〈◊〉 Tradition vnwritten that this is the prime ground of â—ayth more fundamentall then Scripture you most larâ—ely labour to refell and tearme it pag. 91. an Anti-â—hristian and impudent assertion to depresse the written â—ord of God exalt the prophane bastardly Apocriphal â—â—aditions of the Pope This is bitter inough yet cerâ—â—ynly you teach that there be traditions maintayâ—ing and vpholding the Scripture in authority or 〈◊〉 you speake ineptly not knowing what you affirâ—e For some two pages before this your reprochfull words to wit pag. 89. you thus distinguish about Traditions The Church hath no perpetuall Traditions but such as are EYTHER contayned in Scripture OR which are subseruient to MAINTAINE the Fayth Verity and AVTHORITY of the Scripture the doctrine thereof Thus you I demand of you These subseruient Traditious about fayth and doctrine be they contayned in Scripture or not If they be your distinction is senselesse one member thereof not being condistinct agaynst the other for if subseruient traditions be traditions coÌ„tayned in Scripture what more inept then to say traditions eyther contayned in Scripture or subseruient If they be not contayned in Scripture but condistinct from them then according to your distinction there be some traditions not contayned in Scripture which maintayne and vphold the authority of Scripture and the verity and doctrine thereof If you grant this as you must vnlesse you will grant your distinction be voyd of iudgment then must you also grant tradition to be more fundamentall then Scripture For thus I argue That which is the ground of the authority of Scripture is more fundameÌ„tall then Scripture That which doth mantayne and vphold the authority of Scripture is the ground and foundation of the authority of Scripture Ergo That which doth vphold and mantayne the authority of Scripture is more fundamentall then Scripture Now your selfe ascribe vnto Tradition subseruient condistinct agaynst written Tradition the office of mantayning the authority of Scripture So that eyther you know not what you doe write or else by your owne distinctions you are conuinced to establish that very doctrine which elsewhere you so sharpely censure as Antichristian impudeÌ„t prophane bastardly Certainly you are a seely Disputant about matters of Theodogy No more sense or iudgement is there in the distinctioÌ„ you make of holy Belieuers into triumphant militant pag. 49. The tearme Church say you is taken in the holy Scripture for the vniuersall number of holy belieuers in all ages and more strictly for the whole number of holy belieuers vnder the new Testament Hebr. 12.23 Apoc. 5.9 Ephes. 5.25.27 And thus it comprehendeth both the Church militant triumphant Thus you distinguishing the Church of belieuers into militant and Triumphant whence it is consequent that the Triumphant Saynts in heauen are belieuers What more ridiculous and agaynst the prime and knowne Notion of Triumphant Saynts It may be God permitted you to stumble vpon this grosse simplicity through want of reflexion that you might thereby be warned to reflect vpon the foulenes of another doctrine which wittingly willfully you mantayne though being no lesse exorbitant then this The doctrine is that your Protestant Militant Church is a multitude who (a) Iohn White in his Defence pag. 309. by diuine illumination see manifestly the truth of thinges belieued of the Blessed Trinity and other mysteryes that you are like not vnto men (b) Francis White Orthodoxe pag. 108. which see a farre off a certayne obscure glimmering of the light but vnto men that coming to the place where the light is behold the sayd light in it selfe Verily to tearme the Church militant a multitude of BEHOLDERS resolued of truth by manifest light euidence is as Exoticall and as idle Gibberish in Christian Theology as to call the Church triuÌ„phant a multitude of BELEEVERS that warre and walke by Fayth As for your Protestant triuÌ„phant Church if they did not formerly belieue in this life the word of God without seing the light lustre and resplendant verity of the doctrine thereof as you pretend they did not I do not doubt but they are belieuers in the next world to wit in the number of them of whom the Apostle writeth Ioan. 2.9 credunt contremiscunt Ignorance in Scripture SECT IV. CONCERNING Holy Scripture you brag intollerably in euery page of your Reply how the same standeth cleerly on your side and that the Iesuit hath not been able to proue any of the Nine Poynts by Scripture How vaine this your vant is doth appear by the Reioynder wherin you are proued almost in euery controuersy to forsake the litterall and plaine sense of Scripture and to deuise now figuratiue typicall and mysticall interpretations How idlely also you dispute out of Scriptures for matters of greatest moment which you most confidently maintayne in your Religion is made euident by what hath been shewed concerning your arguing for the preteÌ„ded Diuine Ordinance binding ignorant Laymen to read the Scripture Notwithstanding that your ignorance herin may more indeniably appeare I will add here some other arguments and tokens of the same to wit vnto what shamefull shifts you are forced to answere Scriptuâ—es brought by your Aduersary in the behalfe of Caâ—holicke doctrine You deny the Text and Context of Scripture §. 1. FIRST many times you are enforced by your aduersary when you cannot answere to deny the â—ext context of Scripture wherof I alleadge two â—xamples The Iesuit pag. 480. to proue that Christ â—romised eternall life vnto the worthy participant â—f the sacrament vnder the forme of bread bringeth â—he words of our Sauiour Iohn 6. Qui manducat hunc â—anem viuet in aeternum he that eateth this bread shall â—ue for euer You in the place quoted answere The â—cripture Iohn 6.51 saith not whosoeuer eateth sacraâ—entall bread without wine shall liue for euer but if any â—â—te this bread which came downe from heaueÌ„ to wit Christ â—â—sus incarnate shall liue for euer And then it followeth â—nlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke 〈◊〉 blood you shall not haue life in you Iohn 5.53 Thus 〈◊〉 Now marke vnto what straytes maugre your â—â—agging you are brought by the Iesuite First you are not acknowledge these words cited by the Ieâ—â—ite he that eateth this bread liueth for euer to be our â—â—uiours but onely those If any shall eate c. Wherâ—â— they be our Sauiours the expresse text of Scripâ—â—re in so many words syllables Iohn 6.59 which â—â—yth He that eateth this bread liueth for euer Seâ—â—ndly you are compelled to answere that Christ â—â—ter he had said he that eateth this bread liueth for â—â—er said Vnlesse you eate the flesh and drinke the â—â—oud of the sonne of man you shall not haue life in â—ou By which ensuing senteÌ„ce he did as you thinke â—eclare the former If any eate this bread c. that it must not be vnderstood of Sacramentall bread without wine This is
prooue that of necessity they are seen and so the Minister might haue spared the paper in citing the opinions of SchoolemeÌ„ coÌ„cerning the doctrin of the VoluÌ„tary glasse glasse of diamant so cleere and excellent that whatsoeuer is done in London in secretest corners should therein particularly and distinctly appeare surely he that hath eyes to see that glasse may likewise discerne what is done ouer the Citty Now most certayne it is that in God all creatures all actions done in the world and all the most secret thoughts of harts so perspicuously and distinctly shine as they are in themselues So that the Saints hauing light to see the diuine Essence may in him cleerly discerne whatsoeuer is done in the world beloÌ„ging to their state though neuer so secret according to the saying of S. (t) Basil. lib. de Virgin Basil There is not any Saint which doth not see all thinges that are done any where in the world And of S. (u) Greg. hom 40. Qui creatoris sui claritatem vident nihil in creatura agitur quod videre non possint Gregory Nothing is done about any creature which they cannot see who see the clarity of their Creatour And agayne (x) Lib. 12. Moral c. 13. We must belieue that they who see the clarity of the omnipotent God within themselues are not ignorant of any thing that is done without Which doctrine of the Fathers that Protestants may the lesse dislike I proue to be grounded on the Scriptures First if Saints by reason of their blissefull state do so participate of the diuine nature and wisdome About the first Argument as they communicate with him in the power of gouerning the nations of the world This argument is strong and you by strugling make the strength thereof more appeare You haue deuised 3. solutions First you say pag. 311. lin 10. That the Iesuits exposition is nouell and neuer heard of in the ancient Church Answer It is ridiculous when you are pressed with the cleere text of Scripture to call vpon the ancieÌ„t Church you I say who still specially in this question appeale from the ancient Fathers vnto the Scripture as pag. 302. and 298. you say that it is not iust to make ancient custome a law rule of right doctrine And if you will stand to the rule of antiquity I can produce more then fifty ancient Fathers that in expresse tearmes teach the doctrine the Iesuit doth establish by the literall sense of Gods word to wit that saints deceased are rulers and gouernours of mens actions liues Secondly you say pag. 309. that the text of the Apocalyps To him that shall haue conquered I will giue him power c. is not vnderstood of Saints deceased but of liuing Saints Answere This to be false is apparent by the very words which are these Apoc. 226. He that shall haue conquered kept my words VNTIL THE END to him I will giue power ouer nations c. But it is cleer that liuing Saints caÌ„not be said to haue conquered much lesse to haue kept the word of God vntil â—he end Therfore these words are violently wrested vnto liuing Saints Thirdly you say pag. 320. lin 3. That the promise I will giue them power ouer â—ations is vnderstood only of iudiciary power in the day of iudgement Answer This â—o be false is proued by the rule of interpretation of Scriptures which â—rotestants commend and praise aboue all other to wit when a text is â—oubtfull the same must be expounded by another which speakes of the â—â—me matter specially when the darke text doth expressely allude vnto â—he cleerer This place of the Apocalips about Saints I will giue them power â—uer nations and they shall rule them in a rod of iron they shall be broken in peeces â—â—ke pots of clay seemeth darke vnto Protestants and the question is wheâ—her this be spoken of Saints power in the militant Church or onely of â—he day of Iudgment To cleer this doubt there is another text of Scripture vttered in the same words to wit the second Psalme which saith of Christ That his father shall giue him nations to be his inheritance and he shall 〈◊〉 them in a rod of iron and shall breake them as pots of clay To this text of the Psalme the place of the Apocalips doth allude For our Lord in the Apocalips promiseth that he will giue to Saints power to gouerne in a rod of iron nations countryes as his father promised gaue the same power vnto him to wit in the aforesaid Psalme But that place of the Psalme is without doubt to be vnderstood of Christs power of gouernement in this world and of his ruling in the militant Church as Protestants grant it appeareth by the wordes precedent I will giue thee nations to be thine inheritance and thou shalt rule them in a rod of yron Ergo the power of gouerning iâ— a rod of yron promised to Saints must be vnderstood of gouernement in this world and in the militant Church then Saints haue knowledge of things that are done in this world else how could they be able to gouerne and rule it But Scripture in playne and expresse tearmes make Saints participate with Christ in the rule and gouernement of the world according to his promise (y) Because the Minister doth so much insult that the Iesuit hath not proued any thinge by Scripture I will that his folly may appeare examine particularly his answere vnto these texts Apocalip 2.26 To him that conquereth I will giue power ouer nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron that is with power of inflexible equity And Apocal. 3. v. 12. I will make him a pillar in the TeÌ„ple of my God And the blessed say of themselues Apoc. 5.10 that they were chosen out of countreys and nations to be Priests of God that they should rule with him vpon the earth Therfore they know what is done vpon earth so far forth at least as the affayres of earth doe specially appertaine vnto them and such without doubt are our deuotions towardes them Secondly S. Paul Cor. 14.26 sayth Now we know but in part we prophesy but in part but when that of perfection shall come that of part shall be euacuated I know now but in part theÌ„ I shall know as I am known By which words the Apostle signifyes that all knowledge both humane diuine particularly the gift of Prophesy is contayned eminently in the beatificall â—ight so that the blessed Saints haue the gift of Prophesy in a more excellent degree theÌ„ had the Prophets in this world But by the light of Prophesy holy men vnited with God could see the secrets of harts as S. Paul sayth 1. Cor. 14.15 By the gift of Prophesy the secrets of harts are manyfested and also see things absent being present by light of vnderstaÌ„ding froÌ„ whence they were absent according to their substance (z) The Minister seketh two wayes
for their horses Agaynst which Edict when one of his Souldiers had transgressed he gaue order he should be punished saying VVhat hope of Victory if we offend Saint Martin Hence his Enterprize was so fortunate illustrated by wonderfull euents A Stagge weÌ„t before his army shewing where they might wade ouer the Riuer of Vienne then so swolne with water as it was not passable but only in that place Being in the field neere vnto Poytiers where Saint Hilaryes body is honoured Pharus ignea a Tower of light comming forth of the Church of the Saint shined vpon the King whereby encouraged he wonne a a most glorious day slew the Hereticall Vsurper with his owne hands deliuered the florishing part of France from the Arian Tyrany In his returne acknowledging the Victory gotten by Saint Martins intercession he offered vnto him his Warlike Palfree whereon he had fought so gloriously redeeming the same afterward with a Summe of money Pepinus who ioyned a great part of Germany that then was Pagan vnto the Crown of France had greater confidence of Victory in his deuout Inuocation of Saints then in the strength of his Armyes Hence hauing in a fierce Battayle with the Saxons obtayned a glorious Victory his wearyed and wounded Army being presently set vpon by a fresh mighty Band of Infidells S. Ludgerus in vitae S. Swiberts he lighting from his horse prostrate on the ground made a Vow vnto God and vnto Saint Swibert to visit his Reliques with his whole army barefoote Vpon which Vow straightwayes a wonderfull light from Heauen shined ouer him and his Forces that the Pagans terrified therwith without fighting yielded themselues and their whole Countrey of VVestphalia to his Obedience As almost all bookes be full of the Victoryes of Charles the first of France surnamed the Great so likewise they make full Record of his singular Reuerence vnto the Roman Bishop in whose defence he fought so many victorious Fields specially agaynst the Longobards whose Irreligion towards the Chayre of Peter the principall sea the fountayne of Christian Vnity wrought in the end the totall Sigon de Regno Ital. l. 3. 4. subuersion of their Kingdome After the Empire was translated from the Franks vnto the Saxons who more Vaâ—iant and Victorious then Henry surnamed the Faulkener the first Emperour of that Stocke Being sicke and so weake as he could hardly hold himselfe on his horse he durst in person go into the Field against the mightiest army of Hunnes that euer entred Germany Witich l. 1. de reb Saxon Frodoar Chron. Eccles Rhem. Luitprand l. 2. c. 8. 9. Nauclerus in Chron. Gen. 31. à Christo nato so many in number and so confident in their forces as they durst bragge they could not be ouercome except eyther the Earth should sinke vnder them or the Heauens fall vpon them The King and his Souldiers fought valiantly but prayed no lesse deuoutly the King making often Vowes vnto God to roote Symony out of his Kingdomes did he win the day the Souldiers often repeating Kyrie eleyson Kyrie eleyson by the deuout ingemination of which Christian Letany agaynst the Hunnish Hui Hui Hui they got the Victory making manifest how great is the force of Prayer though in a language not vulgarly knowne For the victory was so Illustrious as in respect thereof the sayd Emperour became renowned admired honoured of all Christian Princes Otho the Great as in Piety and Deuotion so likewise for admired victoryes was nothing inferiour vnto the foresayd Henry his Father He Witichind lib. 1. Luitprandus lib. 4. cap. 11. 12. Naucler in chron Generat à Christo 32. part 2. pag. 82. much honoured the holy Lance made of the sacred Nayles of our Sauiours Crosse by vertue whereof he ouercame miraculously an immense Army of Hungarians who then were Pagans mighty troupes of Rebells that were ioyned agaynst him Being on the one side of the Rhene and the Rebells on the other a few of his Souldiers without his priuity passing the Riuer fell into the Enemyes hands The Pious Emperour seing them in distresse and not able to succour them mooued with compassion prostrated himselfe his whole Army doing the like before the holy Lance with many teares praying vnto our Sauiour whose Hands and Feete had been pierced with those sacred Nailes No sooner was he prostrate on the ground but presently the Rebells no man knowing why ranne away their harts inwardly coÌ„suming with feare so that many of them were killed taken prisoners by the aforesayd poore handfull of men Henry the second Emperour Nephew to this Otho was on the one side so Victorious as he ioyned vnto the Crowne of the Empyre the Kingdomes of Bohemia Sclauonia and Hungary on the other so giuen vnto Roman deuotioÌ„ as he is a canonized Saint of the Roman Church His Dithmar lib. 6. Religion towards Gods B. Mother was singular in whose Honour he vowed and kept his Virginity vnspotted togeather with Kunegundis the Virgin holy Empresse his Spouse When Godofred Viterb in Chronic. Cuspianus Bonfin de rebus Hungar. Dec. 2. lib. 1. he entred into any Citty his custome was to spend the first night praying in the Church of our Lady if any were in the place consecrated to her Name Hence in the battayle he fought agaynst Bolistaus King of Bohemia the Holy martyrs Saint Laurence Saint George Saint Adrian sent by the Queene of Saints were seene to goe before his Army Nauclerus à Christo gen 34. part 2. pag. 106. carrying the Standart of the Crosse striking the Enemy with blindnes so that they not being able to behold much lesse to resist the Emperours forces Bohemia was made Vassall vnto the Empyre without any effusion of bloud About the same tyme the two renowned Normans Robert and Roger vndertaking to free Sicily from the Tyranny of the Saracens wherewith the same had been a long tyme oppressed were constrayned with small forces to Thomas Fazellus de rebus Sicul. Decad. post lib. 7. p. 397. encounter an huge Host wherein were thirty thousand horse and foote without number In the heate of the battayle Saint George was seene blazing forth glorious beames of brightnes vpon a white Steed in a white Horsemans coate on which was sowed a Red Crosse thereby encouraging the Christian Army and driuing the Enemy before him Hence the Nation of the Normans conceaued speciall deuotion vnto S. George calling vpon him in their Battayles next after God and with the Normans it is likely the same deuotion entred into England In confirmation of this truth how many Examples doth Spayne affoard of Victories gotten by Catholike deuotions against the Saracens who in the yeare 701. made themselues maysters of the greatest part of that Countrey None of their victoryes more famous then that obtayned by the vertue of the Holy Crosse whereof they keepe yeerly a Triumphall Feast The This history is written by Rodâ—ricus Archbishop of Toledo who was there present De rebus
Hispan l. 8. c. 10. Marian. de reb Hisp. l. 11. c. 14 15. Mahometans in a battayle with Alphonsus King of Castile surnamed the Noble hauing the better of the day the Christian Army being almost put to flight the Arch-deacon of Toledo full of Christian courage hauing in his hands the Ensigne of the Crosse which he carryed before his Arch-bishop wherein also was the image of the Blessed Virgin went therwith through the thickest of the Enemyes without being hurt though innumerable Lances Darts were cast and Arrowes shot at him By his example the Christian Army encouraged retourning with new fortitude to the Battayne put the Saracens to flight made massacre of them who were so many as the Lances Darts Arrowes left behind theÌ„ in the field could not be consumed with the many mighty fires made two dayes togeather aswell in token of ioy as for other vses More ancient no lesse wonderfull is the Victory gotten agaâ—nst the same Infidells by Raymirus King of Leon and Galicia He Ambros. Moral all other Historians hauing gathered togeather all the forces of his Kingdomes agaynst these Mahometan Vsurpers being defeated was brought to great distresse sadnes As he rested in the night S. Iames appeared vnto him telling him that Christ had peculiarly committed Spayne to his Tuition that he should not feare but trusting in God the next day present the Field to the Infidells for himselfe would be in the fight The King did as the holy Apostle ordayned who according to his promise was seen in the Field vpon a white horse with a Red Crosse on his breast running vpon the Mahometans and putting them to flight Vnto Vide diploma Regis apud Ioan. Marian. in lib. de S. Iacobi in Hispaniam aduentu in fine which Victory not only the King in his Charter with many Bishops Nobles of his Realme as eye-witnesses giue record but euen the Mahometan Historyes make mention thereof If I add vnto these forrayne Historyes our domesticall Victoryes I should be ouer long yet cannot I pretermit to touch one example in euery Line and Nation of our Kings Amongst the Britans none more famous then Prince Arthur nor is any of his Victories more certayne then that recorded by Beda lib. 1. c. 20. histor Henricus Hâ—ntâ—ng Râ—nulph Venerable Bede though without mention of him The Picts and Saxons associating their forces and inuading the Britans with a most dreadfull Army the Priests of the Britans holy S. German Bishop being Prince of the Quire by singing Alleluia other Church-prayers strooke such a dismall fright into the harts of the Infidells that abandoning their weapons and armour they ranne away with all possible hast the miracle of Iosue Iosue c. 6. his victory being renewed when the walls of Iericho fell to the ground at the sound of the Sacerdotall Trumpets whereby also the Catholike Doctrine was authorized that Church-prayers in a language not vulgarly vnderstood may be pleasing and effectuall with God In the Line of our Saxon Kings who for the fighting of many battayles for the obtayning of renowned Victoryes more admired then King Alfrede Which Asser. Meneu in vita Alured Polidor l â— Guâ—â—el Malmes alij Victoryes so many and so great he wonne by his deuotion vnto Saints particularly by the assistance of Saint Cuthbert who appearing to the King encouraged him vnto that famous Battayle whereby the forces of the vsurping Infidells were in a manner wholly extinguished After the Conquest to say nothing of the Conquerour himselfe whose vast and Valiant Enterprize was made fortunate by a Consecrated Standart Ingulph Matt. Westmon alij sent him by Pope Alexander the second I will only name King Henry the fifth the mirrour of Kinges in whome was summed togeather the whole perfection of all Catholike Military and Politike Worthynes On the one side who more renowned for Victoryes theÌ„ this Conquerour of France which in the space of few yeares he broght in a manner wholly vnder his Obedience On the other who more Memorable for his Obedience to the Roman Sea for his Reuerence of Catholike Priesthood for his care and respect of Churches for his zeale agaynst the VVickliffian Heresy for his dayly deuout Inuocation of Saints for his going barefoote in pilgrimage vnto Churches Titus Liuius de vita Henrici Thomas Walsing Enguerant Stow and others Two Monasteryes he built from the foundations opposite the one to the other vpon the bankes of the Thames that tearmed Bethleem for Religious men this Syon for consecrated Virgins which should day and night without intermission pray for the happy Successe of his Warres in France He Nicol. Harpesfield Hist. Eccles. Anglic. saecul 15. cap. 3. spent and commanded his Army to spend the night before the famous Battayle of Agincourt in Prayer in Inuocation of Saints in making their confession vnto Priests in doing pennance for their sinnes and in the morning before the battayle euery one by his order put a piece of Earth to his mouth to testify his desire had there beene oportunity to haue receaued the sacred Communion in one kind as both the token did signify and then was the practise So that the Diuine Prouidence graunting so glorious a Victory vnto so few agaynst Walsingham writes the French were an huÌ„dred forty thousand the English not aboue ten thousand so many made as it were Proclamation vnto the world that these now questioned Roman Deuotions are acceptable vnto him In the Hectoâ— Boethius Histor Scot. fol. 196. Bucan Histor. Scot. fol. 48. Annalls of Scotland we reade that Guthran King of the Danes in Baptisme tearmed Athelstan hauing subdued a good part of England inuaded Scotland His army was so puissant as therewith he inuironed Hungus King of the Picts and Alpinius Prince of Scotland with their forces that came agaynst him denouncing vnto them by one that had a loud and shrill voyce that not one of them should escape aliue The King Hungus after long prayer vnto God and S. Andrew being asleep the sayd Apostle appeared vnto him bad him fight the next day with confidence in God his ayde The battayle was fought Crux decussata Saint Andrewes Crosse appearing ouer the Scottish Army the field wonne against the Danes Athelstan slayne therein S. Andrew confirmed Patron of Scotland his Crosse made their Ensigne a famous Church built in his Honour to the vse whereof and mantaynance of Chanons therin the King applyed the tenth part of DecimaÌ„ Regiorum praediorum partem his Royall Patrimony The Greatest Battayle that Scottishmen euer wonne without doubt is that of Striueling agaynst our Edward the second The Scottish Historyes say this Kings Army did coÌ„sist of an hundred fifty thousand horse and of as many foote And though this may seeme great exaggeration yet our Thomas de la More in vita Edwardi 2. NumquaÌ„ magis spleÌ„didus nobilis superbus Anglorum exercitus visus Stow anno Domini 1313. pag. 333. English Annalls testify that neuer
2. That this Worshippe was euer since the Apostles in the Church without beginning pag. 142.143 c. § 3. The places of Exodus Deut. with no probability vrged agaynst the Worship of Images by Protestants that make them pag. 154.155 c. § 4. Inconueniences which may come by occasion of Images easily preuented and their vtilities very great pag. 158.159 THE SECOND AND THIRD POINT II. Praying offering Oblations to the B. Virgin Mary III. VVorshipping Inuocation of Saints Angells pag. 172. § 1. An Eleauen Demonstrations that the Ancient Christian Church did euer hould Inuocation of Saints as a matter of Fayth Religion pag. 173.174 c. § 2. Inuocation of Saints not to be disliked because not expressed in Scripture pag. 194. § 3. Knowledge of Prayers made to them communicable communicated vnto Saints pag. 196.197 c. § 4. The Worship in spirit Truth with outward prostration of body due vnto Saints pag. 206.207 c. § 5. Praying to Saints not iniurious to Gods mercy but rather a commendation thereof pag. 211.212 c. § 6. Inuocation of Saints not an iniury but an honor to Christ the only Mediatour pag. 215.216 c. § 7. How it is lawfull to appropriate the obtayning of Graces and Cures vnto Saints pag. 219.220 c. § 8. Cōcerning Oblatiōs made to Saints p. 223.224 c. § 9. The Roman Churches set-formes of Prayer without cause misliked pag. 226.227 THE FOVRTH POINT IIII. The Liturgy priuate Prayers for the Ignorant in an vnknovvne Tongue pag. 130.131 THE FIFTH POINT V. Repetitions of Pater Nosters Aues Creeds especially affixing a kind of merit to the nūber of thē p. 241.242 c. THE SIXT POINT VI. The doctrine of Transubstantiatiō ¶ An Addition prouing the Catholike Reall Presence according to the litterall Truth of Gods word agaynst Ministeriall Metaphors Figures shifts pag. 248. ¶ § 1. The Zwinglian and Caluinian Religion about the Sacrament pag. 248. ¶ § 2. The Zwinglian Caluinian Presence confuted pag. 250. ¶ § 3. The Ministers Arguments agaynst the litterall sense of Christs word vayne idle pag. 253.254 c. § 1. That the Reall Presence of the whole body of Christ vnder the formes of bread belongs to the substance of the Mystery pag. 260.261 c. § 2. Transubstantiation belonges to the substance of Reall Presence pag. 266.267 c. § 3. Transubstantiation was taught by the Fathers pag. 271.272 c. ¶ A Refutation of the Ministers shifts to elude the former Testimonyes of the Fathers pag. 276.277 c. § 4. The seeming repugnances this Mystery hath with Sense should inclyne Christians the sooner to belieue it pag. 290.291 THE SEAVENTH POINT VII Communion vnder one kind abetting of it by Cōcomitancy pag. 305. § 1. The Doctrine of Concomitancy proued pag. 306.307 c. § 2. Communion vnder one kind not agaynst the substance of the Institution of Christ. pag. 311.312 c. § 3. Communion vnder one kind not agaynst the substance of the Sacrament pag. 315.316 c. § 4. Communion vnder one kinde not agaynst Christ his Precept pag. 319.320 c. ¶ The place of S. Iohn Qui manducat hunc panem c. explicated with an Answere to the Testimonies of the Fathers pag. 330.331 § 5. Communion vnder one kind not agaynst the practice of the Primitiue Church pag. 332.333 c. THE EIGHT POINT VIII VVorkes of Supererogation specially vvith reference to the treasure of the Church pag. 334. § 1. The Doctrine of Merit declared pag. ibid. 335.336 c. ¶ The Ministers Arguments or rather Inuectiues against this Doctrine of Merit answered pa. 347.348 c. § 2. Merit of works of Supererogation p. 348.349 c. § 3. The Fathers taught works of Supererogation and proued them by Scripture pag. 352.353 c. § 4. The Doctrine of Satisfaction pag. 358.359 c. § 5. Workes with reference vnto the Treasure of the Church pag. 362.363 c. ¶ The Ministers rayling Argumēts agaynst the former doctrine censured pag. 372.373 c. THE NINTH POINT IX The opiniō of deposing Kings giuing avvay their Kingdoms by Papall povver vvhether directly or indirectly pag. 382. ¶ The Ministers fond Cauill That Iesuits honour not the King as Soueraygne pag. 383.384 c. ¶ His fond proofs of his Slaunder that Iesuits hold singular Opinions to the preiudice of Kings pa. 385.386 c. ¶ His Fondnes in Cauilling at the Iesuits words about the Temporall Soueraignity of Popes pag. 389.390 c. ¶ His miserable Apology for Protestāts p. 391.392 c. ¶ His Cauill agaynst the Iesuits speciall Vow of Obedience to the Pope pag. 393. c. THE CONCLVSION Faultes escaped in the printing In the Picture and Censure Pag. 10. lin 14. Christ read Christs Pag. 12. lin 17. in marg Ministery read Minister Pag. 13. l. 2. in marg conferunt read conferant Pag. 16. l. 20. place translated read place truly translated Pag. 25. l. 19. pleasore read pleasure Pag. 37. l. 7. are read were Pag. 86. l. 19. now read new Pag. 44. l. 3. this read his Pag. 104. l. 16. of read in Pag. 121. lin 32. an read be Pag. 132. l. vlt. diriue read driue In the Answere and Reioynder Pag. 4. l. 10. in marg if read it Pag. 19. line penult in marg seipsum read sensum Pag. 24. l. 1. God Though read God though Ibid. l. 16. could not read could not Pag. 56. lin 30. in marg this read thus Pag. 71. lin 32. in marg but must read but they must Pag· 74. l. 16. in marg do to proue read do proue Pag. 80. l. 30. in marg Votaies read Votaries Pag. 81. lin 32. Philip in dele Ibid. l. 34. in innumerable dele in Pag. 100. l. 1. 3. suppositious read supposititious Pag. 115. l. 16. in coll read in loc Pag. 119. l. 12. opinions read opinion Pag. 129. lin 1. Axione read Axiome Pag. 32. l. 34. in marg a positiue read a positiue precept Pag. 141. l. 11. in marg Sect. 3. read Sect. 1. Pag. 142. l. 26. in marg the argues read he argues Pag. 144. lin 21. viz. read verò Pag. 145. l. 10. reliueth read relieueth Pag. 152. l. 33. in marg Anthropomorphilae read Anthropomorphitae 177. l. 9. in marg praebitur read praebebitur Pag. 180. l. 22. wash awayt read washt away Pag. 227. l. 5. if they dele if Pag. 229. lin 23. in marg him that dele him Pag. 141. lin 9. reuerent read renewed Pag. 378. l. 22. satisfaction read satisfaction Pag. 396. l. 4. Roall read Royall Pag. 399. l. 2. fallable read fallible THE TRVE PICTVRE OF D· VVHITE MINISTER Or the Censure of his Reply vnto M. Fisher. The Reason of this Title THIS Short Censure is prefixed vnder the Name of your Picture that the Reioynder may correspōd in proportion vnto your Reply the beginning whereof is consecrated by an Image of your (a) For he teacheth
