whatsoeuer giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that not onely the bondes of sins but as well all other knots and difficulties in matters of fayth are to be loosed by S. Peter and by the Pastours that succeed in the Church See more Deut. 17.8 Aggeus 2.11 2. Chron. 19.8 vnto the end 2. Thes 2.15 ¶ The holy Fathers that affirme the same are S. Gregory Naz. in orat excusat Tertul. lib. de praescrip aduersus haer S. Cyprian lib. 1. epist 3. S. Aug. lib. 1. cont Cresc cap. 33. lib. cont Fund cap. 5. Vincent Lyr. in suo commonit And S. Anselme lib. de incar c. 1. writing to Pope Vrban saith thus vnto him Vnto no other is more rightly referred to be corrected whatsoeuer ariseth in the Church against the Catholique fayth c. They affirme III. That the Scriptures are easy to be vnderstood and that therefore none ought to be restrayned from reading of them COntrary to the expresse words of their owne Bible 2. Pet. 3.16 where S. Peter speaking of S. Pauls Epistles saith In which are some thinges hard to be vnderstood which they that are vnlearned and vnstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures vnto their owne destruction But all vnlearned Reformers do both read and are allowed to read those hard thinges yea the Booke of Apocalyps also yet harder without any restraint to man or woman which yet they vnderstand not therefore they wrest them as also other Scriptures to their owne destruction Actes 8.30 And Philip said Vnderstandest thou what thou readest And be said How can I except some man should guide me Where first may be noted that this Noble Eunuch freely confessed he could not vnderstand the Scriptures without an interpreter to expound them albeit he was a great and serious student in them and withall a holy and humble man as S. Hierome noteth of him Epist ad Paulin. de stud Scrip. and next that he sayth Except some man guide me So as he fled not to his priuate spirit nor yet to conferring of place with place as our Aduersaries do Therfore the Scriptures are not easy Luc. 24.25 27. Christ called two of his Disciples fooles and slow of hart c. And beginning at Moyses and all the Prophets he expounded vnto them in all the Scriptures the thinges concerning himselfe How then are the Scriptures so easily to be vnderstood of the vnlearned when Christs Disciples themselues could not vnderstand them till first they were expounded to them Reuelat. 5.1 c. The Angell speaking of the Booke sealed with seauen seales wept much because no man in heauen nor in earth was able to open the booke nether to looke theron A strange case to read in Scripture it selfe that the booke of Scripture should be shut with so many seales but much more strange that euen in S. Iohns and the Apostles time none could be found nether in heauen nor earth able to open the same nor to looke theron which euery Apprentice now a dayes without any difficulty will vndertake to doe See more 2. Pet. 1.20 Mat. 13.11 36. Luc. 24.45 1. Cor. 12.10 Luc. 8.10 54. Luc. 2. 50.2 Tim. 3.7 1. Iohn 4.6 Iohn 5.35 Psal 119.18 34 Reuel 51. c. ¶ The Holy Fathers that affirme the same are S. Irenaeus l. 2. cap. 47. Origen l. cont Cels S. Amb. epist 44. ad Constant where he calleth it A sea and depth of propheticall riddles S. Hier. in praefat comment in Ephes 5. And S. Aug. epist. 119. cap. 21. saith The thinges of holy Scripture that I know not are many more then those that I know So S. Greg. hom 6. in Ezech. and many other Fathers confesse the same of themselues S. Denis Bishop of Corinth cited by Eusebius lib. 7. hist Ec. 20. saith Of this Booke of Scripture to wit this is my opinion that the matter therof is far more profoūd then my wit can reach vnto They affirme IV. That Apostolicall Traditions and ancient Customes of the Church not found in the written word are not to be receiued nor do oblige vs. COntrary to the expresse wordes of their owne Bible 2. Thes 2.15 Therfore Brethren stand fast and hold the Traditions which yee haue bene taught whether by word or by our Epistle Hence it is cleere that some Traditiōs were deliuered to the Thessalonians by word of mouth and those of equal authority with what was written if not of more for the holy Ghost doth name them first as they were indeed the first in being yea it is certaine that before the new Testament was written the Apostles deliuered all by Tradition and word of mouth Therfore Apostolicall Traditions are to be receiued and do oblige vs. 2. Thes 3.6 Now I command you bretheren in the name of our Lord Iesus-Christ that yee withdraw your selues from euery brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Tradition which he receiued of vs. Lo he saith not I counsell you but I command you But these men reiecting all Traditions walke disorderly therfore they breake the Apostles cōmandment Yea they stand not but are fallen they let goe what the word it selfe doth will them to hould and therfore in the name of our Lord Iesus-Christ let all good men withdraw themselues from them 1. Cor. 11.2 Now I praise you brethren that you remember me in all thinges and keepe the Traditions as I haue deliuered them vnto you But these reiect all Traditions therfore needes must S. Paul speake thus vnto them Now none of my brethren I dispraise you for that you forget me in all thinges and keepe not the Traditions as I haue deliuered them vnto you Lastly If nothing at all be to be belieued but only that which is left vs written wherein should the Church haue exercised herselfe from Adam to Moyses the space of two thousand six hundred yeares See more 1. Tim. 6.3.20 2. Tim. 1.13.2 Tim. 2.2 Iohn 20.30 21.25 16.12.1 Cor. 11.16.34.2 ep Iohn 12. 