Gods working in miracles effected by his owne immediate peculiar power without the coagencie of any inferiour or created cause he may resolue of himselfe alone not consulting his Cardinals Bishops or others This power and libertie the Trent Councell it selfe seemes to giue vnto the Pope as it were for an vp-shot to all the fooles thunderbolts they had let slie before And least any man should thinke this absolute acknowledgement of the Popes plenarie power to be a Counsell rather then a necessarie precept The Cathechisme published by the Trent Councels authoritie hath inserted amongst the Articles of faith That the present Pope is the sole visible head of the whole Christian Church though Christ the inuisible The meaning of which if I mistake not is this That the Pope concerning the points aboue mentioned hath as absolute power in Christs absence as Christ himselfe should haue were he present or shall haue in that day of finall iudgement wherein if these mens positions bee true he shall haue nothing to doe in matters of saith but onely to ratisie what the Pope hath defined who must not be called to any account of his Spirituall as Kings and Monarchs must be for their Temporall Stewardships nor shall it be said to him as it must be to some of them Well done thou good and faithfull Seruant For such men onely by our aduersaries Doctrine doe well as might haue done ill but the Pope liue as hee list cannot possibly doe a misse in determining matters of Faith which are of all that are of greatest difficultie and consequence 14 When first I reade Iosephus Acoste I much wondred to see a man otherwise of an ingenuous spirit and of partes so excellent so zealous withall for the Popes Supremacie But now I perceiue the reason was all priuate Catechismes were to bee conformed vnto that publique one authorized by the Councell and Pope Amongst other contents of that Article of the Catholique Church almost quite omitted in the former Indian Catechismes Acostaes aduise is to haue this inserted as an essentiall part That the Pope is head of the Catholique Church Christs Vicar on earth indued with his plenarie power to whom all other Christians Kings and Princes not excepted owe obedience These allegations may testifie our sinceritie in proposing the state of the question and points of difference betwixt vs gathered not out of one or two but the generall agreement of best Romish Writers and whereunto Valentian were hee aliue would willingly subscribe For he as since I haue obserued proposeth the title of his maine Controuersie concerning the Churches authoritie in tearmes aequiualent to those I vsed Lib. 2. Section 1. Cap. 3. and Lib. 1. Parag. Vlt. SECT II. The first branch of Romish blasphemie in preferring humane authoritie before Diuine AGainst these late recited and infinite other aequiualent assertions frequent in their publique determinations and best priuate Writers our Writers vsually obiect If the Church be iudge of Scriptures her authoritie must be aboue the Scriptures If the sense of Scripture without the Church or Popes asseueration or proposall be not authentique nor apt to beget most firme beleefe then the word of God must receiue strength and authoritie from the word of man Some Romish Writers grant the inference with this restraint In respect of vs and yet wipe their mouthes with the whore in the Prouerbe as if they had neither commited Idolatrie nor spoken blasphemie But Bellarmine was too cunning a Baude to expose his mothers foule face to publique view without more artificiall painting CHAP. I. Bellarmines Reply to the maine obiection iointly vrged by all Reformed Churches against the Romish the Equiuocation which hee sought in the obiection apparently found in his Reply 1 THE former argument howsoeuer much esteemed by such as bring it yet in Bellarmines iudgment is very weake and as hee suspects sicke of his owne disease Totum in aequiuocatione versatur The aequiuocation he seeketh to vnfold with this distinction The former speeches may admit a double sence First their meaning may bee that the Church doth iudge whether that which the Scriptures teach be true or false Or SecoÌ„dly This sure foundation of faith being first laid The words of Scripture are most infallible and true The Church doth iudge which is the true interpretation or meaning of them This distinction he applieth thus The former obiectuns were pertinent if we held the Pope or Councell to determine of Scriptures in the former sence but taking our right meaning they are meere calumnies For we affirme the Church to iudge Scriptures onely in the later and so to iudge them doth not set the Church or Pope aboue Scriptures but aboue the iudgment of priuate men Nor doth the Church by this assertion become a Iudge of Scriptures truth but of priuate mens vnderstanding Neither will it hence follow that the word of God recetueth strength from the word of man but priuate mens knowledge may and doth receiue strength and infallibilitie from the Church Finally the Scripture or Word of God as Bellarmine thinkes is neither more true or certaine because it is expounded by the Church but euerie mans opinion is more true and stable when it is confirmed by the Churches exposition or decision Hee hath said as much as the whole Councell of Trent could haue said for themselues But let vs see if this be enough 2 A priuate mans opinion saith Bellarmine is truer when it is confirmed by the Church If we had only an opinion of the truth or sence of Scriptures the consent of others especially men skilfull in such maters would indeede much confirme vs for all opinions or vncertaine perswasions receiue increase of strength from addition of probabilities But his words are more generall and concerne not onely vncertaine but all perswasions that a faithfull man in this life can haue of Gods Word at least of those writings which wee and they acknowledge for such and the marke he aimes at is That no perswasion in diuine matters can be certaine without the Churches confirmation as hee expressely addeth in his answere to the next argument 3 If the Reader will be attentiue hee shall easily perceiue that not our Writers obiections but Bellaâ—mines answere is tainted with aequiuocation For this speech of his The Church doth iudge whether that which the Scriptures teach be true or false hath a double and doubtfull sence It may be meant either Of Scriptures taken indefinitly or indeterminately for that which God hath spoken whatsoeuer that be Of those particular Scriptures which wee and they acknowledge or any determinate written or vnwritten precepts questionable whether they were from God or no. 4 If we speake of Scriptures in the former sence Bellarmines answere is true For the Romish Church doth not take vpon her to iudge whether that which is supposed or acknowledged by all for Gods word be most true in it proper natiue but
concerning the Sacrament Other thinges will I set in order when I come 16 Granting what is not necessarie hee spake of ordering matters concerning this Sacrament to receiue the wine aswell as the bread was no part of their present disorder whose misbehauiour at the Lords Table did minister mere iust occasions to Saint Paul then long beardes did to the Councell of Constance to denie the vse of the cup might Christs bloud and bodie which he had iointly rendered to all be vpon any occasion iustly seuered by man in the administration of his last Will and Testament Whatsoeuer the number or qualitie of the guests bee the great Lords Table must be alwaies so furnished as it was at the first institution for he hath no respect of persons If a rich stately Prelate come in with a gold ring in goodly vestiments a poore honest Layicke in vileraiments he saith not to him in Pontificiall roabes come sit you here at my messe where you may drinke of my wine aswell as eate of my bread nor to the poore Layicke stand thou there a part or sit downe here vnder my footstoole where thou maist bee partaker of the crummes which fall from my table though not of my cup which must be kept for thy betters High and low rich and poore all were redeemed with one price all at this offering equal all alike free to tast of euery dish so they come with wedding garments without which euen the best must be cast out as vnworthie to tast of any part if not of all That part which the Counsels of Constance and Trent vpon pretences of reuerence to the LORDS Supper haue detained from Moderne Christians the Corinthians had receiued vnworthily yet was not the Cuppe for this reason held superfluous by Saint Paul who onely sought to represse the abuse as knowing the vse of it to bee most necessarie The matters then hee meant to order when he came was to set out this Heauenly banquet with greater decencie and solemnitie not to abridge them of any substantiall or materiall part thereof 17 Nor doe the Trent Fathers if wee may trust them vpon their words For they desirous as it seemes to make the whole Christian World as sottish as themselues were impious would make men beleeue they could iuggle away the Cuppe and neuer touch the very substance of the Sacrament as if the wine were not as substantiall a part of the Lords Supper as was his bloud of his bodie or humanitie An integrall or materiall part they cannot denie it to bee and such if it bee there Apologie is as shamelesse as if a man should let out most of anothers bloud cut of his arme or legge or maime him in some principall part and plead for himselfe I did not meddle with his substance meaning as the Councell I take it heere doth his essence seeing he is yet as truly a reasonable Creature as before 18 But to debarre them of that refuge it may be they sought or their followers may yet hope to finde in the equiuocation of this word substance importing as much sometimes as a material or integral sometimes as an essential part If the cup be an essential and substantiall part of this Sacrament the Councell by their owne confession did souly erre in prohibiting Communion vnder both kindes If no such part it bee they might by their owne rule haue altogether denied the vse of it so much as to the sacrificer or consicient but so the verie vse and end on which the essence of the Sacrament as of all other matters of moral practise immediatly depends and by whose expiration instantly must determine should vtterly haue perished The end and vse of this sacred institution as our Sauiour expressely teacheth and the Councell grants was to represent the testators death yea so to represent it as we migh be partakers of his bodie and bloud not spiritually onely but withall as the Trent Fathers contend sacramentally Admitting then all they can pretend against the necessitie of the Cuppe That whole Christ were in the bread alone yet this will not preserue the true and fruitfull vse of the Sacrament nor salue that deadly wound the essence of it must perforce receiue from frustration of the end necessarily ensuing the cuppes absence For this Sacrament was ordained as to represent so to exhibit Christs bodie vnto all faithfull Communicants not as intire and whole his bloud not as it was inclosed in the vaines but the one as torne and rent the other as shedde and powred out vpon the crosse This is my bloud of the new Testament saith our Sauiour which is shed for many for all that receiue it faithfully for the remission of sinnes His bloud then as shed and powred out is as the loadstarre of penitent and contrite hearts whereon the eyes of their faith that seeke remission of sinnes in this Sacrament must bee fastened for as the Apostle saith without sheding of bloud is no remission This was the complement of that inestimable all-sufficient Sacrifice that which represents his precious bloud thus powred out the principall part of this Sacrament aswell in respect of representing his death as in applying remission of sinnes thereby in generall purchased and by this Sacramentall Type sealed to euery one in particular especially if the Trent Councels Doctrine be true that Christs verie bloud which was shed vpon the crosse is really present in the Chalice and might be as immediately sprinkled at least vpon the lips or dores of euerie faithfull receiuers heart as the bloud of the Paschal Lambe was vpon the doore-posts of the Israelites Thus as Sathan the Father of lies so false opinion suggested by him draw men with pleasure into those euils for whose practise in the end they become their chiefe accusers That opinion which first brought in neglect of the Chalice and as the Trent Councell presumed would haue warranted them in making this decree doth most condemne them for the measure of their iniquitie could not haue beene so fully accomplished vnlesse they had held a transubstantiation of the wine into Christs bloud 19 What part of Scripture can wee presume they will spare that dare thus countermand the most principal of all Gods Commandements what reckoning may wee thinke they make of our Sauiour Christ that aduenture thus shamefully to disanull and cancell his last will and testament defrauding almost the whole Christian World of halfe their Lord and Maisters royall allowance partly without any shew of Scriptures either to restraine or otherwise interpret these Soueraigne precepts partly vpon such idle and friuolous allegations as may further witnesse their sleight estimate of Gods Word saue onely so farre as it may bee wrested to serue their turnes 20 But grant the places there alleaged by the Councell did so mitigate either the forme of the institution or the peremptorie manner of our Sauiours speeches in the sixth of Iohn as to make it disputable in vnpartiall iudgements whether