to meete KNOCKS will be sure not to be wanting amongst them I need not seeke farre for the like examples of your Vanity the very next Page after your Picture is sufficiently stored with such kind of stuffe Two Women there stand opposite the one to the other That of the right side for your Gospell that on the left for the Roman Religion Betweene whome you haue pictured foure or fiue oppositions which deserue to be noted being wise ones in which shineth your skill in Mysticall or Symbolicall Theology The first opposition Your Protestant woman hath a Sunne of Glory about her head to signify that she is (n) In SOLE posuit TABERNACVLVM suum id est in manifestatione posuit Ecclesiam suam Non est in oculto noÌ„ est quae lateat Quid Heretice fugis ad tenebras quid latitare conaris August in Psal. 18. seated in the Sunne euer in manifest sight euer conspicuous to the world so perpetually visible that for more then 12. hundred yeares to wit from the dayes of Constantine vnto Luther she was neuer seene in the world as (o) Napier vpon Reuelat. pag. 168. your Doctours confesse and the Motto you haue set vnder her doth insinuate Veritatem aperit Dies Tyme discouers Truth as who should say the same was hidden vntill these later dayes of Luther But seing the Conference with the Diuell whereby your Luther was illumined happened at Mid-night as (p) Vbi supra Media nocte expergefactus sum qua mecum Diabolus disputationem orsus est c. himselfe doth testify me thinkes not Veritatem aperit Dies but Nox Nocti indicat Scientiam according to the verball sound would haue byn the fitter Motto for your Gospell On the other side the Roman Religion poore Woman is by you paynted starke blind with this Vnderscription Error caecus Perchance you thinke she must needes be blind in respect of her old Age hauing liued in open profession to the world euer since the Apostles This I might suspect to be your reason did I not see that you attribute the same Papisticall blindnes euen to the ancient and primitiue Church Luther affirmes (q) Luther Tom. â— Wittemb lib. de seruo Arbitr p. 434. that the Fathers of so many ages were STARKE BLIND Another Protestant of great name doth professe (r) Caelius Secundus Curio de amplitud Reg. Christi l. 1. pag. 43. That the WHOLE WORLD EVER almost since the Dayes of the APOSTLES vntill this last Age liued in darkenesse BLINDNES and Ignorance Your Arch-Bishop of Canterbury doubtes not to pronounce (s) Whitegift defence pag. 472 473. How GREATLY SPOTTED were almost ALL THE FATHERS of the Greeke Church and of the Latin also for the most part with the doctrins of Freewill Merit Inuocation of Saynts and the like that NEVER SINCE THE APOSTLES was there a Church so pure and perfect as the Church of England is at this day Wherefore we neede not be angry with your paynting our Religion starke blind seing she could not be the Christian Religion of the auncient Fathers euer since Christ were she not blind in the foolish imagination of your fantastical Ghospell The second opposition Mistresse Protestancy is paynted with her breasts open her paps displayed naked downe to the girdle You will say this doth represent the naked Simplicity and Candour of Truth which your Religion loueth No doubt that simple Truth is found in her which holds Men may lawfully lye in behalfe of her (t) Osiander Epitom Histor ceÌ„tur 16. pag 79â— HaÌ„â— regulam habent Caluinistae Lâ—cere pro gloria Christi mentiri Gospell and that they can neuer lye inough in so good a cause Might not I say more â—â—uly that this more fitly represents that the immodest Fashion of Women to go with their breasts naked as now is the vse was by your Gospel brought into England a fashion so odious in Catholike tymes as euen Strumpets durst not vse it in publicke HeÌ„ce some may suspect this Leuity Lightnes charactered by her attyre to be the cause of her great Belly wherewith you seeme to set her forth Whereby also you may signify that she is the off-spring not of the Gospell of Christ but of Vigilantius his Gospell which was so religious deuoted vnto carnal Fecundity that as doth testify (*) Nisi pregnantes viderint vxores Clericorum infantesque de vlnis matrum vagientes Christi Sacramenta noÌ„ tribuunt Hieron lib. aduers. Vigil cap. 1. S. Hierome her Bishops would not order any Ministers except first they saw their wiues eyther to haue great bellyes or yonge babes hanging at their breasts Though perchance your meaning was by this Embleme to expresse the blessing of Fecundity which your Gospell enioyeth in your Worships of the Ministry who yearly fill the Parishes of the Realme with many nouell Branches of your Leuiticall Stocke On the other side you haue done a deed of Charity towards the Roman WomaÌ„ in clothing her with modest attyre from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote the Feete of your Religion being bare to signify perchance that she is a bare-footed Nunne or a great Practicant of going Bare-foote in Pilgrimage and of such Penitentiall works And wheras you make the garmeÌ„t of our Church speackâ—â—d with great variety of incised workes this doth not displease vs whatsoeuer your meaning may be For this doth agree with the Embleme of the Christian Church vsed by the Royall Prophet psal 44. where she is described a Queene standing on the right-hand of the Fayrest amongst the Sons of men (u) Psal. 44.15 Circumamicta varietatibus cloathed about with varietyes which varietyes wrought on her garment may signify the great variety of Holy Heroycall Works practised by her Children wherby she (y) Lex Domini immaculata conuertens animas Psal. 18.8 Isa. 59.6 coÌ„uerts so great variety of Nations from Paganisme vnto Christ. FroÌ„ the attyre of which kind of works your Religion is as naked innocent as the Child newly borne that of your endeauours in this behalf we may pronouÌ„ce that of the Prophet (x) Telae eorum non erunt in vestimen uÌ„â— opera eorum opera inutilia The webbs they weaue will not serue for cloathing their works are vnprofitable works For your doctrines haue no force to conuert Infidells vnto Christ but only to peruert draw (z) Indocti instabiles deprauant Scripturas in quibus sunt difficilia intellectu 2. Pet. 3 16. vnstable Christians from his Church The third Opposition The Woman of your Religion is painted with a Royall Crowne in her right hand holding the same towards her breast to shew her affection vnto Kings whome she huggs in her armes as the Ape doth his youÌ„g ones till she presse them to death by extremity of loue This happened vnto his Maiestyes (a) Camden Elizab. p. 458. Hunc lameÌ„tabilem vitae finem habuit Maria Scotorum Regina
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Speach and Discourse shew the true shape figure of a man according to the mind This is true Hence a Philosopher when a Lad was brought vnto him to be his Scholler sayd Speake Child that I may see thee If one desire to know what stuffe a (i) Similes estis sepulchris dealâ—atis quae aforis parent hominibus speciosa intus vero plena sunt omni spurcitia Matth. â—3 27 Sepulcher WHITE PAINTED without coÌ„taines within the way is to marke what sauour commes out when the same is opened Wherfore according to the (k) Luc. 19.22 Gospel ex ore tuo te iudico I wil iudge you by your own mouth by the the words therof delineate the Feature of your mind Qualityes of mind may be reduced vnto two heads Learning and Honesty the one being the ornament of the Vnderstanding the other of the Will Hence this your Picture or Censure of your Booke containing fiue Sections in the last of them your Honesty in citing of all sorts of Authours is discouered The other foure are imployed to set forth the quality of your Learning in euery kind of Science that belongs to a Deuine Wherby wil appeare what great reason you had to set this Inscription about your Picture Effigies (l) The title of Doctissimus was giuen to Luther by the Diuell in his nights Conference with him as Luther vbi supra doth reâ—ord Doctissimi Viri D. ni Francisci White c. The Picture of the most Learned man M. Francis White taking to your selfe the Title of Learned in the superlatiue degree aboue other men This Censure with the Reioynder will also make manyfest how iudiciously by way of preueÌ„tion the Iesuit in his Answere conuinced your future Reply your rude quaxing therein agaynst the Catholike Truth that whereas you haue made the Iesuits Arme holding a net with a frogge in it if your Painter will in lieu of the Frogge paint a Minister he shall not need to change the Motto Piscatoris rete habet Ranam the Fisher hath caught in his net a Frogge Ignorance of Latin and Grammer or els wilfull going agaynst knowne Truth SECTION I. TO begin with that kind of learning which Children are taught in the first place and which is the key vnto all other knowledge I shall make manifest your grosse Ignorance therin by foure Examples The first Example §. 1. THERE is a controuersy betwixt you and your Aduersary about the fact of S. Epiphanius who writes of himselfe (a) Epiphan epist. ad Ioan. Hierosolym quae est 6. inter Epistolas Hieron I found in the entry of a certain Church in the Village of Anablatha in the Countrey of Bethel the image of a Man pendentem quasi Christi aut alicuius Sancti nescio enim cuius erat hanging as Christs or some Saintes for I know not whose is was when then I saw the Image of a Man to hang in the Church of Christ agaynst the authority of Scripture I cut the same 〈◊〉 peeces c. The question is whether this Image was Christs 〈◊〉 some Saints and not rather some prophane mans â—anging as Christs or some Saints The Iesuit (b) Iesuit in the Reply p. 251. â—5â— â—aintaynes that it was a vulgar prophane image not any sacred Picture This he prooues first because Epiphanius vrgeth the vnlawfulnes of this fact because it was the image of a man When sayth he â—â—gaynst the authority of the Scripture I saw in the Churâ—â— the image of a man But there was no reason why 〈◊〉 should vrge the vnlawfulnes of this fact in respeâ—â— the image was of a man had he not vnderstood meere ordinary man For otherwise it is so far froâ— being against Scripture to set vp in Churches the Iâ—mage of a man as by Gods expresse order (c) Ezod 25.34 thâ— Cherubims were figured in the Temple vnder thâ— shape of Men. Secondly it is a principle in Philosophy Nulluâ— simile est idem what is like to a thing is not the samâ— thing without distinction Epiphanius sayth the â—â—mage of this man did hang as Christ or some Saint that is in like manner as such sacred images did 〈◊〉 to hange Ergo that image was not Christs or somâ— Saints but the image of some prophane man haÌ„ginâ— in the Church as Christs or some Saints You comming to answere your aduersary 〈◊〉 according to your custome you enter into a comâ—mon place and rayle pag. 251. No testimony can be cleere which Sophisters will not labour to peruert and 〈◊〉 otherwise what is cleerer agaynst Imageworship then 〈◊〉 words of Epiphanius It is lost labour to contend with meâ— qui sola pertinacia pugnaces neruos contra perspâ—â—cuam veritatem intendunt which vpon sole pertiâ— bend their vttermost force to gainsay perspicuous verity After this (d) Semotiâ— NVGIS locorum communiuÌ„ causa cum causa res cum re ratio cum ratione confligat Augustin de vtil crâ—d c. 1. childish declamation comminâ— to answere the Iesuites argumeÌ„ts you skip ouer thâ— first without any Reply at all Vnto the seconâ— grounded vpon the word quasi Christi aut 〈◊〉 Sancti you shape this solution Epiphanius writing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated by 〈◊〉 ad verbum quasi is to be construed not by a note of â—â—â—parison but of coniecture or guessing in things we doe perfectly remember or know as vidi gregem ouium quasi 〈◊〉 or I saw a troope of horse put case an 100. Thus you shewing what an excellent GraÌ„marian you are For I beseech you in what Grammer or Dictionary did you euer read that quasi doth signify put case And your English example I saw a troope of horse put case an 100. if it be brought with reference vnto the Latin vidi gregem ouium quasi mille as a true translation thereof as it ought to be for otherwise why is it brought what Grammer-maister would endure a boy that should so interprete I vrge not your translating mille an hundred nor gregem ouium a troope of horse for this I know doth not much import but your translating quasi put case which quasi doth no more signify then mille doth an hundred or ouis a horse If a GraÌ„mer-boy hauing this English to be put into Latin Behold a troope of twenty horse put case they 〈…〉 hundred let vs set vpon them should thus translate Ecce turmam viginti equitum quasi centum irruamâ—â— were not this senseles and ridiculous Latine And yet the Latine were true and ad verbum if quasi did signify put case as you say it doth Wherefore quasi is still a note of similitude which sometymes doth togeather imply doubting or coniecturing when the similitude is so perfect as we can 〈◊〉 no distinction As in your example vid◠〈◊〉 ouium quasi mille we signify that the number of 〈◊〉 sheepe is so neere a thousand as we cannot 〈◊〉
whether they be more or lesse And thus â—â—â—phanius finding the image of a man hanging in the Church of Anablatha with a lampe burning before it sayth that it did hang as Christs or some Saintes thaâ— is in such manner as he could not discerne any diffeâ—rence betwixt the reuerence giuen by that people vnto it the reuereÌ„ce the (*) That images of Christ his Saints were hanged vp in Churches in that age of S. Epiphan Hierom Augustin is euident by Euodius Vzalensis l. 1. de mirac S. Stephani c. 4. Church vsed towardâ— the Images of Christ and his Saints You may theâ— rayle at your pleasure but whiles you reply no (e) Seing the Ministery grants this to be the cleerest testimony that may be found in antiquity against the honouring of holy Images the Reader may iudge how poore defectuous of solide profe Protestants are in this point better euen Grammer-boyes may see your aduersary hath concluded you in a Cap-case which qua doth signify as much as put case The second Example §. 2. YOVR aduersary pag. 487. doth defend that the words of Christ drinke yee all of this were spokeâ— to the twelue Apostles vpon a personall reason beâ—longing to them only This he proueth First because when a word is ambiguous the same is to be interpreted by another place speaking of the same matteâ— where the same word is vsed without ambiguity Iâ— this speech of S. (f) Matth. 26. vers 39. Matthew drinke yee all of this it 〈◊〉 ambiguous whether the word all concerne all meâ— or only all the twelue there present S. (g) Mar. 14.23 Mark speaking of the same matter signifying how thaâ— precept drinke yee all of this was accomplished sayth they dranke all thereof where all cannot be extendeâ— further then vnto all the twelue Ergo this place caÌ„not with any reason or by the rule of exposition 〈◊〉 further extended Secondly the words Accipite manducate bibiâ—â— were certaynely spoken vnto the same persons and they runne so togeather in ranke that no man witâ— probability can make the one out-runne the other But the command Accipite which signifyes takâ— with your hand for it is a precept distinct from mâ—Ì„â—ducate which is take with your mouth was giuen to 〈◊〉 Apostles only not vnto all the faythfull else we â—ust say that al communicants are bound by diuine precept to take the consecrated cup or bread with their hands Who euer heard of such a precept in the Christian Church You being to make answere vnto this grounded discourse first you keepe your wont and according to your (h) Qui loquitur maledicta stultissimus est Prou. c. 10. Et nullus acriter impoperat Eccles 18.18 skill in Rhetorike ad captandum beneuoâ—â—ntiam to win our good will set vpon vs thus with a Prefatory peale of reproach That which S. Stephen spake to the vnfaithfull Iewes yee do alwaies resist the holy Ghost Act. 7.51 is verifyed in the Pharisees of Rome for no light of heauenly verity is so illustrious which this generation in fauour of their own impiety will not endeauor to cloud Is it possible for any thing to be more euideÌ„t for communion in both kinds then this precept of Christ Drinke yee all of this yet the sonnes of darknes hauing renounâ—â—d verity and chosen the way of errour blunder and â—rope in the cleere light and verba recta ac veritatis 〈◊〉 fulgentia tortuosis interpretationibus obscuraâ—â— deprauare moliuntur as S. Augustine longe since spake of the Pelagians Thus (i) You might haue here remembred the saying of S. Hierom Haereticorum machinae sunt vt conuicti de perfidia ad maledicta se conferunt super quo viderint quomodo illud audiant Maledici regnum Dei non possidebunt l. 3. aduers. Ruffin c. 11. lib. 2. c. â—â— yow So great a sinne it is for vs to expound the word of God against the fancy of a Minister by conference of places by consideration of antecedents and consequents by the circumstances of the action and by all other Christian allowed rules Hauing thus rayled yow approach to the Iesuits arguments againe skip ouer the first without any syllable of reply In your solution of the second grounded on the word accipite take to shew both your Grammaticall and Scripturall erudition yow write in this sorte The Iesuit imagineth that all taking is with the hand and thus he proueth himselfe to be neither good Grammarian nor Deuine Virgil saith illos porticibus Rex accipiebat in amplis where accipio is to entertaine S. Paul saith per quem accepimus gratiam Rom. 1.5 By whome we haue receaued grace and Apostleship c. 8.15 Yee haue receaued accepistis the spirit of adoption The Angell said Ioseph thou sonne of Dauid feare not to take Mary thy wife Matt. 1.20 His Bishopricke let another man take Act. 1.20 Thus yow very learnedly as yow thinke so that you dare accuse the Iesuite as neither good Gramarian nor Deuine Giue Iesuits I pray you leaue to examine your learning before they yield that you be their maister both in Grammer and Diuinity as you challenge to be First what blindnes is it in yow to say that the Iesuit imagineth that all taking is with the hand Doth he not in this place most expressely say men may take meate out of the hand of another with their hand immediatly or with their mouth He supposeth then that there is other taking then with the hand but proues in this text take eate drinke that take must needes command taking with the hand not immediatly with the mouth For as he saith in this text take eate drinke take commands such a kind of taking of meate offered as is distinct from eating therof and not inuolued therin But to take with the mouth is inuolued in eating and commanded therin Ergo in this text take eate drinke take cannot be vnderstood of taking immediatly with the mouth but with the hand Secondly If the Iesuit were so simple as yow make him seeme as to imagine that all corporall taâ—â—ng is with the hand haue yow not very learnedly instructed him of the contrary both out of Virgil and Scripture Virgil forsooth saith Illos porticibus 〈◊〉 accipiebat in amplis the king entertained them in his ample Galleryes where accipio is to entertaine Ergo all corporall taking of a thing out of the hand of another is not with the hand The scripture saith Yee haue receaued grace the Apostleship the spirit of adoption therfore all corporall taking is not with the hand The Angell said to S. Ioseph feare not to take Mary thy wife ergo all taking is not by the hand yea which striketh the naile on the head it is written of Iudas His Bishopricke let another man take Might yow not without taking so much paines to shew your learning in Virgil scripture haue proued that all corporall taking is not with the hand because men many times be
great confidence auouch that it is a diuine ordinance that all ignorant Laymen read Scripture in the vulgar A strong argument The Scripture doth not say the Beroeans read the Scripture in their vulgar tongue nor doth it tearme them Noble for their reading of Scripture but for their receauing the word of Paul with alacrity and ioy Yea the tearme of The more noble is not giuen them in prayse of their Religion but to declare the quality of their Gentry and so Fulke his Bible hath the Noblest for byrth But suppose the Beroeans read in their vulgar and be therfore called Noble is not this inference ridiculous Ergo it is a diuine Precept that euery man read Scripture Doth not this arguing deserue rather to be laughed at then answered The third (a) Apoc. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and heareth Ergo it is a diuine ordinance that all meÌ„ read the Scripture that the Church giue theÌ„ the Scripture translated into all vulgar tongues Here you not only argue impertinently but also detruncate curtall the text of Gods Word leauing out words without which the text hath a false and foolish sense For if all be blessed that read and heare without mention or care of what then they be blessed who read or heare Tully Virgill or the bookes of Knighthood Why doe you not let the Scripture expresse the thing which being read or heard maketh men blessed The Scripture fully and truly cited sayth Blessed is he that heareth and readeth the wordes of this Prophesy to wit of the Apocalyps Which place eyther proueth nothing for your purpose or else proueth a necessity that euery man read the Apocalyps vnder penalty of otherwise not to be blessed This perchance for very shame you dare not auerre If you do what shall we or may we thinke of Luther who did neyther read nor heare nor belieue the Apocalyps as a Prophesy or as the word of (b) Nec Apostolicum nec PropheticuÌ„ esse puto hunc libelluÌ„ similem reputo Quarto Esdrâ—â— nec vllo modo deprendere possum quod a Spiritus Sancto confectus sit Lutherus praefat in Apocalip God And what an idle inference is this He is blessed who readeth the Apocalyps Ergo it is a diuine ordinance that euery man read Scriptures S. Paul sayth (c) 1. Cor. 7. Bonum est homini mulierem non tangere vers 1. Bonum est illis si sic permaneant vers 7. Beatior erit si sic permanserit vers 40. he is blessed that doth not marry Is it consequent Ergo euery man is bound not to marry or Ergo men cannot be blessed but only such as do not marry Surely your wife wil see this inference to be foolish yet it is as good as yours Blessed is he that readeth or heareth the Apocalyps Ergo it is a diuine ordinance that none be blessed but such as read Scripture The fourth argument The Galathians read the Scripture Ergo it is a diuine ordinance that ignorant laymen read them and that they be translated into euery vulgar Dialect That the Galathians read the Scriptures you prooue by the cypher of Galat. 4.24 where the Apostle sayth you that will be vnder the Law haue you not read the Law For it is written Abraham had two Sonnes This proofe is very poore For the Apostle doth not affirme they read but doubtingly demaunds whether they had not read one particle of Scripture Also the question was mooued without doubt only to the learned Galathians But suppose they read the Scripture is it lawfull thence to conclude Ergo they read it in their vulgar If they read it in their vulgar is it thence consequent Ergo euery man is bound by diuine ordinance to read and this so strictly as the Church may not forbid translations vnto such as abuse them The fifth place The Ephesians read the Scripture Ergo it is a diuine precept that ignorant Laymen read the Scripture in their vulgar tongue The antecedent you shew by the cypher Ephes. 3.4 where the Apostle sayth Reading you may vnderctand my wisdome in the Mistery of Christ A seely proofe Saint Paul doth not say that the Ephesians read but only that by reading his Epistle they might vnderstand his wisâ—ome about the mysteries of grace and Christian Religion But suppose they read S Pauls Epistle sent vnto theÌ„ doth it follow Ergo it is a diuine ordinance that Laymen promiscuously read Scripture and that the Church must translate Scripture to that end This inference as euen as good as this By reading the Epistles of Saint Peter one may vnderstand the great knowledge he had of Christ Ergo Euery man is bound to read S. Peters Epistles The sixt The Colossians read the Scripture Ergo it is a diuine ordinance that all ignorant Laymen read the Scripture The antecedent is by you proued by the cypher Coloss. 4.16 which sayth When this Epistle hath been read amongst you cause it also to be read in the Church of Loadicea This place doth not proue your intent that they read so much as that Epistle priuatly by theÌ„selues but only that the same was publikely read in the Church by the Bishop or the Priest or some Church officer in the same laÌ„guage wherin it was written originally But suppose the Colossians read this Epistle priuately by theÌ„selues what a wooden inference is this Ergo euery Christian is bouÌ„d by diuine ordinance to read Scripture Or Ergo the Church is obliged by diuine precept to prouide that the Scripture be translated into vulgar tongues The seauenth Argument The Thessalonians read the Scripture Ergo the reading thereof by ignorant Laymen is a diuine ordinance The antecedent you prooue by the cypher 1. Thess. 5.25 which sayth I adiure you that this Epistle be read vnto all holy brethren Neyther doth this text prooue priuate reading of Scripture by Laymen but only publik reading therof in the Church But suppose they priuately read this Epistle sent them by the Apostle is it consequeÌ„t Ergo all Laymen are bound to read Scripture and the Church to translate the same into euery tongue Truly this argument is euen as good as this God created heauen and earth of nothing Ergo Ministers may make arguments of nothing or make argumeÌ„ts good that haue nothing in them Or as this In the beginning was the word the word was with God Ergo euery godly person is bound to read the Scripture word by word from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Apocalyps Or Ergo Godly persons do nothing els but read Scripture Grosse Ignorance of Theology SECTION III. BESIDES the manifold Errours which you maintaine in coÌ„mon with other Ministers you haue diuers proper peculiar to your selfe and exceeding grosse wherby you declare how ignorant how are of Theology I will only discouer some few of them but those fundamentall by which you so shake the fabrike of your Reply as no piece thereof remayneth â—ound The first
That vnto Ministers Religious Adoration is due §. 1. THIS you affirme pag. 224. Where you vndertake to range in order the kinds of vnion with God vnto which Religious adoration is due RELIGIOVS ADORATION say you primary or secondary is not founded vpon euery kind of vnion as appeareth in mentall images but vpon certaine kinds of vnion to wit first Personall as when the Humanity of Christ is coupled with the Deity Secondly Substantiall as when the parts are coupled with the whole Thirdly Causall Relatiue or Accidentall to wit when by diuine Ordination things created are made instruments messengers figures receptacles of diuine grace as the holy Sacraments and the Word and Ghospell and the MINISTERS of the Church c. Behold amongst the obiects that haue such vnion with God as is a sufficient ground to yield them Religious Adoratiō you number Ministers with an Et caetera in the end perchance leauing roome for your wiues to enter to be likewise your Consorts in Religious Adoration as good reason they should How grosse this Errour is specially in you hence may appeare in that hereby you ouerthrow a great part of your Reply First you cleerly cōtradict that Principle which so many tymes you set downe and very earnestly vrge to wit that Religious Worship is due to God only How can this be true if Religious Worship is due vnto Ministers Be not Ministers Creatures Be they not other things and persons besides God Nor can you say that when you affirme Religious Worship to be due to God only you meane primary Religious Adoration and that consequently you doe not contradict your selfe in saying that secondary Religious Adoration is due vnto Ministers This euasion I say will not serue your turne because you declare in expresse tearmes that all Religious adoration primary or secondary is due to God only Thus you write pag. 322. Whereas the Iesuite doth distinguish two kinds of Religious Worship the one Primary and simply Diuine founded vpon the increate and infinite Excellency which is due to God only the other Secondary founded vpon the created Excellency of grace and glory which is yielded vnto Saints and Angells To this we reply that there be no other kinds of worship then there be Tables of the morall law but there are only two tables of the morall Law the former whereof teacheth diuine worship and the second humane ciuill and of speciall obseruance And if there be a mixt worship partly human partly diuine so much thereof as is diuine is proper to God and may not be imparted vnto any creature Isa. 42.8 Where God sayth My glory I will not giue to another Thus you How grossely doe you contradict your selfe and implicate in your sayings Be not Ministers others from God asmuch as Angells If then Adoration and Religious Adoration be giuen vnto Ministers how is it not Adoration giuen to others besides God asmuch as when Angells are Religiously adored Secondly you haue destroyed all you say in the first point agaynst the Worship of Images specially pag. 246 where you thus speake vnto vs If you adore Images outwardly and relatiuely then you make Images a partial obiect of adoration but God himselfe who sayth I will not giue my glory to another Isa 24.8 hath excluded Images from compartnership with himselfe in Adoration Thus you All which is proued idle by your doctrine that Ministers are religiously to be adored For if no Creature can be compartner with God himselfe in adoration how may Ministers be his partners therin and challenge Religious adoration as due to thēselues If they may be religiously adored yet not be his partners in adoration against his diuine Edict My glory I will not giue to another why not Angells Why not holy Images What say you of the holy Sacraments Be they not creaturs aswell as Images specially in your opinion who hold that they be bread and wine and Elements vnchanged in substance and yet you say that vnto the Sacraments and Word of the Ghospell Religious adoration is due because they haue a relatiue vnion with God How thē is Religious adoration due to God only If Religious Adoration may redound from Christ vnto his Sacraments why not from Christ vnto his Images which haue a relatiue Vnion with him as being resemblances representations of him Thirdly you haue ouerthrowne and contradicted all you said about the second of the Nine points to wit against Oblations vnto the Virgin Mary In the old Law say you not onely Sacrifices but also Vowes and Oblations were made to God onely Reply pag. 348. Deut. 23.21 Leuit c. 24.5.6 This law in respect of the substance is morall and obligeth Christian people aswell in case of Oblations as of Sacrifices Now by what authority and right can the Roman Church abrogate this law in whole or parte and appropriating Sacrifice vnto God make Oblations common to God and Saints Thus you very vainely not onely in regard that the Text of Deuteronomy doth not say that Vowes and Promises are to be made vnto God onely but no more then that if one make a Vow vnto God he must be carefull to keepe it whence to inferre that Vowes and Promises may not be made vnto men or Saints but to God onely is ridiculous The text also of Leuiticu◠saith that Oblations and guifts are to be made vnto God but that to God onely not a word And to say giuing of gifts to be proper vnto God onely is foolish except you meane gifts and oblations by way of Sacrifice as vnto the authour of all gifts foūtaine of Being For what more daily and quotidian then for men to make presents and oblations the one to the other specially vnto Kings and Princes in testimony of their duty But as I say your discourse is vaine not onely in respect of your idle cyphering of Scripture but also because your selfe demolish this your Doctrine by saying or supposing the contrary to wit that Oblations by way of Religion may be made vnto Ministers That this is by yow supposed I proue To shew that Ministers are Religiously to be adored you cypher 2. Cor. 8.5 where S. Paul saith of the Church of Macedonia Reply pa. 224. lin 26. They gaue themselues first vnto God then by the will of God vnto vs. By which text you cannot conclude Religious Adoration to be due vnto Ministers but by arguing in this manner They vnto whom men by way of Religion and deuotion giue offer themselues are Religiously adored because oblations be Diuine Religious worship The Church of Macedonia did by way of Religion and deuotion offer themselues vnto S. Paul because he was a Minister Ergo Vnto Ministers Religious adoration is to be giuen This I say must be the force of your argument For if the Macedonians did not by way of Religion deuotion offer themselues vnto S. Paul how can you shew that by giuing themselues vnto him they did Religiously adore him
