and people huge and great in continuance most auncient in defence of the Christian faith constant and vndaunted though enduring the malice and force of cruell bloody potent enemies the Bishop of Rome with his adherents judgeth to be hereticks or at least Schismaticks consequently to haue no hope of eternall saluation for that it is on the perill of euerlasting damnation imposed vpon euery soule to bow do reuerence at the sight of his triple crowne to kisse his sacred feet to beleeue nothing more nor longer then his holinesse shall decree define And therefore the most part of the Christian world is plunged into hell abandoned into vtter darkenes reserued in chaines vnto the judgment of the last day euer since that schismaticall acte of the base ignoble contemptible Councel of 600 Bishops assembled at Chalcedon who forgetting themselues presumed to equall another B. to the peerelesse and incomparable Vicar of Christ his Vicegerent generall on earth in comparison of whose greatnesse all other Episcopall and Patriarchicall dignity regall or Imperiall maiestie is no more then the light of a candle at midday when the sunne shineth in strength But because wee haue not receiued the marke of this Antichrist and child of perdition in our foreheades nor sworne to take the foame of his impure mouth and froath of his words of blasphemie wherein hee extolleth himselfe aboue all that is named God for oracles and infallible certainty and the rule of our faith Let vs therefore see what that heresie schisme is that cutteth of from the company of right beleeuers in such sort that whosoever is convinced of it is thereby clearely without all hope of eternall life CHAP. 3. Of the nature of heresie of the diuerse kinds of things wherein men erre and what pertinacie it is that maketh an heritique HEresie is not every errour but errour in matter of faith nor every eâ—…ror in matter of faith For neither Iewes nor Pagans are said to bee heritickes though they erre most damnably in those things which every one that will be saued must beleeue and with all the malice fury and rage that can be imagined impugne the Christian faith and verity but it is the errour of such as by some kind of profession haue beene Christians so that only such as by profession being Christians depart from the trueth of Christian religion are named heritickes These are of two sorts For there are haeretici scientes and there are haeretici
persecuted and oppressed and so be incensed against so pertinacious and stiffe maintainers of the Churches confusions This counsaile would not be followed whence ensued this alteration of things wee now see resisted by the Pope and Papists set forward by many Christian Countries kingdomes and States and long before wished for and foretold before it came to passe For what is now done in this reformation which Cameracensis Picus Sauanorola Gerson and innumerable other worthy guides of Gods Church long before thought not necessarie to be done as appeareth by that wee haue already deliuered touching that matter Thus then it being evident that the number of lawes canons and customes formerly in vse and by vs taken away was a burthen to the Church and an insnaring of mens consciences That in the feasts fasts holy-dayes worship of God and honour of his Saints there were abuses in that very kinde which wee haue reprehended and that a reformation was wished for and the Popes were so farre from setting it forward that when they saw the States of the world ready to accomplish it euen with division of themselues from them they would in no sort consent vnto it though the wisest about them perswaded them to it as the likeliest way to keepe all in quietnesse seeing it was necessary for the good of the Church to free it selfe from that bondage it was formerly holden in vnder the Pope taking all into his owne hands by innumerable sleights and treading downe vnder his feete the Crownes of Kings and jurisdictions of Bishops as hath beene shewed and proued out of Authors not to bee excepted against seeing in matters of doctrine wherein we dissent from them we found vncertainty contradiction and contrarietie some saying that we now say and others that which they defend and the things they defend not hauiug the consenting testimony of other Churches in the world as of Armenia Grecia Aethiopia c. nor the certaine approbation of antiquity and the places of Scripture on which they were grounded being most apparantly mistaken as now in this light of the world themselues are forced to confesse seeing it is certaine there was great ignorance of tongues and all parts of good learning neglect of the studie of Scripture mixture without all judgment of things profane with divine seeing innumerable errours superstitions barbarismes and tautologies were crept into the prayers of the Church seeing there was great corruption ignorant mistaking and shamelesse forgeries of the monuments of antiquitie writings of Ecclesiasticall Authours in favour of errours then maintained which haue beene detected in this age wherein learning is revived and with and out of learning the purity of Religion seeing it was long before resolued the Church must be reformed that this reformation was neuer likely to be obtained in a generall Councell and that therefore seuerall kingdomes were to reforme themselues seeing it was then feared the proceeding in this reformation thus seuerally without generall consent would breed too great difference in the courses that would be taken as wee see it hath now fallen out to the great griefe of all well affected who mourne for the breaches of Sion seeing notwithstanding this disadvantage in that one part of Christendome knew not what another did in this worke of reformation nor consulted with other that so they might proceede in the same in one and the same sort yet it so fell out by the happy providence of God that there is no essentiall fundamentall or materiall difference among those of the reformed Religion whose confessions of faith are published to the view of the world howsoeuer the heate ignorant mistaking inconsiderate writings of some particular men the diversity of ceremonies rites obseruations make shew of a greater division than indeed there is it is most vndoubtfully cleare and evident if wee be not wilfully blinded that this alteration of things in our times was a reformation not as our adversaries blasphemously traduce it an heretical innovation CHAP. 13. Of the first reason brought to prooue that the Church of Rome holdeth the faith first deliuered because the precise time wherein errours began in it cannot be noted NOtwithstanding to stop the mouths of our adversaries whom a spirit of contradiction hath possessed and to satisfie all such as bee any way doubtfull I will by application of the notes of the Church formerly agreed vpon examine the matter of doubt and answere all such reasons as from thence are taken and by them vrged against vs either for proofe of their profession faith and the soundnesse of their owne Church or reproofe of ours The first note assigned by them is Antiquity by which they vnderstand not simply absolutely long continuance in the profession of Christianity but the retaining and hauing that faith which was first delivered to the Saints by the Apostles the immediate and prime witnesses of the trueth which is in Christ. Let us therefore see how they indeavour to make proofe that they now hold that auncient profession This they indeauour to demonstrate three wayes First it being confessed the Church of Rome was the true Church established in the faith by the blessed Apostles and the faith thereof commended and renowned throughout the world they thinke they can prooue there hath beene no change alteration or departure from that sincerity which some times was found in it Secondly they offer to shew the consent and agreement of that forme of doctrine they now teach and that the Fathers of the Primitiue Church did teach in their times and commended to posterity in their writings Thirdly they presume they can shew that our doctrine who dissent from them is nothing else but the renewing of old heresies long since condemned in the best times of the Church by consent of the whole Christian world If they could as easily proue these things as they confidently vndertake it there were no resisting against them But seeing they faile therein so much that very children may discerne their weakenesse therefore I will propose whatsoeuer I find alleaged by any of them in this kind that carrieth any shew of probability that all men may see how weakely their perswasion is grounded in these things which are of greatest consequence First therefore let vs see how they proue there hath been no change in the doctrine discipline profession and state of the Romane Church since the Apostles times In every great and notable mutation say they may bee obserued the author the time place beginnings increasings and resistance made against it But the protestants are not able to note these circumstances in that mutation in matters of religion which they suppose hath been in the Church of Rome Therefore it is evidently convinced there hath beene no such mutation For the more full answering of this obiection wee must obserue that there are 4 kinds of mutation or change in matters of religion The first when the whole essence
people that adhered to the Catholique verity who haue power to choose their Pastour to admitte the worthy and refuse the vnworthy did forsake the former that were wolues and not Pastours and submitted themselues to those of a better spirit Of the three first kindes of voidance there can bee no question of this fourth there may and therefore I will proue it by sufficient authoritie and strength of reason Cyprian Cecilius Polycarpus and other Bishoppes writing to the Cleargie and people of the Churches in Spaine whereof Basilides and Martialis were Bishoppes who fell in time of persecution denyed the fayth defiled themselues with Idolatry perswade them to separate themselues from those Bishoppes assuring them that the people beeing holy religious fearing God and obeying his lawes may and ought to separate themselues from impious and wicked Bishoppes and not to communicate with them in the matters of Gods service quando ipsa plebs maximè habeat potestatem vel eligendi dignos sacerdotes vel indignos recusandi that is seeing the people hath authority to choose the worthy and to refuse the vnworthy And Occam to the same purpose sayth on this sorte Si Papa maximè celebres episcopi incidant in haeresin ad Catholicos deuoluta est potestas omnis iudicandi If the Pope the principall Bishoppes of the Christian world doe fall into heresie the power of all Ecclesiasticall iudgement is deuolued to the inferiour Cleargie and people remaining Catholique This opinion of Cyprian and the rest if our aduersaries shall dislike or except against may easily be confirmed by demonstration of reason For if it do fall out that the Bishoppes and a great part of the people fall into errour heresie and superstition I thinke our aduersaries will not deny but that the rest are bound to maintaine and vphold the auncient veritie who being not so many nor so mighty as to bee able to eiect those wicked ones by a formall course of iudiciall proceeding what other thing is there left vnto them but either to consent to their impieties which they may not doe or to seperate themselues which is the thing our aduersaries except against in the people of our time Now hauing separated themselues from their former supposed and pretended Pastours what remaineth but that they make choise of new to bee ordained and set ouer them if not by the concurrence of such and so many as the strictnesse of the Canon doth ordinarily require to concurre in ordinations yet by such as in cases of necessity by all rules of equity are warranted to performe the same CHAP. 40. Of Succession and the proofe of the trueth of their doctrine by it THus hauing examined the allegation of the Papists endeuouring to prooue against vs that wee haue not the true Church amongst vs because as they falsely suppose wee lacke the visible Succession of Pastours and Bishops let vs see what they can conclude from this note of Succession for themselues In this part Bellarmine sheweth himselfe to be a notable trifler For first hee sayth that if there bee no Church where there is no succession then where there is succession continued the true Church doth remaine still Secondly being pressed with the example of the Graecians amongst whom a continuall succession of Bishops hath euer beene found hee answereth that succession doth not proue affirmatiuely that to bee the true Church where it is found but negatiuely that not to bee the true Church where it is wanting contrary to himselfe who requireth in the notes of the Church amongst which he reckoneth succession to be one of the prinpall that they be not only inseparable without which the true Church cannot bee but proper also and such as cannot be found in any other society but that which is the true Church of God Thirdly againe forgetting himselfe hee maketh succession proper to the true Church and such a note as may proue all those societies of Christians true Churches which haue it disliketh Calvin for saying that more is required to finde out the true Church than personall succession and that the Fathers did not demonstrate the Church barely by personall succession but by shewing that they that succeeded held the faith of those that went before them Thus he sheweth plainely that he knoweth not what he writeth This matter of succession Stapleton hath much more aptly delivered than Bellarmine confessing that not bare and personall succession but lawfull succession is a note of the true Church And defineth that to be lawfull succession when not only the latter succeede into the voide roomes of those that went before them being lawfully called therevnto but also hold the faith their predecessours did In this sort the Fathers were wont to reason from succession in the controuersies of Religion First they reckoned vp the successions of Bishops from the Apostles times then shewed that none of them taught any such thing as was then called in question but the contrary and consequently that the Apostles deliuered no such thing but the contrary To Bellarmines disiunction that either the Fathers made it appeare to Catholickes or to Heretickes that the succeeding Bishops held the same faith the former did we answere They made it appeare to both For so doth Irenaeus proue the tradition of the Apostles to be for him and against the Heretickes he refuteth because he can number all the Bishops in the principall Churches from the Apostles times downeward none of which euer taught any such thing as those heretiques dreamed but the contrary That which Bellarmine addeth that if it had appeared to heretiques that the true faith had beene kept by succeeding Bishops they would haue yeelded to it is as little to the purpose as the rest For we do not say it did apeare vnto them they held the truth but that they held the same faith their predecessours held Now though the Fathers made this appeare vnto them yet they feared not to oppose themselues as the same Irenaeus witnesseth affirming that when it was prooued against the heretiques of those times that in the succession of Bishoppes those that succeeded held the same faith the former did without any alteration and consequently the Apostles doctrine was still continued in their Churches they thought themselues wiser then the Apostles thēselues affirming that they mingled the Law and the Gospell together taking exceptions of ignorance and imperfection against them and their doctrine Thus then wee see the Fathers did not reason barely from personall sucession but by shewing affirmatiuely the faith they defended to haue beene receiued by all those Bishops whose succession they vrged against their aduersaries and negatiuely by proouing that none of them euer beleeued any such things as their adversaries dreamed If the Romanists wil dispute against vs in this sort and demonstrate that the Fathers successiuely held those opinions they do and that none of them were of that iudgment in matter of faith that
erre yet haue men other meanes to finde out the truth as namely the Scriptures and resolutions of former times which whosoeuer findeth is bound to beleeue though the rest of the Church not finding them may in the mercies of God be saued That which is alleaged out of the Fathers is to no purpose for they speake of the Church as it comprehendeth the faithfull that are and haue been which we confesse cannot erre in matters of faith CHAP. 5. Of the promises made vnto the Church how it is secured from errour and of the different degrees of the obedience we owe vnto it THe right vnderstanding of the promisses made and due consideration of the parties to whom they are made will leade vs to the right vnderstanding of the Churches infallibility and assurance of truth For seeing though they be made to all the faithfull generally and to the particular Churches as well as to the whole yet they are vnderstood to bee performed proportionably according to the measure and degree of each part but to the whole Church wholly and entirely the Church being particular not onely in respect of place but also of time the whole is not necessary to be performed to the Church of one time vnlesse wee speake of the Primitiue wherein the whole was originally but to the Church that comprehendeth the whole number of beleeuers that are and haue beene in which sense that promise is to bee vnderstood that the spirit shall leade the Church into all trueth Hither wee may refer those different degrees of obedience which wee must yeeld to them that commaund and teach vs in the Church of God excellently described and set downe by Waldensis We must sayth he reuerence and respect the authority of all Catholike Doctours whose doctrine and writings the Church alloweth wee must more regard the authority of Catholicke Bishops more then these the authority of the Apostolicke Churches amongst them more specially the Church of Rome of a generall Councell more thē all these yet we must not listen so to the determinations of these nor so certainly assent vnto thē as to the things cōtained in the Scripture or beleeued by the whole vniuersall Church that hath bin euer since the Apostles time but as to the instructiōs of our Elders fatherly admonitiōs We must sayth he obey without scrupulous questioning with all modesty of minde and reuerence of body with all good allowance acceptation and repose in the words of them that teach us vnlesse they teach us any thing which the authority of the higher and superiour controlleth yet so as then the humble and obedient children of the Church must not insolently insult vpon them from whom they are forced to dissent but must dissent with a reuerent childe-like and respectfull shamefastnesse Thus hee prooueth out of Augustine Tom 7. lib. 2. De baptismo contra Donatistas Who knoweth not sayth S. Augustine that the sacred and Canonicall Scriptures of the old and new Testaments are contained within their set certaine boundes and that they are so in such sort set in a higher degree of authority then any of the writings of the succeding Bishops that of them we may not doubt nor make any question whether it be true or right that is there contained but the writings of the Bishops of the Church which either haue beene published since the perfecting of the Canon of Scripture or which shall be hereafter may be censured and reproued by the wiser judgment of any that are skilfull in the same things whereof they write or by the grauer authority of other Bishops and the wisdome of them that are learned themselues and able to teach others and by the determinations of Councels if happily they haue gone aside from the truth And the Councels themselues which are holden in seuerall Countries and Prouinces must giue place to the authority of generall councels gathered assembled out of the whole Christian World of plenary Councels oftentimes the former are to be corrected by the later when by experience more perfect knowledge of things that which was shut is opened and that knowne which was hidden before Euery of these must be content to yeeld one to another without the puffe of sacrilegious pride without swelling arrogancie without euious contending with all holy humility with all Catholike peaceable disposition and Christian charity Thus then we thinke that particular men and Churches may erre damnably because notwithstanding others may worship God aright but that the whole Church at one time cannot so erre for that then the Church should cease vtterly for a time and so not be Catholicke being not at all times and Christ should somtimes be without a Church yet that errours not preiudicing the saluation of them that erre may be found in the Church that is at one time in the world we make no doubt only the whole symbolicall and catholike Church which is and was beeing wholly free from errour Thus touching the possession of the rich treasures of heauenly truth I haue sufficiently cleared our iudgment which is the same that all wise and learned men haue euer beene of to wit that the Church which comprehendeth the whole number of belieuers that are and haue beene since Christ appeared in the flesh so including the Apostles can neither erre in nor be ignorant of any thing that was to be reuealed by Christ the eternall Word and Angell of the great Couenant of God Secondly that the Church that comprehendeth all the faithfull that are and haue beene since the Apostles may be ignorant of some things which in processe of time shall be known but cannot erre in any thing Thirdly that all the Pastours of this Church cannot erre Fourthly that all the Pastors that haue committed the treasure of their wisdome learning to writing cannot erre in any thing wherein they consent in their writings because it is not possible that they should all haue writen of any thing but such as touch the very life of the Christian faith generally receiued in all their times Fiftly that it is not possible that all that doe speake of a thing consenting together should erre if it be a matter of substance and if in euery age some haue written of it though many that haue written be silent and say nothing of it Sixtly that the most famous renowned in all ages consenting in any thing that toucheth the substance of the Christian faith no man dissenting from them without note of nouelty singularity may not without intolerable rashnesse be charged with errour Seuenthly that though the writings of the auncient may be much corrupted so that the cōsent of antiquity cānot alwaies be easily known yet there will be euer some meanes to find it out to discry the errours and frauds of the corruptors so I vnderstād that of Vincentius Lirinensis that the iudgmēt of antiquity is to be sought out at the very first rising of heresies not
of Canonicall bookes a tradition must necessarily receiue it from a certaine and constant report of the ancient But hereof no more in this place because the exact handling of it pertaineth to another place to wit touching the Scriptures CHAP. 13 Of the Churches authority to iudge of the differences that arise touching matters of faith THus hauing spoken of the Churches assured possession of diuine truth and her office of teaching testifying and proposing the same the next thing that followeth is her authority to judge of the differences that may arise touching matters of the faith taught by her or any part thereof and more specially touching the interpretation of the Scriptures and word of God Iudgement is an acte of reason discerning whether a thing be or not and whether it be that it seemeth to be and is thought or said to be This judgment is of two sortes The first of definitiue and authenticall power The second of Recognition The judgement of authenticall power defining what is to bee thought of each thing and prescribing to mens consciences so to thinke is proper to God being originally found in the father who by his sonne as by the immediate and prime messenger and Angell of his secret Counsell and by the holy Ghost as the spirit of illumination maketh knowne vnto men what they must thinke and perswadeth them so to thinke So that the supreame judgement wherein the conscience of men doeth rest in the things of GOD is proper to GOD who onely by his spirit teacheth the conscience and giueth vnto it assurance of truth Neither is God the supreme Iudge onely inrespect of the godly who stay not till they resolue their perswasions into the certainty of his diuine testimony and vndoubted authority but also in respect of the wicked who in their erronious conceipts are judged by him and of whose sinister and vile courses he sitteth in judgement while he confoundeth their tongues diuideth them one from another maketh them crosse themselues and bringeth all they doe to nothing This judgement all are forced to stand vnto and this is that that maketh a finall end of all controversies according to that of Gamaliel If this thing be of God it will prosper and prevaile and wee inresisting it shall be found fighters against God if not it will come to naught Thus then the judgement of God the father as supreme the judgement of the sonne as the eternall word of God of the spirit as the fountaine of all illumination making vs discerne what is true is that in which wee finally rest The judgement or determination of the word of God is that wherein wee rest as the rule of our faith and the light of Diuine vnderstanding as that whereby we iudge of all things The judgement of Recognition is of three sorts For there is a judgement of discretion common to all Christian men a judgement of direction proper to the guides of the Church and a judgement of jurisdiction proper to them that are in cheife places of authority The first of these is nothing else but an acte of vnderstanding discerning whether things be or not and whether also they bee that which they seeme to bee The second endeuoureth to make others discerne likewise and the third by authority suppresseth all those that shall thinke and pronounce otherwise then they judge that haue the judgement of Iurisdiction Touching the judgement of Recognition wee acknowledge the judgement of the vniuersall Church comprehending the faithfull that are and haue beene to be infallible In the Church that comprehendeth onely the beleeuers that liue at one time in the world there is alwayes found a right judgement of discretion and right pronouncing of each thing necessary all neuer falling into damnable errour nor into any error pertinaciously but a right judgement of men by their power of jurisdiction mantayning the truth and suppressing errour is not alwayes found So that sometimes almost all may conspire agaâ—…nst the truth or consent to betray the sincerity of the Christian profession as they did in the Councells of Ariminium Seleucia in which case as Occam aptly obserueth out of Hierome men haue nothing left vnto them but with sorrowfull hearts to referre all vnto God If sayth Hierome iniquity prevaile in the Church which is the house of God if iustice be oppressed if the madnes of them that should teach guide others proceed so farre as to pervert all the straight wayes of God to receiue rewards to doe wrong to treade downe the poore in the gates and to refuse to heare their complaynts let good men in such times hold their peace let them not giue that which is holy vnto dogges let them not cast pearles before swine least they turne againe and trample them vnder â—…eete let them imitate Ieremie the Prophet who speaketh of himselfe in this sort I sate alone because I was full of bitternesse Euen so sayth Occam when heresies prevaile in the Christian world when truth is trampled vnder feete in the streetes and Prelates Princes being enemies to it endevour with all their power to destroy it when they shall condemne the doctrine of the Fathers molest disquiet and murder the true professours let good men in such times hold their peace keepe silence and be still let them not giue holy things to dogges nor cast pearles before swine least they turne and tread them vnder feete least they wrest and abuse the Scriptures to their owne perdition and the scandall of others but let them with the Prophet sit alone and complaine that their soules are full of bitter heavinesse CHAP. 14. Of the rule of the Churches judgment THus hauing set downe the diuerse kinds of iudgment which must determine and end all controuersies in matter of faith and religion it remaineth to shewe what is the rule of that iudgment whereby the Church discerneth betweene truth and falsehood the faith and heresie and to whom it properly pertaineth to interpret those things which touching this rule are doubtfull As the measure of each thing is that by vertue whereof wee know what it is and the quantity of it so the rule is that by application whereof wee know whether it be that which it should be and be so as it should be The rule of action is that whereby we know whether it be right and performed as it should be or not The rule of doctrine is that whereby wee know whether it be true or false The rule of our faith in generall whereby we know it to be true is the infinite excellencie of God who in eminent sort possesseth all those perfections which in the creatures are diuided and found in an inferiour sort in the full perfect vnion with whom and inioying of whom consisteth all happinesse For by this rule we know that the doctrine of faith which only professeth to bring vs backe to God to possesse and enioy him not as he is participated of vs but as he
