and withall that he sustayned that the body of Iesus Christ would haue bene conceaued to haue bene an onely Phantome if it had not bene berd and borne after the manner of other children which belonges not to the Virginitie of the mynde but that of body onely Therfor my assertion stands firme that your beleife in this point was condemned in the primitiue Church in the person of Iouinian 4. Poini You hold and teach that the iust onely are in the true Church which is an errour condemned in the Donatists more then 1300. yeares agoe That you are of this opinion a 4. Instit c. 1 §. 7. In Ecclesiam quae reuera est coram Deo nulli recipiuntur nisi qui adoptionit gratia filij Dei sunt Caluine doth make manifest in these tearmes None is receaued into the Church which is truly the Church before the face of God but he onely who is the sonne of God by the grace of adoption And b Art 27. your confession doth beare the same saying we affirme then that the true Church following the word of God is the companie of the faithfull who vnanimously follow the same word and the pure religion depending therupon and who profit in the same all the dayes of their life That this opinion was condemned for heresie in the Donatists S. Aug. makes euident by the passages which he alleageth impugned by him and other Catholikes in the conferences had with them c In collat 3. die c 8. Zizania inter triticum non Ecclesia sed in trundo permixta dixerunt Eâ—t c. 10. Non bene intelligi aiuÌ„t Ecclesiaem inquua simul triticuÌ„ zizania iussa sunt crescere They say that the dernel is mixed amongst the wheate not in the Church but in the world they say that one can not well conceaue à Church in which wheate and cocle growe both together You will say here as in the formar points that there is a faire difference betweene the errour condemned in the Donatists and your beleife because they deneyed that the wicked were in the visible Church which yet you grant deneying onely that they are in the true Church To which I answere that though it were à visible Church from which the Donatists did exclud the wicked yet puts that no impediment why there may not be à coÌ„formitie betwixt them and you in the point I speake of to witt in that both exclude the wicked from the true Church True it is there is this difference betweene them and you that they accnowledge the visible Church to be the true Church which you asscribe onely to the inuisible Church whence it is manifest that the difference betwixt you and the Donatists is whether the true Church be visible or inuisible not whether the wicked are in it or no whence you both equally exclude them Thence it is manifest that hauing shewen that that opinion was coÌ„demned of heresie in the person of the Donatists I haue shewen by consequence that it ought also to be condemned in you That it was from the true Church from which the Donatists excluded the wicked S. Aug. makes it cleare a lib. 2. cont Caudent c. 2. in vera germanaque Catholica Ecclesia saying in expresse words that they deneyed that the wicked were in the true and lawfull Catholike Church and againe b lib. de vnit Eccles c. 2. in corpore Christi cuius Christus est Saluator that they were in the body of Iesus-Chrst wherof Iesus-Christ is the Sauiour Which are a Whitak controu 2. q. 1. c. 7. In Eccles Cath. quae est corpus Cristi Item possunt esse in visibili Ecclesia reprobi sed non in Ecclesia Catholica the verie words in which you expresse the true Church And therfor it is à thinge not to be called in doubt that this article of your faith was condemned in the primitiue Church in the person of the Donatists You will say perhappes that wellingly you will ioyne hands if we can conuince you that these 4. points of your faith were condemned by any generall Councell in the primitiue Church but that the authoritie of one or two Fathers is of smale consideration and consequently that you suffer no preiudice for being condemned by them To this I answere that it is not alwayes necessarie to interpose the authoritie of à generall councell for the condemnation of an heresie which is euident by this that when the Pelagians would not esteeme themselues condemned because it was not performed in à generall councell S. Augustine laughes at such friuolous euasions As though saith b Aug. l. 4. cone duas Epist Pelagii c. vltimo Quasi nulla haeresis aliquando esset nisi Synodâ— congregatione damnata sit cuÌ„ potius rarissime inueniantur propter quas damnandas nesessitas talis extiterit mulioque sint incomparabiliter plures quae vbi extiterunt illic improbari damnarique meruerunt atque inde per caeteras terras deuitandae in nolescere potuerunt he neuer heresie had bene coÌ„demned but by à Synode seeing verie few such haue bene found as that it was requisite for the condemnation of them to assemble à Councell and that there were incomparably more in number which deserued to be reproued and condemned in the same place wher they were hatched whence they might be diuulged through out all the world to the end they might be shunned Secondly I say that I doe not produce the authoritie of one or two Fathers against our aduersaries as reputing their authoritie