alwayes directeth in their publike doctrine But wicked persons sayth S. Augustine retayne the figure or outward shape of a member but they are not in truth the body of Christ Non sunt de compage domus Dei they are not of the frame of the house of Christ. Ergo. Thus you How false and absurd this your Doctrine is I will not stand to shew by Scriptures and Fathers which are cleere and plentifull in this point For though Christ as he is the head and fountaine of sanctifying Grace cannot haue wicked and damnable members that receiue influence from him yet as he is the head and fountaine of all spirituall gouernement and authority he may haue damnable subiects and members and from him power and authority may flow vnto them But omitting this I will make your Folly and Ignorance apparent by prouing that this your argument is inept in respect of forme in the matter so absurd as you contradict your selfe you ouerthrow your owne Church you crosse the maine streame of Protestant Doctrine First your argumeÌ„t eueÌ„ in respect of form is fond for you change the medium or means of proofe arguing from the time preterite to the present (i) Reply pag. â—00 in fine Wolues hypocrites impious Persons BE NOT the true Church Romish Prelats HAVE BEEN Hypocrites Wolues and impious Persons Ergo. The Romish Prelates be not the true Church Who doth not feele this manner of arguing to be inept as good no better then this A sucking Child is not a Preacher and Minister of the word Francis White hath been a sucking Child Ergo. He is not a Preacher or Minister of the word Hence though your paradoxe that the Church which hath a wicked man for Pastor cannot be the true Church were true your tale that some Popes haue been wicked were also graunted yet it is not hence consequent that the Romane Church is not now the true Church but at the most that it was not the true Church for the tyme that it had some wicked Pope for supreme Pastour Secondly you contradict your selfe about the doctrine that wicked Pastours cannot faithfully preserue and deliuer the true word of saluation for pag. 52. you thus write to the contrary The promises of Christ made to the Church concerning his presence assistance to his Sacraments preached and administred according to his commandement are fulfilled when WICKED Persons execute the office and performe the worke of outward Ministry For although the wicked like the CarpeÌ„ters of Noahs arke reape no benefit to theÌ„selues yet God almighty CONCVRRETH with their ministery being his owne Ordinance for the saluation of all deuout Communicants Thus you If this be true as it is most certaine then may wicked persons faythfully and constantly deliuer Apostolicall Traditions about matter of Saluation This sequele I proue They with whose ministery God doth concurre for the saluation of all deuout worthy coÌ„municants being bound so to do by his promise doe constantly and faithfully deliuer Apostolicall Traditions concerning the doctrine of saluation and are infallibly directed so to do This is euident because when God concurreth with his Ministers to teach the truth they neuer erre nor deliuer in matter of fayth and saluation false doctrine But God doth still and infallibly concurre with them with whom to concurre he hath bound himselfe by promise euer and alwayes euen to the consummation of the world Wherfore if God hath bound himselfe to his Church that he will concurre euen with the wicked Ministers of his word in their teaching for the saluation of all deuout worthy communicants as you affirme pag 52 lin 18. then wicked persons may deliuer faithfully constantly Apostolicall traditions concerning fayth and saluation and are infallibly directed so to do which you deny pag. 54 lin 6. manifestly contradicting your selfe within lesse then a leafe Thirdly you ouerthrow your owne protestant Church For if that caÌ„not be the true Church directed by God according to his infallible promise wherin wicked men haue sitten as visible rulers gouernours then Protestants and all of their communion cannot be the true Church out of which saluation is not had For I hope they will not be so impudent as to deny but they haue had some wicked meÌ„ for their rulers and Pastours Was not King Henry the eight ruler Gouernour of the Protestant Church and yet their owne Historyes paint him forth as a monster for beastlines cruelty and impiety Was not Cranmer a most wicked persecutour and murtherer of diuers Saints not only of Catholikes but of sundry Foxian martyrs who were by him sent to the fire And yet he was a ruler gouernour in the Protestant Church Wherfore the argument which you set in distinct letters lines as of speciall weight may be with the same force forme applied against your Protestant Church in so many words only by placing the words Protestant in lieu of Romish Wolues Hypocrites impious Persons are not the holy Catholike Church Protestant Prelates and Visible Rulers haue been Wolues Hypocrites impious persons Ergo. Protestants are not the Holy Catholike church out of which there is no saluation Fourthly what more opposite to the common streame euen of the Protestant Doctrine then that that Church cannot be the temple house of God in which wicked and impious men sit or haue sitten as visible rulers Commonly all Ministers foolishly I confesse yet earnestly endeauour to proue that the Pope is Antichrist because he sitteth in the Temple and Church of God as Christs Vicar and as her supreme Visible Head Ruler vnder Christ which Doctrine you your selfe suppose as certaine pag. 588. were you make this Exclamation What a misery will it be if it fall out as it is certaine it will that at the Day of Iudgement the greatest part of English Romistes be found to haue followed the man of sinne the sonne of perdition who exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God so that he sit in the temple of God shewing himselfe as if he were God Thus you I vrge not the folly of this your Exclamation in that it is a fond supposition of the Question yea a taking of that as certaine which not onely Catholiks but also learned Protestants deny Your selfe haue you not lately since the writing of this Reply approued (k) The Appeale vnto Caesar of Richard Montague a Booke by Order of his Maiesty in which that Authour doth often and earnestly (l) Second part c. 5. pag. 141. professe not to beleeue the Pope to be that Antichrist further affirming that Protestants out of affection haue been to violently forward to pronounce the Pope is that man of sinne sonne of perdition yea that some out of violent and transported passion no doubt make it an Article of their Creed wheras their arguments be so far from the force of demonstratiue as they are not persuasiue Thus this Authour in that Booke which you haue
Scriptures Fathers speak as they please This your cogging in Scripture is already discouered Now about the Fathers Seauen Testimonies of S. Augustine about Scripture and Tradition falsifyed §. 1. TO note some few of the many Pag. 22. lin 5. to make S. Augustine seeme to fauour your Protestant fancy that men are resolued in fayth by the resplendent Verity and euidence of the Christian Doctrine you cite him as saying (*) Cont. Ep. Fund c. 4. Manifest Verity is to be prâ—fered before all other thinges wherby I am hâ—ld in the Catholike Church In this quotation the word other is cogged into the text to change the sense as if S. Augustine had sayd I haue many motiues to belieue the Catholike Doctrine amongst other the manifest verity of the things reuealed this is the chiefest of all S. Augustines true text is manifest verity so cleerly shewed as no doubt therof can be made praeponenda est omnibus is to be preferred before all these thinges whereby I am held in the Catholike Church Hence it is cleere that the manifest Verity was not the stay and motiue of S. Augustines fayth For what is preferred before all the motiues that stayed him in the Catholike Church was none of his motiues But he saith that manâ—fâ—st verity so cleerly shining as no doubt thereof can be made is to be preferred before all his motiues Ergo S Augustin was not befooled with this foppery that Fayth is resolued finally into the manifest resplendeÌ„t verity of the doctrine and thinges reuealed in Scripture Neere to the same (a) Pag. 21. lin â—2 and in marg lit b. c. place you cite S. Augustine (b) Aug. l. 2. de Baptis c. 3. saying That former councells are corrected by latter Whence you inferre that the Tradition of the Church is fallible For what sentence of the Church is infallible if that of Councells be fallible In which say you some Papists place the soueraignty of Ecclesiasticall authority Heere you shew Ignorance and Falshood Ignorance about the doctrine of Catholikes For though some preferre the Councell before the Pope others the Pope before the Councell in case the whole Councel should be opposite to the Pope in matters of Fayth to be defined which case yet neuer happened yet all preferre perpetual Tradition hand to hand from the Apostles before both Pope and Councell For how can we know that Church definitions made by Pope Councell be infallible but by Tradition Some may say that is cleerly proued by Scripture It is true but how shall we know the texts assumed in this proofe to be the Apostles Scripture but by Tradition How should we be so sure that we truly expound the Texts aright did we not see the Tradition and practise of the Church to haue been still conformable to the sense we giue of those Scriptures Your Falshood is in that you conceale the words that immediatly follow in S. Augustines sentence which had you set down Aug. lib. 2. de Baptis c. 3. Ipsa plenaria Concilia saepe priora posterioribus emeÌ„dari cùm EXPERIMENTO â—erum aperitur quod clausum erat it would haue been euideÌ„t that he doth attribute fallibility and corrigibility vnto Councells only in matters of fact or Ecclesiasticall Lawes about manners For the whole sentence is Amongst plenary Councells the former are corrected by the latter cùm experimento rerum c. when by EXPERIMENT of thinges something is brought to light which before was hidden Now the truth of matters and mysteries of Fayth is not brought to light by tyme and experience but the truth of matters of fact is of which One sayth Quicquid sub terra est in apricum proferet aetas Therefore S. Augustine speakes not of matters of Fayth but of matters of fact or of Ecclesiasticall Lawes about manners which in some cases tyme and experience doth discouer to be inconuenient therefore to be recalled In the same place to prooue S. Augustine (d) Pag. 21. in lit b. c. held that the Church in her perpetuall Traditions may be deceaued you cite him saying (e) Aug. l. 2. cont Crescon c. 21. Eâ—clesiastici Iudices sicut homines plerumque falluntur Ecclesiasticall Iudges as men may be deceaued and (f) Lib 2. de Baptism c. 3. EpiscoporuÌ„ litteras quae post confirmatum Canonem Scriptae sunt c. licere reprehendi Non debet Ecclesia se Christo praeponere vt putet à se iudicatos baptizare non posse ab Illo autem iudicatos posse cùm Ille semper veraciter iudicet Ecclesiastici autem Iudices sicut homines plerumque falluntur the writings of any Bishops since the Apostles may be questioned and called into doubt I do not doubt but you know in your conscience that S. Augustine in both the places is alleadged oppositely to his meaning In the first place he speaketh not about Church-errours in matters of fayth but about errors in matters of fact or Church iudgments concerning criminall causes For this is his whole sentence The Church ought not to preferre herselfe before Christ as to say that men condemned by him as wicked may validely baptize but such as she doth condemne may not seeing He in his iudgements neuer erreth whereas Ecclesiasticall Iudges as being men are often deceaued Who doth not see that you wrong Saint Augustine to bring this his testimony for his holding the perpetuall Tradition of the Catholicke Church hand to hand from the Apostles by the succession of Bishops to be fallible And no lesse iniuriously you produce him in the second testimony For he speaketh of single Bishops considered ech of them by themselues that their writings are obnoxious vnto errour and so may be questioned and examined by Scripture thence inferring that the Donatists should not wonder that he did examine the Epistle of S. Cyprian agaynst the Baptisme of Heretikes so cleere it is he speakes of single Bishops not of Tradition by the full consent of Bishops Pag. 37. lin 33. For only Scripture you cite the same S. August as thus writing (g) August in epist· 1. IoaÌ„ tract 3. The Church hath only two breasts wherwith she feedeth her Children the Scriptures of the Old New TestameÌ„t You corrupt this place by addition false translation First by adding to the text the word only to make men belieue S. Aug. held that no doctrine of Fayth is to be belieued which is not cleerly contayned in Scripture whereas (h) l. 4. de Baptis c. 6. 24. l. 5. c. 22. he hath an expresse principle to the contrary many tymes repeated in his workes Sundry thinges to wit of fayth such as was the doctrine that Baptisme giuen by Heretiks is valide are most iustly belieued to be the Apostles though they be no where written in the Scriptures Secondly S. August sayth not as you traÌ„slate that the Churches two breasts are the Scriptures of the Old New TestameÌ„t
to wit to be True to be Reuealed of God to be Preached and deliuered of the Apostles The highest ground by which I am perswaded that my fayth is true is the authority of God reuealing it The highest ground on which I am resolued that my Fayth is reuealed is the credit and authority of Christ Iesus his Apostles who deliuered the same as Diuine and Sacred But the highest ground that moueth me to belieue that my fayth was (c) The Mynister and especially the Bishops Chaplin pag. 16. 17. charge the Answerer to resolue fayth of the Scriptures being the word of God into only Tradition This is a slaūder for he doth distinguish expresly in scripture the being preached by the Apostles from the being reuealed of God or his word This second property is spirituall and hidden and belieued not vpon Tradition from the Apostles directly but vpon the word of the Apostles so affirming confirmed with the testimony of miracles wrought by the Holy GHOST but to be preached and planted in the world was a publike sensible thing so is knowne by Tradition hand to hād from the Apostles Thus the Church as belieuing her doctrine to be true is built vpon God as belieuing her doctrine to be of God is built on the Apostles as belieuing her doctrine to be the Apostles is built on the Tradition of Pastours succeeding them The ground and pillar of Truth by office as our Minister graunts pag. 9. lin 5. preached by the Apostles is the perpetual tradition of the Church succeding the Apostles that so teacheth me Into this principle (d) Aug. cont epist. Fund cap. 5. Saint Augustine resolued his fayth agaynst the Manichees who pretended that the Scriptures of the new Testament had been corrupted confuting them by the Tradition of the Church affirming That he would not belieue the Ghospell did not the Authority of the Catholike Church induce him assigning this as the last stay of his resolution in this point For though he belieued the Gospell to be soueraignely certaine and true vpon the authority of God reuealing it and that it was reuealed of God vpon the authority of the Apostles who as Sacred preached it yet that this Ghospell as we haue it came incorrupt from the Apostles he could haue no stronger or more (e) The Minister forced by this testimony graūteth two things which ouerthrow his cause first pa. 22. l. 13.14 that Nouices and simple persons ground their fayth on the authority of the Church as also Field graunteth appendix part 1. pag. 11. now I assume But the fayth of Nouices is sauing fayth as S. Aug. there sayth contra Epist. Fundamenti c. 2. and cōsequently their fayth is diuine Ergo sauing supernaturall fayth is grounded on the authority of the Church Secondly he graunts pag. 23. lin 2. 3. that The Church as including the Apostles can proue the Scripture whence it is cōsequent that the Scriptures are not principles knowne by themselues but haue another higher diuine principle by which they are proued The Church comprehending the Apostles being as Protestāts grāt Field l. 4. of Church c. 21. of greater authority then Scripture excellent proofe then the testimony of the present Church descending by the cōtinuall succession of Bishops from the Apostles Neyther can we imagine an higher except we fly to particular priuate reuelation which is absurd The second Argument SECONDLY I proue that common vnlearned people the greatest part of Christianity are persuaded about all substantiall points of fayth by Tradition not by Scripture Common vnlearned people haue true Christian fayth in all points necessary and sufficient vnto saluation but they haue not fayth of all these mayne and substantiall points grounded on Scripture for they can neyther vnderstand nor read any Scripture but translated into vulgar languages so if they belieue vpon Scrpture they belieue vpon Scripture translated into their Mother tongue but before that they can know that the Scriptures are truly translated euen in all substantiall points that so they may build on it they must first know what are the mayne and substantiall points (f) To this proofe that Christians belieue their Creed more firmely then any translation the Minister hath not answered one word nor can answere for it is conuincing as appeares by this syllogisme Perswasion more certayne and firme cannot be grounded on perswasion lesse firme and certayne Such as are true Christians belieue the articles of their Creed more firmely then they do that Scriptures are truly translated into their vulgar tongue Ergo True Christians do not build their Fayth of the Creed on Scripture translated but on doctrine knowne to be the Apostles formerly and more firmely then that Scripture is truly translated firmely belieue them so that they would not belieue the Scriptures translated agaynst them For if they know them not before how can they know that Scriptures in places that concerne them are truly translated If they doe not before hand firmely belieue them why should they be ready to allow translations that agree with them and to reiect the translations that differ from thē Ergo (g) The Minister pag. 26. sayth That Ignorant men resolue their faith into Scripture yet not into Scripture so distinctly knowne as they can tel the names of the seuerall Bookes Authours and Sections and so they resolue implicitly not explicitly This is idle For if they know the doctrine of the Scripture because it is written though they know not the name of the booke nor number of the Chapter Verse nor the formall text what groūd firmer thē their Creed haue they this to belieue originally before they know any Scripture they haue fayth grounded on the Traditiōs of Ancestors by the light wherof they are able to iudge of the truth of Translations about such substantiall points as they firmely belieue by Traditiō And this is that which Protestants must meane if they haue any true meaning when they say that the common People know Scriptures to be truly translated by the (h) The Minister is forced to fly to a found paradoxe confuted already That vnlearned Rusticks know the Scripture to be Gods word by the matter and forme of the bookes and by seing the resplendent verity of the doctrine pag. 28. lin 3. He addeth lin 7. That they which actually resolue their fayth into the doctrine of Scriptur do virtually mediatly resolue the same into the very Scripture though they know not that it is written in Scripture This is friuolous and false For the Pagan and Infidells that know hony to be sweet and taken in abundance to be hurtfull should virtually resolue their persuasion into the very Scripture because they actually belieue a thing affirmed in Scripture Prou. 25. 27. Yea the Iew belieuing that Christ was crucified belieues a doctrine of Scripture doth he therefore resolue and build virtually vpon Scripture No. That one build on Scripture it is not
of Waldo Wickliffe and Husse Fabulae sunt they are Fables you turne as by him spoken of perpetuall Traditions of the Catholicke and Roman Church The Pharisees did indeed corrupt Scripture But how By Logicall deductions out of the same according to your Protestant and the common Hereticall fashion pretending greater skill then all their Ancestors That they did affirme that their speciall obseruations were Traditions vnwritten from Moyses the Scripture hath not a word yea the thing they most of all obiected agaynst our Sauiour was the written Tradition of Moyses about keeping the Sabboth Day Ioan. 7. From which precept not by Tradition vnwritten but by Logicall inference they concluded that our Lord brake the Sabboth-Day by healing diseased persons thereon So that Pharasaicall Traditions were neuer so much as pretended to be doctrines vnwritten as you imagine but to be doctrines concluded from the text of Scripture by the rules of Reason and Logicke iust according to your Protestant pretence Also what you say that the Fathers Traditions vnwritten be not our doctrines but yours is spoken because you would haue men so thinke though they erre not because you can thinke the same to be so in truth For thus I argue agaynst this your seely Shift The Fathers as appeareth by their wordes vnderstand by Tradition Apostolical vnwritten Dogmata quae peti non possunt è Sacra Scriptura Doctrines of fayth that cannot be gathered froÌ„ the holy Scriptures with such certitude as they may therevpon be belieued as articles of fayth But you pretend and glory that all your Doctrines of Fayth be ex sacris Scripturis petitae so drawne and gathered from holy Scriptures as they are belieued as Fayth only vpon this rule Ergo it is great vanity for you to say that the Fathers by Apostolical Tradition vnwritten vnderstood the Doctrine not of the Roman Church but of your Protestant Separation And if from generality vpon which Ministers whose drift is to deceyue do willingly dwell we descend to particulars we shall find that you reiect those Doctrines customes of the Roman Church as Fabulous dreames and human inuentions which the Fathers expressely and in tearmes affirme to be Apostolicall Traditions To pray for the reliefe of the Soules of the faythfull deceased Protestants esteeme fabulous the (1) (1) Chrys. Homil 69. ad Pop. Fathers affirme it was ab Apostolis sancitum ordayned by the Apostles The binding of the Cleargy-men and those that are in the holy Ministery to single life and from woing wiuing do not Protestants detest as impious (2) (2) Concil Carthag Can. 2. yet the fathers say haec docuâ—runt Apostoli haec seruauit antiquitas this the Apostles taught this was kept by the Ancients That it is damnable Sin for Votaries to marry after their vowes do not Protestants contemne as a fabulous inuention yet (3) (3) Epiphan haeres 61. the Fathers say tradiderunt Sancti Dei Apostoli this is the Tradition of the holy Apostles of God The custome of making the signe of the Crosse on the forhead ProtestaÌ„ts deride as foolish (4) (4) Basil. de Spirit Sanct. c. 27. yet the Fathers affirme hoc tradiderunt Patres nostri in silentio sine literis it was taught by our Fathers the Apostles in silent Tradition without writing The Fast of Lent is it not in neglect and derision with Protestants yet the (5) (5) Hieron Epist. ad Marcell de erroribus Montan. Fathers sayd as we do QuadragesimaÌ„ semel in anno ex Apostolica traditione ieiunamus we fast one Lent a yeare by the tradition of the Apostles Do not Protestants also scorne the feast of Ember-weeke foure tymes in the yeare And yet the (6) (6) Leo de ieiunio sexti mensis Serm. 6. de Pentecost Fathers say ex Apostolica traditione seruantur they are receyued by Apostolical Tradition To fast one fryday or the sixt Day of the weeke in memory of our Sauiours passion Protestants condemne as superstitious yet (7) (7) Epiphan haeres 75. the Fathers say hoc decreuerunt Apostoli the Apostles made this decree and the Church by Tradition from them hath perpetually obserued it The making and blessing of holy water do not ProtestaÌ„ts reiect as magicall Yet the (8) (8) Basil. de spir san c. 27. Fathers say expressely it is a Tradition of the Apostles To mingle water with Wine in the Chalice of the holy Eucharist is thought by Protestants to be fabulous But by the Fathers (9) (9) Cyprian lib. 1. Ep. 3. Dominica institutio the institution of our Lord by Tradition vnwritten deriued to vs. Luther dareth to cast off with a iest the commandement not to receiue the holy Eucharist but fasting that so the body of our Lord may enter in at our mouth before other meates (10) (10) Aug. Ep. 118 ad Ianuar c. 6. yet the Fathers say hoc placuit Spiritu sancto hoc Christus per Apostolos disposuit it pleased the holy ghost it should be so and by his inspiration the Apostles did so appoint What shall I say of (11) (11) Aug. lib. 4. in Iulian. Leo primus Ep. 14. Exorcizandi sunt secundum ApostolicaÌ„ regulam Exorcismes ExsufflatioÌ„s vsed in Baptisme the (12) (12) Origen Homil. 5. in Num. A magno Pontifice Christo eius filiis Apostolis traditam forme of interrogations answeres and other ceremonies That (13) (13) Fabian Ep. 2. ad Oriental Christus instituit they that be baptized be afterwards Chrismed with the oyle of balme (14) (14) Tertul. li. 1. ad vx Apostolica praescriptio Epiphan haer 50. Propter eminentiam celebrationis traditam That they who haue beene maried more then once be not promoted vnto Priesthood out of reuerence vnto that dignity (15) (15) Aug. lib. 17. de Ciuit. c. 4. Hoc votum illi potentissimi vouerant That the Apostles made the vow of Religions perfection That (16) (16) Chrys. homil 17. ad Paph Antiochen A Christo introducta Casian Coenobitarum disciplina tempore praedicationis Apostolorum sumpserat exordium Monasticall profession began by their institution (17) (17) Tertul. de Corona Militis Anniuersarios dies colimus the keeping festiuall Dayes in the honour of Saints deceased (18) (18) Concil Antioc Apostol citat in 7. Synod act 1. The placing the Images of Christ and his Saints in the Church (19) (19) Damascen orat 4. de Imagin Synod Nicen 2. act 7. Their Worship (20) (20) Aug. Serm. 17. de verbis Apost Cyril cathec 5. Mystagog To commend our selues vnto the prayers of Saintes deceased in the holy Sacrifice of Masse These things Protestants detest as Superstitions all which yet the Fathers mantayne to be Apostolicall Traditions metamorphize the word Profitable as to make it signify the same with the word Sufficient which is very hard yet were the text much ouer-short to proue their intent that Scripture alone
ad com Philip. in 1. ad Corinth This may conuince our Minister that his allegations be of no credit and that Iudgement of the Sanctity of a Church is not to be made by the report of zealous complaint but by the euidence of sight ruled by vnpartiall search By which rule one may find in the Catholike Cleargy thousands and thousands that shew admirable charity specially in conuerting Infidells yea that winne the glorious crowne of Angelicall Chastity for which they would neuer haue striuen had not the Church bound them thereunto So that if human infirmity by occasiō of this law make some men impure that otherwise perchance in marriage would haue beene chast so the Grace of God by the same occasiō worketh in innumerable Angelical Saints who had neuer beene such but for the Churches exaction And this haruest makes full recompence for that losse specially seing also many of such delinquents be not lost but saued by Pennance yea become more excellent Saints then they had beene had they neuer fallen Chastity Obedience Charity in vndergoing labours for the help of soules Fortitude in suffering of heroycall Martyrdomes Zeale and Patience in the rough and rigorous treaty of their bodyes by miraculous fasting another austerityes This sanctity shineth not in all children of the Church but in her more eminent preachers professours Which kind of sanctity togeather with miracles if the Church did want she could not be a sufficiēt witnes of the truth vnto Infidells who commonly neuer begin to affect admire Christianity but vpon the sight of such wōders of Sanctity other extraordinary works Holy for doctrine in regard her Traditions be diuine and holy without any mixture of errour For if the Church could deliuer by consent of Ancestours togeather with truth some Errours her Traditions euen about truth were questionable could not be belieued vpon the warrāt of her traditions for who can without danger and securely feed on that dish that may aswell containe poyson as wholsome sustenance And whereas some Protestants affirme that the Church cannot erre in fundamentall points but only in thinges of lesse moment the truth is that in perpetuall Traditions she cannot erre at all If the Tradition of the Church deliuering a small thing as receyued from the Apostles may be false one may call into question her Traditions of moment For like as if we admit in the Scripture errours in small matters we cannot be sure of its infallibility in substātial matters So likewise if we graunt Traditions perpetuall to be false in things of lesse importance we haue no solide ground to defend her Traditions as assured in others of moment Wherfore as he that should say Gods written word is false in some lesse matters as when it sayes S. Paul left his Cloake at Troas erreth fundamentally by reason of the consequence which giues occasion to doubt of euery thing in Scripture euen so he that graunteth that some part of Traditions or of the word of God vnwritten may be false erreth substantially because he giueth cause to doubt of any Tradition which yet as I haue shewed is the prime and originalll ground of Faith more (q) The Minister heere rayleth largely lustily tearming this assertion impudent Antichristian prophane bastardly c. yet the assertion is euident truth his reasons agaynst it are of no force For they goe not agaynst the assertion but proue another thing to wit the excellency of Scripture which none denyes For Tradition Scripture according to different cōparisons are equall superiour the one to the other Compare them in respect of certainty of truth they are equal as the Councell of Trent defineth sess 4. both being the word of God the one Written the other Vnwritten and so both infinitly certayne Compare them in respect of depth sublimity and variety of doctrine the Scripture is farre superiour vnto Tradition Tradition being playne and easy doctrine concerning the common capitall and practicall articles of Christianity wheras the Scripture is full of high hidden senses and furnisht with great variety of examples discourses and all manner of erudition Aug. Epist. 3. Compare them in respect of priority and euidence of being the Apostles the Scripture is posteriour vnto Tradition in tyme and knowledge and cannot be proued directly to be the Apostles therfore Gods but by Tradition as sometime not only Fathers but euen Protestants afffirme As Philosophy is more perfect then Logicke and Rhetoricke then Grammer in respect of high excellēt knowledge yet Logike is more prime originall fundamentall then Philosophy Grammer then Rhetoricke without the rules and principles wherof they cannot be learned Euen so Tradition is more prime and originall then Scripture though Scripture in respect of depth and sublimity of discourse be more excellent then Tradition fundamentall then the very Scripture which is not knowne to be Apostolicall but by Tradition wheras a perpetuall Tradition is knowne to come from the Apostles by its owne light For what more euident thē that that is from the Apostles which is deliuered as Apostolicall by perpetuall succession of Bishops consenting therein The Propertyes of the Church proued by Matth. 28.20 §. 4. ALL this may be cleerly prooued to omit other pregnant testimonyes by the words of our Sauiour in the last of S. Matthew Going into the world teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to keepe all that I haue commanded you and behold I am with you all dayes euen to the consummation of the world A (r) The Minister pag. 195. lin 4. sayth that this promise is conditionall in repect of Pastours succeeding the Apostles to wit that Christ will assist them conditionally whē they teach and baptize as he hath commanded but that they shall so still teach he doth not promise p. 24. lin 28. This exposition is false first because our Sauiour here promiseth his Presence vnto the Apostles and their successours to baptize and teach vntill the worlds end by one and the same forme of speach and indiuiduall breath so that the promise cannot be conditionall in respect of the successors except it be also conditionall in respect of the Apostles But in respect of the Apostles the promise is absolute as the Minister grants pag. 94. lin 23. Therefore it is also absolute in respect of their successors Not that this or that Pastour may not be deceaued but that they shall neuer deliuer by ioynt consent any falshood as the Apostles doctrine Secondly if the promise be conditionall then the sense is this I will alwayes assist you to teach Christen aright when you teach christen according to my commandement as the Minister expounds pag. 94. lin 22. But this sense is idle and iust nothing as if Christ had sayd Behold I will assist you to teach aright when you teach aright for what is to teach Christian Religion aright but to