Diuine Reuelation Origen in his Preface before the Gospell of Iohn sayth that Iohn the sonne of Zebedee saw in the Reuelation an Angell flying thorow the middest of heauen hauing the eternall Gospell The Councell of Ancyra pronounceth it to bee sacred and that Iohn was the author of it Thus then I hope it doth appeare that there is not so much reason to doubt of the bookes of the newe Testament called sometimes in question as of those of the old seeing the former were neuer doubted of but by some fewe vpon reasons friuolous the weakenesse whereof being discouered all Catholike Christians with one consent receiued them accounting them no better than Heretickes which either doubted of them or denied them whereas the later were rejected by the whole Church of the Iewes by all antiquity and the whole current of Gods Church some fewe onely excepted being ignorant of the tongues and not exactly looking into the monuments of antiquity and diuided amongst themselues some admitting more and some not all those which our aduersaries now receiue Wherefore as wee cannot but condemne the inconsiderate rashnesse of such either of the Romish or reformed Churches as in our time make question of any of the bookes of the newe Testament that are and haue beene long read in the Churches of GOD as Canonicall throughout the whole world so likewise wee thinke their boldnesse inexcusable who in these last ages make those bookes Canonicall which neuer were so esteemed by Gods Church before and goe about to binde all mens consciences soe to receiue them against the current of antiquity and the iudgement of the best learned in euery age euen to our times CHAP 25. Of the diuers editions of the Scripture and in what tongue it was originally written THus hauing shewed that the Scripture containeth a perfect rule of our faith and hauing likewise made it appeare what bookes they are which are canonicall and containe this rule of our Christian faith and Religion it remaineth that wee search out what editions there are of these Scriptures and which are authenticall and of indubitate authority and credit The whole Scripture of the old Testament was written in Hebrewe saue that some fewe things were translated into the bookes of Esdras and Daniel out of the publike recordes and monuments of the Chaldees in that tongue as the copies of letters and publike actes and proceedings all things which the spirit of God did absolutely deliuer being expressed vnto vs in the same bookes in Hebrewe The opinion of some hath beene that the whole Scripture of the old Testament perished and was lost in the time of the captiuity of Babylon and that it was newly composed by Esdras To which purpose they alleage the authority of Basil who seemeth to say some such thing and likewise the testimony of the author of the fourth booke of Esdras where it is sayd that the bookes of the lawe being burnt God sent the holy Ghost into Esdras separated him from the people for the space of fortie daies caused him to prouide boxe tables and men writing swiftly and that in forty dayes they wrote twoe hundred and foure bookes but this booke being Apochryphall full of Cabalisticall vanity doth rather weaken then strengthen this opinion That which is alledged out of the second of Esdras and the eight doth not proue that Esdras did newely compose the bookes of Scripture but only that he brought them forth which implyeth that they were not vtterly lost nor did wholly perish Neither indeed is it likely though that Scripture which was kept in the Temple was burnt that Ezechiell Daniell Ieremie Haggai Zacharie Mardocheus and Esdras himselfe were so negligent as not to preserue the bookes of the Scripture So that all that Esdras did was nothing else but the bringing together and putting into order the scattered partes of this scripture and the correcting of such faults as in time by the negligence of the writers were crept into the seuerall Copies of it This point is handled at large by Bellarmine and excellently cleared by him and therefore it is needlesse to insist vpon it longer So then the same scripture which Moses and the Prophets deliuered Esdras sought out and religiously commended vnto the people Onely Hierome is of opinion that hee found out newe Hebrewe letters and left the old to the Samaritans which Bellarmine out of Hierome confirmeth because the last letter of the Hebrewe Alphabet was like the Greeke T and had a similitude of the Crosse as that of the Samaritanes now hath but that now hath no similitude with it Picus Mirandula professeth that hauing conferred with sundry Iewes about this matter they all constantly denyed this alteration of letters And to what purpose should Esdras alter the forme of letters which MOSES and the Prophets had vsed Neither doth Hierome in the place cited by Bellarmine speake of the Greeke T but sayth onely that the last of the auncient Hebrew letters had a similitude of the Crosse as now that of the Samaritans hath But this being a matter of no great moment let euery man judge as he thinketh best This then we constantly hold that as the whole Scripture of the Olde Testament was written in Hebrew so the same neuer perished wholly in any of the captiuities of the Iewes but was religiously preserued euen the same which Moses and the Prophets deliuered to the people of God After the returne of the people from Babylon their tongue language was mixed of the Hebrew Chaldee and named the Syriacke tongue from the Region or Countrey vvhere it was vsed in which Christ made all his Sermons to the people as being best vnderstood of them Yet were not the bookes of the New Testament written in this Language but in Greeke because they were to be made common to the Churches of the Gentiles among which the Greeke tongue was most generally vnderstood There are three tongues most famous in the world as Hugo de Sancto Victore noteth the Latine Greeke and Hebrew propter regnum sapientiam legem the first because of the Monarchy of the Romanes who as they subjected the people which they did conquere to their lawes customes so they did force them to learne their language the second because in it the great Philosophers and Wise men of the world left the monuments of their wisedome learning to posterities the third because in it God deliuered his Law the interpretation of it by Moses and the Prophets to the people of Israell his chosen Amongst all these the Greeke was most generally vnderstood by the learned of all Nations because in it all the renowned wise men of the world had written all that were studious learned it that they might vnderstand their writings Hence it came that the books of the New testament were written in Greek because God would not honour one Nation of the world more then another nor
commissions they authorized others to preach the Gospell administer Sacraments to binde and loose and to performe other like pastorall duties sanctifying and ordayning them to this worke by the imposition of hands These they honoured with the glorious title of Presbyters that is fatherly guides of Gods Church and people and knowing the weight of the burden they layd on their shoulders added vnto them as assistantes other of an inferiour degree and rancke whom they named Deacons or Ministers Amongst these fatherly guides of Gods Church and people for the preuenting of dissention the avoyding of confusion and the more orderly managing of the important affaires of Almighty God they established a most excellent diuine and heavenly order giuing vnto one amongst the Presbyters of each Church an eminent fatherly power so that the rest might doe nothing without him whom for distinctions sake and to expresse the honour of his degree and place afore and aboue other wee name a Bishoppe And farther by a most wise disposition provided that amongst Bishoppes all should not challenge all things vnto themselues but that there should be in seuerall provinces seuerall Bishops who should be first and chiefe amongst the brethren and againe constituted and placed certaine other in greater cities who might take care of more then the former The former of these were named Metropolitanes the later were knowen by the name of Patriarchs or chiefe Fathers who also in order and honour were one before and after another By meanes of this order established by the Apostles of Christ among the guides of Gods people and receiued and allowed by the first and Primitiue Christians vnity was preserued the parts of the Church holden fast together in a band of concordant agreement questions determined doubtes cleared differences composed and causes aduisedly deliberately heard with all indifferencie and equity Fow how could there bee any breach in the Christian Churches when none were ordained Presbyters in any Church but by the Bishop the rest of the Presbyters imposing their hands on them together with him None admitted to the degree and order of a Bishop but by the Metropolitane and other Bishops of the Prouince sufficiently approuing that they did to the people ouer which they set him None receiued as a Metropolitane vnlesse being ordained by the Bishops of the Province vpon notice giuen of their orderly proceeding the sincerity of his faith and profession he were confirmed by the Patriarch Nor none taken for a Patriarch though ordained by many neighbour Bishops till making knowne the soundnesse of his profession and the lawfulnesse of his election and ordination to the rest of the Patriarches hee were allowed receiued by them as one of their ranke and order Or what feare could there be of any wrong injustice or sinister proceedings in the hearing of causes and determining of controversies vnlesse there were in a sort a generall failing When if there grew a diffence betweene a Bishop and his Presbyters or if either Presbyter Deacon or inferiour Cleargy-man disliked the proceedings of his Bishop there lay an appeale to the Metropolitane who had power to re-examine the matter in a Synode and to see they were not wronged And if either Clearke or Bishop had ought against the Metropolitane it was lawfull for them to appeale to the Primate or Patriarch who in a greater and more honourable Synode was to heare the matter and to make a finall end When if any variance rose between any of the Patriarchs and their Bishops or amongst themselues it was lawfull for the Patriarchs that were aboue and before them in order and honour to interpose themselues and with their Synods to judge of such differences and in such cases as could not so be ended or that cōcerned the faith the state of the whole vniuersall Church there remained the judgment and resolution of a generall Councell wherein the Bishop of the first See was to sit as President and Moderatour and the other Bishops of the Christian world as his fellow Iudges and in the same commission with him This order continued in the Church from the Apostles times and wrought excellent effects till the Bishop of Constantinople first sought and after him the Bishop of Rome obtained to be not only in order and honour before the rest as anciently he had beene but to haue an absolute and vniuersall commaunding power ouer all that either by fraud or violence he could bring into subjection Whence followed horrible confusion in the Christian Church and almost the vtter ruine and desolation of the same For after that this childe of pride had in this Lucifer-like sort advanced himselfe aboue his brethren hee thrust his sickle into other mens haruests hee encroached vpon their bounds and limits hee pretended a right to confer all dignities whether electiue or presentatiue to receiue appeales of all sorts of men out of all parts of the world nay without appeale or complaint immediatly to take notice of all causes in the Diocesses of all other Bishops so ouerthrowing their jurisdiction and seizing it in his owne hands Hee exempted Presbyters from the jurisdiction of their Bishops Bishops of their Metropolitans and Metropolitanes of their Primates and Patriarches and leauing vnto the rest nothing but a naked and empty title tooke vpon him to determine all doubts and questions of himselfe alone as out of the infallibility of his judgment to excommunicate degrade depose againe to absolue reconcile and restore to heare and judge of all causes as out of the fulnesse of his power Neither did he there stay but hauing subjected vnto him as much as in him lay all the members of Christs body and trampled vnderneath his feete the honour dignity of all his brethren and collegues hee went forward and challenged a right to dispose of all the kingdomes of the world as being Lord of Lords and King of Kings To this height he raised himselfe by innumerable sleights and cunning devices taking the advantage of the ignorance superstition negligence and base disposition which hee found to be in many of the guides of the Church in those dayes and by their helpe and concurrence preuailing against the rest that were of another spirit Neither did he demeane himselfe any better after he had attained to this his desired greatnesse for such was his pride insolencie and tyrannie and such soe many and vnsupportable were the burthens he layd on the shoulders of them that were noe way able to beare them that the voyces of complaint and murmuring were euery where heard and the mindes of all men filled with discontentment and desire of alteration which after many longing desires of our ancestours hath beene effected in our time God at the last hearing the cryes of his people and stirring vp the heroicall spirits of his chosen seruants to worke our deliuerance to take the burthens from our shoulders the yoake from our necke and to bring vs out of that Babylon wherein
liberty freeth not frō the duety of doing the things which the Law requireth but frō doing them so as to haue them examined tryed strictly according to the Law rule of Iustice God in mercy accepting our works though imperfect if they proceed frō a good conscience faith vnfained But saith Kellison the Protestants teach that Christ came to bee a Redeemer only not a Law-giuer therefore it seemeth they thinke men free from the duety of following the prescription of any Law This surely is a very bad weake inference Christian men haue nothing to doe with Moses his Law and may at their pleasure either breake it or keep it because Christ came to be a Redeemer not a Law-giuer For though it be true that Christ came not to giue a new or more perfect Law of morall duties or to vrge it more strictly then Moses did as some imagine in which sense our Diuines rightly deny him to haue come as a Law-giuer yet hee came to fulfill the Law formerly giuen by the Ministery of Moses which thing hee performed first by clearing the meaning of it and making it to be rightly vnderstood where it was mistaken Secondly by meriting remission of the precedent breaches and transgressions of it And thirdly by giuing grace that men may in some sort doe the things it requireth Wherefore if any man aske of vs whether it may be truly said that Christ was a Law-giuer to his Church we answer that our Diuines did neuer simply deny Christ to be a Law-giuer but onely in sort before expressed For they confesse that he may truely be so named first because he writeth those Lawes in our hearts which Moses deliuered written in Tables of stone and secondly because hee gaue certaine positiue Lawes to Christian men touching Sacraments Ministery and outward meanes of saluation that were not of force before Wherefore to conclude this point we do not think as Kellison slaunderously against his own conscience reporteth of vs that no sins can hurt vs that no Hell nor Iudgement remaineth for vs whatsoeuer we doe but wee constantly teach that they who commit sinne with full consent and persist therein shall vndoubtedly perish euerlastingly So that this is all that we say that no sins how grieuous soeuer resisted disliked repented of forsaken can hurt vs that no Hell nor Iudgement remaineth for them whom the working of diuine grace freeth from the dominion of sin and the satisfaction of Christ from the condemnation of it Against which doctrine or any part of it neither Kellison nor any Papist in the world is able to take any just exception CHAP. 22. Of the Ministery of them to whom Christ committed the publishing of the reconciliation betweene God and Men procured by him THus haue wee seene first the excellency of Christ our Sauiour whom God sent into the world in the fulnesse of time to bee the great Sheepheard of his Sheepe the guide of his people the light of the Gentiles the glory of Israel and a King to fit vpon the throne of Dauid for euer hauing all power both in Heauen and in Earth Secondly what great thinges hee did and suffered for vs to reconcile vs vnto God Thirdly what the benefits are which hee procured for vs and bestowed on vs. Now it remaineth that wee see to whom he committed the publishing of the joyfull reconciliation betweene God and Man the conversion of the world vnto himselfe and the gouernment of such as should by beleeuing become his people when hauing finished the great worke he came to performe he was to returne backe to that God his Father that sent him The Apostle Saint Paul telleth vs that Christ hauing triumphed ouer principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly vpon his Crosse led captiuitie captiue and gaue gifts vnto men that hee gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints the worke of the Ministery and the edifying of the body of Christ vntill wee all meete in the vnitie of Faith and knowledge of the Son of God into a perfect Man euen into the measure of the Age of the fulnesse of Christ. Amongstall those Messengers of glad tidings and Ministers of Christ appointed by him for the gathering together of the Saints the Apostles were chiefe and principall Evangelists were assistants which they vsed for the better settling perfecting of thinges happily begunne by them and the writing of the Euangelicall histories concerning Christ The Prophets were such as foretold future thinges that knew all secrets and opened the hidden mysteries of God speaking to the consciences of Men in a strange and admirable manner so that as the Apostle telleth vs They that heard them prostrated themselues at their feete acknowledging that God was in them These were temporary and to continue but for a time In the Apostles two sorts of thinges are to bee considered and distinguished by vs first such as were proper to them as fitting to those first beginnings of Christianity and secondly such as are of perpetuall vse and necessity and so to bee passed ouer to other and continued to the end of the world The Diuines do note that there were foure things proper peculiar to the Apostles not communicable to any other of the Ministers of Christ appointed by him for the gathering together of his Saints The first was Immediate vocation the second Infallibility of Iudgment the 3d generality of Commission to do all things pertaining to the ministery of Saluation in all places towards all Persons the fourth the speaking in all the tongues and languages of the world the knowledge of all secrets and power to confirme their Doctrine by signes and miracles and by the imposition of their hands to giue the like miraculous gifts of the Spirite to others These joyntly were not communicable to any other in those times neither Evangelists nor Prophets as either not being called immediatly but appointed by the Apostles or not infallibly led into all truth Generall commission they had not but were taken into the fellowship of the Apostles labours to assist their presence supply their absence to build vpon their foundation and to perfect that they beganne Lastly though the hauing of miraculous gifts and the power of working miracles simply were not proper to the Apostles yet the hauing of them in such sort as by the imposition of their hands to giue the Spirit enabling to worke miracles to doe miraculous things was peculiar and proper to them and therefore we reade that Philip baptized but that the Apostles went to confirme them by imposition of hands that were baptized by him that so they might receiue the miraculous gifts of the holy Ghost And as these things were reserued as proper and peculiar vnto the Apostles and not communicated to any other in their time soe are they not passed ouer
