study of controuersies and hauing no learned friend at hand with whome I might conferre the more to perfect my selfe in such kinde of arguments vvhich vvithout conference or vvriting can hardly be done it came into my minde to enlarge my selfe much more vpon the said reasons And truly so much matter occurred vnto me being busied in these exercises that I thought it meete to deuide my twelue reasons into two treatises of vvhich the one I called a treatise of the groundes of the old and newe religion the other a treatise of the definition and notes of the Church Hauing finished the first I communicated it to some one or two of my familiar friends who were desirous to see it and so by some meanes it came to the sight of some persons esteemed learned and judicious who thought it might profit many if it were more common and therefore were desirous to haue it printed This was the beginning of my writing in this kinde and thus the one of these treatises besides my first intention or expectation is nowe passed the print I trust without any rash presumption or boldnes in me seing that I rather haue yeelded to the desire and aduise of men thought to be of mature judgement discretion and learning then for any other respect haue followed my owne fancy or inclination Nowe to giue my reader here a certaine taste of the contents of that which I intend here to publish as also of my manner of proceeeding I thinke it meete to aduertise him that in it I haue principally by apparant arguments proued two thinges the one that we Catholikes ground our faith and religion vpon the diuine authority of God the other that our aduersaries I meane the newe sectaries build their faith and religion I take these vvordes in an ample signification vpon their owne judgments The first is performed in the first part in which I haue shewed such groundes as the Catholikes build on to be of diuine authority The second in like sort is conuinced to be true in the second part vvhere I haue declared euen to the eie that the followers of the newe religion reject al other such groundes besides the holy Scripture vvhich also I haue proued them to reject and receiue translate and expound not according to any diuine ground but as it liketh their owne fancies consequently I haue demonstrated that in summe they haue no other foundation whereon they build but this that their beliefes seeme true to their owne natural reason It may be demanded what proofes I vse in these my discourses I answere in fewe vvordes that I bring forth proofes out of the holy Scripture I alleage the auncient Fathers and vvriters such as liued and wrote within the first sixe hundred yeares after Christ which some Protestants challenge to haue beene of their faith and religion and therefore allowe of their testimonies I cite moreouer the sentences of diuers Sectaries of these our daies vvho confesse that to be true which I endeauour to proue not the testimonies of Anabaptists Libertines Tritheists Trinitarians or of any others commonly by Protestants censured to be Heretikes but of such as are vsually by al sorts accknowledged to be writers of their Protestant family and members as they say of their reformed Churches In alleaging of which sentences of our aduersaries for the benefit of those that vnderstand not the Latin tongue I haue obserued this as much as I could that I haue taken them out of bookes either written in English or translated into English that so euery person might easily turne vnto them Neither ought the testimony of such sectaries to be thought by any man a weake argument for what proofe almost being not diuine can be of greater force then the confession of an aduersary or enemy touching the truth of that which is censured false by his doctors and the innocency of him whome he hateth and impugneth or the falsehood of his owne chiefemasters doctrine and the guiltinesse of himselfe or such as he loueth or are of his owne brotherhood And hence it is that M. Whitakers a Protestant of no meane fame Whitaker de Eccles controuers 2. cap. 14. pag. 366. graunteth that argument to be strong which is drawne from the confession of aduersaries Finally sometimes I bring forth some natural reasons and congruences prouing the conueniency of that which is auouched For we may wel assure our selues so if I doe not forget my selfe saith S. Augustine that God hath done vvhatsoeuer in right reason vve shal finde to be best These be the proofes of mine assertions and others then these I seldome or neuer vse But the better to declare my sincere dealing herein and also to shew the force of such testimonies of auncient Authors as I alleage I haue added before this treatise a table of al such Councels extant as I finde celebrated within the said first sixe ages as likewise of al the writers of those times which I finde to haue left any workes commonly alleaged in schooles to their posterity I haue moreouer noted out of good and approued authors the yeare in vvhich such Councels were celebrated and in which such writers either flourished or departed out of this world Al these things I haue performed with as great sincerity as the want of bookes hath suffered me And in very deede I may truly protest that willingly and wittingly I haue wronged no one writer in misalleaging his wordes or meaning be he Catholike or be he Protestant be he Auncient or be he Moderne It may be some faults haue escaped me but against my wil. Neither doth our Catholike cause neede any such jugling or false dealing the truth is so manifest on our side and the proofes of the same so many and pregnant But before my reader enter into the viewing of these my discourses that he may reape the greater profit of his labour I must earnestly craue one thing at his handes to wit that if he be of an other religion then is here defended before hand he doe not harden his hart and vvith obstinacy determine not to change his opinion or practise whatsoeuer he heare reade or vnderstand said against it or in proofe of an other way It behoueth euery Christian to be of a right hart and a good wil. Much is said in the holy Scripture both in commendation of the one and of the other The Prophet Dauid in the Psalmes often commendeth them that are recti corde right in hart and in particular inuiteth them to the praise of almighty God The Angels at the birth of our Lord did sing this Hymne Luke 2. v. 14. Gloria in altissimis Deo in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis Glory in the highest to God and in earth peace to men of good wil. And who hath a right hart and is of good wil Verily he that doth not obdurate himselfe against God but is desirous and by al meanes seeketh to conforme his wil to Gods wil
goe on in the first place alleaged And therefore for as much as in these controuersies the Papists and the Prelates goe hand in hand the said Ministers doe in like manner make the like offer to the Priestes and Iesuites promising their reconcilement vnto that See of Rome if they can either by arguments pul them from the aforesaid propositions or can answere such arguments as they shal propound in the defence of them in manner and forme before specified in the offer And therefore it both stands the Ministers vpon to make the aforesaid offer and the Prelates except they wil haue al the world to judge them to be friendes in hart to Popery to accept of the same Thus the Puritan Ministers and no such offer that I finde through the whole booke is made to the Protestants This then is affirmed by these men that if the Protestant doctrine mainetained against them be true and their assertions be false the separation of the newe Sectaries Churches from ours cannot be justified yea they auouch that if this be so that their said Churches are schismatical Vnto which if we adde that in very deede the propositions which the Puritans offer to mainetaine against the Prelates are false and erroneous the truth of which assertion is confessed with great vehemency defended by al the English Protestants and further concerning some of the said propositions very vvel proued by Hooker Whitgift Bilson Couel and others of their company we shal haue our desired conclusion that according to the doctrine of the English Sectaries the Puritans and the Protestants our aduersaries Churches are Schismatical and that ours is the true Spouse of Christ But I must not here omitte by the way to aduertise my reader that in the judgement of any wise and judicious person this argument yeelded vs by our aduersaries cannot but also be a very strong proofe of the truth of our Catholike cause For vvhosoeuer maturely considereth the matter shal finde that the Protestants in rejecting the Puritan propositions followe the prescript and rule of holy Scriptures the decrees of Councels and the tradition of the Church and Fathers He shal also perceiue that the Puritans in auouching that which I haue related build vpon very good reasons flowing out of the very nature of the Protestant religion and taken from the proceedings of the vpholders of the same in defending it because out of the doctrine and practise defended by the Protestants against the Puritans as also out of the proofes and reasons alleaged for themselues very strong arguments may be drawne to confirme the truth of our whole Catholike religion as wil sometimes appeare in my treatise following And to giue here one instance the Protestants for the authority of Arch-bishops bring diuers reasons and among others this one that peace and vnity can otherwise hardly be maintained in the Church But vvhat faith Cartwright Suruay of the pretended holy discipline chap. 8. pag. 125. Truly he affirmeth as is reported by the author of the Suruay of the pretended holy discipline that the Popes authority is more necessary ouer al Churches then the authority of an Arch-bishop ouer a prouince And this his assertion is grounded vpon very good reason as I shal more at large declare hereafter Nowe to prosecute mine intended discourse vvhich is to proue some errours in the English sectaries here occurreth another argument like vnto the former not vnfit for my purpose For like as I haue already demonstrated that if they al say true our Church is the true Church of Christ so it is also euident that if it be so that they al say true it is also needful there be one supreame head of the vvhole Church militant Suruay c. chap. 29. pag. 372. for thus I argue Cartwright a principal Puritan esteemed by those of his owne sect as the aforesaid author noteth one of the only worthies of the world telleth vs that the Popes authority is more necessary ouer al Churches then the authority of an Arch-bishop ouer a prouince but the authority of an Arch-bishop as al our Protestants defend is necessary ouer a prouince therefore the Popes authority is necessary ouer al Churches It may be objected that these arguments are taken from persons of sundry sectes of which the one confesseth the other to erre I grant it but this notwithstanding they proue that either some English sectaries erre or otherwise that our religion by them rejected is true which sufficeth my purpose Neuerthelesse the Protestants themselues doe afford vs no such reasons Truly if I were not here restrained to the vvriting only of a preface I could assigne diuers one I wil set downe for an example Field booke 3 chap. 39. pag. 158. 156. 157. 159. M. Field in his third booke of the Church plainly confesseth that in sundry Churches of the world being of the newe religion diuers worthy Ministers of God were ordained by Presbiters or Priestes sometime of our Church and had no ordination from any Bishop Nay he seemeth apparantly to graunt that none but Presbiters did impose handes in ordaining Ministers or Superintendents in many of the pretended reformed Churches as namely in those of France and others Morton in Apolog. Cathol part 1. lib. 1. cap. 21. which is also insinuated by D. Morton And therefore both these Doctors teach that in time of necessity a Priest or Minister may impose handes and consecrate a Priest and consequently also a Bishop or a Superintēdent Out of this their doctrine I frame this argument seing that diuers Superintendents and Ministers of the newe religion I may say al at the least of some Countries for Field himselfe excepteth only those of England Denmarke and of some other places which places he nameth not haue had their ordination or orders only from Priests it followeth that if Priests haue no power of ordination that is of giuing orders that such Ministers and Superintendents are no true Ministers and Superintendents But Priests according to the assertion of a principal English Protestant haue no power of ordination and can giue no orders therefore such Superintendents and Ministers are no true Superintendents and Ministers Of which I also inferre that such Churches are no true Churches for they want a true ministery and clergy without which as * Field ibid. pag. 154. and booke 2. chap. 6. pag. 51. Field confesseth there can be no Church And this English Protestant is a William L. Bishop of Rochester in his sermon cōcerning the antiquity superiority of Bishops preached before the King at Hampton-Court Sep. 21. 1606 William L. B. of Rochester who in his sermon not long since preached before the Kinges Majesty and afterward printed by his Majesties expresse commandement as the same Bishop b In the epist to the King prīted before the sermon auoucheth affirmeth and proueth out of holy Scripture first that the Apostles kept to themselues ordination or authority to giue holy orders til
doubtful authority For it is recorded by Ecclesiastical vvriters and also confessed by our aduersaries that there hath beene controuersie and doubt in the Church concerning the authority of the b Euseb li. 3. hist ca. 3. 25. 28. Hier. de viris illust in Paulo Petro c. Hāmer in his notes vpon Eusebius lib. 2. cap. 23. epistle of S. Paul to the Hebrues the epistles of S. Iames S. Iude the second of S. Peter and the second of S. Iohn Howe doubtful the authority of the c Euse l. 3. cap. 28. Hier. epist 129. ad Dardarā Apocalipse was among many euery man may see in S. Hierome and Eusebius and in the Councel of Laodicea which numbred it not among other Canonical bookes And who hath taken vp and ended these controuersies by declaring these parcels of Scripture to be Canonical but our holy mother the Church Verily this is so true and euident that it is confessed euen by some of our d Obseruations vpon the Harmonie of cōfessions vppon the 1. Section aduersaries themselues Thus she receiued in the first general councel of Nice the booke of Iudith about the yeare of our Lord 325. if we beleeue e Hier. praefat in Iud. Idē in prolo Galeato in prol Prouer. in praefat in Iudith S. Hierome who before he heard of this decree of the said Councel rejected the said booke but vnderstanding of it admitted it forthwith as Canonical Let vs confirme al this with the testimony of S. Augustine whome f Caluin li. 4. Instit c. 14. sess 25 Caluin acknowledgeth to be the most faithful witnes of al antiquity g Beza in cap. 3. ad Rom. v. 12. Beza calleth him the prince of al ancient Diuines both Greeke and Latin as concerning dogmatical pointes of religion h Gomarus in speculo verae Ecclesiae pag. 96. Gomarus saith that according to the common opinion he is accounted most pure This then is one of his notable sentences touching this matter i Aug. contra epistol Manichaei quam vocant fundamentum cap. 5. I would not beleeue the Gospel saith he except the authority of the Catholike Church did moue me thereunto Those therefore whome I obeied saying Beleeue ye the Gospel why shal I not obey them saying vnto me Beleeue thou not Manichaeus Choose which thou wilt If thou shalt say beleeue the Catholikes they admonish me that I beleeue not you If thou shalt say beleeue not the Catholikes thou shalt not doe wel to constraine me by the Gospel to beleeue Manichaeus because I haue beleeued the Gospel it selfe through the preaching of the Catholikes Thus S. Augustine But here k Field booke 4. chap. 4. M. Field in his fourth booke of the Church occurreth and saith that the sense and meaning of S. Augustine in those his wordes I would not beleeue the Gospel except the authority of the Church did moue me thereunto is that he had neuer beleeued the Gospel if the authority of the Church had not beene an introduction vnto him I reply that he vvresteth this holy Fathers vvordes to a vvrong sense yea to such a sense as his discourse it selfe wil not beare and for proofe of this I desire no more of my reader but to marke the force of the reason vsed by S. Augustine which is this Manichaeus in the beginning of his epistle which this most learned Doctor confuteth called himselfe an Apostle of Iesus Christ S. Augustine requireth a proofe of his Apostleship and vrgeth if perhaps he alleage some authority out of the Gospel what he would doe to him that should deny the Gospel whereunto he adjoineth the wordes rehearsed I trulie would not beleeue the Gospel c. if the authority of the Church did not moue me thereunto And out of this that the Gospel is beleeued by the authoritie of the Church he proueth that Manichaeus is not to be beleeued because the same authoritie which commaundeth to doe the one forbiddeth to doe the other Of which it followeth that if it erre in the last it may also erre in the first and so no firme argument can be brought out of it for the proofe of the Apostleship of Manichaeus Hence S. Augustine doth not say I had not beleued the Gospel except the authority of the Church had moued me thereunto as he should haue said if he had meant as Field pretendeth but I would not beleeue the Gospel c. taking his argument from the motiue of his present beliefe of the Gospel and in this sence his reason is of great force and not otherwise But that which I say is yet more confirmed by that which followeth For S. Augustine addeth But if peraduenture thou canst finde something in the Gospel most apparant for the Apostleship of Manichaeus thou shalt weaken vnto me the authority of the Catholikes who commaund me that I shal not beleeue thee which being weakned now neither can I beleeue the Gospel because through them I beleeued it So whatsoeuer thou shalt bring me from thence shal be with me of no force wherefore if nothing manifest be found in the Gospel for the Apostleship of Manichaeus I wil beleeue the Catholikes rather then thee But if thou bring any thing from thence manifest for the Apostleship of Manichaeus I wil neither beleeue them nor thee not them because they haue lied to me concerning thee not thee also because thou bringest me forth that Scripture which I beleeued through them whome I haue found liars But God forbid that I should not beleeue the Gospel Hitherto are S. Augustines words by which I thinke euerie man may perceiue how greatly M. Field doth wrong him For we see plainly that he confesseth the authority of the Church to haue beene the cause of his present beliefe of Scripture yet not the formal cause but the conditional as is declared before And al that I haue here related out of this holy Father Aug. tom 6. li. cont Epist quā vocāt fundamenti cap. 5. may be as wel vrged against any Sectarie whatsoeuer of our time as against Manichaeus for whosoeuer affirmeth the Church to haue erred in condemning any one of their Heresies by weakning and ouerthrowing her authoritie weakeneth also and ouerthroweth the authoritie of the whole Bible Neither doth that which he alleageth out of Waldensis make any waies for him for as this learned man plainely in that very place declareth he vnderstandeth S. Augustine as I haue deliuered These are his wordes Waldensis lib. 2. doctrinalis fidei artic 2. ca. 21. Without the authority of the vniuersal Church no scripture can be read or bad for certaine And this S. Augustine vnderstood when he said I would not beleeue the Gospel did not the authority of the Church moue me thereunto Thus Waldensis The point which Field toucheth is in his discourse following but it maketh nothing against vs for he only saith that which I haue before deliuered to wit that by the proposition of
of Christ contained in the new testament but I should be ouer long yet one for an exaÌ„ple of therest I wil not omit which is touching those words of our Lord * Iohn 10. In disp AlbaÌ„ act 2. diâ—i I and the Father are one vpon which Caluin putteth this blasphemous glosse The ancient writers or Fathers abused this place to proue Christ consubstantial to the Father for neither doth Christ dispute of vnity of substance but of the consent which he hath with the Father thus Caluin And this his glosse was alleaged by the newe Arians or Trinitarians in defence of themselues in a disputation had between them and other Sectaries The aforesaid Hunnius answereth also very wel two objections which may be made in defence of the said Caluin the one that he approueth sometimes the Euangelical and Christian sense of such testimonies the other that he impugneth in his workes very earnestly the Trinitarians and enemies of Christes diuinity To the first he saith Caluin Iudaizans cap. 2. p. 112. 113. anno 1604. that Caluin obserueth this order in expounding such prophecies first by his Iewish glosses he weakneth bereaueth them of vvhat force he can and shaketh the very foundation and this done he addeth something concerning the sense assigned by the Euangelists and Apostles yet so saith he that he wil haue the first be thought the principal and the other as it were besides the matter And although in his answere to the second he doth not plainly say that Caluin nourished Arian impiety in his hart and that neuerthelesse he impugned it sometimes in outward shewe that he might the better and with lesse appearance of infidelity sow the seeds of the same heresie vvhich euery man would haue abhorred if they had proceeded from an open enemy of Christ yet he affirmeth al those enemies of Christ before mentioned to haue issued out of caluins schooles and vseth these words Pag. 172. Away also with that brag touching Seruetus Gentilis and the companions of their wicked acts Alciatus Blandrata c. sharply repressed by Caluin for it is likewise long since knowne to the Christian world out of what schooles and Churches those cruel monsters issued neither is it obscure that this kind of mocking and shifting the scriptures which is vsed by Caluin is a grateful and wished helpe to the deuil by which the force of one testimony after another is shaken in the hartes of men vntil he bring them thinking nothing lesse to the butte of Arian heresie thus Hunnius And hence also it is Iacob Andrae iÌ„ praefa refut Apol. Danaei that Iacobus Andraeas aâ—â— â—â—heran of no lesse fame affirmeth that it is not to be marueiled that very many Caluinists in Polonia Transiluania Hungaria other places fel to Arianisme some also to Turcisme vnto whose impietie saith he this Caluinian doctrine prepareth the way I wil adde a vvord or two for the confirmation of this whole discourse out of Hooker vvho discoursing against our English Puritans for their dislike of the Creed of S. Athanasius and the verse Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne c. and hauing affirmed that the weeder of heresie growne ripe doe often in the very cutting downe scatter such seedes as for a while lie vnseene and buried in the earth but afterwards freshly spring vp againe no lesse pernicious then at the first Hook book 5. of Ecclesiastical policie § 42. pag. 89. vseth these wordes Which thing they very wel knowe and I doubt not wil easily confesse who liue to their great both toile and greife where the blaspheamies of Arians Samosatenians Tritheits Eutichians and Macedonians are renewed renewed by them who to hatch their heresie haue chosen those Churches as fittest neasts where Athanasius Creed is not heard By them I say renewed who following the course of extreme reformation were wont in the pride of their owne proceedinges to glory that whereas Luther did but blowe away the roofe and Zuinglius batter but the walles of Popish superstition the last and hardest worke of al remained which was to raze vp the verie ground and foundation of Popery that doctrine concerning the deity of Christ which Satanasius for so it pleased those impious forsaken miscreants to speake hath in this memorable Creed explaned hitherto Hooker And marke vvel those vvords who following the course of extreame reformation and haue chosen those Churches as fittest neasts c. for by these he plainely seemeth to taxe the Caluinists or Puritans who so extreamly seeke reformation and besides dispersed themselues into Polonia and Transiluania where they raised some if not al and maintained other of these Heresies But of Caluin and some Caluinists according to the judgement of learned Protestants I need not say more Only I adde this as a thing most certaine that Caluin wrote farre more plainely of these pointes in his epistles to his disciples of Polonia then he did in other his vvorkes In one of them he saith * CaluiÌ„ epist ad Polonos pag. 946. In epist 2. siue iÌ„aamonit ad Polonos One God that is the Trinitie you beleeue in God that is in the Trinity that they may knowe thee one God that is the Trinitie We reject this not only as vnsauourie but also as prophane Againe Although by the auncient Fathers this sentence of our Lord The Father is greater then I was restrained to the humane nature of Christ yet I doubt not to extend it to the whole complexum or person of God and man And thus much of our aduersaries doctrine touching Christ and Christianisme SECTION THE FOVRTH That in like sort they weaken the principal proofes of the said three groundes BESIDES this the Sectaries by their doctrine diminish and shake the credit of the most forcible reasons which are alleaged for the proofe of the aforesaid groundes And first I haue already shewed howe Caluin by his wicked glosses endeauoreth to ouerthrowe the force euen of those prophecies of the old Testament which are alleaged by Christ his Apostles for the proofe of Christianity to which I adde that they nor only bereaue the Church of al infallible meanes to proue the scriptures to be Canonical as I wil declare hereafter but also Cap. 5. sect 1. by their rejecting of certaine books receiued by vs into the Canon partly vnder pretence that they haue been sometimes among christian Catholiks of doubtful authority partly because as they imagine they containe contradictions they seeme to giue others licence vpon the same pretences to pronounce the same censure against other books which they admit but of their rejecting bookes because their Canonical truth vvas sometimes doubted of Cap. 1. sect 2. I shal else-where in a more conuenient place discourse Let vs therefore here only declare by a fewe examples vvhat may followe of their alleaging of contradiction vvhich is the second pretence And first it is wel knowne that they * Fulke vpon the Rhems testamet
