any reason The which briefe compendious resolutioÌ„ of faith whosoeuer will as euery one may securely and as in the discourse following shall bee declared must necessarily embrace beside the ease he shall also reape this commoditie that cutting of all occasions of needlesse and fruitelesse doubtes questions and disputes concerning matters of faith wherein vnsettled mindes spend their time and spirit hee shall haue good leisure and better likinge then ordinarily such vnquiet mindes can haue to emploie his endeuoures more fruitfully otherwaies to witte in building vpon the firme foundation of stedfast faith the gould pretious stones of Gods loue and other vertues in practise whereof consisteth that good life which maketh a man become the liuing temple of almightie God the which temple Gods spirit will not only visitte with holy inspirations blessings oftentimes in this life but he will also inhabite and dwell continually in it both by grace here and by glory in the other most happy and euerlasting life A TREATISE OF FAITH CHAP. I. That true faith is absolutely necessarie to saluation WHosoeuer hath a true desire to please God an earnest care to saue his owne soule the which should bee the chiefest desire and care of euery Christian man must first resolue and settle himselfe in a sound beliefe of matters of faith holding it for a most assured ground That there is a faith which whosoeuer wanteth cannot possibly please God nor consequently be saued sith none are saued that do not please God This ground is set downe by S. Paul himselfe who saith Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo without faith it is vnpossible to please God The same is confirmed by S. Augustine who saith Constat neminem ad veram posse peruenire beatitudinem nisi Dâ—o placeat Deo neminem placere posse nisi per fidem Fides namque est bonorum omnium fundamentum Fides est humanae salutis initium Sine hac nemo ad siliorum Dei consortium peruenire potest quia sine ipsa nec in hoc seculo quisquam iustificationis consequitur gratiam nec in futuro vitam possidebit aeternam It is certaine that none can come to true happines vnlesse he please God and that none can please God but by faith For faith is the foundation of all good things Faith is the beginning of mans saluation Without this none can come to the fellowship of the children of God because without this neither doth any in this world obtaine the grace of iustification neither shall he in the next possesse eternall life Thus faith S. Austen And the same might bee confirmed out of other Scriptures and Fathers but that the matter is cleare enough onely this I will adde that when the Scriptures do require faith as a thing absolutely necessary to saluatioÌ„ the common tradition of councells and Fathers do interpret not only that there is a positiue precept of faith for if it were but a positiue precept ignorance might excuse in some case but that at least some kinde of faith is necessaria necessitate medij that is to say is ordained as a necessary meanes without which no man can attaine saluation in any case and that in this matter Si quis ignorat ignorabitur If any man by ignorance doe not know he shall not be knowne as S. Paule speaketh CHAP. II. That this faith necessary to saluation is but one THis faith which I haue shewed to be so absolutely necessary to saluation is but One only This is plainly proued out of S. Paule who saith Vnus Dominus vna fides vnum baptisma signifying that like as there is but one Lord one Baptisme so there is but One faith The same is confirmed with the auctoritie of the ancient Fathers Nisi vna est saith S. Leo. Fides non est dicente apostolo vnus Dominus vna fides vnum baptisma Vnlesse it be one it is not faith sith the Apostle saith one Lord one faith one Baptisme Omni studio saith S. Hierome Laborandum est primùm occurrere in fidei vnitatem We must labour with all diligence first to meete in the vnity of faith Hanc fidem saith Irenaeus ecclesia in vniuersum mundum disseminata diligenter custodit quasi vnam domum inhabitans similiter credit ijs quasi vnam animam habens vnum cor consonanter haec praedicat docet tradit quasi vnum possidens os Nâ— quamuis in mundo dissimiles sint loquelae tames virtus traditionis vna eadem est This faith the Church spreade ouer the vvhole world doth diligently keep as dwelling in one house and doth belieue in one like manner those things to witt which are proposed for pointes of faith as hauing one soule and one heart and doth preach and teach and deliuer by tradition those things after one vniforme manner as possessing one mouth For although there be diuers and different languages in the world yet the vertue of tradition is One and the same Thus saith this Father By whose words we may vnderstand not onely that there is but one faith but also how it is saide to bee one which might seeme not to be one considering there are so many points or articles which we beleeue by our faith and so many seuerall men who haue in them this faith yet One saith this Father it is because the whole Church doth beleeue those pointes in one like manner That is to say because the beliefe of one man is in all pointes like and nothing different from the beliefe of another or because euery faithful maÌ„ beleeueth euery point or article for one and the like cause or formall reason to witt because God hath reuealed it and deliuered it to vs by his Catholike Church to be beleeued For which reason euery one should beleeue whatsoeuer hee belieueth as a point of Christian faith CHAP. III. That this one faith necessary to saluation is infallible THIS one faith without which we cannot be saued must be infallible most certaine This is cleare because faith is that credite or inward assent of minde which we giue to that which God who is the prime or first veritie which neither can deceiue nor be deceiued hath reuealed vnto vs by meanes of the preachinge or teachinge of the true church as we may gather out of S. Paule when he saieth Quomodo credent ei quem non audierunt quomodo andient sine praedicante quomodo praedicabunt nisimittantur c. ergo fides ex auditu auditus autem per verbum Christi The sense of which wordes is that sith we can not beleeue vnles we heare nor heare vnles some lawfully sent do preach vnto vs faith is bredde in vs by hearing and yeelding assent or credite to the worde of Christ made knowen vnto vs by the preachinge of the true Church which onely is lawfully sent of God wherefore like as the worde of Christ being God