this Apostasie of the Iesuites is the most abhominable and contumelious against the blessed Trinitie pag. 300. THE TRIPLICITIE OF ROMISH BLASPHEMIE OR THE THREE DEGREES OF ANTICHRISTS EXALTATION Against all that is called GOD. THE THIRD BOOKE SECT I. Contayning the assertions of the Romish Church whence her threefold blasphemie springs HAuing in the former dispute clearly acquitted as well Gods word from breeding as our Church from nursing contentions schismes and heresies wee may in this by course of common equitie more freely accuse their iniurious calumniators And because our purpose is not to charge them with forgerie of any particular though grossest heresies or blasphemies though most hideous but for erecting an intire frame capacioâ—s of all villanies imaginable farre surpassing the hugest mathematicall forme humane fancie could haue conceiued of such matters but only from inspection of this reall and materiall patterne which by degrees insensible hath growne vp with the mysterie of iniquitie as the barke doth with the tree such inconsiderate passionate speeches as heat of contention in personall quarrells hath exstracted from some one or few of their priuate Writers shall not be produced to giue euidence against the Church their Mother whose triall shall be as farre as may be by her Peeres either by her owne publike determinations in this controuersie or ioynt consent of her authorized best approued Advocates in opening the title or vnfolding the contents of that prerogatiue which they challenge for her 2 Our accusations are grounded vpon their Positions before set downe when wee explicated the differences betwixt vs. The position in briefe is this That the infallible authoritie of the present Church is the most sure most safe vndoubted rule in all doubts or controuersies of faith or in all points concerning the Oracles of God by which we may certainely know both without which wee cannot possibly know either which are the Oracles of God which not or what is the true sense and meaning of such as are receiued for his Oracles whether written or vnwritten 3 The extent of diuine Oracles or number of Canonicall bookes hath beene as our Aduersaries pretend very questionable amongst the ancient though such of the Fathers as for their skill in antiquitie were in all vnpartiall iudgements most competent Iudges in this cause were altogether for vs against the Romanists and such as were for their opinion were but for it vpon an error as thinking the Iewes had acknowledged all those bookes of the old Testament for Canonicall Scripture which the Churches wherin they liued receiued for such or that the Christian Church did acknowledge all for Canonical which they allowed to be publikely read Safe it was our aduersaries cannot denie for the Ancient to dissent one from an other in this question or to suspend their assent till new probabilities might sway them one way or other No reasons haue beene produced since sufficient to moue any ingenious mind vnto more peremptorie resolutions yet doth the Councell of Trent binde all to an absolute acknowledgement of those Bookes for Canonicall which by their owne confession were reiected by S. Hierome and other Fathers If any shall not receiue the whole Bookes with all their parts vsually read in the Church and as they are extent in the old vulgar for sacred and Canonicall let him be accuâ—sed So are all by the same decree that will not acknowledge such vnwritten traditions as the Romish Church pretends to haue come from Christ and his Apostles for diuine and of authoritie equall with the written word 4 So generally is this opinion receiued so fully beleeued in that Church That many of her Sonnes euen whilest they write against vs forgetting with whom they haue to deale take it as granted That the Scriptures cannot be known to be Gods word but by the infallible authoritie of the present Church And from this supposition as from a truth sufficiently knowne though neuer proued they labour in the next place to inferre That without submission of our faith to the Churches publike spirit wee cannot infallibly distinguish the orthodoxall or diuine sense of Gods Oracles whether written or vnwritten from hereticall or humane 5 Should we admit vnwritten Traditions and the Church withall as absolute Iudge to determine which were Apostolicall which not little would it boote vs to question with them about their meaning For when the point should come to triall wee might be sure to haue the very words framed to whatsoeuer sense should bee most fauourable for iustifying Romish practises And euen of Gods written Oracles whose words or characters as hee in his wisedome hath prouided cannot now be altered by an Index Expurgatorius at their pleasure That such a sense as shall bee most seruiceable for their turne may as time shall minister occasion bee more commodiously gathered the Trent Fathers immediately after the former decree for establishing vnwritten Traditions and amplifying the extent of diuine written Oracles haue in great wisedome authorized the old and vulgar translation of the whole Canon Which though it were not purposely framed to maintayne Poperie as some of our writers say they haue as friuolously as maliciously obiected yet certainely aswell the escapes and errors of those vnskilfull or ill-furnished interpretors as the negligence of transcribers or other defects incident to that worke from the simplicitie of most ancient the iniuries or calamities of insuing times were amongst others as the first heads or pettie springs of that raging floud of impietie which had well nigh drowned the whole Christian world in perdition by continually receiuing into it channell once thus wrought the dregs and filth of euery other error vnder heauen with the corrupt remainder of former heresies for these thousand yeares and more And vnto many grosse errors in Romish religion which this imperfect translation did not first occasion it yet affords that countenance which the pure Fountaines of the Greeke and Hebrew doe not but rather would scoure and wipe away were they current in that Church Finally though it yeld not nutriment to enlarge or feed yet it serues as a cloake to hide or couer most parts of the great mysterie of iniquitie 6 Yet besides the fauourable construction that may be made for that religion out of the plaine and literall sense of this erroneous translation the Church will bee absolute Iudge of all controuersies concerning the right interpretation thereof So as not what our consciences vpon diligent search and iust examination shall witnesse to vs but what the Church shall declare to them must be absolutely acknowledged for the true intent and meaning of Gods word as it is rendred by the vulgar interpretor To this purpose is the very next decree 7 Moreouer for brideling petulant dispositions it is decreed That no man in confidence of his owne wisdome or skill in matters of faith and manners making for the edification of Christian doctrine shall dare to interpret Scriptures wresting them to his
owne conceipt or sense against that sense or meaning which the holy Church our Mother to whom it belongs to iudge of the true sense and interpretation of sacred writ heretofore hath held or now doth hold albeit hee neuer purpose to publish such interpretations 8 It is further added in the same place because I take it had beene specified a Synode before that no man shall dare to interpret Scriptures against the vnanimous consent of Fathers Which I thinke were impossible for any man to doe though were it possible few or none would attempt besides the Papists For neither can it be knowne what all of them hold in most places wher vpon are grounded controuersies of greatest moment and in such as wee haue best plentie of their interpretations albeit they doe not contentiously dissent yet absolutely agree each with other they doe not Euen one and the same Father oftimes thinkes of many interpretations sundrie alike probable most of them vnwilling by their peremptorie determinations one way or other to preiudice the industrious search of others though their farre inferiours for finding out some more commodious then any they bring oftentimes intimating their doubts or imperfect coniectures in such manner as if they would purposely incourage their successors to seeke out some better resolution then they could finde Whence it is euident that we should not alwayes interprete Scriptures against the ioint consent of Fathers albeit wee went against all the particular interpretations which they haue brought because they were more desirous to haue the truth fully sifted then their coniecturall probabilities infallibly beleeued Nor were it possible more to contradict most of them then by following their interpretations vpon such strict tearmes as the Romanists would binde all men to doe when they seeme to make for their aduantage Not the least surmise or coniecture of any one Father but if it please them must suffice against the ioinct authoritie of all the rest For in all the three points aboue mentioned they admit the Church as may appeare from the decrees cited for a Iudge so absolute That no man may imbrace any opinion vpon what grounds or probabilities soeuer but with humble submission to her censure Whatsoeuer she shall inioyne in all or any of these points albeit we haue reasons many and strong not to hold it to hold not one besides her bare authoritie yet must all beleeue it alone as absolutely as if wee had the apparant vnanimous consent of Fathers yea of Prophets Apostles or Euangelists and all good writers in euery age 9 Hence Bellarmine reiects as dissonant to the former decree this resolution of Luther That albeit the Pope and Councell conclude points of faith yet haue priuate men a free arbitrement so farre as it concernes themselues whether they may safely beleeue their conclusions or no. Luther giues two reasons for his assertion both most forcible The one because the Pope shall not answere for priuate men at the houre of their death The other because none are competent Iudges of false Doctrines but men spiritually minded when as it often fals out that in their Councels there cannot be found one man much lesse a maior part of men without which how many soeuer there were all were as none that hath any the least relish of the Diuine Spirit The like assertion doth the Iesuit condemne in Brentius 10 It is not lawfull saith Brentius for any man in a point of saluation so