difficulties of holy scriprure are onlie to tame our vnderstanding and increase our merit But like as these places are brought to accord so likewise are those and euen with as great case which they alleage to disproue the authority of those bookes vvhich they reject and vve receiue Neither can an Atheist desirous to impugne both discerne any difference wherefore I conclude that by this manner of proceeding they vveaken the authoritie of the vvhole Bible and offer an occasion to Atheists of rejecting the whole Vnto this I may adjoine that Beza rejecteth or at the least doubteth of the truth of the whole historie of the adulterous woman recorded in the eight chapter of S. Iohns Gospel And why so Beza in cap. 8. Ioan. he yeeldeth these reasons The great variety of reading maketh me doubt of the whole matter To speake opinion I doe not dissemble that to be by me worthily suspected which those auncient writers with so great a consent either rejected or were ignorant off Furthermore that the storie reporteth that Iesus alone was left in the temple with the woman I know not how probable it is and that it writeth that Iesus wrote with his finger in the ground seemeth to me nouum et insolitum a thing strange and not accustome neither can I conjecture howe it can fitly be explicated thus Beza But if these reasons be sound and sufficient the same may justlie be pleaded against diuers other parcels of holie scripture and consequently Beza by this his manner of arguing weakneth the authority of the same Secondly they laugh and scoffe at the ceremonies vsed in the Catholike Church by which they induce their followers to think euen as basely of diuers ceremonies prescribed by God in the old lawe Leuit. 16. vers 21. c. As of that for example that the high Priest should put both his hands vpon the head of a liue goate and confesse ouer him the sinnes of the childeren of Israel and then should send away the said goate into the desert bearing vpon him al their iniquities The like may be said of the water of aspertion vvith vvhich the vncleane vvere sprinckled which was made of running water Numer 19. the ashes of a red cow burned scarlet cedar and bishop and a thousand other ceremonies far more reprehensible in an Atheists judgement then those which in our Church they cal Idolatrous and superstitious I adde also that by the same rule they giue an Atheist licence to scoffe at diuers actions of the old Prophets as of that of Ahias Selonites 3. Reg. 11. verse 29. 1. of Kings who to signifie to Ieroboam that he should be king of ten Tribes of the twelue Cut a newe cloake which he wore into twelue pieces and deliuered him ten of them yea by the same rule he may also laugh at diuers precepts of God himselfe to the said Prophets As for example at that of God to Ezechiel Ezech. 4. when he had him take a bricke and drawe in it the figure of the citty of Ierusalem he commaunded him likewise to sleep on his left side three hundred and ninety daies and and in the meane time to eate daylie a certaine quantitie of bread made of diuers sorts of graine and baked in the dung of buls then to take a rasor and shaue off al the haire of his head and beard Ezech. 5. and by weight to deuide it into three parts of which the first part he willed him to burne in the middest of the citty the second he willed him to choppe with a knife and the last he willed him to scatter in the winde And truly I see no reason in the things themselues why an Atheist should thinke himselfe more vvorthie of reprehension for scoffing at these actions then our aduersaries for running the like course against our ceremonies Nay I adde further that by their scoffing at our ceremonies they offer euil persons an occasion to scoffe at certaine ceremonies vsed euen by our Lord himselfe and recorded by the Euangelistes I wil exemplifie in one particular Caluin calleth our ceremonie of touching vvith spitle the nostrils and eares of one that is to be baptised before baptisme Caluī de Eccle reformat Willet in his āswere to the Apolog. epist sect p. 106. Mark 7 33. Iohn 9 6. absurd and ridiculous and Willet calleth it an interpretiue toy But who doth not see that this may be a motiue to others to pronounce the same censure against certaine like actions of Christ as that when healing a man deafe and dumbe spitting he touched his tongue or that when giuing sight to a blinde man He spit on the ground made clay of spitle and spred the clay vpon his eies I could produce other such examples Thirdly I haue declared aboue that miracles proceeding from God himselfe vvho can neither deceaue nor be deceaued are a principal motiue to induce vs to beleeue the supernatural misteries of our faith But the authority of these also is weakned by our aduersaries for although they cānot deny but that a Iob. 14.12 Mark 16 17 Christ bestowed vpon his Apostles their successors the gift of working miracles yet because such miracles in euery age since the first beginning of christianity haue bin done by those of our church as testimonies of their doctrine sanctity of life they either b See Abbot ī his ans co D. Hils sixt reason Fulk vpō the Rhems testam 2. Thes 2.9 Willet in his Sinop controu 2. qu. 3. deny that such miracles were euer wrought notwithstāding that they are recorded by al historians yea euen by eie witnesses of the same of great credit or else they attribute the working of thē to the deuil or to natural causes The first two shifts are vsed by the c Ceturiat in singulis fere Centurijs Cent. 5. c. 10. col 1393. Ceturiators who among the rest of S. Martins miracles written by S. Sulpitius Seuerus an author of great credit renoune a disciple of the same S. Martin whiles he liued giue this cēsure that either they were false or els that S. Martin was a conjurer The same deuises are approued by d Calu. in prae fat Inst Fox p. 204. col 2. Num. 7. Hastīgs in his Apolog agaīst the Waraw encoūt 2. See also Sutcl in his ans to Kellisons Suruey cap. 11. p. 99. Caluin Fox others The third is added by Sir Francis Hastings But euerie man may easily perceaue that the same shifts may be vsed by an Atheist for the ouerthrow of al miracles whatsoeuer although expressed in the scripture it selfe wrote by Christ his Apostles for exāple in the life of S. Martin mētioned writtē by Sulpitius Seuerus we read that S. Martin raised 3. dead men to life cast deuils out of men possessed that a woman was cured of an issue of bloud by touching of his garment c. These things say the new sectaries are either fables
A TREATISE OF THE GROVNDES OF THE OLD AND NEWE RELIGION DEVIDED INTO TWO PARTS ¶ Whereunto is added an Appendix containing a briefe confutation of WILLIAM CRASHAW his first Tome of Romish forgeries and falsifications MATH 7. VERS 24. ¶ A wise man buildeth his house vpon a rocke a foolish man vpon the sand ANNO DOMINI M. D.C.VIII THE PRINTER TO THE READER I Desire thy fauourable censure and pardon CVRTEOVâ— READER in regard that diuers faults haue escaped in printing this Treatise of which I may justly excuse and free my selfe from those of greatest moment for that the Authour through most earnest occasions contrary to his expectation could not be neare at hand whereby to haue had such due perusal thereof as was most meete and requisite before it passed through my handes Moreouer concerning the Preface in particular I am to aduertise thee that it is with his direction made more briefe then it was first penned and that thereby through the messengers fault in forgetfulnesse the said Preface performeth not that which is mentioned in the third point of the argument before it which should haue beene left out As thy experience wil I doubt not moue thee to consider with what difficulties our writers as also our selues put any thing to the presse so I hope hereafter their endeauours and mine also shal be in such thinges amended In the meane space referring thee to the Errata I humbly request thee againe not to blame vs altogither but pray for vs. Your poore Catholike Countriman THOM. R. THE PREFACE TO THE READER In which the occasions of the penning and publishing this Treatise as also the argument of the same are briefly deliuered Moreouer to free the Protestant readers minde before hand from obstinacy three points are proued euen out of writers of the newe religion first that more of the said religion condemne euery particular persons beliefe of that profession then approue it secondly that manifest truthes are denied and falshoods mainetained by the chiefe sectaries lastly that according to the confession of the same Authours our religion and faith is true their 's false IF justly he be judged by our Lord and Sauiour vvorthy of reproach CHRISTIAN READER vvho minding to build a towre Luke â—eâ— 28. c. doth not first sit downe and reckon the charges that are necessary whether he haue to finish it but after that he hath laid the foundation for want of ability is constrained to leaue his worke imperfect I knowe not howe diuers of this our vnhappy time can be excused from blame vvho spend al the daies of their liues in laying the foundation of a towre and neuer come so far as to place one stone there-vpon Our principal endeauour in this vvorld ought to be to erect in our soules a towre or spiritual edifice of vertue the ground of vvhich edifice is faith and such is the misery of these our daies 1. Corinth 3. vers 12. that diuers persons are so farre from building vpon this foundation gold siluer or pretious stones that they doe nothing else but alwaies busie themselues about the said foundation my meaning is that they so occupy or rather vexe themselues continually in discussing matters concerning their beliefe that they either remaine alwaies wauering without any sure ground of faith or at the least if not altogether verily for the most part wholy neglect their spiritual progresse in vertues of higher perfection In which their manner of proceeding I say they cannot be censured lesse faulty then he who consumeth the whole course of his life in laying the foundation of a house or sumptuous pallace and neuer goeth or seeketh to goe so farre as to build the walles or any other part of the same Nay the first must needs be deemed much more faulty then this fond builder because their edifice is of greater importance then the setting vp of any such material house or pallace I intend not hereto shew by the authority of the holy Scripture and the testimonies of the auncient Fathers both which yeeld me most plentiful proofes in this matter that faith is only the foundation and not the whole cause of our justification neither is there any great neede in this place of entering into any such discourse For besides that no man according to the rules of reason can esteeme him a perfect Christian vvho doth only beleeue rightly without proceeding any further because certaine it is that faith of it selfe doth only perfect the vnderstanding and not the vvil and that a right vnderstanding profiteth litle except the wil be conformable it is euen as apparant moreouer this assertion as far forth as it conduceth to my purpose seemeth to be granted euen by our aduersaries the followers of the newe religion For they distinguish especially two sorts of faith See part 2. of this Treatise chap. 2. the one they cal a faith historical the other a faith justifying the first they confound vvith that which we hold being joyned with hope and charity to justifie vs and this they deny not to be the ground not the vvhole cause of our justification for this effect and prerogatiue they attribute to the second of vvhich hereafter vvherefore euen according to their doctrine the truth of that vvhich I haue auerred must be admitted Notwithstanding it may be objected against it that the misteries and articles of our faith are diuers aboue the reach of our natural reason and therefore that a great time is requisite to this that the truth of euery one of them be throughly searched a certaine resolution concerning euery point setled I answere that this in very deede if al be true which is taught by the said followers of the new religion cannot be denied for they making the bare letter of holy Scripture the only rule and guide of their faith must consequently in like sort affirme that no man can euer come to a certaine knowledge what is to be beleeued touching the articles of religion except by diligent discussion he plainely and infallibly drawe the truth from the said letter of holy Scripture which if he could by any meanes compasse yet he cannot doe vnlesse among other thinges he reade ouer the whole Bible conferre one place vvith another c. and so in this study consume almost al the daies of his life But according to the truth God who is goodnesse it selfe hath farre otherwise and better prouided for those that are desirous to serue him and more richly to adorne their soules with vertue For he hath ordained a visible guide indued vvith life and reason and therefore apt to instruct and judge vvhose doctrine and judgement he hath warranted from errour and falsehood of whome euery person vvith diuine assurance of truth in a very short time may perfectly be taught what he is to beleeue For the better effecting of this he hath also left in her sacred bosome other more particuler but diuine and infallible grounds besides his holy
vse or prescribe Vnto which I may adde that Luther as it seemeth receiued some light from aboue if it be true which is affirmed in the Apologie of the Church of England that God sent him to giue light to the world But if no Sacramentary can compare any one of his learned masters vvith Luther much lesse can he preferre himselfe before him vvhich neuerthelesse he must needes doe if he be obstinate in his Sacramentary doctrine and as judge pronounce Luthers beliefe to be false and erroneous And thus much of Luthers censure against the Sacramentaries The Lutherans also men very learned whome the English Protestants if Whitakers say truly a Whitakers in his answer to Cāpians 8. reason p. 259 embrace as their deare bretheren in Christ pronounce the same sentence against these Sectaries And in particular Conradus Schlusselburge euen nowe alleaged being a Lutheran superintendent of great name and authority b Conradus Schlusselb in Catalog Haereticorum nostri temporis lib. 1. pa. 1. 2. lib. 3. placeth them in the Catalogue of the Heretikes of these our daies Luke Osiander vvhose Encheridion against vs some English Protestant hath of late corruptly translated into our tongue in the conclusion of the like booke made against the Caluinists hauing recited sixteene of their assertions which he condemneth afterward writeth thus c Lucas Osiāder in Enchirid cōt Caluinianos in cōclus pa. 267. printed anno 1607. published by him anno 1603. Let any godly or friendly reader whatsoeuer thinke what deadly poison Satan doth powre vnto men vnder the Caluinian doctrine by which al Christianisme almost is ouerthrowne Most of the rest proceede after the same manner but I cannot stand to recite their wordes Of al which I conclude that the faith and religion of euery Sacramentary is judged false and heretical by Luther and al the Lutherans Vnto vvhich I adde that if he be an English Protestant the Puritans esteeme him litle better then an Infidel as appeareth by their sundry admonitions to the Parliament and the booke of dangerous positions written by a Protestant If he be a Puritan the Protestants censure him to be d Powel in his consideratiōs See a Christiā modest offer pag. 9. The Suruay of the pretended holy discipline c. pag. 311. a notorious and manifest Schismatike and a member cut off from the Church of God Nay whether he be English Protestant or Puritan Zwinglius a most excellent man as wel as Luther as the Apologie of the Church of England auoucheth e Apologie of the Church of Englād part 4. pag. 124. sent of God to giue light to the world Whetenhal calleth him f Whetēhal in his discourse of the abuses c. pag. 75. the first light set vp by God among al the golden candlesticks of Heluetia with al his Zwinglians telleth him g See Zwingl to 2. epist ad quandā Germaniae ciuitatem fol. 196. in cōmentaris de vera falsa relig c. de Sacram. lib. de Baptis fol. 63. that he erreth in his faith touching the Sacraments If he be a Zwinglian h Caluini lib. de coena Domini edit an 1540. Gallice Latine an 1545. l. 4. Institut cap. 15. §. 1. c. Caluin with al his Caluinists English Protestants and Puritans tel him the like So that be he of what Sacramentary sect soeuer he please his faith and religion receiueth a three-fold censure that it is false and that from his owne bretheren For first it is condemned by the Lutherans then by the Zwinglians and English Protestants if he be a Puritan or Caluinist or by the Zwinglians and Puritans or Caluinists if he be an English Protestant or finally by the English Protestants and Caluinists among vvhome I number the Puritans if he be a Zwinglian And what wise man wil be obstinate in the defence of such a faith But what if he be a Lutheran doth he auoide this inconuenience Truly he is in the very like case for first he is judged to be of a wrong beliefe by al the Sacramentaries then if he be a strict or rigid Lutheran he is condemned by the milde or soft Lutherans if he be a milde or soft Lutheran he is deemed an Heretike by the strict or rigid Nay i Conradus Schlusselbur in Catalog Haereticorum nostri temporis in principio lib. 1. c. Conradus Schlusselburge placeth six sects of his owne Lutherans in the Catalogue of Heretikes of vvhich the one condemneth the other and he giueth the same sentence against them al. But because fewe or no Lutherans as is probable wil euer come to the reading of this Treatise I wil not stand to discusse and proue these thinges at large and in particular And therefore concerning this motiue let this suffice A second reason or motiue which is sufficient to exclude obstinacy from the hart of any one of the followers of the newe religion is that al the learned and principal sectaries as Luther Zwinglius Caluin others haue notoriously and grosly erred in some points or other touching religious matters The short limits of a preface wil not suffer me to declare the truth of this in them al wherefore I wil exemplifie only in the three named which be the heades of the rest And to beginne with Luther did not this great Patriarke and father of al Protestants teach and obstinately hold that Christ suffered on the crosse and died according to his diuinity thus he writeth a Luth. in cōfess majori de coena Domini lib. de concilijs part 2. If I beleeue that only the humane nature of Christ suffered for me Christ is a base Sauiour not of any great price or value yea be himselfe needeth a Sauiour Hence Zwinglius exclaimeth b Zwingl to 2. in respons ad Lutheri cōfess fol. 458. 469. 470. in respons ad Luther lib. de Sacra f. 411. 401. 337. c. This can by no reasons be explaned or excused For Luther clearely and manifestly confesseth that he wil not acknowledge Christ to be his Sauiour if only his humanity had suffered He calleth him also Marcion and saith he is guilty of most high blaspheamy against the nature and essence of God c. Did not the same Luther also defend c See Luth. l. de captiuitat Babilon c. de Baptis lib. cont Cocblaeū anno 1523. that infants in baptisme actually beleeue Verily although M. Field endeauour to vvrest his wordes d Field book 3 ch 44. p. 179. to habitual faith which he saith is in infants yet Luthers discourses admit not that sense as wil easily appeare to the reader Of which also the doctrine of his disciples who euen at this present e Kēnitius in examin cōcil Trident. can 13. de Baptis sess 7. Zucas Osiād in Enchirid cōt Anabapt print anno 1607. c. 2. quaest 2. affirme that infants whiles they are baptised actually beleeue is a manifest token
* Lucas Osiāder in Enchirid cont Caluimanos cap. 7. pag. 198. But here gentle reader beyond and aboue those blaspheamous thinges which in the discourses before we heard against the Sonne of God out of the opinions of our aduersaries the Caluinists Pandit se vorago barathrum Caluinianae doctrinae a gulfe or whirlepoole and a bel of Caluinian doctrine openeth it self In which if thou dilligently weigh the matter God is said to be the author of sinne it is so taught by our aduersaries concerning election to saluation that who shal embrace this their doctrine tentation assaulting him must needs either be cast into despaire or fal into Epicurisme and hence must of necessity arise in the harts of men manifest blasphemy against God thus Lucas Osiander whom an English sectary in his booke against vs trāslated maketh to speake like a very good Caluinist If any man be desirous to see a briefe summe of the Caluinian and Zwinglian beliefe touching this and other such like articles he shal find it gathered together in the same place by the same authour as also by Grawerus in the preface to his second booke cited Heshusius a third Lutheran vvriter esteemed among the learnedst of that sect Cōrad Schlusselburg lib. 2. Theolog. Caluinist pag. 6. See Clebetius in victoria veritatis ruina Papatus Saxonici arg 15. Conradus Schluss loco cit lib. 1. c. 6. pag. 25. 26. Beza in Absters calumni arū Heshusij much commended by Conradus Schlusselburge for this cause exclaimeth against the Caluinists that they transforme God into the Deuil But Caluin is not only accused of this impiety by the Lutherans but also by Castalio a Sacramentary who disputing of Caluins opinion touching this point maketh a distinction or difference betweene the true God and the God of Caluin these are his vvordes * Castal in l. ad Caluin de praedest The false God that is Caluins God by him described is slowe to mercy prone to anger who hath created the greatest part of the world to destruction and hath predestinated them not only to damnation but also to the cause of damnation Therefore he hath decreed from al eternity and be wil haue it so and be doth bring it to passe that they necessarily sinne so that neither thefts nor murders nor adulteries are committed but by his constraint and impulsion For be suggesteth vnto men euil and dishonest affections not only by permission sed efficaciter but effectually that is by forcing such affections vpon them and doth harden them in such sort that when they doe euil they doe rather the worke of God then their owne he maketh the Deuil a liar so that nowe not the Deuil but the God of Caluin is the father of lies But that God which the holy Scriptures teach is altogether contrary to this God of Caluin c. And soone after For the true God came to destroy that worke of that Caluinian God And these two Gods as they are by nature contrary to one another so they beget and bring forth children of contrary dispositions to wit that God of Caluin children without mercy proude c. hitherto Castalio a man highly commended by a Humfred de rat interpret lib. 1. p. 26. Gesnerus in Bibliotheca D. Humfrey and Gesnerus likewise learned scholars of the Sacramentary sect But note that in this his discourse he vvel declareth the truth of that vvhich before I related as said by Heshusius to wit that Caluin and his schollars by making God the author of sinne and ascribing vnto him other such like actions transforme him into the Deuil or rather as Castalio saith make the Deuil their God If any man be desirous to see this more fully and exactly handled let him reade Grawerus in the booke and chapter before cited Nowe touching Caluin in particular what Christian doth not abhorre and detest that his intollerable blaspheamy by which he affirmeth our Lord during the time of his passion to haue feared eternal damnation to haue beene forsaken of God to haue suffered in soule the torments of hel Let vs heare him in his owne wordes declare his owne opinion These are some of his sentences Christ was put in steede of wicked doers as surety and pledge Caluin Instit booke 2. ch 16. §. 10. Idē in Math. 26. vers 39. yea and as the very guilty person himselfe to abide and suffer al the punishments that should haue beene laid vpon them this one thing excepted that he could not be holden stil of the sorrowes of death or hel His praier in the garden was an abrupt desire he was stroken with feare and straited with anxiety in such sort that among violent fluddes oftentation he was forced as it were to stagger or wauer nowe with one and then with another desire he corrected and recalled that desire vpon the suddaine passed from him he refused as much as lay in him and sought to put off the office of a Mediator the vehemency of griefe tooke from him the present memory of the heauenly decree Christes death had beene to no effect Caluin Instit booke 2. ch 16. §. 10. Ibid. §. 12. Idē ad c. 26. Math. v. 39. if he had suffered only a corporal death but it behoued also that he should feele the rigour of Gods vengeance and that he should as it were hand to hand wrastle with the armies of the hels and the horror of eternal death He had a more cruel and harder battaile then with common death he sawe the anger of God set before him in as much as be burdened with the sinnes of the whole world presented him selfe before the tribunal seate of God he could not but horribly feare profundam mortis abyssum the bottomlesse depth of death or eternal damnation Caluin Instit booke 2. ch 16. §. 10. he suffered in his soule the terrible torments of a damned and forsaken man a Idē in c. 27. Math. v. 46. When the image or shewe of the tentation was laide before Christ as though God being his enemy he were nowe destined to destruction or damnation he was stroken with horror b Instit booke 2. chap. 16. he was feareful for the saluation of his soule He fought hand to hand with the power of the Deuil with the horror of death or damnation with the paines of hel Hitherto are some of Caluins blaspheamous assertions against our Lord and Sauiour I neede not alleage any Protestant authours accusing him of this impiety for his wordes be plaine and his bookes are in euery mans handes Nay which is worse some principal English Sectaries followe these his blaspheamous courses and vphold his doctrine as Euangelical Such are Fulke Whitakers Willet and others But listen a litle what a conclusion may be drawne out of one proposition taken from Caluin and an other from the greater part of our English Protestants Although diuers notable reasons are assigned by the auncient Fathers and