that if the Apostles were equall in the respect they had to the people as gouernours of the same they were so far forth in that respect equall amongst thēselues But they will say perhaps that the Apostles were indeed equall amongst themselues in the power office of teaching directing guiding gouerning the Christian World but that yet amongst themselues there was an inequality one was superior had power ouer the rest not in respect of the acts of their office of teaching gouerning the world but in respect of their personall actions This surely is one of the strangest paradoxes that euer was heard of For who can imagine that God would trust the Apostles with the managing of the weightiest affaires of his Church the gouernment of the whole world without being any way accountant in respect thereof vnto any one amongst thē as superiour that he would appoint an head chief subject them to his censure in their personall actions Nay this is impossible cannot be For if in their office of teaching gouerning the rest of the Church they were equall could not therein be limited or restrained one by another then was there none amongst them that could put any of the rest from his office dignity and imployment Now it is most cleare and certaine that he who hath not power to suspend another from the execution of his office in the Church hath no power to suspend him frō the Sacraments or to excōmunicate him whatsoeuer his personall misdemeanours be For as to be a Minister of the Church presupposeth to bee a member of it soe to be put from being a member of the Church implyeth and presupposeth a putting from all office and dignity in the Church soe that there neither was nor could bee any amongst the Apostles that had power to put any of the rest out of the Church or to suspend them from the vse of the Sacraments seeing there was none found amongst them that had authority to limit restraine or debarre any of the rest from the execution of his office and therefore all that any one of them could do in respect of another was but to admonish him vpon his rejecting of such admonitions to refuse to communicate with him which thing any one may doe in an absolute equality as well as when one is superiour to another as we see by the example of Paul reprouing Peter and resisting him to his face and likewise by that of Paul and Barnabas parting the one from the other vpon such dislikes and differences as grew betweene them Wherefore I suppose our Aduersaries will not much insist vpon this their first shift and evasion Let vs see therefore if their second be any better It is true say they that all power Ecclesiasticall and all degrees of the same are included and implyed in the Apostolique office and dignity that the Apostles as Apostles were all equall and consequently that there was no one amongst the Apostles but in his time had as much to doe in gouerning of the Church as Peter without receiuing any thing from him or being any way subiect to his controule and to be restrained limited or directed by him But this amplitude of power whicch all the Apostles had in common the rest had onely for themselues and as a personall priuiledge that was to end with them but Peter had the same in such sort that he might leaue it to to his Successours Soe that that power which in the rest was Apostolique and temporary and to end with them was ordinary Pastorall and perpetuall in Peter and to be deriued from him to his Successours and after-commers Surely this second evasion will be found much worse then the first for it is absurd to say that Peter left all the dignity and Ecclesiasticall power he had in common with the rest of the Apostles to his successours for then all Popes should be immediately chosen by God not by the Cardinals then should they all be consecrated and ordained immediately by Christ not by Bishops then should they all see Christ in the flesh then should they all haue power to write bookes of Canonicall Scripture and be free from danger of erring whensoeuer they either preach or write for so the Apostles were yea then should they confirme their doctrine by miracles and giue the Holy Ghost by imposition of their Hands Whereas yet noe Pope dareth challenge any one of these preeminences If they say that all the dignity and power that was in the Apostles vvas not ordinary Pastorall and perpetuall in Peter and soe to be passed ouer to his Successours but some part of it onely it is just nothing they say For then this is all that they affirme that some part of that dignity and power that was in Peter is in Peters Successours and so there is in the silliest Priest in the world But they will say immediate vocation the seeing of Christ in the flesh infallibility of judgment power to write Canonicall bookes of Scripture and the confirmation of doctrine by miracles together with the giuing of the holy Ghost by imposition of hands were fitting to the first beginnings of Christianity and not of perpetuall necessity and vse and therefore to cease after things were established but that vniversality of jurisdiction and a kind of infallibility of judgment are perpetually necessarie and therefore these were to passe from Peter to others though the rest of the Apostolique preeminences were not Thus then first they amplifie the excellent dignities of Peter as if the rest had not had the like but being conuinced that hee had nothing the rest had not they make shew as if they would proue that the Apostle S. Peter had all those things in such sort that hee might leaue them to his Successours which the rest had as personall priuilidges onely because hee is described to be a Pastour of the Church in that CHRIST sayth vnto him Feed my sheepe and the office of a Pastour is of perpetuall necessity But being vrged that there are many excellent dignities found in Peter and the rest that are not communicable to any other as immediate vocation seeing of CHRIST in the flesh absolute infallibilitie in word and writing speaking in diuerse tongues power to doe miracles and power to giue the visible giftes of the holy Ghost by the imposition of hands they confesse that precisely Peters being a Pastour of the Christian Church will not proue that anie dignitie of his mentioned in the Scripture is perpetuall pastorall and to continue for euer vnlesse the necessity of the perpetuity of it bee made to appeare otherwise Whence it will follow that they cannot proue that any speciall preeminences in Peter which hee had in common with the rest as namely infallibility of judgment and vniuersality of Iurisdiction were Pastorall and perpetuall in him and to bee passed from him to his after-commers and thereby entitle the Pope vnto them For
as being against the Canons and yet tolde Chrysostome there was no helpe nor no meanes to releeue him but in a generall Councell which by all possible meanes he will labour to procure till which time hee must be content and referre all to God who taketh care of these things But with how ill successe hee sought to procure a generall Councell for the restoring of him to his place againe wee may finde in k Sozomene who reporteth that being desirous that Chrysostome might returne he sent with those Orientall Bishops that came to him to intreate his helpe and assistance fiue Bishops and two Presbyters to Honorius Arcadius to obtaine a Councell and to haue the time appointed who were so farre from prevailing and obtaining that they sought that they were sent away with disgrace as forreine and outlandish disturbers of the state of the Empire These are the principall and most materiall circumstances of the narration and report of the vniust deposition of Chrysostome his writing to the Bishop of Rome and the answer hee had from him and the other Bishops of the West which make most strongly against the pretended supremacie of Popes For Innocentius telleth Chrysostomes friends that it lyeth not in him to helpe him but in a generall Councell And though hee and the Bishops of the West pronounce the proceedings of Theophilus voide as against the Canons and do make them voyd as much as by their dissenting they can yet they confesse that the absolute voyding of them and the punishing of Theophilus was not in them but in a generall Councell But sayth Bellarmine Chrysostome in another Epistle giueth Innocentius thankes for his fatherly care and kindnesse intreateth that his enemies may not be excluded from the communion if by any meanes they may be reclaimed therefore it seemeth Chrysostome thought hee had an absolute supreame commanding power What it is in this Epistle that argueth that supreame power which Bellarmine dreameth of I cannot tell For I know no reason why Chrysostome now a deposed and distressed Bishop might not vse so respectiue a forme of speech to the Bishop of the first See and esteeme of him as a father without acknowledging him to haue any absolute supreame power ouer all And all the other circumstances and parts of the Epistle most clearely make against the Papacie For he sayth Innocentius had done what he could but that his enemies notwithstanding went still forward in their ill courses and for the auoyding of greater scandals distractions confusions desireth him not to reiect them from his communion considering the greatnesse of the worke for that this was the contention almost of all the world So that the Churches were brought vpon their knees the people dispersed the Cleargy vexed Bishops banished and the constitutions of the holy Fathers violated and broken The eighth Greeke Father is Cyril Bishop of Alexandria out of whom Bellarmine alleageth noe new thing but the very same which hee brought out of the Councell of Ephesus whereof he was president and therefore I will make no new answere here to this renued allegation but referre the Reader to the answere already made The ninth Greeke Father is Theodoret out of whom Bellarmine seeketh to confirme the Papacie for that though he were a Bishop of Asia and had vnder him eight hundred Churches yet he acknowledgeth the Bishop of Rome to be his supreme Iudge and in an Epistle written to Renatus a Presbyter of the Church of Rome sayth that that holy See hath the gouernment and direction of the Churches throughout the world For answere vnto this objection we must obserue that Theodoret being deposed banished and grieuously vexed for matters of faith seeketh to haue his cause reexamined and heard againe by the Bishop of Rome and the Bishops of the West which thing he obtained and was by Leo and the rest of the Bishops of the West judged Catholique receiued to their communion and as much as lay in them restored to his Bishopricke againe yet could he not repossesse his place till the Councell of Chalcedon put him into it which though it were informed by the deputies of Leo that hee had long before receiued him to his communion yet admited him not till he was reexamined and at the first many of the Fathers disliking his answeres as imperfect cryed out aloud that he was a Nestorian and desired that the Heretique might be cast out censuring him as Cyril and other Catholique Bishops had done before But when hee fully and peremptorily accursed Nestorius with all his adherents they all with one consenting voyce pronounced him worthy of his place and admitted him to sit in Councel with them Whereby it apeareth that howsoeuer the Westerne Bishops pronounced him Catholique receiued him to their communion and as much as in them lay restored him to his place yet of themselues they neither could nor did perfect that worke but were forced to leaue it to the generall Councell all which Leo himselfe in his Epistle to Theodoret acknowledgeth Adiutorium nostrum sayth he in nomine Domini qui fecit coelum terram qui nullum nos in nostris fratribus detrimentum sustinere permisit sed quae nostro prius ministerio definierat vniuersae fraternitatis irretractabili firmauit assensu vt verè à se prodijsse ostenderet quod priùs à prima omnium sede formatū totius Christiani orbis iudicium recepisset vt in hoc quoque Capiti membra concordent Nā ne aliarum sedium ad eam quam caeteris omnium Dominus statuit praesidere consensus assentatio uideretur inuenti priùs sunt qui de iudicijs nostris ambigerent that is Our helpe is in the name of the Lord who made both heauen and earth who suffered vs not to sustaine any losse in our brethren but confirmed established by the irreuocable assent of the whole brotherhood what things he had before defined by our ministery that he might clearly shew that thing vndoubtedly to haue proceeded frō himselfe which being formerly framed by the first See the iudgment of the whole Christian world received So that herein the head mēbers conspire together For lest the consenting of other Sees to that which the Lord of all appointed to be the first of all might seeme to bee but flattery there were some found that at first doubted of our iudgements whether they were right or not And he addeth that multum Sacerdotalis officij meritum splendescit vbi sic summorum servatur authoritas vt in nullo inferiorum putetur imminuta libertas that is that the excellent worthinesse of the Priestly office doth then most appeare in shining brightnesse when the authority of the highest is so retained that the liberty of the inferiour and lesser be thought in nothing to be diminished or empaired Thereby insinuating that hee and his Westerne Bishops did so goe before in their resolution touching the case of Theodoret that they no way
that in a matter of faith concerning the whole state of the Church Zozimus as in order and honour first amongst Bishops might vrge them by vertue of the Canons appointing such meetings to meete together in a Synode for the suppressing of such heresies as he found to arise amongst them and might justly threaten if they should refuse so to doe to reject them from the communion of the Bishops and Churches adhering to him and thereby lay an Ecclesiasticall necessity vpon them without any claime of vniversall power Neither doth the next place wherein Augustine and the Bishops assembled in the Councell of Mileuis desire Innocentius to concurre with them in suppressing the heresies of the Pelagians which sought to spread themselues into all parts of the world and to vse his pastorall care and diligence for the preventing of the dangers of the weake members of Christ yeeld any better proofe that they reputed him vniversall Bishop For what doe they here attribute to the Bishop of Rome that Cyprian writing to Stephen in the case of Martianus Bishop of Arle doth not assume to himselfe other his colleagues saying of himselfe thē that they are bound to vse all diligence to gather together and call backe the erring sheepe of Christ to apply the medicine of fatherly piety for the curing of the wounds and hurts of such as are fallen to recollect and cherrish al the sheepe that Christ purchased with his precious bloud to know that though they be many Pastours yet they feed but one flocke But sayth Bellarmine why do they not rather write to the Patriarch of Hierusalem to the Metropolitane of Palaestina or to the Primate of Africa in which parts of the world Pelagianisme specially seemed to preuaile then to the Bishop of Rome if they did not thinke him to haue an vniuersall power Surely this question of the Cardinall sheweth that either he knoweth not or careth not what he writeth for the cause of Pelagius had beene often heard and examined by Synodes of Bishops in Palaestina and the Primate of Africa with his Africane Bishops did write to Innocentius as well as Augustine and those assembled in the Councell of Mileuis as well to informe him of the guilefull fraudulent and slipperie dealings of Pelagius that hee might no way be induced to fauour him as some feared not to giue out that he did as also that he might be perswaded to put to his helping hand for the suppressing of this heretique who though condemned by many Synodes ceased not to flie from place to place seeking to spread his heresies therefore there was no cause that they should write to either of these Thus haue our Aduersaries found nothing in Augustine and the Africanes that any way fauoureth the Popes proud claime of vniuersall power Neither do the rest of the witnesses who are next brought forth to giue testimonie for the Pope depose any more to the purpose then the former haue done For that Prosper saith Rome the See of Peter being made the head of Pastorall honour to the world holdeth by religion whatsoeuer it possesseth not by force of armes and that by reason of the principality of Priestly or Bishoply dignity it became greater in respect of the high tower of religion then the throne of princely power that Victor Vticensis calleth the Church of Rome the head of all Churches Hugo de Sancto Victore sayth the Apostolique See is preferred before all the Churches in the world is no more then that wee euer granted For they all speake of a chieftie and principality of order and honour and not of absolute commanding power And the place which our Aduersaries bring out of Vincentius Lirinensis to proue the Pope to be head of the world is strangely missealleaged For hauing spoken of the letters of Faelix the Martyr and holy Iulius Bishop of Rome he addeth that blessed Cyprian was produced out of the South and holy Ambrose out of the North that so not only Caput orbis the head of the world but the sides of it also might giue testimony to that iudgment by the head and sides of the world vnderstanding the parts of the world whence these witnesses were produced and not the witnesses themselues So that there is no more reason to inferre from hence that the Bishop of Rome is head of all the world then that Cyprian and Ambrose were the sides of the world Neither doe the testimonies of Cassiodore who attributeth to the Bishop of Rome a generall care of the whole Christian world and Beda who sayth Leo excercised the Priestly office in the Christian world make any more for proofe of the Popes vniuersall jurisdiction then the rest that went before For their sayings argue not an absolute vniuersall commaunding power ouer all but such a care of the whole as beseemeth him that is in order and honour the chiefe of Bishops from whom all actions generally concerning the Christian Church are either to take beginning or at least to be referred before finall ending that so his aduice may be had therein And surely howsoeuer Anselmus sayth the custodie of the faith of Christians and the regiment of the Church is committed to the Bishop of Rome and Bernard writeth of him that he is chiefe of Bishops heire of the Apostles in primacie Abel in gouernement Noah in Patriarchicall honour Abraham in order Melchizedek in dignity Aaron in authoritie Moses in iudgment Samuel in power Peter and in vnction Christ that others haue particular flockes assigned to them but that his charge hath no limits with such like Hyperbolical amplificatiōs of the Popes greatnes sauouring of the corruptiō of those late times wherein he liued yet wil it neuer be proued that either he or diuers others speakinges he did were of the Papall faction or beleeued that the Pope hath that vniuersall power and iurisdiction that is by the Iesuits and other Romanists at this day giuen vnto him For as Iohn Bacon a learned Schooleman and countriman of ours hath fitly noted some attributed all those things whereof Bernard and Anselmus speake to the Pope as thinking all fulnesse of Ecclesiasticall power and jurisdiction to be originally found in him and that by himselfe alone hee might doe all things in the gouernment of the Church and all other were to receiue of his fulnesse which is the opinion of our aduersaries at this day Other attributed these thinges vnto him not as hauing all power in himselfe alone but as head chiefe of Bishops together with their ioynt concurrence and assent So that hee had power to iudge of the faith to determine controuersies in religion as Patriarch of the West with the ioynt consent of his Westerne Bishops and as prime Bishoppe of the world with an Oecumenicall Synode wherein he was to sitte as an honourable president moderatour pronouncing according to the resolution of the Bishops and
might not nor did not iudge any B. of himselfe alone 2 That being B. of the first See he with his associates might iudge any other B. or Patriarch but no particular Patriarch with his Bishops might iudg him his because there is no particular person or company of men greater then he and his being chiefe Patriarch of the world but that both hee and his may bee iudged by a generall Councell it appeareth by the eight generall Councell wherein the words now vrged are recited For that Councell taketh order that all the Patriarches shall bee honoured and respected and especially the Bishop of Rome and forbiddeth any man to compose any billes or writings against him vnder pretence of some crimes wherewith they will charge him as Dioscorus did but that if there bee a generall Councell and any question bee moued touching the Romane Church they may in reuerent and due sort determine the same though they may not proceede contemptuously against the Romane Bishop And so first the Councell of Nice gaue lawes as to the other two Patriarches so likewise to the Bishoppe of Rome and included him within his owne bounds and limits Secondly the Councell of Chalcedon made the Bishoppe of Constantinople a Patriarch and the Bishoppe of Romes Peere notwithstanding the resistance of those that were there present on the behalfe of Leo then Bishop of Rome and the other Bishops of the West And this decree in the end preuailed so that after much contradiction and long continued opposition the Bishops of Rome were forced to yeeld vnto it Thirdly generall Councels reexamined and iudged againe thinges iudged by the Bishop of Rome and his Bishops as the Councell of Chalcedon reexamined the iudgement of Leo against Dioscorus and for Theodoret. And the sixth generall Councell the iudgement of Pope Martine with his Synodes against Pyrrhus and Sergius and the eighth the judgments of Nicholas and Adrian against Photius Augustine speaking of the sentence of the 70. Bishoppes against Caecilianus retracted and reuersed by Melchiades Bishop of Rome and his colleagues whom vpon the suites of the Donatists Constantine appointed to heare the matter sayth they therefore appealed to the judgements of the Bishops beyond the Seas that if by any falsehood and slaunders they could preuaile they might gaine the cause if not they might say as all men that haue ill causes are wont to do that they met with bad judges But sayth hee let vs grant that those Bishops that judged the matter at Rome were not good Iudges yet there remained a generall Councell of the whole Church for them to flye vnto where the matter might anew haue beene handled with the former Iudges that their sentences might be reuersed if they should haue beene conuinced to haue judged ill Which thing if they did let them make it appeare vnto vs. Wee proue they did not because all the world communicated with Caecilianus and not with Donatus and his adherents So that either they neuer brought the matter to be scanned in a generall Councell or else they were therein condemned also Here wee See hee clearely acknowledgeth the generall Councell to haue power to reexamine and reuerse the judgement of the Bishoppe of Rome and his colleagues Saint Gregory likewise acknowledgeth the vniuersall Church to be greater then hee and his For professing to follow the direction of Christ in the matter betweene him and the Bishop of Constantinople who willeth vs if our brother offend against vs to go and admonish him betweene him and vs if then he heare vs not to take two or three with vs that in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word may stand and if he heare not them then to tell the Church he sayth that he had first sent to the Bishop of Constantinople and by his messengers admonished him in all gentle and louing sort and that now he writeth vnto him omitting nothing that in all humility he ought to doe but that seeing hee is thus despised there remaineth nothing but that he vse the helpe of the Church for the repressing of the insolencie of this man soe preiudiciall to the state of the whole Church Fourthly generall Councels haue by their decrees ordained many things concerning the See of Rome either enlarging or limitting the power of it and the exercise of the same as it seemed good vnto them as we see in the Councell of Sardica Hosius with the Bishops there assembled resolued in the honour of the memory of Peter to make a Decree that Bishoppes condemned by the Bishoppes of their owne Prouinces might appeale to the Bishop of Rome and that it might be lawfull for him vpon such appeale to write to the Bishops of the next Prouince to reexamine the matter againe And if hee pleased to send some from himselfe to sit with them in joynt commission Neither did the Bishoppes of Rome Zozimus Bonifacius and Caelestinus vrge the law of Christ or the right of Saint Peter to justifie their claime of receiuing appeales out of Africa but the Decrees of the Nicene Councell And this is farther confirmed in that the Bishops in the Councell of Chalcedon say the Fathers gaue the preheminence to the Bishop of Rome in ancient times because it was the seat of the Empire and that therefore now they would giue the like to Constantinople now become the seat of the Empire and named new Rome And as generall Councels gaue preheminences to the Romane Bishops so also they restrained and limited them in the vse of their jurisdiction when they saw them to incroch too much as the Councell of Sardica tooke order that they should not meddle with the causes of Presbyters and inferiour Clergy-men vpon any appeale but leaue them to to their owne Bishops and the Synodes of the Prouinces and in the case of Bishops appealing not to reuerse the acts of the Synode of any prouince without another Synode of the Bishops of the next Prouince And the Councels of Chalcedon and Constantinople the eighth decreed that the Bishop Rome and the other Patriarches shall confirme the Metropolitanes subject vnto them by sending the Pall or by imposition of handes but shall not intermeddle in the ordination of Bishoppes Fifthly it appeareth that the Romane Bishops are inferiour to the whole Church First in that their Legates rise vp when they speake in generall Councels And secondly in that in the councell of Ephesus when they with others were sent by the councell to the Emperour they were willed precisely to follow the directions and instructions giuen them For that if they did not all their proceedings should bee voided and they rejected from the communion of the rest Sixthly in that the sixth generall councell particularly giueth lawes to the Church of Rome For in the thirteenth canon it reprehendeth the Romane Church because it forbiddeth Presbyters Deacons and Subdeacons to liue in matrimoniall society with their wiues