the first place For as Protestants acknowledge the particular examination of doctrines is tedious and long not for the capacity of all whereas the finding out of the true Church endeth all controuersyes seeing we may securely follow her directions and rest in her Iudgement Field Epist. dedicat Secondly what more idle and vayne then to appeale from Scripture setting downe matters cleerly vnto Scripture teaching thinges obscurely or not so cleerly what is this but to appeale from light to darkenes or at the least from noone day to twy-light But no particular point of doctrin is in holy Scripture so manifestly set down as is the Church the marks whereby the same may be knowne no matter about which the Scripturs are more copious and cleere then about visibility perpetuity amplitude the Church was to haue so that as S. Augustine sayth Scriptures are more cleere about the Church then euen about Christ. in Psalm 30. concion 2. That Scripture in this poynt is so cleere that by no shift of false interpretation it can be auoyded the impudency of any forhead that will stand agaynst this euidence is confounded de vnit Eccles. c. 5. That it is prodigious blindnes not to see which is the true Church Tract 1. in 1. Epist. Ioan. That the Church is the tabernacle placed in the Sunne that it cannot be hidden vnto any but such as shut their eyes against it l. 2. cont Petilian c. 32. What vanity then is it for Protestants not being able to cleere by Scripture the cleerest of all points to appeale vnto the prouing of their doctrine by more darke or lesse euident places Thirdly if no man can directly know which be the Scriptures the Apostles deliuered but by the Tradition of the Catholike Church then it is vayne before they decide this controuersy to vndertake to proue by Scriptures what doctrine the Apostles taught For how can Scripture make me know what the Apostles taught vnlesse I know aforehand the Scriptures to be the Apostles I may see this or that doctrine deliuered in the Scripture shewed me as the Apostles but I cannot know that doctrin to be the Apostles except I know aforehand the booke to be the Apostles but this cannot be proued but by the Tradition of the Church I omit many other arguments wherby this shift may be conuinced to be but flying from the light of Gods word about the visible Church For as sayth Saint Augustine l. 1. contra Crescon cap. 33. God would haue his Church to be described in Scripture without any ambiguity as cleere as the beames of the Sunne that the controuersy about the true Church being cleerly decided when questions about particular doctrines that are obscure arise we might fly to her and rest in her iudgement that this visibility is a manifest signe wherby euen the rude and ignorant may discerne the true Church from the false Augustine l. 13. cont Faust. c. 13. must eyther be the Roman or the Protestant or some other opposite vnto both Protestants cannot say a Church opposite vnto both for then they should be condemned in their owne Iudgement and bound to conforme themselues to that Church which can be no other but the Grecian a Church holding almost as many if not more doctrines which Protestāts dislike thē doth the Church of Rome as I can demonstrate if need be It is also most manifest vndenyable that Protestants are not such nor part of such a Church since their Reuolt and separation from the Romane seing confessedly they changed their doctrines they once held forsooke the body wherof they were members brake off from the stocke of that tree wherof they were branches Neyther did they depart from the Roman ioyne themselues with any Church professing their particular doctrines dissonant from it Ergo the Roman is the one holy Catholike Apostolicall Church The second Argument THIS also plainly will appeare to any man of vnderstanding that will cast on the Roman Church an vnpartiall eye For she is most euidently Apostolicall hauing most glorious successiō of Bishops Pastours famous in all (x) The Minister p. 116. lin 9. sayth that it is incōsequent to inferre negatiuely from humane history to say historyes are silent therfore no such matter I answere Hēce one may feele euen with his hand what an vnconsequent and absurd Religion theirs is which cannot stand without denying principles euident in common reason receaued by consent of mankind for who doth not feele that to argue from humane history thus negatiuely they are silent Therfore there neuer was any such matter is many times conuincing and strong This some Protestants more iudicious then our Minister acknowledge who thus write It is most playne that euen negatiuely an argument from humane authority may be strong as namely this The Chronicles of England mention no more then only six Kings bearing the name of Edward since the tyme of the last Cōquest therfore it cannot be there should be more It is true men are ignorant many things may escape them they may be deceaued they may conceale truth or vtter vntruth out of malice they may forget what they know Howbeit INFINITE CASES are wherin all these impediments are so MANIFESTLY excluded as there is no shew or colour wherby any such exception may be taken Thus M. Hooker Eccles. Policy pag. 115. 116. Now amongst these cases wherein the negatiue argument from Tradition and history is strong the chiefest is when the matter is famous and illustrious and there is a line and succession of chiefe Bishops Princes Persons notoriously knowne euen to the particularityes of their names actions dayes of their raygne and death Wherfore it is idle what the Minister pag. 230. brings agaynst this that we know not who was the first that eate mans flesh nor when the Assyrian matrons did first prostitute themselues in the temple of Venus For no wonder we know not such things seing we haue not a lineall history of these times as we haue of other times specially since the comming of Christ. For lineall history concerning illustrious matters is both affirmatiuely negatiuely strong yea more strong negatiuely then affirmatiuely The reason is because it is not so impossible that men with full report should vent an vntruth as that they should be by full cōsent silent about a most illustrious truth men being in such cases more prone to report then to conceale For example should one contest that some of our Kings since the Conquest set vp Images in al Churches of England the Country being before that tyme pure Protestant might not such an impudent writer be conuinced of madnes by negatiue history And why But because there is a most notorious line of our Kings since the last Conquest and their names actions dayes of their raygne and deathes most famously knowne In the same manner there being a line of Popes so conspicuously knowne as nothing more from Peter vnto Vrban they eight what
to be otherwise planted in the world but by the Apostles themselues through the efficacy of innumerable miracles Wherefore these doctrins if they be errors are errors which by the principles of Christianity no man ought to goe about to reforme And seeing it is impossible that there should be any such errours we must acknowledge that principle of S. Augustine as most certayne That doctrines receyued vniuersally in the Church without any knowne beginning are truly and verily Apostolicall and of this kind are the Roman from which Protestants are gone The fifth Argument THAT doctrine which Tradition hath deliuered as the doctrine of all Ancestours without deliuering any Orthodoxe opposition agaynst it that is opposition made by any confessed Catholike Doctors or Fathers is doctrine deriued from the Apostles without change But such is the doctrine of the Roman Church which consent and Tradition of Ancestours doth deliuer and doth not togeather deliuer that any confessed (q) The Minister pag. 141. 144. lin 8. sayth that in the dayes of the Fathers the Roman doctrine was not in being nor heard of and that this was they cause they did not so punctually and litterally oppose them I Answere The Minister doth but set a face on the matter For he knowes that it is most euident confessed by ProtestaÌ„ts that at the least some Fathers held our Religion expressely in diuers particulars For exaÌ„ple doth not Origen teach and practise Inuocation of Saints lib. 2. in Iob. in Iosue c. 13. as a doctrine vndoubtedly pious saying therof Quis dubitat in Num. c. 31. Did not diuers Fathers make it their special study to discouer Origens errors as S. Hierome Epiphanius Theophilus And yet these Fathers hauing noted so many errours in OrigeÌ„ neuer ceÌ„sured him in respect of this Which is a manifest signe they held with Origen in this poâ—nt that Inuocation of deceased Saints is an vndoubted Christian duty euen as much as the praying vnto liuing Saints orthodoxe Father opposed agaynst it We know indeed by Tradition that some in former tymes stood agaynst many points of the Roman doctrine as Arrius Pelagius Waldo the Albigenses Wickliffe Husse and some others but they are not confessed orthodoxe Fathers but were noted for nouelty and singularity and for such by Tradition described vnto vs which kind of opposition doth not discredit the doctrine of the Church but rather makes the same to appeare more cleerly and famously Apostolicall seing as euen D. Field Of the Church lib. 4. cap. 14. doth confesse When a doctrine (r) It is true as the Minister sayth pag. 140. That this Doctour doth not make the iudgemeÌ„t of the present Bishops of one age by it selfe solely infallible but only the iudgment of perpetuall succession from the Apostles yet it is true also that he makes the consent of one age so great as is heere expressed an euident signe of the iudgement of perpetuall succession Reade the place is in any age coÌ„stantly deliuered as a matter of Fayth and as receyued from Ancestors in such sort as the contradictours thereof were in the beginning noted for nouelty and if they persisted in contradiction in the end charged with heresy it is not possible but such a doctrine should come by succession from the Apostles What more euident signe of a perpetuall Apostolicall Tradition then this Protestants answere that it is sufficient that the Roman doctrine was coÌ„tradicted by Orthodoxe Fathers and that this may be proued by their wrytings which they haue left vnto posterity though their opposition was not noted by antiquity nor by the fame of TraditioÌ„ deliuered vnto posterity But this answere leaues no meanes wherby common people may know certainly the perpetuall Tradition of Gods Church without exact examining and looking into the workes of the Fathers which coÌ„mon people cannot do I proue it If against euery Tradition of the Church difficil obscure passages may be brought out of Fathers this doth suffice to make the same questionable then no Tradition can be certainly knowne without exact reading and examining of the Fathers But no Tradition or Doctrine is so constantly cleerly deliuered by the Fathers but diuers obscure and difficill places out of their workes may be brought agaynst them with such a shew that (s) The Minister doth p. 141. 144. auerre that seely Ignorant men are to examine controuersies by Scripture and that by it they may know the right doctrin in al necessary matters assuredly without resting vpon the authority of the Churches Tradition This hath been formerly confuted and it is to men of Iudgement ridiculous Yea the Minister himself elswhere Orthodoxe 392. derides it saying A blind man cannot iudge of colours a rude and ignorant person is lesse able to EXAMINE Controuersyes and deepe points of Religion And agayne ibid. pag. 393. We do not set a blind horse before others nor suffer any vulgar person to be his owne caruer in receauing and refusing publike doctrin and the same doth he teach in this Reply pag. 301. yea Luther Tom. 1. Germ. Wiâ—temb com in Gal. fol. 29. §. 3 sayth Non quiuis habet intellectum sensum vt de controuersijs Fidel inter nos Papistas tutò Christianè iudicare possit How theÌ„ shall these be saued but by simply belieuing the Tradition of Auncestors hand from haÌ„d deliuered vnto them common people shall not know what to say For what Tradition more constantly deliuered by the Christian doctors then our Sauiours consubstantiality with his Father according to his diuine nature and yet the New reformed Arrians as you may see in Bellarmin l. 2. de Christo cap. 10. bring very many testimonies of ancient Fathers to proue that in this point they did contradict themselues and were contrary one to another which places whosoeuer shall read will cleerly see that to common people they are vnanswerable yea that common people are not capable of the answeres that learned men yield vnto such obscure passages what then shall they doe They must answere that antiquity did neuer acknowlege such dissention amongst the Fathers in the point of our Sauiours Consubstantiality which they would not haue omitted to do had there byn any such reall dissension seing they noted the Fathers opposition in lesser matters In the same manner Catholikes doe sufficiently answere Protestants that bring places of Fathers agaynst the receyued Traditions of the Church as the Reall Presence Inuocation of Saints and other the like to wit that Traditions deliuered these doctrines as the vniforme consent of the Fathers and neuer noted such oppositions as Protestants frame out of their writings which is a cleere signe that Protestants eyther misalleadge their words or mistake their meaning For were that contradiction reall why did not Antiquity famously note it as it noted conueyed by fame to posterity their differeÌ„ces about disputable matters (t) The Minister heere will retort this argument pag. 144. lin 34. If euery doctrin
that haue diuine Institution S. Ambrose of Christs Passion and not of pictures S. Basill and Athanasius speake by way of similitude only of the Image of kings Where is now the vniforme consent of Fathers Answere First S. Athanasius though he speake particularly of the kings Image yet his reason is the same in all the proper Images of any adored person For his reason why the kings Image must be adored is because the Image of the king may not by corporal speach but by the euidence of the thing truly say I and the king who is adored be one but this the proper Image of any adored person may truly say aswell as the kings For example suppose that were true which our Minister sayth pag. 224. lin 21. that Ministers haue such vnion with God as they are to be adored with Religious adoration why may not the Image of our Adored Minister which is set in the front of this Reply say I the Minister are one he is in me I in him he that adoreth me adoreth him and who disgraceth me disgraceth him aswell as the kings And if the Ministers Image may truly affirme I an adored person are one why may not also the Image of our Sauiour who is a person more to be adored theÌ„ any Minister say the same S. Basill speakes not particularly of the kings Image but sayth vniuersally that honour done to the Image is done and referred to the person and thence concludes in particular that it is so in the adoration of the king his Image so that there are not two adorations but one which being done outwardly to the Image is referred and taken as referred mentally to the kinge It is true S. Ambrose speakes of the Image and Crosse of Christ. That he meaneth not the materiall Crosse but the PassioÌ„ the Minister doth say but he cannot proue it seing S. Ambros. orat in Theodos. sayth expressely that the Crosse is adored and in his dayes the holy wood of the Crosse was publikely proposed to be adored as sayth S. Paulinus Epist. 11. ad Seuerum S. Augustine sayth l. 1. de doctrin Christian. c. 25. that such Images are not idle inuentions of men which are proposed by lawfull authority but such be the Images of Christ and his Saints euer vsed by the Christian Church Wherfore those Images haue diuine Institution mediate at least and so by S. Augustines rule the worship of them is pious as being not so much worship of them as the worship of Christ his saints S. Damascen liued nine ages agoe so was by an hundred yeares neerer vnto Christ then vnto vs how then is he not ancient What you say that according to Bellarmine he was not Orthodoxe but denyed the procession of the Holy Ghost from God the Sonne you wronge both Bellarmine and him For Bellarmine l. 1. de Christo c. 27. not only affirmes but proues that S. Damascene held the procession of the holy Ghost from the Sonne quoad rem as for the matter though he allowed not the forme of speach procedit ex filio because it was vsed by Heretiks in a false sense as though the sonne onely had bene the immediate origen of the holy Ghost and not also the Father And this is all Bellarmine sayth in libro de Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis nor doth Bellarmine say that Damascene denyed the procession of the holy Ghost from the Son though your put these downe in a distinct letter as Bellarmines very words This is false play who thus writes An Image of the Kinge is nothing else but the forme shape of the King which could it speak would and might truly say I and the king are one the king is in me and I in him so that who adoreth me his Image doth therein adore the very King Thus he shewing that the kings Image is to be imagined and by Imagination to be conceaued as the very king The third Argument This Principle that Images by Imagination must stand for their Prototype and what is done by way of honour vnto the Image is done mentally to the person is canonized by the holy Scripture we warranted to conclude by the light therof our obligations of worship God in the old Testament appointed that the Tabernacle should be taken by Imagination as his House The Propitiatory as his Seat The Arke as his Footstole and so he Imagined there preseÌ„t as sitting with his feet on the Arke This ordination supposed the Prophet Dauid Psalme 99.5 argueth that we are bound to adore the Arke that represents God as his footestole saying Adore his footstoole because he is holy As if he had said God being holy and most highly to be adored makes the thing holy and venerable that hath the office to represent him as if he were corporally preseÌ„t before our eyes The Arke hath the office of his footstoole and to represent him as by Imagination present with his feet vpon it Therfore adore the Arke Adore this his footstoole because he is (g) Vnto this text the Minister pag. 260. frameth two Answeres first that the â—sraelites did not adore the materiall Arke but God himsâ—lfe before the Arke In proofe hereof he bringes 1. Sam. 1.19 where is sayd of Elcana and his wife They rose in the morning early worshipped before the Lord. Answere This text sheweth the contrary that they adored the Arke before the Lord that is in his presence bowing outwardly to the Arke by inward affection vnto the Lord Imagined as there present according to the word of the Prophet Adore his foostoole Secondly the Minister answereth that the Arke was adored by Gods speciall commandement and so are not Images citing to this purpose the foresayd verse of this Psalm Adore his footstoole for he is holy This is friuolous For the Prophet doth not say that there is any speciall coÌ„mandement to adore the Arke for then he would haue said Adore the Arke because God so commandes but he shewes what was due in reason vnto the Arke in regard it was to be considered as an Image of the Holy of holyes imagined as sitting with his feet vpoÌ„ it saying adore his fotstole because he is holy not because there is a speciall positiue precept so to doe for no such precept is found in Scripture but because this is consequent out of the principles of the law of Nature for that reason teacheth that the sanctity of God makes any thing that must in speciall sort stand for him eueÌ„ his footstoole venerable and so to be bowed vnto in respect of the Holy of Holyes imagined as sitting vpon it As when Dauid sayth prayse the Lord because he is good Psa. 117. he deliuers not a positiue but shewes that it is essentiall duty vnto God in respect of his Goodnes so likwise the Prophet saying adore his footestoole because he his Holy doth shew what is due vnto God essentially in respect of his holynes to wit that that which represents
old Fathers meaning the Fathers oâ— the Old Testament not of the New whiâ—â— appeares because in proofe of his saying 〈◊〉 brings not the Testimony of (i) The Minister saith pag. 250. lin 11. that Polidore nameth Gregory amongst the old Fathers that condemned the worship of Images for feare of Idolatry as Hierome doth witnes Answere This is false and impossible For Gregory liuing all most two hundred yeares after the death of S. Hierome how could he be one of the old Fathers whom S. Hierome witnesseth to haue condemned Image-worship for feare of Idolatry Gregory theÌ„ is named by Polidore not amongst the old Fathers but as one of the new Fathers that is Fathers of the new Testament as seeming to speake against Image-worship but in truth doth not as hath bene said any Father of the New Testament but onely of the old as of Moyses Dauid Hieremy and other Prophets And the scope of the whole chapter is to declare that the reason why in the old Testament the Fathers misliked the worship of Images of God was because they could not paint him aright Cùm Deum nemo vidisset vnquam because then no man had seen God (k) The Minister saith that the Iewes at least might haue adored the Images of Prophets if such adoration had bene lawfull as the Papists hold Answer In the same manner I argue The Iewes might haue made the Images of their holy Prophets if the making of them had bene lawfull as Protestants hold Let the Minister proue by Gods word they made them I will proue they worshipped theÌ„ Let him I say shew that Images of Prophets were set in the beginning of their Prophesies as his is set in the frontispice of this his Reply and I promise him to proue the same were honoured This is the thinge wherof we require example in Scripture and wherin the Minister is as dumbe as a fish not able to shew one proper Image of an adored person lawfully made that might not lawfully be adored Afterwards God saith Polidore hauing taken flesh and being become visible to mortall eyes men flocked to him and did without doubt behold and reuerence his face shining with the brightnes of Diuine light and euen then they began to paint or carue his image already imprinted in their mindes And these Images they receiued with great worship and veneration as was reason the honour of the Image redounding to the original as Basill writes which custome of adoring Images the Fathers were so farre from reprouing as they did not onely admit therof but also decreed and commanded the same by Generall Councells in the time of Constantine the fourth and Iustinian the second his sonne And therfore what man is there so dissolute audacious as can dreame of the contrary and doubt of the Lawfulnes of this Worship established so long ago by decree of most holy Fathers Thus writeth Polidore and much more to the same purpose in the very place where the Minister Citeth him to the contrary which shewes how notoriously his credulous readers are abused in matters of most moment Hence appeareth the third falshood that in Gregoryes dayes images began to be set vp in Churches which to haue bene in the Churches longe before the Testimonyes of S. Basill Paulinus Lactantius and Tertullian do sufficiently witnes Neither can our Aduersary bringe any cleere testimony of antiquity against this custome For the decree of the Councell (l) The Minister sayth that some Pontificians grant that this Councel forbad the making of images so cleer is their decree agaynst them I Answere such Authors had no reason in the world to be so persuaded of this CouÌ„cell but only the wordes of the decree Now the wordes of the decree be not cleere yea they cannot admit that sense being compared with the wordes that immediatly follow as the Iesuit doth demonstrate In so much as the Minister to frame an argument out of this decree is forced ridiculously to curtall the text take some few wordes leauing the rest Such is his obstinacy agaynst the light of truth of Eliberis that no Picture should be made in the Church least that which is worshipped or adored be painted on walls which the Minister way pag. 345. much vrgeth cleerly signifyeth the contrary For may not Images painted on tables be in Churches and yet neither made in the Church nor painted on walls which kind of Images the Councell doth not forbid And why doth the Councel forbid Images to be made in the Church as pertinent to the fabricke therof or to be painted on Walls but out of reuerence vnto Images for they being holy things and so to be honoured for their prototypes sake the Councel thought it vnworthy of their dignity that they should be made on walls where they may easily be defaced and deformed and by Persecutours for that Councell was held in time of persecution abused He doth also Way pag. 345. much insist vpon Epiphanius epist. ad Ioan. Hicrosol but relates according to his fashion both his fact words vnsincerely Epiphanius sayth he finding an Image painted on a cloath hanging in a Church rent it downe and said it was against the authority of the Scripturs that any Image should be in the Church Thus he vnsincerely as I said not expressinge what kind of Image that was that Epiphanius rent in peeces For Epiphanius saith Cùm inuenissem imaginem hominis pendentem in Eâ—cl sit tanquam Christi aut alicuius Sancti nâ—scio enim cuius erat when I had found an Image of a man hanging in the Church as Christs or some Saints for I know not of whom the Image was Epiphanius (m) Here the Minister rayleth most intolerably crying that the testimonyes are cleere but not so much as endeauours to answer the Iesuits arguments that are demonstratiue as much as any can be in this kind of matter The Ministers arguments on the other side haue no force at all being two proposed in a double interrogation If sayth he pag. 254. lin 2. Epiphanius himselfe did not remember whose Image it was whether of Christ or of a Saint or of some prophane man how knowes this Iesuite that it was the Image of a prophane person I Answere That Epiphanius did know that it was not Christs image nor any Saints but some prophan persoÌ„s thogh he knew not determinately what prophane persons the same was For Epiphanius would not haue vrged the vnlawfulnes of hanging that image in the Church in regard it was a mans Image had he not vnderstood a prophane mans Hence his second interrogation is answered why was Epiphanius silent and did not say it was some prophane mans Answere Epiphanius was not silent that the image he tore in peeces was the image of a prophane man seeing he tearmeth it the Image of a man hanging in the Church as Christs or some Saints And this the complayners knew well inough for if this picture had been Christs or some
Saynts vsed by way of deuout remembrance they would haue accused Epiphanius of impiety towards Christ and his Saints and not onely of iniustice in renting in peeces the Cloth without paying the price therof saying si scindere voluerat iustū erat vt aliud daret velum mutaret doth by this relation more then insinuate that this was the Image of some prophane man hanging in the Church as if it had been a sacred Image of Christ or of some Saint which is gathered by his reason When I saw saith he against the authority of the Scriptures the Image of a man hanging in the Church not absolutely any Image as M. White citeth him for euen by Gods expresse command Images were placed in the Temple but the Image of a man Why doth Epiphanius so much vrge the impiety of the fact in regard that it was the Image of a man but that he vnderstood by the word Man a meere ordinary prophane man not a blessed Saint For certainly it might seeme more against the authority of Scriptures to make and set vp in churches the image of God then the image of holy men the image of Christ according to his godhead thē as he is a mā so that there was no cause why (n) The Minister here setteth downe other answers giuen by Catholicks vnto this place of Epiphanius some of which he would haue thought better then this of the Iesuit and that the Iesuits is sleighted by Bellarmine which discourse is to litle purpose This is certayne that if other solutions he better then this yet this is so good as the Minister hath not been able to speake a wise word agaynst it as is more largely shewed in the Censure Sect. 1. §. 1. And whereas some authors thinke that Epiphanius in regard of the errour of the Anthropomorphilae whereof he was a great Ennemy did reproue this Image of the Anablathans as being of God in the forme of man although this conceyte doth not help the Ministers fancy nor make against vs yet is it not so conforme to the text as is the Iesuits Which any man may perceaue that will peruse attentiuely the text of Epiphanius and compare these two solutions therewith Epiphanius should put so much Emphasis in the word man had he not vnderstood a prophane man For some Christians in those Dayes being newly conuerted from Paganisme and so retaining some Reliques therof did out of their affection to their deceased friends and parents vse to paint their images and offer vnto them oblations of Frankincēse other the like Heathenish honour especially in their Anniuersaryes Dayes vpon their sepulchers These men S. Augustine de mor. Eccl. c. 36. reprehends and not the worshippers of Saints Images vnder the title of Sepulchrorum picturarum adoratores who to the ghosts of their parents defunct did though Christians offer that Heathenish worship which the Poet exhorteth vnto Non pigeat tumulis animas excire paternas Paucaque in extructos mittere thura rogos Parua petunt manes Wherfore seing this Minister so much esteemed in the Church of England in proofe of the Roman Churches change brings nothing but manifest falshoods so many in so few lines any indifferent man may cōclude that worship of Images hath continued without change euer since the Apostles For if any change in such a matter as this had bene made it would haue bene most euident when and by whom so great a Nouelty was introduced The places of Exodus Deut. with no probability vrged against the worship of Images by Protestants that make them §. 3. AGAINST Image-worshippe Protestants bring the places of Exodus Chap. 20. v. 4. and 5. and of Deuteronomy Chap. 5. v. 6. and the 7. Thou shalt not haue false gods before me Thou shalt not make to thy selfe a grauen Image or any likenes either in heauen aboue or on earth below or of things that are vnder waters or vnder ground thou shalt not adore nor worshippe them Which place I wonder they can thinke stronge inough to ouerthrow a custome in which the rules of Nature the Principles of Christianity the perpetuall Tradition of gods Church doth settle Christians For this place makes against (i) Note that the question between vs and Protestants is not whether the Image of an adored persō may lawfully be made for this they grant but whether the image of an adored person lawfully made may be adored We affirme and they deny but for their deniall haue not one sillable of Scripture The Minister pag. 259. lin 3. brings the brasen Serpent and golden Cherubims that were made yet could not be adored but these examples are impertinēt as hath been shewed because they were not proper images of adored persōs wherof wee speake though S. Hierome Epistola 70. also say that the Golden Cherubims were adored The Iconomachi the Turks and Iewes who thinke that to make any image of an adored person is vnlawfull consequently forbid adoratiō haue for them a little shew of Scripture which sayth thou shalt no make any image nor adore it But Protestants that grant that the proper images of adored persons may be lawfully made but deny they may be lawfully adored haue against them the light and instinct of nature and for them neither any example of Scripture nor any text that may make so much as a little shew them or not against vs which I proue thus The images we are forbidden to worship we are forbidden to make Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image thou shalt not adore them nor worshippe them Contrariwise the images we may lawfully make we may also lawfully adore or worshippe if they be images of venerable and adorable persons as before hath bene shewed But the images we worship of Christ Protestants make yea some to wit Lutherans set them vp in their Churches and they are images of an adorable Person Ergo they cannot condemne our adoration of images except likewise they condemne their making them as against Gods law If they answere we are not forbidden to make thē but only not to make thē with purpose intention to adore them they discouer much partiality and not so much reuerence to Gods expresse 〈◊〉 as they pretend for the words of Gods law are as cleere and expresse against making of Images as against worshippinge of them Thou shalt not make them Thou shalt not adore them If then Protestants to excuse their custome of making of images may to Gods expresse word Thou shalt not make them adde by way of explication with purpose and intention to adore them why may not (k) The Minister pag. 259. obiects that this precept Thou shalt not make to thy selfe a grauen image is expounded by the greatest number of Papists to wit with purpose to adore I answere Some Catholike Interpreters expound Thou shalt not make any image to wit with purpose to worship the same as God or with diuine worshippe referred vnto it or
Christians behaued thēselues towards it sayth Flecte genu lignumque Crucis venerabile adora Bow knee adore the Crosses sacred wood Origen Homil. 6. in Epist. ad Rom. So great is the power of the Crosse that if it be placed before the eyes and faythfully retayned in mind fixed vpon the death of Christ the army of sinne flesh is conquered S. Gregory called Illuminator who conuerted Armenia did as Euthim. panop part 3. tit 20. relates place wooden Images of the Crosse vpon the shrines of Martyrs bidding the multitude of people that thither resorted to giue worship vnto God by the Adoration of the Crosse. S. Procopius Martyr as doth witnes Nicephorus l. 7. c. 15. did adore a golden image of the Crosse of Christ crucifyed by it got great victoryes In the second age in the beginning wherof some of the Apostles liued Tertull. in Apol. c. 44. writing against Heathens that obiected that Christians were worshippers of the woodden image of the Crosse graunts the thing to be true defendeth the same Yea the Protestant Magdeburgians Centur. 5. c. 6. acknowledge that such Crosses of wood were then amongst Christians frequently vsed set vp in Churches S. Ignatius epist. ad Philip. doth acknowledge diuine power vertue in the image of the Crosse. It is sayth he the victorious trophey or the monument of Christs victory against the Diuell quod vbi viderit horret S. Martial Epist. ad Burdeg l. 8. exhorts Christians still to haue the Crosse before them in mente in ore in signo in mind in mouth in the image thereof this being the inuincible armour of a Christian agaynst Satan The Canons of the Apostles haue beene euer famous in the Christian Church wherof one is cited in 2. Nicen Synode which sayth Let not the faythfull be deceyued by Idolls but paint the diuine humane vnmingled image of the true God our Sauiour Iesus Christ of his seruants agaynst Pagans Iewes that so they neyther goe astray vnto Idolls nor be like the Iewes Finally that these images of Christ crucified were vsed in the Apostles time by their allowance the Iesuite proueth by the text of S. Paul to the Galathians 3.1 so cleerly as you are forced to say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signify to depaint agaynst all Lexicons agaynst the principall Protestants that so translate yea agaynst your selfe and yet you wonder at your aduersaries wondrous weakenes THE SECOND AND THIRD POINT 2. Prayings offering Oblations to the B. Virgin Mary 3. VVorshipping Inuocation of Saints and Angells I Haue ioyned these two Controuersyes togeather hoping I might doe it with your Maiesties good liking the maine difficulty of thē both being the same to wit worship and Inuocation of Angells and Saints For I am fully perswaded that if your Maiesty did allow of Inuocation of any Saint you would neuer deny that deuotion vnto the B. Virgin mother of God Opera Regia Respons ad ep Card. Peron p. 402. whome you honour and reuerence aboue the rest though perchance you may dislike some particular formes of our prayers that seeme to giue her Tytles aboue that which is due to a creature about which I shall in the end of this discourse endeauour to giue your Maiesty satisfaction In which question I will suppose without large and particular proofe being able to prooue it by testimonyes vndeniable if need be that Worship Inuocation of Saints hath byn generally receaued in the whole Christian Church at least euer since the dayes of Constantine HEERE the Minister either out of ignorāce or rather out of desire to out-face the truth writes in this sort pag. 290. You presuppose that which notwithstanding your outfacing you will neuer be able to proue that Inuocatiō of Saints was vniuersally receaued as an article of faith This Discourse following is an addition wherin is declared that the Ancient Fathers held Inuocation of Saints as a matter of Fayth euer since the dayes of Cōstantine Thus he Wherfore aswell because the matter is important as also to take away this tergiuersation I will heere make good the Answerers word and demonstrate that al the Fathers some one way some another haue testifyed to the world that they held Inuocation of Saints as a matter of Christian fayth and Religion An eleauen Demonstrations that the Ancient Christian Church did euer hold Inuocation of Saints as a matter of Fayth and Religion § 1. TO accomplish this more cleerly and with lesse tediousnesse vnto the Reader I shal reduce the Fathers saying vnto an eleauen heads which may serue as an eleauen different arguments demonstrations of this truth The first Demonstration If the Fathers held the doctrine that Saints are to be inuocated that men are aided by their merits as certain infallible then they held it as a point of faith or a reuealed truth for on what other ground but the word of God could they pretend to hold it as certaine the same not being euident in the light of nature But the Fathers teach this doctrine as a matter certayne and infallible not to be doubted of by Christians as their words declare S Augustine (a) Augustine de cur◠pro mortuis cap. 16. Illa quaestio vires superat intelligentiae meae quemadmodum Martyres opitulentur ijs quos per eos CERTVM est adiuuari This question is beyond the reach of my knowledge how martyrs help them whome it is CERTAINE that they help And againe (*) Idem serm 244. Tunc pro nobis absque vlla dubitatione Sancti Martyres intercedunt Then WITHOVT ANY DOVBT the holy Martyrs intercede for vs when they find in vs some part of their vertues S. Ambrose (b) Ambros. ser. 91. Quid non credunt vtrum quòd à martyribus possunt aliqui visitari hoc est Christo nou credere ipse enim dixit Et maiora his facietis Not to belieue that Martyrs may visit and relieue men liuing in this world is Not to belieue in Christ seing he sayd you shall do yet greater thinges Nectarius speaking vnto Saint Theodore Martyr (c) Nectar orat in primū Sabb. sanctorum Ieiuniorum in S. Theodorum Te post mortem viuere CREDIMVS vt ergo in Christo viuis stas prope eum precibus tuis propitium eum redde famulis tuis We belieue that thou doest liue in God a life without decay or end Therefore as thou doest liue in Christ stands by him so make him by thy prayers propitious mercyfull vnto vs thy seruants What is this but to say that as certainly as Saints see God so certaine it is that they pray for vs and heare our prayers S. Gregory Nazianzen (d) Gregory Nazianzen orat 26. in patrem suum Apostolium ferè ab initio NEC DVBITO quin hoc nunc quoque magis faciat postulatione sua quā priùs doctrinâ I do NOT DOVBT but this blessed Saint in