Tridentinus flourished an 480. Vincentius Lyrinensis flourished an 434. Z ZEno Veronensis Martir flourished about the yeare 258. Zeno alius flourished about the yeare 390. THE FIRST PART OF THE GROVNDES OF THE OLD RELIGION Chap. the first Of the first ground of Catholike religion to wit that there is a God and that God by his prouidence gouerneth al thinges BEFORE I come to intreate of the particuler groundes of Catholike religion which are rejected by our aduersaries I thinke it not amisse briefly to discourse of certaine general groundes of the same which although I confesse to be admitted by diuers newe sectaries yet in very deede by some are denied and after some sort as I wil proue hereafter impugned and ouerthrowne by the common doctrine of them al. The Apostle S. Paul praerequireth the beleefe of two thinges principally in him that is to come to the seruice of almighty God first that he beleeue that there is a God secondly that he likewise beleeue that the said God wil rewarde those that serue him Hebr. 11. vers 6. He that commeth to God saith he must beleeue that he is and is a rewarder to them that seeke him Wherefore grounding vpon this sentence of the Apostle I place the beleefe of one God and of his diuine prouidence for the first ground of our religion For a second I wil assigne that we ought to beleeue God to be a rewarder of our actions in the world to come of which reward the Apostle here principally speaketh For the declaration of which I purpose to proue the soule of man to be immortal and that most certainly according to the deserts thereof it shal either be rewarded euerlastingly in heauen or punished euerlastingly in hel SECTION THE FIRST That there is a God THE auncient Philosophers ledde only by the force of natural reason to conuince this truth reasoned after this sorte we perceiue said they diuers motions of natural bodies in the world but especially of the heauens which motions of necessity proceede from some cause mouer which mouer either in essence or vertue motiue dependeth of some other mouer or no. If he dependeth not then he is God If he depend of some other it is likewise demanded of that other whether he be independent or dependent If the first then we must needes acknowledge him to be God who only in his essence and vertue motiue is independent of al others if the second then of him the same question may be moued and so of al others vntil we come to some one that is independent and of whome al the rest doe depend which we must of necessity affirme to be God The same also is proued by the diuers sortes degrees of creatures as are first the foure elements fire aire water and earth secondly thinges mixt imperfect as snowe raine haile c. Thirdly thinges mixt perfect as stones and diuers sortes of mettals Fourthly thinges which haue life vegetatiue only as trees hearbes c. Fiftly thinges which haue life vegetatiue and sensitiue as all sortes of beastes foules and fishes Sixtly a thing hauing besides life vegetatiue and sensitiue also reason as man aboue whome we place the Angels Wherefore either in this ascent of the perfections of thinges we shal neuer make an end which is most absurd or else we shal proceede and come to some one thing most perfect which of necessity we must confesse to be God Moreouer the natural inclination of man to the acknowledging and worshipping of God proueth the same for no nation vnder the Sunne hath euer beene found although neuer so barbarous which hath not acknowledged and worshipped either the true God or else some other thing by it so esteemed yea euery man naturally in his distresses and miseries flieth vnto God and craueth helpe and succour of his diuine Majestie But seing that I write this treatise for the vnlearned sort of people omitting to discourse at large of these reasons although most forcible yea inuincible I wil vse especially this argument following which euery man although very simple may for the most part apprehend and conceiue taken from the admirable constitution order harmony beauty and greatnesse of the world And first let euery man lift vp his eies to the heauens and behold those incorruptible bodies Let him consider not only the wonderful beauty light and variety of those celestial orbes but also their strange order and motions and aboue al their constancy in their said motions that in so many thousandes of yeares as haue passed since their first being they haue not missed or erred so much as one minute of an houre of their assigned accustomed time From which it proceedeth that Astronomers can so longe before most certainely and infallibly foretel Ecclipses conjunctions and such other accidents of the Planets Among al the ornaments of the heauens the Sunne is the most principal The body or orbe of this Planet by Astronomers is proued to be an hundred sixty and six times greater then the globe of the earth and water wherefore if the compasse of the earth and sea be demonstrated to be about twenty and one thousand six hundred miles what shal we imagine of the greatnesse of the Sunne If we likewise consider what a smal time the Sunne is in rising and setting we shal also perceiue the motion of this Planet to be most swift for the whole body of it although so huge and great commeth wholy to our sight and goeth from the same in a very short time so that it must needes moue diuers miles euery minute of an houre although the motion of it by vs be hardly perceiued The Sunne is the fountaine of light and imparteth it to the Moone and Starres By the variety of his motions we distinguish times as daies nights monethes and yeares The approching and going away of it from vs maketh the spring sommer autumne and winter The Sunne with his presence in the spring as it were reuiueth beastes and plants which seemed before almost dead through his absence and yealdeth them a fit season for generation multiplication and bringing forth their seedes Finally the Sunne principally draweth vp vapors from the sea and land which cause raine by which the earth is strangely watered to make it fruitful Next vnto the Sunne the Moone vnto our sight seemeth beautiful which giueth light vnto the nights when the Sunne is absent And although she be variable yet she is most constant in her inconstancy and alterations She hath a most strange dominion ouer the sea which she draweth and altereth as it were with herselfe for when the moone ascendeth the sea increaseth contrariwise when she descendeth it decreaseth in so much that she causeth as it is probable the flux and reflux or ebbing and flowing of the sea by which the water is preserued from putrefaction and other necessary effects are wrought But who can explicate the variety number beauty and strange effects of the starres Surely their number is
treatise which I intend I wil adde only a word or two of the manner of the nourishing of our bodies To make the foode which we receiue fit for our stomacke we haue in our mouthes two sortes of teeth some sharpe to deuide it others something flatte or plaine to grinde it with the tongue we remoue it from place to place when it is sufficiently chawed through the throate it is conueied into the stomacke where as in a pot or caldron by the heate of the hart and liuer it is boiled and brought al to one kinde of substance from thence the purest and best part thereof by subtil and smal passages is conueied to the liuer the grossest part which is not fit for nutriment is cast out at the fundament The liuer hauing receiued the said substance boileth it againe and turneth it into bloud that which is superfluous it sendeth it to other places as to the spleene and gal the rest it disperseth by the vaines throughout the whole body which is partly turned into flesh and bones a part of it is sent to the hart which being there purified is turned into vital spirits some is sent to the braine and turned into other spirits which we cal animales These considerations are sufficient to perswade euery man that there is one supreame God of infinite power and wisedome who hath created and most wisely and sweetely disposed al thinges Hence the Prophet Dauid cried out unto God in the Psalme Psal 103. ver 24. Howe high or wonderful O Lord are thy workes thou hast made al thinges in wisdome the earth is filled with thy possession or riches Surely if we looke into the nature and condition of any one creature whatsoeuer we shal not only see Eccles 3. ver 14. Galen lib. 3. de vsu partium lib. 5. Psal 99. vers 3. that as the wiseman saith we cannot adde to or take anythinge from the creatures of God and that God as Gallen the prince of al phisitions although a Pagan confesseth hath adorned and beautified the creatures of this world better then by any arte possible it could haue beene imagined but also if we demande of each creature who made it it wil seeme to make answere God made me and I made not my selfe according as the Psalme saith of vs men He made vs and we made not our selues Some Atheist perhaps wil say that al creatures are thus framed and ordered not by any supreame gouernor hauing vnderstanding and power to effect such matters but by chance I reply that like as it is impossible that a number of letters or charecters cast togither without any order of sillables wordes or sentences should make a perfect booke containing most wise learned and methodical discourses so it is impossible that the world should be so exquisitely ordered and thinges so ordained one to another by chance without the wisdome and disposition of almighty God And this confutation of this fond assertion was vsed longe since by Cicero an Ethnicke Wherefore Cicero lib. 3. de natura Deorum like as euery man would worthely account him a foole that should say that a booke containing wise and orderly discourses was made by chance by the casting togither of diuers charecters or letters or that a house most curiously and artificially built was made without the handy worke of any artificer by the accidentary concourse of stones morter timber and other such like stuffe so we may wel esteeme him a foole and voide of al reason and vnderstanding who denyeth that the world was created and ordered by almighty God Hence the Psalme saith The foole said in his hart Ps 13. v. 1 there is no God And note it is not said he said with his mouth but in his hart to signifie that this assertion is so absurde ridiculous and blasphemous that a foole although he thinke it true in his hart yet may be ashamed to vtter it with his mouth To the arguments already brought for the proofe of this matter I adde that this truth is manifestly deliuered vnto vs in the holy Scriptures in which is contained the history of the creation of the world by God and diuers other euident proofes are found of the being of his diuine Majesty This no Atheist wil or can denie But al of them answere that the Scriptures containe but fables and are of no authority I reply that it may easily be shewed that the authority of these diuine bookes ought to be great in any wisemans judgement in the world It is proued by diuers learned authors first by their antiquity for no volumes in the world are so auncient as the bookes of Moyses and consequently we may inferre that Moyses himselfe the first writer receiued the true history of those thinges which were done before his owne dayes by succession and tradition from his predecessors for which it maketh that Abraham the father of the Iewes might wel haue seene Sem the sonne of Noe Of other thinges he was an eie witnesse himselfe Secondly it is proued by the verity of diuers prophesies contained in the holy Scriptures which were fulfilled longe after that the bookes themselues were written which is a manifest demonstration that such thinges were foretold by God who only knoweth and can certainely fortel thinges contingent and depending of mans free wil of which it followeth that such prophesies and the bookes in which they are found were written by diuine inspiration Thirdly it is declared by the wonderful consent of al these bookes for although they were penned by diuers men in diuers places vpon diuers occasions and at sundry times yet no one of them containeth any one thinge contrary to the other Gre. praefat in Iob. Of which S. Gregory wel inferreth that the writers handes were the pennes of the holy Ghost The same is likewise demonstrated by the test mony of diuers miracles which haue beene wrought alwayes in the world for the confirmation of the doctrine which is taught vs in these bookes by the miraculous preseruation of them throughout al ages by the admirable consent of the seauenty two Interpreters which were appointed by Ptólomie King of Aegipt to translate them and sundrie other reasons which I cannot stand to relate Neither doe the miracles and prophesies aboue said and al other such like effects and actions only confirme the authority of the holy Scriptures but also euidently proue that there is a God who only is omnipotent and can worke effects surpassing the power and vertue of natural and created agents Such miracles and prophesies cannot be denied to haue beene found in the world in al ages of which we haue any large recordes except we wil obstinately reject the authority and testimony of al men I may joyne to this that although God be but one in essence yet he is three in persons for although the diuine essence be but one most pure and simple substance not deuided yet the selfe same is in three distinct
painted reasons make some doubtful who of al these haue right and a just title to the thing challenged yet certaine it is and most easilie to be proued that the first challengers only who through the whole vvorld are tearmed Catholikes haue justice and right on their side The proofe of this would aske a long discourse of the definition and notes of the Church but in this present treatise I purpose only to declare that we Catholikes only haue true faith and build our said faith and religion vpon most sure and firme groundes Contrariewise that al sectaries are bereaued of this supernatural gift and build their whole beleefe and religion vpon their owne fancies Hereafter if it please God shal followe a more ample discourse of the definition and notes of the true Church One reason which moued me to take this course is that the principal controuersie betweene vs and our aduersaries is concerning matters of faith which is manifest because we condemne them of heresie which proceedeth of mis-beleefe in faith for he that erreth not in faith may be a Schismatike but he cannot be an Heretike wherefore if I proue that we Catholikes haue true faith and that our aduersaries haue no faith the controuersie betweene vs and them is after some sort decided An other reason is because faith doth especially incorporate vs in the Church and make vs members of the same It is the lincke and glewe yea the sinnewe which vniteth and bindeth vs to this body It is the roote and foundation of al true religion and justification a Ioh. 3 18 Marc. 16. vers 16. He that beleeueth not according to the verdict of our Sauiour is already judged and shal be condemned and damned b Hebr. 11. vers 6. without faith saith the Apostle it is impossible to please God Wherefore by S. Iohn Chrisostome c Chrisost in serm de Fide Spe Charit faith is called the of-spring of justice the head of sanctity the beginning of deuotion and the ground of religion By S. Ciril Bishoppe of Hierusalem d Ciril catech 5. and eie lighting euery conscience and causing vnderstanding By the other Ciril Bishop of Alexandria e Ciril l. 4. in Ioā c. 9. the doore and way to life also a certaine leading or bringing home againe from corruption to immortalitie With the like titles it is honoured f Aug. ser 38. de Tēpore by S. Augustine and other holie Fathers Like as therefore no material house or Castle can be erected vvithout a foundation first laid vpon vvhich al the burthen of the vvorke may rest so no spiritual edifice can be built in the soule of man vvithout faith the ground of al spiritual vvorkes Hence S. Athanasius that great piller of Christes Church beginneth his Creede which is receiued by the whole Church with this notable and famous sentence Whosoeuer wil be saued before al thinges it is necessary that he hold the Catholike faith which except euery man shal keepe wholy and not corrupted without doubt he shal perish euerlastingly This is the censure of that holy Father The reason of this is because we cannot attaine to a certaine knowledge of the first groundes and principles of Christian religion they being supernatural by the force of our natural and weake vnderstanding wherefore a supernatural knowledge of them being requisite it is necessary that this be done by supernatural faith which giueth vs power and lifting vp our vnderstanding maketh vs able to beleeue them because they are reuealed by God and of this necessity excellency of faith it followeth that without it there can be no true Church or religion for how can the true Church or true religion be without the ground and foundation of al true vertue and Christianity Contrariwise where true faith is found there is the principal ground of true religion of which I inferre that if I proue the new sectaries to haue no faith I likewise proue them to haue no church nor religion but on the other side if I proue our faith to be true I proue also that the ground of al religion is among vs and consequently that if we build hope and charity vpon this foundation we are members of the true Church trulie religious and in the sure way to euerlasting saluation Let vs therefore briefly behold both our groundes and theirs and according to the strength or weakenesse of them decide the whole controuersie betweene vs. But to proceede the more plainely and distinctly I wil first adde a word or two of the nature and conditions of true faith Chapter 5. Of the definition and conditions of true faith SECTION THE FIRST FAITH is a vertue infused by God into our vnderstanding by the helpe and force of which we giue a most firme assent vnto al those thinges which are reuealed by God to the Church because they are so reuealed Wherefore although a Christian should beleeue neuer so firmely any article of his faith vpon any other ground then the authority of almighty God who hath reuealed it yet he should not haue faith because faith biddeth vs beleeue such articles not because reason or any other such motiue perswadeth vs that they are true but because God who being the first verity and truth it selfe cannot deceiue hath so said and reuealed But for the better declaration of this definition or description the nature it selfe of faith let vs treate of it a litle more at large and first shewe that the act of faith is a most firme and certaine assent of the vnderstanding secondly that it is of thinges surpassing the reach of natural reason and consequently obscure Thirdly that by it we beleeue such misteries as haue bin reuealed vnto the Church by God Fourthly that it must needes be built vpon diuine authority Lastly that it is necessary that the articles of our faith be propounded vnto vs by some infallible authority and that the propounder of them is the holy Catholike Church SECTION THE SECOND That faith is a most firme assent of the vnderstanding TO beginne therefore with the first that the act of faith is a most firme assent of the vnderstanding to the thing beleeued without any doubt or feare of falshood or staggering the Apostle himselfe testifieth in this his description of faith Hebr. 11. vers 1. Faith saith he is the substance of thinges to be hoped for the argument of thinges not appearing That is to say faith is the substance or ground of hope a certaine argument or conuiction and most firme perswasion of the vnderstanding through the authority of God of things not appearing to our senses or not knowne by natural reason Verily that the word argument in this place doth not signifie euery kind of argument but an argument certaine and infallible the greeke word it selfe which is here vsed declareth Wherefore a Aug. tom 9. tract 89 in Ioā tom 7. de peccat merit remiss l. 2. ca. 31. 2. Pet.
1. vers 19. S. Augustine in place of the word argument vseth the word conuiction affirming faith to be a most firme proofe and demonstration of thinges not appearing Hence S. Peter hauing declared that he sawe with his eies the glory of Christ in his transfiguration and heard with his eares the voice of God the Father addeth these wordes And we haue the prophetical word more sure By which he doth insinuate vnto vs that the knowledge of holie misteries by faith in the Scripture is more certaine then the knowledge which we receiue by the benefit of our senses Basil in ps 115. in moral reg 80. ca. 21. which perhaps moued S. Basil to affirme that no knowledge in vs is so firme and certaine as faith And the reason of this is because as I wil proue in the fift section faith is built vpon the infallible authority of God SECTION THE THIRD Faith is of thinges incomprehensible by natural reason and consequently obscure THE Diuines most trulie affirme that the object or subject of our supernatural faith is God as God because al thinges which by it are knowne and beleeued tend to this that by supernatural and reuealed groundes we attaine to as ful a knowledge of him as can by vs be had in this life Wherefore I may wel say that by faith we beleeue misteries aboue our reason although none cōtrary to our reason for faith only leadeth reason further then of it selfe it can reach and maketh it stoope and submit it selfe to the most certaine reuelation of God notwithstanding that he doth manifest vnto it misteries which in some sort seeme to resist our sense and reason This is signified vnto vs in the description of faith euen nowe alleaged out of the Apostle by those wordes of thinges not appearing for like as a Rom. 8. vers 24. hope according to the same Apostle that is seene is no hope For that which man seeth saith he wherefore doth he hope So faith of thinges seene and most certainely knowne by natural reason is not faith For that which a man seeth knoweth howe can he beleeue Neither doe those wordes of our b Ioh. 20. vers 29. Sauiour to S. Thomas the Apostle because thou hast seene me Thomas thou hast beleeued make against this For S. Thomas c Greg. ho. 26. in Euang as S. Gregory noteth sawe one thing and beleeued an other he sawe Christes humanity and beleeued his diuinity For this cause further the Apostle aboue cited telleth vs d Rom. 10. vers 17. Hebr. 11. vers 3. that faith is by hearing and that by faith we vnderstand that the worldes were framed by the word of God c. S. Augustine also auoucheth that e Aug. tra 79. in Ioā the praise of faith standeth in this that the thing be not seene which is beleeued f Aug. tra 43. in Ioā For what a great thing is it saith he if that be beleeued which is seene Againe faith is to beleeue that which thou seest not truth to see that which thou hast beleeued yea S. Athanasius plainely telleth vs Athanas tract de aduent cont Apol. 1. Cor. 13. vers 12. that faith conceiued of an euident matter cannot be called faith Hence it proceedeth that faith is obscure and cannot be found in heauen where al thinges are seene most clearely We see saith the Apostle nowe by a glasse in darke sort but then face to face nowe I knowe in part but then I shal knowe as also I am knowne And this obscurity of faith proceedeth aswell from the height and sublimitie of the misteries themselues reuealed which are without the compasse of our natural reason as also from the feeblenes and weakenesse of our vnderstanding which in this life being tied to our corporal senses cannot clearely apprehend thinges spiritual but only after a dimme sort by thinges visible commeth to some smal apprehension of thinges inuisible God likewise would haue it so not only to manifest vnto vs his owne Majestie and that he wil be beleeued at his word but also for mans greater humiliation and merit But although the object of faith so farre surpasse our reason and by this meanes cause obscurity in our vnderstanding yet certaine it is that God if he would might haue so declared and apparantly proued the misteries of our faith that the truth of them might haue bin farre more manifest then it is yea he might haue made it so apparant that no man of sense could haue denied them As for example Christ might if it had pleased him haue appeared after his resurrection to the whole Citie of Hierusalem yea to the whole world and by force of miracles perswasions and other such like motiues haue presently made Christian faith seeme euidently true to euery mans eie So likewise at this present it is in his power to doe for the manifestation of the truth of Catholike religion wherefore then did he not in old time and doth he not nowe proceed after this manner wherefore leaueth he the object of faith in this sense also inuironed with some obscurity I answere that most certaine it is that euery man hath or may haue if he please sufficient motiues and reasons to perswade him to imbrace the true religion and beleeue the whole summe of christian doctrine For God requireth only at our handes as the Apostle tearmeth it a reasonable obsequie or obedience Neuerthelesse he hath not vsed Rom. 11. nor doth vse al meanes possible to manifest the truth that man may merit the more by cōcurring by his free wil aided with Gods grace to the beleef of such misteries sufficiētly although not so fully as was possible proued to be reuealed by God himselfe For the more reason and proof that the wil hath to perswade her the lesse thankes she deserueth for obeying and so much the lesse reward shal be reaped by man in heauen by howe much the stronger arguments he hath to moue his vnderstanding to beleeue because one only argument infalliblie prouing any article to be reuealed by God is sufficient to make it the object of faith although the matter seeme neuer so obscure yea although it seeme in some sort repugnant to the ordinary course and nature of sensible creatures and thus much of the second point SECTION THE FOVRTH By true Christian faith we beleeue such misteries as God hath reuealed to his Church THIRDLY I am to proue that by faith we beleeue such misteries as it hath pleased the diuine Majestie of God to reueale vnto his Church and this likewise is easily proued out of the foresaid description of faith deliuered vnto vs by the Apostle For what other thinges are those which not appearing to our senses and vnderstanding faith causeth vs to beleeue but the articles of our faith and what doe these containe but such misteries as God hath reuealed to his Church yet least the peruerse humour of any man might otherwise vnderstand his wordes he hath
most firme and certaine assent of the vnderstanding to thinges aboue the reach of reason and the object of it be the misteries of our beleefe it must needes follow that the authority of almighty God whose knowledge and wisdome are infinite and whose sayinges are of infallible truth must cause vs to beleeue the said misteries If any wil denie this I wil demand of him howe we can possibly attaine to a certaine knowledge of so high misteries but by the reuelation of God and this is that which al Christians commonly professe when as being demanded why they beleeue this and that they answere because God hath reuealed such doctrine I confesse that men are commonly first induced to faith by certaine reasons which the Diuines cal arguments of credibility such are miracles vvhich proceeding from God can giue no testimony to falshood the authority wisedome learning and consent of the professors of our religion in al ages since it beganne the strange manner of the propagation of our said religion being so strict throughout the vvhole vvorld by a fewe fisher-men the miraculous preseruation of our Church oppugned by so diuers and mighty enemies the constancy of our Martirs the great change to the better vvhich our religion causeth in those that embrace it the purity of doctrine and sanctity of life shining in the Prelates and Children of our Church the conformity of our faith vvith natural reason in not being contrary to it although aboue it and other motiues which I haue related in the third Chapter of this treatise which make the object of faith in the judgement of any prudent man credible and of which either one some or al induce men first to beleeue But al these arguments are only inducements to the true act of supernatural faith by vvhich the misteries of our beleefe are afterwardes beleeued not for any such reasons but only because they are reuealed by God This moued Saint Basil to describe faith after this sort Basilius in ser de fidei cōfess siue de vera pia fide in Asceticis Faith saith he is an assenting approbation of those thinges which through the benefit of God haue beene preached thus Saint Basil Hence I inferre that although faith and also other arguments haue the same effect in our vnderstanding vvhich is to make it giue a firme assent to some verity which is done by sundry arguments especially by such as are called demonstrations yet there is this difference betweene such arguments and faith that they doe this through euidence of the matter faith doth it through the authority of the reuealer leauing stil the matter obscure And this doctrine is consonant to that of Diuines who hold the first and supreame verity of God to be the formal object of our faith the sence of which their assertion is that the chiefe reason or cause on which as on a foundation the habit of our faith relieth and resteth and into which both it and the assent of it proceeding is lastly resolued is the diuine and infallible reuelation of God or which is al one God infallibly reuealing some truth by some Canonical writer or other lawful definer of faith of which it followeth that faith of his owne nature doth assent to no proposition which is not propounded by diuine reuelation SECTION THE SIXT Besides the reuelation of God some infallible propounder of the articles of our faith is necessary and that they are propounded vnto vs by the Catholike Church IN the precedent sections of this Chapter I haue declared that faith is a most firme assent of the vnderstanding to such misteries as God hath reuealed to al Christians to be beleeued Nowe I must further lay this most certaine and vndoubted ground to this that according to the ordinary proceedings of God besides the reuelation by him heretofore made of the misteries of Christian beleefe by the habit of faith we giue assent to the articles reuealed it is also necessary that the said articles be propounded vnto vs by some infallible authority assuring vs that they are so deliuered This reason it selfe teacheth vs for seing that Christ hath with-drawne his visible presence from vs and he himselfe immediately after a sensible manner instructeth no man but al by some common rule or meanes seing also that the reuelation of such misteries is obscure and no man by the strength and force of natural reason can assure himselfe that such and such articles haue beene reuealed it was necessary that God should ordaine some infallible authority to be the Mistris of faith which might infallibly teach the truth in al such matters doubtful neither had he otherwise sufficiently prouided vs meanes necessary for our euerlasting saluation I adde also that although it were so that we were certaine at the beginning of our beleefe of such a reuelation yet that the weakenesse inconstancy of our vnderstanding is such that without a sure guide and directour it easily erreth and straieth from the truth receiued This notwithstanding we make not this proposition or propounding of such verities as are reuealed by God any essential part of the formal object of faith of which I haue spoken before for we affirme such misteries in themselues before any such proposition to be credible and worthy of beleefe but because this is vnknowne to vs we require such a proposition only as a necessary condition to this that we infallibly knowe that they are so reuealed which must of necessity be knowne before that we can actually assent vnto them by supernatural faith What infallible authority then haue we without al feare and doubt of falshood assuring vs that al the articles of our faith haue beene thus reuealed by God Verily no other but the Spouse of Christ our Mother the Church vvhome our Lord hath made our Mistris and guide in such matters And trulie that we are to learne our beleefe of the Prelates and Pastors of the Church we are aboundantly taught by the sacred word of God For first the Apostle S. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans discoursing of this point vseth these wordes Rom. 10. vers 14. Howe shal they beleeue whome they haue not heard and howe shal they heare without a preacher as though he should say No man can attaine to the knowledge and beleefe of the articles of faith except by some preacher they be propounded vnto him And that these preachers are the Prelates and Pastors of the Church it is manifest because they are the true successors of the Apostles who in the beginning of Christianity from Christ receiued authority commandement Mar. 16. vers 15. Iere. 3. vers 15. to teach al nations through out the whole world For the proofe likewise of this truth it maketh that in the old Testament God promised that in the newe he would giue vs Pastors according to his owne hart vvho should feed vs in knowledge and doctrine Moreouer like as in the old lawe he pronounced this sentence of