is absolutely infallible so also the creditt giueÌ„ to this worde which is our faith must needes be also most certaine and infallible Fides saieth S. Basille est eorum quae dicta sunt assentiens approbatio sine vlla haesitatione cum animi persuasione de eorum veritate quae Dei munere praedicata sunt Faith is a consenting approbation of those thinges which are saide an vndoubted perswasion of minde of the trueth of those thinges which are preached by the guift of God Fides saieth S. Chrysostome dici non potest nisi circa â—a quae non videntur amplius quam circa ea quae videtur certitudinem quis habeat It can not be called faith vnles one be more certaine of those things which are not seen then of those thinges which are seene The reason whereof the same S. Chrysostome declareth in an other place saying Superet sensum rationem nostram sermo ipsius Dei nam verbis eius fraudari non possumus sensus vero noster deceptu facillimus est Let Gods worde saieth he surmount our sense and reason for wee can not be deceiued by his wordes but our sense is most easely deceiued Sith therefore our faith is grounded on the word of God reuealed to vs by Iesus Christ our Lord speaking by the mouth of the Church as he saieth himselfe Qui vos audit me audit he that heareth you heareth me we ought to receaue the word of faith preached by the true Church not as the worde of maÌ„ but as it is truely the worde of God and consequently we must account it a thing most certaine and absolutely infallible CHAP. IIII. That this one infallible faith necessary to saluation must also bee entire THis one infallible faith without which we can not please God must also be entire whole souÌ„d in al points it is not sufficient to beleeue stedfastly some points misbeleeuing or not beleeued obstinately other some or any one The reasoÌ„ of this is because euery point of doctrin yea euery word that almighty God hath reuealed and by his Church propounded vnâ—o vs to be belieued must vnder paine of damnation be belieued as we may gather out of S. Marke where when our Sauiour had giuen chardge to his Disciples to preache the gospell to euery creature the which chardge he also gaue in S. Mathew sayinge docete omnes gentes c. docentes eos seruare omnia quâ—cumque mandaui vobis teach all nations c. teachinge theÌ„ to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you he pronounceth indefinitely Qui non crediderit condemnabitur he that shall not beleeue shall be coÌ„demned not excepting or distinguishing any one pointe of doctrine as needles to be belieued or which a man might at his pleasure misbelieue or doubt of without danger and this not without reason for not to belieue any one pointe whatsoeuer which God by reuealing it doth restifie to bee true and which by his Church he hath commanded vs to belieue must needes be damnable as being a notable iniurie to Gods veritie a great disobedieÌ„ce to his will But all pointes of faith are thus testified by God commaunded to be belieued otherwise they be not pointes of faith but of opinion or some other kinde of knowledge Therefore all pointes of faith must vnder paine of damnation be belieued beleiued I say either expresly and actually as learned men may doe or implicite and virtually as vnlearned Catholikes commonly doe who beleeuing expresly those articles which euery one is bound particulerly to know doe not in the rest obstinately doubt or hold some errour against the Church but haue a minde prepared to submitte themselues in all thinges to the authority of the Church which they are sure is taught directed by the spirit of God and doe in general hold for vndoubted truth whatsoeuer the Catholike or vniuersall Church doth beleeue Secondly that man which beleeuing some points should deny others cannot while he doth thus haue one the same faith which other Christians haue Sith hee doth not as Erenaeus requireth to thâ— vnity of faith belieue the points of faith in a like but in a different manner from other Christians That iâ— to say Neither doth hee beleeue all the pointes which they doe neither doth hee beleeue those points wherin he doth agree with them for the same reason that they doe that is to say He doth not beleeue those pointâ— which hee seemeth to beleeue precisely for that God hath reuealed them and by his Church propounded them for if heâ— did sith this reason is coÌ„mon to al point of faith he should assoone beleeue all 〈◊〉 any one He hath not therfore I say one and the same faith which other Christians haue who notwithstaÌ„ding haue the true faith And sith as S. Leo said nisi 〈◊〉 est fides non est If it bee not one faith it iâ— no faith at all It followeth that he thaâ— beleeueth not entirely al points of faith hath no faith at all and consequentlie sith one that hath no faith can no way be saued It is euident that he that beleeuing some articles doth obstinately deny others cannot be saued Thirdly to beleeue some pointes oâ— faith and to deny others or any one is heresie as to deny all is absolute Infidelitie But it is sure euen out of Scripture that Heretiques shall not bee saued no more then Infidels For as it is saide Qui non credit iam iudicatus est he that beleeueth not is already iudged so the Apostle Saint Paule reckoneth heresies among the works of the flesh of all which hee doth pronounce Qui talia agunt regnum Dei non consequentur Those which doe such like thinges shall not attaine the kingdome of God Fourthly I may confirme the same with the testimony of the auncient Fathers First of S. Athanasius in his creede which is commonly knowne and approued of all Quicunque saith he vult salvus esse ante omnia opus est vt teneat Catholicam fidem quam nisi quisque integram inuiolatamque Seruauerit absque dubio in aeternum peribit VVhosoeuer will bee saued before all things it is needfull that he hold the Catholike faith which vnlesse euery one doe keepe entire and vnuiolate without doubt hee shall perish euerlastingly Qui sunt in Sacris Litteris eruditi saith S. Basill ne â—nam quidem sillabam diuinorum dogmatuÌ„ prodi sinunt sed pro istius defensione si opus est nullâ—â— non mortis genus libenter amplectuntur Those that are well instructed in holy Writte doe not suffer one sillable of diuine doctrine to be betrayed or yeelded vp but for the defence thereof if neede bee doe willingly embrace any kinde of death Nihil periculosius saith Nazianzen his haereticis esse potest qui cum integrè per omnia decurrant vno tamen verbo quasi venem guttâ— veram illam ac simplicem fidem