3. ep of S. Iohn 13. Actes 16.4 15.28 ¶ The Fathers that affirme the same are S. Irenaeus l. 3. c. 4. Origen in cap. 6. ad Rom. S. Damas l. 4. c. 17. S. Chrysost in 2. Thes 2. And S. Basil de Spiritu sancto saith Some thinges we haue from Scripture other thinges from the Apostles both which haue like force vnto Godlines S. Chrysost hom 4. in 2. Thes sayth If is a Tradition seeke thou no further They affirme V. That a man by his owne vnderstanding or Priuate spirit may rightly iudge interprete Scripture COntrary to the expersse wordes of their owne Bible 1. Cor. 12.8 c. To one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit to another the working of miracles to another Prophesie to another discerning of spirits to another kindes of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues but all these worketh that one and the selfe same spirit deuiding to euery man seuerally as
Priuate which euery man sayes by himselfe alone The other Publique which the Priest sayth in the name and person of the whole Church As concerning priuate prayer no Catholique denies but it is very expedient that euery man pray in his owne tongue to the end he may vnderstand what he sayes But for the Publike praiers of the Church it is not necessary that the common people vnderstand them because it is not they who pray but the Priest in the name of the whole Church For as it was inough for the people of the old Law to know and vnderstand that in such a Sacrifice consisted the worship of God although they had not so cleare an vnderstanding of euery thing that was done therein as hath bene said euen so in the new Law when the people assist at the sacrifice of the Masse acknowledging thereby that God is worshipped and that it is instituted for the remembrāce of Christs death and passion although they vnderstand not the Latin tongue yet are they not destitute of the vtiltty and fruit therof besides the help of the Godly Ceremonies therein which do instruct them in the whole And indeed this place by them alledged serueth nothing to the purpose but rather agaynst them seeing it proues that the common seruice of the Church was not then in a tongue which euery man vnderstood but in another language which was not so common vnto all For S. Paul saying How shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at the giuing of thanks seeing be vnderstandeth not what thou sayest shewes that such giuing of thankes was not accustomed to be made in the vulgar tongue and requires or rather supposes that in the seruice of the church there should be some other to supply the place of the vnlearned that is one that should haue further vnderstanding of that tongue in which the seruice of the Church is said But had the Seruice bene in the vulgar tongue there needed no man to haue supplied the place of the Idior that vnderstandeth not So that S. Paul shewes most clearly that such seruice was not exercised in a vulgar tongue but in another which was not common to the whole people such as the Latin tongue is now in England as also throughout the whole East and yet was not in the contrary extreme that is to say wholy strange or vtterly barbarous And seeing our Aduersaires haue this place continually in their mouthes and thereby deceyue the simple people I would haue them to know that this text of S. Paul is greatly peruerted by the Reformers themselues For whereas the Greeke and Latin text hath He who supplies the place of an Idiot how shall he say Amen the Ministers of Geneua in many of their Bibles haue turned the same most deceitfully and maliciously thus He that is an idiot how shall he say Amen As if there were no differēce betwixt an Idiot he who supplyes the place of an Idiot Moreouer the thankesgiuing to which S. Paul sayth Amen should be answered is not at all practised in many of our Reformed Churches where neyther Idiots nor those that supply the place of Idiots do answere Amen as S. Paul willeth seeing they haue altered Amen into So be it which is plainly repugnant to his meaning as also to the practice of the whole Church For they can not say for their excuse that S. Paul wrote to those who spake in the Hebrue tongue for Amen is Hebrue since he wrote to the Corinthians who had their publike seruice in Greek and not in Hebrue A mayne argument that the word Amen ought to be retayned in all languages as it hitherto hath euer been amongst all Christians before the dayes of our Reformers in so much that the most learned S. Augustin writeth that it is not lawfull to turne Amen into any other vulgar language without the scandall of the whole Church Aug. epist 118. 