sufficient to condemne their opinion but as esteeming it sufficient to declare what was the beleife of the Church in their tyme wherby we iustly iudge such condemned of heresie as by their relation appeare so to be Being à thing most reasonable and agreeable euen to iudgements of least capacitie rather to giue credit to those auncients in the relation of things which they affirme to haue past in their tymes then to you who fall far short of them especially seeing S. Augustine teacheth us Lib. cont Iul. c. 10. Quod inuenerunt in Eccles tenuerunt quod didiscerunt docuerunt quod à Patribus acceptrunt hoc filijs tradiderunt that they held what they found in the Church that they taught what they had learnt and left to their children what they had receaued from their Fathers Finding this answere no armour of proofe you will flie for refuge to another saying that S. August S. Epiphanius Theodoret and others who had made à catalogue of heresies did not propose vnto themselues to put onely into it heresies properly speaking whence it appeares that to shew that an opinion is related therin is not à sufficient proofe that it was condemned as hereticall To which I replie 1. that this answere is without grownd or proofe 2. that the Fathers ayme and end in reducing into à certaine order and framing as it were à list of all the heresies doe
the Ghospell transposeth it in many places addes to it And speaking of Beza his translation saith he not b Idem Molinae ibidem de facto mutat textum that indeede he changeth the text And doth not c Castalio in defensione suarum translationum ait Quo omnes eius Bezae errores noiarentur magno volumine opus esse Castalion going on in the same sense affirme that it would require a great volume to put downe all his errour To conclude that Great kinge whose witt did as far surpasse yours as his person did indignitie all his subiects the king of great Britaignie whose iudgement ought to be taken for the whole Church of England both because you esteeme him the heade therof and for that it is not credible that he would publish opinions which that Church holds not Saith not this Prince in the conferēce at Hampton Court that the verie worst version of the Bible was that of Geneua and further that he found the notes of the Geneua Bible vvonderfull partiall false seditious and too much smelling of the designes of a most dangerous and peruerse mynde 5 That you haue the true canon of scripture Vvorthy of hatred because it makes the vvord of men passe for scripture That the bookes which you allow of are not corrupted That the body of Iesus-Christ is onely figuratiuely in the Euchariste are not these the principall articles of your Faith And that your onely and absolute Faith that is the Faith by which euery one of the Faithfull beleeues to be iustifyed by the apprehension of the iustice of Iesus Christ doth iustifie you is it not the ground worke and soule of your Religiō And yet whereate these tenets found in the holy Scripture Formall and expresse passages such notwithstanding the ratification of your confession doth oblige you to produce there are none Toutes lesdites Eglises Françoises approuuēt ratifient la susescrite confession on tous ses chefs articles comme estant entieremēt fondee sur la pure expresse parole de Dieu You haue recourse to consequences which yet are not grounded vpon two diuine Principles contayned in the Scriptures but vpon two Principles wherof of the one is drawen from your owne braine which doth clearely demonstrate vnlesse I deceaue my selfe that you propose the word of men for the word of God which is found in holy Vvritt since that according to your owne tenet your faith can haue no other fundation then scripture Le ts see whether I be a Liar In the third Article of your Conf. you put downe for an article of Faith that the canon of scriptures is the onely rule of Faith you further accnowledge that all the bookes contayned in the said Canon proceeded from the mouth of the holy Ghost and are conserued in their originall puritie besides those you accnowledge none But by what syllogisme conclude you this in the margent of the next Article you cite sundrie passages of this nature The pure and vnspotted vvord of God Psal 12. v. 7. Psal 19. v. 8. The Lavv of God immaculate The Testimonie of God Faithfull giuing vvisdome to litle ones The Precept of our Lord cleare enlightening the eyes Out of these passages which doe not affirme in expresse tearmes that the bookes you admit of are canonicall you would by consequence inferre it you forme the maior of your argument as followeth The Law of God say you is immaculate pure and vnspotted But all the bookes which we hold for Canonicall and no others are immaculate pure and vnspotted Ergo They alone and no others are the Law of God Whence I pray you doe you draw your Minor Doth the Scripture affirme that these bookes and no other are pure and immaculate verily no. Vvho doth auerre it then You of your owne brayne This proposition therfore is humane and withall false which yet I will not now prosequute being sufficient for my present purpose to shew that this principle is but the words of men Vvhence it followes