Paulus Andreas Iacobus quid aliud quà m singularum plebium sunt capita omnes tamen sub uno capite membra Ecclesiae sunt that is Peter is the first and in honour the chiefest member of the holy and vniversall Church Paul Andrew Iames what other thing are they then heads of seuerall parts of Gods people Yet so that all notwithstanding are members of the Church vnder one Head So that a Head of the Church besides Christ must not be acknowledged because no one hath an vniversall commaunding power ouer all but hee onely Yet in a certaine sense the Romane Church is named the Head of all Churches that is the first and chiefest of all Churches as the city of London may bee named the Head of all cities in this state kingdome though it hath not a commaunding authority ouer them neither is the chiefe Magistrate thereof head ouer all other Magistrates in the kingdome The authority of the Florentine Councell naming the Bishop of Rome Father and teacher of all Christians and the Councell of Lyons naming him the bridegroome of the Church is not so great that wee should neede much to insist vpon any thing that is alleadged out of them And touching the latter title wee know Saint Bernard in his Epistles wisheth the Pope not to take it on him as being proper to Christ but to thinke it honour enough to be a friend of the bridegroome And yet if we should yeelde it vnto him wee know what Gerson hath written to shew how this bridegroome may bee taken away from the Church the spouse of Christ and yet the Church remaine entire and perfect The next glorious title of the Romane Bishop is Bishop of an Apostolique See But this is common to him with many others as some of the rest also are For as not only the Romane Church but the Churches of Ephesus Antioch Hierusalem and Alexandria which the Apostles founded and in which they sate as Bishops are named Apostolicall Churches so the Bishoppes of all these are named Bishops of Apostolique Sees Neither doe men know which of the Apostolicke Churches is expressed by the name of the Apostolique See or which of the Bishops by the name of the Bishop of the Apostolique See vnlesse by some circumstance the same be specified As when Augustine said there were relations made from the Councell of Carthage and Mileuis to the Apostolique See all men vnderstood what Apostolique See he meant because it was knowne to what Apostolique Church they vsed to make such relations Neither doth the principalitie of the Apostolique chaire which Augustine affirmeth to haue euer flourished in Rome argue the supremacie of the Pope seeing the principality or chieftie of the Apostolique chaire mentioned by Saint Augustine may seeme to import the chieftie that the Apostolike chaire hath aboue those that are not Apostolique or in which blessed Peter the chiefe of the Apostles did not sit For though the chaires of the Apostles were in diverse places yet Peters chaire was esteemed the principall of all the rest which being the See and chaire of one yet was in three places and three Bishops did sit in it Namely the Bishops of Rome Alexandria and Antioche as I haue shewed before out of Gregory yet was the principalitie or chieftie of this chaire of Peter more specially in Rome then in the other places and the Bishop of Rome in order and honour the first and greatest of the three The last title brought to proue the supremacie of the Pope is that of Vniuersall Bishoâ—… which though it be not giuen to Leo Bishop of Rome by the whole Councell of Câ—…alcedon yet is it giuen to him in the Epistles of three seuerall Grecians writing to hâ—… as wee may read in the third action of that Councell and Saint Gregory saith it â—…s offered to his predecessours in that Councell and that they refused it This title â—…ill proue the supremacy of the Pope no better then the rest being common vnto oâ—…er with him and therefore no way arguing any thing peculiarly found in him alone â—…or wee shall finde that the Bishops of Constantinople are named vniuersall Bishops â—…nd Oecumenicall Patriarches as well as the Bishoppe of Rome and that not by one or two particular men but by whole Councels by Emperours and Popes and though Saint Gregorie justly disliked this name or title as profane and prejudiciall to the dignitie of all other Bishoppes and Patriarches when it importeth an vniuersalitie of jurisdiction and generall commanding authoritie ouer all yet might any one of the Patriarches be named an vniversall Bishoppe as being one of those fiue principall Bishoppes to whom all the Bishops and Metropolitanes in the world were subject CHAP. 42. Of the second supposed priuiledge of the Romane Bishops which is infallibilitie of judgment SEEING our Aduersaries cannot proue the vniversall and illimitted power and jurisdiction of their Popes but the contrary is most clearely deposed by those witnesses which they produce to speake for them affirmed by those Diuines whom they cannot but acknowledge to be Catholique and inferred out of their owne principles let vs proceed to see whether they haue any better proofes of the infallibility of their judgment which is the next supposed priuiledge of the Romane Bishops Touching this point I finde foure opinions in the Church of Rome The first is that the Pope is so led into all truth that hee cannot erre in such sort as to become an hereticke And of this opinion was Albertus Pighius The second leaueth it doubtfull whether he may be an hereticke or not but pronounceth confidently that whether hee may or not yet hee cannot define and decree any thing that is hereticall And this is the opinion of almost all Papists at this day The third that the Pope not onely as a particular Doctour but euen as Pope may bee an heretique and teach heresie if he define without a generall Councell This was the opinion of Gerson Almayne and other Parisians of Alfonsus à Castro Pope Adrian the sixth Cardinall Cameracensis Cusanus Occam Durandus the Fathers of the Councels of Constance and Basill and many moe The fourth that hee may erre and define for heresie though he be assisted with a generall Councell Of this opinion was Waldensis and sundry other as appeareth by Picus Mirandula in his Theorems So that it is not true that Bellarmine saith that all Catholiques consent that the Pope with a generall Councell cannot erre For these teach that onely the resolutions of the vniuersall Church which is the multitude of beleeuers that are and haue beene are to be receiued without any farther question or examination as vndoubtedly true These are the differences of opinions found among them that brag so much of vnity and make the ground thereof to be the submitting of their iudgments to the Pope But because in so great vncertainty and contrariety of judgments almost
the better to perswade vs of the same our Adversaries bring the sayings of some great Divines who conceiued that some such thing may be inferred out of the wordes as they dreame of as Lucius Felix and Marke ancient Bishops of Rome and great Lights of the world in their times If they could indeede bring vs the judgement and resolution of these ancient Bishops they would doubtlesse greatly prevaile with vs. But seeing vnder these names they bring forth vnto vs the Authours of shamelesse forgeries wee are thereby induced more to dislike their conceits then before Now that they who masked vnder the names and titles of ancient Romane Bishops magnifie the greatnesse of the Romane Church and pleade for the not erring of the Bishoppes thereof are nothing else but ignorant authors of absurd and shamelesse forgeries it will easily appeare out of that which I haue elsewhere largely discoursed to shew that the Epistles attributed to the ancient Popes are forged and counterfeit not onely by the judgements and opinions of the best learned on both sides so censuring them but by many reasons inducing vs so to thinke among which one is the likenesse of the stile found in these Epistles arguing that they came all out of the same mint and were not written by those different Popes liuing at diuerse times to whom they are attributed Which similitude of stile will bee found in these Epistles that our Adversaries alleadge to proue that the Pope cannot erre as much or more then in any other For in these wee shall finde the very same words The agreeing of witnesses in the same substance of matter with some difference of wordes argueth that they speake truely but their precise agreement in words and formes of speaking argueth rather a compact and agreement to speake the same things then a desire to vtter the trueth So here the precise vsing of the very same words by all these Popes liuing at diuers times argueth that it was one man that taught them all to speake But they will say Pope Leo in his third Sermon of his Assumption to the Popedome saith as much as they doe and that therefore wee may not discredite their testimony Surely if they can proue that Leo saith any such thing as the former Popes are taught to say wee will most willingly listen vnto them For wee acknowledge Leo to haue beene a most worthy Bishop and the things that goe vnder his name to bee his indubitate workes Let vs heare therefore what he saith His wordes in the place cited by the Cardinall are these Christ tooke speciall care of Peter and prayed specially for him because the state of the rest is more secure when the minde of him that is chiefe is not ouercome In Peter therefore the strength of all is surely established and God doth so dispence the helpe of his diuine grace that the same firmenesse that he giueth to Peter is by Peter conferred and bestowed on all Here is nothing to proue that the pope cannot erre which is that our Adversaries vndertake to demonstrate nor that the Romane church cannot erre which is that the former Popes affirme in their coūterfeit Epistles but that the state of the rest is more secure when he that is chiefe is not ouercome which no man euer doubted of and that Christ gaue or at least promised to giue that assistance of his grace to Peter which he meant to the rest and to passe it by him vnto them so as they should receiue it after him but not from him For thus the words of Leo must be vnderstood seeing it is most certaine which thing also Bellarmine himselfe confesseth that the Apostles receiued their infallibility of judgment and their commission or authority immediately from Christ and not from Peter From Leo they passe to Agatho who in his Epistle to Constantine the Emperour read and approued in the sixth generall Councell sayth that by the grace of God such hath beene the felicity and happinesse of the Romane Church that it can neuer be proued to haue erred from the path of the Apostolicall tradition nor to haue fallen being depraued with hereticall nouelties but the same faith it receiued at first it holdeth still according to Christs promise which he made to Peter willing him to confirme his brethren Which thing saith Agatho my predecessors haue euer done as is well knowne to all These words of Agatho are not so farre to be vrged as if simply neuer any of his predecessors had failed to defend the truth and confirme his brethren but that the Romane Church was euer so preserued from heresie that howsoeuer some fewe in it for a time might neglect to do their duty yet neither soe long nor in such sort but that that Church and the Bishops of it were alwaies a stay to the rest in all the dangerous tryals that fell out in ancient times euen as in the question concerning the two wils of Christ about which the Councell was called it was wherein though Honorius failed yet the rest that gouerned the Apostolicall throne with him did not and Agatho who soone after succeded shewed himselfe an orthodoxe and right beleeuer For that all the predecessors of Agatho did not alwaies confirme their brethren in the true faith of Christ it is most euident in that Marcellinus sacrificed vnto Idols if we may beleeue the Romish stories and was forced being conuicted thereof to professe himselfe vnworthy of the Papall office and dignity in a Synod of Bishops in that Liberius and Felix communicated with heretiques and subscribed to the vnjust condemnation of worthy Athanasius which was not to confirme the brethren but to discourage disharten and weaken them and in that Agatho himselfe doth anathematize his predecessor Honorius as a Monothelite with whom Leo the second concurreth in his Epistle to Constantine the Emperour who anathematizing Theodorus Syrus Sergius Pyrrhus Paulus and other Monothelites addeth to them Honorius Bishop of Rome his predecessor saying we accurse also Honorius who did not lighten this Apostolicall Church with the doctrine deliuered by the Apostles but sought to subuert the vndefiled faith by prophane perfidiousnesse With whom also Pope Adrian agreeth who in the Synode of Rome called about the businesse of Photius of Constantinople saith that the Romane Bishop hath judged of the Bishops of all Churches but that wee reade not of any one that hath iudged him For though Honorius were accursed after his death by those of the East yet it was because he was accused of heresie in which only case the lesser may iudge the greater yet euen there it had not beene lawfull for any of them to giue sentence against him had not the consent of the first See gone before So that wee see the Epistle of Agatho doth not sufficiently proue that the Popes cannot erre Let vs therefore consider whether they haue any better proofes Nicholas the first saith Bellarmine in
coyne that are kings after the manner of the World This assertion may be proued by many vnanswerable reasons The first is this Christ standing before Pilate and being asked by him if he were a King aunswered That his Kingdome was not of this world Therefore he was not temporall or mundane King This consequence fome deny affirming that Christ intended not in his answer to Pilate to deny his kingdome to be a temporal earthly mundane kingdome but that he meant onely to let him know that he had receiued his kingdome of God that the World neither gaue it him nor chose him to it And therefore he saide Regnum meum non est hinc and not Regnum meum non est hic that is My Kingdome is not hence and not My Kingdome is not here This was the evasion of Pope Iohn the two and twentieth as Ockam testifieth but hee refuteth the same by most cleare circumstances of Scripture and euidence of reason shewing that Christ being accused vnto Pilate as an enemy to Caesar in that he made himselfe a King so cleared himselfe that Pilate pronounced that he found nothing against him which he could not nor he would not haue done if he had confessed his Kingdome to be a mundane Kingdome though hee had deriued the right and title of it from Heauen For Caesar would not haue endured any claime of such a Kingdome though fetched from Heauen Neither durst Pilate haue pronounced him guiltlesse that had made such a claime and therefore Christ when hee saide his Kingdome was not of this World meant not onely to deny the receiuing of it from the World but also the dependance of it vpon any thing in the World the supports of it not being things earthly but heauenly and diuine it no way consisting in riches honour power worldly greatnesse as doe the kingdomes of men but in the power of God Which thing is aptly expressed by Christ himselfe when he saith If my Kingdome were of this world my Souldiers would fight for mee The second reason is this He that is no judge of secular quarrels nor divider of inheritance is no King For these things belong to the office of a King But Christ was no judge of such quarrels and differences therefore hee was no King That hee was no judge of secular quarrels nor divider of inheritances it is evident by his owne deniall thereof Which Saint Ambrose excellently expresseth saying Beâ—… terrena declinat qui propter diuina descenderat nec iudex dignatur esse litium arbiter facultatum viuorum habens mortuorumque iudicium arbitrium meritorum that is Hee doth well decline things earthly who descended and came downe for things divine Neither doth hee vouchsafe to bee a judge of quarrels and an arbitratour to determine the differences of men about their possessions who is appointed to bee judge of the quicke and dead and to whom it pertayneth to discerne betweene the well and ill doings of men And againe Meritò refutatur ille frater qui dispensatorem coelestium gestiebat terrenis occupare that is That brother is worthily reiected and hath the repulse who sought to busie him whom God hath appointed the disposer of things heauenly with things that are earthly The third is because Christ refused to be a King when it was offered him and told his disciples that The kings of the nations haue dominion ouer them and they that are great exercise authoritie But that it should not be so with them but that whosoeuer would be great among them must be their minister The fourth hee that is a King and will neuer meddle with the things that belong to a King is justly to be charged either with wickednes or negligence But Christ neuer medled with any thing pertaining to the office of a temporall king in this world therefore either he was no such king or he may be charged with malice or negligence But neither of these two latter may be admitted therefore hee was no such king The fifth there cannot be two kings of one kingdome vnlesse either they hold the same ioyntly or the one acknowledge to hold the same as of and from the other But Caesar and Christ neither held the kingdome of Iudaea ioyntly neither did Caesar hold it as from Christ nor Christ as from Caesar. Therefore either Caesar was no true king or Christ was no secular king of that kingdome But that Caesar was a true king it appeareth by the testimony of Christ himselfe saying Giue or rather render to Caesar the things that are Caesars Now Caesar claimed tribute as Lord of the countrey and therefore hee was truely Lord and King of it That Caesar held not of or from Christ as man it is euident and much more that Christ who wholly refused to be a king did neuer acknowledge to hold any kingdome from mortall man The sixth that was the kingdome of Christ whereof the Prophets prophesied But they prophesied not of any earthly kingdome therefore Christs kingdome was not earthly That they prophesied not of any earthly kingdome it is euident in that the kingdome they prophesied of was to be confirmed and restored by him but the earthly kingdome of Iudaea was not confirmed by the comming of Christ but vpon the refusall of him vtterly ouerthrowne therefore it was not that the Prophets prophesied of That the kingdome they prophesied of was to be confirmed restored and bettered the words of the Prophets are proofe sufficient Behold the day commeth saith the Lord and I will raise vp vnto Dauid a righteous branch and a king shall reigne and he shall bee wise and shall doe iudgement and iustice in the earth In those dayes Iudah shall be saued and Israel shall dwell boldly And this is the name that they shall call him by The Lord our righteousnesse And againe A little child is borne vnto vs and the principality or rule is on his shoulders His name shall bee called wonderfull the mighty God Father of the world to come the Prince of peace the increase of his gouernement and peace shall haue no end Hee shall sitte vpon the throne of Dauid and vpon his kingdome to order and to stablish it with iudgement and with iustice from henceforth euen for euer Now that the kingdome of Iudaea was not established but vtterly ouerthrowne immediatly after Christs departure hence vpon and for the refusall of him the words of Christ foretelling it and the euent of things answering vnto his prediction are proofe sufficient The day shall come vpon thee saith Christ to Hierusalem the chiefe citie of that kingdome that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and hold thee in straight on every side they shall cast thee to the earth and thy children that are in thee and shall not leaue a stone vpon a stone because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Thus we see it strongly proued that Christ
chiefe-fathers of Israel they came to Ierusalem and all the congregation made a couenant with the King said The Kings sonne must reigne as the Lord hath said of the sons of Dauid Hereupon the King is proclaimed Athaliah is slaine the house of Baal destroied the Altars and idols that were in it broken down In all this narration there is nothing that maketh for the chiefe Priests power of deposing lawfull kings if they become heretiques For first Athaliah was an vsurper no lawfull Queene Secondly here was nothing done by Iehoiada alone but by him and the Captaines of hundreths and the chiefe Fathers of Israel that entred into couenant with him Thirdly there is great difference betweene the high Priest in the time of the Lawe and in the time of Christ. For before the comming of Christ the high Priest euen in the managing of the weightiest ciuill affaires and in iudgement of life and death sate in the Councell of State as the second person next vnto the King by Gods owne appointment Whereas our Aduersaries dare not claime any such thing for the Pope And therefore it is not to bee maruailed at if the high Priest beeing the second person in the kingdome of Iudah by Gods owne appointment and the Vnckle and Protectour of the young king whom his wife had saued from destruction bee the first mouer for the bringing of him to his right and when things are resolued on by common consent take on him not onely to commaund and direct the Priests and Leuites but the Captaines souldiers also for the establishing of their King the suppressing of a bloody tyrant and vsurper For all this might be done by Iehoiada as a chiefe man in that state and yet the Pope be so farre from obtaining that he claimeth which is to depose lawfull kings for abusing their authority that hee may not presume to do all that the high Priests lawfully did and might doe as not hauing so great preeminence from Christ in respect of matters of ciuill state in any kingdome of the world as the high Priest had by Gods owne appointment in the kingdome of Iudah Israel In the old Law saith Occā the high Priest meddled in matters of warre in the judgment of life and death the losse of members vengeance of blood it beseemed him well so to do But the Priests of the new Law may not meddle with things of this nature Wherefore from the power dominion which the high Priest of the old Law had it cannot be concluded that the Pope hath any power in tēporal matters The fifth example is of Ambrose repelling Theodosius the Emperour from the communion of the Church after the bloody and horrible murther that was committed at Thessalonica by his commandement The story is this The coach-man of Borherica the Captaine of the souldiers in that towne for some fault was committed to prison Now when the solemne horse-race and sporting fight of horsemen approched the people of Thessalonica desired to haue him set at liberty as one of whom there would be great vse in those ensuing solemne sports which being denied the citty was in an vprore and Botherica and certaine other of the magistrates were stoned to death and most despitefully vsed Theodosius the Emperour hearing of this outrage was exceedingly moued and commaunded a certaine number to be put to the sword without all iudiciall forme of proceeding or putting difference betweene offendors and such as were innocent So that seauen thousand perished by the sword and among them many strangers that were come into the citty vpon diuerse occasions that had no part in the outrage for which Theodosius was so sore displeased were most cruelly and vniustly slaine Saint Ambrose vnderstanding of this violent and vniust proceeding of the Emperour the next time he came to Millaine and was comming to the Church after his wonted manner met him at the doore and stayd him from entring with this speech Thou seemest not to know O Emperour what horrible and bloudy murthers haue beene committed by thee neither dost thou bethinke thy selfe now thy rage is past to what extremities thy fury carried thee perhaps the glory of thine Imperiall power will not let thee take notice of any fault thy greatnesse repelleth all checke of reason controlling thee but thou shouldest know the frailty of mans nature and that the dust was that beginning whence we are taken and and to which we must returne Let not therefore the glory of thy purple robes make thee forget the weakenesse of that body of flesh that is couered with them Thy subjects O Emperour are in nature like thee and in seruice thy fellowes for there is one Lord and commander ouer all the maker of all things Wherefore with what eyes wilt thou behold his temple or with what feete wilt thou treade on the sacred pauement thereof wilt thou lift vp to him those hands from which the bloud yet droppeth wilt thou receiue with them the sacred body of our Lord or wilt thou presume to put to thy mouth the cup replenished with the precious bloud of Christ which hast shed so much innocent bloud by the word of thy mouth vttering the passion of thy furious minde Depart therefore adde not this iniquity to the rest and decline not those bands which God aboue approueth With these speeches the Emperour was much moued and knowing the distinct duties both of Emperours and Bishops for that he had bin trained vp in the knowledge of heauenly doctrine returned to the Court with teares sighes A long time after for eight moneths were first past the solemne feast of the Natiuity of Christ approached and all prepared themselues to solemnize the same with triumphant ioy But the Emperor sate in the Court lamenting powring out riuers of teares which when Ruffinus maister of the pallace perceiued he came vnto him and asked the cause of his weeping to whom weeping more bitterly then before he said O Ruffinus thou makest but a sport of these things for thou art touched with no sence of those euils wherewith I am afflicted but the consideration of my calamity maketh me sigh and lament for that whereas the doores of Gods Temple are open to slaues and beggars and they goe freely into the same to make prayers vnto their Lord they are shut against me and which is yet worse the gates of heauen are shut against me also for I cannot forget the words of our Lord who saith Whomsoeuer ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heauen To whom Ruffinus replied I will runne if it please thee O Emperour to the Bishop and intreate him to vnloose these bands wherewith hee hath bound thee No saith the Emperour it is to no purpose so to doe for he will not bee intreated I know his sentence is right and iust and that he will not transgresse the law of God for any respect of imperiall power Yet when Ruffinus was