deceased many yeares before was the Authour of SALVATION vnto them that had lost theÌ„selues by their slouth (*) Homil. 2. in Psal. 50. Dauid mortuus est sed merita eius vigent homo mortuus viuo Patrocinatur Dauid is dead but his merits liue the dead man is the patron of the liuing (m) Serm. de virtute vitio Ad mortuos confugieÌ„s propter eos peccata remittit for their sake that are dead God forgiueth sinne S. Ephrem (n) Ephem serm de Lau. SS Martyrum Vt vestris precibus saluari merear Assist me o holy Martyrs before the throne of the diuine Maiesty that by your PRAYERS I may be SAVED S. Augustine (o) August lib. qq in Exod q. 108. SignificaÌ„tur Martyres sancti quoruÌ„ orationibus propitiatur Deus peccatis populi sui By the red skins of the wheathers wherwith God would haue the vâ—yles of the Tabernacle couered we presently vnderstaÌ„d our Sauiour made red and purpled with his bloud in his passion But they likewise signify the holy Martyrs by whose prayers God is propitiated and appeased for the sinnes of his people S. Maximus sayth (p) Maximus serm de martyr Tauric Euadimus inferni tenebras propriis eorum meritis attamen consocii sanctitate By deuotioÌ„ vnto Saints we auoyd the paines of hell by their very merits being their fellowes in sanctity S. Euthymius (q) S. Euthym Monachâ—â— in encomio ad beatam Virginem Mariam Dum hic manemus nos protegas supplicamus vt nobis parcat filius tuus Deus perennibus tuis precibus O vnspoted virgin mother thy Sonne and God pardon vs our sinnes by the incessancy of thy praying for vs. And could the holy Fathers thinke worship and inuocation of Saints with confidence in their merits not to be a matter of fayth which they so constantly teach and commend to be a meanes of saluation and remission of sinne The fifth Demonstration That which the Fathers did practise in their greatest needes and in the chiefe acts of Religion when the vse of true ChristiaÌ„ deuotion was most necessary that they hold as assured and certayne deuotion exercise of diuine fayth and Christian piety Such is the worship and Inuocation of Saints with confidence in their merits vnto which the Saints of God did fly in their greatest distresses S. Iustina Virgin and Martyr being strongly assaulted with fleshly temptations caused by magicke incantation fled as S. Nazianzen writeth (r) Nazian orat in S. Cyprian Mariam VirgineÌ„ rogauit vt periclitanti Virgini opem ferret vnto the protection of the B. Virgin intreating her to assist a Virgin that was in that danger wherby she got the victory S. Nazianzen himselfe being in the like affliction with great humility openly in the Church prayeth vnto S. Basil (s) Idem orat in S. Basil. O Sacrum Diuinum caput carnis stimulum c. tuis siste precibus c. O deare Saint looke downe on vs from heauen and eyther stay with thy prayers this sting of the flesh giuen me of God for my instruction or else encourage me manfully to resist it Theodosius (t) Ruffin l. 2. Histor. c. 33. Emperour being to go in expedition agaynst Eugenius the Pagan Tyrant made togeather with the Bishops Clergy and people solemne Letanyes processions vnto the Tombes of the Apostles and Martyrs where prostrate on the ground before their shrines auxilia sibi fida intercessione SaÌ„ctorum poscebat craued assured assistance by the intercession of Saints Generall Councells being to decide controuersies about the highest mysteries of ReligioÌ„ (*) Concil Chalcedon can 11. the whole councell prayed vnto Saints as that most holy Councell of Chalcedon Holy Flauian liueth with God the Blessed Martyr pray for vs. As also did S. Augustine (u) Augustine lib. 5. de Baptism contr Donatist cap. 2. Adiunet nos Cyprianê° orationibus suis. entring into the discussion of a most difficill controuersy prefixeth this Deuotion Holy Cyprian help vs with his prayers In the very act of Martyrdome when they were presently to goe out of this world they did Inuocate Saints as did Saint Acyndimus Finally the whole Christian Church at the sacrifice of the Masse still hath vsed the same as appeareth by all ancient (*) The Roman that of Ierusalem the Aethiopian Anaphora Syriaca that of Millan S. Basill S. Chrysostome Lyturgies that are extant for though the Priest in the act of sacrifice doe not inuocate Saints by direct and formall prayer as sayth S. Augustine (x) August l. 8. De ciuit c. 27. Quis audiuit stantem sacerdotem ad altare c. dicere in precibus Offero tibi sacrificium Petre Who euer heard the Priest being at the Altar to say I offer sacrifice to thee Peter or to thee Paul yet the same (z) Idem tract 8. in Ioan. Sic eos commemoramus vt magis orent ipsi pro nobis vt eorum vestigiis inhaereamus serm 27. de verbis Apostol S. Augustine doth witnes that at the holy table commemoration is made of Martyrs that they will pray for vs that we may follow their stepps And S Cyrill of Ierusalem before S. Augustine (a) Cyrill Hierosol Cathec 5. Cùm hoc sacrificium offerimus memoriam facimus c. primùm PatriarcharuÌ„ Prophetarum Martyrum vt Deus orationibus illorum deprecationibus suscipiat preces nostras When we offer sacrifice we make coÌ„memoration of Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs c. that God by their prayers and supplications will admit of our petitions Wherfore seing the most holy and ancient Fathers in their owne most grieuous distresse in the greatest necessityes of the Church in businesses of highest vniuersall importance in the tyme of the most dread Christian sacrifice did vse prayers and Inuocation of Saints with assured coÌ„fidence in their merits who can doubt but they held the same as a point of Christian Religion wherof they were assured by fayth Gods expresse word deliuered by Tradition The sixt Demonstration What the Fathers held as a Christian custome and doctrine confirmed by most certayne and euident miracles that they held as a diuine and supernaturall truth The Fathers held worship and Inuocation of Saints with confidence in their merits as a Christian deuotion coÌ„firmed by most manifest and certayne miracles as (b) August lib. 22. de ciuitat c. 9. c. 10. S. Augustine sayth Miracles are done by the intercession and impetration if not also by the immediate operation of Saints And againe Martyrs do Miracles or rather God for the prayers intercessions of Martyrs In confirmation whereof the testimonyes of S. Basill Nazianzen Nissen Chrysostome Ambrose Hierome Augustine Prudentius Paulinus Gregory the Great Gregory Turonensis and others might be plentifully alleadged The seauenth Demonstration What the Fathers taught as a necessary supernaturall duty of Christian humility they taught as a matter of fayth The Fathers
is euideÌ„t that this praying at Saints Tombes the keeping of their feasts was to the end that Christians should craue their intercessions as doth witnesse S. (u) August lib. 20. contr Faust. c. 22. Populus Christianus memorias Martyrum religiosa solemnitate concelebrat ad excitandam imitationem vt eorum meritis atque orationibus adiuuetur Augustine others In which kind notable is the testimony of Origen (x) Origen homil 3. in diuersos Bene ergo secundum Dei voluntatem eorum memoriam celebrari Sancti Patres mandarunt c. vel pro ipsis parentibus vt qui nimio dolore percutiebantur ijs intercessio filiorum apud Deum prodesset who sayth that amongst the reasons why the Holy FATHERS commanded according to the will of God that the memory of the Innocents should be kept festiuall in the Church one was pro ipsis parentibus in regard of their parents that seing their parents were grieued excessiuely at their death the intercession of their children might be auaylable with God for them Thus Origen by whose testimony two things are euideÌ„t First that the Apostles were the holy Fathers that did command the feast of the Innocents to be kept and this whiles some parents of the sayd Innocents were yet aliue Secondly that the Apostles taught prayer and Inuocation of Saints and did institute festiuall dayes that men might craue their intercessions The ninth Demonstration The Auncients taught Inuocation of Saints so fully and cleerly as Protestants are forced to confesse that it was the certayne and full beliefe of the grauest Fathers Chemnitius (y) Chemnit Examen CoÌ„cilij Tridentini part 3. pag. 200. writes in this sort Most of the Fathers as Nazianzen Nissen Basill Theodoret Ambrose Hierome Augustine did not DISPVTE but AVOVCH the soules of Martyrs and Saints to heare the petitions of those that prayed vnto them they went often to the monuments of Martyrs and Inuocated martyrs by name Thus he And Doctor Whitegift Arch-bishop of Canterbury Defence pag. 473. All the Fathers of the Greeke Church of the Latin also for the most part were spotted with Inuocation of Saints Fulke reioynder to Bristow pag. 36. I Confesse Ambrose Hierome Augustine held Inuocation of Saints The Magdeburgians Centur. 3. c. 4. Coll. 83. acknowledge that in the Fathers next vnto the Apostolical times were fouÌ„d Non obscura vestigia inuocationis Sanctorum manifest markes of Inuocations of Saints The tenth Demonstration That which the Fathers held so constantly as they condemned the denyers thereof as Heretikes they held as matter of fayth The Fathers held worship and inuocation of Saints in this manner condemning the contradictours therof as Nouellists Heretikes to wit Aerius Vigilantius as is confessed (z) Sarauia in defens de diuersis pag. 349. and Beza against whoÌ„ he writes ibid. Fulke in his Answere to a counterfayte p. 46. This Argument as also the Nynth were brought by the Answerer vnto it the Minister sayth pag. 262. Our aduersary sheweth himselfe a weake antiquary wheÌ„ he affirmes that Aerius and Vigilantius were coÌ„demned of heresy because they denyed Inuocation of Saints deceased I Answere The Minister heere sheweth himselfe both a weake antiquary a weake respondent A weake respondent because his aduersary did not only say but also proued by the coÌ„fession of Protestants that Aerius and Vigilantius were condemned for denying Inuocation of Saints For Sarauia and Beza are cited as saying of Aerius that he was condemned for affirming that SAINTS DEPARTED are not to be PRAYED vnto Fulke and the Centurists are cited affirming the same of Vigilantius as also doth (*) Centur. 4. l. 4. pag. 506. Osiander Now vnto this Argument the Minister hath not replyed a word Secondly he sheweth himselfe a weake Antiquary in denying that VigilaÌ„tius was condemned of heresy for his opposing deriding Inuocation of Saints For S Hierome writing against VigilaÌ„tius relates his scoffing at Inuocation of Saints his saying Ergo Cineres suos circumuolitant ne fortè si precator accedat absentes audire noÌ„ possint For which saying S. Ierome exclaimes presently against him O porteÌ„tum in vltimas terras deportandum Aerius also is condeÌ„ned by the Fathers as an Heretike for his denying commemoration of Saints in the holy sacrifice of the Eucharist as it was then vsed by the Church as doth witnesse Epiphanius (1) Epiphan haeres 77. But that coÌ„memoration of Saints deceased and glorious in heauen was ioyned with recommending our prayers vnto God by their Intercessions and Supplications as doth testify S. Cyrill (2) Cyrill Cathec 5. who liued at that tyme. The eleauenth Demonstration What the Fathers taught with full consent and constantly without doubting or gaine saying one another that they held not as a probable and disputable point but as matter of fayth The Fathers in this coÌ„â—enting manner taught worship and InuocatioÌ„ of Saints Howsoeuer Protestants not able to deny this to haue bene their doctrine seeke to discredit them as if they had bene various vncertaine contradictious in this point But seing ChristiaÌ„ antiquity that hath perused their workes now more theÌ„ 1300. yeares neuer noted such contradictions in â—hem Christian piety and charity will neâ—er be so perswaded of the Fathers by Protestants specially their allegations being â—â—ch as may easily be explicated so as they make nothing at all against this Catholike custome For all they say in this kind is reduced to one of these heads First that Angels are not to be honored as (a) The Minister here sayth Some Fathers proue Christ to be God others that the Holy Ghost is God because he heares the prayers of them that Inuocate him euery where Answer This is false they proue Christ and the Holy Ghost to be God because they are euery where by natrue See S. Basil. de sp Sancto c. 22. whome the Minister falsifyeth egregiously Gods nor by sacrifices in the heathenish manner Orig. lib. 5. cont Celsum lib. 8. circa finem Epiphan haeres Sit in honore Maria Deus adoretur Theodoret. in c. 2. ad Coloss. Concil Laodicenum c. 35. Secondly that Saints are not to be inuocated by Fayth as (b) In this manner is vnderstood the testimony of S. Athanaes orat 2. contra Arianos cited by the Minister pag. 295. ad lit B. Sanctos non à Creato postulare vt auxiliator sit S. Athanasius speakes of this prayer of Dauid Fias mihi in Deum adiutorem be thou made vnto me an helding God he saith that Saynts in this manner do not aske helpe of Creatures to wit as of their helping Gods and as Authours of benefits otherwise S. Athanasius could not but know that the Scripture is full of examples wherein holy persons did aske the help of creature as the Sanamite of Elizaeus the womaÌ„ of Sarepta of Elias many the like authours of the benefits we craue Rom. 10.14 Ambros. de obit
Theodos. Nor as the sanctifyer of our soule dwelling in the same by grace Hierom in Prouerb c. 2. Nullum inuocare idâ—â— intus orando vocare nisi Deum debemus Thirdly that the Preist doth not inuocate Saints by direct prayer in the Lyturgy of the Masse which being a sacrifice the deuotion therof is to be directed to God onely Augustine lib. 22. de ciuit c. 10. Carthag 4. c. 23. Fourthly that our friends that are deceased do not now heare vs in the familiar manner they were wont conuersing with vs. Hierom. ad Heliodor de obitu Nepotiam whatsoeuer I write seemeth to be dead 〈◊〉 because Nepotian doth not heare it to wit iâ— visible manner delighting therein and applauding the same as he was accustomed to doe in his life-time (c) HeÌ„ce appeareth the impertineÌ„cy of the Minister that so often vrgeth this place of S. Hierome pag. 29.2 lin 22. Orthodoxe pa. 54. li. 6. Fiftly that they do not know what is done in this world by their natural forces Augustine de cura pro mortuis c. 16. Per diuinam potentiam Martyres viuorum rebus intersunt quoniam defuncti per naturam propriam viuorum rebus interesse non possunt Sixthly speaking vnto some deceased persons they make an If whether they heare them or not because they speake vnto such as they knew not certainly to be Saints Nazianzen orat 3. in Iulian. (d) The Minister here sayth Did not the Fathers reckon Constantine to be in ioy and glory and yet Gregory Nazianzen vsing an Apostrophe to him sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heare o thou Spirit of Great Constantine if thou hast any notion of these thinges I Answere you falsify the text of Nazianzen both in the Greeke in your English translatioÌ„ For his words are Heare o thou Spirit of Great Constantius if thou haue any notion of these thinges Yea that we might see you corrupt the text wilâ—â—lly against your conscience euen in this very Reply in this poynt â—f controuersy you cite the same pag. 359. lit a. in this manner Audi etiam 〈◊〉 Constantij magni anima siquis mortuus sensus est Heare o thou Spirit of â—reat Constantius c. Now Constantius was an Arian and a persecutour of Catholickes vnto his dying day though on his death bed it was sayd â—e made some kind of repentance Hence S. Gregory NazianzeÌ„ might doubt â—f his being in Glory and say Heare if thou haue any notion of these â—â—inges The same Father in his funerall Oration for his sister Gorgonia where he sayth Sister admit of this oration in lieu of many funerall offeâ—â—ngs If this reward be giuen to holy soules to feele these things he doth not doubt of her hearing his prayers but only whether she receaued an humane naturall content in that his affectuous Panigyricall made in her prayse THIS truth supposed I cannot but coÌ„ceaue that your Maiesty professing so much loue to the first primitiue ages may â—eceaue satisfaction about this point the causes of Protestants dislikes being weake and not to be opposed against the strength of so long continued authority as I shall endeauour to demonstrate in their eight usuall Exceptions Inuocation of Saints not to be disliked because not expressed in Scripture §. 2. AND first I must satisfy the transcendeÌ„tall cause of their dislike (a) Confess August art 12. Fulke against Rhem. which is that worship and Inuocation of Saints deceased is no where expressely set downe in Scripture without expresse warrant wherof nothing may lawfully be done that belongs to Religion But this though carrying a shew of deuotion in the conceit of common people is altogether vnworthy of the erudition of any learned Protestant For howsoeuer in the beginning of their separation they did (b) Luther l de seruo arb serm de Cruce siue expresso Dei mandato cry for expresse Scripture expresse Commands oâ— the Written Word yet now they are 〈◊〉 gone (c) Wotton in his Tryall pag. 89. from that principle as they are exceeding angry (d) Iohn White in his defence pag. 228. with vs that wâ— should thinke that any of theirs were 〈◊〉 any time broachers of such an absurdity Wherfore in their written bookes whâ—â— they teach in Pulpits I know not they (e) D. Field of the Church l. 4. c. 20. Whitaker de sacra Scrip. cont 1. q. 6. disclaime from expresse Scripture and thinke it a sufficient warrant of a Christâ—â—â— custome that the same be (f) Note that it is one thing to be expressed in Scripture and another to be grouÌ„ded on Scripture All Christian doctrine is not expressed in Scripture yet euery Christian doctrin is so grouÌ„ded on Scripture that it may in some sort or other be proued from Scripture grounded â—â— Scripture that is may be deduced by good discourse from truthes reuealed therin 〈◊〉 be proued consonant to the rules principles therof according to which ample extent of Scriptures vnto things deducible from them or consonant vnto them there is no Catholike custome that hath not warrant in Gods word as we are able to shew This onely we require that ignorant people be not Iudges of such inferences an office so farre aboue their capacity as I am perswaded no vnlearned man that hath in him any sparke of humility or any mediocrity of Iudgement will vndertake it For no man is competent to iudge assuredly of argumeÌ„ts by deduction froÌ„ Scripture that hath not exact skill of Scripture to know the false sense from the true as of Logicke to distinguish Syllogismes from Paralogismes being able to giue sentence of the truth of principles by the one and of the inferences by the other A thing so hard as euen learned Deuines do much suspect their owne sufficiency to iudge of deductions dare not absolutely pronounce their sentence but referre the same to definitions of authority which besides skill of Scripture Logicke hath the promise of Gods perpetuall assistance in teaching the Christian Church Wherfore if Protestants will bind vs to bring expresse Scripture for the worship of Imags Adoration of the Sacrament Inuocation of Saintes they must themselues likewise be bound to bring expresse Scripture against Anabaptists for (g) D. Field l. 4. of the Church c. 20. saith It is no where expressely deliuered in Scripture christening of Infants and for the keeping of the Sunday in lieu of the ancient Sabboath Day for their dedicating of (h) CoÌ„cerning the Protestants keeping festiuall daies of Saints with religious solemnity the Minister saith not a word which is tacitely to grant that this duty of ReligioÌ„ is vsed piously by the English Church although the same waÌ„t the warrant of Scripture why then may not Catholicks pray vnto Saintes though there were no warrant in Scripture for such practise Dayes in memory of the Apostles with religious solemnity for the (i) Concerning the Crosse in baptisme the Minister saith pag. 302. that it is
parts howsoeuer the Angells sometimes for iust respects may in modesty refuse it Praying to Saints not iniurious to Gods mercy but rather a commendation thereof §. 4. THE fourth cause why Protestants out of their zeale refuse to inuocate Saints is the high conceite of Gods mercy For seing he calleth all men immediatly vnto himselfe (u) Matth. 11.18 Come vnto me all you that labour and I will refresh you we wrong his infinite goodnes in not approaching vnto him by prayer without the intercessions of Saints This their zeale is not ioyned with Science of the course of Gods mercyfull prouidence whose diuine wisdome prescribeth certayne bounds as it were Lawes to the infinity of his mercyes These orders and prescripts whosoeuer doth neglect yet hopes to obtaine fauours doth not truly confide but erroneously presume God is infinitely mercyfull and sayth Come to me all that labour yet the man that should seeke to him for remission of sinnes and would not submit himselfe to the Sacrament of water should hope in vayne to no purpose challenge him of his promise Come to me all Wherefore it imports vs very much to know and to vse those meanes of approaching vnto God that he hath appointed Now that the intercession of Saints is one meanes without which God wil not bestow many graces fauours aswell spirituall as temporall Christian Tradition doth deliuer vnto vs. This Tradition is also sutable with the bountifull and noble disposition of God which is not only to (x) 1. Reg. 2.30 honour glorify those that haue beene zealous of his honour to the effusion of their bloud but also to make the world know and vnderstand that he doth honour them (y) Psalm 1.38.17 for this knowledge is both for his glory and also for the good of men that seing how highly God honoreth his constant friends they be prouoked to endeauour by pure life to gaine his fauour If reuealed doctrine comming by succession of Bishops from the Apostles to vs will not alone wyn beliefe in this point euen the Scriptures affoard vs sufficient testimonyes thereof When Abimelech King of Gesara had offended God by taking away from Abraham his wife Sara and penitent of the fact though committed but in ignorance sought for pardon did not God himselfe send him vnto Abraham saying (z) Genes 20. vers 8. Restore his wife vnto the man for he is a Prophet and he will pray for thee and thou shalt liue By which example we see that Gods infinite mercy who sayth Come to me all will not many tymes bestow graces and fauours without intercession of his Saints that men may know he loues respects his friends When he was offended against Eliphas and his companions did he not send them vnto his singularly beloued seruant (a) The example of the freinds of Iob is not particular but for the instruction of all as S. Paul saith Whatsoeuer is written is written for our instruction and comfort Rom. 15.4 Hence it followes that whatsoeuer is said to one person in Scripture is said to euery one of the same state in whom the same circumstāces do concurre whether it be spoken by way of promise or warning or threate The promise made vnto Abraham Gen. 15.2 I am thy protectour agrees vnto all men that are as he was deuout worshippers of the true God What the Angell spake vnto Agar Gen. 16.9 Returne vnto thy Mistresse and be humbled vnder her is also spoken vnto euery proud fugitiue seruant Now these words spoken to the freinds of Iob Go to my seruant and my seruant shall pray for you and his presence I will regard were spoken to them in regard they had offended God did find that God would not heare their single prayers Therfore this precept belongs vnto all men that know they haue offended God and find their prayers not to be heard and togeather feele the instinct of sacred humility to seeke accesse vnto God by some of his seruants whom they know to be more gratious then themselues and able to helpe And who more gratious with God able to helpe vs then tryumphant Saints as hath been proued Therfore this precept is a warrant and an order vnto all men being in the same state circumstances of Gods offence as the freinds of Iob were to seeke and require the assistance intercession of Gods Blessed Saynts What the Minister here discourseth is all spoken in the ayre vpon his owne foolish imagination and fancy agaynst the full Traditiō of the Church and playne Scripture to wit that Saynts deceased be not the friends and fauorits of God that can help vs with him Iob that he might be a mediatour for them Ite ad seruum meum Iob offerte holocaustum pro vobis Iob autem seruus meus orabit pro vobis faciem eius suscipiam vt non vobis imputetur stultitia Iob. 42. vers 8. Out of which place two thinges are cleerly gathered First that though Gods mercy be infinite yet many tymes he will not grant our prayers but in such manner as he will make vs beholding to his Saints Secondly that we ought to prostrate our prayers vnto him as with great confidence in his goodnes so likewise with a most feeling humble distrust of our owne worthynes which affection cannot but mooue vs to seeke the intercession of them we know to be most highly gracious in his fauour So that vpon pretence of Gods great mercy to reiect the mediation of Saints is zeale without Science deuotion not throughly instructed about the lawes and orders that God hath prescribed vnto his measurelesse mercy by his incomprehensible wisdome And if we grieue to humble our selues vnto Saints and repine at Gods prouidence that he will not many tymes grant our supplications without honouring his Saints and making vs bound vnto them we may iustly expect to heare what he sayd to one in like case Friend I do thee no wrong may I not dispense my mercyes as I please If I will bestow them in such sort as to ioyne togeather with thy good the honour of my friends Is thine eye euill because I am good and courteous to thē that haue loued me more then their owne liues (b) The Minister pag. 334. lin 6. cauilleth That the Iesuits discourse is such as one may wonder and aske whether such discoursers euer heard that the sonne of God was crucified for vs Answer This cauill is at the least idle if not impious for it maketh as much against the discourse of God himselfe who said to the freinds of Iob Go to my seruant Iob and he shall pray for you and him I will regard in your behalfe without mention of Christ Iesus Will the Minister here wonder and aske whether God did know and remember that his Sonne was to be crucified for men and that mē could obtaine nothing of him but in regard of his future passion and merit God forbid he should be so
all other Saints men Angells be mediatours and intercessours not hauing accesse vnto God but by him then certainly that Saints mediate and intercede for vs is exceeding glorious vnto Christ Iesus But Catholikes teach that Saints be such intercessours as haue no accesse vnto God but through Christ Iesus by mediation of his merits passion and death there being no other name in heauen or in earth by which we are to be saued Therfore the doctrine that maks Saints subordinate mediatours vnto Christ by him approaching vnto God doth magnify and extoll the supremacy of Christs mediatourship more then if in this kind of mediation he had none depending on him Whence I inferre that Protestants mistake our doctrine when they say we teach that Saints are fellow-mediatours with Christ and that we bring them in to supply the defect of his intercessiō that otherwise would not be sufficient This we doe neither teach nor belieue but that the merits of Christ are infinite euery drop of his pretious bloud able to pay the full ransome of a milliō of worlds That the Saints mediate and intercede for vs vnto Christ is for his greater glory by whose merits they are made worthy of that dignity and whom by their intercessions they acknowledge to be the fountayne of all good that comes vnto mankind If it be a glory to the roote of a tree to haue many boughes and branches loaden with excellent fruite the Saints being but branches of Christ Iesus the true Vine-tree Iohn 15.15 surely the honour of all their meritts springs originally is referred finally vnto him And as it is impossible to honour and prayse the boughes without honouring and praysing of the roote So likewise it is not possible that Catholikes who acknowledge that Saints haue all their grace merit fauour with God from Christ Iesus should honor them or pray vnto them without honouring Christ without praying finally euer vnto him Wherefore Saints when they pray for vs that God would forgiue vs our sinnes grant vs fauours that help vs towards eternall life they do not alleadge their merits as a sufficient motiue of the grant but the merits of Christ. And when holy ancient Fathers in their prayers alleadge vnto God the merits of Saints this is because their merits make them gracious in Gods sight and worthy that the graces they craue for vs be graunted vnto vs not by the applicatiō of their merits but only through the application of the merits of Christ. Put case that a Prince should ransome a great multitude of his subiects taken prisoners and held in miserable thraldome paying for them a sufficient and aboundant ransome yet so that none should haue the fruit of that Redemption but those whom the King should singularly choose and make worthy of that fauour Suppose that some noble man in the Court whome his Merits made gracious with the King should by his interceding obtayne that the benefit of that ransome should be extended to some one whome he particularly affects Surely this Captiue should be redeemed deliuered through the ransome payd by the King not by the merits of the Noble man interceding for him whose merits concurred thereunto only remotely and a farre off To apply this similitude Christ Iesus hath payd an aboundant price for mans redēption yet none enioy the benefits thereof but they to whome by speciall grace he applyeth the same Sinners beseech him by the merits of Saints that made them gracious in his sight that he will vouchsafe to apply the merit of his Passion vnto them for the obtayning of fauours conducing vnto eternall life Christ grants their petition and request and thereupon applyes his merits vnto them These men cannot be properly sayd to be saued through the merits of Saints but only through the merits of Christ specially because euen the merits of Saints that concurred thereunto proceed originally from the merits of CHRIST How it is lawfull to appropriate the obtayning of graces and cures vnto Saints §. 6. OVR Aduersaryes finding our Inuocation of Saints for substance practised in Gods Church euer since her primitiue times take exceptiōs at some circumstances therof which they thinke new not iustifiable by Antiquity which are principally three whereon are grounded other three causes of their dislike So the sixt reason of their dislike is that we distribute amongst Saints offices of curing diseases seeke some kind of fauour of one some of another of which practise there is no example in Antiquity yea it seemes to resemble the leuity of heathenish superstitiō who did multiply Gods according to the multitude of the thinges they sought to obtayne of them I answere that to seeke some fauours by the intercession of one Saint rather then of another was the Iudgment (d) The Minister saith The Iesuit by Fathers meaneth the Trident Fathers not the ancient Fathers This is ridiculous for the Iesuit saith the ancient Fathers in S. Augustines time that is 12. hundred yeares before the Councell of Trident. And the Minister cannot find one Syllable in the Coūcel of Trent for this appropriatiō that may breed suspition that the Iesuit meaneth them wheras he brings the practise and patronage of Saint Augustine himselfe prouing by Scripture this appropriation of miraculous benefits to one place and Saint more then to another And S. Paul ad Hebr. 2.10 saying wherin himselfe suffered and was tempted therin he is potent to helpe them that are tempted shewes a reason why we should inuocate in some temptations rather some Saint then another as S. Laurence against fire S. Apollonia against the tooth-ach c. because wherein themselues were tryed they are specially able to help others of the Fathers in S. Augustines time which he himselfe practised vpon this occasion In the towne of Hippo one of the family of S. Augustine accused a Priest of an heynous crime making his accusatiō good by oath which the other did reiect in like manner purging himselfe by oath The fact being open and scandalous seing of necessity one of them was periured S. Augustine sent them both into Italy to the shrine of Saint Felix of Nola at whose reliques periured persons were vsually discouered In defence of which fact he writes an Epistle to his people of Hippo allowing of this proceeding shewing that to seeke recourse rather to one Saint then another is pious and godly wondering at the secret prouidence of God therein (e) The Minister sayth that this narration is not to the purpose because there is no mention of Inuocation of S. Felix or of oblation to him Answer This is idle For we haue proued by S. Augustine and Fathers and Scriptures that Saintes are to be prayed vnto only the question now is whether it be lawfull to seeke some benefits at one place and by one Saint rather then another which to be lawfull S. Augustine affirmes and proueth by deduction from Scripture shewing it to haue beē the practise of his age and