to relie vpon anothers sentence as to imbrace it without interposition of his owne iudgement The reason is there intimated because euerie man is to be immediately iudged by his own conscience and may for auoiding the iust censure of condemnation by it safely disclaime their opinions the execution of whose sentence or bodily punishment hee may not decline seeing they are as was obserued before publique and lawfull yet fallible Iudges of controuersies in Religion And Bellarmine bewrayes either grosse ignorance or great skill in wrangling when he exclaimes against this position of Brentius as absurd and repugnant to it selfe That the supreme Magistrate or publique Iudges may bee bound to command where the subiect or inferiour is not bound to obey For as well the Prince in commanding as the people in obeying must follow whither their consciences lead them Both may and in case they disagree the one or other cannot but erre in the precedent information of their consciences and herein properly doth their sinne consist not in doing what erroneous conscience vpon so strict tearmes as penaltie of eternall death doth vncessantly vrge them to 11 The people saith Canus did absolutely not vpon condition beleeue God and his seruant Moses and vnlesse men so beleeue the Church they mak it of no authoritie Nor is it enough to beleeue it to be infallible in points of moment or such as might ouerthrow faith vnlesse it bee acknowledged so absolutely inerrable in al as it cannot either beleeue or teach amisse in any question of faith for if in any seeing there is one and the same reason of all it might aswell faile in receiuing some books indeed not such for Canonicall and Diuine Whereupon it would follow that this argument would not follow The Church acknowledgeth Saint Matthewes Gospel for Canonicall therefore it is Canonicall The deniall of which consequence is most impious and absurd in this mans censure fully consonant to Valent. before cited That Scripture which is commended vnto vs and expounded by the authoritie of the Church is now euen in this respect because the Church commends it most authentique 12 Vnto these and farre more grosse conclusions all their moderne Writers for ought I can find thinke themselues bound by the former decrees of the Trent Councell But what if any should dissent from these great Champions in the interpretation of it Who should iudge betwixt them or whither were they to repaire for resolution To the place which God hath chosen to wit to the Sea Apostolicall or in other tearmes to Rome So saith the Pope that confirmed this Councell As if there were onely a translation of the Sea none of the Priesthood sometimes established in Ierusalem where all were to worship And if Rome haue that place in Christendome which Ierusalem had in Iewrie the Pope must be such a Lord to all Christians as Hee that dwelt betwixt the Cherubins was to the Israelites both their answeres of like authoritie 13 But when we repaire to Rome who shall there determine what the Councell meant the Pope alone or with his Cardinals with his Cardinals if he please himselfe alone without them or any other if he list all after as he shall find himselfe disposed to vse his ordinary or plenary power by the former of which answerable to Gods working with natural agēts he determines of matters by the vsuall course of lawes prouided for that purpose vsing the aduise or councell of his assistants by the other correspondent to
other portions of Scripture is not grounded vpon any preheminencie incident to these words as they are Gods as if they were more his then the rest in some such peculiar sort as the Tenne Commaundements are in respect of other Mosaicall Lawes nor from any internall proprietie flowing from the wordes themselues as if their secret character did vnto faithfull mindes bewray them to be more Diuine then others nor from any precedent consequent or comitant circumstance probably arguing that sence the Romish Church giues of them to be of it selfe more perspicuous or credible then the naturall meaning of most other Scriptures all inspired by one and the same spirit all for their forme of equall authoritie and perspicuitie All the prerogatiue then which these passages can haue before others must be from the matter contained in them and that by our aduersaries position is the Churches infallibilitie Wherefore not because they are Gods word or were giuen by his Spirit in more extraordinarie sort then others but because they haue more affinitie with the Roman Lord in late yeares exalted aboue all that is called God Father Sonne or Holy Ghost these places aboue cited must bee more authentikely beleeued then all the wordes of God besides As I haue read of pictures though not more artificiall in themselues yet helde in greater estimation amongst the Heathen and freer from contemptuous censure then any other of the same Painters doing onely because they represented their great God Iupiter 11 Another difficultie whereunto we demand an answere is whether whiles they assent as they professe not onely to the infallibilitie taught as they suppose in the fore cited places but also vnto the infallibilite of Scriptures which teach it they acknowledge two distinct assents or but one If but one let them shew vs how possibly the Church can bee said to confirme the Scriptures if two let them assigne the seuerall properties of either whether is more strong whether must bee to the other as Peter to his brethren or if neither of them can confirme the other let them declare how the one can be imagined as a meane or condition of beleeuing the other 12 An Heretikes beleefe of the minor proposition in the former Syllogisme saith Bellarmine is but weake A Romanists beleefe of the same most strong Let this bee the Minor Peter feed my sheepe or Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faile what reason can be imagined why a Romanists beleefe of these propositions should bee so strong and ours so weake The one hath the Churches authoritie to confirme his faith the other hath not What is it then to haue the Churches authoritie onely to know her decrees concerning those portions of Scriptures If this were all we know the Romish Churches decrees aswel as the Romanists but it is nothing to know them if we doe not acknowledge them To haue Churches authoritie then is to beleeue it as infallible and for this reason is a Romane Catholikes beleefe of any portion of Scripture more certaine and strong because hee hath the testimonie of the Church which he beleeues to be most infallible and beleeuing it most infallibly he must of necessitie beleeue that to be Scripture that in euery place to be the meaning of the Holy Ghost which this Church commends vnto him for such Let the most learned of our aduersaries here resolue the doubt proposed whether there bee two distinct assents in the beleefe of the forementioned propositions one vnto the truth of the proposition it selfe and another vnto the Churches infallibilitie It is euident by Bellarmines opinion that all the certaintie a Roman Catholique hath aboue a Sectarie is from the Churches infallibilite For the proposition it selfe he can beleeue no better then an Heretique may vnlesse hee better beleeue the Church i. he beleues the Churches exposition of it or the Churches infallibilitie concerning it better then the proposition it selfe in it selfe and for it selfe And so it is euident that the Churches authoritie is greater because it must be better beleeued 13 Suppose then one of our Church which beleeues these propositions to be the word of God should turne of Roman Catholique his former beleefe is by this meanes become more strong and certaine This granted the next question is what should be the obiect of this his strong beleefe the propositions beleeued Peter feed my sheepe I haue prayed for thee or any other part of Gods written word or the Churches authoritie not the propositions themselues but onely by accident in as much as the Church confirmes them to him For suppose the same man should estsoones either altogether reuolt from the Church or doubt of her authoritie his beleefe of the former propositions becomes hereby as weake as it was before which plainely cuinceth that his beleefe of the Church and this proposition were two distinct beleefes and that this strong beleefe was fastened vnto the Churches authoritie not vnto the proposition it selfe immediately but onely by accident in as much as the Church which he beleeueth so firmely did teach it for his beleefe if fastened vpon the proposition it selfe after doubt mooued of the Churches authoritie would haue continued the same but now by Bellarmines assertion assoone as hee begins to disclaime his beleefe of the Churches infallibilitie his former strong beleefe of the supposed proposition begins to faile and of this failing no other reason then alreadie is can be assigned The reason was because the true direct and proper obiect of his stronge beleefe was the Churches authoritie on which the beleefe of the proposition did intirely depend as the conclusion doth vpon the premisses or rather as euery particular doth on the vniuersall whereunto it is essentially subordinate CHAP. III. Containing a further Resolution of Romish faith necessarily inferring the authoritie of the Romish Church to bee of greater authoritie then Gods Word absolutely not only in respect of vs. IF we racke the former syllogisme a little farther and stretch it out in euerie ioynt to it full length wee may quickly make it confesse our proposed conclusion and somewhat more The Syllogisme was thus Whatsoeuer God hath spoken is most true But God hath spoken and caused to be written all those wordes contained in the Canon of Scriptures acknowledged by opposite religions of these times Therefore these wordes are most true The certaintie of the Minor depends as our aduersaries will haue it vpon the present Romish Churches infallibilitie which hath commended vnto vs these Bookes for Gods Word Bee it then granted for disputations sake that we cannot know any part of Gods Word much lesse the iust bounds extent or limits of all his words supposed to be reuealed for our good but by the Romish Church The Spirituall sence or true meaning of all most or many parts of these determinate Volumes and visible Characters as yet is vndeterminate and vncertaine whereas all points of beleefe must bee grounded on the determinate and certaine sence of