wife which hee marryed while hee was yet a Lay-man hee should bee put out of the Ministery of the Church Whereas all the most famous Presbyters and Bishoppes also in the East might if they pleased but were no way by any Law constrained to refraine from the company of their wiues So that many of them euen when they were Bishoppes did beget children of their lawfull wiues A particular and most approued example whereof wee haue in the Father of Gregory Nazianzene who beeing a Bishoppe not onely liued with his wife till death divided them but became the Father also of Gregory Nazianzen as worthy and renowned a man as any the Greeke Church euer had after he was entered into the priestly Office as appeareth by his owne wordes reported by Gregory Nazianzen For after many motiues vsed by him to Gregory Nazianzen his sonne to perswade him to assist him in the worke of his Bishoply Ministery the last that hee most insisteth on is taken from the consideration of his olde age dis-inabling him to beare that burden and performe that worke any longer that hitherto hee had done And therefore intreating him to put to his helping hand he breaketh out into thesewords Thou hast not liued so long a time as I haue spent in the priestly office therefore yeeld thus much vnto mee and helpe mee in that little time of my life that is yet behinde or else thou shalt not haue the honour to bury mee but I will giue charge to another to doe it Heere we see Gregory Nazianzens father was employed in the priestly function before hee was borne and that therefore hee became the father of so worthy a sonne after hee was a Bishoppe or at least after hee was a Presbyter Neither was the father of Gregory Nazianzene singular in this behalfe For Athanasius writing to Dracontius who beeing greatly in loue with a retyred and monasticall kinde of life refused the Bishoply Office when hee was chosen vnto it for that hee feared hee might not in that state liue so strictly as formerly hee had done controuleth this his conceit and telleth him that hee may in the Bishoppes office hunger and thirst as Paul did drinke no wine as Timothy and fast often as did the Apostle So that the Bishoppes Office is no cause of doing ill or doing lesse good then may bee done in other states of life and there-upon assureth him that hee hath knowne Bishoppes to fast and Monkes to eate Bishoppes to drinke no wine and Monkes to drinke it Bishoppes to worke miracles and Monkes to doe none lastly many Bishoppes neuer to haue married and Monkes to haue become fathers of children and on the contrary side Bishoppes to haue become fathers of children and Monkes to haue liued altogether as Monkes without desire of posterity Neither can this authority of Athanasius bee avoyded as Bellarmine seeketh to avoyde it namely that those Bishoppes did ill which hee sayth became fathers of children For Clemens Alexandrinus an auncient Greeke Father sayth expressely The Apostle admitteth the husband of one wife to bee a Bispoppe and that though hee bee a Presbyter Deacon or Lay-man if hee vse marriage aright and so as not to incurre iust reprehension hee shall be saued by the procreation of children Chrysostome accordeth with Athanasius and Clemens Alexandrinus and sayth that mariage is in so high a degree honourable that men with it may ascend into the Episcopall chayres euen such as yet liue with their wiues For though it be an hard thing yet it is possible so to performe the duties of marriage as not to be wanting in the performance of the duties of a Bishoppe wherevnto Zozomen agreeth saying of Spiridion that though hee had wife and children yet he was not therefore any whitte the more negligent in performing the duties of his calling and of Gregory Nyssene it is reported that though he were marryed yet he was no way inferiour to his worthy brother that liued single But some haply will obiect that Epiphanius is of another minde and that hee sayth where the strictnesse of the canon is obserued none but such as are vnmarried or resolued to refraine from matrimoniall society with their wiues are admitted into the ministery of the Church Wee deny not but that he sayth so But hee confesseth in the same place that many in the Church did liue with their wiues in his time and beget Children euen after their admission into the ministery Soe that the strictnesse of the Canon hee speaketh of was not generall but in some certaine places onely as I noted before out of Socrates Nay it is euident by Socrates that howsoeuer in Thessalia Thessalonica Macedonia and Hellas this strictnesse preuailed yet all the Bishoppes of the East besides were left to their owne liberty and howsoeuer some in diuerse places went about to take away this liberty yet the worthyest men the Church had stood in defence of it protesting they would not suffer themselues to bee inthralled in this behalfe to which purpose that of the famous and renowned Synesius is most excellent who when they of Ptolemais would needes haue him to be their Bishoppe which thing hee little desired hee made them acquainted with his present condition and resolued purpose for the time to come God sayth hee the Law and the sacred hand of Theophilus hath giuen vnto mee a wife I therefore tell all men afore-hand and testifie vnto all that I will neither suffer my selfe to be altogether estranged and seperated from her neyther will I liue with her secretly as an adulterer For the one of these is no way pious and godly and the other no way lawfull but I will desire and pray vnto God that exceeding many and most good and happy children may be borne vnto mee Neyther will I haue him that is to be chiefe in ordayning of mee to be ignorant hereof This liberty the councel in Trullo impeached in respect of Bishops but in respect of Presbyters it continueth in all the East Churches of the world euen till this day Greeke Armenian and Ethiopian warranted vnto them by the Canons of the Apostles Iudgment of Bishops Decrees of Councels and the consent of all other partes of the World For first the Apostle Saint Paule telleth the Corinthians hee had power to lead about a wife a sister as well as the brethen of the Lord and Cephas Which words Clemens Alexandrinus interpreteth in this sort Paul feareth not in a certaine Epistle to speake to his yoake-fellow which hee did not lead about with him because he had no neede of any great seruice Therefore hee sayth in a certaine Epistle Haue wee not power to lead about a sister a wife as the rest of the Apostles but they truely as it was meete because they could not spare their Ministery attending without distraction to preaching lead their wiues about not as wiues but as sisters which should minister together with them
their places onely debarring them from further promotion and prescribing that the Decree of Syricius shall take place in time to come and that such as knowe of it and disobey it shall bee remoued from their places The first Councell of Turon holden in the yeare foure hundred foure score and two sought to remitte something of the seuerity of some particular Councels wherein the Bishoppes directed by the prohibition of Syricius and Innocentius had gone too farre The words of the Councell are these Though our Fathers out of the authoritie committed to them decreed that what Priest or Deacon soeuer should bee found to begette children of their wiues should bee put from the communion of the Lord yet wee moderating this extreame seuerity and by a more equall constitution mollifying and mitigating that which was too hard haue decreed That a Priest or Deacon continuing in Matrimoniall society with his wife and not ceasing from the procreation of children shall not bee lifted vp to any higher degree nor offer sacrifice vnto God nor minister to the people but let this be enough for them that they are not put from the Communion Thus wee see that within a short time after the publishing of these Decrees the Bishoppes were forced out of due consideration to remit something of that seuerity that some other set on by Syricius and Innocentius had vsed till at length the execution of these Decrees was in a manner wholy neglected as vnprofitable and too heauy a burthen for the Ministers of the Church to beare Whereupon we shall finde that in all the Prouinces of the West the Presbyters and Deacons of the Church were married at that time that Hildebrand climed vp into the Papall Chaire and had beene long before Priests in those times saith Auentinus had wiues publickly as all other Christians and begate sonues and daughters of them as it appeareth by the instruments of donations made to Churches and Abbaies wherein these Priests wiues together with their husbands are brought as witnesses and are stiled by the name of Presbyterissae Yea so generall and so well setled was the mariage of Cleargy-men in those times that when Hildebrand beganne to restraine and forbid it the whole Nation of Cleargie-men rose vp against him called him Monster and enemy of man-kinde and pronounced him to bee Antichrist And such was the resistance against this rash and inconsiderate attempt of the Pope that hee could by no meanes prevaile though hee caused so great confusions tumults and disorders in the Christian worlde as the like had neuer beene seene in any of the bloudy persecutions that were in the time of the Primitiue Church and was forced to confesse a little before his death that hee had caused grieuous scandals in the Christian world The circumstances of the whole narration found in the Historians are these So soone as the Decree of Hildebrand was published presently the whole faction of Cleargy-men was enraged against him crying out that hee was an hereticke and a man damnably erring in his judgement who forgetting the speach of our Lord that saith All men receiue not this word Let him that can receiue it receiue it and of the Apostle who saith Let him that cannot containe marry for it is better to marry then to burne would by violent inforcement constraine men to liue after the manner of Angells and while hee denyed and sought to restraine the ordinary accustomed course of nature loosed the reines and gaue free liberty to whoredome and vncleannesse protesting that if hee should goe forward to vrge the execution of this his Decree they were resolued rather to forsake the Ministery then their marriage And that then hee before whom men did stincke should see whence Angels are to be had to vndertake the gouernment of the Church and people of God Notwithstanding all this resistance and these earnest protestations Hildebrand went forward vrged the matter and reproued the Bishops as carelesse and negligent The Arch-bishop of Mentz fearing the Popes displeasure and yet considering that it would bee no easie matter to alter a custome so strongly and by so long tract of time confirmed proceeded moderately in those parts where he had to doe giuing those of the Cleargy halfe a yeares respite to aduise themselues praying and beseeching them to resolue to doe that willingly which of necessity they must doe But after the time expired which hee had giuen vnto them hee called a Synode and was earnest with them that without all further delay or excuse they would presently either abiure their marriage or put themselues from seruing any longer at the Altar They on the contrary side alleadged many reasons to perswade him not to vrge them to any such extremities and when they found that neither intreaty and humble petition nor weight of reason would prevaile but that though professing himselfe vnwilling thus to vrge them yet he was forced so to doe by the Popes mandate and that therefore hee must haue no deniall but that they must yeelde they went out of the Councell-house as if it had beene to deliberate and resolued among themselues either never to returne or otherwise so to returne as to pull him out of his chaire before hee should pronounce so cursed a sentence against them and to take away his life from him that so his vnhappie end might be a warning to all posterities that no succeeding Bishoppe might euer dare to attempt so to wrong and dishonour the Priestly degree and order The Arch-bishop by the meanes of some that wished well vnto him vnderstanding of this conspiracy to preuent the tumult which hee saw to bee vnauoydable if hee did not speedily giue them some satisfaction and contentment sent vnto them besought them to bee quiet and to returne into the Synode and promised that as soone as any opportunity should bee offered hee would doe his best endeauour to perswade the Pope to desist from these courses These things were done in the yeare 1074. The yeare following the Arch-bishoppe againe vrged by the Pope called another Councell at Mentz to which the Popes Legate came bringing his letters and mandates and requiring him to vrge them presently to yeeld and if they should refuse so to doe to punish them with the losse of their degree and order which thing when hee was about to doe presently all the Cleargy-men which sate round about rose vp and so refuted and reiected that hee said with words and by the violent moving shaking of their hands and gesture of their whole bodies shewed themselues to bee so moued against him as that hee feared euer to goe out of the Synode aliue and so at last ouercome with the difficulty of this atttempt hee resolued to desist from medling with this matter any more which hee had so often to no purpose taken in hand and to leaue it wholly to the Pope to doe what hee would These were the vaine attempts of the Romanistes for the restrayning of
there either paine or ease and refreshing that there the rich man is in paine and the poore in a comfortable estate for sayth hee why should wee not thinke that the soules are tormented or refreshed in this invisible place appoynted for them in expectation of the future Iudgement In quadam vsurpatione candida eius The Iudgement doubtlesse is begunne there So that neither is good altogether wanting to the innocent nor the sence and freling of euill to the nocent Heere wee see Tertullian maketh but two sorts of men departing hence and that hee thinketh that presently after their departure hence the good are in a kinde of imperfect possession or enioying of that good they looke for hereafter and the euill and wicked in a kinde of state wherein they already beginne to taste of those euerlasting miseries that shall swallowe them vppe in the daie of judgement So that according to his opinion there is no Purgatorie nor state of temporall paine and affliction after this life out of which there is hope of escape or deliuerance Gregory Nazianzen in his Oration made in the praise of Caesarius after many comforts against the sorrowes conceiued for the losse of so worthy a man addeth this as the chiefest of all other Verbis sapientum adducor vt credam generosam omnem Deoque charam animam posteaquam corporis vinculis soluta hinc excesserit protinus bonum quod eam manet persentientem contemplantem vtpote eo quod mentem caligine obducebat vel purgato vel abiecto vel quo verbo eares appellanda sit nescio mirabili quadam voluptate affici exultare atque hac vita veluti gra◅issimo quodam ergastulo relicta excussisque compedibus quibus animi penna deprimi solebat hilarem ad Dominum suum conuolare beatitudinem recondita Imaginatione quadam iam percipere That is I am induced and inoued by the sayings of the wise to beleeue that euery generous soule and such as is beloued of GOD presently after the loosing from the bonds of the body and departure hence that which darkened the minde beeing either purged out or cast from it or done away in what sort I cannot well expresse beginneth sensibly to discerne and behold that good which remaineth for it to bee filled with wonderfull delights and to leape for ioy and that leauing this life as a most grieuous prison and hauing cast off those fetters that depressed and held her downe desiring to mount vpon high with her siluer wings shee flieth ioy fully to her Lord and presently in a certaine apprehension beginneth to tast of that hidden happinesse that shall be reuealed Epiphanius speaking of the Godly departed remembred in the praiers of the Church sayth they are and liue with God Ambrose is more full to this purpose then any of the former for in his booke de bono mortis first he sayth all soules remaine in certaine habitations till the day of Iudgment whence they shall be called forth in that great day of resurrection Secondly that till the fulnesse of time appointed they all are holden in an expectation of the reward due vnto them are not in full possession of it Thirdly that in the meane time neither the soules of the wicked are without some present sence of euill nor the other without some enioying of good The ioy of the good and righteous he sheweth to bee in respect of the victory which they haue obtained ouer the flesh the deuine testimony which they haue in their consciences of their former walking in the waies of God making them not to feare the future iudgment their escape out of the prison of the body of death the liberty they are come to and the possessing of the promised inheritance c. Heare we see plainely that Ambrose maketh but two sorts of men two sorts of soules separated from the body and two estates assuring vs that all good faithfull-ones ordained to eternall life are presently after their seperation in a state of happinesse boldly hastening to the view and and sight of that God whom they haue so carefully serued to which purpose he alleageth that of the Prophet to the Angell shall there be giuen a time to soules after they are seperated that they may see the thing thou hast spoken of and the Angells answer Seauen daies shall their liberty endure that in those seauen daies they may see the things that haue beene spoken and after they shall bee gathered into their dwelling places out of which as I noted before he thinketh they shall not bee called till the resurrection so that according to the opinion of Saint Ambrose there is no place of temporall paine and punishment after this life appointed for the soules of men dying in state of Grace Neither was this the opinion of Dionysius Irenaeus Iustin Martyr Tertullian Nazianzen Epiphanius and Ambrose only but all the auncient were of the same judgment touching the state of the faithfull departed and therefore neuer any of them made any praiers for the deliuering of them out of temporall paine and punishment but as it hath beene before obserued they made prayers for them respectiuely to their passage out of this world and the entrance into the other as also for their resurrection publike acquitall in the day of judgment and perfit consummation This the Masse-booke and all the prayers that are found in any auncient bookes of Ecclesiasticall prayers doe clearely shew George Cassander hath published a booke of Ecclesiasticall prayers gathered out of the old Liturgies and Bookes of diuine seruice that hee could meete with amongst which there are many pro commendatione animae some few of them I will produce for example The first We beseech thy clemency O God mercifully to receiue the soule of thy seruant returning vnto thee Let Michaell the Angell of thy couenant be present with it and vouchsafe to place it amongst thy Saints and holy ones in the bosome of Abraham Isaacke and Iacob that beeing freed and deliuered from the Princes of darkenesse and the places of punishment he may be confounded with no errors of his first birth of ignorance or of his owne iniquity frailty but that rather he may bee acknowledged of thine and enioy the rest of holy blessednesse and that when the day of the great Iudgment shall come being raised vp amongst thy Saints and chosen ones hee may be satisfied with the glory of the cleere beholding of thee The 2d Vouchsafe O Lord to giue to thy seruant a lightsome place a place of refreshing and quiet Let him passe by the gates of hel the punishments of darkenesse let him remaine in the mansions of the Saints and in holy light which of old thou promisedst to Abrahā to his seede let his spirit sustaine no hurt but when the great day of resurrectiō reward shal come vouchsafe to raise him together with thy Saints chosen ones blot out doe away his sins euen to the
point I would desire him therefore to tell mee if hee can wherein I informed him amisse as hee saith I did for first I shewed that there was an Auncient custome of commemorating the departed of rehearsing their names and offering the sacrifice of praise for them to expresse the assurance Christian men haue of the immortality of the soule and their hope of the resurrection Secondly that this sacrifice of the Eucharist that is of praise and thankesgiuing was offered for the Patriarches Prophets Apostles Martyres and the blessed Mother of Christ and euery soule at rest in the faith of Christ for proofe whereof I produce the Liturgy that goeth vnder the name of Chrysostome Thirdly that the Auncient prayed for the soules of men in their passage hence and entrance into the other world Fourthly that they prayed for the resurrection publique acquitall in the day of judgment and perfit consummation of the departed all which customes and obseruations I allow and approue Fiftly that some prayed for the remission or mitigation of the paines of men in hell Sixtly that some other out of a conceipt that there is noe iudgment yet passed and that none of the iust enter into heauen till the resurrection prayed for their admittance into those Heauenly Pallaces and into the presence of God but that none of the Ancient euer prayed to deliuer men out of purgatory What collusion or what vnfaithfull dealing doth Maister Higgons finde in any of these passages yet the faithlesse and perfidious Apostata hauing as he sayth experience of my vnfaithfull dealing directed himselfe to foure considerations whereof the first is that it is vanity in vs Protestants to accept and refuse the Liturgy of Chrysostome at our pleasure the second that Chrysostome did pray for the dead the third that it was by way of thankesgiuing and not of petition that the Church offered sacrifice to God for the Patriarches Prophets Apostles c. the fourth that in the Liturgie of Chrysostome there is prayer for the dead To the first of these wise considerations I answere that wee doe not accept and refuse the Liturgie of Chrysostome at our pleasures but that wee admitte it so farre forth onely as wee finde the thinges it hath in it confirmed out of the indubitate writings of the Auncient and in other things relie not much vpon the credit of it Now that which I alleadge it for hath proofe out of Epiphanius and others and therefore I might rightly alleadge it as I did and doubt of the credit and authority of it in some other thinges To the second wee say Chrysostome did pray for the dead not to deliuer them out of Purgatory whereof hee neuer dreamed nor any Greeke Father that euer liued but in such a sort as Maister Higgons dareth not pray namely for the ease of men in hell Chrysostome sayth Sixtus Senensis in his three and thirtieth Homilie vppon Mathew interpreting these words The damsell is not dead but sleepeth treating of the care that is to be taken for the dead fell in a sort into the opinion of them who thinke that the suffrages and prayers that are made here in the Church doe profit as well those that are damned in hell as those that enjoy eternall glory For there hee hath these words If many barbarous nations doe vse to consume in fire together with the dead the things that pertaine to them how much more oughtest thou to deliuer to thy sonne departed such things as hee possessed not to bee burnt to ashes but that they may make him more glorious Supposest thou that hee went hence defiled with spottes and staines giue vnto him the things he had when he liued that he may wash away those spots Supposest thou that he departed in righteousnesse giue them to him for the increase of his reward And againe that prayers and oblations doe bring some refreshing to them that departed hence without repentance the same Chrysostome seemeth to shew in his third Homily vpon the Epistle to the Philippians where he speaketh to them that bewaile the dead more then is seemely in this sort Bewayle them that died in the midst of great riches and procured with their riches no consolation to their soules who when they had power to wash away their sinnes would not so do let vs weepe for those but with seemely modesty let vs helpe them what wee can let vs procure vnto them some helpe though small yet let vs helpe them but how or in what sort let vs pray and exhort others to pray for them let vs without ceasing giue almes to the poore for them this thing hath some comfort doubtlesse c. To the third consideration I say that the Auncient offered for the Patriarches Prophets Apostles c. by way of thankesgiuing principally but in a sort also by way of petition which this good man also confesseth and bringeth Gersons authority to proue they might do soe who sayth that as it is not absurdly deliuered by the learned Diuines that there is an addition or increase of accidentall felicity in the Saints soe it is not inconuenient if in this respect also we recommend them to God in our Deuotions To which purpose it seemeth to bee that Gregory ordaineth that men shall pray in this sort in the sacred mysteries of the Eucharist We haue receiued O Lord the diuine mysteries which as they profit thy Saints for their glory so wee beseech thee that they may profit vs for our health And Chrysostome willeth the liuing parents to giue something out of their substance to their children departed though they suppose they are departed in the state of righteousnes for the increase of their reward Touching the fourth and last consideration of this considerate and aduised young man we confesse that Chrysostome or the Author of the Liturgie that goeth vnder his name whosoeuer he was teacheth men to pray vnto God to remember all them that are falne asleepe in the hope of the resurrection of eternall life and to make them to bee at rest where the light of his countenance is seene But that this forme of prayer must bee vnderstood in the same sence that the other in the Missal is wherein men are taught to pray to God to deliuer the soules of all faithfull ones departed from the hand of hell from the deepe lake and from the mouth of the Lyon that the lowest hell swallow them not vp and that they fall not into the dungeons of vtter darkenesse or else as proceeding from that opinion that Sixtus Senensis speaketh of that the soules of the Iust are not in heauen-happinesse till the resurrection and not of any deliuerance out of Purgatory For there is not any the least signification of the desire of easing men temporally afflicted in another world expressed in any prayer found in Chrysostomes Liturgie Neither doth it any way contrary any thing that wee professe that hee teacheth men to pray to God to graunt