how caÌ„ he be infallibly sure that in those places which doe seeme to fauour that sect which he followeth it doth not erre vnlesse he will admit an vnfallible auctority in the Church to assure vs that such or such a translation doth not erre in any point of which auctority I shall speake more hereafter Secondly they faile in the second conditioÌ„ or property which the rule of faith should haue For the Scriptures theÌ„selues alone in what language soeuer bee obscure and hard to be vnderstood at least to vnlearned men who caÌ„not read them and therefore the Scriptures alone cannot bee vnto vnlearned men a sufficient rule to instruct them in al points of faith as is plaine For locke vp an vnlettered man and an English Bible for a time in a studdy and he will come forth I warrant you as ignorant in matters of faith as he went in if wee adde no other meanes to instruct him but the bare written Word which he cannot reade And yet vnlearned men may bee saued and saued they cannot be without an entire and vnfallible faith and this they cannot haue vnlesse there be some certaine rule and vnfallible meanes prouided by almightie God meet for the capacity to teach them this faith and Scripture alone as is now proued is not a rule meete for the capacity of vnlearned men or apte to instruct them sufficiently in all points of faith But what speake I only of vnlearned meÌ„ sith also learned men cannot by onely reading the scriptures be vnfallibly sure that they rightly vnderstand them For while they vnderstand one way perhaps they ought to vnderstand another way that which they vnderstand plainly and litterally ought perhaps to be vnderstood figuratiuely and mystically and contrary that which they vnderstand figuratiuely ought perhaps to bee vnderstood properly And seeing that it is most certaine that all do not expound right sith the exposition of one is contrary to the exposition of another as right is neuer contrary to right how should one be vnfallibly sure that hee onely expoundeth right hauing nothing to assure him but the seeming of his owne sense reason which is as vncertaine and fallible as the iudgments and persuasions of other men who seeme to theÌ„selues to haue attained as well as he the right interpretation or sense Moreouer there be many things required to the perfect vnderstanding of Scripture which are found but in verie few and those also in whom those giftes are are not vnfallibly sure that they are so guided by those giftes but that both they and others may prudently doubte least sometimes in their priuate expositions as men they erre And consequently their priuate expositions cannot bee that rule of faith which wee seeke for which must on the one side bee determinately and plainely vnderstood and on the other side it must bee vnfallible certaine and such as cannot erre Thirdly they faile in the third condition For the Scriptures are not so vniuersal as the rule of faith had need to be For this rule ought to be so vniuersall that it may be able absolutely to resolue determine all doubtes questions of faith which either haue bin or may hereafter bee in controuersie for otherwise there were not sufficient meanes prouided by which schisme and heresies might bee aâ—oided vnity of faith so necessary to saluatioÌ„ might be conserued among Christian men But the Scriptures bee not thus vniuersall For there bee diuers questions or doubtes moued now a daies and those also touching very substantiall matters which are not expressely set downe nor determined by onely expresse Scripture For where haue we any expresse Scripture to proue that all those and onely those bookes which Catholikes or Protestants holde for Scripture or indeede Gods word and true Scripture this wee shall not finde expressely set downe in a part of Scripture This point therefore whereupon dependeth the certainety of euery point proued out of Scripture caÌ„not be made certaine to our knowledge or beliefe vnlesse we admitte some other infallible rule or auctority whereupon wee may ground an vnfallible beliefe which infallible rule if we admitte to assure vs that there is at all any Scripture and that those bookes and no other bee Canonicall Scripture why should wee not admitte the same to assure vs vnfalliblie which is the true sense and meaning of the same Scripture Hereupon S. Austen saith very well Cur non apud eos diligentissime requiram quid Christus praeceperit quorum auctoritate commotus Christum aliquid praecepisse iam credidi Tu ne mihi melius expositurus es quid ille dixerit c. Why should I not most diligently aske or learne of those hee meaneth of the Catholike Church what Christ hath commanded by whose auctority I was moued to beleeue that Christ coÌ„manded any thing at all what Wilt thou expound vnto me better what he hath saide that is to say the meaning of his words Quae saith hee ista tanta deâ—entâ—a est illis crede Christo esse credendum â— nobis disce quid ille dixâ—rit multo facilius â—ibi persuaderem Christo non esse credendum quam de illo quidquam nisi ab ijs per quos ei credidissem discendum What a madnes is this in thee to say beleeue them to witte the Catholikes that we must beleeue Christ and the Scriptures to bee his word yet learne of vs what Christ said that is to say what is the meaning of his word I should saith S. Austen much more easily perswade my self that I ought not to beleeue Christ at all then that I must learne any thing coÌ„cerning him of any except of those of whom I haue already learned to beleeue in him Thus I haue proued that those english translations wherupon Protestants commonly build their faith cannot be a sufficient rule of true Christian faith First because they are not infallibly free from errour Secondly for that all men cannot reade them neither can any by only reading bee sure to attaine the right sense without which to haue the wordes of Scripture is to haue them as Austen saith ad specieâ— non ad salutem for a shew but not to saluation Lastly for that all pointes of doctrine which appertaine to true Christian faith are not expresly set downe in Scripture as beside my proofe S. Austen S. Basiâ—l and Epiphanius doe affirme Some of which reasoÌ„s haue also force to proue that Scripture alone in what language soeuer is not a fitte meanes to instruct sufficiently all sorts of men in al matters of faith Wherefore I may absolutely coÌ„clude that Scripture alone cannot be that 〈◊〉 of faith which we seeke for Some obiect against this coÌ„clusion that place of S. Paul Omnis Scriptura diuinitus â—â—â—spirata vtilis est ad doceÌ„dum c. vt perfectus 〈◊〉 homo c. But this place proueth nothing against that which I haue said For it saith not that Scripture alone is sufficient to instruct