comprehended vnder that vniuersall affirmatiue All whatsoeuer they bid you obserue and doe but vnder the negatiue After their works do not for they were more desirous to be honored as Rabbies and Fathers of the congregation then to honour the parents of their flesh albeit they vsually taught others so to do saue onely when their treasurie might bee enriched or their owne honour enlarged by dispensations which the people easily might haue discerned for contrary as well to the Law of God and nature as these dispensators owne doctrine when themselues were not parties 9 From the restraint of this vniuersall precept wee may easily limit that speech of our Sauiour vnto Saint Peter which Bellarmine labours to make more then most vniuersall because the surest ground in their supposals of the Popes transcendent authority I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon earth shall bee bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen By these keyes saith Bellarmine is vnderstood a power of loosing not onely sins but all other bonds or impediments without whose remouall there is no possibility of entrance into the Kingdome of heauen for the promise is generall nor is it said Whomsoeuer but whatsoeuer thou loosest c. giuing vs hereby to vnderstand that Peter and his successors may loose all knots or difficulties of what kindsoeuer if of lawes by dispensing with them if of sinnes by remitting them if of controuersies or opinions by vnfolding them Thus farre would this cunning Sophister improue the vniuersall Whatsoeuer aboue it ordinary and ancient value in Scripture phrase further then the condition of the partie to whom the promise was made being Christs seruants not his equall will suffer For what greater prerogatiue could Christ himselfe challenge then such as Bellarmine for the present Popes sake would make Saint Peters The vniuersall note in this place as the like before includes onely an abundant assurance of the power bequeathed a full and irreuocable ratification of the Keyes right vse such a shutting as none can open such an opening as none can shut as often as sentence is either way giuen vpon sufficient and iust occasions The proper subiect that limits the vniuersall forme of this more then princely prerogatiue is the denyall or confession of Christ either in open speech in perpetuall actions or resolution as shall bee by Gods assistance made euident against Romish assertions without derogation from the royalty of Priest-hood which within these territories is much more dreadfull and soueraigne then worldlings will acknowledge vntill they bee made feele the full stroke of the spirituall sword in these our dayes for the most part borne in vaine 10 Whatsoeuer reasons else they can from any other places of Scripture pretend for absolute infallibilitie in the High Priests or Church representative vnder the Law fall of their owne accord these fundamentall ones being ouerthrowne But before I proceed to euince the Iewish supreme tribunall most grosly erreneous de sacto I must request the ingenious Readers as many as vnderstand Latine and can haue accesse vnto these great Doctors writings to be eye-witnesses with vs or if it please them publike Notaries of their retchlesse impieties Of which vnlesse authentique notice bee now taken and propagated to posterity by euident testimonies beyond exception his impudent generation in future ages when these abominations grow old and more stirred in beginne so to stinke that for the Churches temporall health the bookes of moderne Iesuites must be purged will surely deny that euer any of their grand Diuines were so mad with incestuous loue of their whorish mother as to seeke her maintenance by such shamelesse grosse notorious palpable written blasphemies as vngracious Iudes would rather haue choaked with an halter in their birth then haue granted them entrance into the world through his throat Hee in comparison of these Antichristian Traitors ingenuously confessed his soule offence in betraying innocent blood But euen the flower of Romish Doctors Bishops and Cardinals are not ashamed to iustifie him in betraying and the Scribes and Pharises in solemnely condemning our Sauiour For if the one sort did not erre in iudgement the other did not amisse in executing what they enioyned yet by that very consistory of Priestes and Elders brought in by Bellarmine as chiefe supporters of the Churches infallibility was the life of the world censured to death for an hereticke or refractarious Scismatique and the â—alâ—udists taking that Consistories authority but for such as the Iesuites supposed conclude directly from principles common to the Synagogue and the Romane Church that hee deserued no lesse because hee would not subscribe vnto their sentence nor recant his opinions 11 Againe if wee vnderstand that other place The Scribes and Pharises sit in Moses seat all therefore whatsoeuer they bid you that obserue and doe vniuersally as most Papists doe and Hart out of his transmarinall Catechisme would gladly haue maintained it any Iew might thus assume vnto the Scribes and Pharises solemnly bid Iudas and others to obserue our Sauiour as a seducer or traitor and charged the people to seeke his bloud therefore they were in consciences and vpon paine of damnation bound so to doe Doe I amplifie one word or wrong them a iot in these collections I appeale vnto their owne Writers Let Melchior Canus inferiour to none in that Church for learning and for a Papist a man of singular ingenuity bee iudge betwixt vs. If from his words as much as I haue said doe not most directly follow let let mee die the death for this supposed slander Against the absolute infallibility of Councels or Synods maintained by him in his fifth booke our Writers as hee frames their argument thus obiects The Priests and Pharises called Councels whose solemne sentences were impious because they condemned the sonne of God for such in like sort may the Romish Prelacie giue sentence contrary vnto Christ Vnto this obiection saith Canus the answere is easie Let vs heare it The practises of the Priests were indeed against our Sauiour but the sentence of men otherwise most wicked was not onely most true but withall most profitable to the common-weale Yea Saint Iohn the Euangelist tels vs it was a diuine Oracle for after a long and various deliberation vsed by the Councell Caiaphas now sate as chiefe being the High-Priest pronounced that sentence whereunto almost all at the least the maior part agreed It is expedient that one die for the people and that the whole nation perish not vpon which speech the Euangelist forthwith aâ—s This hee spake not of himselfe but beeing High-Priest for that yeere hee prophesied Whence it followes sayeth Canus that our Prelates liues and actions may perhaps be contrary to our Lord Iesus but their iudiciall decrees or sentences such as are coÌ„firmed by the Pope who must bee president in their Councels as Caiaphas
there any thing too hard for me The Lord had stricken Iacob with the wound of an enemy and with a sharpe chastice meÌ„â— for the multitude of his iniquities wherefore hee cryed for his affliction and said My sorrow is incurable not considering who it was had done all this vnto him for because the Lord had killed they must belieue hee would make aliue againe Their present wounds inflicted contrary to the rules of politique defence where the best pledges of their future health beyond all hope of State-Surgeons And this is the very Sâ—ale of Ieremiahs assurance from the Lords own mouth Thus sayeth the Lord like as I haue brought all this great plague vpon this people so will I bring vpon them all the good I haue promised them And the fields shall be possessed in this land whereof ye say It is desolate without man or beast and shall be giuen into the hand of the Caldeans Men shall buy fields for siluer and make writings and seale them and take witnesses in the land of Beniamin and round about Ierusalem So absolute and all-sufficient was Moses law in particular actions much more in generall or doctrinall resolution that God himselfe for confirmation of his Prophets this distrustfull peoples faith in a point by humane estimate most incredible thought it sufficient to be a remembrance to the Law-giuer For the Lord here saith to Ieremiah concerning this particular Moses many generations before had vniuersally foretold Now when all these things shall come vpon thee either the blessing or the curse which I haue set before thee and thou shalt turne into thine hart among all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath driuen thee then the Lord thy God will cause thy Captiues to returne and haue compassion vpon thee and will returne to gather thee out of all the people where the Lord thy God had scattered thee Though thou wâ—rst cast vnto the vttermost part of heauen from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee and from thence will he take thee And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed and thou shalt possesse it and he will shew thee fauour and will multiply thee aboue thy fathers By this rule of Moses according to the prediction of Ieremiah doth Nehemiah afterwards frame his prayers to God direct his enterprise for restauration of Ierusalem Wee haue grieuously sinned against thee and haue not kept the commandements nor the statutes nor the iudgements which thou commandest thy seruant Moses I beseech thee remember the word that thou commandest thy seruant Moses saying Ye will transgresse and I will scatter you abroad among the people But if yee turne vnto me and keepe my commandements and doe them though your scattering were to the vttermost part of the heauen yet will I gather you from thence and will bring you vnto the place that I haue chosen to place my Name there Now these are thy seruants and thy people c. O Lord I beseech thee let thine eare now hearken to the praier of thy seruants who desire to feare thy name and I pray thee cause thy seruant to prosper this day and giue him fauour in the presence of this man He saw the truth of Moses diuine predictioÌ„ confirmed by the Kings present grant of his petition speedy restauration of Ierusalem albeit a Prophet by profession had disswaded the enterprise as likely to proue dangerous to his person CHAP. VIII That the societie or visible Company of Prophets had no such absolute authority as the Romish Church vsurpes 1 DId the Records of antiquity afford vs any the least presumption to thinke that absolute beliefe or obedience might safely be tendered by inferiors as due to any visible Company of men without examination of their proposals by Moses writings since they were extant the society of Prophets in all respects the Romanists can pretend had the most probable title to this prerogatiue Their professioÌ„ or calling was publike and lawfull their distinction from all others eminent their persons and places of residence visible and knowne their promises for enioying the extraordinary presence or illuminations of Gods spirit peculiar many of them venerable for their integrity in ciuill dealings and sanctity of priuate life some of them endued with the gift of miracles In all these and many like considerations that fraternity or collegiate society might iustly haue pleaded all the priuiledges a publike spirit can grant to one sort of men before others For if the more or lesse expresse testimony of Gods word for extraordinary assistance of his spirit or the different measure of his illumination or manner of immediate teaching be that which makes som mens spirit more publike then their brethrens this difference was greater betweene the Priests or Prophets and people of old then since God spake vnto the world by his sonne yet what Prophet did once intimate the necessity of his proposall for notifying the truth of Scriptures What one did euer bewray the least desire to haue his interpretations of them vniuersally held authentique or his particular predictions absolutely assented vnto without further triall then his bare assertion without examination of them by Moses doctrine already establisâ—ed 2 Had they beene the infallible Church representatiue had their assertions though giuen by ioinct consent ex Cathedra or in the most solemne manner vsed in those times beene of such authority as the Romanist would perswade vs a Councell of their Prelates lawfully assembled is Gods people had stood bound to embrace whatsoeuer a maior part of that profession had resolued vpon but this inference though necessarily following the supposed premises the Iesuit I know dare not affirme lest Ahabs bloud vntimely shed by confidence in their infallibility cry out against him Yet Bellarmine too well knowing the liquorish temper of this present age for the most part acquainted with none but table-talke Diuinity to bee such as will swallow down any doctrine bee it neuer so idle prophane or poisonous so it bee sauced with pleasant conceit and merriment would put vs of with this iest That as in Saxonie one Catholiques verdict were to be taken bâ—fore sowre hundred Lutherans so should one of the Lords Prophets haue beene followed in those times before fiue hundred of Baals And Ahab no doubt had so done had not the Diuell taught his Diuines then as hee hath done Bellarmine and his fellowes since to take vniuersality as a sure note of the Church traditions and customes of the Elders for the rule of faith and which is the vndoubted Conclusion of such premisses to follow a multitude to any mischiefe So mightily did the opinion of a maior part being all men of the same profession sway with the superstitious people of those times that Ahabs Purseuant conceiued hope of seducing Micaiah whilst they were on the way together by intimating such censures of schisme of heresie of