what is yet wanting to the faithfull departed or to such as are aliue at the suite supplication of the holy Patriarches Prophets Apostles c. For seeing it is confessed by vs that the Saints in heauen doe pray for vs in a generality we may desire of God the graunting of such things as we or others need not only vpon our own suite but much more for that there are so many supplyants to him for vs not in earth alone but in heauen also though without sence or knowledge of our particular wantes So that there is nothing found in Chrysostome either touching prayer for the dead or invocation of Saints that maketh any thing for the confirmation of popish errours For neither doth Chrysostome in that Liturgie pray for the ease of men in Purgatorie neither doth he inuocate any Saint but calleth vpon God onely though not without hope of being heard the rather for that not onely the faithfull on earth but the Saints in heauen also make petition for him But Master Higgons asketh why I concealed these things To whom I answere that I did not conceale any of them For howsoeuer citing some other parts of Chrysostomes Liturgie to another purpose I had no reason to bring in these passages being altogether impertinent to my purpose and the matter in hand yet in other places I haue shewed at large the ancient practise in all these things and therefore this seduced runnagate whom Sathan the tempter hath beguiled had no reason to compare me to the Tempter leauing out certaine wordes in the text he alleadged vnto Christ. §. 5. IN the next place he obiecteth to vs the heresie of Aerius condemned by Augustine amongst many other impious heresies and Augustines conclusion that whosoeuer maintaineth any of the hereticall opinions condemned by him is no Catholicke Christian and telleth vs that this censure toucheth vs very neere but that I demeane my selfe plausibly and artificially to avoid the pressure of that difficultie which is too heauy for me to beare Whereunto I briefly answer that I demeane not my self artificially to avoid the force of any trueth which I esteeme value aboue all treasures in the world but in all sincerity vnfold those thinges which Papists seeke to wrap vp in perplexed and intricate disputes to the entangling of the Readers For I shew that the naming of the names of the departed the offering of the sacrifice of praise for them the praying for their resurrection publike acquitall perfect consummation and blisse in the day of Christ yea the praying for their deliuerance from the hand of hel the mouth of the Lyon the vtter deletion remissioÌ„ of their sins respectiuely to their passage hence first entrance into the other world are not disliked by vs and that thus far the general intention of the Church extended but that to pray for the deliuerance of meÌ„ out of hel or for the mitigation or suspension of the punishments that are in hel was but the priuat deuotioÌ„ of some particular men doubtfully eroneously extending the publicke prayers of the Church farther then they were meant and intended by her and that in this particular they fell from the trueth which if M. Theophilus Higgons shall deny justifie such kind of prayers for the dead we will be bold to call him by his new name Theomisus But he is desirous to know of me or any other without lies obscurities and circuitions whether Cyrill of Hierusalem concurring absolutely with the Papists in this point of prayer for the dead and Augustine agreeing with him fell away from the truth or not That he professeth himselfe an enemy to lies obscurities and circuitions the best sanctuaries of their euill cause I greatly maruell feare that if he giue ouer the aduantage which he and his companions are wont to make thereof this his first booke will be his last But in that he saith Cyrill of Hierusalem concurreth absolutely with the Papists in the matter of prayer for the dead and Augustine with him hee doth as beseemeth him for he vttereth lies and vntruthes which before vnaduisedly he condemned For first it is most certaine that Cyrill maketh but two sortes of men departing out of this life sinners righteous and that he thinketh as Chrysostome also doth and after them Damascene many other that wicked and sinfull men in hell may find some ease be relieued by the prayers of the liuing but of Purgatory he speaketh not Touching Augustine he dissenteth altogether from this opinion of Chrysostome Cyrill and Damascene thinketh that the prayers of the Church for such as excelled in goodnes are thanksgiuings to God for such as died impenitently in grieuous sins comforts of the liuing but no helpes of the dead for those that were neithâ—… exceeding good nor exceeding euill propitiations and meanes to obtaine fauour and remission But whether they of this middle sort be in any penall estate after death or whether by the mercy of God and working of his grace the prayers of the liuing accompanying them they bee freed from sinne and the punishment of it in the first entrance into the other world he resolueth nothing and therfore there was no cause why this good man reflecting as he saith vpon my assertion should bee amazed to behold such a repugnancie betweene these things to wit Augustine ran doubtingly into the opinion of Purgatorie and yet he affirmeth there is no doubt but that some sinnes are remitted in the other world and tâ—…at some soules may be relieued by prayer For in the iudgement of wiser men then Mastâ—…r Higgons these thinges imply no contradiction and therefore the Grecians admit the latter of them and yet deny Purgatory Yea in their Apologie touching Purgatory they say if there be remission of sinnes after this life there is no enduring of the punishments due to sin it being one thing to haue remission of a sin or fault and another to suffer the extremity of punishment it deserueth That there is therefore remission of sinnes of a middle sort of men after this life in the entrance into the other world Augustine made no doubt and to that purpose he alleadged the saying of Christ concerning the sinne that is neither remitted in this world nor the other from thence to inferre that some sinnes are remitted after this life But whether there be any Purgatory-punishments after this life or not hee was euer doubtfull as appeareth by sundry places in his workes where he saith Perhaps there is some such thing it is not incredible that there is some such thing and whether there be or not it may be found out or it may be hid neither will it follow that because he maketh three estates of men dying whereof some are so good that wee haue rather cause to giue God thankes for them then to pray others so ill that they cannot be relieued and a third sort that need our
prayers and may be releeued by them that therefore there is a third place wherein they are to be temporally afflicted For all this may be in the passage hence and entrance into the other world the prayers of the liuing accompanying them and God purging out that which is impure and remitting that which offendeth him in this middle sort of men euen in that first entrance into the state of the other world And surely Augustine himselfe in his owne prayer for Monicha his mother neuer speaketh one word of releasing her out of paine or punishment but prayeth God not to enter into iudgment with her to suffer none to diuide her from him and take her out of his protection to keepe her that neither the lyon nor dragon by force or subtilty interpose himselfe for that shee will not plead that shee hath not trespassed lest shee should be conuinced and the accuser should preuaile against her and gette her to himselfe but that her trespasses are remitted to her by Christ so shewing that hee made his prayer for her respectiuely to the state shee was in in her passage and while she stood to be judged and because this might seeme to bee already past and the things hee asked performed when he prayed hee sayth he thinketh God hath already done that he prayeth for but beseecheth him to accept his voluntary deuotions Two places there are found in Augustines workes where he seemeth peremptorily to affirme that there is a penall state and purging fire after this life the first is in his one and twentieth booke De ciuitate Dei where he sayth When the dead shall rise againe there shall some bee found to whom after they haue suffered punishments mercy shall be shewed that they be not cast into eternall fire But the words as Viues noteth vpon the same place are not found in some auncient manuscripts nor in that printed at Friburge The other place is in his second booke De Genesi against the Manichees The words are these Hee who happily shall not till his field but shall suffer it to be ouer-growne with thornes and briars hath in this life the curse of his life in all his workes and after this life hee shall haue either the fire of Purgation or eternall punishment which wordes beeing spoken of them that till not their fielde that suffer it to bee ouer-growne with thornes and bryers whose whole life is accursed in all they doe and not of such good men to whom some imperfection cleaueth are vttered according to that opinion then preuayling of deliuerance out of hell which Augustine in that place would not stand to discusse but else-where refuteth at large So that the thinges t◅ are found in Augustine clearely resolued on are onely these First that some sinnes are remitted after this life which wee graunt vnderstanding that remission to bee in the first enterance into the other world Secondly that they are onely the lesser sinnes that are thus remitted after this life and not those more grieuous wherein men dye without repentance for these exclude from the Kingdome of Heauen Thirdly that prayers do helpe men dying in those lesser sinnes Which likewise we acknowledge to be true if such prayers be conceaued and vnderstood as made respectiuely to the enterance into the other world Fourthly that there is no deliuerance of men dying in the state of mortall sinne out of hell and that noe prayers can benefit them in this behalfe In all these pointes his resolution is full and cleare but whether the paines of men damned in hell may be eased mitigated or suspended for a time by the prayers of the liuing he professeth hee will not striue so that the wrath of God be acknowledged to remaine eternally vppon them Neither is this contradictory to that which he hath else-where that the prayers of the liuing are no helpes of such as are damned but onely comforts of the liuing For hee meaneth that they are no helpes able to free and deliuer them out of that state of punishment wherein they are but whether they may some way ease them or not hee will not much contend and therefore hee sayth that whom praiers profit either they profit them for full remission as they doe men dying in the lesser sinnes or that their damnation may bee the more tolerable and easie The Papists applying these latter words of more tollerable damnation to the state of soules in their supposed Purgatory is absurd for they cānot in any proper sense be said to be dāned These things being thus distinguished wee see there is nothing found in Augustine for confirmation of the Popish error touching Purgatory that no testimonies of Augustine could seale vp M. Higgons his heart in this idle conceit of Purgatory as vntruly he sayth they did that wee no way oppose our selues against the vniuersall resolution and practice of the whole Church which to do Augustine pronounceth insolent madnesse that we no way contradict this worthy Father reporting to vs the doctrine and tradition of the Church and consequently that Higgons ridiculously and idlely asketh whether Augustine or I know better the sense and iudgment of Anti◅uity thereupon childishly making a comparison betweene him and me for I make no question but he knew the sense of Antiquity right well neither do I dissent from him in any thing that he constantly deliuereth and for the comparison confesse my selfe vnworthy to be named the same day but whereas hee saith hee found sincetity in him vnfaithfulnes in me I defie the faithles Apostata challenge him or any of the proudest of his consorts to tell me truely wherein I haue shewed the least vnfaithfulnesse It seemeth he measureth other men by himselfe and his companions but we are not like them making marchandize of the word of GOD. After these idle discourses he passeth from me to that reverend renowned and worthy Divine Doctor Humfrey in his time the light and ornament of the Vniuersitie that bred him whom such a silly novice as M. Theophilus durst not haue looked in the face while hee liued But it is easier to insult vpon a dead lyon then a liuing dog that maketh him barke against him but such was his great reading variety of learning in all kindes profound science and mature judgement as made him so highly esteemed at home and abroad by all that knew how to judge of things aright that the scornefull speeches of this Renegado concerning his Rhetoricall flourishes will neuer be able to diminish or lessen the good opinion that most deseruedly all wise and good men holde of him Yet let vs see what it is that this graue censurer reprehendeth in D. Humfrey surely hee knoweth not what himselfe D. Humfrey speaking of the ancient commemoration or commendation of the dead saith We retaine it in our Colledges which is most true but hee hath spied as he supposeth three differences for first as he saith the
grow vnto if it bee immutable For to dislike that which before we did not dislike or to dislike a thing more then formerly we did vpon farther better consideration argueth a mutability in the Wil so that if the Wil be immutable in those that are departed hence immediately vpon their dissolution as our Aduersaries think it is the fire of purgatory can no way helpe to the purging out of sin To these reasons they adde another takē frō the story or parable of the rich man Lazarus in the Gospell where Christ sheweth that the poore man Lazarus as soone as hee was dead was carryed by the Angels into Abrahams bosome that the rich mans soule as soone as hee was dead was found in the torments of hell By the bosome of Abraham expressing a most excellent estate in the blessed rest of such as are beloued of God and by hell and the torments thereof the vtter most condemnation and the euerlasting punishment of sinners and no way leauing any other place betweene these hauing temporall affliction and paine but making betweene them a great and vnpasseable gulfe separating the one from the other and establishing an extreame and immediate opposition betweene them then which what could bee more cleerely spoken against Purgatory for our opinion For if there be no middle place of temporall torment as the Authors of this Apologie say there is not if there be but two sorts of men the one expressed by the condition of the rich man the other of Lazarus and if the one of these goe immediately vpon death into a place of torment euerlasting the other into a place of rest and into the bosome of Abraham where is the Purgatory of Papists either in the name or in the thing in substance or in circumstance To these reasons for farther confirmation they adde two most excellent testimonies out of Gregory Nazianzen who vpon these wordes touching the Passeouer Wee shall carrie out nothing nor leaue nothing till the morning saith expresly and clearely that beyond or after this Night there is no purging calling the life of each man heere the Night and yeelding no purging to be after it and else-where hath these wordes I omitte to speake of the torments to which impunity doth deliuer men in the other world for they are such that it were better for a man to be chastised and purged heere then to be reserued and deliuered ouer to that punishment that is after this life when as there is a time of punishment but not of purgation so expressely defining that there is no purging after the departure out of this life and that there remaineth nothing but eternall punishment for such as must there be punished Elias Cretensis a learned Grecian writing vpon that place of Nazianzen where he saith Hee is a poore and a meane Pastour and not liked of other Pastors whether because hee defendeth the trueth or for what other cause he knoweth not but God knoweth and as the Apostle saith that day of reuelation and last fire shall clearely manifest it whereby all our workes are either iudged or purged hath these wordes The word iudged Gregory Nazianzen put for tried and purged for reuealed or manifested for that fire doth make the workes of iust men to shine and burneth vppe the workes of sinners and that I may speake plainly and simply manifesteth of what sort each mans workes are those thinges being taken away that in this world did hide them and suffered them not to appeare to be such as indeede they are For here oftentimes as well the workes of a vertuous man as of an euill man are hidde but there they are reuealed and made manifest therefore there judgement is passed vpon all that is all are tried and againe all thinges are purged that is manifested and not by any meanes according to the fooleries of those men who thinke that there shall be an end of punishment after a thousand yeares and that after they are purged men shall cease to bee punished Thus doth this worthy Bishoppe of Candie contradict the Papistes in their fancie of Purgatory and agree with the Authors of the Apologie In the writings of Armacanus I finde that one Athanasius a Grecian proposed sundry excellent reasons against the imagined Purgatory of the Latines which Armachanus goeth about to answere but indeede cannot answere the first is this It is no way iust that the Soule alone should bee punished for the sinnes of the whole man or that the body should haue part and fellowship in Sinne and glory after remission of Sinne and not in the punishment that purgeth out sinne The second is this It is more proper to God to reward good thinges then to punish euill So that if it were necessary that the soules of such as are truely penitent should after death goe into Purgatory punishments it were much more necessary that the soules of such as haue kept the commaundements of GOD all their life long and at last falling into sinne die in such an estate without repentance should goe first into a place of refreshing to receiue the rewardes of their well doings before they should be cast out into eternall punishments but this is not to be graunted by any meanes therefore much lesse the other Thirdly whereas some goe about to proue Purgatory by the custome of praying for the dead hee sheweth by an vnanswerable reason that if wee admitte Purgatory wee may not pray for the dead his reason is this Whosoeuer causeth another to bee afflicted doth it in one of these three sortes either onely out of vnreasonable passion and desire of tormenting and afflicting or for the vpholding of the course of iustice and the example and good of others as when murderers are put to death or thirdly in mercy for the good and benefite of him that is punished as the Physician afflict◅h the sicke patient And in this third sort it is that God is supposed to afflict soules in Purgatory As therefore the Physician and Surgeon delight not in afflicting their sicke patients but deale as tenderly with them as possibly they may due respect had to the recouering of their health and former estate so God will afflict no more then is precisely necessary for the purging out of sinne so that as it were vaine if not hurtfull to intreat the good and skilfull Physician tendering his patient and no way afflicting him more then is precisely necessary for the recouering of his health either wholly to withdraw his hand or to remitte any thing of that hee intends to doe for that if so hee should doe the patient could not recouer so in like sort it were not onely vaine but hurtfull for the soules of men departed to intreate GOD any way to lessen their afflictions which otherwise he would lay vpon them seeing hee intendeth to afflict them no more then is precisely necessary for the purging out of the impurity that is found in them and
Lions found out an vnknowne worke in a certaine ruinated Abbey and put it out vnder the name of Ruffinus though as himselfe confesseth it seemed strange to many that such a worke had lyen hid so long and more strange that so often the same sentences and periods should bee found in Augustine that are in this supposed Ruffinus seeing hee could not take them from Augustine Augustine in all likelyhood would not borrow them from him neuer vsing to bee beholding to any man in this kind so that it may bee thought this worke had a latter Author then either of these surely the words Mr Higgons citeth are the words of Augustine and therefore ill alledged to shew that others before him thought as hee did touching the purging of men dying in an imperfit state of grace Wherefore let vs come to Ambrose out of whom he citeth two places the first is vpon the hundred and eighteene Psalme the second vpon the thirty sixe Psalme Touching the first of these places Cardinall Bellarmine will tell him that it is not to bee vnderstood of the fire of Purgatory but of the fire of Gods Iudgement which is not a purging or an afflicting fire but a trying and examining fire I will set down the words at large that the Reader may iudge of them All must be proued by fire that desire to returne to Paradise for it is not idlely written that when Adam Eue were cast out of Paradise God set in the entrance into it a fiery two-edged or turning-sword for all must passe by slaming fire whether it bee Iohn the Evangelist whom the LORD so loued that he said of him to Peter if I will haue him to abide what is that to thee follow thou me Of his death some haue doubted of his passage through the fire we may not doubt because he is in Paradise is not separated from CHRIST or Peter that receiued the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen walked vpon the Sea he must be forced to say we haue passed by fire water and thou hast brought vs into a place of refreshing but when Iohn commeth the fiery sword shall soon be turned away because iniquity is not found in him whō equity loued If there were any fault found in him as a man the loue of God wasted it away For the wings thereof are as the wings of fire he that heere hath the fire of charitie shall not there feare the fire of the sword Christ shal say vnto Peter that so oftē offred to dy for him passe be at rest but he shal say he hath tried vs in the fire as siluer is tried c Hee shall be tried as siluer but I shal be tried as lead I shall burne till the lead melt away if no siluer be found in me woe is me I shal be cast into the lowest hell or wholly burnt vp as stubble if any gold or siluer be found in me not by mine own works but by the mercy and grace of CHRIST and by the ministery of my Priest-hood happily I saye They that trust in thee shall not bee confounded Therefore iniquitie shall bee burned out by the fiery sword that fitteth vpon the talent of Lead Hee alone could not feele that fire who is the iustice of God euen Christ who did no finne for the fire found nothing in him that it could burne but concerning others euen he that thinketh himselfe Gold hath lead and hee that thinketh himselfe to be a graine of corne hath chaffe that may be burned Many here seeme to themselues to be gold I do not enuie them but euen the gold shall be tried it shall burne in fire that it may be proued for so it is written I will proue them as gold in the fire therefore seeing we are to be tried let vs so behaue our selues that we may deserue to be approued by the iudgment of God let vs while wee are here hold humility that when euery of vs shall come to the iudgment of God he may say See my humility and deliuer mee And vpon the thirty sixt Psalme he hath these words We shall all be tried by fire and Ezechiel sayth Behold the Lord Almighty commeth and who shall abide the day of his comming or who shall indure it when he shall appeare vnto vs for he shall come as purging fire as Fullers soape he shall sitte downe to trie and fine the gold and the siluer he shall fine the sonnes of Leuie and powre them out like gold and siluer and they shall offer sacrifice to the Lord in righteousnesse Therefore the sonnes of Leuie shall bee fined by fire Ezechiel shall bee fined by the fire and Daniel shall bee fined by the fire but these though they shall bee tried by the sire yet they shall say we haue passed by fire and water others shall abide in the fire to them the fire shall be as a moyst dewe as it was to the Hebrew children that were cast into the hotte burning furnace but the reuenging fire shall burne vp the Ministers of iniquity Woe is mee if my worke shall burne and I suffer losse of my labour and if the Lord do saue his sernants we shal be saued by faith yet as by fire though we be not burned vp yet wee shall bee burned but how some remaine in the fire and other passe thorough it let the Scripture in another place teach vs. The people of Aegypt were drowned in the Red sea the people of the Hebrewes passed through it Moses passed Pharaoh was ouer-whelmed because his grieuous sins did drowne him in like sort sacrilegious persons shall be cast headlong into the lake of burning fire c. Here we see Ambrose speaketh of the tryall of Gods seuere and righteous judgment expressing the same by the name of fire because euen our God is a consuming fire And a fire shall go before him when he commeth to judge the world but of the Papists Purgatory-fire he hath no word The fire he speaketh of is the fiery tryall of Gods iudgement through which he thinketh all must passe though neuer so holy and bee burned in it though not burned vp as the wicked shall Of the same fire not of Purgatory but of the iudgement of God doth Hillary speake vpon the same wordes of the 118. Psal. and vpon the second of Mathew where expounding these words Hee shall Baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire he sayth it remaineth that they that haue bin Baptized with the Holy Ghost should be comsummate and made perfit in the fire of iudgment And before these Lactantius his words are these therefore the Diuine fire by one and the same vertue and power shall burne the wicked c. And also when the Lord shal iudge the righteous hee shall try them by fire Then they whose sins shall preuaile either in waight or number shall bee burned vp in the fire but they whom full and perfect righteousnesse and the