care and diligence without any alteration or deprauation was and is to deliuer to his successors vntil the end of the world Vinc. Lir. lib. contra prophanas hoeresum nouitates cap. 7. This is most learnedly explicated by Vincentius Lirinensis who florished in the Church very neere twelue hundred yeares since For this learned Father hauing demanded what the depositum was which the Apostle left with Timothie answered thus This pawne or pledge saith he is a thing committed to thy charge not inuented by thee that which thou hast receiued not that which thou hast deuised A matter not of wit but of doctrine not of priuate vsurpation but of publike tradition a thing brought downe vnto thee not brought forth first by thee of which thou must not be authour but keeper only not the founder but the follower not a leader but one which is led Hitherto Vincentius Lirinensis Of this Depositum likewise are these wordes of the Apostle in the same Chapter 1. Timoth. vlt. ver 13 I command thee before God who quickneth al thinges and Christ Iesus who gaue testimonie vnder Pontius Pilate a good confession that thou keepe the commandement without spot blamelesse vntil the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ And so these places are expounded by Tertullian and the rest of the Fathers for they are according to their exposition Tertul. de praescriptionibus Iren. lib. 3. cap. 4. most earnest exhortations to Timothie to keepe vnspotted the doctrine receaued and to admit no newe thing inuented by mans fancie This moued S. Ireneus to affirme that the Apostles haue laid vp in the Church as in a rich treasure house al truth Moreouer this summe of Christian doctrine for the same reason is likewise called the doctrine of the Apostles Act. 2.24 They were saith S. Luke speaking of the first Christians perseuering in the doctrine of the Apostles that is to say in the doctrine which by Christ was deliuered to the Apostles and by them preached and published to the vvorld Finally because according vnto it euery man is to direct his beleefe it is called by S. Paul the rule of faith and the forme of doctrine Gal. 6 16. Whosoeuer shal followe this rule saith he peace vpon them and mercy Againe let vs continue in the same rule And in the Epistle to the Romans Phil. 3 16 Rom. 6 17 2. Cor. 10. vers 15. you haue obeyed from the hart vnto the forme of doctrine into the which you haue beene deliuered The like sentences he hath in other places Hence Tertullian auoucheth that the * Tertul. de praescr ca. 13. 22. 27. c. Apostles receaued from Christ the fulnesse of the preaching of the Gospel and that they deliuered vnto al Christians al the order of the rule of beleefe He telleth vs also that a Cap. 14. faith is placed in rule he biddeth Heretikes be b Tertul. de praescr cap. 22. silent and not prate against this rule and wisheth Catholikes if they wil doubt or aske questions concerning matters of religion to inquire of those which are of their owne company and concerning such matters as may be called in question without the breach of the rule of faith Lastly he addeth that c Cap. 14. this rule instituted by Christ hath no doubtes or questions among vs but such as Heretikes doe bring in or doe make Heretikes Thus farre Tertullian The same rule S. Ignatius the Disciple of S. Iohn the Apostle affirmeth himselfe to haue obserued Doe you saith he in his Epistle to the Phillippians say and teach the selfe same and be of one judgement for by this I haue obserued the rules of faith Wherefore I conclude that Christ deliuered a rule of faith or forme of doctrine to his Apostles which they confirmed by miracles and deliuered to their successors and that the said rule containeth the vvhole summe or corps of Christian doctrine SECTION THE THIRD The Church cannot stray from the rule of faith receaued nor erre in matters of faith or general precepts of manners which is proued first because the holy Ghost directeth her in al truth THIS being proued I must nowe declare that the Church hath neuer erred nor can erre from this rule of faith receiued and that her judgement concerning matters of religion is of diuine and infallible authority The most principal reason vsually brought for the proofe of this is that God himselfe to wit the holy Ghost the third person of the most blessed Trinity who is subject to no errour or falsehood is the guide and director of the Church in al such affaires And this we are taught by Christ who likewise being God the second person of the most blessed Trinity cannot deceaue vs. For this promise he made to his Apostles immediately after his last supper these vvere his wordes Ioh. 14. vers 16. Ioh. 16. vers 13. I wil aske the father and he wil giue you another Paraclete that is to say an other comforter or aduocat that he may abide with you for euer the spirit of truth Againe yet many thinges I haue to say vnto you but you cannot beare them nowe but when he the spirit of truth commeth he shal teach you al truth This was the promise of our Sauiour and who wil say that he hath not beene so good as his word Surely if this promise vvas not brought to effect the breach of it either proceeded of vvant of power or of vvant of vvil in Christ but vvhat Christian can imagine that either of these was wanting in the Sonne of God Hence I gather that although our Sauiour during the time of his being on earth both before and after his passion gaue to his Apostles diuers instructions touching Christian religion yet that he left the ful and perfect instruction of them to the holie Ghost vvho vvas to reduce al thinges to memorie and to establish them perfectly in faith and whome his Father was to send by his mediation to be the cheefest instructor and guide of his Church in al truth to the vvorldes end And this vvas done on the day of Pentecost vvhen the holie Ghost in the likenesse of firie tongues Act. 2. v. 4 descended vpon the Apostles and Disciples since vvhich time according to the promise of Christ he hath neuer departed from the Church but remained in her and taught her al truth which euery man must needes confesse that vvil not accuse Christ of breach of his promise Wherefore like as Christ is tearmed the head and husband of the Church as I vvil euen nowe declare so the holie Ghost is aptly tearmed by S. Augustine her soule Aug. tom 10. serm 186. de tempore For like as the soule of man directeth and gouerneth his body so doth the holie Ghost the Church Some man perhaps vvil answere that Christ made this promise of the assistance of the holie Ghost to the Apostles only and not to their successors but this assertion is
her doctrine is true and may securely be followed without any danger of errour Vnto these arguments brought out of the word of God reason it selfe assenteth for seing that for diuers respects it was conuenient that Christ our Lord should not alwaies conuerse on earth among vs and in his owne person manage the affaires of the Church it was necessary that he should leaue among Christians some certaine rule guide whereby they might direct their faith and some judge for the deciding of daylie controuersies which might arise touching matters of religion whose judgement they might securely followe without al danger of being deceaued Neither can we imagine that Gods infinit wisedome foreseing al thinges and times to come or his vnspeakable goodnes and loue to his Church could order thinges otherwise And this infallible guide and supreame judge is the Church including the Pope and other her Bishops and Prelates It was also needfull seing that the Church of Christ was to endure for euer I meane on earth vntil the end of the world and to be to al persons a perfect guide in al ages to saluation that it should be preserued from false doctrine and ruine otherwise it could not at al times haue performed these offices Our aduersaries wil answere that the Church through false doctrine and superstition hath already perished and not appeared in the world for diuers hundreds of yeares but this I shal refute at large * Cap. 5. in my treatise of the definition and notes of the true Church For this present vnto that which hath beene already said in this Chapter concerning the continuall assistance of the holy Ghost in the Church and other arguments prouing that she cannot erre I adde only that according to the censure of S. Augustine a Aug. l. de vnita Eccles c. 6. 7 12. 13. see him also li. 20. de ciuit c. 8. in psal 85. de vtilit credendi c. 8. Whosoeuer affirmeth the Church to haue beene ouerthrowne doth robbe Christ of his glory and inheritance bought with his most pretious bloud yea S. Hierome goeth further and auerreth that he that so saith doth make God subject to the Deuil and a poore miserable Christ Hier. cōt Lucifer cap. 6. The reason is because this assertion doth after a sort bereaue the whole incarnation life and passion of our Sauiour of their effect and end which was principally to found a Church and Kingdome in this world which should endure vntil the day of judgement and direct men in al truth to saluation Wherefore vvhosoeuer affirmeth the Church to haue perished taketh away this effect and prerogatiue from his incarnation life and passion and auoucheth that at sometimes man had no meanes left to attaine to euerlasting blisse which is also repugnant to the mercy and goodnes of God He also maketh God subject to the Diuel in making the Diuel stronger then Christ and affirming him to haue ouerthrowne Christes Church Kingdome which our Lord promised should neuer be conquered as I haue aboue declared I could adde an other reason conuincing the Church not to haue erred taken out of Tertullian Tertul. lib. de praescr cap. 28. who proueth it because errour commonly bringeth forth diuision for it were a very strange matter that diuers nations farre distant from one an other erring from the truth should al fal into the selfe same errour wherefore seing that the Catholike faith and religion in al places is one and the same it is like that it doth proceede of tradition not of errour but this matter is already sufficiently proued I wil therefore conclude that the Church of Christ is not subject to errour touching matters of faith and religion and consequently that euery man may securely followe concerning such matters her sentence and judgement And this is that high beaten and plaine way to saluation which was long since foretold by the Prophet Isaias who prophecying of the Kingdome of Christ vseth these wordes Isa 35. vers 8. And there shal be a path and way and it shal be called the holy way and it shal be so direct that fooles shal not be able to erre therein For no such way can be shewed if this be denied Hence S. Hierome telleth vs Hieron in dialog cōt Lucifer cap. 6. that we ought to remaine in that Church which being founded by the Apostles continueth til this day This also is that which we are taught to beleeue in the Creede of the Apostles vvhen as vve professe our selues to beleeue the Catholike Church For in these wordes we doe not only acknowledge that vve beleeue that Christ hath a Catholike Church on earth but also affirme that we beleeue heare and obey the same wherefore in al doubts and controuersies touching religion let vs listen and giue eare to this our holy Mother and obey her sentence although it seeme neuer so repugnant to our sense and reason For she is the rocke ground and piller of truth let vs beleeue her and euer remaine in her sacred bosome And although vve receaue our faith and are instructed in religion by some particuler men yet let vs not doubt but that we are taught by this vniuersal Church For they who instruct vs and deliuer our faith vnto vs doe this as the officers and members of this Church and by her order and appointment neither doe they deliuer the said doctrine vnto vs as their owne but as the doctrine of the Church and as such we receaue it and haue sufficient motiues to perswade vs that this is true Wherefore like as the action of a member of a mans body is attributed to the vvhole for although the hand strike yet man is said to strike c. so although we be instructed taught by some particuler member of the Church yet vve may vvel say that this is done by the said Catholike and vniuersal Church These considerations vvere so forcible euen in Luthers vnderstanding for a long time after his fal from vs that he found his conscience often troubled for his disobedience to the Church In one place thus he writeth * Luther tom 2. l. de seru arbit During more then tenne yeares I was so moued by authority conscience multitude of Martirs of Bishops of Popes of Councels of Vniuersities that it was incredible that this Troy remaining so long in so many conflicts inuincible could neuer be conquered And in another place a Luther tom 1. in propos suis de viribus hominis When I had saith he ouercome al arguments by the Scriptures this one that the Church is to be heard at length with most great difficulty and perplexitie or anguish by Christes assistance I hardly ouercame Thus Luther I adde also that our b See Hooker in his 3. booke of Eccl. policy §. 2 7. 9 Bel in his treatise of the regiment of the Church pag. 200. Whitgift others English Protestants themselues disputing against the Puritans are
forced to acknowledge that the Church hath authority to prescribe orders for her gouernement vvhich euery one is bound to obey Yea Field Hutton and Gabriel Powel seeme to make the constitutions of the Church equal vvith those of the Apostles For the first of them auoucheth that both thinges which c Field booke 4. chap. 20. § that the Apostles the Apostles themselues deliuered by tradition and also such thinges as were deliuered by their next after-commers are dispensable by the authority of the Church And howe so if the Church hath not Apostolike authority surely his reason assigned is because the Apostles and Apostolike men did not deliuer them as reporting the immediate preceptes of Christ himselfe but by vertue of their Pastoral power and office of vvhich it seemeth plainely to followe that he yeelding the Church authority to dispense in them giueth her equal Apostolike power Hutton in his answ to a treatise of the Crosse in baptisme pag. 3. and 59. see also pag. 9. Hutton affirmeth Ecclesiastical constitutions made by the Church of Christ not to be meerely humane but in part diuine And the reason is saith he because the Church is ruled by the spirit of Christ who is the truth Againe if you make your comparison betweene that which God hath commanded and that which the Church of God hath ordained the difference is not so great as you would haue it Let Gods commandement haue worthily the first place and preheminence in al thinges as is meete but let the ordinances of the Church be immediately subordinate vnto Gods commandement and ranged in a second place not only because the Church of God heareth his voice but also because she is ruled by his spirit and by the great and pretious promises of God is made partaker of the diuine nature which no doubt doth assist them euen in the lawes also and constitutions which are made for order and decency in the Church Hitherto are Huttons vvordes Powels wordes are these Those Adiophora or thinges indifferent Gabriel Powellus in the sibus de Adiaphoris ca. 2. §. 7. 8 which are wel and lawfully instituted and approued by the Church are after such sort humane as they are also diuine and therefore they haue authority more then only humane yea they haue authority altogether diuine The reason is because the Church is gouerned by the spirit of Christ who is truth Againe * Ibid. cap. 3. §. 6. 7 God left it in the power and wil of the Chruch to dispose and ordaine for her owne conseruation profit comlinesse order and discipline al thinges indifferent ceremonies and external rites which manifestly appeareth out of the holy Scriptures themselues to haue beene true of the primatiue Church in the Apostles daies neither can any man denie it to be true of the present Church For seing that it is the same spirit gouerning the Church of al times why may it not likewise be lawful for the Church to institute lawes concerning external rites in times ensuing Thus Powel And out of these assertions of our aduersaries I thinke a prudent man wil wel inferre that our doctrine concerning the infallible judgement of the Church in matters of faith euen according to their proceedinges is very reasonable and consonant to holy Scripture For seing that vnitie and consent in faith is farre more necessary then vnity and consent in ceremonies and positiue ordinances for gouernement vve may truly affirme that Christ vvas more careful for the preseruation of the first then of the second Seing further that the reasons and authorities of holy Scripture by them brought and generally al the promises of our Lord concerning the direction of the Church make as much nay commonly more for the first then for the second for they are principally concerning direction in truth we doe followe reason and the holy Scripture in maintaining the first if they are not to be blamed for their maintenance of the second Seing moreouer that Field and Powel giue the present Church in al ages as great authority as it had the Apostles yet liuing and they vvere then not only ordainers of positiue lawes and orders but also infallible propounders of true doctrine and directors in matters of beleefe we haue no reason according to their ground to denie this prerogatiue to the same Church in al future times Seing finally that the Puritans denie the collection or deduction of either of these prerogatiues out of the Scripture and the Protestants auerre the plaine deduction of one and for this the Puritans condemne the Protestants we may wel imagine that the Puritans may erre in denying both and that the Protestants are to graunt the one as wel as the other and consequently that the Catholike truth should be imbraced by al. SECTION THE FIFT That the testimonies of holy Scripture and other proofes brought for the infallible and diuine authority of the Church cannot be applied to the Church considered as it comprehendeth al faithful Christians that are and haue beene since Christes ascension or since the Apostles daies but vnto the present Church of al ages BEFORE I end this chapter I thinke it not amisse to confute two or three opinions of our aduersaries of which al seeme in some sort to derogate from the truth of those thinges which I haue here auerred and to weaken their principal proofes Booke 4. chap. 1. 2. 3. 5. 13. The one is of M. Field who telleth vs that we may speake of the Church three manner of waies First as it comprehendeth al the faithful that are and haue beene since Christ appeared in flesh including also the Apostles Secondly as it comprehendeth al that are and haue beene since the Apostles time Lastly as it comprehendeth those only that are liuing at one present time in the world In the first signification he freeth it from ignorance and errour concerning matters of faith in the second from errour only and in the third not from errour in al articles of beleefe but in such only as euery man is bound expresly to knowe and beleeue wherefore Chap. 5. he applieth that promise of Christ aboue mentioned that the holy Ghost should teach the Church al truth to the Church in the first and second signification Another assertion is that the present Church may be said at al times to be the piller of truth and not to erre because it retaineth alwaies as Field speaketh a sauing profession of heauenly truth that is Chap. 4. §. the Church Field booke 3. chap. 4. and 3. true doctrine concerning al such principal pointes as are the substance of faith and needful to be knowne beleeued expresly by euery man Hence they assigne some such principal points and articles which they binde euery person to knowe and beleeue vnder peril of eternal damnation and deny asmuch as the virtual beleefe of others to be necessary which I place as a third absurd opinion To confute these assertions and to cleere the truth
in li. de scriptor Eccl. in Ioan. S. Hierome testifie And that al is not by him recorded it is manifest because those speeches which our Sauiour had with his Apostles during the fourty daies betweene his resurection and ascension are almost altogether omitted Neither did he write this Gospel at the beginning of the Church but many yeares after to wit about threescore and six yeares after our Sauiours ascension And like as S. Iohn so did the rest of the Apostles and Disciples leaue vnto vs such parcels of scripture as vve haue receiued from them some extraordinary occasions mouing them thereunto as I could easily declare and proue See Euse hist li. 3. Chrisost hom 1. in Mat. Epipha haeres 51. Baronius to 1. au 45. et 58. out of Eusebius Saint Hierome and others I know that * Field booke 4. cap. 20. § For first Field maketh shewe as though it were a plaine matter that the Euangelists in their Gospels S. Luke in the acts of the Apostles and S. Iohn in the Apocalipse Meant to deliuer a perfect summe of Christian doctrine and direction of Christian faith but vvhat reason he bringeth for it of any moment I cannot see And besides it is certaine that no one of them intended to set downe al because no one of them hath so done wherfore if they haue set downe al as he affirmeth either it hath proceeded from some common deliberation or consultation had among themselues in which they determined what euery one should rehearse or else from the disposition and direction of the holy Ghost who inspired them to write Not the first because no man euer made mention of such a deliberation or consultation and moreouer they wrote vpon diuers occasions in diuers Countries and at diuers times as Ecclesiastical histories testifie Not the second because Field himselfe graunteth that something is vvanting in these bookes which the Church beleeueth which would not haue beene if the holy Ghost had intended that al should haue beene set downe for he addeth that The epistles of the Apostles were occasionallie written yet so saith he as by the prouidence of God al such thinges as the Church beleeueth not being found in the other parts scripture purposedly written are most clearly and at large deliuered in these epistles Marke wel gentle reader this doctrine he told vs before that the Apostles and Euangelists in the Gospels acts of the Apostles and the Apocalipse meant to deliuer a perfect summe of Christian doctrine direction of Christian faith nowe he telleth vs that the Church beleeueth some things which are deliuered in the Apostolical epistles not being found in the other parts of scripture purposedly written Of which I inferre both that the holy Ghost intended not that the penners of the Gospels of the actes of the Apostles and the Apocalipse should deliuer a perfect summe of Christian doctrine and also that he thinketh the writers of these books to haue missed of their intended purpose verily this last pointe seemeth to me no very sound doctrine And besides how wil M. Field proue that the Apostles in their epistles supplied al this want especially seing that the Apostles and Euangelists in the other books although intending to write al yet in his opinion omitted something and the authours of the epistles intended no such matter but vvrote them as he saith occasionally wherefore there is farre greater likelihood that these omitted something then they Further one Apostolical epistle at the least to the Laodicians hath perished Coloss 4.16 see 1. Cor. 5 9. Chrisost hom 9. in Math. et homil 7. in 1. Cor. of which is mention in the epistle of S. Paul to the Colossians And who can absolutely say that nothing necessary was contained in it which is not in any other part of the newe Testament Finally Field himselfe confesseth some vnwritten Traditions as I will declare in the next Section What then did the Apostles and Disciples expresly set downe in those their monuments which are contained in the newe Testament a part only without al doubt of the whole summe of Christian beliefe in which part they ratified and confirmed the supreame and infallible authority of the Church of whome the rest was to be learned and to whose custody they committed their said monuments so that the whole summe or depositum hath beene kept and preserued in the Church not al only in expres termes in the holy scripture but the whole by Tradition a part of that whole also by writing another part by only Tradition by which likewise the said scripture it selfe came to our hands And after this sort the whole corps of Christian religion without any alteration descended vnto vs. This may be proued by that which hath been already said concerning the true sense exposition of holy scripture Chap. 7. sect 5. for as I haue shewed the scripture ought to be interpreted according to the Analogie or rule of faith that is to say according to that beliefe which the Church by Tradition hath receiued from Christ and his Apostles wherefore the letter of the holy scripture is not the whole direction of the faith of the Church but the faith of the Church the perfect and ful direction of the said letter of holy scripture of which it followeth that the faith of the holy Church might haue remained sound and entire by Tradition although no such letter had beene published But let vs confirme this by the testimony of the ancient Fathers Irenae lib. 3. cap. 4. Among the rest S. Irenaeus discourseth thus What saith he if neither the Apostles had left vs scriptures ought we not to follow the order of Tradition which they deliuered vnto those whome they committed Churches vnto which order many barbarous nations beleeuing in Christ assent without letter or incke that is without any written word of God hauing saluation written in their hearts by the holy Ghost and diligently keeping the ancient Tradition Hitherto S. Irenaeus And note wel that he affirmeth some to haue beene Christians without any scripture guided only by the Tradition of the Church He telleth vs moreouer that by this order of Tradition from the Apostles al Heretikes are conuinced in such sort that Catholiks shut vp their eares assoone as they heare them vtter any thing repugnant to the said order Finally he addeth that al that are desirous to heare the truth may see in the Church the Tradition of the Apostles made manifest through the whole world And we can number those saith he who are instituted Bishops in Churches by the Apostles and their successors euen vnto vs who taught no such thing as these men Heretikes dreame of Thus farre S. Irenaeus Tertul. de praescrip cap. 19. 20. 21 who suffered martirdome in the yeare of our Lord 205. Tertullian also affirmeth that by this rule of Tradition or prescription of Catholike doctrine Heretikes are to be conuinced And hence it proceedeth that the Apostle vvith