not heathenish superstition And though the Minister raile against this practise with many bitter new coyned phrases it makes no matter for what wise man will prefer words before proofes a Minister before S. Augustine As for the Inuocation of S. Felix in particular with vowes and oblations at his Tombe many testimonyes of S. Augustine S. Paulinus and Seuerus Sulpitius might be brought if there were need Although sayth he men by experience see this to be true yet who is able to discouer the Counsell of God why in some places such miracles are done in other places they are not For is not Africa stored with shrines of blessed Martyrs and yet doe we not know any such miracles to be done heere by their intercessions For seing as the Apostle sayth all Saints haue not the gift of curing diseases not all the knowledge to discerne spirits so likewise at the shrines of all Martyrs these thinges are not done because he will not haue them euery where done who giueth to euery one particular gifts according to his pleasure This being the practise of the pure Christian Church defended by the learnedst Father and worthyest Deuine that euer Christianity bred by him grounded on the Scripture and on the vnsearchable course of the diuine Prouidence neuer censured nor condemned by any Father we need not feare superstition in seeking some kind of fauours benefits by the peculiar intercession of certayne Saints specially seing this was vsuall in the Church confirmed by many miracles recorded by most learned Saints that liued in the purest Christian ages S. Aug. in his 22. booke ciuit c. 8. and in tom serm fol. 182. edit Louan relates the History of two cured at the tōbe of Saint Stephen at Hippo that could not be cured at any other shrine of Saints Alibi curari non potuit imo facillimè potuit sed non est curatus huic loco curandus diuina praedestinatione seruatus Saint Lucy went on pilgrimage vnto the body of Saint Agatha for help of her mother putting peculiar cōfidence in her intercession as being a Christian Virgin of her countrey and profession S. Iustina Virgin being by the Diuell tempted agaynst Virginall purity fled to the most glorious of Virgins Virginem Mariam rogauit vt periclitanti virgini opem ferret 〈◊〉 S. Nazianzen (f) Greg. Nazian orat in S. Cypr. writes S. Martinian as Paulinus (g) Paulin. Epist. ad Cytherium records hauing suffered shipwracke called with peculiar deuotion and trust vpon S. Paul whose Epistles he did highly honour remembring that the same Saint yet liuing deliuered an hundred and seauenty soules from the like perill neyther was his petition frustrate Notwithstanding we confesse that herein a discreet mediocrity is to be obserued And if abuses be crept in amongst commō people we desire they should be reformed but so that paring away the abuse we take not away the substance of a pious Christian custome For we cannot expect that simple people in matter of Religion will not sometymes foolishly and superstitiously mistake which when it happens we must as S. Augustine (h) August de moribus Ecclesiae c. 10. sayth Ignorantiam instruere pertinaciam deridere Concerning oblations made vnto Saints §. 7. THE seauenth cause of dislike is our offering oblations vnto Saints which your Maiesty doth obiect peculiarly as done to the Blessed Virgin MARY I answere if any Catholike should offer to the blessed mother of God by way of sacrifice any the least thing he were seuerely to be rebuked and better instructed For sacrifice (i) Nulli Martyrum sed ipsi Deo Martyrum quamuis in memorias Martyrum cōstituimus altaria Augustin contra Faust. l. 20. c. 12. is a religious homage due to God only In which respect the sacrifice of the holy Eucharist is neuer offered vnto any but vnto God in memory and honour of Saints Herein the Collyridians women-Priests did erre who did sacrifice a wafer-cake vnto the blessed Virgin which kind of worship vnder the tytle of Adoration Saint Epiphanius (k) Epiph. haeres c. 9. reproues allowing the Catholike worship there tearming her honourable Virgin not for humane or ciuill but for diuine and supernaturall respects True it is that in Catholike countreys people offer (*) They are sayd offered vnto Saints not because they are giuen vnto them immediatly in their owne persons but because they are offered at their shrines Images as ornaments or monuments vnto Saints Lights Flowres and chaynes not as sacrifices but as ornaments to set forth their tombes and shrines wherein they do not dissent from Antiquity nor from Gods holy will who hath cōfirmed such deuotions by miracle as diuers Authors worthy of all credit relate particularly S. Augustine by (l) Caluin instit l. 5. c. 4. Protestants allowed as the most faythfull witnes of Antiquity (m) August l. 22. de ciuit c. 8. He tells of a womā starke blind that recouered her sight by laying to her eyes flowres which had touched the shrine wherin were carryed about the relickes of the most glorious martyr S. Stephen (n) The Minister sayth that S. Augustine doth not affirme that flowers and the like were offered vnto Saints I Answere if offering signify Sacrificing neither doth S. Augustine mention this as done in his age nor do we practise it in ours But if offering be taken as we take it for laying flowers and other such things on the Tombes of Martyrs to adorne and beautify their shrines S. Augustin doth mention oblatiōs of flowers suck like ornaments to haue beē made vnto the Tombes of Martyrs this deuotion to haue bene confirmed by miracle as is manifest A more wonderfull example in the same kind he relateth done vpon an old man of good note who being sicke ready to dye did yet very obstinatly refuse to belieue in Christ and leaue his Idolatry although he was very earnestly mooued thereunto by his children that were zealous Christians His Sonne in law despayring to preuayle by persuasion resolued to go and pray at the Tombe of Saint Stephen and hauing performed his deuotions with burning affection with many groanes and teares being to depart tooke with him some flowers that were on the shrine and layd them secretly vnder his Father in Law his head the night as he went to sleepe Behold the old man next morning awaking out of his sleep cryeth out desiring them to goe straight to call the Bishop to baptize him He had his desire he was baptized Afterwards as long as he liued he had this prayer in his mouth Lord Iesu receaue my spirit being altogeather ignorant that prayer was the prayer last speach of Saint Stephen when he was stoned to death by the Iewes which also were the last wordes of this happy old man for not long after pronouncing those wordes he gaue vp his soule Other oblations also Catholikes vse to offer vnto Saints not as sacrifices but as memoryes monuments
of benefits receaued as pictures of Lymms by Saints prayers miraculously cured That therin they doe not deflect from ancient Christian deuotion and that the Christian Church in her best tymes vsed vniuersally to make such oblations Theodoret (o) Theodoret. de curandis Graecorum affect l. 8. is a sufficient witnes who writing agaynst the Gentills alleadgeth as a manifest signe of Christs Godhead and Omnipotency that Idols being excluded he brought in Martyrs to be honoured in their roome not superstitiously as Gods but religiously as diuine men and Gods speciall friends Christian people sayth he present themselues vnto Martyrs not as vnto Gods but as vnto the Martyrs of God and diuine men inuocating beseeching them to be intercessours for them vnto God And those that piously and with Fayth pray obtayne what they desire as testify the oblations which they being therunto bound by their vowes present in the Chappell 's of Saints as tokens of health recouered For some hang vp Images of eyes others of eares others of hands some made of gold some made of siluer (p) The Minister also here denyeth that these ancient Christians did offer these oblations at the shrines of Martyrs in token of gratitude for benefits receued Wheras Theodoret saith expressely that they were vowes which they had made and were bound to pay vnto the Martyrs that is vnto their shrines as monuments of their power in curing them Thus he so generall and notorious euen vnto Infidels was this Christian deuition The Roman Church set formes of Prayer without cause misliked §. 8. FINALLY Protestants dislike the circumstance of praying in a set forme vnto Saints and that we appoint a particular office vnto the Blessed Virgin Mary which cannot be proued to haue been vsed in the Primitiue Church (q) The Minister pag. 353. brings prayers vsed in the Romane Missalls as though they were absurd Call vpon the sweet name of Mary Saints interceding we may deserue to be deliuered from all necessityes The Saints merits interceding Lord absolue vs from all sinnes I Answere all these speaches are the very words vsed by the full consent of ancient Fathers as yow may find in the fifth Demonstration Doth the Minister expect that for feare at his rayling we should leaue all antiquity We must not do so nor do we nor may we feare the bitternes of mans tongue in so high degree I answere that the Primer or Office so tearmed of our Lady is not an office properly and principally directed vnto her but an Office contayning prayses of God taken out of holy Scripture wherein commemoration of her is made So as I dare say that the prayers of that office of our Lady that are directed vnto her make not the hundred part thereof And seing it is most certayne that the Christian Church in her best times did frequently pray vnto Saints what reason haue we to thinke that in her set forme of prayers she did not vse to craue their intercession If it be lawfull pious and profitable when we pray vnto God to pray also to Saints by their mediatiō offering our prayers to him why should any mislike the doing of this in a set forme that is allowed by the Church why should this displease rather then an extemporall forme But further we cā proue that the Church in her best (r) The Minister here questioneth our meaning by the word primitiue I answere that we hold that true Christian Religion planted by the Apostles was not a meere shaddow that vanished away in a trice but that the beliefe and practise therof cōtinued in the world after their decease This Religion in respect of being in the world was primitiue in the dayes of the Apostles and of them that saw the Apostles and were conuerted by them But in respect of free publike profession the same was neuer Primitiue till the fourth Age that is vnder Constantine Now the monuments of the first and second Age after the Apostles in regard of persecutiō are few many Christian Historyes monuments yea in a manner al were made away by Dioclesian So that the best way to know what Religiō was professed immediately vpō the death of the Apostles is to examine what forme of Religiō in the dayes of Constantine came frō vnder groūd secret meetings into the free view of the world For no doubt but that Religion was freely professed vnder Constantine that was cruelly persecuted and the monuments therof abolished by Dioclesiā Constantine his Predecessour and the other Pagan Emperours before him But the Christian profession of Constantines age is so cleerly Catholike as our Ministers feare triall thereby and would rather haue all reduced vnto those ages wherof the monuments are scarse for therin they hope to find best patronage for their negatiue religion and for their Inuisible Perpetuall Namelesse Notorious Professours times did pray vnto Saints in set formes as Catholikes now do euen with a forme of prayer acknowledged cōfessed by the Magdeburgiās Cent. 4. c. 4. to haue byn in vse euē in the fourth age after Christ in which the foure first generall Councels were held But if they will perchance say that they do not so much dislike set formes vnto Saints as some Phrases or speaches in our Prayer-bookes that seeme to giue too much vnto Creatures as our calling the Blessed Virgin Mother of Grace Mother of mercy saying to her Lady protect vs from the Diuell receaue vs in the houre of death giue light to the blind pardon to the guilty remooue from vs all euill c. I answere these speaches cannot iustly be disliked because they are vnderstood in a pious sense knowne to Catholikes a sense obuious playne according to the phrase of Scripture and which the words may well beare euen according to the custome of speach The nature of thinges being various and the answerable conceipts of men copious but words to expresse such conceyts scant and in great paucity necessity doth inforce vs to vse words applyable to diuers senses For example one man may deliuer another from death either by authority pardoning him as do Kings or by Iustice defending him as do Aduocates by force taking him out of his enemyes hands as do Souldiers or paying his ransome to them that keep him captiue as Almoners finally by begging his life of them that haue power to take it away as intercessours These be very different wayes of reliefe yet haue we but one word to expresse them all to wit to saue a mans life which therefore is to be vnderstood according to the subiect it is applyed And if men want vnderstanding or will not take our words according to the matter they are applyed vnto there can neuer want Cauils vnles we eyther speake not at all or when we speake still vse long circumlocutions which were ridiculous in verse impossible the metre not permitting it And yet the aforesayd misliked phrases in the office of the Blessed Virgin are
taken out of the Hymnes and Verses thereof If they that by begging obtayne of the king the life of one condemned to death may be are commonly (s) Our Aduersary in this place playeth the right Minister according to the new order very hansomely telleth a lye saying to the Iesuit You labour to qualifye your blasphemous words by ā honorable expositiō pretending you SAY one thinge and MEANE another What boldnes is this doth not the Iesuit say that they not only meane well but also speake well and according to the rigour of speach the phrase of Scripture holy Fathers How then doth he pretend that we say one thing and meane another sayd to saue his life though they saued him by intercession not by their proper authority why may not Saints be sayd to giue vs the things which by their prayers they obtayne for vs Why may not the Church speake in Hymnes in Verse as the learnedst Fathers spake euen in Prose neuer imagining that any would mistake their meaning Saint Gregory Nazianzen for his excellēt learning tearmed by the Grecians The Deuine thus prayeth vnto Saint Cyprian Looke downe on vs from heauen with a propitious eye guide our works and wayes feed this holy flocke gouerne it with vs dispose some of them as farre as is possible to a better state Cast out importune and troublesome wolues that cauill catch at sillables vouchsafe vs the perfect and cleere splendour of the B. Trinity with whome thou art already present (t) The Minister heere sayth the Iesuit cānot proue that Gregory Naziāzen did Inuocate S. Cyprian but only made an Oratoriall Apostrophe vnto him As Papists say in their hymne al hayle o Crosse yet they do not pray to the wodden Crosse. This is vanity For that S. Gregory Nazianzen did properly inuocate S. Cyprian I proue by this demonstratiō For one to call vpon some person for ayde thinking him that he doth heare him is able to helpe is to Inuocate him S. Gregory Nazianzē did call vpon S. Cyprian for helpe thinking he heard him was able to helpe him for he sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know well that Blessed Saints heare me and are ready to reach out their hand to such as need their helpe Ergo he did properly Inuocate him pray vnto him And not only Fathers but also Scriptures speake of Saints in the same sort our Sauiour saying Make to your selues friendes of the riches of Iniquity that when you dye they may receaue you into the eternall tabernacles If then the Saints of God by the mouth of Verity it selfe be said to receaue their friends when they dye into the eternall Tabernacles because God mooued by their prayers admits them into the Blissefull vision of his essence why may not the Church and her children craue the Blessed Virgins intercessions in these wordes Mother of Mercy receaue vs in the houre of death And seing God in Scripture is tearmed Mercy why should not she be stiled mother of mercy that is vndoubtedly mother of God especially seeing that in and of her the Authour of mercy grace was conceaued and borne and she filled with grace and charity aboue all other Creatures (u) The seely Minister not knowing which way to turne himselfe to find some seeming ground of carping at the formes of the Catholicke Missals Roman Liturgy he goeth catching at the phrases of priuate writers To what purpose If the Authours cannot iustifye their phrases Metaphores let him dislike them in Gods name What is this to the Catholike Church Some writer did not apply his Metaphore fitly Ergo the Roman Church is Idolatrous That other phrase much disliked by your Maiesty that God reseruing Iustice to himselfe hath giuen away mercy to his mother is not vsed by the Church in any of her prayers nor allowed of by Catholike Deuines nor will we iustify it being an harsh and vnfitting Metaphore though thereby the Authours thereof expresse a truth to wit that the Blessed Virgin is exceeding gracious with her Sonne and her intercession very potēt alluding to a phrase of Scripture vsed Hester cap. 5.3.6 cap. 7.2 Marke 6.23 whereby such as are gracious with a prince are sayd that they may haue any thing though halfe of his Kingdome so deuiding Gods Kingdome into Iustice and Mercy to shew how gracious the Blessed Virgin is with her Sonne they say God hath giuen her one halfe of his Kingdome to wit his Mercy which is a Metaphore far fetcht not to be vsed howsoeuer in charity it may be excused THE FOVRTH POINT The Liturgy priuate prayers for the Ignorant in an vnknovvne tongue THE custome of the Romane Church in this point is agreable to the custome of the Church in all Ages and also of (*) The Minister pag. 356. lin 22. It is false according to the Tenet of Bellarmine himselfe that all other Churches which differ from Protestāts haue their publike seruice in Hebrew Greeke or Latine Answer This is your fashion whē you haue not what to reply you impose your sayings vpon your Aduersary and then vrge they are false The Answerer neuer said that al Churches which differ from Protestants haue their seruice in Hebrew Greeke or Latine for this he knew to be false in the Maronits Armenians Aegyptians Aethiopians Russians But he said they all agree with the Roman in that they haue their diuine seruice in a language not vulgar nor commonly knowne of the people this is true for the fore-named Christians haue their Lyturgies in a speciall language which is not their vulgar all Churches now in the world bearing the name of Christian though opposite vnto the Romane only those of the pretended Reformation excepted which constant concurrence is a great signe that the same is very conforme vnto reason and not any where forbidden in Gods word which wil easily appeare if we looke particulerly into the same For we may imagine a triple state of Liturgy in an vnkowne tongue The first in a language altogeather (x) The Minister pag. 369. saith This is a Chimera Non Ens because there was neuer such a Liturgy in the Church Answere In the beginning of the Church there was not any set Forme of publike prayer but the sacred Minister did extemporally make prayers at meetings And that some then did vse to make extemporall prayers in languages altogether vnknowne euen to themselues appeares by the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. Nor is it inough for a Minister to say that this is a Non Ens and a Chimera because it neuer was For first though it neuer were yet it might haue been and things that be possible and might haue been be not Chimera's Secondly that in meetings some did vse a language altogether vnknowne at prayer S. Paul doth witnes who I trow is to be belieued before a Minister He forbids the speaking in the Church with an vnknowne tongue when there is none present that
can vnderstand and interprete 1. Cor. 14.27.28 which he would not haue done had it not bene vsed Therfore some did vse prayers in publike Church-meetings in a language so vnknowne as no man present could vnderstand and interprete the same no not themselues so the Fathers interprete S. Paul S. Augustine de Genes ad liter lib. 12. c. 8. 9. S. Ambrose Theophilact specially S. Chrysostome Erant sayth he multi qui precabantur lingua sonabant mente verò quid dixissent non intelligebant There were many that soūded prayers in an vnknowne tounge which euē themselues did not vnderstand vnknowne in the which no man in the Church speakes no man vnderstands besides the Celebrant himself nor he neither but by Enthusiasme or inspiration of the holy Ghost Without question it is inconuenient that publike prayer should be sayd in a language in this sort vnknowne and this is proued by the reasons the Apostle brings 1. Cor. 14. against an vnknown tongue in the Church Secondly in a language vnknowne to most euē of the better sort of the Church yet some know it and others with facility may learne it To vse a language in the Church for publike prayer in this sort vnknowne cannot be proued vnlawfull nor forbidden by the Apostle seing the reasons brought by him agaynst a language vnknowne make not agaynst this For Saint Paul reprehends in the publike Liturgy a language so vnknown as the Minister or the Church that supplyes the place of the Idiot Ignorant cannot vpon his knowledge of the goodnes of the prayer say therunto Amen in the name of them all But when the language is knowne by some of the Church may with facility be learned by others there is or may easily be found one able to supply the place of the Idiote and ignorant and answere in their person Amen out of his intelligence of the prayer in that vnknowne tongue Notwithstanding the Roman Church doth not approue the vse of a language in this sort vnknowne as appears by the late dispensation of Paulus the fift vnto Iesuits to turne the Liturgy of the Masse into the vulgar language of China and to vse the same till the Latine language grow more knowne and familiar in that countrey For though publike prayers in a language thus vnknowne cannot be proued vnlawfull yet it is vndecent to vse a language which to the whole multitude of hearers may seeme barbarous and vncouth Thirdly a language may be tearmed vnknowne because it is not the vulgar (z) The Minister pag. 370. argueth in this sort The old rule was Barbarus hic ego sum qui non intelligor vlli accordingly your Masse-preists are meere barbariās to the ordinary sort of people Answer If he be a Barbarian that is not vnderstood the Minister should be a Barbarian to himselfe who vnderstands not himselfe Did he vnderstād what he saith he wold vnderstand that this argumēt proueth the cōtrary to what he intendeth For his old rule Barbarus hîc ego sum quia non intelligor vlli in English soundeth thus I am a Barbarian where I am vnderstood of no man non intelligor vlli But the Catholike Priest saying the Latin masse in the Latin Church is vnderstood of many How then can he be a Barbarian by this old rule The latin tongue is knowne of the best most ciuill and most principall persons in the Westerne parts of the world Wherfore he that speakes it is not Barbarous but accounted rather learned to him that vnderstands not Latin for the cause why the Latin in these parts is not vnderstood is not the strangenes of the language but the rudenes of the hearer and want of the best education But in a country where the best ciuillest and most learned know not Latin the Latin is Barbarous though most men of better sort vnderstand it Such was anciently the latin language in the whole Roman Empire and now is in the Latine Church For not only Priests vnderstand the same or if some few do not it is the fault of Bishops that ordayne them but also an innumerable company of Laymen not only addicted to learning but also other gentlemen yea many of the vulgar partly by reason of the affinity their mother tongue hath with the Latin partly out of education which commōly when they are children they haue (A) What the Minister here bringeth out of Suarez that it is not necessary the Minister or Preist vnderstand the language in which masse is said is mis-vnderstood by him For Suarez doth not meane that the Preist may lawfully be ignorant of the language of the masse or that he doth not sinne in saying masse without knowledge of the tongue but onely that such prayers are notwithstandinge auaileable vnto others that pray with the Minister and offer them vnto God in the faith of the Church For if the vnderstanding of the Minister were necessary to make the publike prayers pleasing to God and auaileable thē if the Minister chance to be distracted haue his mind on other matters the people should leese the fruite of publike Seruice How then can the seruice or the Liturgy in Latin be said absolutely to be in an vnknowne tongue which the most part besides women in some sort vnderstand Moreouer the prayers which S. Paul speaketh of were extemporall made in publike meetings according to the deuotion of the speaker Therfore it was necessary that he should pray in a knowne language that those who heard him might know when to say Amen and whether the prayer for matter was such as they might lawfully say Amen therunto But now the seruice and Liturgy of the Church hath set offices for euery festiuall day approoued by the Church which by continuall vse are made so knowne so vulgar vnto common people as no man is so ignorant that vsing diligence or attention may not in short time come to vnderstand them And hereunto serue Exhortations Sermons Catechismes priuate Instructions Manualls Primers in vulgar Languages where the prayers vsed for the Church are found which shew that the Latine seruice cannot be vnknowne to any that will vse diligence to vnderstand it neyther can any doubt but that he may lawfully say Amen vnto it (a) The Minister pag. 369. 377. argueth in this manner That is forbidden by the Apostle to be vsed in prayer wherby al sorts of people being of ripe yeares may not be edified in their vnderstanding to which they are not able to say Amen hauing some distinct vnderstāding of the things spoken Answer First not onely the learned but also the vnlearned haue or may haue some distinct knowlege of the set Offices of the Church of the prayers Gospells and Epistles read and other deuotions said in secret they being so often and yeerely repeated yea some for the most part daily Secondly it is false that the Apostle doth prohibite all prayer that doth not edify the vnderstanding For though
the Apostle prefer prayer that doth edify the vnderstanding yet doth he not prohibite prayer of meere affection without new instruction of the vnderstanding but saith that in such prayers men pray with their spirit and affection though not with their vnderstanding Now that S. Paul did cōmād that seruice should be in such a language as euery womā in the Church might be able to vnderstād it word by word (b) The Minister sayth pag. 374. that Ignorance of the distinct notion of euery word hindreth not sufficient edification when the ordinary necessary and common passages of the publicke seruice are intelligible Thus he Now I subsume But people who vnderstand not latin distinctly may by instruction through bookes Sermons and Cathechismes vnderstand the ordinary necessary and common passages of the publicke seruice specially by the helpe of vse and custome as experience sheweth Ergo publicke prayers in latin may yield sufficient edification and so are lawfull is incredible nor are our Aduersaryes able to proue it neyther can they shew by any Records of antiquity that such a custome was in the Primitiue Church yea the cōtrary may more then probably be shewed because the drift of the Church in appointing Lyturgies or set formes of publike Prayer at the oblation of the Eucharisticall sacrifice was not for the (C) The Minister sayth that indeed the end of publicke seruice is not to instruct People yet the prayers must be said in a language vnderstood of all because they which come to God with sound of wordes without vnderstanding offer the sacrifice of fooles Answere He that offereth vnto God vocall prayers full of deuout pious affection knowing only in generall that they be pious deuout expressing such affections offers a gratefull sacrifice vnto God though he doe not distinctly vnderstand the words and parts of the Prayer For exāple if one that vnderstands not Latin belieue the Psalme Miserere to be full of penitent affections and say the same with many teares of inward sorow contritiō for his sinnes whosoeuer will say that this man offers vnto God the sacrifice of fooles is himselfe an Infidell or Foole. For what greater folly then to think that prayers of pious affection please not God except the affection correspond mathematically to the words peoples instruction but for other reasons First that by this publike Seruice a continuall dayly tribute or homage of prayer thankesgiuing might be publikely offered and payed vnto God Secondly that christians by their personall assistāce at this publike seruice might protest exercise exteriourly acts of Religion common with the whole Church represented by the Synaxis or Ecclesiasticall meeting of euery Christian parish Finally to the end that euery Christian by his presence yielding consent vnto the publike prayers prayses and thankesgiuings of the Church and as it were subscribing setting his seale vnto them by this assisting at them might ordinarily participate of the graces benefits fruits which the Church doth obtaine by her Liturgyes and publike oblations Now for this end there is no need that euery one shold vnderstād word by word the prayers that are sayd in the publike Liturgy but it sufficeth that the Church in generall and in particular Pastours and Ecclesiasticall persons dedicated vnto the Ministeryes of the Church and who watch being bound to giue an account of soules committed to their charge haue particular notice of all the prayers that are sayd and that all who will may be taught instructed in particular if they will vse diligence desire it Moreouer the Churches anciently euen in the purest tymes of Christianity had Chancels vnto which Laymen might not enter so could not particularly and distinctly vnderstand (c) It had bene folly for the Church intending her Liturgy for the instruction of lay-men to haue excluded them out of the Chancells and though our Aduersary say that the Preist read seruice in so audible a voice as he might be heard from the highest of the Chācell where the Aultar was placed vnto the body of Church yet this he might better haue spokē vnto fooles then vnto men of vnderstāding that know how great the Chancells of many Churches are and how farre distinctly audible a mans voice ordinarily is the prayers said by the publike Minister of the Church Within the sayd Chancells they did also vse to say a good part of the Liturgy (d) Vide Liturgias impressas anno Domini 1568. Basil. in Liturg fol. 34. secretly so that their voyce was not audible vnto any Yea the Greeke Church did anciently vse a Veyle (e) Basil. ibidem fol. 34.38.41.43.46 Chrysostom Liturg. fol. 55. hom 61. ad Pop. wherewith the Priest was for the tymes of the sacred Oblation compassed which are manifest signes that the Church did neuer thinke it necessary that all the publike Liturgy should be heard much lesse word by word vnderstood by the whole vulgar multitude present therat Besides it is certayne that the Scripture was not read in any language but Greeke ouer al the Churches of the East as S. Hierome (f) Hieron praefat in Paralip witnesseth Also the Greeke Liturgy of Saint Basill was vsed in all the Church of the East and the Grecian was not the vulgar language of all the Countreyes of the East as is apparent by manifest testimonyes particularly of the (g) Basil. de Spiritu sancto c. 19. Cappadocians (h.i) Hieron in Prooem 2. lib. com ad Galat. Act. Apost c. 1. v. 10. 11. Mesopotamians (h.i) Hieron in Prooem 2. lib. com ad Galat. Act. Apost c. 1. v. 10. 11. Galathians (k) Theodoret. in histor SS Patrum hist. 13. Lycaonians (l) Hieron de script Eccles. in Anton. Aegyptians Syrians yea that all these Countreys and most of the Orient had their proper language distinct from the Greeke is manifest out of the Acts of the Apostles No lesse manifest is it that the Latin Liturgy was cōmon anciently for all the Churches of the Westerne parts euen in Africke as appeareth by testimonyes of S. (*) August Epist. 57. de doctrin Christian. l. 2. c. 13. August in Psalm 123. in exposit Ep. ad Rom. epist. 173. Augustine But it is manifest that the Latin was not the vulgar language for all nations of the West and though the better sort vnderstood it yet some of the (m) Although the Fathers say that the Greek Liturgy translation did serue all Asia and the East Although likewise they affirme the same of the Latin for all Africa and the Occident yet our Minister saith to the contrary pa. 379. and 380. that all people had their Liturgyes in their natiue tōgue which he proueth because the people did then praise God in all languages and did pray according to S. Iustine and Tertulliā togither with the Preist Ergo the publike Liturgy was read in the Church in all vulgar tongues As his denying what