that ether your word passeth for Gods word or that your Faith in this point which vertually compriseth all the rest since now the question is touching the Scripture which you will haue to be the onely fundation of Faith is not diuine but onely humane whence it clearly followes that it is of no other kind euery conclusion being of the same nature with the more imperfect part of its cause But now let vs speake of the Euchariste You hold as an article of Faith that the words of consecration ought to be vnderstoode figuratiuely so that the body of Iesus Christ is not really vnder the species of bread as we sustayne it is The proofes that you bring of your Faith are diuers passages of holy Scripture which teaching as you dreame things that are incompatible with the reall presence of Christ in the Eucharist doe clearely shew that the words of consecration are figuratiue Let vs see some of your Arguments One body cannot be in two places by Gods omnipotencie to witt in heauen and in the Eucharist which is in earth But the scripture teacheth that the body of Christ is in heauen till the day of Iudgement Ergo it is not in the Euchariste The Maior not being found in all the scripture it is the word of men and consequently it is cleare ether that you make it passe for the word of God or els that your conclusion cannot be diuine and infallible for the reason I haue touched aboue Now let vs examine what your Faith is You beleeue that euery one of the faithfull is iustified by that faith wherby he certanely persuades him selfe that he is iustified in Christ Iesus Paraeus l. 3. de iustif c. 1. l. 1. c. 10. One of your moderne Authours formes this syllogisme Vvho so euer beleeues in the sonne of God shall be saued But I beleeue in the sonne of God Ego I shall be saued Not to dispute of the Maior suppose that it were in the scripture though in deede in your sense it is not The Minor can in no sort be found therin for it is not said in any place that Luther for example Caluin Beza Pereus and others beleeued whence it is euident euen according to your selues that it is the word of men and not of God whose whole word you will haue to be written Now hauing made manifest how you vse the scriptures all men I dare assure my selfe will greatly wonder with what face you dare so highly magnifie the scripture in words which in deedes you so horribly wronge But they will cease this admiration if they call to mynd how ordinarie a thing it is for heretikes to serue them selues of the scripture and to wrong it withall nay which is worse they are in some sort necessarily constrayned to doe both To serue them selues of the scripture because the true religiō being grounded vpon the word of God it is necessarie for euery sect that pretends a true religion
clearely shew that they register none therin but those thatare taken properly since their designe was to gather together all the opinions which might seperate from communion with the Church to the end that being knowen without difficultie they might be auoyded with facilitie 3. that besids these generall profes S. Aug. who is one of them now in question giues particular testimonie that he put downe none but true heresies in his Catalogue For a Lib. de Haeresi Petis à me vt de Haeresibus aliquid scribam dignum lectione cupientium dogmata deuitare contraria fides Christianae he saith in the begining that he doth publish them for their instruction who desire to flie the opinions contratrarie to Christian faith Whence is apparant that he onely makes mention of true heresies and properly taken for such as he doth also afterwards confirme b lib. de Haeres Quid contra ista sentiat Catholica Ecclesia superfluoquaeritur cum propter hoc scire sufficiat eam contra ista sentire nec aliquid horum in fideÌ„ quenquam debere recipere Possunt hareses aliae quae hoc opere commemoratae non sunt vel esse vel fieri quaruÌ„ aliquam quisquis tâ—nuerit Christianus Catholicus non erit saying that the Church condemns all the points which he putts downe that none ought to receaue any of them for articles of faith for in so doing they shall not be Catholikes Wherfore notwithstanding all your euasions it is cleare that in the foure points by me alleaged you haue renewed the heresies condemned in the primitiue Church and consequently that in this consideration your doctrine is worthy of hatred and horrour The religion pretended to be reformed doth banish all vertue CHAP. XVII THat your Religion doth banish and abolish all vertue though shame forceth you to deney it yet will I force your owne authours confesse it who surely will gaine beleife no man being suspected in his owne cause Let man know saith a Luth. lib. de honis operibus sciat hemo omnem eius vitam actionem nihil aliud nisi damnabilia esse peecata in Dei iudicie Luther that all his life and all his actions is nothing els but sinne damnable in the iudgement of God Those saith b Calu 3. Instit 1.12 §. 