grounds hence proceeding IN the three precedent Chapters I haue treated of three principal groundes on which with al security we may build our faith and religion I wil now adde vnto them certaine others commonly by al Catholikes esteemed also to be of infallible authority And in the first place I assigne the decrees and definitions of the supreame visible Pastour of the Church millitant but for a ful explication and plaine proofe of this ground I wil deuide this chapter into certaine sections SECTION THE FIRST Containing a briefe explication or rehearsal of the Catholike doctrine concerning the Popes supremacie BECAVSE our beliefe concerning the primacie of the Bishop of Rome is diuersly slaundered by our aduersaries I thinke it not amisse before I come to the proofe of it briefly to explicate what our doctrine is For true it is that our assertion being explicated to them that are misinformed is halfe proued We hold therefore that the supreame power which our Sauiour Christ euen according to his humane nature receiued of his Father before his ascention ouer al his Church of which are these his wordes Mat. 28. verse 18. Ephes 1 22. 1 Pet. 5 4. Heb. 5.6 Al power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth vvas neuer resigned or giuen by him to any mortal creature Wherefore as yet he remaineth supreame head of his Church prince of Pastours and Priest according to the order of Melchisedech Neuerthelesse because he vvas to withdrawe his visible corporal presence from the Church millitant and therefore could not himselfe decree and giues sentence or aduise in matters doubtful like as Kinges or Princes not being resident in their dominions for the good and peaceable gouernment of their subjects appoint Viceroies or Vicegerents Luke 19. vers 12. so he departing from his Church as the scripture saith into a farre Countrie like as he appointed diuers vicars for the administration of the sacraments so he ordained one for the gouernment of the whole Church to wit S. Peter who immediately receiued such jurisdiction and authority from him and therefore during his mortal life was his Vicegerent on earth ministerial head of his Church and chiefe gouernour Pastour and Prelate of the same And hence proceedeth the first difference betweene Christ and S. Peter touching the supremacie ouer the Church For although they be both termed supreame heads of the same yet the last of them is subordinate dependeth of the first and the first only is the supreame independent the last was the supreame visible ministerial dependent head Of which it appeareth that the authority and jurisdiction of the second was nothing prejudicial to that of the first for they may stand very wel together seing that the one was subordinate to the other Neither doe Christ and his vicar properly make two heads of the Church but one like as a King and his viceroy make not properly two Kings but one For like as the King notwithstanding his viceroy is the one chiefe prince gouernour and head of his country so is Christ the chiefe Prelate and head of his Church S. Peter vvas his vicar and vicegerent and so is at this present his successour the Bishop of Rome For the proofe of the truth of this doctrine it maketh that like as Christ in the holy scripture is called Head of the Church so he is likewise called a Apoc. 17 14. ca. 19 16. King Lord b 1. Pet. 2 25. Bishop Pastour c Heb. 3 1. cap. 5. vers 6. Apostle and Priect Wherefore like as this notwithstanding others may be Kinges Lords Bishops Pastors Apostles and Priests so another may be although not absolute yet subordinate and ministerial head of the Church After this sort also our Sauiour and S. Peter are both rocks for although Christ be the chiefe rock and stone on which the Church was built yet S. Peter was the ministerial or secondary rock made by Christ a rocke and the principal stone next vnto himselfe in the edifice of his Church In vvhich sense by S. Paul and S. Iohn Eph. 2 20 Apoc. 21. verse 14. Basil hom de poenitē quae est vltima inter varias homilias Math. 5. verse 14. Leo serm 3. āniuersario Assumptionis suae although Christ be the principal foundation of his Church yet the Apostles are likewise termed the foundation of the same This which I haue said is most learnedly and euidently declared by the holy father S. Basil in these his wordes Although S. Peter saith he be a rocke yet he is not a rocke as Christ is for Christ is the true immoueable rocke of himselfe Peter is immoueable through Christ the rocke For Iesus doth impart and communicate his dignities not voiding himselfe of them but holding them to himselfe he bestoweth them also vpon others He is the light and yet you saith he are the light He is the Priest and yet he maketh Priests He is a Rocke and yet be maketh a Rocke thus farre S. Basil The like discourse vve finde in S. Leo for expounding those vvordes of our Sauiour Thou art Peter thus he speaketh in the person of Christ to the said Apostle Whereas I am an inuiolable Rocke I the corner stone who make both one I the foundation besides which no man can lay another yet thou also art a rocke because by my power thou art made firme and strong to the end that those thinges which are proper to me by power be made common to thee by participation hitherto S. Leo. And thus much of the first difference betweene Christ and S. Peter touching their superiority ouer the Church An other difference betweene them is that the authority of Christ vvas euer absolute of S. Peter limited for our Sauiour deriued not vnto him al his authoritie but a part onlie of the same Hence it proceedeth that although Christ instituted sacraments forgaue sins vvithout the vse of anie sacraments c. yet neither S. Peter nor any of his successours euer had anie such power or authority The reason is because euery man but Christ hath alwaies beene bound to vse the meanes by him instituted and left vnto his Church Of vvhich it appeareth howe false their slaunder is vvho affirme the Pope to pardon sinnes by his Indulgences or Pardons for certaine it is that by such indulgences no sinnes are forgiuen but men are onlie released of such temporal paine as is due vnto them It is also confessed by al Catholikes that no man as long as he is guilty of mortal sinne and out of the state of grace can receiue anie benefite from any such pardon A third difference is that our Sauiour being the way the truth and life yea the sonne of God himselfe could neither erre in judgement nor in manners that is he could neither haue any false or erroneous opinion in his vnderstanding nor sinne or erre from reason and right in his wil and actions Contrariewise his vicar although as I vvil proue
the high Priest by the commandement of God had his seate and principal residence in Hierusalem their chiefe citty so the truth being taken away from the Iewes and deliuered to the Gentils it was conuenient that the See of the high Priest should be placed in Rome the principal cittie of the Gentiles Reason also proueth that there ought to be one supreame visible gouernour in the Church For seing that nothing almost is more necessarie for the preseruation and good gouernement of a common-wealth then a meane and prouision to keepe vnity in the same nothing more hurtful Math. 12. verse 25. Marke 3. verse 24. Luke 11. verse 18. then rebellion sedition and discord For euerie kingdome as truth it selfe affirmeth deuided against it selfe shal be made desolate and euery cittie or house deuided against it selfe shal not stand It is certaine that our Redeemer the wisest and most prudent law-maker that euer liued in the world in establishing his Church or kingdome which was to be peaceable glorious and euerlasting and which is also his spiritual bodie and therefore in that respect likewise to be vnited in one had a principal regard that the members of his common-wealth and bodie should be lincked together in peace and concord and not rent a sunder by schisme diuision or diuersity of faiths Out of which ground I frame this argument Christ without al doubt ordained a meane for the preseruation of vnity in his Church but vnity cannot be preserued in it without one visible head hauing jurisdiction ouer it al therefore Christ ordained one such visible head And this one head was during the time of his life the blessed Apostle S. Peter who was as I haue proued before furnished with al necessarie qualities for the execution and performance of this high office and dignity and al the children of the Church of what condition whatsoeuer were bound in matters of faith and precepts of manners concerning good and euil to obey him This reason as we haue heard Caluin before confesse was that which moued God in the old lawe to appoint one Prelate aboue the rest And for the superiority of one in the newe law it was long since assigned by * Hieron aduersus Iouinianū Hierō aduer Luciferianos S. Hierome who concerning this matter vseth these vvordes For this cause one is chosen among the twelue that a head being appointed occasion of schisme be taken away And in another place The health of the Church dependeth of the dignity of the highest Priest vnto whom if some certaine power * exors et ab homini eminens Cipriā epist 55. ad Corneliū peerles and aboue men be not giuen there wil be as many schismes in Churches as priests But long before him the same was noted by S. Ciprian who affirmeth that heresies and schismes rise in the Church of no other cause then that the Priest of God is not obeyed and that one Priest and judg in Christes place is not acknowledged In another epistle he hath this sentence a Cip. epi. 4. see him also de vnita Eccles God is one and Christ is one and the Church is one and the Chaire is one by our Lords voice founded on Peter There can no other altare be erected or newe Priesthood be made besides the one altare and one Priesthood whosoeuer doth els-where gather doth disperse And is it not apparant except there be some one superiour that may keepe vnitie and vniformitie whome al the rest ought to obey that scisme diuision and rebellion wil presently ensue wil not euery one beleeue doe and change as he pleaseth wil one conforme himselfe to another certainly he wil not of which vvil followe as many distinct faithes and religions as there be heads and fancies And of this we see most manifest proofs among our aduersaries who for want of one head ouer them al are diuided into almost an infinite number of sects wthout any hope or meane of reconciliation b Treatise of the definition nots of the Church Chap. 3. as in another place I wil declare at large But let vs exemplifie a litle in this matter It is wel knowne that in this kingdome the Puritans haue a long time by al meanes endeauoured to conforme our Protestant Church to their Geneuian platforme of discipline but what answere maketh a learned Protestant vnto them Verely he demaundeth of them c Whitgif in his ans to the admonit pa. 138. § 1. And in the defence of his said an swe tract 20. p. 702 and tract 9. c. 1. pa. 481. c. 2. § 6. p. 491 Vnto which reformed Church they would haue the English Church framed and why other reformed Churches should not as wel frame themselues vnto the forme of the English Church For saith he we are as wel assured of our doctrine and haue as good groundes and reasons for our doings as they haue He addeth I tel you againe that there is no cause why this Church of England either for truth of doctrine sincerity of publique diuine seruice and other pollicy should giue place to any Church in Christendome and sure I am that we are as neere joyned with the Lord our God as the members are to the body and the body to the head Such is the answere of this Protestant to the Puritans The like may the Puritans make vn the Protestants and Lutherans Zuinglians and other Sectaries to them both And this maketh them as I haue said to remaine in deadlie discentions vvhich euil if they would acknowledg one head would easily be remedied and remoued This reason among others moued the auncient d Iustī in ora exhor Cip. tract de idol va nit Atha aduer ido nas orati Philo l. de cōfus līgu Plat. in polit Arist l. 8. ethni c. 10. l. 12. philos c Fathers yea the Heathen philosophers themselues to affirme that Monarchia that is to say the gouernment by one chiefe head is the best and chiefest Moreouer this preseruation of vnity in general is vsed as a special argument of great force and moment by some of our a Suruey of the pretended holy disciplī cap. 8. English Protestants against the Puritans in the defence of their Primats Archbishops and Bishops For they affirme such officers to be necessary in the Church of Christ that vnity and peace in it be preserued b Field booke 3. c. 39. § thus then Because the vnity and peace of each particuler Church of God saith Field and flock of his sheepe dependeth of the vnity of the Pastour c. Therefore though there be many presbiters yet there is one Bishop among the rest to whome an eminent and peerlesse power is giuen for the auoiding of scismes and factions thus Field c Will. in his Sinopsis controuer 5. qu. 3. part 2. in the appēdix pag 237. edit 1600. Willets words to the same effect are these The distinction of Bishops and Priests is very necessary for the
neither be deceiued nor deceiue wherefore although the misteries be obscure let vs alwaies be mindeful by whom we are informed of their truth and not make the depth of our owne capacity the rule and measure of Gods power and of our faith but beleeue them When either the diuel or his instruments object any thing against our beliefe let vs say with S. Augustine Aug. serm 147. de tempore Ambrose in cap. 5. Lucae Ambr. de Abraham cap. 3. Why doe we wonder why doe we not beleeue it was God that did it and with S. Ambrose If we beleeue not God whom wil we beleeue If a grauâ—â—onourable personage I vse the same holy Doctors comparison in this life especially if he be of high degree and our better would scorne to be asked of vs a proofe for that which he affirmeth how much more ought God to be credited without proofe of humane reason when he propoundeth vnto vs a matter aboue mans reason and capacity thus in effect S. Ambrose And howe weake and feeble our reason and vnderstanding is vve may easilie perceiue by this that it is not able to comprehend the nature or causes of diuers thinges vvhich we daily behold with our eies Hence arise so many intricate difficulties in natural philosophy which the deepest wits and most learned philosophers could neuer hitherto vnfold For example what philosopher hath euer hitherto yeelded a certaine cause without any contradiction of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea Yea howe manie thinges are there in mans bodie it selfe vvhich moue no smal difficulties to philosophers as the forming of it in the mothers vvombe the concoction and distribution of nourishment the growing of it to a due proportion and stature c. What shal we say of the fiue senses by which our vnderstanding cometh to the knowledg of external and corporal thinges howe strange is their operation vvhat great and huge bodies are together truely represented in the litle compasse of the aple of the eie But I can not stand to discourse of them in particuler If we looke vp to the heauens howe can we conceiue the huge bodies of the planets seeming to our senses so smal their certaine and swift motion and their nature it selfe most admirable And if we cannot without great difficulty and discourse comprehend these ordinarie matters how dare we by our weake wit measure the omnipotent power of God and think him able to doe no more then we can conceiue Moreouer if God had not made al thinges of nothing by his onlie word we should hardly imagine such a creation to be possible seing that it is a rule among natural ageÌ„ts that of nothing nothing is made If God himselfe had not reuealed vnto vs that in the most blessed Trinitie the same simple essence or substance is in three persons vvhich therefore make but one God we should hardly haue beleeued it seing that among vs euery person hath a distinct substance or essence If faith did not teach vs that in Christ two natures the one of God the other of man make one person it would seeme incredible seing that among vs eâ—â—â—ie nature maketh a distinct person Come a litle lower if our Sauiour had not told vs Mat. 19. verse 26. Iohn 20 19. 26. that a camel by the power of God may be made to passe through the eie of an needle who would haue beleeued it If Christ had not entred into his disciples the dores being shut vvho would haue thought it possible If then our vnderstanding can not naturally comprehend these misteries which neuerthelesse euery Christian must confesse to be true we may very wel thinke vvith our selues that other such like which Heretiks deny may likewise be euen as certaine although our vnderstanding can not reach to the apprehension of them seing that they are no more repugnant to reason then the former but like as they aboue reason and proceed from the same omnipotent power of God Certainly The workes of God as we are taught by S. Gregory if they were comprehensible by reason Gregor hom 26. in Euan. were not admirable neither hath faith saith he any merit when humane reason yeeldeth an experiment or maketh the thing euident for the lesse euidence that our reason hath in matters of faith so that the things be propounded vnto vs vvith sufficient prudential motiues prouing diuine reuelation the more we merit in beleeuing according to those wordes of our Sauiour Iohn 20. verse 29. Blessed are they who haue not seene and haue beleeued And therefore concerning those workes of God principally which by faith vve are bound to beleeue Chrisost homil 21. in Genes let vs followe the learned aduise of S. Iohn Chrisostome contained in these his words following When God doth any thing saith he doe not thou examine those thinges which are done by human reason for they exceed our vnderstanding and mans thought or imagination can not reach and comprehend the reason of those thinges which are made and done by God Wherefore it is meet that we hearing what God commaunded obey and beleeue those thinges which are said by him for seing that he is the founder of nature he doth order and transforme al thinges as he thinketh good hitherto Saint Iohn Chrisostome FINIS THE SECOND PART OF THIS TREATISE SHEWING THE GROVNDES OF the newe religion In which is proued that the newe Sectaries build their faith vpon no diuine authority but that the ground of al their beliefe and religion is their owne judgement and consequentlie that they haue neither true faith nor religion Chapter 1. That by their doctrine they deny or at the least weaken the three principal and general groundes of Christian religion set downe in the three first chapters of the first part SECTION THE FIRST The number of Atheists among them is great and of the causes by them giuen of this impiety IN the three first chapters of the first part of this treatise I haue proued three principal grounds of our religion to wit the being of God and his diuine prouidence the immortallity of the soule of Man and the truth of Christianity Now perhaps the title of this chapter to some may seeme verie strange and my accusation of our aduersaries that by their doctrine they denie or vveaken these grounds verie slanderous and injurious but I desire no more credit in this matter then the reasons I shal bring wil yeeld which if I obtaine of my reader I doubt not but I shal free my selfe of al suspition of offering them any wrong But first I must declare that in this section I intend not to accuse al the newe Sectaries of Atheisme for I know very wel that they teach commonly beleeue there is a God neither doe I intend to affirme that the same man can properly be termed a newe sectarie and Atheist but mine assertion onlie is that a great number of such as are in outward shewe professours of the newe religion are
true sence of the word of God then these newe Sectaries doe and seing that their sanctity was so great malice could no vvaies blinde them Verilie any indifferent man if the matter were put to his censure although those ancient Fathers had enjoyed no farther warrant of the assistance of the holie Ghost then these newe Gospellers doe would rather imagine truth to be with them then with these But our aduersaries alleage for themselues that euery particuler man assembled in a general Councel may erre I answere that true it is that euery particuler man the Bishoppe of Rome being excepted is subject to errour but seing that the Popes judgement joyned vvith the assent of the vvhole Church in a general Councel is infallible and in such a case cannot be erroneous and no general Councel is of supreame force without his confirmation it followeth that the decrees of a laweful general Councel cannot be false The reason vvherefore the confirmation of al Councels dependeth so much of the Popes authority is because he is ministerial head of the Church of Christ and consequently the bodie must needs haue his assent and confirmation before the constitutions by it made be of force and certainely knowne to be free from errour and falshood Finallie our Protestants of England concerning general Councels haue decreed as followeth * Articles of faith agreed vppon in the Conuocations of the years 1562. and 1604. art 21. See Fulk vppon the Rhēs testamēt Mathew 8 14. Whitakers in his answer to Campions 4. reason in English pa. 110. Field book 4. of the church chapt 6. pag. 228. General Councels for as much as they be an assembly of men whereof al be not gouerned with the spirit and word of God may erre and sometimes haue erred euen in thinges pertaining vnto God wherefore thinges ordained by them as necessary to saluation haue neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holy scriptures The like censure is pronounced by their principal diuines And M. Field telleth vs that Bishops assembled in a general Councel may interpret the scripture and by their authority suppresse al them that shal gainsay such interpretations and subject euery man that shal disobey such determinations they consent vpon to excommunication and censures of the like nature Out of which his assertion it is euident that according to the prouidence and wisedome of almighty god general Councels should not be subject to errour in such matters for otherwise men might be forced and that according to his ordinances to obey such general Councels erring and propounding false doctrine But this notwithstanding the same Field in another place concludeth Lib. 4. cap. 5. pag. 204. Luther tome 2. lib. contra regem Angliae fol. 342. that Councels may erre in matters of greatest consequence Of the testimonie of the auncient Fathers thus writeth Luther in his booke against king Henrie the eight of England In the last place Henry bringeth in for the sacrifice of the Masse the saying of the Fathers Here say I that by this my sentence is confirmed for this is it which I said that the Thomistical asses haue nothing that they can bring forth but a multitude of men and the auncient vse But I as against the sayings of the Fathers of men of Angels of deuils oppose not the auncient consent not a multitude of men but the Gospel the word of the one eternal majesty Here I stand here I sit here I remaine here I boast here I triumph here I insult ouer the sayings of men be they neuer so holy insomuch that I passe not if a thousand Augustines a thousand Tertullians did stand against me Tome 5 The like sentence he hath in his famous commentarie vpon the epistle to the Galathians his wordes are these Some wil say vnto me the Church during so many ages hath so thought and taught al the primitive Churches and doctors most holy men much greater and more learned then thou art Who art thou that darest dissent from al these and obtrude vnto vs a diuers doctrine When Sathan thus vrgeth and conspireth with flesh and reason the conscience it terrified and despaireth vnlesse constantly thou returne to thy selfe and say whether Ciprian Ambrose Augustine or Peter Paul and Iohn yea an Angel from heauen teach otherwise yet this I know for certaine that I counsaile not men humane but diuine things Againe No other doctrine ought to be deliuered or heard in the Church but the pure word of God that is the holy scripture let other doctours or hearers together their doctrine be accursed Hitherto Luther confessing as vve see the vvhole primitiue Church and al the ancient Fathers to contrarie his doctrine and yet rejecting their authority and obstinately persisting and obdurating himselfe in his heretical opinions Zuinglius to 1. ī explanat artic 64. fol. 107. The same course runneth Zuinglius who discourseth thus The Papists say who shal discusse the controuersies and dissentions which are at this present in the Church Who shal judge of them Who shal pronounce sentence I answere the word of God neither wil we allowe of any other judge They affirme we denie the Masse is a sacrifice who shal be judge of the controuersie I say the one and only word of God But presently thou beginnest to cry out the Fathers the Fathers for the Fathers haue so delivered and writ thus But I relate to thee neither fathers nor mothers but require the word by this only it ought to haue beene proued that the Masse is a sacrifice thus Zuinglius The opinion of Caluin is consonant to these Calu. in praefat Instit ad regem Galiae Item booke 3. Instit chapt 4. § 38. Al things saith he discoursing of the works of the ancient Fathers are ours to serue vs not to ouer-rule vs. Againe Those things which every foot occur in the works of the old writers or Fathers touching satisfaction moue me but litle for I see that diuers of them I wil say simply as it is almost al whose works are extant either haue erred in this matter or haue spoken ouer crabbedly and hardly Our English Protestants haue sufficiently declared their opinion touching the authority of the auncient Fathers by pronouncing so hard a censure against general Councels as we haue heard Whitak contra Sander pag. 92. Hence Whitaker one of their principal Champions vseth this discourse If you argue saith he from the testimonies of men be they neuer so learned and auncient we yeeld no more to their words in cause of religion then we perceiue to be agreeable to Scripture neither thinke your selfe to haue proued any thing though you bring against vs the whole swarme of Fathers except that which they say be justified not by the voice of men but by God himselfe this is Whitakers doctrine Whitakers in his answer to Campians 2. reason p. 70. see him also in his answer to the 6. reason pag. 159.