could not haue more fondly sensed them For his Maiesty speaking of prayers and denying merit vnto the repeating of prayers what according to sense could he meane but the merit proper of prayers which is to impetrate or obtayne And so the Iesuit prouing the speciall merit of Impetration hath proued what his Maiesty questioned As for your selfe seeing you deny not that vnto repetition of prayers speciall merit of Impetration is affixed I do not doubt but you yield the very Doctrine his Maiesty disliked to wit that repetition of prayers in a fixed number hath speciall force and efficacy to impetrate certayne number for the causes before mētioned destitute of the example of Saints that liued in the best ages of the Church Palladius in his history cap. 14. 25. setteth downe some examples of Saints praying in this kind Yea the Century-writers Cent. 4. col 1329. and Osiander acknowledge the example of Saint Paul a most holy Monke liuing in the fourth age after Christ that In dies singulos trecentas orationes Deo velut tributum reddidit ac ne per imprudentiam in numero erraret trecentis lapillis in sinum coniectis ad singulas preces singulos eiecit lapillos consumptis igitur lapillis constabat sibi orationes lapillis numero pares abs se expletas esse Which example of so great a Saint so knowne and notorious (u) The Minister answereth that singular exāples are no rule for Ammonius being sollicited to be a Bishop cut of his owne eare yet he is not imitable herein so neyther is S. Paules exāple in saying prayers vpon Beades to be followed I Answere Some thinges are such of their owne nature as they cannot be done lawfully and with out sinne but by special reuelation as the killing mayming himselfe in which kind examples in Scripture or else where related are admirable not imitable But when the thinge vsed by some singular Saint is not agaynst any law of God or man but a thinge that may be done without speciall reuelation the same is imitable by all others in due circumstances Now what law diuine or human forbids a man to say three hundred prayers a day one hundred to ech of the three Diuine Persons Or what law doth prohibit him to vse 300. little stones or beades in numbring them for help of Memory Or why may we not help our memory in numbring our deuotions by calculation of Beades if S. Paules example be pious and laudable If to say Prayers in a certayne number vpon beades be intrinsecally euill it cannot be done piously by the singular instinct of Gods Spirit seing God can neuer inspire men to doe any thinge that is essentially euill If it be not of it selfe essentially euill why should Protestants forbid men to vse such helpes of our deuotion except they can shew an expresse positiue Diuine law in Scripture agaynst it and neuer censured by any Father may more then abundantly suffice for satisfaction in a matter of no more moment then this For we are not curious in this Point nor doe require of any man that he say his prayers in a certaine number so that he may not say more or lesse as his deuotion serues him THE SIXTH POINT The doctrine of Transubstantiation YOVR Excellent Maiesty submitting your Iudgement to Gods expresse word doth firmely belieue the body of Christ to be truly present in the most venerable Sacrament of the Altar which doctrine doth naturally and necessarily inferre whatsoeuer the Church of Rome holds as matter of Fayth concerning the manner of this Presence To declare this and togeather answere an Obiection much vrged by some Protestants that they belieue the body of Christ to be in the Sacrament but are not boūd by this to belieue the Manner that not being expressed in Scripture We must note that men are bound firmely to belieue the manner of a mystery reuealed when the same belongs to the substance therof so that reiecting the manner we reiect the beliefe of the substance of the mystery This is euident and may be declared by the example of the mystery of the Incarnation the substance wherof is that in Christ Iesus the nature of God and the nature of man are so vnited that God is truly Man man verily God The manner of this mystery is ineffable and incomprehensible yet we are bound to belieue three thinges concerning it which if we deny we deny the mystery in substāce howsoeuer we may retayne the same in words First that this vnion is not only Metaphoricall (a) Non affectualis vnitas sed secundū subsistentiam Synodus 5. Generalis quae est Constantinop 2. Can. 4. by Affection as two persons that are great friends may truly be sayd to be all one but also true and Reall Secondly reall Vnion of natures is (b) Qui nō confitetur Dei verbū substantialiter VNIRI carni Anathema sit Synod Chal. act 5. Synod quinta General can 5. substantiall and not accidentall so that therby the nature is not only accidentally perfected by receauing excellent participations of the diuine nature power wisdome and Maiesty but also substantially the very fulnes of the God-head dwelling corporally and substantially in him Thirdly that this substantiall Vnion is not according to the Natures so that the nature of God the nature of man became one and the same nature as Eutiches taught but (c) Ex duabus naturis secundū substātiā vnitis vnum eumdem Christū qui non confitetur condēnatus est Concil Lateran sub Martin 1. Can. 6. Hypostaticall whereby God and Man became one and the same person These particulars about the manner of the Incarnation though high subtill and incomprehensible to reason Christians may and must belieue because they belong to the substāce of the Mystery and are declared by the Church in generall Councels though the vulgar be not bound explicitely to know them In this sort we say that the manner how our Sauiours Body is in the Sacrament of his last Supper must be belieued may not be denyed as farre as it concernes the very life being and substance of the Mystery reuealed Which mystery in substance is that the Body of Christ is present in the Sacrament in such sort that the Priest minister therof demonstrating what seemeth bread may truly say thereof in the person of Christ This is my body This supposed as the substāce of the mystery I inferre that two Catholike doctrines concerning the manner of this mystery belong to the substance of this mystery cannot be called in question without danger of misbeliefe First the Real Presence of the whole body of Christ vnder the formes of bread Secondly that this is done by Transubstantiation An Addition prouing the Catholicke Reall Presence according to the litterall Truth of Gods Word agaynst Ministeriall Metaphores Figures and Shifts HIS Maiesty in questioning onely Transubstantiation seemeth to suppose the Reall Presence of the Body and Blood of our
no Sacrament can subsist tearmed by Deuines Materia Sacramenti This substantiall part is not wanting in the Sacrament giuen in one kind in which there is consecrated bread visible and sensible in the accidents thereof and manducation an action also visible and apparent to sense The second thing required to the substāce of the Sacramēt is Verbum the word that is a forme of speach shewing the diuine and supernatuall purpose vnto which the element is consecrated Neyther is that part wanting in the Sacrament giuen vnder one kind which is consecrated by the wordes of Christ This is my body and the Theologicall principle taken out of Saint Augustin verifyed accedit verbum ad elemētum fit Sacramentum The third thing is Signification euery Sacrament signifying some diuine effect of grace which God worketh by the application therof and the sensible signe euen by nature hath as Saint Augustine Epist. 23. noteth some proportion analogy to signify that diuine effect which to produce it is assumed by Gods omnipotency as an instrument This sacred signification which the holy Eucharist hath is of three kinds and all three are found in the Sacrament giuen vnder one kind First this Sacramēt is a signe of spirituall food for the nourishment and refection of the Soule which signification is manifestly found in Communiō vnder one (n) The Minister very often though out of place as pag. 470. li. 20. pa. 442. obiects If Communion in both kindes be not of the substance of the Sacrament why should Cōmunion in bread or wine be of the substance of the Sacrament Why may not Communion in Cheese be truly a Sacrament as well as Communion in one kind Answere First diuers Protestāts namely Beza and Caluin see Beza epist. 2. epist. 25. teach that though Christ did institute the Sacrament in bread and wine yet in case that bread and wine be wanting one may vse some other proportionable Element as Cheese and Beere Might you not imploy your talent in rayling vpon these men better then on the Councell of Constance Secondly The Protestants allowing of Cheese in lieu of Bread and beere in lieu of wine is to change the substance of the Element wherin Christ did institute the Sacrament and consequently to change the substance of the Institution and Sacrament bringing in an Institution and Sacrament of another substance But to receaue the Sacrament in the kind of bread without wine is not to change the substance of the Element but only whereas the Sacrament for more complete signification was instituted in two elemtēs as for the same reason it was instituted after supper to vse the one element without the other the whole nature of the Sacrament sufficient for all the functions thereof being found in one kind as the Iesuit doth heere demonstrate kind For the Eucharist doth signify this effect of spirituall nutrition because it is a signe of Christ the bread of life the food of Angells the fountayne of grace but by the sole forme of bread Christ is signifyed as present according to his most Sacred body and consequently as most sufficient to feed and refresh the soule Another signification of this Sacrament is vnion and coniunction betweene the faythful as being members of the same body wherof Christ is head fellow-mēbers one with another as S. Paul declares Rom. 12.4 which coniunction the Sacramēt in the forme of bread doth signify For bread being a compound of many graynes of wheate massed togeather in one loafe also made of floure and water mingled one with another signifyes the perfect vnion both of the Church with Christ of the faythfull that are in the Church one with another as Saint Paul 1. Cor. 10. testifyes vnum corpus sumus quotquot de vno pane participamus where he makes no mention of Wine the Sacrament in the forme of bread being alone able to shew worke this signification This Sacrament doth also signify the passion and death of our Sauiour which death and passion is shewed and represented by Communion vnder one kind (o) The Minister sayth pag. 479. That both kinds do more liuely represent Christs Passion then one only Answere What is this to the purpose to proue the Sacrament in one kind substantially imperfect Baptisme by plunging the Childe into water represents Christs death and resurrection more liuely thē Baptisme by sprinkling yet is Baptisme by aspersion a full and entyre Sacrament For receauing the Sacrament in the forme of wine only we haue a sufficient ground to remember the bloud of Christ that was in his passion shed and separated from his body Likewise by participating of the cōsecrated bread we may liuely conceaue the body of Christ as it was depriued of the most precious bloud by the effusion therof on the Crosse wherupon Christ as Saint Paul (p) 1. Cor. 11. v. 14.15 testifyes did after the consecration of ech kind particularly recommend the memory of his passion as knowing that in ech of them alone was a sufficient monument and memoriall thereof The fourth thing required to the substāce of a Sacrament is Causality to wit to worke in the soule the spirituall effects it signifyes This Causality cannot be wanting to the Sacrament vnder one kind wherein is conteyned the fountayne of spirituall life For the cause why the Sacrament in both kindes giueth grace and refresheth the soule is that Christ is assistant vnto them bound by his promise at the presence of sensible signes to worke proportionably spirituall effects in disposed soules But Christ is in the Sacramēt vnder the forme of bread he is able through infinite power and bound by inuiolable promise to worke the effect of grace preseruing vnto life eternall the worthy participant of this Sacrament (q) Hence is refuted what the Minister saith pag. 478. without any proofe That the promise of grace is not made to one kind only vnder the forme of bread Qui manducat hunc panem viuit in aeternum Ioan. 6.55 Not any doubt then may be made but the Sacrament in one kind is full entyre complete in substance by participation thereof prepared consciences do receaue the benefit of celestiall fauour that conserueth the life of the soule with dayly increase in perfection (*) The Minister very often obiecteth as pag. 479. 502. and elsewhere That according to the Tenet of some Scholemen greater benefit of grace it reaped by communion in both kinds Answere First Catholicke Deuines of greater number learning hold the contrary Secondly This is impertinent for the questiō is not whether Communion in both kinds be of greater perfection but whether it be necessary vnto Saluation Thirdly if Cōmunion in both kindes giue more grace yet this excesse may be easily equalled by other diligences as by often receauing in one kind and by obedience to the Church c. The Minister 472. proueth Communion in both kinds to be of greater profit because it is
and in them that by nature loathed wine And as this is certayne and graunted on our part so it is no lesse certayne that the Primitiue Church did neuer practise the vse of the Cup as pertayning to the essential integrity of the Sacrament or as commaunded by diuine precept but thought the receauing vnder one and both kindes a thing indifferent This may be proued by the consideration of the tyme since Christ ascending frō our dayes vpward whence I gather fiue Arguments First is the Confession of our Aduersaryes amongst whome a Bohemian Protestant (p) Ioan. Przibrau confess Fid. Cath. c. 19. doth professe that hauing the feare of God before his eyes he dares not censure the Roman Church of Heresy in this point (q) Hospin Histor. Sacram p. 2. fol. 112. Hospinian writes that some Protestants confessed that whole Christ was really present exhibited and receaued vnder euery kind and therefore vnder the only forme of bread and that they did not iudge those to doe euill that Communicated vnder one kind (r) Melanct. in 2. edit Comm. impress Argent an 1525. fol. 78. Melancthon As to eate or not to eate swines flesh is placed in our power a thing indifferent so sayth he I Iudge of the Eucharist that they sinne not who knowing belieuing this liberty do vse eyther part of the signes And Luther (s) Luther de Captiu Babylon cap. de Eucharistia They sinne not agaynst Christ who vse one kind seing Christ doth not commaund to vse both but hath left it to the will of euery one And Hospinian alleadgeth (t) Hospin Histor. Sacr. p. 2. fol. 12. Luther affirming it is not needfull to giue both kindes but the one alone sufficeth The Church hath power of ordeyning only one and the people ought to be content therewith if it be ordeyned by the Church (*) The Minister p. 500. sayth Concerning Luther Melancthon c. I answere that your benefactour Coccius to whome you are perpetually obliged for your readings alledgeth some such sayings but how truly it is vncertayne Answer The Iesuit read the sayings he citeth in Luther Melancthon Hospinian not in Coccius vnto whome he is not so much beholding for his readings as you are vnto Chemnitius for yours yea he durst engage his credit that you cannot shew some of the testimonies by him cited in Coccius which sheweth your want of reading and that your desire to cauill is greater then your wit What you add that these sayings are not now foūd in Luther Melancthon is as much as to confesse that wherof the Lutherans accuse you of the Sacramētariā brood that you haue most impudently falsifyed the workes of Luther thogh also Hospinian a Sacramentarian as you are hath these sayings both of Luther other Protestants censuring them in this respect But these testimonyes though they may serue to stop the mouth of a clamorous Aduersary yet be they not sufficient to satisfy any iudicious mā in regard their Authours were men most vncertayne various in their doctrines about Religiō now auerring as Orthodoxe and diuine truth what soone after they fell to abhorre as hereticall impious I add secondly the definition of three generall Councells celebrated before the breach of Luther from the Roman Church The Councell of Florence (u) Concil Florentin in decreto Eugenij 4. wherein were present the Grecian and Armenian Bishops where Concomitancy is defined That Christ is whole vnder ech forme The Councell of Basill (x) Concil Basilien Sess. 30. though they allowed the vse of the Cup vnto the Bohemians defined the lawfulnes of Communion vnder one kind The Councell of Constance (y) Concil Constantiense Sess. 13. gaue example vnto both the former Councells being the first that defined this truth The third Argument is the receaued allowed generall Custome of the Church which spontaneously euen before the Coūcel of Constance did absteine from the Cup as the sayd Councell doth acknowledge which may be proued by the testimonyes of many that liued before the Councell of Constance yea Alexander Halensis (z) Halensis 4. p. q. 11. in 2. a. 4. sect 3. who liued two hundred yeares before the Coūcell of Constance saith That almost euery where Laymen receaued vnder the sole forme of bread And Venerable Bede (a) Beda Histor. Gent. Angl. l. 2. c. 5. l. 4. c. 14. doth signify that in the Church (*) The Minister pag. 502. You are guided by that spirit which is mentioned 3. Kings 22. v. 21. when you affirme that Venerable Bede sayth in the Church of England euer since her conuersion vnder S. Gregory Communiō in one kind was in vse for no such report is found in him Answere Take heed you be not guided by the spirit mentioned Reuelat. 12.11 who so perpetually calumniate your aduersary For he did not affirme that Venerable Bede did so say as though he had made mention thereof in expresse tearmes but that he doth so signify or insinuate which is true for l. 2. c. 5. Histor. Anglor he writes how the sonnes of a certayne Christian King that was deceased being yet Pagans sayd vnto a Bishop Why do'st thou not giue vs that white bread which thou wert wont to giue to our Father and do'st still giue to the people in the Church Which speach they did often at sundry times repeate without any mention of the Cup. What you bring as contrary to this that l. 4. c. 14. he writeth that a certayne man according to a reuelation did presently dye the masse being ended viatico Dominici corporis sanguinis accepto is idle For the Sacrament in one kind contayning in it Christs body bloud both may be tearmed Viaticum Dominici corporis sanguinis the food of the body and bloud of our Lord. of England euer since her first Conuersion vnder Saint Gregory was vsed Communion vnder one kind for the Layty which could neuer haue entred into the Church without being noted marked as an Heresy had not the Church euer held Communion vnder one or both kindes as a thing of indifferency The fourth Argument is drawne from many signes and tokens that the primitiue Church did sometymes vse Communion vnder one kind First the sicke receaued vnder the only forme of bread as may appeare by the History of Serapion related by (b) Euseb. l. 6. Histor. c. 36. ex ep Dionys. Alexandrin ad Fabium Eusebius and the Grecians at this day (c) Genebrardus though they giue the Cup to the Communicants in the Church yet to the sicke they send the Sacrament vnder one kind yea Saint Ambrose as Paulinus (d) Paulinus in vita Ambrosi◠relateth in his life at his death receaued the Sacrament vnder the sole forme of bread and straight after the receauing thereof gaue vp his soule Secondly it was an ancient custome in the Church to giue the Sacrament vnto Laymen (e) Tertullian ad vxor c. 55.
Optat. l. 6. cont Parmenian Sed quia qui saucium commendauerat se promiserat redditurum quicquid in curam amplius erogasset post impensos duos denarios non praecepta sed consilium erogat Paulus Nec impedimentum est voluntati nec nolentes impellit aut cogit Qui dederit inquit virginem suam bene facit qui non dederit melius facit Hae sunt verba Consilij nec sunt vlla praecepta coniuncta Saint Hierome (q) Hier. aduersus Iouin cap. 7. l. 1. Plus amat Christus Virgines quia sponte tribuunt quod sibi non fuerat imperatum maiorisque gratiae est offerre quod non debeas quà m reddere quod exigaris Saint Chrysostome (r) Chrys. hom 8. de Poenitentia Nequaquam Dominum incuses haud mandat impossibilia multi ipsa superant mandata Saint Gregory Nazianzen (s) Greg. Naz. orat 3. In legibus nostris alia parendi necessitatem imponunt nec siue periculo praetermitti possunt alia non necessitate constringunt sed in arbitrio voluntate posita sunt ac proinde hanc rationem habent vt qui ea custodierint praemijs honore afficiantur qui autem minus ea expleuerint nihil periculi pertimescant Saint Cyprian (t) Cypr. de habitu Virginem prope finem Non iubet virginitatem Dominus sed hortatur nec iugum necessitatis imponit quando manet voluntatis arbitrium liberum Origenes (u) Orig. in cap. 15. ad Rom. Eaqua supra debitum facimus non facimus ex praecepto verbi causa virginitas non ex debito soluitur sed supra debitum offertur I will not bring more proofes of this doctrine out of Scripture which the Fathers I cited proue by the words of Saint Paul (x) 1. Cor. 7. in expresse tearmes affirming that there are besides Precepts works of Supererogation or Counsells De virginibus praeceptum Domini non habeo sed consilium do Nor will I alleadge more testimonies of Fathers which might be produced in great number most playne and pregnant Only I cannot omit one place of Saint Ambrose who deliuering this doctrine doth togeather answere a Protestant vulgar obiection agaynst it (y) Ambros. l. de viduis vltra medium Itaque qui praeceptum impleuerint possunt dicere serui inutiles sumus quod debuimus facere fecimus Hoc virgo non dicit non dicit qui bona sua vendidit sed quasi reposita expectat praemia sicut Sanctus Apostolus ait Ecce nos reliquimus omnia secuti sumus te quid ergo erit nobis Sunt enim (z) Luc. 17. v. 10. Matth. 19. v. 17. Ibid. v. 12. spadones qui se castrauerunt propter regnum Caelorum sed hoc non omnibus imperatur sed ab omnibus flagitatur Virgo prouocatur consilijs non vinculis alligatur sed nec vidua praeceptum accipit sed consilium What can be more cleerly spoken for works of Supererogation or Coūsells Neyther is there any arrogancy as I said before in this doctrine For neyther the Fathers nor we attribute more vnto man then Protestants doe but only acknowledge one kind of diuine liberality towards man which Protestants be some-what backward to belieue for supposing that God exacteth much lesse then he might much lesse then man is able by his grace to performe Protestants will not deny but a man may offer vnto God some voluntary seruices beyond commaunded duties Catholikes also graunt that had God vsed the vttermost seuerity of charging vs with debts as he might haue done we could neuer by any measure of grace that now is ordinarily affoarded vnto men haue complyed with all our obligations much lesse haue performed vnrequired offices The difference therfore betweene them and vs is this They thinke that God seuerely exacteth of man that euer in all occasions he worke according to the vtter most of his power yea commaunds him thinges impossible for him to performe Contrariwise we hold that God to the end his Law may be vnto men a sweet yoke a light loade and his Commaundements not difficile doth not exact of man all that man is able to doe with his grace but much lesse and so much lesse as man is able through this remission to offer him liberalityes What pride is it for man to acknowledge this sweet prouidence of his Creatour to prayse his mercyfull Indulgence in not exacting so much as he might specially belieuing that this diuine Indulgence not to exact of man consequētly mans ability to present vnto God more perfect and excellent seruice then he requires is giuen him through the merits of CHRIST IESVS The doctrine of Satisfaction §. 4. THE other part of this Cōtrouersy proposed by your Maiesty about workes referred vnto the Treasure of the Church concernes good Workes not as they are meritorious of reward but as they are satisfactory for sinne For the workes of Saints as they are merits be layd vp not in the Treasury of the Church to be applyed vnto others but in the memory of God to receyue their deserued guerdon in due tyme (a) What the Minister heere Cauilleth about Communion of Satisfactions not of merits betwixt Saynts is refelled after ward §. 5. in the Annotation at lit x This doctrine of Satisfaction is like vnto the former of Merit much spoken against by many disliked in the highest degree who yet perchance doe not much vnderstand what they so earnestly impugne as may appeare by this briefe declaration of our doctrine in this point First we doe not thinke that any sinner can make satisfaction by works vnto God for the guilt of Mortall or damnable sinne The reason is because works of Satisfaction are such as merit pardon and obtayne it by some kind of Iustice from God The works of his Children may merit in this sort as being the workes of them that are instruments of the holy Ghost dwelling operating within them liuing members of Christ his mysticall body receauing influence of life and operation from him as from their head Sinners are neyther the Children of God nor the Temples of the Holy Ghost nor liuing members of Christ so their workes cannot be so gracious as they may deserue any thing as due to them in any kind of Iustice from God much lesse can they deserue so great a reward as remission of mortall sinne and of the eternall punishment due thereunto Secondly we doe not teach that any Saint or Angell can make satisfaction vnto God for the mortall sinne of any man no not all Saints Angells putting togeather all their good works and satisfactions The reason is because an Iniury is so much the greater by how much the person that offers it is Base and the person to whome it is offered is Noble as the light of reason the estimation of mankind sheweth But God whome man casteth away abandoneth by sinne consequently wronges is of infinite dignity and
modification because he sayth I can do all thinges not in my selfe but in him that strengthneth me Philip. 4.13 Suarez sayth that the inward contrition inhering in the sinners hart is more effectuall to expell veniall sinne by way of formall opposition therewith then Christs satisfaction tamen satisfactio Christi in ratione meriti perfectior est yet the satisfaction of Christ is more perfect and efficacious to expell sinne by way of merit Heere agayne you are shewed a slanderous relatour of our Doctrine and a falsifyer of Authours Neyther do we teach that condigne satisfaction may be made vnto God in respect of the offence agaynst the Diuine Maiesty nor can we coÌ„dignely satisfy his iust anger which hath a kind of infinity through the dignity of the person offended but only in respect of Temporall payne In which respect men may make vnto God satisfaction iust condigne equal compensant the Fathers say expressely Tertullian libro de poenitentia Christ proposeth pardon of sinnes to be REDEEMED by the COMPENSATION of pennance Origen homil 15. in Leuit. By the fruites of pennance by laborious good works the PRICE of the redemption of sinne is gathered together S. Cyprian l 1. epist 3. By lamentations and IVST satisfactions sinnes are REDEEMED S. Hilar. can 4. in Matth. How shall we PAY the last FARTHING OF PAINE vnlesse by the PRICE of Charitable deeds to the needy our sinnes be REDEEMED S. Basil orat super verba Atende tibi ipsi Is thy sinne great and grieuous Thou must needes apply agaynst it much and frequent confession bitter weeping longe laborious watching continuall and neuer-interrupted fasting let thy Pennance be EQVALL vnto thy sinne S. Hierom. in cap. 1. Ioelis Let the sinner COMPENSATE by the austerity of pennance his former pleasures wherwith he offended God And in Epit. Paulae The body must be punished by sharp intreaty which hath been long inured to pleasure much time spent in laughing must be COMPENSATED by continuall weeping Theodoret Epitom diuinorum Decretor c. de Poenit. Euen the wounds after Baptisme are curable but not without many teares and weepings and mournings and fastings and prayngs and by payne CONTEMPERED vnto the QVANTITY of the sinne S. Gregory homil 20. in Euang. We must not only do the fruits and workes of pennance but workes of pennance that be WORTHY or CONDIGNE DIGNOS poenitentiae fructus Venerable Bede l. 1. in Lucam c. 2. Sacrifice vnto God a sacrifice of IVSTICE that is Be so angry agaynst your former sinnes that you massacre them by doing CONDIGNE works of penance punishing your selues for EVERY SINNE IVST AS MVCH as CONDIGNE pennance requires This is a Sacrifice of IVSTICE Thus the Fathers teach prouing their Doctrine by Scripture whereby your vanity is manifest who thinke to elude their Testimonies by the distinction That they spake of satisfaction of deprecation and impetrant not of condignity and compensant Agaynst whome the Fathers as if they had forseen your forgery oppose themselues directly formally and in tearmes there being scarse any ancient Father that hath not taught both the thing and the word Worke with reference vnto the Treasure of the Church §. 5. BVT I suppose these testimonies are vnto your Maiesty well knowne therfore in this proposed difficulty supposing the satisfaction for sinne to be possible you mooue this doubt Whether the penitents can so fully satisfy for themselues as their satisfactions may superabound and be referred into the treasure of the Church To satisfy this doubt three propositions are to be proued The first that good works of Saints that are penall and afflictiue doe not only merit heauen but also satisfy for sinne This is proued Giuing of Almes for the loue of Christ is meritorious witnes our Sauiour himselfe who to the Iust in the reward of their Almes will giue the Kingdome prepared from the beginning of the world Matth. 23. And it is also satisfactory for sinne witnesse Daniel who gaue this couÌ„sell vnto the Babylonian King (a) Daniel 4.24 Redeeme thy sinnes with Almes-deeds and thine iniquityes with mercyes vnto the poore And Saint Chrysostome (b) Chrysost. hom 25. in Act. Apost who saith There is no sinne which giuing of Almes cannot cancell And Saint Cyprian (c) Cyprian Serm. d. Eleemosyna Eleemosynis atque operibus iustis delictorum flamma sopitur Prayer is likwise meritorious with God our Sauiour exhorteth euery man to pray secretly in his Closet promising that (d) Matth. 6.6.7 Thy Father who seeth what is done in secret will reward thee It is also satisfactory for sinne Saint Augustine (e) Aug. Enchyr. c. 7â— sayth The dayly prayer of the faythfull doth satisfy for their quotidian light offences without which none can leade this life To fast is meritorious when it proceeds from a pure hart to which our Sauiour in the 6. of Saint Matthew promised recompence and that it is penall and satisfactory for Corporall penaltyes the fact of the Niniuites (f) Ionae cap. vlt. sheweth aboundantly so that the same workes of the Iust as pious doe merit and shall haue in heauen a plentifull reward as penall doe satisfy and obtayne full remission of the temporall penaltyes remayning to be suffered for sinne In confirmation whereof memorable is the saying of Saint Cyprian (g) Cypr. serm de lapsis circa finem of feruent pennance punition of the body Qui sic Dâ—o satisfecâ—rit c. non solùm Dei veniam merâ—bitur sed Coronam The second Proposition Many Saints endured more penaltyes and afflictions in this life then were necessary for the recompensing of the temporall paines due to their sinnes The Blessed Virgin (h) The Ministers rayling agaynst the Doctrine which makes the Blessed Virgin free froÌ„ actual sinne is discouered in the Censure Sect. 4. §. 9. pag. 120. neuer committed actuall sinne witnesse S. Ambrose (i) Ambros. serm vlt. in Psal. 118. tearming her ab omni integram labe peccati and S. Augustine saying (k) Aug. de Nat. Grat. cap. 36. Plus gratiae ei collatum est ad vincendum ex omni parte peccatum Yet she endured many afflictions her many Iourneyes specially her banishment into Aegypt her standing at the foote of the Crosse when the sword of sorrow pierced through her hart besides her many voluntary Fastings and Prayings and other penitentiall workes which were dayly practised in the course of her most holy life Saint Iohn the Baptist (l) Luc. 1. v. 8. what a pure and immaculate course of life held he from his Infancy in the wildernes Neuer committed any great sinns yea scarse so much as light sinnes as the Fathers (m) Gregor in cap. 2. Iob. 11. Numquid credimus aliquid fuisse quod in Ioannis vita mors tergeret Venerab Beda ho. de decollat Ioan. Quis dicere audeat Ioannem in actu vel dicto habitu vel victu peccasse Quis in eius praecordijs esse poterat peccato