Paul Without the helpe or ministery of man We maintaine as wel as they God is not a father to such as will not acknowledge the Church for their Mother Notwithstanding thus we conceiue and speake of the Church indefinitely taken not confined to any determinate place not appropriated to any indiuiduall or singularised persons Now to verifie an indefinite speech or proposition the truth of any one particular sufficeth As hee that should say Socrates by man was taught his learning doth not meane the specificall nature or whole Mankind but that Socrates as others had one man or other at the first to instruct him The same Dialect wee vse when wee say euery one that truely cals God father receiues instructions from the Church his Mother that is from some in the Church lawfully ordained for planting faith vnto whome such filiall obedience as else where wee haue spoken of is due The difference likewise betweene the Romanists and vs hath partly beene discussed before In briefe it is thus We hold this Ministery of the Church is a necessary condition or mean precedent for bringing vs to the infallible truth or true sense of Gods word yet no infallible rule whereon finally or absolutely wee must relie eyther for discerning diuine Reuelations or their true meaning But as those resemblances of colours which wee tearme Species visibiles are not seene themselues though necessary for the sight of reall colours so this Ministery of the Church albeit in it selfe not infallible is yet necessarily require for our right apprehension of the diuine truth which in it selfe alone is most infallible yea as infallible to vs as it was to the Apostles or Prophets after it be rightly apprehended The difference is in the manner of apprehending or conceiuing it They conceiued it immediately without the Ministery or instruction of man so cannot wee This difference elsewhere I haue thus resembled As trees and plants now growing vp by the ordinary husbandry of man from seedes precedent are of the same kind and quality with such as were immediately created by the hand of God so is the immediate ground of ours the Prophets and Apostles faith the same Albeit theirs was immediately planted by the finger of God ours propagated from their seed sowne and cherished by the dayly industry of faithfull Ministers 3 Neither in the substance of this assertion nor manner of the explication doe we much differ if ought from Canus in his second booke where he taxeth Scotus Durand and others for affirming the last resolution of our faith was to be made into the veracity or infallibility of the Church The Apostles and Prophets sayeth he resolued their faith into truth and authority diuine Therfore wee must not resolue our faith into the humane authority of the Church For the faith is the same and must haue the same formall reason For better confirmation of which assertion hee addes this reason Things incident to the obiect of any habite by accident do not alter the formall reason of the obiect Now that the Articles of faith should bee proposed by these or these men is meerely accidentall wherefore seeing the Apostles and Prophets did assent vnto the Articles of faith because God reuealed them the reason of our assent must bee the same Lastly hee concludes that the Churches authority miracles or the like are onely such precedent conditions or meanes for begetting faith as sensitiue knowledge exhortations or aduise of Masters are for bringing vs to certaine knowledge in demonstratiue faculties Had eyther this great Diuine spoken consequently to this doctrine in his 5. Booke or would the Iesuites auouch no more then here hee doth wee should bee glad to giue them the right hand of fellowshippe in this point But they goe all a wrong way vnto the truth or would to God any way to the truth or not directly to ouerthrow it Catharinus though in a manner ours in that question about the certainety of saluation sayeth more perhaps then they meant whom Canus late taxed Auouching as Bellarmine cites his opinion that diuine faith could not be certaine and infallible vnlesse it were of an obiect approued by the Church Whence would follow what Bellarmine there inferres that the Apostles and Prophets should not haue beene certain of their Reuelations immediately sent from God vntill the Church had approued them which is a doctrine well deseruing a sharper censure then Bellarmine bestowes on Catharinus Albeit to speake the truth Bellarmine was no fitte man to censure though the other most worthy to bee seuerely censured Catharinus might haue replyed that the Prophets and Apostles at least our Sauiour in whom Bellarmine instanceth were the true Church as well as they make the Pope Nor can Valentias with other late Iesuites opinions by any pretence or shew hardly Bellarmines owne be cleared from the same inconueniences he obiectes to Catharinus as will appeare vpon better examination to bee made hereafter CHAP. II. That the Churches proposall is the true immediate and prime cause of all absolute beliefe any Romanist can haue concerning any determinate diuine Reuelation 1 WHereas Valentian and as he sayes Caietan deny the Churches infallible proposal to be the cause why we belieue diuine Reuelations This speech of his is equiuocall and in the equiuocation of it I thinke Valentian sought to hide the truth The ambiguity or fallacie is the same which was disclosed in Bellarmines reply vnto vs obiecting that Pontificians make the Churches authority greater then Scriptures In this place as in that the word of God or diuine reuelations may bee taken eyther indefinitely for whatsoeuer God shall hee supposed to speake or for those particular Scriptures or Reuelations which wee suppose hee hath already reuealed and spoken Or Valentian may speake of the obiect of our beliefe not of beliefe it selfe If wee take his meaning in the former sense what hee sayth is most true For the Churches infallibility is no cause why wee belieue that to bee true which wee suppose God hath reuealed nor did wee euer charge them with this assertion This is an Axiome of nature presupposed in all Religions yet of which none euer knew to make so great secular vse as the Romish Church doth But if wee speake of that Canon of Scripture which wee haue or any things contained in it all which wee and our aduersaries iointly suppose to haue come from God the onely cause why wee doe or can rightly belieue them is by Iesuiticall doctrine the Churches infallibility that commends them vnto vs. 2 If that Church which Valentian holdes so infallible should haue saide vnto him totidem verbis you must beleeue the books of Maccabes are canonicall euen for this reason that your holy Catholike Mother tels you so hee durst not but haue belieued as well the reason as the matter proposed To witte That these Bookes were Canonicall because the Church had enioyned him so to think albeit his priuate conscience left to Gods
for the Churches proposall we iointly beleeue for God speaking eyther in his written word or by tradition Yet if a man should haue asked him why he did or how possibly hee could infallibly beleeue that God did speake all the words eyther contayned in the Bible or in their traditions he must haue giuen eyther a womans answere because God spâ—ke them or this because our holy mother the Church doth say so For elsewhere he plainly auowes the Bookes of Canonicall Scripture need not be beleeued without the Churches proposall whose infallible authority was sufficiently knowne before one title of the New Testament was written and were to be acknowledged though it had neuer beene hee plainly confesseth withall that hee could not beleeue the Scriptures taught some principall Articles of faith most firmely beleeued by him vnlesse the churches authoritie did thereto moue him against the light of naturall reason Now if for the churches proposall hee beleeue that which otherwise to beleeue he had no reason at al but rather strong inducements to the contrarie as stedfastly as any other truth the Churches infallibilitie must be the true and only cause both why he beleeues the mystery proposed and distrusts the naturall dictates of his conscience to the contrary In fine hee doth not beleeue there is a Trinitie for in that Article is his instance because God hath said it but hee beleeues that God hath said it because his infallible Mother the Church doth teach it This is the misery of miseries that these Apostates should so bewitch the World as to make it thinke they beleeue the Church because God speakes by it when it is euident they doe not beleeue God but for the Churches testimonie well content to pretend his authority that her own may seeme more soueraigne Thus make they their superstitious groundlesse magical faith but as a wrench to wrest that principle of nature Whatsoeuer God saith is true to countenance any villany they can imagine as will better appeare hereafter But first the Reader must be content to be informed that by some of their tenents the same Diuine reuelations may be assented vnto by the Habite either of Theologie or of faith both which are most certaine but herein different That the former is discursiue and resembles science properly so called the latter not so but rather like vnto that habite or faculty by which we perceiue the truth of generall Maximes or vnto our bodily sight which sees diuers visibles all immediately not one after or by another Whilst some of them dispute against the certainty of priuate spirits their aguments suppose Diuine reuelations must be beleeued by the Habite of Theology which is as a sword to offend vs. Whiles we assault them and vrge the vnstabilitie of their resolutions they fly vnto the non discursiue Habite of faith infused as their best buckler to ward such blowes as the Habite of Theologie cannot beare off 6 Not heere to dispute eyther how truly or pertinently they denie faith infused to be a discursiue habite the Logicall Reader need not I hope my admonition to obserue that faith or beleefe whether habituall or actuall vnlesse discursiue cannot possibly bee resolued into any praeexistent Maxime or principle From which grant this emolument will arise vnto our cause that the Churches authoritie cannot be proued by any diuine reuelation or portion of Scripture seeing it is an Article of faith and must be beleeued eodem intuitu with that Scripture or part of Gods word whether written or vnwritten that teacheth it as light and colours are perceiued by one and the same intuition in the same instant And by this assertion we could not so properly say wee beleeue the diuine reuelation because we beleeue the church nor doe we see colours because we see the light but wee may truly say that the obiects of our faith diuine reuelations are therefore actually credible or worthy of beleefe because the infallible Church doth illustrate or propose them as the light doth make colours though invisible by night visible by day This similitude of the light and colours is not mine but Sacroboscus whom in the point in hand I most mention because Doctor Whittakers Obiections against their Churches Doctrine as it hath beene deliuered by Bellarmine and other late controuersers hath enforced him clearely to vnfold what Bellarmine Stapelton and Valentian left vnexpressed but is implicitely included in all their writings But ere we come to examine the ful incoÌ„ueniences of their opinions I must request the Reader to obserue that as oft as they mention resolution of faith they meane the discursiue habite of Theologie For al resolution of beleefe or knowledge essentially includes discourse And Bellarmine directly makes Sacroboscus expressely auoucheth the Churches authority the medius terminus or true cause whence determinate conclusions of faith are gathered From which and other equiualent assertions acknowledged by all the Romanists this day liuing it will appeare that Valentian was eyther very ignorant himselfe or presumed hee had to deale