testifie that they are from God they cary a sacred and diuine authority with them and they doe also agree in al points with the other books of god in the old testament hitherto are his words b Field booke 3. cap. 44. §. The errour Field if I doe not mistake him differeth only from others in this that whereas most of them reject al supernatural habits in our soules and attribute our beleeuing to supenatural inspiratiōs of the spirit he acknowledgeth a supernatural habit of faith which he calleth also a potential ability c Book 4. c. 13. § This judgment the light of diuine vnderstanding d Book 4. c. 8. § Thus then and the light of grace And moreouer he doth explicate himselfe a litle more in particuler then others for he distinguisheth two sorts of thinges beleeued e Book 4. c. 8. § The schoole men whereof some saith he are such as are beleeued and neuer knowne as al the matters of fact that are reported in the Scripture which we can neuer know by the immediate euidence of the things themselues but mediatly in that we knowe they are deliuered vnto vs by him that cannot lie Others are first beleeued Ibidem § Thus then and afterwards the vnderstanding being enlightned and the heart clensed they are discerned of vs to be true And he concludeth that in thinges of the first sort the formal reason of our faith or inducing vs to beleeue is the authoritie of God himselfe whome we doe most certainelie discerne to speake in the word of faith which is preached vnto vs. But in thinges of the second kinde he vvil haue the said formal reason to be the euidence of the things appearing vnto vs being enlightened by the light of grace this is the opinion of Field But in which of these two sortes of thinges he placeth the knowledge of the authority of holie Scripture I cannot so plainelie as I vvould discerne by his words this onlie I gather as certaine out of his discourse Book 4. c. 7. § Thus then first that the principal cause of our knowledge and beliefe concerning the Canonical bookes proceedeth from the habite or light of faith For this al his assertions insinuate and principally these The spirit induceth moueth and perswadeth vs to beleeue By the light of diuine vnderstanding Chapt. 13. § This judgement Chap. 7. § Thus then Chapt. 8. § Thus then Chapt. 8. Caluī book 1. of Institut chap. 7. § 4. we judge of al thinges c. Secondlie he affirmeth in plaine vvordes that besides the habit of faith or light of diuine grace are required some reasons or motiues or some reason or motiue by force whereof the spirit setleth the minde in the perswasion of the truth of thinges vvhich were formerly doubted of And this reason as we haue heard him say before in some thinges is the euidence of the thinges appearing vnto vs in others the authority of God He explicateth himselfe more plainely by these sentences of Caluin If we bring pure eies and perfect senses the majesty of God presently presenteth it selfe vnto vs in the diuine Scripture and beating downe al thoughts of contradicting or doubting of thinges so heauenly forceth vs to obey Againe After we are enlightned by the spirit we doe no longer trust either our owne judgement or the judgement of other men that the Scriptures are of God But aboue al certainty of humane judgment we most certainly resolue as if in them we saw the majesty glory of God as Moises saw in the mount that by the ministery of men they came vnto vs from Gods owne most sacred mouth Thirdlie We finde a greater light of vnderstanding shining vnto vs in this doctrine of faith then is found within the compasse of nature a * I finde not these wordes following in Caluin satisfaction touching manie thinges which humane reason could not satisfie vs in a joy and exultation of the heart such and so great as groweth not out of nature hitherto Field out of Caluin He addeth that this maketh vs assure our selues the doctrine which so affecteth vs is reuealed from God That they are the only people of God and haue the means of happinesse where this treasure of heauenly wisdome is found that these books are the richest jewel that the world posesseth and ought to be the Canon of our faith which this people deliuereth vs as receiued from them to whome these thinges were first of al made knowne and reuealed thus Field And this is the common doctrine of diuers of our Sectaries To ouerthrow this opinion I must first lay this ground To moue vs to beleeue any article of Christian religion ordinarily besides the habite of faith or some supernatural illumination of the spirit some other reasons or motiues must of necessity concurre by force of which our vnderstanding may be perswaded that the thinge propounded is credible and according to prudence may be beleeued This may be proued by authoritie of Scriptures for if no such motiues are necessary to what end did our Lord during the time of his being here on earth work such strange miracles Surely of them he saith Iohn 5 36. Iohn 10 25. Iohn 15 24. The very works themselues which I doe giue testimony of me that the Father hath sent me Againe The works that I doe in the name of my Father they giue testimony of me Finally If I had not done among them workes that no other man hath done they should not haue sinne Out of which places I may wel infer both that our Sauiour propounded his doctrine with sufficient arguments of credibility and also that if he had not so done the Iews generally had not offended God in refusing to beleeue it which is expresly affirmed by S. August tract 91. in Ioānē Augustine I adde generally because vnto the learned sort it was otherwise sufficiently proued therefore they had sinned although Christ had done no miracles yet not so grieuously This caused him likewise Mark 3 15. Luk 9 10. Mark 16. v 20. See also v. 17. 18. to giue his Apostles disciples power to doe miracles and they as S. Mark reporteth after his ascētion going forth preached euery where our Lord working withal confirming the word with signes that followed Moreouer commonly al that are said in the Gospels to haue beleeued beleeued vpon some credible motiue as the Centurion Luke 23. the Lord whose sonne was cured at Caphernaum Iohn 4. verse 46.53 and diuers others And so those wordes of S. Rom. 10.14 Paul are vnderstood Howe shal they beleeue him whom they neuer heard and howe shal they heare without a preacher that is without one both expounding the rule of faith vnto them and also propounding such reasons as are sufficient to moue them to beleeue This also al the Apostles practised as appeareth by their sermons recorded in the acts of the Apostles Nay further in the old
precisely as they are the object of our faith they al haue no other euidence then diuine reuelation as is proued before which is alwaies obscure What then is this medium or meane according to Field Is it any humane conjecture motiue or probability This cannot be according to his owne doctrine as appeareth in the same place and the chapter before Nay in another place he telleth vs Book 4. chap. 20. § Much contention that the books of Scripture winne credite of themselues and yeeld sufficient satisfaction to al men of their diuine truth and therefore he seemeth to exclude al external proofe Is it then any thing contained in the things themselues Neither can this be said for euery thing contained in the thinges themselues belonging to their essence is as obscure as the things themselues be and consequently no such thing contained in the things themselues can be such a meane to manifest themselues vnto vs. And vvhat accident he vvil assigne in the articles of our faith making them manifest vnto vs I cannot imagine Secondly I cannot see how this assertion of Field doth agree with that his common principle Field book 4. chap. 13.8 book 3. chap. 42. auouching that the Scripture is the Canon and ground of their beliefe and that they rest in the determination of the word of God as in the rule of their faith For how can this be if the euidence of the things appearing vnto vs be sometimes the formal reason of our faith as is in like sort by him auerred But to make this discourse a litle more manifest let vs demaund a question or two in particuler of M. Field and see howe he vvil resolue them according to his doctrine deliuered I aske therefore of him why he beleeueth there be three persons and one God two natures in Christ and one person and the resurrection of our bodies Wil he answere that the euidence of the thinges appearing vnto him is the formal cause of his faith or inducing him to beleeue these misteries If he doe not he contradicteth his own doctrine If he doe he contradicteth both al sense and reason and also himselfe making the Scripture the ground of faith except he affirme these misteries to be euident not in themselues but in the medium or meane by force whereof they are beleeued For which medium if he wil be constant to himselfe he must assigne the holie Scripture vvhich Scripture he must say is beleeued through the authority of God himselfe whome vve doe most certainly discerne to speake in the word of faith which is another cause of beliefe assigned by him for such thinges as we beleeue and doe not knowe so that this authority of God is the last motiue not the holy Scripture and what other processe he wil make I cannot perceiue But what doth he and Caluin vnderstand by that other reason which he tearmeth The authority of God himselfe whome we doe certainly discerne to speake in the word of faith which is preached vnto vs and Caluin The majesty of God which doth present it selfe vnto vs What is this authority and majesty of God and how doe we so certainly discerne it Verily for my part I am so farre from knowing how to discerne it as I cannot vvel imagine vvhat they meane by it yet if I be not deceiued they affirme that the authority of God or his majestie is seene in the letter of holie Scripture vvhich moueth vs by a supernatural and most infallible assent to acknowledge it to be his holy word But first this is said gratis and vvithout any ground or reason for what authority or majesty can a man discerne in such bookes as our aduersaries receiue as Canonical more then in those which they reject For example what appeareth to vs more diuine in the bookes of Ecclesiastes then in the bookes of Ecclesiasticus surely nothing much lesse so much as may be an infallible and knowne meane to moue vs to beleeue the one as diuine and to reject the other as Apocriphal Moreouer howe doe vve knowe that this representation of diuine majestie or this diuine authoritie vvhich as vve conceaue doth represent it selfe vnto vs is not either some illusion of the Deuil or some strong imagination of our owne proceeding onlie from some affection which vpon some other motiues we beare to such and such bookes of Scripture Trulie we haue great cause to feare that it may proceed from some such affection seeing that Luther and most of al his Lutherans confesse al the Sacramentaries generallie to be deceaued in such their apprehensions concerning the epistle to the Hebrewes the epistle of Saint Iames the Apocalipse of S. Iohn and other parcels of Scripture And why not concerning others as vvel as these Vnto vvhich I adde that they commonly make their doctrine a rule whereby to try which is Scripture and vvhich is not as I vvil demonstrate hereafter and appeareth by the causes assigned by Luther vvhich moued him to reject the epistle of Saint Iames. It may also be objected against this their doctrine that of it it seemeth to followe that no man can be assured of the diuine authority of any other bookes of Scripture then of those which he hath read himselfe or heard others read For first no man can possibly proue to another that in reading such and such books he did discerne in then the authority of God himselfe speaking or that the diuine majesty did in them present it selfe vnto him vvherefore vnto this that a man may judg of holy Scripture he must himselfe read or heare the words and sentences read and this he must doe before he can haue any faith For seeing that they make the Scripture the rule and ground of their beliefe the Scripture must first be knowne before they can beleeue and seeing that no one booke containeth al things necessary to be beleeued but such things are dispersed through al it is necessarie that he know the whole Canon of Scripture and consequentlie that he reade or heare it al rehearsed sentence by sentence And what a Laborinth is this how can the vnlearned that cannot reade doe it Nay how many Protestants in the world haue euer performed it Wherefore I conclude that this rule or meane how to know holy Scripture is neither easie plaine certaine nOr vniuersal Perhaps it may be thought by some that Field assigneth the euidence of the thinges appearing vnto vs in holy Scriptures as the formal cause of our beleefe concerning their authority but this cannot be both because our beleefe concerning their Canonical authority seemeth to be concerning a matter of fact to wit vvhether they vvere penned by the instinct of the holie Ghost or no as also because a great part of them rehearseth matters of fact which Field denieth to be knowne by the authority of God himselfe whome we doe certainly discerne to speake in the word of faith Field book 4. chapt 15. Adde likewise that by his confession
priuate inspirations of the spirit And hence it is that the Prophet Ezechiel saith * Ezechielis 13. verse 3. August tract 45. in Ioan. Woe to the foolish Prophets who followe their owne spirit and see nothing Finally the auncient Heretikes as S. Augustine doth testifie boasted of such illuminations There are innumerable saith he who doe not only boast that they are videntes or Prophets but wil seeme to be illuminated or enlightened by Christ but are Heretikes And thus much against the infallible truth of illuminations in general Let vs nowe apply some of these general reasons to the knowledg of Scripture by illumination in particuler and also vrge them a litle further First therefore I demaund whether this illumination concerning the authority of Scriptures be common to al or particuler to some If common to al it consequentlie followeth that al men reading the Scriptures are thus infalliblie and super-naturally inspired of their truth but that al men are not thus generally and infallibly led to the knowledge of such diuine bookes it is apparant by our aduersaries dissention not only from the auncient fathers but also among themselues touching this very point For did none of the Fathers judge such bookes Canonical as al Protestants commonly reject it cannot be denied but they did for it is euident Field book 4. chap. 23. concil Carthag 3. canon sess 47. See also S. Aug. de praedest cap. 14. Cap. 8. sect 1. and plainely gathered out of Field himselfe that the third councel of Carthage in which as he truly saith S. Augustine was present numbred the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and of the Machabees in the Canon Doe they also among themselues al admitte and reject the same bookes nothing lesse Luther and his Lutherans reject some which Caluin our English Protestants and others auouch to be Canonical and this shal at large be proued hereafter But they vvil say this inspiration is particular only to some that are enlightened by the spirit or as Caluin insinuateth only to the elect Caluī Instit book 1. chap. 7. § 5. and this seemeth to be their common opinion Against which I oppose first that of this would followe that there is no certaine rule in the Church whereby al men may come to a certaine knowledge of Gods word which assertion is verie absurd especially if the written vvord of God be the only rule of faith as they contend Secondly the Scripture yeeldeth vs no warrant for a diuine assurance of any such inspiration that there is any such in the Church They wil say that diuers sentences of the vvord of God plainely approue it but the contrary is already shewed and besides this is to fal into a circle by prouing the truth of Scriptures by diuine inspirations or illuminations and the truth of this againe by Scripture Thirdly it cannot be proued by Scripture that this inspiration if there be any such is particular to some and not common to al. Fourthly although we should grant this to some yet no man can by any warrant of Scripture or prudential ground assuredlie knowe that he hath such an inspiration especially considering first that diuers sectaries haue beene deceiued falsly pretended such inspirations as appeareth by their contrariety Nay I may further adde that either al Protestants are now deceiued in their judgement concerning certaine bookes or els that S. Augustine with the whole Councel of Carthage erred touching them in times past as appeareth by that which is said a litle before and no man wil deny but an error in either of these giueth a man just cause to mistrust his owne illumination For certaine it is that S. Augustine was guided by the spirit as farre forth as any Sectarie Secondly his judgement may also growe doubtful out of this that the same man may haue as they say a diuine inspiration touching one booke and be deceiued touching another Stocke and Whitakers in the answer to Duraeus the first reason pag. 48. for so saith Stocke out of Whitakers who telleth vs that Al thinges are not reuealed to al alike and that al haue not the same measure of the spiritte Out of vvhich he draweth an excuse of the Lutherans if they beleeued vvel of some and rejected not vvel other bookes of Scripture and this likewise seemeth to be gathered out of Caluin aboue cited Fiftlie others haue no meanes to knowe vvho receiueth such an inspiration and consequently it only profiteth the man himselfe who hath it and no other person this cannot be denied for Luther boasted of the spiritte as farre forth as Caluin yet they disagreed concerning the Canonical books and were of different faiths And what reason haue we either to graunt or deny this inspiration more to the one then to the other or vvhat arguments can be brought by the one which cannot be vsed by the other yea of this I infer further that neither of them had any such diuine inspiration for seeing that both were not inspired with the holy Ghost and one of them had no stronger proofes for his inspiration then the other we ought to giue no more credit to the one then to the other and seing that we cannot beleeue them both vve cannot according to reason credit either of them And in very deed neither of them is able to bring any certaine reason or authority able to perswade any other that he hath a supernatural inspiration shewing that this and that is holy scripture Finally of this whole opinion follow two other great inconueniences or absurdities first it giueth euery man licence to reject and admit books of holy Scripture out or into the Canon at his pleasure according to his fancy for there is no Sectary but may alleage the maiesty of the letter the euidence of thinges contained in it pure eies and perfect senses the light of grace or internal inspiration for the proof of his owne particuler opinion concerning canonical Scripture that with as great probability as any other Sectary be he Lutheran Sacramentary or of what other sect soeuer Neither can this refel him vnlesse they refute themselues In like sort if he deny these proofes to any book whatsoeuer no man can conuince him of error and of this may follow without any certainty almost as many opinions of this matter as there be heads Secondly by this allowance of an inspiration for the proofe of the letter of canonical Scripture the way is opened to the allowance of priuate inspiration also for the knowledg of the true sense and exposition of the same vvhich is denied by Field Field booke 4. chap. 16. and is in very deed a very fountaine of discord and confusion But what proofs can they bring for the one which cannot be applied to yea not aswel proue the other And these reasons as I imagine moued the authors before named to flie from this priuate inspiration to Tradition and the authority of the Church Vnto whome in my
against al for the word of God is foolishnes to mans reason 1 Cor. 1. And they would neuer haue vttered this had they had any regard of the Scripture and were not their harts ful of infidelity so as their mouth speaketh out of the aboundance of their hart Fol. 391. Finally he concludeth thus If these be the groundes and reasons which should certifie vs of the truth and proue our faith and confirme our conscience he meaneth such groundes and reasons as are brought from natural discourse and Philosophy then truly we are in euil case If a man had deliuered me such bookes without title or name as are vvritten by the Sacramentaries and I knewe not otherwise such learned and excellent men to haue beene the Authours of them I should surely haue thought that some iesting Comediant or Turkish vagabond had made them in despite and derision of Christians Verily I see not howe they can be excused with any probable pretence as many other Heretikes haue had for it appeareth that they play with Gods word of wilfulnesse and malice And I thinke it cannot be that such cold toyes and bablings should indeede moue a Turke or Iewe much lesse a Christian c. Centur. 4. in praefat This and much more hath Luther The Magdeburgians likewise tel vs that some and they meane the Sacramentaries flatly by Philosophical reasons make voide and frustrate the Testament of our Lord so as they take away the body and bloud of Christ touching his presence and communication which presence and communication is according to the most cleare most euident most true and most puissant wordes of Christ and they deceiue men with maruelous equiuocation of speach hitherto the Centurie writers Of the same opinion touching the ground of the Sacramentary doctrine is Westphalus for the Sacramentaries against the real presence vrge this argument Westphalus in Apolog. cōtra Caluin c. 19. pag. 194. anno 1558. The body of man is circumscribed in a place therefore at one time it cannot be but in in one place therefore not in al places where the supper is ministred vnto vvhich Westphalus replieth thus Is not saith he this Geometrical argument featched from Euclides demonstrations the piller and vpholder of al these Sacramētaries Doth not this vphold the building of their sillogismes which corrupt verie many places of Scripture Most truly is verified of the Sacramentaries that memorable saying Take from Heretikes that wherein they agree with Philosophers and they cannot stand Take from the Sacramentaries that which they drawe from Philosophie and how smal a quantity wil remaine of the great volumes of al the Sacramentaries Howe long wil it be before the doctrine of Berengarius fal to the ground Wel and truly wrote Tertullian that Philosophers are the Patriarkes of Heretikes for Philosophy brought forth al Heresies and shee begat the error of Zwinglius Thus much out of the Lutherans in defence of the real presence against the Sacramentaries and their vvorkes generally are ful of such discourses Hence it appeareth that according to their judgement the beliefe of the real presence is built vpon holy Scripture and the denial of it vpon Geometrical and Philosophical reasons But finde we no proofes for our Catholike exposition of the afore said vvordes in the Sacramentaries themselues Truly first Caluin auoucheth that vnlesse a man wil cal God a deceiuer Caluin Institut booke 4. cha 17. §. 10. he can neuer be so bold as to say that he setteth before vs an empty signe and this he is forced to affirme through the euidence of the wordes of Scripture Secondly it is the opinion of diuers learned men of this sect yea of some esteemed by them Martirs that our doctrine touching this point may be held without any peril of damnation or seperation from the one true spiritual body of Christ his holy Church Of which opinion among others was William Tindal whome Whetenhal honoureth with this title * Whetēhal in his discourse of the abuses c. pag. 134. William Tindal that blessed martir of God the first man that euer brought the Gospel of Christ into English print and therefore saith this Puritan he may worthely be called our English Euangelist yea our booke of martirs a Fox p. 883. edit 1. calleth him the true Apostle of our latter daies and that much more justly then Popish Augustine the first Arch-bishop of Canterbury is so tearmed by diuers Thus Whetenhal This Tindal I say as also Frith Barnes and Cranmer of whome the said Whetenhal b Whetenhal ibid. p. 157. in an other place as is related by c Fox in Tind Fox himselfe held it d Frith Barnes and Cranmer especially pag. 500. edit anno 1563. a thing indifferent to belieue or not belieue the real presence Of the same opinion is e Couel in his def of Hooker art 11. M. Couel a man of good account among the English Protestants f Doue perswasion p. 11. Doue also vvriteth that in fundamental points of doctrine the greatest Papists in the world agree with them And seing that we agree not vvith them in this it is manifest that in his judgement this is no fundamental point It may likewise be vvel gathered out of Fields assertions g See Field booke 3. chap. 3. and 4. in his third booke of the Church that his sentence is conformable But vvhat neede I rehearse particular authors For this must of necessity be h See the Apologie of the Church of England par 3. pag. 100. Sutcliffe in his answere to the Ward-word pag. 21. Fulke vpon the Rhemes Testam Ephes 4. vers 4. c. granted by al the Sacramentaries who make one Church of themselues and the Lutherans And of this the reason is apparent because although the Lutherans differ from vs in the manner yet vvith vs they confesse Christ to be really and corporally present in the Eucharist Vnto vvhich if we adde that our doctrine touching the manner it selfe howe this is done in the Sacramentaries judgement is more tollerable then Luthers it vvil followe that there can be no reason assigned why we should receaue a harder censure for our belief then they for theirs And doth not Caluin himselfe auerre this to be so It must needes be granted For certaine it is that almost al the Lutherans to defend this real presence of Christ in the Sacrament affirme his humane nature to be really present vvheresoeuer is his Deity Caluin Institut booke 4. chap. 17. § 30 See also the preface to the harmony of confessions which Caluin calleth the monstrous being of Christ euery where and saith the Papists doctrine is more tollerable or at the least more shamefaste then this Nay al the vvhole company of Sacramentaries in forraine Countries are more vehement in oppugning this then ours Wherefore if the Lutherans according to the doctrine of the Sacramentaries this notwithstanding are neither excluded from heauen nor the Church a man