God shall in the end find mercy and that no torments shall be eternall he concludeth in this sort ◠As we beleeue that the torments of the diuel of such as deny God and of impious men which haue said in their hearts there is no God are eternall so we thinke that the sentence of the Iudge that shall be pronounced vpon sinners vngodly men who yet are Christians whose workes are to bee tryed and purged in the fire shall be moderate and mixed with clemency Where we see againe he maketh not the difference betweene the degrees of sinne as the Romanists doe but betweene impious men that say in their hearts there is no God that deny God and his truth and Christians that are vnrighteous and sinners Neither are those words whose workes are to be tryed and purged in the fire to bee taken distinctiuely to note forth vnto vs one certain degree of Christians who shall suffer a temporall punishment in fire as M. Higgons would haue them but explicatiuely to signifie the condition of all Christians Which appeareth because otherwise he would not haue said of sinners yet Christians but of sinners yet such Christians whose works are to be tryed in the fire This explicatiō is added to put a difference between Christians such as are no Christians because the works of Christians only of all Christians shall come to be tryed in the fire of Gods judgment others being judged already as Hierome speaketh adjudged to eternall perdition These circūstances of the words of Hierome considered I thinke there is no indifferent reader but wil cōceiue his opiniō to haue bin as I haue deliuered it that I haue no way wronged him but that Higgons hath causelesly wronged Me. Some places there are in Hierome that are brought to proue that he was of another opinion but they proue nothing The first is out of his Commentaries vpon Hosea where he saith When heretickes see men offend against God they say God seeketh nothing of them but the verity of faith for this cause the people are not humbled but they reioyce in their sinnes and goe forward with a stiffe necke wherefore the People and Priest Master and Schollers are bound vp in the same judgment This place is alledged to no purpose For here Hierome sheweth onely that Heretickes teaching falsely that God requireth not good works and such as beleeuing them shall rejoyce in euill doing shall perish which is no way contrary to the other conceipt that right beleeuing Christians liuing ill shall in the end be saued The next place they bring is out of his Commentaries vpon Mathew the words are these Marke prudent Reader that both punishments are eternall and that euerlasting life hath no more feare of any fallings away which no way contraryeth the opinion of Hierome before-mentioned For hee is resolued that the punishments of the Diuell his Angells and all impious ones are eternall but thinketh right beleeuers though liuing wickedly shall bee punished but for a time That out of his Commentaries vpon the Galathians That enmity contention wrath brawling dissention drunkennesse and other-like which wee esteeme to bee but small euills exclude vs from the Kingdome of GOD If it bee vnderstood of right beleeuers accorcording to Hieromes opinion sheweth onely what these deserue namely exclusion from the Kingdome of God but preiudice not the riches of his mercy towardes them that doe such things Heere by the way I would haue the reader to obserue a grosse ouersight in M. Higgons who saith it may as well be inferred out of the writings of Hierome that he thought all Christians shall in the end be saued how damnably soeuer erring in matters of faith as right beleeuers Whereas distinguishing the godlesse or impious man that neuer knew God or corrupteth the knowledge hee had of God as heretickes from a sinner or vnrighteous man he expresly pronounceth the one to perish euerlastingly and not the other Hauing thus cleared my selfe from the suspition of wrong offered to Hierome which M. Higgons would willingly fasten on me I will perswade my selfe to contemne the wrongs he doth me As namely that I vse the testimonies of this Saint at my pleasure that I vainely elude the truth and vnconscionably intreat the Fathers that I craftily conuay wordes into Saint Augustin that I sort my termes wisely for my aduantage and that I seeke to dazle the vnderstanding of my readers If Master Higgons were a man of any worth and should entreat mee thus ill without all cause as hee doth I would lette him knowe more of my minde but I haue resolued not to turne backe to euery Curre that barketh at mee SECT 4. WHerefore from Hierome I will passe to Ambrose whom this prophane Esau who hath sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage for more I thinke hee will not haue for it bringeth in as hee saith to make vp the messe In this idle discourse touching Ambrose the poore fellow is to bee pittied or laughed at accordingly as men are disposed so ridiculously doth hee behaue himselfe The circumstances of the matter are these In the place cited by him first I shew in what sort men prayed lawfully for the dead without any conceit of Purgatory namely respectiuely to their passage hence and enterance into the other world and for their resurrection publicke acquitall in the day of iudgement and perfit consummation blisse Secondly I shew first what erroneous conceits some particular men in former times had touching the possibility of helping men dying in mortall sinne whereupon they prayed for the dead in such sort as the Romanistes dare not doe as for the deliuerance of men out of hell or at least the suspension or mitigation of their paines secondly that they thought that there is no iudgement to passe vpon men till the last day that in the meane while all men are holden either in some place vnder the earth or else in some other place appointed for that purpose so that they come not into heauen nor receiue the reward of their labours till the generall iudgement and that out of this conceit that prayer in Iames his Liturgie grew that God would remember all the faithfull that are fallen asleepe in the sleepe of death since Abell the iust till this present day and that hee would place them in the land of the liuing as also many other like Of this opinion I report Iustine Martyr Tertullian Clemens Romanus Lactantius Victorinus Martyr Pope Iohn the two and twentith and Ambrose to haue been besides sundry other All that which I haue said touching the lawfull and vnlawfull formes of praying for the dead vsed amongst the Auncient no way importing any conceit in them of Purgatory hee passeth ouer in silence as no way able to refute any part of it likewise by his silence yeeldeth that Iustine Martyr Tertullian Clement Bishop of Rome Lactantius Victorinus Martyr and Pope Iohn
hee hath these words The Scripture meeting with the complaints of men which they doc or may make for that the Iust which went before seeme to bee defrauded of the reward due vnto them for a long time euen till the day of Iudgement wonderfully saith that the day of Iudgment is like vnto a ring or crowne wherein as there is no slacknesse of the last so is there no swiftnesse of the first for the day of crowning is expected by all that within it they that are ouercome may be ashamed and they that are conquerours may attaine the palme of victory and after some other things inserted he addeth that so long as the fulnesse of time is expected the soules expect their due reward though neither the one sort be without all sence of euill nor the other of good Thus if it had pleased M. Higgons to look into Ambrose himselfe not to the opinion of Senensis to which I referre not the Reader as he vntruly saith I doe but to the words of Ambrose cited by him hee might haue found that I dealt faithfully and sincerely in this matter and so haue spared a great number of reproachfull termes he now bestoweth very liberally on me Some man happily will say that elsewhere Ambrose seemeth to place the soules of Iust men in Heauen before the Resurrection and that this place de bono mortis is to be interpreted by them Wherevnto I answere that places where things are but spoken of in passage and not purposely are rather to be interpreted by those wherein they are purposely handled then otherwise and therefore this place de bono mortis wherein he goeth about to describe at large the state of the dead must bee a rule to interprete other places by The most pregnant proofe that is brought to the contrary out of his indubitate workes is out of his Fpistle to the Thessalonians where speaking of Acholius of whose death he had lately heard he fayth Hee is now an inhabitant of the higher world a possessor of the eternall city of Hierusalem that is in Heauen that hee seeth there the vnmeasurable measure of that City the pure gold the pretious stone perpetuall light without any sunne and these things truely were well knowne to him before but now seeing face to face hee sayth as wee haue heard so haue wee seene in the City of the Lord of hoastes in the Citty of our God and out of the last of his Epistles where speaking of certaine Martyrs hee sayth their soules are in Heautn their bodies on Earth but the answere hereunto for the reconciling of the seeming contradictions of Ambrose is easie for in the former place De bono mortis hee sheweth that hee thinketh that the soules of the Iust by seauen seuerall degrees as it were by the space of seauen dayes are ledde along to take a view of the things they shall enioy after the judgement and that afterwardes they are gathered into their habitations there to enioy the benefite of their quiet congregating or gathering together seauen dayes liberty they haue to see the former things and then they are gathered into their habitations The seuen degrees by which they are led those seuen dayes are 1 the consideration of their victory which they haue obtained ouer the flesh and other like enemies 2 The quiet they find in themselues from these perturbations and tormentings of conscience which the wicked are subiect vnto Thirdly the Diuine testimonie which they haue in themselues that they haue kept the Law making them not to feare the vncertaine euent of the future iudgement Fourthly their beginning to discerne their rest and future glory Fifthly triumphant ioy in that they are come out of the prison of a corruptible body into light and liberty and to possesse the inheritance promised to them 6. The brightnesse of their countenances beginning to shine as the sunne 7. Their confident hastning to see the face and countenance of God Hauing beene thus led along they are brought into their habitations where they comfort themselues in the fore-sight of that which shall be and rest peaceably guarded by the Angels in a place as he describeth it aboue the earth and places of dead bodies and yet below the highest heauen the place of perfit happinesse And so Acholius might be said by Ambrose to bee an inhabitant of the higher places and to see the glory of the Hierusalem that is aboue and yet not bee in the highest heauen But he saith Acholius is a possessor of that eternall Citty and that the Martyrs bodies are on earth and their soules in heaven therefore he thought the spirits of the iust to be in the highest heauen before the resurrection This consequence I feare will hardly bee made good for Bernard who is confessed to haue holden the opinion which I impute to Ambrose maketh three estates of soules the first in Tabernaculis the second in Atriis and the third in Domo interiori That is the first in Tents or Tabernacles while they remaine in the corruptible bodies of men that are in the warfare of Christ in the world the second in the outward Courtes of the Lords house and the third in the inner roomes of the house of God so sorting these thinges that both the latter states of soules of men may bee said and thought to bee in a sort in heauen and to haue possession of the eternall Ierusalem that is in Heauen and yet but one of them bee in the highest heauen where the perfection of the happy vision of God is to which purpose it is that Saint Augustine saith after this life thou shalt not be there where the Saintes shall be to whom it shall bee said come yee blessed of my father receiue the Kingdome which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world but thou maist bee where the proud rich man in the middest of torments saw a farre off the poore man sometimes full of vlcers resting in that rest thou shalt securely expect the day of iudgement Heere hee denyeth directly the soules of the iust to bee in heauen where they shall bee after the resurrection generall iudgement In his Confessions he saith Now Nebridius liueth in the bosome of Abraham whatsoeuer that it is that is signifyed by that bosome there liueth my Nebridius my sweete friend Heere wee see hee is doubtfull what the bosome of Abraham is Vpon Genesis he doubteth whether the soules of the iust bee in the third heauen or not which peremptorily in the place before cited hee denyed Neither doth hee speake thus doubtfully touching the place only but touching the state of happinesse also for in his Retractations thus he writeth That maketh vs most happy whereof the Apostle speaketh saying then shall I see him face to face and then shall I know as I am knowne they that haue found this are to bee said to be in the possession of blessednesse but who these
limits set and prescribed by Christ and the Church and professeth that the abuse of the Papall power which the flatterers of the Pope amplified enlarged and magnified beyond all measure gaue men occasion to thinke ill of the Pope and in the end to depart from him With whom Gerson agreeth saying that the Popes intermedling in some kindes and assuming more then was fit gaue occasion to the Grecians to depart from the Church of Rome writing to the Pope at their parting in this sort wee know thy power thy couetousnesse wee cannot satisfie liue by thy selfe So that I haue truely said whatsoeuer Master Higgons blattereth out to the contrarie that it was the pride of Antichrist that made all the breaches in the Christian world But saith Master Higgons Gerson maketh the forme of the Churches gouernment to be Monarchicall which thing is mainely opposite to the opinion of Protestants who will not admit the Pope to bee a Monarch in the Church It is true that Gerson maketh the gouernment of the Church to be Monarchicall but no otherwise but as the gouernment of the state of Venice is Monarchicall wherein the Duke is greater then any one Senator but subiect to the Senate and hath neither absolute negatiue nor affirmatiue therefore it is in truth and indeed according to his opinion rather Aristocratical thē Monarchical though he make it to be so in that amongst all the Bs of the world one is first and in order and honour before all other A head he maketh the Pope to bee as a president of a company not as an absolute commaunder Whereas saith Iohn Bachon the denying the Pope to haue an illimited power was condemned as hereticall in Marsilius of Padua Io. de Ianduno some say they were condemned because they denied him to haue an illimited power as head or chiefe of all Bishops and with the colledge of them and that it is not there defined that absolutely in and of himself he hath illimited power of making lawes and gouerning according to the same without the concurrence of his brethren But Gerson saith it is schismatical not to acknowledg with aldue respect the true Pope vndoubtedly known to be soe therefore he must needes be an enemie to the Protestanticall reformation We say no for let the Pope as Gerson teacheth him to doe disclaime the claime of absolute vncontroulable power infallibility of judgment right to dispose the Kingdomes of the world let him without particular intermedling suffer other Bishops to gouerne their owne diocesses as they did in the Primitiue Church without so many reseruations preuentions and appeales receiued from all parts of the world and wee will thinke as Gerson doth that as it is Schismaticall to impugne the gouernment of Bishoppes within their owne diocesses the superiorities of Metropolitans in their Prouinces and of Patriarches in their larger circuites so it is Schismaticall to deny the Bishoppe of Rome contenting himselfe therewith a primacie of order honour and a speciall interest in swaying the gouernment of the whole Church and managing the affaires thereof as first amongst the Bishoppes of the world Wherefore let vs hearken to Master Higgons his suite hee beseecheth vs to consider the resemblance and similitude of these thinges hee that reiecteth the Pope shall not be saued and hee that doth not hate him and the Popedome from his heart shall not bee saued the one of these sayings is Gersons the other Luthers thus saith Higgons they damne themselues mutually in a capitall point and exclude each other from possibility of saluation Wee haue according to Master Higgons his request diligently considered these things and doe finde that betweene these sayings in shew so opposite there is in truth and indeed no contradictions and that Luther and Gerson are farre from damning one another in this point as he falsely saith they doe for it is true as Luther saith that men are bound to hate the Papacie that is the claime of vncontrouleable and absolute power of infallible judgment and interest to dispose of the Kingdomes of the world euen in the judgement of Gerson himselfe and they both agree that for the preservation of order and peace men are bound to acknowledge the Papacie that is to yeeld to the Bishop of Rome a Primacie of order and honour if there be no other matter of difference nor no father claime made by him Neither is it communion with the Pope as prime Bishop that maketh a man a formall Papist as this formalist speaketh but with the vnjust claimes of the Pope So that Gersons communion with the Pope proueth him not a formall Papist and therefore though Master Powels judgement be of value M◅ Higgons may not vndoubtedly pronounce that Gerson is damned to the nethermost hell as he fondly saith he may neither can hee shew any good reason why wee may not truly say that Luther hath accomplished that reformation which Gerson desired therefore he might well haue spared his Risum teneatis amici insteed thereof intreated men to weepe for his pittifull ouer-sight and folly which he bewrayeth in the words immediatly following I will knit vp saith he this matter with the counsell of Gerson which he giueth to the spouse of Christ saying the Church must intreate the Pope the Vicegerent of Christ with all honour and call him Father for hee is her Lord head that she must not expose him to detractions c. Mr Higgons is wont to compare them to the Diuell who alledge any sayings of Fathers or Scriptures in shew making for them and leaue out that which followeth making against them if this course be right good as no doubt it is I will soone make the Reader know to whom Master Higgons is like in citing Gersons testimony against vs. For Gerson speaking of the respect that is due to CHRIST the Husband of the Church and his Vicegerent from her as his Spouse Wife hath these words I deliuer this first vnto thee that for the honour of CHRIST her husband the Church Synodally assembled or not so assembled ought to carrie herselfe towards the chiefe Bishoppe with reuerence and due respect in all louing sort if hee behaue himselfe towards her laudably nay if his entreating of her bee tollerable because in many thinges wee offend all and the judiciall sentence of Diuorce is to bee expected before hee bee cast off as hitherto the discretion of our Fore-fathers hath obserued towardes inferiour Bishoppes In the next place I deliuer vnto thee that the Church for the reuerence of CHRIST her husband ought to name his Vicegerent and him whom hee hath appointed her keeper Father and both in her selfe and her children to bee most ready to giue all honour and to yeelde all obedience to him as to her Lord and head and likewise to shew all due respect to the Romane Church as ioyned to her in a speciall degree of fellowshippe Neither is it
of actions of vertue formerly done remaine still in the elect and chosen called according to purpose when they fall into grieuous sinnes tyrannizing ouer them though during the time of their being in such grieuous sins the actuall claime to the benefit of these things and the enioying of them be suspended which vpon their repentance for those particular sinnes that caused such suspension is reuiued and set afoote againe in such sort that the repentance past sufficeth for remission of former sinnes and the good actions past shall haue their rewards So that a man elect and chosen of God and called according to purpose that hath done good vertuous actions though they be deaded in him for the present by some grieuous Sinne yet still they remaine in diuine acceptation and he still retaineth the right title he had to the reward of eternall life promised to those workes of vertue done by him though he can make no actuall claime to the same while he remaineth in such an estate of sinne but after that such sinne shall cease and bee repented of hee recouereth not a nâ—…w right or title but a new claime by vertue of the old title Wherefore if it bee demaunded whether Dauid and 〈◊〉 â—…hen they fell into those grieuous sinnes of vncleanesse and abnegation of Christ continued in a state of iustification We answer that they did in respect of the remission of their sinnes and the title they goâ—… to eternall life in their first conuersion which they lost not by those their sinnes committed afterwardes For the remission of all their former sinnes whereof before they had repented remained still and Gods acceptation of them to eternall life notwithstanding these sinnes vpon the condition of leauing them together with his purpose of rewarding their well-doings but in respect of the actuall claime to eternall good things they were not as men once iustified are notwithstanding lesser sinnes wâ—…h though they cause a dislike yet neither extinguish the right nor suspend the claime to eternall life Thus hauing runne through all those passages of Master Higgons his booke that any way concerne Mee I leaue him to be-thinke himsâ—…fe whether hee had any reason to traducâ—… Mee in such sort as hee hath done and remitte the wrongs he hath done Mee without cause to the righteous iudgement of God to whom hee must stand or fall The end of the first part THE SECOND PART Concerning the Authour of the Treatise of the grounds of the Olde and Nevv Religion and such exceptions as haue beene taken by him against the former Bookes HAuing answered the frivolous objections of Master Higgons I will leaue him and passe from him to his friend and collegue the Author of the Treatise of the grounds of the Olde and New Religion who also is pleased in his idle discourses to take some exceptioÌ„s against that which I haue writteÌ„ But because hee is a very obscure Author such a one as the world taketh little notice of I will not much trouble my selfe about him nor take so much pains in discouering his weaknesse as I haue done in dismasking the new convert a man as it seemeth of more esteeme Yet that the world may see what goodly stuffe it is that these namelesse and Apocryphall Booke-makers dayly vent amongst our seduced countrymen I will briefly and cursorily take a view of all such passages ofhis Treatise as any way concerne me Amongâ—… which the first that offereth it selfe to our view is in his Preface to the Reader where hee citeth with great allowance and approbation that which I haue in my Epistle Dedicatory That all men must carefully seeke out which is the true Church that so they may embrace her communion follow her directions and rest in her judgement but presently chargeth Mee that in my fourth Booke following I bereaue her of almost all such prerogatiues as I formerly yeelded vnto her so that men may not safely follow her directions nor rest in her judgement in that I say that Generall Councels may erre in matters of greatest consequence and free the Church her selfe from errour onely in certaine principall points and Articles of Christian Religion and not generally in all This is a bad beginning being a most shamelesse vntruth For in the places cited by him I lay downe these propositions First that the Church including in it all faithfull ones since CHRIST appeared in the flesh is absolutely free from all errour and ignorance of diuine things Secondly that the Church including all those beleeuers that are hauebeene since the Apostles times is simply free from all errour though happily not from all ignorance Thirdly that the Church including onely the beleeuers liuing at one time in the world is free not onely froÌ„ error in such things as men are precisely bound expressely to know beleeue but froÌ„ pertinaciously erring in any thing that any way pertaineth to Christian faith and religion Fourthly that wee must simply and absolutely without all doubt or question follow the directions and rest in the iudgment of the Church in eyther of the two former senses Fifthly that we must listen to the determinations of the present Church as to the instructions of our Elders and fatherly admonitions and directions but not so as to the things contained in Scripture or beleeued by the whole Vniuersal Church that hath bin euer since the Apostles times Because as Waldensis noteth the Church whose faith neuer faileth is not any particular Church as that of Africa or Rome but the Vniuersall Church neyther that Vniuersall Church which may bee gathered together in a generall Councell which is found sometimes to haue erred but that which dispersed through the world from the Baptisme of Iohn continueth to our times Sixtly that in the iudgment of Waldensis the fathers successiuely are more certaine iudges in matters of faith then a generall Councell of Bishops though it be in a sort the highest Court of the Church as the Treatiser sayth All these propositions are fouÌ„d in Waldensis who wrote with good allowance of Pope Martin the Fift and the whole consistory of Cardinals so that the Treatiser cannot charge Me with any wrong offered to the Church in bereauing her of her due prerogatiues but he must condemn him also and blame the Pope and his Cardinals for commending the writings of such a man to the world as good profitable and containing nothing contrary to the Catholike verity that forgotte himselfe so farre as to bereaue the Church of almost all her prerogatiues which he cannot doe but he must condemne Vincentius Lyrinensts likewise a man beyond all exception who absolutely concurreth in iudgement with Waldensis touching these points assuring vs that the state of the present Church at sometimes may be such as that we must be forced to flye to the iudgment of Antiquity if we desire to find any certaiue direction A iudgement of right discerning sayth OckaÌ„ there is euer fouÌ„d in the Church