with very ignorant aduersaries when he denyed that the last resolution of Catholique faith was into the Churches authoritie which comes next in place to be examined CHAP. III. Discouering eyther the grosse ignorance or notorious craft of the Iesuite in denying his faith is finally resolued into the Churches veracity or infallibility that possibly it cannot bee resolued into any branch of the first truth 1 IT were a foolish question as Caietan sayeth Valentian hath well obserued if one should aske another why he beleeues the first truth reuealing For the assent of faith is finally resolued into the first truth It may bee Caietan was better minded towardes Truth it selfe first or secondary then this Iesuite was which vsed his authority to colour his former rotten position That the Churches proposall by their doctrine is not the cause of faith but our former distinction betweene belief it selfe it obiect often confounded or between Gods word indefinitely and determinately taken if well obserued will euince this last reason to be as foolish as the former assertion was false No man sayeth he can giue any reason besides the infallibility of the Reuealer why hee beleeues a diuine Reuelation It is true no man can giue nor would any aske why wee beleeue that which wee are fully perswaded as a diuine Reuelation But yet a reason by their positions must bee giuen why we beleeue eyther this or that truth any particular or determinat portion of Scripture to be a diuine reuelation Wherefore seeing Christian faith is alwayes of definite and particular propositions or conclusions and as Bellarmine sayeth and all the Papists must say these cannot be known but by the Church As her infallible proposall is the true and proper cause why wee belieue them to bee infallibly true because the onely cause whereby wee can belieue them to bee diuine reuelations so must it bee the essentiall principle into which our assent or
infallible whereof the Protestant otherwise perswaded reapes no benefit by it but continues still in darknesse labouring in vaine to see the truth of Diuine reuelations without it as much in vaine as if a man should striue to see colours without light For this is Sacroboscus instance Besides the habite of faith seated in the vnderstanding and the supernaturall concourse of the Holy Spirit due to all endued with the habite of faith but necessary in respect of the subiect or partie two things more are requisite on the behalfe of the obiect of which if eyther bee wanting the facultie can neuer performe it proper function Of these two the one is that the proposition to be beleeued be reuealed by God the other that there be a sufficient proposall made to vs that God hath reuealed it For an vnsufficient proposall of any obiect is as none as may appeare by the example of light which proposeth Colours to bee seene For when the light is weake or scant we cannot discerne Colours not that wee want a visible obiect but because we want light sufficient to illuminate the obiect or the space betwixt vs and it Hee addes withall such as disclaime the Churches authoritie and are content with this That Truths of faith are reuealed by God in his Word and hence promise themselues the supernaturall concourse of the Holy Ghost for producing acts of faith are destitute of a sufficient proposer and their presumption such as if a man should perswade himselfe because hee hath Colours before his eyes and God readie to affoord his ordinary concourse as oft as he is disposed to exercise his visiue facultie hee should bee able to see them without light For saith this Iesuite the Prophets are dead Apostles dead Christ goâ—e to Heauen and in stead of al Prophets Apostles or himselfe hath left vs his Church Nor is it to bee expected that God will euery where vpon all occasions supply the want of the externall proposals by the aboundance of internall illuminations as hee did to our first parent or Saint Paul who had his Gospell neyther from man nor by man but by the reuelation of Iesus Christ For those are priuiledges 6 The calumnie intended in this last instance hath often heretofore beene preuented Wee neuer denyed eyther the necessity or sufficiency of the Churches proposall as an externall meane wee accompt no other of that ranke and nature is or could bee eyther more necessary or more sufficient Saint Paul we grant had an extraordinary priuiledge and yet for his priuate information had the Truth proposed vnto him by Ananias though the gifts of his publique Ministery were immediately from God Both the measure of his faith and manner of attayning it were vnvsuall but his faith it selfe once attained no otherwise independent of any externall proposall then ours is and all Christians must be Wee should haue beene more beholden to this professor had he distinctly told vs what it is in their language to haue a sufficient proposer albeit this wee may gather from his wordes late cited and these following The Sectaryes take vpon them to correct the Churches sentence as oft as they list and then they oppose Christ to the Church as if the Church did propose one thing and Christ teach another If they admitted any Church as a sufficient proposer they were bound to conforme their opinions to it in all things As you heard before out of Bellarmine That the Popes decrees may not bee examined whether consonant or contrary to Gods word or the foundations of faith already laid in our hearts and out of Canus That we must beleeue the Church absolutely without ifs or ands Thus beleeuing we haue Gods Word sufficiently proposed without this beleefe or acknowledgement of such authoritie in the Church we haue no sufficient proposall of it but striue as foolishly to heare God speake as if wee sought to see Colours without the light 7 It appeares I hope as clearely to the Reader as to mee that the Churches testimonie or authority by our aduersaries Doctrine benefits none but such as stedfastly and absolutely beleeue it in all things But hee that so beleeues it may by it easily beleeue all other points as he that can perfectly see the light may see Colours by it Want of this radicall beleefe in vs makes our faith in their opinion so vnstable or rather blinde and dead Yet can I hardly perswade my selfe all of them will grant the Church addes any inherent or participated splendor to diuine reuelations whereby they become perspicuous in themselues as Colours are made visible by irradiation of the Sunne Thus much notwithstanding all of them I know willingly would subscribe vnto A Protestant can neyther of himselfe be infallibly perswaded of the Truth of Scriptures or other conclusions of faith nor doth he asolutely beleeue any others that are infallible in their determinations but a Roman Catholike albeit by his priuate spirit he cannot infallibly beleeues them yet he infallibly beleeues the Church which cannot erre in beleefe All then that a Papist hath more then a Protestant is this his beleefe of the Church if once he doubt of this he is where he was Which in plaine termes is as much as to say he beleeues the Church concerning Scriptures not Scriptures That this is the true interpretation of their tenent may easily be gathered from their owne writings For Bellarmine expressely contends and all of them suppose that saying of Saint Austine Non crederem Euangelio nisi me commoueret Ecclesiae authoritas I would not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the Churches authoritie did thereto moue me to bee true as well after faith is produced whilest it continues as whiles it is in planting Now if a man should say Non crederem Francisco nisi me commoueret Petri fidelitas I would not trust Frances but for Peters word this speech resolued into it naturall or proper sense is aequiualent vnto this I doe not trust Frances but Peter that giues his word for him And in case Peter should proue false or bee distrusted by him that tooke his word for Frances as yet not beleeued but for Peters sake the creditor could haue no hold of eyther Thus if Bellarmine and his fellowes bee as they would seeme to make Saint Austine minded not to beleeue the Gospell but for the Churches authoritie or proposall of it let them speake plainly and properly not in parables or metaphors and so we shall know their meaning to be That they indeed beleeue not the Scriptures but the Church or the Church truly and really the Scriptures onely by extrinsecall denomination 8 Nor can they reply eyther consequently to Sacrobosâ—us instance or their generall tenents that as he which sees colours by the light truly sees colours not the light onely so hee that beleeues Scriptures by the Churches infallible proposall beleeues not the Churches proposall onely but Scriptures as truely and properly The
diuersitie of reason in these two consequences ariseth from the diuerse manner of seeing colours by the Sunnes light and beleeuing Scriptures by the Church which wee are now to gather from this short catechisme contayning the summe of Roman faith CHAP. V. Declaring how the first maine ground of Romish faith leads directly vnto Atheisme the second vnto preposterous Heathenisme or Idolatry 1 IT is a prety sophisme as a iudicious and learned Diuine in his publike exercise for his first degree in Diuinity late well obserued wherewith the Iesuite deludes the simple making them belieue their faith otherwise weake and vnsetled is most firme and certaine if it haue once the visible or representatiue Churches confirmation when as the Church so taken seldome or neuer instructs or confirms any at least not the hundred thousandth part of them vnto whose saluation such confirmation is by Iesuiticall perswasions most absolutely necessary But suppose the visible Church or Romish Consistory the Pope his Cardinals should vouchsafe to catechize any the Dialogue betweene them and the catechized would thus proceed Cons. Doe yee beleeue these sacred volumes to bee the word of God Catech. Wee doe Cons. Are you certaine they are Catech. So wee hope Cons. How can your hope bee sure for Mahomet saith His Alchoran is sundry other heretikes say their fained reuelations or false traditions are Gods word How can you assure vs yee may not bee deceiued as well as they Are not many of them as good Schollers as you Catech. Yes indeed and better Cons. Are not you subiect vnto error as well as they Cat. Would God wee were not Cons. What must you doe then to be ascertained these are diuine Reuelations Cat. Nay wee know not but this is that which wee especially desire to know and would binde our selues in any bond to such as could teach vs. Cons. Well said doe yee not thinke it reason then to bee ruled in this case by such as cannot bee deceiued Cat. It is meete wee should Cons. Loe wee are the men wee are the true visible Church placed in authority by Christ himselfe for this purpose These Scriptures tell you plainely as much Tues Petrus super hanc Petram c. His Holinesse whom here you see is Peters Successor sole heire of that promise far more glorious then the Iewish Church euer had any 2 This is the very quintessence and extraction of huge and corpulent volumes written in this argument which our English Mountibankes sent hither from the Seminaries venditate as a Paracelsian medicine able to make men immortall The summe of all others write or they alledge is this Euery one may pretend what writings hee lists to bee the word of God who shall bee the infallible Iudge eyther of written or vnwritten reuelations Must not the Church for shee is Magistra Iudex fidei These are the words and this is the very Argument wherein Valentians soule it seemes did most delight hee vseth them so oft But to proceed the parties chatechized thus by the visible Church it selfe should any Protestant enter Dialogue with them how they know those receiued scriptures to be the word of God could answere I trow sufficiently to this question thus Mary sir woe know better then you for we heard the visible Church which cannot erre say so with our owne eares Prot. You are most certaine then that these are the Oracles of