may likewise belieue as we doe and be barred from neither and consequently it cannot be said that our faith is opposite to the vvord of God I may vrge this a little further for seing that the Sacramentaries beliefe is so hardly censured both by vs and the Lutherans and the Lutheran opinion both by vs and the Sacramentaries seing moreouer ours by the Lutherans is esteemed better then that of the Sacramentaries as al the vvorld knoweth and it appeareth true by this that the Lutherans condemne it not as heretical yea * Luth. de captiuit Babylon Itē serm de Eucharist serm de venerabili Sacramēto c. tom 7. Germ. fol. 20. in Visitat Saxonica Luther alloweth of it as tollerable and by the Sacramentaries preferred before that of the Lutherans a man according to the rules of wisdome is rather to thinke ours comformable to truth and the written word of God then that either of the Lutherans or Sacramentaries But it may be vrged against vs that diuers a See Whitakers reprehension against Martin p. 11. learned Sacramentaries censure our doctrine to be of thinges incredible and impossible I answere although some of this sect be so blaspheamous against the omnipotent power of God as so to affirme it yet others protest that they neuer doubted of Gods power herein that he is able to effect it but they say he neuer did it as may be seene in b Iewel in his reply against Harding art 10. §. 9. M. Iewel and others Wherefore according to these men our faith is of thinges by vs in this life incomprehensible and aboue the ordinary course of reason not of thinges impossible Neither is this peculiar and proper only to this mistery but also common to other articles of our faith as to our beliefe touching the most blessed Trinity the Incarnation of Christ the resurrection of our bodies c. Nay if Caluin and some of his disciples say true this is verified euen in their doctrine concerning the Eucharist For Caluin himselfe discourseth thus Although it seeme incredible Caluin Institut booke 4. cha 17 §. 10. that in so great distance of places the flesh of Christ reacheth to vs that it may be meate to vs for they hold the body and bloud of our Lord to be alwaies as farre from vs as is the highest heauen yet let vs remember howe much the secret power of the Spirit surmounteth aboue al our senses and howe foolish a thing it is to goe about to measure his vnmeasurablenesse by our measure That therfore which our mind comprehendeth not let our faith conceiue c. Againe Ibid. §. 24. The doctrine it selfe which I haue declared doth clearely enough shewe that I doe not measure this mistery by the proportion of mans reason nor doe make it subject to the lawes of nature He addeth that he is more then senselesse that perceaueth not many miracles to be contained in this mistery as he deliuereth it and that nothing is more beside nature or more incredible Finally Ibid. §. 32. nowe if any man saith he aske me of the manner howe Christ is joyned to vs in the supper I wil not be ashamed to confesse that it is a higher secret then that it can either be comprehended with my wit or vttered with my wordes and to speake it more plainly I rather feele it then I can vnderstand it Therefore I doe herein without controuersie embrace the truth of God in which I may safely rest Hitherto are Caluins wordes The like hath the French Confession French cōfession art 36. in Harmony of confess sect 14. pag. 426. in which his disciples affirme that this mistery of our vnion with Christ in the supper is so high a thing that it surmounteth al our senses yea and the whole order of nature that it being diuine and heauenly cannot be perceaued nor apprehended but by faith Nowe if these thinges be so vvho can make any great difference betweene Caluins doctrine and ours in this that his is of thinges credible and possible ours of thinges incredible and impossible Are not both according to his sayings of thinges incomprehensible Verily whosoeuer considereth wel his vvordes and obserueth his rules vvil not be very much moued vvith any of the Sacramentaries arguments conuincing as they imagine the real presence by vs taught to be impossible Thus then we see that by the confession of our aduersaries the vvordes of our Lord This is my body according to their literal and plaine sense are an euident proofe of the real presence against which their sense no humane or Philosophical reasons as they likewise auouch are to be admitted Let vs nowe see howe our said aduersaries relate al our Predecessours especially the Christians of the first ages after Christ to haue expounded the said wordes And in this point I neede not be long or spend much labour because the Lutherans haue not beene altogither negligent in gathering such testimonies of antiquity against their enemies the Sacramentaries as make for the real presence and ouerthrowe the Sacramentary doctrine This appeareth in diuers of their * Se the Magdeburgians in their cēturies and others bookes published to the view of the vvhole vvorld in which they declare euen to the eie that al the auncient Fathers held and taught the true real and corporal presence of Christes body and bloud in the Eucharist Nay some of them grant certaine of the Fathers to haue belieued transubstantiation so the Century writers affirme a Centur. 5. c. 4. col 517. that S. Chrysostome seemeth to confirme it and that b Centur. 4. c. 4. col 294. see also ca. 6. col 480. S. Athanasius S. Ambrose and S. Gregory make for it Luther himselfe telleth vs that c Luth. tom 7. in defens verborum coenae fol. 391. this is worthy of admiration that none of the Fathers of whome there is an infinite number did euer speake of the Sacrament so as doe the Sacramentaries but cleane contrary And vvhat say the Sacramentaries d Martir in defens ad object Gardiner part 4. p. 724. See also his epist annexed to his cōmon places pag. 106. to Beza and p. 98 to Caluin Peter Martir plainely refuseth to subscribe to S. Cyrils doctrine touching this matter Beza auerreth that e Beza epist. Theolog. 8. pag. 73. 74. most of the most auncient Fathers thought it meete to hide or keepe secret the holy misteries of the Christians he meaneth the celebration of the Eucharist no otherwise then the misteries of Ceres in so much as they admitted not the Catechumenes that is such as belieued yet vvere not baptized to behold them And vvhy so if Christ be not really and corporally present in the Eucharist Field also confesseth that f Field booke 3. chap. 34. pag. 149. in the primatiue Church the manner of many was to receaue the Sacrament and not to be partakers of it presently but to carry it home with
Wherefore in like manner vse they not to wash one anothers feete Iohn 13. Haue vve not for this an expresse example and commandement of our Sauiour vvherefore finally anoint they not their sicke vvith oile Is not this directly commanded by S. Iames Iam. 5. v 14. verily the text according to their owne translation is euident In these and diuers other points they follow not their owne text of holy Scriptures but rejecting both it and al other groundes doe that which pleaseth best their owne fancies and this neglect of the vvord of God among them is so apparent that they are after a sort inforced to confesse it themselues Martir in 1. Cor. 15. v. 5. see also Field of the Church booke 4. c. 20 §. That the Apostles Among the rest Peter Martir auoucheth that the Canons of the Apostles concerning the election of Ministers prescribed by S. Paul 1. Tim. 3. are not alwaies to be obserued with whome accordeth a Beza in praefat noui test dicati Principi Condensi Beza who telleth vs that al rites vvhatsoeuer vsed by the Apostolike Church either as profitable or as necessary for that time are not at al times to be receiued Yea b Caluin in c. 5. vers 14. Brētius in Apolog cōfess Wittenb cap. de Baptis Caluin and Brentius goe further and affirme that Christians are not bound to followe the example of Christ or the Apostles or to obey their doctrine except it can be proued out of Scripture that they did and commanded vvith an intention to be followed and obeyed this is their doctrine And vvho are to be judges vvhat Canons rites examples and doctrine are to be admitted and bind man to the obseruation of them but euery priuate mans judgement and fancy Besides this they obserue diuers rites not prescribed in the Scripture if vve followe the bare letter For vvhere finde they that there be two Sacraments Surely neither Baptisme nor the Eucharist in the vvord of God are called Sacraments Only Matrimony which commonly they esteeme not to be of such dignity is honoured by S. Paul vvith this title Moreouer Ephes 5 32. vvhere are the forme and ceremonies vvhich they obserue in publike Baptisme Communion Marriage and common Praier ordained and set downe in the Scripture What vvarrant haue they in the vvord of God for baptizing of Infants before they actually beleeue did not our Sauiour say He that beleeueth and is baptized shal be saued Mar. 16 16. and howe doe infants according to their doctrine for they vsually denie al habitual faith beleeue verily that vvhich is affirmed by c Luther lib. cont Cochlaeum Lutherani in Sinod Wittenb anno 1536. Luther and some Lutherans to vvit that infants newly borne vvhiles they are baptized haue the vse of reason actually heare and beleeue the vvord of God c. seemeth altogither incredible But d Luther ser contra Anabaptistas Luther else-where plainely confesseth that the Baptisme of infants cannot be proued by Scripture yet saith he e Luther epist. ad duos Parochos it is to be admitted because it is an Apostolical tradition The like questions I could demand concerning the Creede of the Apostles and diuers other obseruations vvherefore I conclude that they both neglect the obseruation of diuers thinges prescribed in the holy Scripture and also obserue sundry rites and ceremonies for vvhich in them they find no vvarrant and consequently that the ground of their faith and religion is not the word of God contained as they say in their owne Bibles Of which I finally inferre that they build not at al vpon the letter of the holy Scripture for certaine it is that their owne translated Bibles fauour more their doctrine then either the Hebrewe or Greeke text as euery man may gather of that vvhich hath beene said in the Chapter next before vvherefore seing that their faith and religion is not al approued in their said Bibles euery man may wel censure it not to be approued at al by the vvord of God And this may be confirmed because they neither build vpon the Hebrewe Greeke or Latin text but in some places reject them al as I haue partly aboue declared and vvil declare also in the next Chapter Chapter 8. In receiuing translating and expounding the holy Scriptures they only build vpon their owne fancies and judgement and that they haue no other ground SECTION THE FIRST In which this is proued by their doctrine and dissention concerning the bookes of Canonical Scripture and their altering of the text of the same HAVING already proued that our aduersaries build not vpon the bare letter of holy Scripture which they seeme to make the only ground and rule of their faith and religion it remaineth that I nowe declare and make manifest vvhat is the ground and rule vvhich in al such matters they followe And this in the title of this Chapter I haue affirmed to be their owne fancy and imagination by which they either by priuate and erroneous deductions out of the letter of holy Scripture or by falsly vnderstanding of the same frame to themselues a particular and false rule of beliefe or else first frame to themselues out of their carnal faithlesse and feeble vnderstanding such a rule and afterwardes by rejection false translation corruption or erroneous exposition ply and vvrest the word of God to their said rule For the proofe of this I could vse diuers arguments notwithstanding these fewe following for breuities sake shal suffice But before I bring forth any one reason I must here diuide al the Professours of the newe religion into three sorts or companies for some of them read and vnderstand the Scriptures in those tongues in vvhich they were first penned by the instinct of the holy Ghost others there be that reade and vnderstand them only translated into other tongues and others that cannot reade at al. The first for distinctions sake I wil here cal the learned the second the vnlearned and the third the ignorant sectaries In the foure first Sections I wil principally discourse of the learned And first I demand of them howe they proue the Bible to be Canonical Scripture verily this as I haue shewed before cannot be proued by Canonical Scripture neither haue they for it as I haue there also declared any other infallible proofe vvherefore I may truly auouch that euery one of them receiueth and rejecteth Scripture according as he is led by his owne fancy But to make this more euident let vs behold their dissention concerning the Canonical bookes and consider that such as some of them receiue into the Canon others reject and contrariwise such as some reject others receiue Luther telleth vs plainly that he doth not beleeue al thinges were so done as is related in the booke of * Luther in sermonib cōuiualibus titul de Patriarchis Prophetis titul de libris veteris nouitestam Iob and further disgraceth the said booke by
Scripture for a man as Field saith must be spiritual before he can vnderstand the Scripture and howe spiritual vvithout faith and vvhereupon shal this faith be built vpon the Scripture this cannot be because without it he cannot vnderstand the Scripture and howe can he build his faith vpon Scripture before he vnderstandeth it of which it followeth as I haue said that the Scripture is not the first and only rule of our faith as they affirme Neither can it be auerred that the first faith is not properly faith for as they confesse it maketh a man spiritual and is the ground of the vnderstanding the true sense of Scripture and consequently must be a true faith and properly so called Secondly Field requireth a minde free from the thought of other thinges depending on God as the fountaine of illumination desiâ—â—â—s of the truth with resolution to imbrace it though contrary to the conceit of natural men But first this also seemeth to presuppose faith and grace yea some extraordinary perfection more then is ordinarily found in the greater part of Christians Secondly I dislike those his vvordes desirous of the truth with resolution to imbrace it if they be vnderstood of matters of faith for they seeme to pretend a certaine kinde of doubt and staggering vvhich must not be allowed in such points especially in spiritual men as before Thirdly he thinketh the knowledge of the rule of faith formerly set downe necessary as also of the practise of the Saints according to the same Of this his rule of faith formerly by him set downe booke 3. chap. 4. I haue said something before Part. 2. chap. 4. As touching this his present doctrine it is certaine that most men wil not allow of his said rule but either vvil condemne it as insufficient in not conteining al thinges necessary or as ouer-large in containing thinges superfluous vvherefore this his third rule in this part is very vncertaine But in very deede that the Scriptures ought to be interpreted according to the rule of faith that is the whole summe of Christian religion preserued as a Depositum in the Church Part. 1. chap. 7. sect 5. I haue proued in the first part of this Treatise Moreouer as before I argued against the first rules so I argue against this that of it may be inferred that our faith is not built vpon the holy Scripture because the rule of faith must be a rule by vvhich the scriptures are to be expounded of which it followeth that it selfe is not knowne and belieued through the authority of the scripture Against the second part of this rule I oppose only Part. 2. chap. 4. that according to his groundes of which I haue discoursed before the practise of the Saints can very hardly be gathered out of the monuments of antiquity especially concerning such matters as Field denieth to be of the substance of our faith vvherefore this also maketh euery exposition of scripture obscure and of an vncertaine truth Fourthly is required saith he a due consideration what wil followe vpon our interpretation agreing with or contrary to the thinges generally receiued and beleeued among Christians in which consideration the conference of other places of Scripture and the thinges there deliuered is necessary To this I say first that if Luther had wel obserued this rule he had neuer broached newe doctrine in the Church Secondly the insufficiency of it is euident See before Part. 2. chap. 4. if Fields doctrine before set downe concerning the errour of almost al Christians be true Fiftly he requireth the consideration of the circumstances of the places interpreted the occasion of the wordes the thinges going before and following after Sixtly he also requireth the knowledge of al those Histories arts and sciences which may helpe vs. Both these I let passe as necessary yet not as sufficient to giue vs infallible assurance Seauenthly he thinketh the knowledge of the original tongues necessary and of the phrases and Idiotismes of them To which I say that although I thinke this a great helpe yea absolutely necessary according to the Protestant doctrine because they make the scripture the only ground of their faith and neuerthelesse haue no diuine meane or prudent reason to assure themselues that any one hath translated them truly yet it cannot be sufficient Neither is it according to our Catholike proceedings so needful both because vve are sure that we haue the text truly translated and also because we make not the scripture the propounder of our beliefe but expound it according to the rule of faith deliuered and receiued These are M. Fields helps and rules which he setteth downe as a meane where by we may be assured that vve haue found out the true meaning of scripture And although euery man may perceiue by that vvhich I haue said against some of them in particular howe vveake and doubtful they are Yet I vvil adde a vvord or two of them in general And first I aske M. Field howe he knoweth these his helps and rules to be sufficient can he proue their sufficiency by any diuine testimony or infallible argument nothing lesse and therefore I imagine that in the beginning he doth not so confidently affirme it but vseth these vvordes I thinke we may thus resolue and yet that diuine proofe or at the least some forcible reason is necessary it can not be denied because the true interpretation of Scripture is their principal ground of faith no interpretation in a matter doubtful can be infallibly knowne otherwise then by the aforesaid meanes Are also al these his helps and rules necessary See Willet in his Synopsis controuers 1. quaest 7. See also part 2. chap. 5. sect 1. before neither this vvil be admitted by his bretheren vvho reject the greater part of them and he must needes in a matter of such importance as this is according to their principles condemne them of great ignorance and errour if he absolutely affirme them al necessary Secondly I gather out of these rules that no man can diuinely or infallibly assure himselfe of the truth of any other mans exposition This is manifest because no man can by diuine testimony or prudential ground know that any other man hath sufficiently proceeded according to al these rules nay what ignorant person can so knowe the sufficiency of any learned man that he is sufficiently instructed in the tongues c. that he may embrace his opinion as diuine Finally no man can after this sort assuredly knowe that an other hath an illumination of the vnderstanding and that his mind is disposed according to the second rule which thinges neuerthelesse Field vvil haue required for the attaining of the right vnderstanding of holy Scripture Thirdly that appeareth to be very false vvhich is auerred by Field to vvit that a man following such directions as he prescribeth may not only assure himselfe of the truth of holy Scriptures but also conuince the aduersaries and gainesaiers for
he that this inspiration is from the holy Ghost vvhat reason miracle reuelation or infallible vvarrant hath he to assure himselfe of this vvhere doth he finde that God hath promised that the holy ghost shal assist and preserue euery priuate mans vnderstanding from errour that praieth for his assistance Howe doth he likewise knowe that his praier is good and acceptable in the sight of God verily this is most vncertaine and yet otherwise by our praiers we obtaine not our requests and that the holy Ghost doth not vsually inspire euery man that so praieth for the truth it is apparent For suppose that an English Protestant and a Geneuian Puritan be at controuersie touching the same sentence I and the father am one and after ordinary discourses not agreeing they betake themselues both to their praiers and desire God to instruct them of the true sense of the said vvordes Wil they after their praiers forthwith agree and be of one opinion Certainely this is not their custome What then The English Protestant vvil say the spirit hath taught me that the Father and the Sonne are one in substance the Puritan contrariwise according to the doctrine of his master a Caluin in Ioan. 10 30. Caluin approued by b Whitaker in his answere to Campians eight reason pag. 204. M. Whitaker wil affirme that the spirit hath taught him that the aforesaid sentence is to be vnderstood of vnity in power consent not in substance The ancient writers or fathers saith Caluin abused this place to proue Christ consubstantial to the Father for neither doth Christ dispute of vnity of substance but of the consent which he hath with the Father Thus Caluin Which sense this Puritan may also confirme as Whitakers doth with that sentence of our Lord vsed when he praied for his Disciples that they might be one Iohn 17 21. That they al may be one said he as thou O father art in me and I in thee And be not these inspirations contrary did the holy Ghost in this case inspire them both Truly it is impossible And thus the Lutherans and Sacramentaries the Protestants and Puritans with diuers other sectaries after many praiers vsed on euery side remaine yet at mortal jarres concerning diuers matters in controuersie betweene them Neither can it be said that one part without al doubt is assured of the truth for one hath no more vvarrant for his assurance then another and consequently seing that they cannot be al assisted with diuine inspiration vve may wel affirme that none of them are certaine that they enjoy this prerogatiue yea vve may very vvel denie it vnto them al but of this matter I haue treated aboue For mine intent at this present it is sufficient that by praier the vnlearned sectary without some special reuelation or vvarrant from God which none of them receiue cannot assure himselfe that his opinion is true Wherefore let vs yet further suppose that he remaine hitherto doubtful as vpon these groundes he should Is there now any other thing to be done for his better resolution If al this say his aduisers suffice not he must repaire for his better instruction to the learned and aske their counsaile If he demand whither the learned may not erre in their counsaile they grant it If he vrge them to giue him a certaine and infallible rule whereby to discerne in their doctrine truth from falshood they tel him that when the learned speake according to the vvord of God they say true otherwise when they swarue and stray from the said word Sutcliffe against the wardword encont 2. pag. 54. So our countriman Sutcliffe plainely affirmeth that we are to beleeue euery thing which our Pastors teach vs but as farre as they teach the doctrine of Christ IESVS Nor are we saith he absolutely to obey them but when they teach according to the lawe Wherefore one of our Arch-puritans of Caluin whome the followers of his sect esteeme aboue al others vvriteth thus We receiue M. Caluin and weigh of him T. Cartwright in D. Whitgifts defence tract 2. cap. 4. pag. 111. as of the notablest instrument that the Lord hath stirred vp for the purging of his Churches and restoring of the plaine and sincere interpretation of the Scriptures which hath beene since the Apostles time and yet we doe not so reade his workes that we beleeue anything to be true because he saith it but so farre as we can esteeme that which he saith doth agree with the Canonical scriptures And this is their common doctrine Behold therefore this poore perplexed man is sent back againe to the Scripture And is not this a palpable circle First they sent him to his Bible then to conference with one place of Scripture with another thirdly to his praiers afterwards to the learned and nowe to his Bible againe to knowe the true doctrine of the learned from the false neither can they assigne any other rule vvhereby this may be knowne Of vvhich followeth moreouer this absurdity that they make him judge ouer the learned for he is to accept and refuse their doctrine according as he judgeth it consonant or dissonant from the vvord of God But let vs suppose notwithstanding these absurdities and inconueniences that the vnlearned sectary for his better instruction goeth to the learned and comming first to an English Protestant demandeth of him the true sense of the said sentence so often alleaged I and the father are one The Protestant telleth him according to the assertion of al the ancient fathers who by this sentence commonly refuted the Arians that Christ by these vvordes giueth vs to vnderstand that he as he is God and his father haue the very selfe same substance This not satisfying him he goeth further to a Caluinist vvho being demanded the same question answereth that the true sense of those wordes is That Christ and his father agree togither Caluin in Ioan. 10 30. and are of one consent What is this poore man the neare for al this One telleth him one thing another another thing and howe shal he discerne and judge of the truth Doth not this commonly happen doe not the Professors of the newe religion disagree among themselues both concerning the translation and also the interpretation of the word of God Doth not each one of them inuite euery man to his sect beare the vvorld in hand that he hath the truth and condemne al others oppugning his opinions of errour and falshood vvhat is more manifest then this What instructions then can this vnlearned sectary receiue of the learned Hath he not cause to be more perplexed and doubtful then he vvas before vvhat therefore shal he finally doe Certainely I cannot see what other grounds he can receiue from those Doctors vvherefore if he vvil not goe to the piller of truth the Catholike Church which is guided by the holy Ghost and of heâ— receiue a diuine and infallible resolution without al doubt he must either remaine
