no longer in vse no not in the Romish Church which notwithstanding doth glory so much for keeping observing of traditions approued by antiquity receiued for Apostolicall CHAP. 12. The verification of the second meanes of nullity against the fift allegation TOuching the fift allegation that the Scripture cannot be the rule seeing it cannot put an end to the dissentions of them who make profession to keepe themselues strictly vnto it is also wonderfully perverse For question is not made of such a rule as vnto which all those should truly and indeed conforme themselues who make a shew so to do neither of finding such a Iudge as all they who professe to yeeld referre themselues to his judgement should in effect performe it so long as the Church shall be militant here on earth such a rule such a Iudge will not be foūd But the question is of finding a rule of finding a Iudge to whom whosoever shall submit himselfe to which whosoever shall conforme himselfe shall not disagree frō those who do the like Otherwise albeit that passion and malice hinder not that men may seeme to hold themselues to one certaine rule of which the doctrine is evident and playne for to disguise the businesse and colour over a bad cause these vices notwithstanding will not suffer vs in truth to conforme our selues thereunto as is seene in the example of the heretiques aboue alleaged who did protest to keepe themselues to the Councell of Nice and to the traditions of the Fathers Moreover we do not seeke a rule to which whosoever conformeth himselfe doth it wholy in all points For it is well knowne that the Fathers did conforme themselues to the patterne of the Scripture to the consent of the Church and yet which of them hath done it so exactly all of them by reason of humaine infirmity disagreing one with another and oftentimes from themselues He that shall say that therefore God speaking in the scripture is not Iudge by the same reason should bee forced to conclude that neither the Church it selfe is Iudge But the question is of finding a Iudge a rule which might cause agrement at least in the Principall points amongst all those who sincerely desire the knowledge of truth There were betwixt the Christians and the Iewes great controversies they protested both the one and the other that the Scripture was the rule And S t Paul that hee taught nothing but what the Prophets had foretold And the Iewes would receiue no other doctrine but that of Moses and the Prophets ceased he therefore to convince the Iewes by the Scriptures and apply them as the rule against them And vnder colour that the Iewes boasting themselues in Moses writings agreed not with the Lords who made as much or more reckoning of them did he forbeare to tel them had yee beleeued Moses yee would haue beleeued mee for hee wrote of mee but if yee beleeue not his writings how shall ye beleeue my words and in the verse immediately going before Do not thinke that I will accuse you to the Father there is one that will accuse you euen Moses in whom you trust CHAP. 13. The verifying of the second meanes of Nullity against the sixt allegation BVT if hereticks for answere vnto the sixt accusation lay claime to the Scripture it is not in effect and indeede but only in shew and therefore as those who make some false Demonstrations in the Mathematicks although they make vse of principles of the science are notwithstanding refuted and convinced by the same principles and therefore their errour is no ways preiudicious to the authority and certainty of the Mathematicks even so the hereticks albeit for to cloake their heresie they teere in peeces the Scripture and wrest it to their sence ought neverthelesse to bee convinced no otherwise then by the same Scriptures of which the Lord hath left vnto vs a notable example in his person when being tempted by Satan who applyed and vsed against him the scripture he repelled the temptation by the same scripture the holy Fathers also did they leaue of to beate downe heresie even so farre as to put it to death by this sword of the spirit albeit that heresie also in shew made vse of it Truly the hereticks forge their heresie first in their heads and then afterwards seeke it in the Scripture which favoureth them so little that if their controversies were to be determined by it they would not subsist as very well said Tertullian who had never suffered himselfe to be carried away to the vaine fancies of Montanus if he had firmely held this his Maxime CHAP. 14. The verifying of the second meanes of Nullity against the seaventh allegation AS for the Councels if wee liued in the times of the Apostles wee should thinke it very expedient to intreate them to assemble themselves in a Councell to determine our controversies Their quality the authority of their charge or rather the extraordinary gifts and the particular assistance of the holy Ghost giuing them this advantage of being both able and willing to judge infalliblie humaine ignorance would not blinde their eies that they could not see the truth and the feare of a Pope