reason wee can discerne no such thinges as in this heauenly doctrine are manifested to vs. Thirdly the reuelation that is now being mediate and depending on a former it must of necessity be graunted that there was a first and immediate reuelation of the things that are beleeued Fourthly that that immediate reuelation was without mixture of error there being no imperfection found in any of Gods immediate workings Fifthly that whatsoeuer bookes they wrote to whom that immediate reuelation of heauenly truth was graunted are diuine without mixture of error and Canonicall Sixtly that all such books as are recommended to vs by the consenting testimony of all Christians not noted for singularity nouelty or heresie as written by those who first learned the doctrine of heauenly truth from God himselfe must be acknowledged to haue bin written by them Which perswasion is confirmed in that when wee reade and meditate vpon the bookes soe commended to vs wee finde a maiesty vertue and power appearing in them more then in all humane compositions captiuating vs to the the obedience of faith and making vs to receiue them as vndoubtedly diuine These are the grounds which wee build vpon Wherefore let the Reader judge whether the Treatiser had any cause to write as hee doth that hee cannot sufficiently maruel that I or any man of iudgement or learning should runne these courses and impugne their doctrine concerning these points as absurd which indeede is most prudent and diuine and yet fall into most grosse absurdities and inconueniences How prudent and diuine their doctrine is touching the ground of their faith I haue shewed before making it most cleare that if they did shew no more prudence in any thing else their part would soone bee ouerthrowne But touching the absurdities into which hee supposeth wee runne they will bee found to bee none at all For as I haue shewed at large wee ground our faith in generall vppon the euidence of heauenly trueth and the authority of Almighty God whom wee discerne to speake in the holy Scriptures and yet in such sort listen to the Church as a Mistresse of heauenly truth in all particular points that wee do not broach any new and strange doctrine vnheard of in the Church nor impugne any thing that was alwaies constantly deliuered and receiued in the same Soe that it is vntrue that the Treatiser sayth that I reiect all generall authority and leaue euery man to follow his owne priuate conceipt hee returneth therefore to proue that supposing wee know the letter of Scripture yet haue wee no certaine rule to finde out the sence of it and mustereth some obiections to this purpose which I haue sufficiently answered already in the defence of the rules proposed by mee and impugned by him Neyther is it soe strange as hee would make it that we confesse euery one though neuer so much enlightned to bee subiect to errour and yet each of vs assureth himselfe hee doth not erre from the Christian verity one hauing no more assurance of not erring then another For is it not soe that in respect of things that may bee knowne by the light of naturall reason each one confesseth himselfe to be subiect to error and yet euery one assureth himselfe he doth not erre in sundry particular things Wherefore hee leaueth this point and proceedeth to another where he bewrayeth the weaknesse of his braine labouring seriously to proue that he who buildeth his faith vppon the English Parliament cannot firmely and vndoubtedly beleeue nor haue any true fath because I say wee can neuer be so well perswaded of any man or multitude of men but that we may iustly feare they are deceiued or will deceiue Truly it had beene well that hee had applyed himselfe to some other thing rather then booke-making vnlesse hee had any greater facility and felicity in it then he hath for who was euer so senselesse as to build his Faith vpon the English Parliament or why doth the Treatiser thus fight with his owne shadow But haply he will be better towards the end §. 6. IN the last place speaking of the supposed divisions and dissentions amongst Protestants he sayth some amongst vs are so bolde as to deny that there is any great or materiall dissention in our Churches that I amongst others write that it so fell out by the happy providence of God when there was a reformation made that there was no materiall or essentiall difference amongst them that were actors in it but such as vpon equall scanning will bee found rather to consist in the diuers manner of expressing one thing to be but verball vpon mistaking through the hasty and inconsiderate humours of some men then any thing else And that further I adde that I dare confidently pronounce that after due and full examination of each others meaning there shall be no difference found touching the matter of the Sacrament the vbiquitary presence or the like betweene the Churches reformed by Luthers ministery in Germany and other places and those whom some mens malice called Sacramentaries that none of the differences betweene Melancthon and Illyricus except about certaine ceremonies were reall that Hosiander held no priuate opinion touching iustification howsoeuer his strange manner of speaking gaue occasion to many so to thinke and conceiue and that this shall be iustified against the proudest Papist of them all this my assertion he saith all the world knoweth to be vntrue and endeavoureth to proue it to be so First by mine owne sayings else-where and then by some other proofes By mine owne sayings in that I complaine of vnhappie divisions in the Christian world and of infinite distractions of mens mindes not knowing in so great varietie of opinions what to thinke or to whom to ioyne themselues that the controversies of Religion in our time are growne in number so many in nature so intricate that few haue time leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them But this proofe will be found too weake For there are many very materiall divisions in the Christian world infinitely distracting the mindes of men as those of the Greekes Latines those of the Romish Faction such as embrace the reformed Religion and the controversies that are betweene these are in number many and in nature intricate in respect whereof my complaint might bee most iust though neuer any one Protestant had opened his mouth against an other And besides supposing my complaint of diuisions in the Christian World to reach to the breaches that are haue beene amongst the Professours of the Reformed Religion nothing can bee inferred from thence contrary to any thing that I haue written touching the agreeing of these men in iudgement opinion For there may bee great breaches betweene such men as are of one iudgement opinion vpon mistaking one another therefore Gregory Nazianzene in his Oration made in the praise of Athanasius sheweth that the whole world in a
Faith and Religion His meaning it seemeth is that all Protestantes acknowledging Puritanes to bee of one Church with them are Puritanes and therefore hee would haue all to know that howsoeuer hee make shew of blaming Puritanes onely or principally yet in truth hee equally condemneth all and that therefore hee doth but dissemble or say hee knoweth not what But do all these Protestant writers named by him teach that there is no materiall difference betweene protestants and Puritanes Surely no. For touching my selfe I neuer wrote any such thing neither in the place cited by him nor any where else so that hee beginneth with a manifest and shamelesse vntruth But I doe the more willingly pardon him this fault for that it seemeth hee doth not consider what he writeth For in the title of his booke hee professeth that hee will take the proofes of his Catholique religion and Recusancy onely from the writings of such Protestant Diuines as haue beene published since the raigne of his Maiesty ouer this kingdome for that as hee sayth they often change their opinions at the least at the comming of euery new Prince And yet page 30. hee citeth the Bishop of Winchesters booke written many yeares agoe and Doctor Couell his booke in defence of Master Hooker as often as any other which yet was written in her late Maiesties time But what if I had written that howsoeuer there are some materiall differences betweene Protestants and Puritanes as it pleaseth him to stile them yet not so essentiall or substantiall but that they may bee of one Church faith and religion What absurdity would haue followed Would it be consequent from hence as he inferreth that it is not materiall with vs whether men be of a true or false religion of any or none at all Haue there not beene nay are there not greater differences betwixt Papists who yet will be angry if they be not esteemed to be all of one Church faith and religion Did not Pope Iohn the two and twentith thinke that the soules of the just shall not see God till the generall resurrection and did not the French King that then was with the whole vniuersity of Paris condemne the same opinion as hereticall with sound of trumpet Did not Ambrosius Catharinus teach that a man may be certaine with the certainty of faith that he is in state of grace and Soto the contrary Did not Pighius Contarenus and the Authors of the booke called Antididagma Coloniense defend imputatiue justice and other Papists reiect it Did not some amongst them teach the merit of condignity doe not others moued with a sober moderation thinke there is no such merit Doe not some thinke the Pope is vniuersall Bishop others that he is not but prime Bishop onely Doe not some teach that all Bishops receiue their jurisdiction from the Pope others the contrary Doe not some thinke the Pope may papally erre and others that he cannot Doe not some of them thinke he is temporall Lord of all the world and others the contrary Doe not so 〈◊〉 them thinke he may depose Princes and others that he may not is there not a very materiall point of difference amongst Papists touching predestination Let them shew vs if they can so many and materiall differences betweene Protestants and Puritanes And yet these were all of one Church in their judgement yea Pope Stephen who reuersed all the actes of Formosus his predecessour pronounced the ordinations of all those to bee voide whom he had ordained brought his dead body out of the graue into the Councell stript it out of the Papall vesture put vpon it a lay habit and cutting off two fingers of his right hand cast it into Tyber Pope Iohn his successour who called a Councell of 74. Bishops to confirme the ordinations of Formosus the Arch-bishoppes of France and the King being present at Rauenna burned the acts of the Synod which Stephen had called to condemne Formosus and Sergius who againe condemned Formosus and pronounced all his ordinations to be voide reuersing the acts of Pope Iohn and his Synode were all of one Church of one communion faith and religion Nay which is more strange when there were three Anti-popes sitting in diuerse places accursing one another with all their Adherents and that for many yeares yet still they were of one Church of one communion faith and religion Yet may not wee inferre from hence against them as they doe against vs that it is not materiall with them whether men be of a true or false religion of any or none at all Surely they are more priuiledged then other men for some of them may take the Oath of Allegeance disclaime the Popes power and right to intermeddle with Princes states and other refuse it and yet still be Catholicke brethren in the communion of the same Church Yea a Priest may like of this Oath and perswade others to take it and afterwards goe ouer the Sea and alter his iudgement and returning choose rather to suffer death then to take it againe yet no man must take notice of it But if a Minister subscribe and afterwards vpon ill aduice refuse to doe the same againe then all the courses of our Religion are such that by no outward signes communion profession protestation or subscription a man can tell who is of what religion amongst vs. But let vs passe from the Epistle to the booke it selfe CHAP. I. IN the first chapter which is of the supreame and most preeminent authority of the true church and how necessary it is to finde it follow the directions and rest in the iudgement of it he hath these words Doctor Field a late Protestant writer beginneth his Dedicatory Epistle to the Lord Archbishop of Canterburie before his Bookes of the church in this manner There is no part of heauenly doctrine more necessary in these dayes of so many intricate controversies of Religion then diligently to search out which amongst all the societies of men in the world is that blessed company of holy ones that household of Faith that spouse of Christ and church of the liuing God which is the pillar and ground of truth that so we may embrace her communion follow her directions and rest in her iudgement And after some other things cited out of others he addeth the ioyning with the true church is so needfull a thing that D. Field concludeth There is no saluation remission of sinnes or hope of eternall life out of the church To what purpose this allegation serueth I cannot conceiue for there is nothing in any of these speeches of mine that euer any protestant doubted of or from which any thing may bee concluded against vs or for the papists The church of God saith Master Caluine is named the Mother of the Faithfull neither is there any entrance into eternall life vnlesse shee conceiue vs in her wombe vnlesse shee
truth whose communion we must embrace follow her directions rest in her iudgement liuing and dying therein to haue eternall life men might here by my censure and advice confine themselues and wade no further in so many intricate controversies of religion the second that I am or must bee of opinion that all those bookes which the church of Rome receiued for canonicall are indeede canonicall For answere to the former of these allegations First I professe before God men and Angels that I neither do nor euer did thinke the present Romane church to be the true church whose communion wee are bound to embrace but an hereticall church with which we may not communicate Secondly I professe in like sort that though I did and doe acknowledge the church wherein our Fathers liued before Luthers time to haue beene the true church of God in respect of the best and indeede the principall parts thereof which held a sauing profession of the truth in Christ howsoeuer many and they greatly prevailing erred damnably yet I neuer thought it to be that church in whose iudgement we are to rest without any farther doubt or question nor that it was safe to follow the greater part of the guides and rulers of it but the church in whose iudgement wee must absolutely and finally rest is that whole and entire societie of Holy ones which beginning at Hierusalem and filling the world continueth vnto this day To refuse the iudgement of this church or to resist against any thing deliuered ab omnibus ubique semper in all places at all times by all Christian pastors and people not noted for heresie or singularitie were extreame folly and madnesse so that as I noted in answer to the first chapter out of Waldensis it is not any particular church as the church of Africa nor the particular Romane church but the vniuersall church not gathered together in a generall councell which hath sometimes erred but the whole catholique church dispersed through the world from the baptisme of Christ vnto our times which doth vndoubtedly holde the true faith and faithfull testimony of IESVS and in whose iudgement we must absolutely rest without any farther question oâ—… doubting and hereunto agreeth t Vincentius Lirinensis prescribing this course to bee followed in matters questioned touching faith and religion If errour creepe into one part of the Church we must looke vnto other that still are sound and pure if into almost the whole present church we must looke vp higher into former times and the resolutions of them that haue beene since the Apostles times Thus I hope the Reader will easily perceiue that this first allegation is friuolous For I doe not thinke the present Church of Rome to be the true church of God whose communion we must embrace nor that the particular Romane church when it was at the best was that church in the judgement whereof we are absolutely to rest and therefore let no man confine himselfe here without farther wading into particular controuersies but let euery man as he tendreth the saluation of his owne soule looke to the judgement of other churches also and to the resolutions of former times Now let vs proceede to his second allegation concerning canonicall and apocryphall bookes of Scripture His words are The Protestant surueyor of the Communion-booke affirmeth plainely that the Protestants of England must approue for Canonicall all those bookes which the Romane Church doth and Doctour Field is of the same opinion or must be for thus he writeth The ancient and true-beleeuing Iewes before the comming of Christ especially such as liued in Greece and nations out of Iury commonly called Hellenists receiued those bookes for canonicall Scripture It is well hee saith not absolutely that I am of that opinion but that I am or must be for he is well assured I am not but he knoweth how to force me to bee whether I will or not by falsly reporting my wordes and making me say that I neuer thought nor said For doe I any where say the ancient and true â—…euing Iewes before the comming of Christ receiued those bookes for canonicall especially such as were dispersed among the Gentiles No surely but the contrary namely that the ancient church of the Iewes did receiue those only as diuine and canonicall which we doe and not those other in question I am verily perswaded these men thinke lying to be no sinne for otherwise it were not likely that bragging so much of their good workes and trusting to the merit thereof they would wittingly runne so often into such a sinne as we silly men thinke it to be and as the spirit of God assureth vs it is being of the number of those that shut men out of the kingdome of God and Christ according to that in the Reuelation Without shall be dogges and inchanters and whore-mongers and murtherers idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lies But let vs see if hee deale not better in that which followeth Surely no hee is constant and euer like himselfe for hee saith Doctour Field writeth thus The ancient and true-beleeuing Iewes before the comming of Christ especially such as liued in Greece and nations out of Iury commonly called Hellenists receiued those bookes for canonicall Scripture and to vse his owne wordes Hence it came that the Iewes deliuered a double canon of Scripture to the Christian Churches Surely this is not to vse but to abuse my words For I was not so senselesse as to say the auncient and true-beleeuing Iewes receiued the bookes in question for Canonicall and that thence it came that they deliuered a double Canon of Scripture to the Christian Churches For if the Iewes generally had receiued all these bookes for canonicall but especially the Hellenists then they could not haue deliuered a double canon of Scripture but one onely Wherefore my words are not as hee reporteth them but hauing spoken of the 22 bookes of the old Testament I adde These onely did the auncient Church of the Iewes receiue as diuine Canonicall and that other bookes were added vnto these whose authoritie not being certaine and knowne are named Apocryphall fèll out in this sort The Iewes in their latter times before and at the comming of Christ were of two sorts some properly named Hebrewes commorant at Hierusalem in the holy land other named Hellenists Iewes of the dispersion mingled with the Grecians these had written sundry bookes in Greeke which they made vse of together with other parts of the old Testament which they had of the translation of the Septuagint but the Hebrewes receiued onely the 22 bookes before mentioned Hence it came that the Iewes deliuered a double Canon of the Scripture to the Christian Church the one pure indubitate diuine which is the Hebrew Canon the other in Greeke inriched with or rather adulterated by the addition of certaine other bookes written in those dayes when God raised vp no more Prophets among his people So that the
authority of Saint Gregorie they fore-taste not milke and honey nor milke and wine when they are baptized they abstaine not from bathing a whole weeke after baptisme they stand not at their prayers from Easter to Whitsontide nor on the Lords dayes they keepe not the Lent fast as the Primitiue Church did and as all other Churches of Greece Armenia and Aethiopia doe to this day by eating nothing till night and by abstaining from wine strong drinke and whatsoeuer is pleasing but they make a meere mocke of God and men in their obseruation of Lent and other fasts in saying a part of their Euen-song in the morning that so after the ending thereof at dinner time men may be thought to goe to supper and to do as the Fathers did that did eate nothing on their fasting dayes till the euening they fast not the Wednesday which in the primitiue Church was fasted as precisely as Friday but in steede hereof they faste on Saturday which aunciently was not fasted in many churches nor yet is in the Churches of the East they baptize at any time in the yeare If they haue disused and left off these obseruations as no doubt they will professe they haue let them not thinke that we contemne or condemne all those auncient customes which we vse not but haue a due respect to circumstances of times and the different states of things Tertullian and the ancient thought it Nefas an vnlawfull thing to kneele at prayers on the Lords day wee thinke it very lawfull fit and seemely yet are wee not contrary to the Fathers They suffered none to bee baptized but onely at Easter and Whitsontide wee admit men to baptize at all times they dipped those whō they baptized thrise wee but once they signed themselues with the signe of the crosse when they went out and when they came in when they put on and when they put off their apparell we by reason of the abuse of this harmelesse ceremony in that it was vsed by the Romanists not as an outward profession of their faith in him that was crucified or a silent invocation of his name but to driue away diuels still tempests cure diseases and remit veniall sinnes ex opere operato vse this ceremony more sparingly yet doe we not wholly neglect it but signe our new baptized infants with this glorious marke and character of the crucified Sauiour of the world they mingled water with that wine which they consecrated in the blessed Sacrament because euen in ordinary vse their wines being hot were wont so to be allayed wee not hauing the like reason of mixture mingle not water with wine in the Sacrament as likewise the Armenians doe not yet are we not contrary to the ancient Christians nor contemners of olde obseruations So that to conclude this point we approue the saying of Hierome answering the question whether it were lawfull to faste on the Saturday or not His wordes are Ego illud te breviter admonendum puto traditiones Ecclesiasticas praesertim quae fidei non officiant it a observandas ut à maioribus traditae sunt nec aliorum consuetudinem aliorum contrario more subverti atque utinam omni tempore ieiunare possem us quod in Actibus Apostolorum diebus Pentecostes die Dominico Apostolum Paulum cum eo credentes fecisse legimus nec tamen Manichaeae haereseos accusandi sunt cùm carnalis cibus praeferrinon debeat spirituali nec hoc dico quod Dominicis diebus ieiunandum putem contextas sexaginta Diebus ferias auferam sed unaquaeque provincia abundet in sensu suo praecepta maiorum leges Apostolicas arbitretur Wherefore let vs proceed to see if he haue any thing else to say in this hisreflection as he calleth it vpon my doctrine His fourth allegation is that the rules I assigne cannot tell of any traditions to advantage Protestants which deny traditions but that both traditions and rules to know them must of necessity belong to the church Apostolique of Rome being in this question a rule of it selfe as I haue declared Surely it seemeth the good man knoweth not what he saith for in the beginning of this chapter hee affirmeth though falsly that I acknowledge the perpetuall virginity of our Lady to be a tradition and onely receiued by such authoritie and other Protestants doe so likewise And in the end of the chapter he bringeth in his Maiesty the Bishop of Winchester and Doctour Couell admitting diuerse traditions and yet heere hee saith Protestants admit no traditions If hee say that they now admit them but formerly did not hee is refuted by Brentius Chemnitius before cited who though they deny as we doe that there is any article of Faith or materiall and substantiall point of Christian doctrine deliuered by bare tradition and not written yet acknowledge all those kindes of traditions that we now doe In that which he hath that the rules assigned by me can tell of no traditions that advantage Protestants and that therefore both traditions and rules to know them must of necessitie belong to the church Apostolique of Rome there are not a few but very many grosse faults cōmitted For first the consequence is naught the rules to know true traditions from false can tell of none to advantage Protestants therefore they belong to the Romish church and is no lesse absurd then if a man should conclude in this sort Parsons the Iesuite is not a Cardinall though hee had once skarlet brought to his lodging in Rome to make his robes as Watson testifieth therefore the Author of these pretended proofes hath right to put on those robes For as there are others fit to be Cardinals though neither Parsons nor this good Author be so there are other societies of Christians in the world besides the Romanists and Protestants to which traditions and rules to know them may pertaine if Protestants haue no claime to them But the Romane Church is an Apostolicall Church planted by the Apostles of Christ and receiuing an Epistle from blessed Paul wherein she is commended therefore in my iudgment she hath not onely claime to traditions is a rule to know them by This consequence is as bad as the former for I doe not make the present profession testimony or iudgement of euery Apostolicall church to bee a rule to know true traditions by seeing there would bee no certaintie in such a rule the present profession of the Apostolicall churches of Rome Ephesus Sardis and Philadelphia being contrary the one to the other but the constant testimony that the Pastors of such a church haue giuen from the beginning But his Maiestie in open Parliament acknowledged the Romane Church to bee our mother Church therefore wee must beleeue in all things as she doth by no meanes forsake her or depart from her For the clearing of the meaning of this speech of his Maiesty and the silencing of these cauillers wee must note that the churches of