4 Qui serio tanquam sub Dei conspectu de vera iustitiae regula quaerent illi certo coÌ„periens omnia heminum opera si suadignitate oeÌ„seantur nihil nisi inquinamenta esse sordes quae iustitia vulgo habetur eam apud DeuÌ„ meram esse iniquitatem Caluin who shall make à diligent search into the true rule of Iustice such as itis in the iudgment of God will certainly find that all the workes of men valued according to their waight and worth is no other thing but ordure and vncleanes and that which is commonly tearmed iustice is in the sight of God verie iniquitie If God saith c Beza Confess Fidei c. 4. art 19. Si summo iure inquireret Deus in ipsa quoque praestantissima hominum opera nihil aliud posset de ijs constitui quaÌ„ meras esse donorum Dei pollutiones Beza did rigorously sound the most excellent workes of men no other thing could be resolued vpon then that they were pollutions of the guiftes of God If workes be exactly examined saith d Paraeus lib. 4. de iustitific c. c. 15. Eadem opera bona si districtum ad legis rigorem examinentur à Deo mere erunt peccata Pareus one of your best moderne writers according to the rigour of Gods law they will be found pure sinns You say also in your e 2. Sunday Catechisme that there is alwayes some certaine infirmitie of the flesh mixed with our workes wherby they are defiled Whence it followes planely that all good workes are bad since the essence and beeing of Good proceeds from an intire cause as euill doth arise out of the least iefect Now if all our workes before God who according to the f 2. Corinth 6. Quae enim participatio iustitia cum iniquitate antquoe societas lucis ad tenebras Apostle to the Romains knoweth and iudgeth all things as they are in themselues are no other thing then damnable sinne then ordures vncleanesse pure iniquitie pure sinne pure pollution of the guiftes of God it is manifest that there is nor good worke nor vertue at all in the world being à thing altogether impossible that vertue and vice should subsist in the same subiect and yet far lesse can vertue accompanie an action which is meere iniquitie pure sinne and verie filth It appeares therfore that you banish and directly abolish all vertue and doe indirectly and in consequence diuert and seduce men from euery good action since all that is reputed good in the iudgement of men is pollution and damnable sinne in the sight of God So that such as both loue and feare God are to abstayne from it as from à thing which is disagreeable in his diuine presence But perhapps will you replie your doctrine doth not withdraw meÌ„ from good workes in that we teach that they are as many sinnes before God since it teacheth with all that those sinnes are not imputed to those that committ them But you shall not thus escape mo because one that hath à filiall feare doth not onely waigh wether the faults commetted shall be imputed or no or whether he shall sustayne the punishmeÌ„t therof but doth principally eye the offence of his father whom he nether ought nor will displease Wherupon he will abstayne from euery action which may be displeasing vnto him and moreouer that he is obliged ther vnto And it will be as litle to your purpose to alleadge that you doe not teach that workes are bad of their owne nature but onely by the corruption of man whence you inferre that à man is not obliged to flie them because besides that g Luth in Confut Latomi stat opus bonum natura sua esse immundum Et Assert art 32. Opus bonum optime factum est peccatum veniale non natura sua sed misericordia Dei whitak li. 2. de peccat orig c. 3. Docemus mortaliter semper peccari à tustis ex natura rei actionum ipsirum licet pro huiusmodi non reputentur some of yours doe sustayne that they are bad euen of their owne nature whither they be bad by nature or by accident it is enough to bring an obligation vpon vs to flie them seeing euen the light of nature doth teach vs that what soeuer is euill is to be eschewed without all exception and that God in no sort is to be offended nether by an action bad in its owne nature nor by accident Which I will manifest by à familiar example none being ignorant that though an almes be of its owne natute good and yet by accident euill as being giuen to an ill end
in an obscure and reserued manner I was forced to haue recourse to their Authours to Caluin and Luther amongst the rest whose authoritie they cannot reiect Not Caluins because they make thēselues his followers in à peculiar manner gathering out of his workes their confession their Church-prayers their Catechisme and the forme of administring their Sacraments Nor Luthers Coelum lib. de Arb nōt Pigkiū Witak ad rationem Campians since they esteeme him the Apostle who reestablished the puritie of the Gospell and accnowlegde that those who imbrace his doctrine doe but make vp one Church together with them I beseech the Ministers that if they answere me they doe it ingenuously and giue satisfaction to each point of this booke so that I may take as confessed all which they doe not contest I coniure them that in their answere they doe ether ingenuously confesse what we hold or at least that they make their owne defence without ambiguitie in words If they giue vs clearly to vnderstand what their beleife is we shall be greatly obliged vnto them since we haue ordinarily more difficultie to fish it out then to confute it Hieron ad Ctesiph cont Pelag. Ecclesiae victoria est