a man to perfection but that it is profitable for this purpose as it is indeed the rather because it commendeth vnto vs the auctority of the Church which as I shall afterwards proue is sufficient Now it is certaine that to bee profitable and to bee of it selfe alone sufficient bee farre different things Stones Timber be profitable to the building of an house yet they alone without a worke-man to square them set them in order bee not sufficient for this purpose CHAP. VIII That no naturall witte or learning can be the rule of faith THE Second Conclusion is that no one mans naturall witte learning neither any company of men neuer so learned only as they are learned men not infallibly assisted by the holy Spirit of God can either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise be this rule of faith This I proue Because all this wit and learning be it neuer so exquisite or rare is humane naturall and fallible and therefore it cannot be a sufficient foundation whereupoÌ„ to build a diuine supernatural and infallible faith This reason I coÌ„firme Because whatsoeuer a man neuer so witty and learned propoundeth to others to bee beleeued vpon the only credit of his word wit oâ— humane study and learning it can haue no more certainety then is this his word wit and learning But these being all naturall and humane are subiect to errour and deceipt For Omnis homo mendax then is no man but he may both deceiue and be deceiued and may if hee haue no other helpe but of nature industry both be deceiued in thinking that to be Gods word which is not or that to be the true meaning and sense of Gods word which is not may also deceiue others whilest being to confident of his wit learning hee presumeth to teach others these his erronious opinions Therfore the beliefe which shall be builte vppon such a mans word and teaching is or may bee a false beliefe and alwaies is vncertaine and fallible and therefore can neuer bee a true diuine and Christian faith which alwaies is most certaine and infallible And this which I haue said of the wit and learning of one particuler man may also bee applied to proue against the witâ— and learning of any company of men hauing no assistance but their owne naturall giftes â—nd industrie of studie or reading This same reason I coÌ„firme yet againe more strongly For the rule of faith must be able to propose to vs vnfallibly not onely the letters seeming sense but the true sense of Gods word the sense inâ—ended by the holy Spirit of God the authour of this word otherwise it cannot be a sufficient meanes to breede in vs an infallible Christian faith and beliefe which is only grounded vppon the true seÌ„se inteÌ„ded by almighty God the prime or first verity the speaker of this word But no maÌ„ nor no coÌ„pany of men can by their naturall witte and learning tell vnfallibly what especially in all points of faith is the true intended sense of Gods word For as S. Paul saith Quis câ—gnouit sensâ—m domini who hath knowen to wit by nature arte or learning the sense of our Lord. Quae Dei sum saith the same S. Paul nemo cognouit nisi spiritus Dei those thinges which are of God no man hath knowen but the spirit of God And therefore that knowledge which himselfe had of diuine matters came not from any naturall witt of man but as hee plainely affirmeth from the spirit of God nobis reuelauit Deus per spiritum suum God hath reuealed vnto vs saith he by his spirit Therefore wee may well conclude That no one man nor 〈◊〉 company of men without the assistance of Godâ— spirit can either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise be the rule of faith Hence I inferre that those who for matters of faith relie wholy either vpon their owne priuate opinioÌ„ or iudgment of the sense and meaning of Scripture oâ— vpon the learning and iudgement of others who are but men not infallibly assisted by the holy Ghost nor by him vnfallibly preserued from errour as many or rather all Protestants do those I say cannot haue diuine and Christian faith but only fallible opinioÌ„ humane faith CHAP. IX That a priuate spirit cannot bee the rule of faith THE Third Conclusion is that no priuate man who perswadeth himselfe to be singulerly instructed by the Spirit can be this rule of faith especially so far forth as hee beleeueth or teacheth contrary to the receiued doctrine of the Catholique Church This I proue First because S Paule saith Si quis vobis â—â—â—ngelizauerit praeter id quod accepistis Anathemasit Pronouncing generally that whosoeuer teacheth or preacheth contrary to the receiued doctrine of the Catholike Church should be held Anathematized or accursed Secondly the rule of faith must be infallible plainely knowne to all sortes of men and vniuersall that is to say such as may sufficiently instruct all men in all pointes of faith without danger of error As hath beene proued before But this priuate spirit is not such For first that man himselfe cannot be vnfallibly sure that he in particuler is taught by the holy Spirit For neither is there any promâ—se in Scripture to assure infallibly that hee in particuler is thus taught neither is there any other sufficient reason to perswade the same For suppose hee haue such extraordinary motions feelings or Illustrations which he thinketh cannot come of himselfe but from some Spirit yet hee cannot in reason straight waies conclude that he is thus moued taught by the Spirite of God For sure it is that euery spirit is not the Spirit of God As there is the Spirit of truth so there is a spirit of errour As there is an Angell of light so there is a prince of darkenesse Yea sometimes Ipsa Sathanas transfigurat se in Angelum lucis Sathan himselfe doth transfigure himselfe into an Angell of light Wherfore he had neede very carefully to put in practise the aduise of Saint Iohn who saith Nolite credere omni spiritui sed probate spiritus si ex Deo sint Doe not beleeue euery spirit but proue or try them whether they be of God or noe Neither doth it seeme sufficient that a priuate maÌ„ try them onely by his owne iudgement or by those motions feelinges or illuminations which in his priuate conceipte are confirmable to Scripture because al his trial is very vncertaine and subiect to errour by reason that our owne iudgement especially in our owne matters is very easily deceaued and that Sathan can so cunningly couer himselfe vnder the shape of a good Angell so colour his wicked designements with pretense of good and so guild his darke grosse errours with the glistering light of the words and seeming sense of Scripture that hardly or not at all he shal be perceiued Wherefore the safest way were to try these spiritts by