juices write the names of good holesome medicines whereby almost no man reading the good superscription any thing suspecteth the lurking poison of the self same thing Math. 7. Likewise our Sauiour crieth out to al Christians take ye heed of false prophets which come to you in sheepes cloathing but inwardly are rauening wolues What is meant else by sheepes cloathing but the sayings of the Prophets and Apostles which they with sheepe-like sincerity did weare c. And soone after But to the end they may more craftily set vpon the sheepe of Christ mistrusting nothing remaining stil cruel beasts they put of their woluish weed and shroud themselues with the wordes of Scripture as it were with certaine fleeces whereby it happeneth that when the silly sheepe feele the soft wool they litle feare their sharpe teeth Ambros in cap. vlt. ad Tit. hitherto Vincentius Lirinensis S. Ambrose likewise telleth vs that impiety seing authority to be esteemed couereth her selfe with the vaile of Scriptures that whereas by her selfe shee is not acceptable by Scriptures shee may seeme most commendable And of this matter I neede say no more Chapter 9. In which is proued by the newe Sectaries forsaking their owne supposed ground and flying to others also by their dissension and inconstancy that they build their faith and religion only vpon their owne fancies SECTION THE FIRST Concerning their flying to other groundes by themselues rejected and their dissension I HAVE nowe sufficientlie proued that our aduersaries build not their faith and religion vpon any one of those particular groundes which are found in the Church of Christ yea that in al matters the rule of their beliefe is principally their owne judgement and fancy For the confirmation of al vvhich my discourse I purpose in this chapter to set downe three manifest tokens and signes of this their vveake foundation to vvit their forsaking of their owne ground and flying to others when they confute their aduersaries their dissention or diuision and their inconstancy Concerning the first it is a thing most euident in al their proceedinges that although disputing against vs they pleade and demand only Scriptures and commonly reject al authority of the Church Councels and Fathers yea when they come to confute other Sectaries like vnto themselues they refuse such trial by scriptures and sometimes fly to other such groundes Thus Caluin although he referre al matters sometimes to Scripture affirming that we ought to hearken to the voice of Christ alone and that it is meete the mouthes of al men be shut after that our Lord hath once spoken Caluin lib. 4. instit cap. 8. § 7. 8. which by his ordinary courses he seemeth to approue as a sufficient argument to shew that the wordes themselues of Scripture as they are expounded by himself are without contradiction to be applauded and reuerenced yet at other times he desireth al sorts diligently to ponder and examine whether the word of God be truly or falsly alleaged and to try the spirits whether they be of God or no because the Deuil assaulted Christ by Scripture and his instruments daily practise the same art to depraue the truth and seduce silly soules This course he taketh against the Anabaptists as I haue shewed a litle before See before chap. 8. sect 5. Nay discoursing against the Lutherans he vseth these wordes Nowe againe I turne my speech to you godly readers whome I earnestly beseech that you suffer not your senses to be astonied with that tinckling wherein the Magdeburgians boast This voice alwaies soundeth in their mouthes Caluin admonit vltima ad Westphalum pag. 1147. that we must not dispute where Christ the only master and doctour hath clearely taught what is to be beleeued that we must not contend where the same supreame judge hath pronounced a plaine sentence thus Caluin to the Lutherans pleading hardly the scriptures against him in proofe of the real presence After this sort also Beza against the Arians Trinitarians Nestorians and Eutichians pleaded the authority of general Councels as I haue else where shewed Part. 1. chap. 9. Westphalus likewise wrote to a Caluini ibid. pag. 1098. Caluin that the consent of many Churches condemning him should satisfie him Finally our English Protestants although they pronounce so hard a censure against general Councels themselues and are so earnest for the sufficiency of only Scripture as we haue seene before yet against the Puritans plead hardly the authority of the Church Councels and Fathers as euery man may behold in their vvorkes of this argument Whitgift in his defence Belson in his treatise of the perpetual gouernement of the Church and such other examples are not wanting Touching their dissention and diuision a Tertul lib. de praescript Tertullian affirmeth that we may lawfuly judge that there is adulteration both of Scripture and expositions where there is found diuersity of doctrine And the reason of this is manifest because the truth vnto vvhich the Scriptures and their true interpretation is consonant and giue testimony is one wherefore they cannot approue diuers and opposite doctrines Nowe that diuision is found among our aduersaries no man of any sense and reading can deny b Stanislaus Rescius lib. de Acheismis Phalerismis haereticorum nostri tēporis Stanislaus Rescius numbreth of them an hundred seauenty distinct sects of which c Caspar Vlenbergius li. 22. Causarū causae 9. Caspar Vlenbergius reciteth diuers principal * See Hedio a Zwinglian epist ad Melancthonem others reckon farre more And this euery man may the better beleeue if he consider that it is a very hard matter to finde any two of the learned sort of them of one opinion touching al matters of religion Hence ariseth dissention in their Churches in which they proceede so farre that they feare not to censure and condemne one another of heresie If we beleeue d Luther thes 27. cont Louaniens tom 7. in defens verborum coenae c. Luther and the Lutherans Zwinglius Caluin and al the Sacramentaries are damned Heretikes If we credit e Zwinglius tom 2. in respōs ad Luth. l. de Sacram. fol. 411. 401. Caluin admonit 3. ad Westphalum Zwinglius Caluin and other Sacramentaries Luther and the Lutherans are guilty of the same crime And the like dissentions are betweene the inuentours and followers of other sectes But of this matter I shal haue a more fit opportunity to discourse in my treatise of the definition and notes of the Church vvherefore in this place passing ouer altogether with silence the domestical discord which is betweene our Protestants and Puritans touching the Lutherans and Caluinists abroad I vvil recite this only testimony of an f Relation of the state of religion in the West parts of the world §. 45. written as said by Sir Edwine Sans printed in the yeare 1605. English Protestant who hauing trauailed in those parts of their dissention writeth
learning then that hauing learned a fewe schoole distinctions by them he thinketh he can make whatsoeuer of any thing and so reconcile opinions and assertions be they neuer so contrary By which his dealings a man may wel gather that it is no hard matter for Heretikes after such sort to drawe and vvrest the sacred text of holy Scripture to their owne fancies And thus much of the new Sectaries diuision and dissention for this present SECTION THE SECOND Concerning the inconstancy of the Professors of the newe religion OVT of the same roote or weake foundation of our aduersaries faith springeth inconstancy for they doe not only dissent from one another but also at sundry times from themselues Let vs declare the truth of this especially in the principal sectaries and beginne with Martin Luther the first vnhappy father of them al. Luther therefore began to preach newe and strange doctrine See Sleidan Surius Lauatherus and others in the yeare of our Lord 1517. and went on forward adding altering chopping and chaunging for diuers yeares together in such sort that no man could knowe any certaintie of his beliefe That I wrong him not in this accusation his owne workes wil testifie to any indifferent reader for he fel by litle and litle into his sundry heresies not into al at once It is manifest in his bookes yet extant that after his Apostacy from vs he graunted a Luther de 1. praecept in purgat quoruÌ„daÌ„ articul tom 6 Germ. f. 21. de praeparat ad mortem inuocation to Saints b Idem in declar quorundam articul allowed of Miracles done at Saints relikes c In defension coÌ„t Eckium affirmed the Commandements to be possible yea easie through the grace of God d Thesi 10. Wittenb an 1517. in epist ad Ioan. MoguÌ„tinum taught that no man vvas certaine of his owne saluation e Ep. ad Leonem 10. in coÌ„memora reruÌ„ quae Augustae an 1518. actae suÌ„t in resolut alâ—aruÌ„ propos an 1518. in resâ—lut de Indulgen conclus 69. acknowledged the Popes supreamacy f In explicat orat Domini graunted Freewil g Lib. de potest Papae confessed seauen Sacraments and in particular h In visitaâ— Saxonica contra articul Louaniens cap. 35. serm de Poenit. to 7. Germ. fol. 3. approued Penance to be a Sacrament and taught i In concione de poenâ—t concione de confess praepar ad mortem coÌ„cio de praeparat Sacra tom 7. Germ. fol. 11. Confession to be necessary he k Sermo de Eucharist serm de venerabili Sacramento fraternitat tom 7. Germ. fol. 20. allowed of Transubstantiation l De 3. praecept serm de Indulgent in resolut de Indulg conclus 26. commended the Masse m In disput Lipsica cap. de purgat in resolut de Indulg conclâ—s 16. aduersus Bullam tom 7. fol. 132. graunted Purgatory and n Concione de Indulg disput Lipsica cap. de purgat liked of Praier for the dead wherefore Vrbanus Regius his disciple telleth vs o Regius 1. part eperum informata caute loqueaâ—â— fol. 86. that The man of God Martin Luther his master euer to be reuerenced thought it nothing against Christian piety if of free deuotion we pray once or twice for our dead This I say vvas sometimes Luthers doctrine euen after his fal from vs. Al which he at other times contraried as I could easily shew if it were not both for ouer-charging my margents vvith allegations of his workes and also because I thinke that our aduersaries vvil easily graunt that he denied before his death these our Popish propositions as they tearme them One example only of his inconstancy I vvil bring at large to giue the more credit to the rest which shal be touching his contradictory opinion of freewil for against freewil thus he writeth p Luther in assert articul 36. Freewil is a forged or faigned thing in thinges and a title without a substance because it is in no mans power to thinke any good or euil but al thinges fal out of absolute necessity And soone after There is no doubt but this word freewil came from the Deuil and that he was master of it Againe The leuity and foolishnesse of the Pope and his followers is to be borne withal in other articles of the Pope-dome of Councels of indulgences and other vnnecessary trifles but in this article of the bondage seruitude or slauery of the will which is the best of al others it is a thing to be lamented and be wailed with teares that the miserable men are so madde thus much Luther against free-will But listen howe he recanteth this doctrine in a booke which afterwardes he published thus he discourseth Luther in visitat Saxoni Many speake indiscretly of free-wil wherefore we haue adjoined this briefe information Man being compelled by lawe and penalties hath of his owne proper strength free-wil to doe or not to doe external workes wherefore he may attaine to secular or ciuil honesty and doe good workes of his owne proper strength giuen and obtained from God to doe these thinges For Paul calleth that justice justice of the flesh that is to say which the flesh or man hath of his owne proper strength So therefore a man worketh of his owne strength some justice Verily he hath choice and liberty both to flie euil and to doe good Againe The wil of man is in such sort a free power that it may doe the justice of the flesh or ciuil justice where it is compelled by lawe and force as not to steale not to kil not to commit adultery c. Hitherto Luther expresly contradicting his former doctrine The reason as I imagine of this contradiction was that he sawe his Saxonian disciples by his former opinion growne to al loosenesse of life and abhomination of vice Erasmus in epist ad fratres inferioris Germaniae wherefore he was forced as Erasmus recordeth to send visitours to reduce them from Paganisme into which they were falling headlong vnto whome for the better effecting of the matter he gaue among other instructions a recantation of his absolute denial of freewil Vnto this I could adde his inconstancy touching the real presence for besides that he sometimes allowed of Transubstantiation and at other times denying it affirmed Christ to be really present together with bread and vvine he also at the length affirmed the humane nature of Christ to be present in euery place together with his God-head but of Luther inough This only I wil adde that this inconstancy of Luther vvas euen vvhen he liued noted and reprehended by Zwinglius who then told the whole world Zwingl tom 2. respons ad confess Lutheri fol. 454 458. 460. 514. Zwingl ibid. in praef f. 417 se also f. 449 in respoÌ„s ibid that Luther not seldome was found contrary to himselfe within the space of foure or fiue lines and
vve build our faith vpon the particular opinions of some fewe priuate men or doe vve proue the truth of our doctrine by their testimonies Moreouer suppose some followed those men in some one or two opinions were they presently in al other points Protestants or doth it proue the Protestant religion true Treatise of the definition and notes of the Church Nothing lesse for as I vvil shewe hereafter neither Wickliffe nor Hierome of Prage nor Iohn Husse were Protestants much lesse any that were in open profession Catholikes But in very deed the Church doth not only in moderne authours correct propositions that are in plaine tearmes heretical but also as appeareth by our rules related by Crashaw such as be erroneous taste of heresie are offensiue to godly eares or temerarious yea such as are vvanton or dishonest superstitious tending to the infamy of any c. as I wil declare anone Besides this if our intention were to make the authors seeme altogether ours and to take them as it vvere from the Sectaries whose doctrine they seeme to approue vvhat reason haue vve to publish in print to the whole world what we wil haue corrected in their workes Is not this a plaine confession that we dislike their manner of speach or their doctrine Wherefore in this we rather helpe our aduersaries cause if the authority of the said authors be of any moment then weaken it And in very truth if vve did it to any such end as they intend it were no wisedome to make our doinges knowne to the world but much more policy we should shewe if vve did it in priuate and neuer made any open mention of it but rather did denie it Why then doe we correct such bookes in very truth as is apparant for no other causes then I haue partly rehearsed before to wit principally that one faith and religion may be preserued among al sorts and that no man embrace any doctrine as approued or tollerated in the Church which is not so approued and tollerated then also to auoid al superstition witchcraft corruption of manners and other such vices as wil appeare by the rules of which hereafter But they say that vve take vpon vs to correct Bertramus an authour vvho liued in the Church 700. yeares since and Rampegolus who flourished in the yeare 1418. I answere that vve neither doe this to bereaue our aduersaries of any testimony for as concerning Bertramus vve commonly graunt that booke vvhich goeth vnder his name to make for their doctrine against the real presence although some Protestants seeme to denie it nay further See the Century writers Centur. 9. c. 4 col 212. many of the best learned men of our side acknowledge also in their publike vvritings the booke to be his * Pantaleon in Chronographia p. 65 although Pantaleon a Sacramentary number it not among his workes and this is sufficient for our aduersaries although the booke be neuer so much altered wherefore for this cause only that some good thinges are contained in it together with the poison lest that men sucke the one with the other we thinke it good to remoue away that vvhich is nought and leaue them the good Rampegolus is nothing like so auncient and besides it is confessed by Possiuinus that his booke being written in a time not oppugned by such heresies as since are risen Possiuin to 1. apparat q. sacr pag. 114. 115. containeth some errours vvherefore neither doe vve endeauour to conceale that in some points he seemeth to fauour our aduersaries He addeth that this authour hath put into his vvorke certaine absurd thinges or rather fables out of the master of the Ecclesiastical history that he hath many thinges otherwise then they are in the Bible that the Scripture is not cited so sincerely yea that sometimes it is alleaged falsly that he hath some thinges Apocryphal out of the 3. booke of Esdras and out of the epistle of Ciril of Hierusalem to S. Augustine concerning the death of S. Hierome Besides this he accuseth him of false allegations of Doctors of Solecismes Barbarismes and obscure phrases And seing that it is a booke vvhich young preachers would much vse if it were not forbidden and that as it is like without choice of the good from the badde for want of learning I hope no man wil blame vs if we amend that which is amisse And thus much of the first point Nowe to come to the second point I must needes returne M. Crashawes argument vpon himselfe thus They who raze the recordes and falsify the monuments of mens writings altering the bookes of learned men after they are dead adding and taking out at their pleasures and namely taking out such wordes sentences and whole discourses as make against them and adding the contrary euen whatsoeuer they can imagine to make for them incurre no lesse crime then corruption and forgery in the highest degree This is gathered out of Crashaw in the second page of his epistle Dedicatory But the followers of the newe religion who are called Protestants Puritans c. haue done so therefore they haue incurred the crime of corruption or forgery in the highest degree M. Crashaw must pardon me if I proceede not in forme of lawe by accusation declaration and proofe as he doth because I haue neuer yet bin preacher at the Temples The proofe of my minor proposition if I should runne through authours vvhich they haue corrupted citing the vvordes and sentences left out or added would rise to a great volume vvherefore briefly only I accuse them of corrupting after this sort the history of Sigonius de regno Italiae of Osorius de rebus gestis Emanuëlis Regis and of Castineda who supplied that which wanted for some yeares after Osorius ended of the liues of the Emperors and diuers others And for the proofe of this to the vnlearned English sectaries I accuse our English Protestants for corrupting S. Augustines meditations his praiers and Manuel The Meditations of Granada printed in the yeare 1602. The conuersion of a sinner the imitation of Christ the Christian directory c. It may be said that in the beginning of the bookes this correction or alteration is confessed I reply that so likewise in our Indices expurgatorij and also commonly in the beginning of such bookes as vve correct we acknowledge the correction but doe they this in al their workes surely no. And for example I name the meditations of Granada in which there is no mention of any alteration for they are plainely set forth in his name as though they vvere truly and sincerely his whereas the translator or rather the falsifier or corrupter hath left out vvhole discourses yea I may almost say whole meditations and added what pleaseth himselfe to make him speake like a Protestant Neither doe they deale only so with vs but also vvith their owne bretheren and that sometimes in principal matters For example the Lutheran Protestants in their conference or synode
euident that hel gates doe preuaile against the Church if either she decay or teach false doctrine who then can say that either the hath perished or erred except he wil accuse Christ of falshood in not performing his promise and make him a liar Verily * Chrisost hom 4. de verbis Isaiae vidi Dominum Epiph. in Ancorato S. Iohn Chrisostome affirmeth that heauen and earth shal faile before those wordes of Christ thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build my Church S. Epiphanius also alluding to this promise telleth vs that our Lord appointed Peter the first or cheefest Apostle a firme rocke vpon which the Church of God was built and the gates of hel saith he shal not preuaile against it for the gates of hel are Heretikes and Arch-heretikes c. the like sentences I could alleage out of the rest of the ancient Fathers And vnto this testimonie of our Sauiour I could likewise adde that he hath warranted the faith of S. Peter and in him the faith of his successor the Bishop of Rome who is ministerial head of Christes Church on earth Luc. 22. vers 31. that it shal not faile and consequently that the body ruled by the head shal enjoy the same prerogatiue but of this hereafter Moreouer our Sauiour made his Church the supreame judge on earth of al controuersies touching matters of religion for it is manifest that from her judgement he graunteth no appeale and that he vvil haue her definitiue sentence so firme and inuiolable among Christians that he vvil not haue him accounted one of that number who shal preuaricate or despise the same This is signified vnto vs in these his wordes Math. 18. vers 17. If he wil not heare the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and the Publican In which sentence he biddeth vs esteeme no more of our brother or neighbour that contemneth or disobeieth the censure of the Church then of a Heathen and Publican of which I gather that the Church in her censure cannot erre For if this might be then vve being bound to condemne whome she condemneth or to condemne him that vvil not listen and obey her counsaile and precepts might together with the Church condemne a man without just cause and that according to Christes commandement It appeareth likewise out of the said vvordes of our Sauiour that he vvil haue the sentence of the Church obeied wherefore he ought in reason to prouide that the said sentence be not erroneous But for the truth of these wordes of our Lord and also for the constant verity of the censure of the Church it maketh first that diuers falshoodes which before her said censure might in times past haue bin beleeued and defended yea were defended beleeued by the members of the true Church without incurring the crime of heresie afterwardes could not be so beleeued and defended as I could exemplifie in the Milinary heresie the opinion of such as held the baptisme of Heretikes to be of no force of others that denied the authority of some Canonical bookes and such like Secondly it maketh also for these her prerogatiues that al such as haue obstinately maintained any opinions condemned by the Church for heresies and consequently haue disobeied her authority decrees and beene by her adjudged Heretikes haue euer by al antiquity beene so accounted August in Enchirid. ad Laurēt cap. 5. Tertul. de pudicitia item li. de praescript Math. 5. v. 13.15 Luc. 10. vers 16. and therefore haue not beene numbred by the ancient Fathers among Christians whose opinions notvvithstanding if vve reject her infallible judgement by vvhich they were condemned and make it subject to errour may be reuiued and called againe in question either as wrongfully and injustly censured or at the least as condemned by a judge whose judgement is subject to errour and falshood The priuileges and prerogatiues graunted by our Sauiour to his Apostles and Disciples confirme the same for they are by him called the salt of the earth and the light of the world and being sent to preach they receaued from him this commission and approbation of their doctrine He that heareth you heareth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me Which wordes argue an infallible truth although not in the doctrine of euery particuler Bishop and Prelate of the Church yet in them altogether when they represent the whole Church in a Councel or in the whole number of them although diuided seperated in place For in these like as in Christes Apostles and Disciples as I haue aboue declared the wordes alleaged must be verified which cannot be done if they al in euery sense may erre For how can they then truly be tearmed the salt of the earth and the light of the world and how can it be true that he that heareth them heareth Christ But if we had no other testimony of holy Scripture for this matter fiue or six wordes of the Apostle vsed by him to Timothie in his first epistle 1. Tim. 3. v. 15. c. vvere sufficient to conuince our vnderstanding and make vs yeeld to this truth For in his said Epistle he tearmeth the Church the piller and ground of truth These thinges I write to thee saith he hoping that I shal come to thee quickly but if I tarie long that thou maist knowe howe thou oughtest to conuerse in the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God the piller and ground of truth What could he haue said more euident for the infallible authority of the Church the Church saith he is the piller and ground of truth that is to say the very foundation and establishment of al verity vpon vvhich as vpon a sure foundation and an inuiolable piller a man may securely build the edifice of his faith and religion vvho then vvil say that the Church is subject to errour These considerations moued S. Augustine Aug. lib. 1. cont Cresconium disputing against Cresconius concerning the baptisme of Heretikes to vse this discourse these are his vvordes Although of this that the baptisme of Heretikes is true baptisme there be no certaine example brought forth out of the canonical Scriptures yet also in this we keepe the truth of the said Scriptures when as we doe that which now hath pleased the whole Church which the authority of the Scriptures themselues doth commend That because the Scripture cannot deceaue whosoeuer doth feare least that he be deceaued through the obscurity of this question may aske counsaile touching it of the Church whome without any doubt the Scripture it selfe doth shewe Hitherto S. Augustine Out of which discourse of his we may gather this notable rule that in al thinges doubtful and in al obscure questions concerning faith and religion we ought to enquire and search forth the doctrine and beleefe of the Catholike Church and imbrace the same seeking no further warrant of security because the Scriptures demonstrate her and manifestly declare that