2. de Doct. c. 20. To conclude I cannot but much meruaile at the simplicity of the common people who notwithstanding the great light of their reformed Ghospell see not the loosenesse and vanity of this their Leaders cauill For neyther the maysters or schollers are so senselesse I hope as to say that their own seruice consisting partly of the Psalmes of Dauid the hardest part of all the Bible and partly of lessons taken out of the old and new Testament is vnderstood of all the people present thereat since the greatest Diuines that euer were durst neuer say so much of themselues How wrongfully then do they wrangle with vs about this matter But perhaps they will say that thogh the simple people vnderstand not the hard places contayned in the psalmes and Seruice yet to their great comfort they vnderstand at least some part thereof euen so say we of our Masse and of our simple people who assist therat And so conclude as I began in the title of this Booke By thyne owne mouth I iudge thee naughty seruant A TABLE OF THE CONTROVERSIES handed in this Booke 1. COncerning the Rule of Faith Pag. 14. 2. Of the Iudge of Controuersies in matters of Faith pag. 21. 3. That the Holy Scripture is not easy to be vnderstood pag. 24. 4. Of Apostolicall Traditions Customes of the Church p. 29. 5. Whether one may iudge and interprete holy Scripture by his Priuate Spirit pag. 33. 6. Whether S. Peters Faith haue failed pag. 37. 7. Whether the Church can erre or hath erred pag. 39. 8. Of the inuisibility of the Church pag. 43. 9. Of the Vniuersality of the Church pag. 46. 10. Of the Vnity of the Church pag. 50. 11. Of S. Peters Headship p. 53. 12. Whether a secular Man or Woman may be head of the Church pag. 62. 13. Whether the Pope be Anti-christ pag. 66. 14. Whether none but God can forgiue sinnes pag. 69. 15. Whether Confession ought to be made vnto a Priest pag. 72. 16. Of Pardons or Indulgences pag. 75. 17. Whether the Actions and Sufferings of Saintes be profitable to the Church pag. 77. 18. Of workes of Supererogation pag. 80. 19. Of Freewill Whether lost by the fall of Adam pag. 82. 20. Of the Possibility of keeping Gods Commandments pag. 87. 21. Whether faith alone without workes iustifieth pag. 91. 22. Whether Good workes be meritorious pag. 94. 23. Whether faith once had may be lost pag. 97. 24. Whether God haue ineuitably decreed who shal be damned who saued pag. 99. 25. Whether euery one ought to assure himselfe of his saluation pag. 101. 26. Whether euery one haue an Angell Guardian pag. 104. 27. Whether Angells pray for men on Earth pag. 106. 28. Whether men may pray vnto them pag. 108. 29. Whether Angells can helpe men or Earth pag. 111. 30. Whether Saints deceased haue appeared to men on Earth pag. 113. 31. Whether they know what passeth heere on earth pag. 114. 32. Whether Saints pray for vs. pag. 118. 33. Whether we may alledge their merits in our behalfe p. 122. 34. Whether we may pray vnto them pag. 126. 35. Whether Reliques of Saints may be honoured pag. 130. 36. Of the blessing or hallowing of Creatures pag. 133. 37. Whether Children may be saued without Baptisme pag. 136. 38. Of the Sacrament of Confirmation pag. 138. 39. Whether Christs body be truly in the Sacrament of the Altar pag. 140. 40. Whether we ought so receaue vnder both kindes pag. 145. 41. Whether the Masse be a Sacrifice pag. 148. 42. Of Extreme-Vnctiō pag. 152. 43. Of Holy Orders and Ordinary Vocation and mission of Pastours in the Church pag. 155. 44. Of Vowes pag. 158. 45. Of fasting and abstinēce from certayne meates pag. 161. 46. Of Limbus Patrum and whether Christ descēded into Hell pag. 164. 47. Of Purgatory pag. 171. 48. Whether Images may be lawfully made pag. 178. 49. Of the worship of Images pag. 182. 50. Of making the picture of God the Father pag. 193. 51. Of the signe of the Crosse p. 196. 52. Whether Concupisence after Baptisme be sinne pag. 197. 53. Whether Bishops and Priests may lawfully marry pag. 199. 54. Of seruice in the Church in an vnknown tongue pag. 201. FINIS
the presence of God whome I call to witnes in this behalfe and pray thee also to call vpon for the saluation and reduction of all those that walke astray that it is not in the power of any one no not of all our Aduersaries that are in England to find in their owne Bible one only expresse Text I say one only I say in their owne Bible by which they cā possibly proue one only point of their false Doctrine without their vsuall art of adding diminishing chopping or changing it by some interpretation or other which yet should be to alter the Text it selfe and to employ mans fancy insteed of the pure word a thing by their owne Confession flatly forbidden vnto them protesting that the Word of God doth in such sort containe all that which is necessary to saluation that it is not lawfull neither for men nor Angells to adde diminish or alter ought therof and commanding their followers and adherents vtterly to renounce all Antiquity Custome Multitude Humane Wisedome Iudgement Decrees Edicts Counsailes Visions yea and Miracles themselues to the contrary THE TOVCH-STONE of the Reformed Ghospell Protestants affirme I. That there is not in the Church one that an infaillible Rule for vnderstāding the holy Scriptures and conseruing of Vnity in matters of Faith COntrary to the expresse wordes of their owne Bible Rom. 12.6 Hauing then giftes differing according to the grace that is giuen to vs whether Prophecy that is interpretation according to the proportion or Rule of faith Whence we gather that Prophecy according to the Rule of faith is one of the giftes which God bestoweth on his Church Therefore there is in the Church one and that an infallible Rule for vnderstanding to the holy Scriptures Philip. 