the touchstone of the true Pastours of the Catholique Church who may say with S. Paul non ignoramus cogitationes Sathanae we are not ignorant of the cogitations of Sathan and who may also say with S. Iohn Nos ex Deo sumus qui nouit Deum audit nos qui non est ex Deo non audit nos In hoc cognoscimus spiritum veritatis spiritum erroris We are of God he that knoweth God heareth vs he that is not of God doth not heare vs. In this wee know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of errour Now if any will not admitte this manner of trying and discerning the spirit of truth from the spirit of errour but will trust their owne iudgement alone in this matter feare they may iustly nay rather they may be sure as Cassian saith that they shal worship in their thoughts the angell of darkenes for the Angell of light to their exceeding great harme And at least howsoeuer their priuate affection and selfe-loue encline them to thinke well of themselues of that spirite which they permitte to teach them those singuler points of new and strange doctrine yet sure it is that this their perswasion of the goodnes of their spirit is not infallible as the rule of faith must be sith diuers now adaies perswade themselues in the same maner to be taught by the holy Spirit yet one of them teaching against another it is not possible that all that thus perswade themselues should bee taught by this spirit sith this Spirit doth neuer teach coÌ„trary to it selfe And therefore some in this their perswasion must needes be deceaued And therfore who hauing no testimony of euideÌ„t miracle or some other vndoubted proof dare arrogantly affirme that he onely is not deceaued especially in such sorte as to condemne all other and to propose himselfe to himselfe others as the only sufficient rule of faith considering that others who presume perswade themselues altogither in like manner are in this their perswasion deceaued But suppose one could assure himselfe that he were taught by Gods Spirite immediately what is the true faith in all pointes in such sort that he could erre in none as it is not the manner of almighty God to teach men immediately by himselfe alone or by an Angell but rather as the Scripture telleth vs fides ex auditu Faith is bredde in vs by hearing and is to bee required ex ore Sacerdotis out of the mouth of the Priest and is to be learned of Pastors and Doctors whom God hath appointed in his Church of purpose to instruct vs and continue vs in the ancieÌ„t faith but suppose I say that one could assuredly perswade himselfe to be immediately taught of God what is the truth in all pointes How should hee without testimony of miracle glue assurance to others that hee is thus taught especiallie when hee teacheth quite contrary to the Catholike Church which by plaine promises and testimonies of Scripture vvee know to be taught of God Perhaps he will alledge that generall promise of Scripture Omnis qui petit accipit assuring them therby that euery one that prayeth for any thing receiueth it and that he hath earnestly prayed for the spirit therefore he must needes haue it But to this argument we may easily answere that this promise of our Sauiour is not so vniuersally to be vnderstood as though euery one that prayeth for a thing shall infallibly obtaine it without any condition at least in the manner of praying required of our part For we reade euen in Scripture petitis non accipitis eo quod male petatis You aske or pray and receiue not the thing requested because you aske amisse By which place wee learne that to obtaine any thing by prayer requireth a condition of praying wel or in such sorte as is fit the which condition doth as learned men obserue include many circumstances for fault of the due obseruance whereof it may and doth often happen that our prayer is not well made nor in such sort as is fit and is consequently frustrate of the efficacy which otherwise by the promise of our Sauiour it should haue had Now these circumstances being many and diuers of them very inward it is not very easie For any man to be absolutely sure that hee hath obserued them in such sort as is fit and therefore he cannot bee absolutely sure that his praier hath taken effect therefore it is no sufficient proofe whereby one may perswade others that hee hath the Spirit of God to say hee hath prayed for it especially coÌ„sidering that we may finde very many most contray in religion one to another who notwithstanding will say that they daily pray for the spirit and I doubt not but many of them in some sort yea earnestly after their manner doe pray for it yet sure it is that all these being thus contrary haue it not How shal we then be assured that this or that man who presuming vpon the assistance of this spiritt which he thinketh he hath obtained by prayer setteth a broache a singular and new inueÌ„ted doctrine how shall we be sure I say that such a maÌ„ hath the spiritt of God indeed Some will perchance saye that we may safely beleeue them because they preach nothing but pure Scripture while as for euery pointe of their doctrine they cite still sentences of Scripture But this answere will not serue First because for in the name of scripture they bring forth their false corrupt translations which do differ in some places euen in wordes from true scripture Secondly supposing that they did alwaies cite the true wordes of scripture yet they may easily applye them to a wronge sense or meaninge to witt to that which they falsely imagine being seduced by their own appetite or by their own former error to be the true sense For as S. Austen saieth Ad Imagines phantasmatum suorum carnalis anima conuertit omniâ— sacramenta verba librorum sanctorum a carnall and sensâ—all minde such as heretiques are not without sith heresie it selfe is accounted by S. Paule a worke of the flesh doth conuert or turne all the misteries and words of holy bookes vnto his owne imaginations phantasies Whereupon it commeth to passe that as the same S. Austen saith Omnes haeretici qui in authoritate Scripturas recipiunt ipsas sibi videntur sectari cumsuos sectentur errores All heretickes that receiue and admitte the authority of the Scriptures seeme to theÌ„selues to follow the only Scriptures wheÌ„ they follow their owne errours And as they may seeme to themselues to follow onely the Scriptures when they follow their owne errours so they may seeme especially to the simple people or to those who being seduced by them wholy build their beliefe vpon theÌ„ to preach nothing but pure Scripture wheÌ„ indeed they preach their owne erronious opinions coloured and painted with words of