of an Emperour of Kings would not hinder them to vtter it But we stand not now at this day on such termes this infallibility is no where to bee found there are no more Prophets no Evangelists but only as they exhibite thēselues to vs in their writings every leader of the Church taken a part is subiect to erre all vnited together in one body bring with them their portion of infirmity the weaknesse of humane nature passion particular interest may intermingle themselues into their consultations and so hoodwinke their eyes that they cannot see the truth or so tye their tongues that they cannot vtter it Witnesse the trueth of this the history of the Councel of Trent * set forth by those who were engaged more then ordinary to couer its shame avowed and evidently receiued in this Kingdome of France to strengthen the opposition which hath bin alwayes framed against it to vphold the liberty of the French Church a history which none hath beene able to disproue to this day But here it may be sayd hath not then the Lord in vaine promised his assistance if wee should yet doubt of the infallibility of the determinations of the Councels God forbid for is it not doubted nay is it not formally denyed that particular Synodes are infallible Is it not avouched that they haue erred and yet the promise of the Lord remaineth still true And it will availe nothing to reply here that the promise was not made to particular Councels but to the generall which are called Oecumenicall For the Lord hath promised to be as wel in themid'st of two or three gathered together in his name as of a whole multitude If this promise hindreth not but two or three may erre how shall
Iudge wee shall conclude the insufficiencie of the Iudge Finally amongst the Doctors who call themselues Catholiques and protest all with one full consent to submit themselues to the judgment of the Church what jarres what contentions are there The Angelicall D S Thomas holds that the Crosse is to be worshiped with a religious worship to this purpose hee brings the authority of the Church and proveth that the image is to bee worshipped with the very same worship which is due to the same thing represented by the Image Bellarmine is not of the same opinion assigning a lower degree of worshippe to the Image then to the thing whereof it is an Image and for strengthening of his opinion hee also alleageth the authority of the Church wherefore then cast they this reproach rather on the sacred word then the Church And whereas in the sixth place they endeavour to prooue that God speaking in the Scripture cannot be judge of our differencies vnder a colour that Hereticks do challenge and attribute to themselues the Scripture by the same reason they conclude also that neither the Church shall bee Iudge for heretiques make vse of the authority of the Church as of a cloake Cite the Fathers the Councels the traditions of the Church But if it bee replyed that this is for shew only and in Sophisticall manner the answer also is easie and at hand to wit they do the like in alleaging the Scripture therefore things stand vpon the very same tearmes were it not that some though they dare not speake yet do thinke that the Scripture indeede favoureth Heretiques which were all one as to imagine that God by his word doth cover as with a cloake the devils lyes which were as impious to thinke as blasphemous to speake CHAP. 8. The verification of the first meanes of Nullity against the 7. and 8. allegation AND concerning that which is demanded in the seauenth place for what serue Councels if Scripture can reconcile vs do not they see they make way to another counterdemaund no lesse vrgent to wit for what serue the Councels if the Church be our Iudge they cannot here replye that the Councels make this Church which is the Iudge that they require for then it may be obiected that the Church is without a judge saue only during the time of a Councell and that once expired or not begunne there shall be no meanes to resolue the doubtes of conscience And who shall call this Councell shall the Emperour and the Kings but their thoughts are otherwise distracted neither do they agree amongst themselues and though they should take the businesse to heart and to that end should agree haue not those of Rome stripped them of their priviledge of calling a Councell as heretofore they haue done Or shall the Pope hee feares too much those assemblies hee knoweth very well what affronts haue been given to his predecessours in them and what hazard they ranne even in the last Councell of Trent notwithstanding all their canvassing and vnderhand dealing and that the holy Ghost was sent thither by post from Rome Furthermore the Councell cannot bee held alwayes neither can every one bee there present to heare it speake viuavoce Amid'st all those difficulties what shall become of doubtes and disputes who shall resolue them who shall determine them in the meane while how shall the conscience by this meanes haue alwaies a Iudge to whom shee may haue recourse to be resolved And now in the