3.16 Neuertheles whereto we haue already attained let vs mind the same thing Loe how plainly the Apostle speaketh in this second place of a certaine Rule to be walked by cleerly presupposing that in matters of faith we can neuer be of the same mind vnles we walke by the same Rule Gal. 6.16 And as many as walke according to this Rule Peace be on them and mercy And 2. Cor. 10.15 Hauing hope when your faith is increased that we shall be enlarged by you according to our Rule aboundantly to preach the ghospell in the Regions beyond you and not to boast in another mans line Lo heere againe because that euery man is to direct and order his beliefe according to the doctrine of the Church therfore it is called by S. Paul both the Rule and Line of our holy Faith Againe 1. Cor. 11.16 But if any man seeme to be contentious we haue no such Custome nor the Churches of God Loe how S. Paul still pleadeth the Rule and Custome of the Church agaynst the contentious which if it could then by the sole prescription of twenty or thirty yeares and by the authority of so few Pastours stop the mouthes of new Sect-maysters what ought not the Custome of sixteene hundred yeares and the Decrees of so many hundred Pastours gayne of reasonable modest and humble men And heer I would haue it to be noted that this Analogy or Rule of Fayth besides the tytles already recited the holy Scripture in other places calleth by the name of Forme of Doctrine Rom. 6.17 A thing made ready to our hand 2. Cor. 10.16 The Depositum or Treasure committed to the Churches trust and euer most carefully to be kept by her 1. Tim. 6.20 And withall in the very selfe same places alwayes stileth that which is contrary to this Rule by the name of Disunion Discord Disobedience forsaking of our first vocation Diuision Contention Prophane and vayne babling Opposition of sciences c. Whence plainly appeareth how great the necessity is for euery Christian to keep this Rule the least breach wherof doth presently crack his Christian credit with the Church of God and with all good Christians See more Rom. 6.17 Gal. 1.6 Rom. 16.17 Actes 15.2 1. Tim. 6.20 Rom. 12.16 ¶ According to this very Rule the Ancient Fathers affirme the same S. Irenaeus l. 4. cap. 45. Tert. de praescrip And Vincent Lyr. in suo Commonitorio saith It is very needfull in regard of so many errors proceeding from the mis-interpretation of Scriptures that the Line of Propheticall and Apostolicall exposition should be directed according to the Rule of the Ecclesiasticall and Catholique sense Thus writeth this most worthy witnesse Tertul. praescrip adu haeres cap. 15. cap. 19. saith We do not admit our aduersaries to dispute out of Scripture till they can shew who their Ancestors were and from whom they receiued the Scriptures For the orderly course of doctrine requires that the first Question be whose the Scriptures are by right from whome and by whom and to whom the Forme of Christian Religion was deliuered Otherwise prescribe against him as a stranger c. Thus he Loe how these two last ancient Fathers lay hold off and vrge these two very termes Rule and Forme of Faith and Religion euen as before the Holy Scripture did from whēce doubtles they tooke the phrase And with very great reason for the knowledge of Tradition which is this Forme or Rule goes before the knowlege of the Scripture for the Rule must be first knowne before the thing ruled can be assuredly knowne as the Carpenter cannot knowe certainly that he hath measured his timber nor the Taylor that he hath measured his cloth aright except he first assuredly know that his measure be both true right but the Rule of Faith to wit the Summe of those points that euery Christian is bound expresly to know as deliuered to him from hand to hand is the knowledge of Tradition Protestants affirme II. That in matters of Fayth we must not rely vpon the Iudgment of the Church and of her Pastours but onely vpon the Written Word COntrary to the expres wordes of their owne Bible Mar. 23.2 The Scribes and the Pharises sit in Moyses seat all therfore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and do In which wordes Christ not onely commandeth vs in matters of Faith to haue recourse to somwhat else besides the only written word to wit to the Pastours of the Church but biddeth vs moreouer to obey them and that not only in some principall matters but in all whatsoeuer without distinction or limitation Therfore in matters of fayth we are not tyed to rely only vpon the written Word Luc. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Heere againe Christ our Lord honoureth and giueth as much authority to the Preachers of the Word as he can possibly do to the word it selfe saying He that heareth you c. Matt. 16.19 Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall he loosed in heauen Where it is to be noted that he doth not say whosoeuer but