Scripture as it is the manner of euerie sect maister to confirme his errour with words of Scripture yea the Diuell himselfe doth sometime for his purpose alledge words of Scripture Wherefore there is no reason wherby wee may bee assured that such men haue the Spirit of God but we may finde many reasons to conuince that they haue not this Spirit And to omitte for breuity sake the seeking out of any other euen the singularity or priuatenes of their spirit is sufficient not onely to moue vs to suspect it but also to condemne it and to assure vs that it cannot bee the Spirit of truth as is very well signified by S. Augustine who saith Veritas tua Domine nec mea est nec illius sed omnium quos ad eius communionem publicè vocas terribiliter admonens nos ne eam habere velimus priuatam ne priuemur ea Nam quisquis id quod tu ad fruendum omnibus proponis sibi propriè vendicat suum esse vult quod omnium est à communi propellitur ad sua id est à veritate ad mendacium Thy truth O Lord is neither proper to mee nor him but common to all whom thou dost publiquely call to the common partaking of its warning vs terribly to take heede that wee will not haue it priuate to our selfe least we be depriued of it For whosoeuer doth challenge that to himselfe priuately which thou dost propose publiquely to be enioyed of all and will haue that his owne which is common to all he is driuen from the common to this owne that is to say from the truth to a lie CHAP. X. That the doctrine and teaching of the true Church is the rule of faith THE fourth Conclusion is that this infallible rule which euery one ought to follow in all points of faith is the Doctrine and teaching of the true Church or coÌ„pany of the true faithfull of Christ. This I proue by this reason If our Sauiour Christ hath promised to any coÌ„panie of men the presence of himselfe and the assistance of his holy spiritt of purpose to instructe teach them all trueth giuing withall peculiar charge commission to them to teache all natioÌ„s and to preache to euery creature giuing also warrant to all that they may safely heare them giuing also commandement whereby he bindeth all to doe in all thinges according to their saying and threatning greatly those who will not heare and beleeue them then certainely the doctrine teaching of these men is in all pointes most true and infallible such as if the other conditions required in the rule of faith be not as they are not wanting may well be proposed to all sortes as an assured ground whereupoÌ„ they may safely build an infallible Christian faith For looke what our Sauiour Christ hath promised must needes be performed and whatsoeuer he warranteth or commandeth may safely without danger of errour be done nay must of necessity be done especially wheÌ„ he threatneth those and will not doe it and consequently if he haue promised to sende his holy spirit to teach any company of men all trueth it is not to be doubted but that he sendeth this his holy spirit and by it teacheth them all trueth sith the teaching of this spirit is vnfallible we are not to doubt but that this company is in all pointes infallâ—bly taught the trueth If also the same our Sauiour gaue warrant and commandement that they should teach vs that we should heare them and doe in all thinges according to their saying we may not likwise doubt but that they shall be able to teache all sortes of men in all pointes the infallible trueth and that all sortes of men may if they will learne of that company what in all pointes is the infallible trueth For otherwise by this generall commaundement of hearing them and doing according to their saying we should be bouÌ„de sometime to heare beleeue an vntruth and to doe that which were not vpright and good which without blasphemy to Christ his veritie goodnes can no way be thought But so it is that Christ our Sauiour hath in holy Scripture promised giuen commission warranted commaunded and threatened in manner aforesaide Therefore we can not doubt but that their is a certaine company the which is called the true Church of Christ which both is in all pointes of faith infallibly taught by the holy spirit and is likewise to teach all sortes of men in all pointes of faith what is the infallible trueth and therefore the teaching of this companie may well be assigned and proposed to all men as an vndoubted sufficient rule of faith The promise of our Sauiour Christ we haue first in the Gospell of S. Mathew ego â—obiscum sum omnibus diebus vsque ad coÌ„sumâ—ationem seculi I am with you al the daies vntill the ende of the world in which wordes is promised the continuall presence of Christ himselfe who is veritas the trueth it selfe with his Church not for a while then or for a while now but all the daies vntill the end of the world Secondly we haue an other promise in the gospell of S. Iohn Ego rogabo patrem alium paraclitum dabit vobis vt maneat vobiscum in aeterâ—um spiritum veritatis I will aske my father and he will giue you an other paraelite the spirit of trueth that he may remaine with you not only for 600. yeares but for euer And againe in the same S. Iohn to shew vs for what purpose he would haue his holy Spirite remaine among vs for euer he saith Paraclitus quaÌ„â—ittet pater in nomine mâ—o ille vos docebit omâ—â—a suggeret vobis omnia quaecunque dixero vobis the paraclite whom my Father will sende in my name shall teach you all things shal put you in mind of al things whatsoeuer I shall say vnto you And againe Cum venerit ille spiritus veritatis docebit vâ—s omneÌ„ veritateÌ„ WheÌ„ that spirit of truth shall come hee shall teach you all truth The charge and commission is plaine in S. Mathew cuntes docete omnes gentes Going teach all nations And in S. Marke euntes in mundum vniuersum praedicate Euangelium omni creaturae Going into the whole world preach the Gospell to euery creature The warrant we haue in S Luke Qui vos audit me audit Hee that heareth you heareth mee By which wordes appeareth plainely that our Sauiour Christ would haue vs to heare and giue credit to his Church no lesse then to himselfe The commandemeÌ„t is expressed in S. Mathew Super Cathedram MoysisederuÌ„t Scribae Pharisaei Omnia ergo quaecunque dixeriâ—t vobis seritate facite The Scribes Pharisies haue sitten vpon the chaire of Moses All things therfore whatsoeuer they shall say vnto you obserue and doe Out of which words we may gather that wee are bound in all pointes
to do according to the doctrine of the Prelates of the Catholike Church yea although it should happen that their liues were not laudable but bad For although our Sauiour in this place doth only in expresse wordes make mention of the chaire of Moses in which the Priests of the old Law did sit yet he is to be vnderstood to speake also of the chaire of S. Peter his owne Vicegerent in which the Priestes of the new Law doe succeed And this à fâ—rtiori because we haue greater reason to thinke that our Sauiour inteÌ„ded in his doctrine to giue rules to the Priests and people of his new Law which was presently to begin and to continue till the worldes end then only to giue documents to those of the old Law considering he knew that it should so shortly cease Wherefore the ancient fathers do vnderstand that place to bee meant of the Priestes of the new Law and namely S. Augustine who saith thus In illum ordinem Episcoporum qui ducitur ab ipso petro ad Anastasium qui nunc in eadem Cathedra sedet etiamsi quisquam traditor per illatempora subrepsâ—sset nihil praeiudicaret Ecclesie innocentibus Christianis quibus prouidens Dominus ait de praepositis malis