Church which tearmeth it selfe Catholique who shall be Iudge in our Controversies shall it bee the Councell of Trent but no Iudge will bee admitted that speakes not viuavoce and henceforth in this respect the Councell of Trent and all other Councels are as dumbe as the Scripture they are cited they are wrested to diverse senses If this question then touching the vse of a Councell to which we shall answere directly hereafter doth force vt to renounce the Iudgment of God speaking in the Scripture it will also force them to renounce the Iudgement of the Church Finally the last allegation touching the vncertainty of humane iudgement when we are to iudge who hath the spirit or whether one hath it himselfe or no amongst so great a number who disagreeing one from another do all notwithstanding equally lay clayme to the gift of the holy spirit If this allegation take place it will also cause that no recourse can bee had to the authority and iudgement of the Church for if it be so that according to the allegation it cannot bee knowne who hath the spirit or who hath it not because of the weakenesse of humaine iudgement and the multitude and discord of pretenders how shall it be known who are those who make the Catholique Church or not Truely every man that cannot assure himselfe that hee hath the spirit which alone inspireth true wisdome ought also to doubt whether he bee not a foole and ignorant when question is made of iudging of such things which belong to the spirit And since it belōgeth not to fooles to iudge who are wise men every one being according to this last allegation bound to doubt that he is a foole as being destitute of the spirit no man by the same reason can iudge which is the assembly of those who are truly wise no man the incertitude of his iudgement considered if this allegation hath place in such a multitude variety and discord of those who vsurpe as propper vnto themselues that title of the Church pretending all that of right it belongs vnto them can make any certaine choyce or cull out those on whom in trueth it is to be conferred CHAP. 9. The verification of the second meanes of nullity against the first allegation IT is then very manyfest that all these allegations are incōpatible with the intent of those who alleaged them but forall this they will darken and weaken the right of the cause against which they are alleaged if wee do not also shew their falsitie and impertinencie which is the second meanes of nullity that wee haue opposed against them To beginne then with the first it is an infinite wrong that the written word of the liuing God is called a dead and dumbe letter that God speaking in this fashion should bee accounted not to speake at all vnder colour that hee vses not a voyce the which cannot be admitted in the diuine nature which is not necessary amongst men but for to carry and conveigh by the eare to the heart the conceptions of the minde and together with them the knowledge of those things whereof they are the image which beeing done by another meanes as by writing the liuely voyce is no word necessary Hee therefore spake very wittily who first called bookes dumbe maisters at once indeavouring to expresse what they were in regard of the sound and what in regard of the vertue and efficacie of expressing and teaching to wit dumbe if wee respect the sound but eloquent and
whatsoeuer things haue beene written afore time haue beene written for our learning and therefore by the same reason clearely plainely there being no greater enemy to learning then obscurity It was the Scripture which he termed to be giuen by inspiration of God and profitable to teach and instruct how can this be if it be obscure likewise he sayth that Timothy had knowne the holy Scriptures from his child hood nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his very infancie do we vse to reade darke obscure authors vnto little children It was the Scripture which the Apostle Saint Peter calleth a light that shineth in a darke place And what difference is there betweene darknesse and light a lanthorne and obscurity And to be breife it was the scripture the reading of which hath beene so much recommended by the Ancient Fathers namely by Saint Chrysostome whose exhortation so patheticall and pithy so often reiterated and inculcated shew plainly that this abuse of not reading the Scriptures vnder a colour of their obscurity did long agoe in his time begin to creepe into the Church but was neither receiued nor approued by it as now it is And here it may be some will say vnto vs that it cannot be denyed but the Scripture is obscure otherwise to what end serue so many cōmentaries homelies and sermons But the answere is very easie that we deny not that the Scripture is in many places very obscure God hauing so ordained it of his infinite wisdome for to beate downe the presumption of man and to rouse vp his lazinesse to a holy studie and diligent reading of it as S◠Augustine hath very well observed But wee say with the same Father That in those things that are most plainly sette