vos apertè dicere quod sentitis which thing S. Hierome had experienced in his tyme speaking to Heretikes in these tearmes It is à victorie to the Church for you to expresse in cleare tearmes what you hold To conclude the Ministers may please not to esteeme they haue answered sufficiently if when I haue alleadged à passage of their anthours for à thing they produce another of them who affirmes the contrarie because they cannot thence cōclude that they taught not that which I pretend but onely confirme that it is the customarie proceeding of Heretikes to contradict one another THE TRANSLATOR TO THE Gentle Reader THis excellent peece in the opinions of all that read it was the first sallie of that excellent witt whom all that knowes admires and who knowes him not that loues à subiect of admiration To comply with à holy and inbred hatred against Heresie which from his childhood he alwayes perceaued in himself and found with yeares to grow vpon him he made à retreat from the affaires of the Church and the state to serue them both more profitably In that short leasure he conceaued and brought to light this conceaued also an other to witt à somme of all controuersies which I haue had the honour to see wherin he hath drawen all the grounds of Catholike faith into forme making against them the best obiections that could be found in any Authour and solued them also in forme This he performed with such assiduitie and earnestnes of studie that his domestikes who were eye-wittnesses of it will speake as much in fauour of his singular industrie as others of his incomparable fulnes of witt Howbeit being by the interests of the Church called backe from his perito his sword Morinus à Pr. of the Cong of the Orat. of Iesus in his Ded Ep. 1631. he had not tyme to put it out to publike view But as I am à stranger in France so am I a stranger in the knowledge of his prayses Take them then from such as know them As learned they are able to iudge as Religious their iudgement will be impartiall and I least I might marre their testimonies will make them speake in their owne words Vostre eminente capacité qui n'a rien d'egal que vostre pieté De Barrault Archbishope of Arles Praysed for his eminent capacitie equall pietie and Learned Workes Pauline à Pr. of the societie in his Ep. to the Card. 1631. que vous auez tant de fois employé employez encore tous les iours si vtilement à la gloire de Dieu au bien des ames Et vn peu apres Les doctes liure que vous mistes au iour qui ont instruit edifié toute la France De liberalitate tua loquentur alij qua tantis in fortunae copijs ac tantis opibus nihil est tuum Quid porro moderationi tuae par est tantis in honoribus haec ornabunt inquam alij animi tui victorias He extolls him for Liberalitie Moderatiō Counsell sagacissimae mentis praesensiones consilia dicta facta persequentur tua quibus vt omnes omnium retro saeculorum sapientes facilè antecedis ita nullam posteris non dicam assequendi sed laudandi dumtaxat ornandi tui modum reliquisti Vnum esse timendum bonis omnibus arbitror Pauline à Pr. of the societie 1631. He extolls him for his incomparable vertue Fidelitie Pietie Prudence Iustice singular Witt. Counsell Labour Industrie Rob. Denyaldus Decanus 1633. commends him for the Knowledge of diuine and humane things ne hanc tantam tam inusitatam terris supraque genus hominum excelsam virtutis indolem denique Caelum nobis inuideat Tua fide ac pietate prudentia iustitia virtute denique tua stas haec caelestia sunt Nihil vspiam in terris tibi par habemus ingenio cor silio labore nauitate tanto inquam caelum grauiùs timendum est Sed vniuersae Galliae Ludouico Iusto petenti nihil non indulgere caelites possunt Duplicem in te Heliae Helizei Prophetarum spiritum rerum puta diuinarum humanarum cognitionem vsumque contemplantes atque copiosa caelestis gratiae charismatacum Ecclesiastica purpura Ludouici Christianissimi fauorum circundata varietate laudantes votis pientissimis apprecamur Is quaerendus opinor asciscendus Patronus fuit primùm minimè profanus homo sed sacra huius argumenti simili dignitate praeditus tum acerrimi idem ingenij Petauius Pr. of the societie Prayseth him for his excellent Witt and iudgment The same cōmends him for his loue towards Religious Petauius Kal Apr. 1627. Pereyroles Minime 4. Kal. Octob. 1630. qui capereista posset ac de ijs causâ veluti cognitâ iudicaret Ex ea societate sum quae se tibi cùm aliàs semper beneuolentiae nomine obstrictam meminit tum nuper summis suis temporibus recreatam per te modo sospitem incolumem esse profitetur Per te fieret purpura clarior religio auctior Ecclesiae status solito augustior nam quae prius in varijs Gallia plagis sordes contraxerat ob Babilonios puta haereticos inductis postmodum mutatoriis ac reformatis tuo consilio aetatis nostrae corruptelis iam primaeuus se ingerit auitae pietatis cultus verus emicat religionis habitus Nec tantum vidisti prouidisti The same Authour sed etiam splenduit tuorum operum fulgor irradians luxit lux tua coram hominibus quae de aureo caudelabro per septem lampades id est per omnimodo lucis exempla coruscans non nisi homericos latet oculos Cuinam potius quam tibi consecrandus erat