quae dicunt facite quae faciunt facere nolite Into that order of Bishoppes which is deriued from S. Peter himself vnto Anastasius who now sitteth vpoÌ„ the same chair although some traytor had crept in in those times he should nothing hurt the Church and the innocent Christians for whome our Lord prouiding saith of euill Prelates what they say do what they do do not The threates we may gather First out of S. Luke when our Sauiour faith Qui vos spernit me spernit Hee that despiseth you despiseth me Signifying that look what sinne it were not to heare but to despise our Sauiour Christ himselfe that wee should account it the same to despise not to giue eare and credit to the Catholike Church Insinuating therby that the like punishment is to be expected for the saide contempte Secondly in S. Mathew the same our Sauiour expressely saith Si Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi sicut Ethnicus publicanus If he wil not heare the Church let him be to thee like an Ethnicke and a Publican Finally in S. Marke after hee had giuen charge coÌ„mission to preach the Gospell to euery creature hee pronounceth this threate to those that will not beleeue saying Qui non crediderit condemnabitur hee that will not beleeue shall be condemned Thus you see our Sauiour Christ hath promised to his Church the continuall presence of himselfe and of his holy Spirit to teach that coÌ„pany all truth Wherof followeth that it is infallibly taught al truth Moreouer hee hath giuen charge and commission to that Church to teach vs and hath warranted and commanded vs in all pointes to heare and do according to the saying of this Church which proueth that it appertaineth to this Church to instruct vs in all pointes of faith and that we ought to learne of it in all matters of religion what is the fallible truth consequently that the doctrine of this Church is the rule of faith Worthily therefore doth S. Paule call this Church columnam firmamentum veritatis The pillar and ground of truth Worthily also saith S Austen Scripturarum à nobis tenetur veritas cum id facimus quod vniuersae placet Ecclesiae quam earundem scripturarum commendat authoritas vt quoniam scriptura sancta fallere non potest quisquis falli â—etuit huius obscuritate questionis ecclesiam de illa consulat quam sine vlla ambiguitate scriptura sancta demonstrat The truth of the Scriptures is holden of vs when wee doe that which pleaseth the vniuersall or whole Church the which is commended by the authority of the Scriptures themselues that because the holy Scripture cannot deceiue whosoeuer feareth to bee deceiued with the obscurity of this question let him require the iudgement of the church which without any ambiguity the holy Scripture doth demonstrate by which wordes hee sheweth plainely that the sentence of the Church is of infallible and vndoubted truth that the way not to bee deceiued in an obscure question is to aske and follow the iudgement of the Church Wherefore worthily also do we all say Credo Ecclesiam CatholicaÌ„ I beleeue the Catholike Church worthily also may I conclude that neither Scripture alone nor naturall witte and learning nor priuate spirit nor any other thing but onely the teaching of the true Church of Christ is that ordinarie meanes which Almighty God hath prouided whereby all men may learne that one infallible entire faith which I proued to be necessary to saluation CHAP. XI That the Church whose doctrine must bee to vs the rule of faith must alwaies continue without interruption from Christ his time till the worldes end COnsidering what had bene proued in the former Chapter about the infallible authorite of the doctrine of the true Church I hope no Christian will denie but that so longe as this Church doth continew we haue of it a sure pillar and a firme foundation whereupon we may safely build our beleefe For either a maÌ„ must denie that euer our Sauior did make any such promise gaue such charge and commission left any such warrant sett forth such a commaundement or thundred out any such threates as before is rehearsed which were to denie the scriptures which scriptures are generally receiued by all Christians no otherwise theÌ„ as they are the vndoubted worde of God or els he must wrest the interpretation thereof both from that which the wordes of themselues naturally yeeld also from the common sense and vnderstanding either of al or the most learned and almost of the vnlearned also of the whole Christian world or els he shal be forced to confesse that which not I but S. Paule hath saied ecclesia est columna firmamentum veritatis the Church is the pillar and ground of trueth Onely it may perchaunce seeme to some of those that doe at this day oppose themselues against the authoritie of the Church that this was true for S. Paules time and perhaps for some 3.4.5 or 6. hundred yeares after but not to be presumed vpon in latter times and namely when Luther began his reformation as they tearme it or now a dayes Against these men I set downe this assertion The true Church of Christ which the forenamed testimonies of Scripture do commend was and is to continew without interruption till the worldes end This I proue First out of the very wordes of those promises which I cited out of S. Mathew S. Iohn For how can Christ our Sauiour or his holy Spirit be with his Church in such sort as there is promised to witt till the worldes end and for euer and especially as is saied in S. Matthew omnibus diebus
vsque ad consummationem seculi all the daies euen to the end of the world vnles the Church also be al the daies vntill the end of the world For if the Church for any time daies moneths or yeares doe cease to be Christ can not for those years moneths and daies be truely saied to be with his Church sith he can not be with that which is not and consequentely he can not be saied to haue fulfilled his promise wherein he saied he would be with his Church all the daies vntill the end of the world Secondly I proue the same out of an other promise or prophesie of our Sauior Christ to his Church wherein hee saith portae inferi non preualâ—bunt aduersus eam the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it For how was it true that the gates of hell shall not preuaile if they haue preuailed so much as vtterly to abolish the Church or at least to bannishe it quite out of the world for so long a time grauÌ„ting therefor which euery Christian must needes graunt that the prophesies and promises of our Sauiour are alwaies fullfilled and that they are vnfallibly true we may not doubte but that the Church hath euer beene since Christ his time shall neuer cease to be in the world Thirdly I may confirme the same out of other scriptures where the perpetuitie of the Church is either affirmed or promised