downe in the Scripture are contained all things which concerne faith and good manners For as touching what is over and aboue that the whole militant Church were it vnited in one were not able to expound all the obscure places in the Scripture otherwise she would not haue beene so vncharitable as not to haue taken care to haue furnished her children with an ample and authenticke conmentary which might make all the Scripture cleare and without obscurity And as touching preaching and commentaries they serue not alwayes to illustrate and explaine but oftentimes to delate and amplifie and when they do illustrate they do it not by any light borrowed elsewhere then from the Scripture itselfe interpreting the Scriptures by the Scriptures themselues following therein the Councell of the Fathers and the practice of the Levites of whom it is written that they did read in the booke of the law of God expounding it and rendring the true sense of it causing it to be vnderstood by the Scripture So that we way iudge of the sense of that which is obscure by the sense of that which is cleare likewise discerne whether the interpretatiō be agreable to the place of the Scriptures by that which goeth before and followeth after whereas in a place that is difficult to speake properly when the interpretation of it is given cannot be receiued but vpon credit and with relation to the authority of the interpretors because in such a case wee cannot see the correspondence that is betweene the Text and the commentary the words and the sense which cānot be said of good whole some interpretation of the Scripture which therefore ought not to bee condemned of obscurity CHAP. 11. The verification of the second meanes of Nullity against the third and fourth allegation The third accusation of ambiguitie is as vniust as the two former for if the Scripture had beene ambiguous and capable of divers interpretations how had it bin possible for the Apostle S◠Paul to convince the Iewes by the Scriptures can one by any saying having an ambiguous and double meaning force the vnderstanding and the conscience of an obdurate and obstinate enemy how could the Iewes of Berea examine by the Scripture the doctrine of the same Apostle S. Paul That which is ambiguous and may bee bent too and fro can it serue for a rule the question not beeing of a Lesbian rule which is rather ruled then doth rule and measured then it selfe a measure which is bowed and bended whither soever wee list but of a certaine and constant rule which is alwayes the same And how did our Lord imploy not only his authority as the sonne of God but the Scripture it selfe when he would proue the resurrection of the dead against the Sadduces and so pregnantly that even the Deuill himselfe with all his sophistry could not answere the argument shall we thinke hee proued a truth which he vndertooke to cleare and put out of all doubt by a passage the sense whereof was doubtfull and vncertaine And what for we also alleage the Fathers are not both Athanasius and S. Augustine of this opinion that by a due consideration had of what goeth before and what followeth after and by the consent and agreement it hath with the Principall scope of the matter which is there treated of the Scriptures are to be interpreted against hereticks How could it be showne by the same Scriptures which is yet dayly practised that a false and hereticall interpretation doth not agree to the Scripture And finally is it in conscience seemly in calling the Scriptures ambiguous to brand them and disgrace them so farre as to fasten vpon them the marke of Satans Oracles If they had beene such if Tertullian had beleeued them to be such the hereticks had never given them occasion to call them hee himselfe had never called them Lucifugas Scripturarum such as shunne and flie the Scripture as the oule or batte doth the cleare sun-shine The fourth accusation of the imperfection of the Scripture is noe lesse grevious and vnjust for since the Scripture hath beene ordained of God to make men wise unto saluation and perfect vnto every good worke It must without doubt containe all doctrine necessary to salvation otherwise it could not attaine its end And since Scripture it selfe doth promisse this so exact and perfect doctrine either its witnesse is not of God or what it testifies of it selfe is true Nay which is more God hath expressely prohibited to adde to it or to diminish any thing from it And if this hath had place in the old Testament shall it not in the new which is much more full and perfect it is not to bee beleeued Let vs then adore as Tertullian speaketh the fulnesse of the Scriptures and let vs not heare as Athanasius speaketh neither receiue any thing besides or aboue thē in that which concernes the doctrine of faith For touching the policy ceremonies vsed in the Church it is another matter wee avouch that the Fathers did not thinke themselues bound to giue an accompt of them by the Scripture But a great part of those ceremonies vsed in their times hath bin quite abolished so that they are