God because the visible church Gods liuing oracle did beare testimony of them Catech. Yea Sir and their testimony is most infallible Prot But what if you doubt againe of their infallibilities How will you answere this obiection Mahomet saith his Alcoran is scripture the Turkish Priestes will tell you as much viua voce and shew you if you bee disposed to belieeue them eâ—ident places therein for his infallibility Manes could say that hee had diuine reuelations The Pope pretends hee hath this infallibility which neither of them had Who shall iudge the Consistory But why should you thinke they may not erre as well as others Did they shew you any euidence out of scriptures or did they bring you to such entire acquaintance with their publike spirit as to approue your selues diuine Critickes of all questions concerning the Canon as oft as any doubt should arise Catech. Oh no these audacious Criticismes of priuat men they vtterly detest and forewarned vs vpon paine of damnation to beware of For there is no priuate person but may erre and for such to iudge of Scriptures were presumption iustly damnable Rely they must for this reason vpon the churches infallibility and that continually It alone cannot without it all others may erre as well as Manes Mahomet Nestorius or Eutyches vndoubtedly belieuing it cannot erre wee our selues are as free from error as he that followes such good counsell giuen by others as hee cannot giue himselfe is more secure then hee that altogether followes his owne aduise albeit better able to counsell others then the former Prot. Then I perceiue your onely holde-fast in all temptations your onely anchor when any blasts of vaine doctrine arise is this The present Remish Church cannot erre for if you doubt of any doctrine taught to the contrary aske her and shee will resolue you or if you cannot see the truth in it selfe yet belieue without all wauering as shee belieues that sees it and you shall bee as safe as if you roade in the harbour in a storme Catech. Ah yes Gods holy name bee praysed who hath so well prouided for his church for otherwise heretickes and schismatikes would shake and tosse her euen in this maine point or ground of faith as euill spirits doe ships in tempests wee must eyther holde this fast sure or else all is gone God hath left off speaking vnto men and wee cannot tell whether euer hee spake to them or no but as the present church which speakes viua voce tels vs. 3 But the Reader perhaps expects what inconuenience wil hence follow First hereby it is apparant that beliefe of Scriptures diuine Truth and their true sense absolutely and immediately depends vpon the churches proposall or rather vpon their beliefe of what it proposeth as well after they are confirmed in that generall point That they are Gods word as in the instant of their confirmation in it The first necessary consequence of which opinioâ— is That the church must bee more truely and properly beleeued then any part of Scripture or matter contained in it For in this manner of dependance that transcendent rule of nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath it proper force Whether wee speake of the Essence Existence or quality of things being or existing that vpon which any other thing thus absolutely and continually depends doth more properly really exist and hath much firmer interest in it essence and existence then ought can haue which depends vpon it One there is and no more that can truely say my Essence is mine owne and my
it reall Atheists or Infidels and Christians onely in conceit or vpon condition If the Church whose authority they so highly esteeme be as infallible as is pretended Heretofore I haue much grieued at the Trent Councels impiety but now I wonder at these graue Fathers folly that would trouble themselues with prescribing so many Canons or ouerseeing so large a Catechisme when as the beginning of Protogoras booke one or two words altered might haue comprehended the entire confession of such mens faith as rely vpon their fatherhoods The Atheist thus beganne his booke De dijs non habeo quod dicam vtrum sint necne Concerning the Gods or their being I can say nothing A priuate Romane Catholike might render an entire account of his faith in termes as briefe De Christo Christiana fide non haebeo quod dicam vtrum sint necne Whether there bee a Christ or Christian Religion bee but a politike fable I haue nothing to say peremptorily yea or no the Church or Councell can determine whom in this and all other points wherein God is a party I will absolutely belieue whilest I liue if at my death I finde they teach amisse let the diuell and they if there be a diuell decide the controuersie Yet this conceit or conditionall beliefe of Christ and christianity conceiued from the former serues as a ground colour for disposing mens soules to take the sable dye of Hell wherewith the second maine streame of Romish impiety will deepely infect all such as drinke of it For once belieuing Gods word from the Churches testimony this absolute submission of their consciences to embrace that sense it shall suggest sublimates them from refined Heathenisme of Gentilisme to diabolisme or symbolizing with infernall spirits whose chiefest solace consists in acting greatest villanies or wresting the meaning of Gods written lawes to his dishonour For iust proofe of which imputation wee are to preuent what as wee late intimated might in fauour of their opinion bee replyed to our former instance of light and colours 9 Some perhaps well affected would be resolued why as hee that sees colours by the sunne sees not onely the sunne but colours with it so hee that belieues the Scriptures by relying vpon the Church should not belieue the Church onely but the Scriptures too commended by it The doubt could hardly bee resolued if according to our aduersaries tenent the Churches declarations did confirme our faith by illustrating the Canon of Scriptures or making particular truthes contained in it inherently more perspicuous as if they were in themselues but potentially credible and made actually such by the Churches testimony which is the first and principall credible in such sort as colours become actually visible by illumination of the principall and prime visible But herein the grounds of Romish doctrine and the instance brought by Sacroboscus to illustrate it are quite contrary For the light of the Sunne though most necessary vnto sight is yet necessary onely in respect of the obiect or for making colours actually visible which made such or sufficiently illuminated are instantly perceiued without further intermediation of any other light then the internall light of the Organe in discerning colours alwaies rather hindred then helped by circumfusion of light externall For this reason it is that men in a pitte or caue may at noone day see the starres which are inuisible to such as are in the open aire not that they are more illuminated to the one then the other but because plentie of light doth hinder the organ or eye-sight of the one Generally all obiects eyther actually visible in themselues or sufficiently illuminated are better perceiued in darkenesse then in the light But so our aduersaries will not grant that after the church hath sufficiently proposed the whole Canon to be Gods word the distinct meaning of euery part is more cleare and facile to all priuate spirits by how much they lesse participate of the visible Churches further illustration For quite contrary to the former instance the Churches testimony or declaration is onely necessary or auaileable to right beliefe in respect not of the obiect to be beleeued Scriptures but of the party beleeuing For as hath beene obserued no man in their iudgement can belieue Gods word or the right meaning of it but by beleeuing the Church and all beliefe is inherent in the belieuer Yea this vndoubted beliefe of the Churches authority is that which in Bellarmine and Sacroboscus iudgement makes a Roman Catholicks beleefe of Scriptures or diuine truthes taught by them much better then a Protestants If otherwise the churches declaration or testimony could without the beliefe of it infallibility which is inherent in the subiect belieuing make Scriptures credible as the light doth colours visible in themselues a Protestant that knew their churches meaning might as truely belieue them as a Romane Catholike albeit hee did not absolutely belieue the church but onely vse her helpe for their Orthodoxall interpretation as hee doth ordinary expositors or as many doe the benefite of the Sunne for seeing colours which neuer thinke whether colours may bee seene without it or no. For though it bee certaine that they cannot yet this opinion is meerely accidentall to their sight and if a man should be so wilfull as to maintaine the contrary it would argue onely blindnesse of mind none of his bodily sight Nor should distrust of the Romish churches authority ought diminish our beliefe of any diuine truth were her declarations requisite in respect of the obiect to bee beleeued not in respect of the subiect beleeuing 10 Hence ariseth that difference which plainely resolues the former doubt For seeing the Sunne makes colours actually visible by adding vertue or lustre to them wee may rightly say wee see colours as truely as the light by which wee see them For though without the benefite of it they cannot be seene yet are they not seene by seeing it or by relying vpon it testimony of them Againe because the vse of light is onelie necessary in respect of the obiect or for presenting colours to the eye after once they bee sufficiently illuminated or presented euery creature endued with sight can immediately discern each from other without any further helpe or benefite of externall light than the generall whereby they become all alike actually visible at the fame instant The Sunnes light then is the true cause why colours are seene out no cause of our distinguishing one from another beeing seene or made actually visible by it For of all sensible obiects sufficiently proposed the sensitiue faculty though seated in a priuate person is the sole immediate supreme Iudge and relies not vpon any others more publike verdite of them On the contrary because the Romanists supposed firme beliefe of Scriptures or their true meaning ariseth onely from his vndoubted beliefe of the churches veracity which is in the belieuer as in it subiect not from any increase of inherent credibility or perspicuity