locus c teach gathering their opinion of this his sanctiiy from the Scripture and yet extremely penitentiall was he in his continuall praying fasting lying on the ground enduring cold wind weather his wearing continually a rough hayre-cloath whereof Saint Paulinus writes (n) Paulin. ep 11. ad Seuerum Vestis erat curui setis compacta Cameli Contra Luxuriam molles duraret vt artus Arceretque graues compuncto corpore somnos What a mighty masse of superabounding (o) That Saints can make superaboundant satisfaction is also proued by the sayings of the Minister in the Cēsure Sect. 4. §. 5. Satisfactions were gathered from the life of this Saint alone The Prophets of the old Testamēt what afflictions did they endure Which Saint Paul (p) Ad Heb. 11.36 gathers togeather in the eleauenth Chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews being neuertheles men of most holy life innocent and without any grieuous sinnes (q) 1. Cor. 4.2 Cor. 11 That the world was vnworthy of them As also the Apostles whose labours were intollerable specially such as Saint Paul records endured by himselfe who yet after Baptisme in which his sinnes were fully and certainly remitted neuer did grieuously offend God The labours (r) Cypr. l. 4. epist. 2. and torments of Martyrs were extreme and yet any the least Martyrdome is sufficient to satisfy for any great multitude of offences (s) Aug. tract 64. in Ioan quoad reatum culpae poenae Of whose merits the Church in the primitiue times did make most account to whom afterwards succeeded another kind of Martyrdome (t) Ber. serm 41. in Cantica Terrore quidem mitius sed diuturnitate molestius of holy Confessours specially of many most holy Eremites These manifold afflictions endured by Saints far aboue measure of the temporall penalty which after the eternal was graciously remitted did remayne due to their offences did not perish nor were forgottē but were layd vp in the memory of God The third Proposition The treasure of the Church consisteth principally of the superabundāt satisfactions of Christ who did endure much more then was necessary for the Redemption of man wherewith are ioyned the satisfactions of Saints We ioyne the satisfactions of Saints with the satisfactiō of Christ in the Churches treasure not because we belieue the bloud of Christ to be insufficient alone to satisfy for sinnes nisi velut arescentis exhausti defectus aliunde suppleatur sufficiatur as mistakingly not to say calumniously Caluin lib. 4. Instit. cap. 9. n. 39. reporteth of vs. For Pope Clement the 6. whome Protestants accuse as the first Authour of this Treasure affirmes euen in his Cōstitution about this matter that the bloud of Christ is of an infinite price and euery drop therof sufficient to ctncell the sinnes of the whole world The reasons of this coniunction are these three First That penall workes of Saints as they are satisfactory be not without fruit for being satisfactory and not hauing the effect of satisfaction in their owne innocent vndefiled persons they wil be without this fruit and effect except they be applyed vnto others that are poore and needy in whome satisfaction is scant and the debt of temporall payne abounds The second is The glory of Christ whose meritts were so powerfull as to purchase to the church of God such excellent admirable Saints so pure of life so feruent in pennance as their satisfactions might suffice to pay the debt of temporall payne due vnto others The third reason is to make men loue the Church and society of Saints wherby they come to be partakers of the aboundācy of her treasures to pay their grieuous debts This is that comfortable Article of the Apostles put downe in the Creed to be knowne of euery one The Communiō of Saints This is that which made King Dauid exult saying (a) Psal. 118. vers 63. I am partaker with all them that feare thee keepe thy Cōmaundments And in this respect the Apostle exhorteth vs (b) Coloss. 1. v. 12. Gratias agamus Deo Patri qui dignos nos fecit in partem sortis Sanctorum in lumine This is that which the same Apostle writes to the Corinthians 1.8.14 exhorting them to be liberall towards Titus and Luke For the present let your aboundance in temporall goods supply their want that also their aboundance in pious works may be a supplement vnto your want This hope to supply in this kind the spirituall need of Christians by the aboundance of his sufferings made Saint Paul so much reioyce in them (c) Coloss. 1. 24. I ioye sayth he in my sufferings for you and I make full the things that want of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh for his body which is the Church And agayne (d) 2. Cor. 12.15 Cupio impendi superimpendi pro vobis Out of which words (e) Origen hom 10. in Num. Origen gathers that S. Paul as a kind of victime or sacrifice did expiate the sinns of others not satisfying for the Iniury agaynst God nor for the eternall punishment due but for one outward and transitory effect of sinne to wit the debt of temporall payne In this sense also Saint Augustine interpreteth the former words of the Apostle of suffering in his body the things wanting of the sufferings of Christ (f) Aug. in ep 61. Patitur Christus in membris suis id est in nobis ipsis ad communem hanc quasi Republicam Nam quisque pro modulo nostro exoluimus quod debemus pro posse virium nostrarum quasi canonem passionum inferimus paratoriâ plenariâ Christ suffereth in his members that is euen in vs as for a Cōmonwealth for euery one of vs payeth his owne debt according to his meane power according to his forces puts into the plenary Storehouse a certayne measure of sufferings This was the practise of the Primitiue Church which at the petition of constant Confessours in prison did relieue the penaltyes that sinners were enioyned to performe to satisfy not only the discipline of the Church but also the wrath of God after the remission of sinne still continuing vnto the infliction of temporall payne as appeareth by the testimonyes of (g) Cypr. l. 3. ep 15. Saint Cyprian And that this relaxation of temporall payne was done by applying the aboūdant satisfaction of holy Confessours and designed Martyrs vnto the Penitents that receaued Indulgence at their intercessions appeares by Tertullian For he falling from the Church into the errours of Montanus whereof one was That for Christians sinning after Baptisme there was no remission of sinne refutes the Catholike custome of remitting penaltyes vnto sinners for the merits of Martyrs speaking thus (h) Tertul. lib. de pudicit cap. 22. Let it suffice the Martyrs they haue cancelled satisfied for their own sins It is ingratitude or pride for one prodigally to cast abroad vpō others that which as a great
benefit was bestowed vpon him And speaking vnto the Martyr he sayth If thou be a sinner how can the oyle of thy Lampe suffice both for thee and me By which hereticall Impugnation appeares that the Catholike doctrine then was that men might satisfy one for another and that the abouÌ„dant satisfactions of some that suffered exceedingly as Martyrs were applyed for the redemption of some others more remisse and negligent MINISTER pa. 554. It is remarkable how the RomaÌ„ Higlars with one breath both magnify debase the price of Christs bloud For one while they say That one drop thereof is sufficient to sasisfy for all the sinnes of the world and then agayne they inferre That it is fit it should be eeked out with an addition of Saintly satisfactioÌ„s to raise a stocke to redeeme soules out of Purgatory Else why stint they not this treasure vpon the mayne Reuenew of Christs Passions only Their detected meaning is Christs Bloud alone is all-sufficient to saue soules but the same is insufficient to impregnate his Holinesse his Coffers The bloud of Christ hath abundant vertue in it to cleanse sinnes but it must emendicate vertue to fill purses and to satisfy the Auarice of the Horse-leeches of Rome Answer You speake in the proper Tune of your Ghospell which was euer the Note of Heresy to wit to barke raile at the chayre of Peter the roote matrice of the Catholike Church Cyprian ep 88. The Angell sayd vnto Iacob in commendation of his constancy thou hast been strong against God how much more wilt thou preuayle agaynst men and I may say of you in excusation of your rayling at vs What woÌ„der though you spare not Christs Vicar on earth who in your ignorant zeale about this matter rayle and blaspheme euen God himselfe For thus you write in the precedent pag. 553. If the Bloud of Christ be infinit it is foolish to ioyne to the same the Bloud of Martyrs passions of Creatures Is any man so foolish as to add the light of a candle to the cleere light of the Sunne Thus you Is not this Blasphemy agaynst God For hence I thus argue He that ioyneth the bloud of Martyrs and passions of Creatures to the infinit price of Christs bloud is a foole by your censure God that men may attaine vnto heauen doth to the infinite merit of Christs bloud ioine the passions of Martyrs of creatures saying vnto men that except they suffer with Christ they shall not be glorifyed with him Rom 8.17 What followeth of this your saying but the most horrible blasphemy that may be that God is like a foole which ioyneth the light of a Candle with the light of the Sunne Hence your calumniation of the Roman Church is detected the folly wherewith you charge her being the very same wherwith you charge God For as the ioyning of Saynts workes and sufferings to the merits of Christ for the full purchasing of heauen is not eeking out of his merits by addition vnto them but to performe the conditions which God requires that the merits of Christ may haue their effects So to ioyne to the satisfactions of Christ the satisfactions and mortifications done by Saynts for the abolishing of the debt of Temporal payne is not to eeke out the price of his bloud with addition but to comply with Gods will and pleasure who wil haue vs to be cleansed from the reserued temporall guilt of payne not only by Christs satisfactions and mortifications but also by our owne as Scriptures and Fathers teach Besides Catholicks teach as you may see in Suarez Tom. 4. in 3. p. disp 51. sect 4. conclus 3. That the superaboundant satisfactions of our Sauiour is a sufficient and infinite stocke reuenew out of which the Pope may grant Indulgences ordinarily and without any stint though there be not any saintly satisfactions remayning in the treasury of the Church Sola satisfactio Christi esset sufficiens ad indulgentiarum efficaciam etiam secundum legem ordinariam Whence two things are consequent First that the Minister belyeth the Church in saying that we ioyne to Christs bloud the satisfactions of Saints to impregnate his Holynes his coffers as being persuaded that Christs bloud alone is not sufficient for this end For if selling and buyng of Indulgences were lawfull as it is detested in our Church and acccursed as a most horrible and damnable crime Concil Lateran sub Inno. 3. Vienn sub Clem. 5. If I say we held it were lawful for the Pope to enrich his coffers by the sale of pardons according to our Tenet the Pope might fill his purse coffers by selling IndulgeÌ„ces out of the Treasury of Christs passions only they being infinite and vnexhaust Secondly The Ministers so often repeated assertion that the Doctrine of Indulgences is vsed vnto filthy lucre is a mere Ministeriall slauÌ„der For the Minister is no more to be belieued in saying that by this doctrine the Pope filleth his Coffers then in his saying That he doth for this end teach that Saintly satisfactions must be ioyned vnto Christs as iudging Christs insufficient to impregnate his Coffers But this is a manifest slaunder seing the Pope holds that the price of Christs bloud is infinite out of which infinit Indulgences might ordinarily be giuen and also sold to enrich his coffers if that practise were law full Therefore a most false an impudent slaunder it is what the Minister here so often repeates that the Doctrine of the treasure of Saynts superaboundant satisfactions is deuised by Roman Prelats for filthy lucre Minister pa. 135. Against the Iesuits propositioÌ„ that Merits of Saints are layd vp in the memory of God to be rewarded in due tyme with glory but redundant satisfactions be reserued in the treasury of the Church thus rayleth By this you may see that Popery is a mistery Apoc. 17.5 And the Canonists say of the Pope His will is a reason c. otherwise there is the same reason for coÌ„munication of merits as for satisfactions For in Christ Iesus both were communicated alâ—ke and Christ is the samplar of saintly merit satisfaction if there be any Answere Vnto men altogeather ignorant of Theology the knowne principles truths therof seeme mysteryes and strange thinges in which number you are For otherwise the learned know a manifest reason why the satisfactions of Saynts be communicable and not their merits and the disparity betwixt them and Christ Iesus in this behalfe Christ Iesus being by naâ—ure the Sonne of God is not only free from sinne but also his soule in the moment of his Conception was aduanced vnto the highest degree of glory and beatificall vision any soule can possibly attayne vnto Hence his works not only as satisfactory for sinne haue not effect in his person by nature impeccable but also as meritorious of glory they superabound in respect of his soule which independently of workes is erected vnto the highest degree of glory Hence also his works
say his sufferings as examples were perfect and full yet were supplyed by Saint Paul why may not the same sufferings as satisfactions be supplyed by S. Paul without being imperfect For Saint Paul is sayd to supply the sufferings of Christ as satisfactory not because they were not of infinit value but because God will haue the satisfactions of his seruants to be ioyned with Christs that Christs may haue their full effect euen to the cancelling of the debt of temporall payne Minister pag. 564. The indulgences Tertullian opposed were the same whereof S. Cyprian speaketh Epist. 10.11.12 to wit relaxation of Canonicall censures and pennances to notorious sinners at the request of martyrs liuing in prison Answere It is true Tertullian being an Heretike opposed such indulgences as S. Cyprian doth mention as allowed in the Catholike Church But that these indulgences were only relaxations of Canonicall pennances censures you say but shew not yea that the pennances released were required in foro conscientiae to satisfy Gods anger appeareth by S. Cyprian his words in that tenth Epistle by you mentioned Deo patri misericordi satisfacere pro delictis suis poenitentiam agentes possunt And that penitents to make this full satisfaction vnto God and so obtayne pardon were holpen by the suffrages of Martyrs the same Saint Cyprian doth affirme Epist. 13. They who haue receaued bills from the Martyrs to be released of their Pennance may by the PREROGATIVE OF MARTYRS BE HOLPEN WITH GOD. And Epist. 14. They who bring the Bills from the Martyrs may by THEIR HELP BE AYDED IN THEIR SINNES This Catholike practise of pardoning vnto Penitents the reserued temporall penalty by the application of Martyrs suffrages satisfactions to haue byn impugned by Tertullian in his heresy is manifest by his making the Penitent in an heretical humour to say to the Martyr who applyed his satisfaction for his pardon If thou be a sinner thou needest satisfaction and pardon thy selfe How then can thine oyle of satisfaction be sufficient both for thee and me Also the Martyrs that sued for pardon to be giuen to the penitents he accuseth of Prodigality therin which is a signe that Martyrs bestowed something that was their owne vpon penitents that they by vertue thereof might be pardoned which cannot be any thing besides their own sufferings according as they were satisfactory for sinne Minister pag. 565. The aduersary is so farre from being able to proue Popes pardons in Tertullians dayes That he caÌ„not proue they had any being in the dayes of Peter Lombard or Hugo Victor Answere Still you shew your selfe to be a bold affirmer about things you know not For what more euideÌ„t falshood then this you vent That Indulgences had not any being in the dayes of Peter Lombard The Waldensian Sect was in being in the dayes of Peter Lombard as doth witnesse Illyricus in catalog Test. colum 1498. and they as the same Illyricus doth record ibid. colum 1501. 1511. contemned and derided the indulgences of the Church which they would not haue done but that they saw the same had some being and vse then in the Church Pope Paschall the 2. some yeares before Peter Lombard graunted the Indulgences of 40. dayes to all that were present at the Lateran Generall Councell kept in his tyme as writeth Vrspergens Chron. an 1106. Vrban the second in the yeare 1096. before Peter Lombard was borne in the Generall Councell of Cleremont in France graunted a Plenary Indulgence vnto al that should go to fight for the recouery of the Holy Land yea Leo the third almost foure hundred yeares before Peter Lombard to wit eight hundred yeares agoe as writes S. Lutgerus in vita Sancti Switberti c. 9. did at the request of Charles the Great dedicate the temple of our Blessed Lady of Aquisgraâ—e donans eam multis indulgentijs bestowing many Indulgences vpon it Moreouer The Pope sayth he in France consecrated many Churches euery where graunting many indulgences And agayne The Pope graunted speciall Indulgences vnto the sayd Church for all the faythfull that should keep the feast of Saint Switbert and come on his day to heare diuine seruice Behold how frequent and ordinary a thing it was eight hundred yeares agoe for the Pope to giue out Indulgences which you say had not any being in the dayes of Peter Lombard Not only S. Thomas many Catholikes write that Saint Gregory the Great before the yeare six hundred graunted Indulgences but also Protestants as Fryar Bale Act. Rom. Pontif. printed at Basil Anno 1558. Gregory sayth he did confirme the deuotion of people in visiting images by granting them indulgences And agayne He was the first Pope that did grant Indulgences vnto theÌ„ that should vpon certayne dayes visit Churches And though we cannot directly proue that such generall Indulgences for all the faithfull were vsed before Saint Gregory yet it is not probable that holy Pope would vse it without the example of his predecessors yea had this practise been then nouell the same would haue been noted But whensoeuer the vse of such Indulgences began certayne it is that Personall Indulgences graunted vnto particular persons vpon particular examination of their cause were euer in vse since the Apostles tyme as doth appeare by the former testimony of S. Cyprian Tertullian Minister pag. 566. The holy Scripture teacheth expressely that all spirituall redemption is immediatly wrought by the bloud of Christ who purged sinne by himselfe Hebr. 1.3 But our Aduersaryes restrayne this and the like place to the stayne and eternall guilt of sin saying that the guilt of temporall payne is redeemed by Christ only mediatly by the satisfaction of Saynts Which is agaynst the Apostle Coloss. 2.12 affirming that Christ blotted out the handwriting of decrees contayned in the Law that was agaynst vs and that by himselfe but the temporary punishment is contayned within the latitude of the law Leuit. 26.14 Answere You do not vnderstand the Doctrine of your Aduersaryes or else wittingly misrelate the same For Catholikes distinguish the merit of Christs redemption and the conditions by meanes of which the same is applyed vnto particular persons All spirituall guifts of this life of the future all remissions of sinne eyther mortall or veniall all releasement of punishment eyther eternall or temporall is wrought by way of redemption immediatly only by the bloud Passion of our Sauiour But the condition which God requireth that the same be applyed vnto particular persons is not only the suffering of Christ nor is the same kind of condition required in respect of euery grace Some be giuen vpon condition of meere mercy some not otherwise then according to mens works The guift of iustifying grace is applyed vnto men by the vertue of Sacramtts through Gods only mercy the sinner by fayth pennance and contrition disposing his soule for the reception thereof But the grace and guift of eternall life purchased by Christ his bloud is not applyed
senteÌ„ce Hence (m) Baron Tom. 4. pag. 306. Decreta sancita muâ—are DECERNERE quibuscum à reliqua Ecclesia COMMVNICANDVM sit it may appeare that it did depend on the iudgment of the Roman Bishop to establish Decrees of Fayth and to recall the established and to DECREE with whome the rest of the Church were to keep COMMVNION Hence it is euident that Baronius speaketh of Decrees of fayth declaratiue with whome Communion in Fayth is to be kept that those are mutable as the Church shall see cause For the better vnderstanding whereof we must know that it was the practise or Heretikes (n) Sic Verba temperant sic ambigua quaeque concinnaÌ„ vt nostram aduersariorum confessioneÌ„ teneant Hieron epist. ad Pammach Ocean as S. Hierome noteth to couch their Errours in such ambiguous wordes that taken one way they sounded Heretically another way they carryed a Catholike sense Hence vpon the arising of new Heretikes euen the Catholike Fathers were sometymes deuised some coÌ„municating with some denying communion vnto such Dogmatizants The decision of these doubts is to be made by the Catholik Church and the supreme Pastour thereof in which case the Church may change her decrees For when there is sufficient reason to thinke that such propositions be taken by the Authours in the Hereticall sense Decree is to be made that no communion be held with them If afterward it appeare by good proofe that they meant the said propositions according to the Catholike sense they may be receaued by some latter Decree and the former Decree about auoyding their Communion may be repealed In this sense true is the saying of S. Augustine (o) Lib. 5. de Baptism c. 1. That former Councels are reformed by later when by experimeÌ„t of things what before was hidden commeth to light In this sort ancient Councells (p) In coÌ„cilio Ephes. Christiparae nomeÌ„ explosum est Canis de B. Virg. l. 3. c. 19. made this decree of Fayth that none should tearme the most Blessed Virgin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christs Mother because by that Title Heretikes did meane tacitely to imply that she was not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Mother And yet this Decree of Faith is now by custome repealed because it now appeareth that such as tearme her Christes Mother meane not therby to deny that she is truly and verily Gods Mother This is that which Baronius saith for speaking of the Apollinarians who did vtter their Errours (q) Ruffin de adulterat libror Origen in doubtfull wordes he saith that first by Pope Damasus they were reiected as Heretikes and Catholikes were forbidden to communicate with them Afterwards these (r) Greg. Nazian ad Chelid epist. 2. Apollinarians falsely gaue out that the Councell of the Westerne Church including principally the Roman Bishop had againe receaued theÌ„ into Communion Vpon the newes of this report S. Gregory Nazianzen thus writeth Those that agree with Apollinaris say that they were admitted by the Councell of the West or Roman Bishop by whome it is manifest they were once condemned Yet (s) Hoc osteÌ„dant nos acquiescemus let them but shew this and we yield For it is manifest (t) PERSPICVVM enim eos veritati assenâ—iri nec enim aliter se res habere potest si hoc consecuti sunt that their doctrine doth agree with the true Fayth for it cannot otherwise be if they haue obtayned this This S. Gregory Nazianzen Hence Baronius doth inferre against Heretikes that the Grecian Fathers did beare such reuerence vnto the Roman Church and Roman Bishop belieuing he could not erre that if his Decrees declaratiue of doubtfull ambiguous propositions should change alter they were ready to change and alter with him and to thinke that manner of speach in matters of Faith most fitting for the present which he did for the present allow This I say is all that Baronius doth affirme not that the Pope may change his Decrees about the truth of the articles and mysteries of Fayth as you in your blind auersion would impose vpoÌ„ him catching at words syllables of euery lesse cleere sentence which to be the right iogge (u) Aguntur spiritu maligno in pios vt Satanicâ virulentia incensi EORVM VERBA ET SCRIPTA NON MALOTIO SE INTERPRETARI non possint Loc. commun Martini Lutheri 5. Classe pag. 26. of the Caluinian spirit Luther long agoe noted THE CONCLVSION BEHOLD good store of your Ignorances Impertinencyes Misallegations of Scriptures Wilfull Vnconscionable Falshoods in your producing the Fathers which I offer vnto your Picture to adorne that Crowne which in your Glorious Humour you haue caused to be set ouer your Booke in the second page therof giuing it the Title of Wisdome and Truths Triumph Verily no Iewells and Gemmes can sit the Crowne of such Wisdome and Truth as yours is better then these being made in this Censure Cleere Shining Illustrious by manifest proofe My purpose was to haue discouered many besides these yea more then an hundred no lesse notorious then these about the Nine Points with many other eminent Vntruths but now I perceaue that hereby your Picture would grow though not disproportionable to the greatnes of your Desert yet into a greater bignes they Paper-Images vse to haue which commonly are still lesse then their Patterns I must therefore remayne indebted vnto you for the rest which are many hundreds engaging my selfe to pay the last farthing of this debt whensoeuer the same shall be exacted with sufficient assurance that the performance thereof shall auayle not only to your personall Disgrace but also to the publicke Good by conuersion of so many by you miserably seduced soules Although I must confesse that the former are so many and so cleere as they may sufficiently resolue such as depend on you of their miserable and dreadfull danger and mooue them to returne to the truth if they erre through weaknes of Vnderstanding not through willfulnes of hart For as S. Cyprian sayth (x) Lib. aduer Demetrianum initio Qui ad malum motus est mendacio fallente multò faciliùs ad bonum mouebitur veritate cogente such as haue been simply lead away vnto euill by the fallacy of lying will more easily be brought backe agayne vnto Good by the force of Truth FINIS THE ANSWERE VNTO The Nine Points of Controuersy Proposed by our late Soueraygne of Famous memory vnto M. Fisher of the Society of IESVS AND THE REIOYNDER Vnto the Reply of D. Francis VVhite Minister Et faciam VOS fieri PISCATORES Hominum Matth. 4.19 And I will make YOV FISHERS of Men. Permissu Superiorum M.DC.XXV His Maiestyes Note deliuered vnto M. Fisher. SOME of the principall points which with-hold my ioyning vnto the Church of Rome except she reforme her selfe or be able to giue me satisfaction Are these 1. The worship of Images 2. The Prayings Offering oblations to the Blessed Virgin
Mary 3. Worshipping Inuocation of Saints Angels 4. The Liturgy priuate Prayers for the Ignorant in an vnknowne Tongue 5. Repetitions of Pater Nosters Aues Creeds especially affixing a kind of merit to the number of them 6. The Doctrine of Transubstantiation 7. Communion vnder one kind the abetting of it by Concomitancy 8. Workes of Supererogation especially with reference vnto the Treasure of the Church 9. The Opinion of deposing Kings and giuing away their Kingdomes by Papall power whether directly or indirectly THE PREFACE Most Gratious and Dread Soueraygne A Conference about ReligioÌ„ between Doctor White and Me was occasion that your Maiesty called me to your gracious Presence not disdayning to dispute with one so meane and vnworthy as my self imitating his Benignity whose Vicegerent you are and according to the Phrase of Holy Scripture As (a) 2. Reg. 14.17 Sicut Angelus Dei sic est Dominus meus Rex his Angell And as it is the property of the Good Angell first to strike feare and terrour into them to whome he appeares but in the end to leaue them full of comfort in like sort your Maiesty For though the first salutation carryed a shew of seuerity yet your dismissing me was benigne and gratious not only pardoning my earnestnes in defending the part of the Catholike Church but also saying (*) What the Minister doth obiect against this narration is refuted in M. Fishers Booke about vntruths falsely layd to his charge You liked me the better The gratefull acknowledgement and admiration of this your Princely Clemency makes me desire from the bottome of my Soule that I could fully satisfy your Maiestie of my dutyfull and loyall affection which is fast tyed vnto your sacred person by a threefold (b) Funiculus triplex difficilè rumpitur Eccles. 14.14 inuiolable bond The (*) The Minister saith that the Iesuits Oratory is plausible and thereupon enters into a coÌ„mon place that Truth needs no Trimming which is true yet if needs many tymes Apologies Defence against Slaunders Law of nature obligeth me thereunto as being your Maiesties borne Subiect the transgression whereof were Vnnaturall Barbarous Inhumane The Law of God requires the like constant and perfect Allegiance at my hands binding me to regard you as his Lieutenant and to acknowledge your power and authority as (c) Rom. 13.1 his Ordination so that according to the doctrine of the Catholike Church I must not only outwardly obserue but also admit your Maiesties will and command with Reuerence into the secret closet of my inmost (d) Rom. 13.5 CoÌ„science Soule The Constitutions also of the Order wherof I am an vnworthy meÌ„ber do strictly command me the same in seuerest manner charging the Subiects therof no wayes to meddle in State-matters or in Princes affaires much lesse vnder pretence of Religion to attempt any thing or to consent vnto any enterprize that may disturbe the quiet and tranquillity of Kings and Kingdomes And seeing we are so deuoted to our own Institute that our (e) Colloquium de Secretis Iesuitarum Aduersaries thereupon amongst many other Calumniations lay to our charge that we more reuereÌ„tly esteeme carefully obserue the constitutions of our Rule then the Law of God I shall for your Maiesties fuller satisfactioÌ„ set downe some part of our Constitutions in this point in maÌ„ner following (f) Decret 101. Cong 5. General ac Can. 12. â—iusdem (g) Monita Gener. §. 18. The Constitutions out of which these are taken be tearmed Monita Generalia Generall Admonitions because they coÌ„cerne generally al persons of the Order by way of distinction from Particular which coÌ„cerne only some kind of persons as Preachers Maisters c. Which particular AdmonitioÌ„s are as publick as the generall Whereby you may see the Ministers ignoraÌ„ce in Logicke to be equall vnto his malice against Iesuits who sayth that the terme of Generall Admonitions forbidding to meddle in State-matters argueth that Iesuits haue other Secret Admonitions that warrant such medling As though Generall Admonitions were condistinct agaynst secret and particular against publik Wheras general may be kept secret particular be made publike Vt ab omni specie mali abstineatur querelis etiam ex falsis suspicionibus prouenientibus quoad fieri poterit occurratur praecipitur nostris omnibus in virtute Sanctae Obedientiae sub poena inhabilitatis ad quaeuis officia dignitates seu praelationes vocisque etiam actiuae quà m passiuae priuationis ne quispiam publicis saecularibus Principum negotijs quae ad rationem Status vt vocant pertineant vlla ratione se immiscere nec etiam quantumuis requisitus rogatus eiusmodires politicas tractandi curam suscipere audeat vel praesumat (h) Decret 57. Can. 17. Illa autem omnia quae à spirituali Instructione diuersa sunt negotia Status censeri debent qualia sunt quae ad Principum inter se foedera vel ad Regnorum iura successiones pertineÌ„t vel ad bella tam ciuilia quà m externa (i) In Regulis communibus Reg. 41. Iubet regula 41. vt saecularia negotia vtpote quae sunt à nostro Instituto aliena vehementer à spiritualibus auocant multùm auersemur (k) In Regulis Concionatorum Iubentur Concionatores Societatis à reprehensionibus Principum Magnatum Reipub abstinere obedientiaÌ„ erga Principes Magistratus frequenter seriò suis in Concionibus populo commendare (l) In Constitutionibus Iubent CoÌ„stitutiones nostrae varijs in locis vt oremus speciatim pro Principibus eorumque spirituali saluti praecipuâ curâ procurandae ac promouendae inuigilemus ob vniuersale bonum quod ad multos alios qui eorum authoritatem sequuntur vel per eos reguntur proueniet (m) In Instructionibus Extat denique Instructio pro Confessarijs Principum quâ Nostris seriò interdicitur ne occasione huius muneris rebus Politicis aut Reipublicae gubernationi se immisceant Iubentur etiam hanc InstructioneÌ„ Principibus ostendere curareque vt ij planè intelligant quid Societas ab eo postulat qui Confessarium sibi eligit neque per Leges nostras licere nobis alijs conditionibus id oneris suscipere I humbly craue pardon for offering so many particulers of our Rule vnto your Maiesties perusall which I should not haue done but out of a most strong desire to giue your Maiestie (n) The Minister shapeth this argumeÌ„t into this forme No Iesuite obseruing the Rules of his Order can meddle in state matters Euery Iesuit obserueth the rules of his Order Ergo No Iesuit doth meddle in State matters And theÌ„ in answere thereof he sayth He that belieues the Minor must be a stranger in the world and haue liued an Anchoret or Recluse in some Caue who neuer heard of Campian Parsons Creswell Garnet Suarez Bellarmin c. I