thence propagated to the Scriptures Hence it is that consequently to his positions most repugnant to all truth hee thinkes after the church hath sufficiently auouched the Scriptures diuine truth in generall wee cannot infallibly distinguish the true sense and meaning of one place from another but must herein also rely vpon the churches testimony and onely belieue that sense to bee repugnant that consonant to the analogie of faith which shee shall tender albeit our priuate consciences bee neuer so well informed by other Scriptures to the contrary The truth then of our former conclusion is hence easily manifested For seeing they hold both the Scriptures and their distinct sense to bee obscure and vnable to ascertaine themselues vnlesse the Church adde perspicuity or facility of communicating their meaning to priuate spirits such after the Churches proposall cannot possibly discerne them any better or more directly in themselues then they did before but must wholy rely vpon their Prelates as if these were the onely watchmen in the Tower of Gods church that could by vertue of their place discerne all diuine truth Others must belieue there is an omnipotent God which hath giuen his law a Mediator of the new Testament but what the meaning either of Law or Gospell is they may not presume otherwise to determine then weake sights do of things they see confusedly a farre off whose particular distance or difference they must take onely vpon other mens report that haue seene them distinctly and at hand 11 To illustrate these deductions with the former similitude of the prime and secondary visibles Let vs suppose for disputations sake that the Sunne which illuminates colours by its light were further indued as wee are with sense and reason able to iudge of all the differences betweene them which it can manifest to vs and hence challenge to bee a Pope or infallible proposer of colours This supposition the Canonist hath made lesse improbable For Deus fecit duo luminaria God made two lights that is by his interpretation the Pope and the Emperour Or if you please to mitigate the harshnesse of it let the Man in the Moone whom we may not imagine speechlesse bee supposed the sunne or Pope of colours Mercurie or Nuncio As the Papists say wee cannot know Scriptures to be Scriptures but by the infallible proposall of the Church so it is euident wee cannot see any colour at all vnlesse illuminated or proposed by the Sunnes light But after by it wee see them suppose wee should take vpon vs to discourse of their nature or determine of their distinct properties as now wee doe and the sunne or Pope of colours by himselfe or his Nuncio should take vs vp as Duke Humphrey did the blinde man restored to sight which hee neuer had lost Yea who taught you to distinguish colours were you not quite blinde but now as yet you cannot discerne any colours without my publike light and yet will you presume to desine their properties and distinguish their natures against my definitiue sentence knowne Must not hee that enables you to see them enable you to distinguish them seene Must you not wholly rely vpon my authority whether this bee white or that blacke If a man vpon these Motiues should absolutely belieue the sunnes determinations renouncing the iudgement of his priuate senses could hee truely say that hee eyther knew this colour to be white or that blacke or another greene Rather were he not bound to say I neither know white from black nor blacke from blew nor blew from greene but I know that to be white which the Sunne the onely infallible Iudge of colours saith is white that onely to bee blacke that blew and that greene which he shall determine so to be I may thinke indeed that the snow is white or coales blacke but with submission to the Sunnes determination 12 And yet as you haue heard at large out of the Trent Councell and best Apologies can bee made for it the Church must bee the infallible Iudge of all Scripture sense and must absolutely be belieued without all appeale to scriptures not conditionally as shee shall accord with them The conclusion hence issuing is most infallible and on their parts most ineuitable Whosoeuer absolutely acknowledgeth this authority in the Church or Consistory yelds such obedience vnto it in all determinations concerning the Canon of Scriptures doth not belieue eyther this or that determinate proposition of faith or any definite meaning of Gods word The best resolution hee can make of his faith is this I belieue that to bee the meaning of euery place which the Church shall define to bee the meaning which is all one as if hee had said I doe not belieue the Scriptures or their meaning but I belieue the Churches decision and sentence concerning them Hee that belieues not the Church saith Canus but with this limitation if it giue sentence according vnto Scriptures doth not belieue the Church but the scriptures By the same reason it followes most directly he that belieues not the true sense and meaning of scriptures but with this reseruation If the Church so thinke or determine doth not belieue them but the Church onely For as the Schoolemen say Vbi vnum propter aliud ibi vnum tantum He that serues God onely because hee would bee rich doth not serue God but his riches albeit he performe the outward acts of obedience Or if wee loue a man onely for his affinity with another whom wee dearely loue wee truely and properly loue but the one the other onely by way of reflexion or denomination in such a sense as wee say a man appeares by his proxie that is his proxie appeares not he In like sort beleeuing the sense of Scriptures onely from the supposed authentique declaration of the church or because wee belieue it wee infallibly belieue the Church alone not the Scriptures but onely by an extrinsecall denomination 13 Yet as a man may from some reasons lesse probable haue an opinion of what hee certainely knowes by motiues more sound or as we may loue one in some competent measure for his own sake and yet affect him more entirely for anothers whome wee most dearely loue so may an absolute Papist in some morall sort belieue the Scriptures for themselues or holde their orthodoxall sense as probable to his priuate iudgement albeit hee belieue them most for the Churches sake and that sense best which it commends But this his beliefe of the Church being by their doctrine more then morall or conditionall doth quite ouerthrow all morall or probable beliefe hee can possibly haue from what ground soeuer of scriptures themselues For as I said before when the Church shall determine ought contrary to his preconceiued opinion the more probable or strong it was the more it encreaseth his doubt and makes his contrary resolution more desperate yea more damnable if habituall because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extremely contrary to the doctrine
of faith Bellarmines prescription in this case is iust as if a Phisitian or Surgeon should seeke to ease the paine by ending of the Patients dayes Lest a man should sinne against his conscience this a Doctor aduiseth him to belieue the Church cannot teach amisse 14 To conclude then Hee that absolutely belieues the Pope as Christs Vicar generall in all things without examination of his decrees by Euangelicall precepts neither belieues Christ nor his Gospell no not when this pretended Vicar teacheth no otherwise then his Masters lawes prescribe For thus belieuing a diuine truth onely from this mans authority hee commits such Idolatry with him for the kind or essence as the Heathen did with Mercury their false Gods supposed messenger though so much more hainous in degree as his generall notion of the true God is better whose infinite goodnesse cannot entertaine an interpreter no better qualified then most Popes are did his wisdome stand in need of any But if when the Pope shall teach the doctrine of Diuels men absolutely belieue it to be Christs because his pretended Vicar commends it to them in thus beleeuing they commit such preposterous Idolatry as those of Calecut which adore the Deuill vpon conceit doubtlesse of some celestiall or diuine power in him as the absolute Papist doth not adore the Pope but vpon perswasion he is Christs Vicar and teaches as Christ would doe viua voce were hee again on earth And lesse it were to bee lamented did these Pseudo Catholiques professe their allegiance to Sathans incarnate Agent as to their supreme Lord by such solemne sacrifices onely as the inhabitants of Calicute performe to wicked spirits But this their blinde beliefe of whatsoeuer hee shall determine vpon a proude and foolish imagination he is Christs Vicar emboldens them to inuert the whole law of God and nature to glory in villany and triumph in mischiefe euen to seeke prayse and honour eternall from acts so foule and hideous as the light of nature would make the Calicutians or other Idolaters blush at thier very mention It is a sure token hee hath not yet learned the Alphabet of their religion that doubts whether Iesuiticall doctrine concerning this absolute beliefe extend not to all matters of fact And if out of simplicity rather then policy so they speake I cannot but much pitty their folly that would perswade vs it were not the fault of Romish Religion but of the men that professe it which hath inticed so many vnto such diuelish practises of late I would the Iesuite were but put to instance what kind of villany eyther hath beene already acted on earth or can yet possibly bee hatched in the region vnder the earth so hideous and vgly as would seeme deformed or odious to such as are wholly led by this blind faith if it should but please the Romish Clergy to giue a milde or fauourable censure of it No brat of hell but would seeme as beautifull to their eyes as young todes are to their dammes if their mother once commend the feature of it or acknowledge it for her darling Did not some of the Powder-plotte after Gods powerfull hand had ouertaken them and sentence of death had passed vpon them euen when the Executioner was ready to do his last office to them make a question whether their plot were sinnefull or no So modest were some of them and so obedient sonnes to the Church of Rome that they would not take vpon them to say eyther the one or other but referred the matter to their mothers determinations hereby testifying vnto the world that if the Church would say they would beleeue so great an offence against their Country were none against God One of them was so obstinate as to sollicite his fellow whilest both were drawne vpon one hurdle to the gallowes not to acknowledge it for any sinne Or if these must bee reputed but priuate men not well acquainted with their Churches tenents and therefore no fitte instances to disapproue her doctrine let the ingenuous Reader but peruse their best Writers answeres to the obiections vsually made against the Popes transcendent authority and hee shall easily perceiue how matters of fact are included in the beliefe of it how by it all power is giuen him in heauen and earth to peruert the vse and end of all lawes humane or diuine I will content my selfe for this present with some few instance out of Valentian CHAP. VI. Prouing the last assertion or generally the imputations hitherto laide vpon the Papacy by that authority the Iesuites expresly giue vnto the Pope in matters of particular fact as in the canonizing of Saints 1 HOw oft soeuer the Pope in defining questions of faith shall vse his authority that opinion which hee shall determine to bee a point of faith must bee receiued as a point of faith by all Christian people If you further demand howshall wee know when the Pope vseth this his absolute authority this Doctor in the same place thus resolues you It must bee belieued that he vseth this his authority as often as in controuersies of faith hee so determines for the one part that he will binde the whole Church to receiue his decision Lest stubborne spirits might take occasion to calumniate the Pope for taking or the Iesuites for attributing tyrannicall authority vnto him this Iesuite would haue you to vnderstand that the Pope may auouch some things which all men are not bound to hold as Gospell nay hee may erre though not when hee speakes ex Cathedra as head of the Church yet when hee speakes or writes as a priuate Doctor or expositor and onely sets down his owne opinion without binding others to thinke as hee doth Thus did Innocent the third and other Popes write diuers books which are not in euery part true and infallible as if they had proceeded from their Pontificiall authority Yea but what if this present Pope or any of his successors should binde all Christians to belieue that Pope Innocents bookes were in euery part infallibly true whether must wee in this case belieue Valentian or the Pope thus determining better If Valentian in the wordes immediately following deserue any credite wee must belieue the Pope better then himselfe yea hee himselfe must recant his censure of Pope Innocents works For so in the other part of his distinction hee addes Secundo potest Pontifex asserere The Pope againe may auouch something so as to bind the whole Church to receiue his opinion and that no man shall dare to perswade himselfe to the contrary And whatsoeuer hee shall thus auouch in any controuersie of Religion wee must assuredly belieue hee did auouch it without possibility of error and therefore by his Pontificiall authority His proofe is most consonant to his assertion I will not recite it in English lest the meere English Reader should suspect any able to vnderstand Latine could be possibly so ridiculous 2 These lauish prerogatiues of the