of which kinde of testimonies being very many I will onely rehearse some few of the Church if we will beleue S. Austen his exposition it is saide Deuâ— fundauit eam in aeternum God hath established it for euer And of it signified by the name of the kingdome of Christ the prophet Daniel saieth Suscitabit Deus caeliregnum quod in aeternum non dissipabitur The God of heauen shall raise vp a kingdome which shal not be broken in peeces for euer As is also saide in S. Luke regni eius non erit sinis there shal be no ende of his kingedome Lastly I might coÌ„firme the same with the testimonie of the auncient Fathers Origen S. Chrysostome S. Bernard and especially of S. Austen who disputing against the Doâ—atistes saieth thus as rehearsing one of their speeches Sed illa Ecclesia quae fuit omnium gentium iam non est perijt That Church which was of all nations is not now it is perished Vnto which their speach he answereth O impudentem vocem Accounting it great impudencie to saye the Church is perished And in the same place he bringeth in the Church as speaking personally thus Quamdiu ero in hoc siculo annuncia mihi propter illos qui dicunt Fuit iam non est apostatauit perijt Ecclesia ad omnibus gentibus Et annunci auit nec vacua fuit vox ista Quis annunciauit mihi nisi ipsa via quando annunciauit ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus vsque ad consummationem seculi How long shall I be in this world tell me in regard of them who saye the Church indeede was but it is not now it is become apostata and is perished out of all nations And he tould me neither was this word in vaine who tould me but the way it selfe to witt Christ who faieth I am the way when did he tell Behold I am with you vntill the end of the world CHAP. XII That this Church which must be to vs the rule of faith as it must alwaies continue so it must also alwaies be visible NOVV hauing proued that the true Church of Christ must alwaies coÌ„tinue without interruptioÌ„ till the worlds end it remaineth that I shew also in what manner it is to continue to wit whether it shall alwaies be visible That is to say whether in all ages it was and shall be a company of men who may be seene and in some sort plainely knowne to be that company which men are to beleeue by faith to be the true Church of Christ or that it shal be sometime at least inuisible that no man can see those meÌ„ nor know them to be that company which we must beleeue to be the true Church of Christ. In which matter My Assertion is that the true Church of Christ of which the places of Scripture afore cited doe speake must alwaies bee visible This I proue First by that plaine Prophesie of Isaias in the 61. chapter Which chapter to be vnderstood of our Sauiour Christ his Church wee may gather out of S. Luke where our Sauiour himselfe citeth some words out of that chapter and expoundeth them to be fulfilled in himselfe the words of the Prophesie are these Faedus perpetuum feriam eis scietur in gentibus semen eorum Omnes qui viderint eos cognoscent illos quoniam isti sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus I will make a perpetuall couenant or league with them and their seede shall be knowne among nations all that shall see them shall know them that they are the seede which our Lord hath blessed How could he more plainely haue foretould the visiblenes of the Church Secondly our Sauiour hath ordained this his Church to bee the light of the world according as he saith vos estis lux mundi you are the light of the world and to be a rule or meanes by which all men at all times may come to the knowledge of that One infallible entire faith which is necessary to saluation as hath bin proued But how can it bee the light of the world if it selfe be inuisible nemo accendit lucernam ponit eam sub modio No man lighteth a candle when he hath done setteth it vnder a bushell where it cannot be seene And how can it bee a meanes by which at all times the infallible truth may bee made knowen to all sortes of men if it selfe at any time could not be knowne of men Or if you say that some times it could neither be knowne it selfe nor be a meanes by which the true faith might be made knowne then sith that I proued that it is a necessary meanes and so necessary that without it according to the ordinary course there is not sufficieÌ„t meanes prouided by almighty God to instruct all men infallibly in all points of faith Then I say men that liued at that time wanted necessary meanes wherby they might attaine to the knowledge of true faith and consequently whereby they might come to saluation which if it were so How is it vniuersally true which is vniuersally saide in Scripture Dâ—us vult omnes homines saluos fieri ad agnitionem veritatis venire God would haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth For how can he be saide to haue a true will to saue all men if he haue not at all times prouided meanes sufficient whereby all men may come to the knowledge of true faith and thereby by degrees to saluation Sith especially
praedicabunt nisi mittantur How shall they beleeue him whom they haue not heard how shall they heare without a preacher how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent Therefore the true Church which only hath preachers truely sent of God must first be found out that by it we may heare and know which is the true faith Therefore of the two the true Church is rather a marke whereby we may know the true preaching and consequently the true doctrine of faith then contrary that as heretiques say the doctrine should be a marke whereby all men must know which is the true Church Thirdly true faith is included in the true Church and as it were enclosed in her belly as S. Austen saith vpon those words of the Psalme Errauerunt ab vtero â—â—quuâ—i sunt falsa In ventre ecclesiae saith he veritas manet quisquis ab hoc ventre separatus fuerit necesse est vt falsa loquatur Truth remaineth in the belly of the Church whosoeuer is seperated to wit by difference in doctrine froÌ„ this belly of the Church must needs speake false Therfore like as if a man had golde in his belly we must first find the man before we can come to see the golde it selfe so we must first by other markes find out the true Church which hath the gold of true faith hidden in her belly before we come to see the gold of true faith it selfe Sith especially we cannot see it vnlesse shee open her mouth and deliuer it vnto vs that we cannot being spiritually blind certainely know it to be true not counterfeite but by giuing credit to her testimony of it According as the same S. Austen saith Euangelio non crederem nisi me ecclesiae authoritas commoueret I should not beleeue the Gospell it selfe vnlesse I were moued by the authority of the Church For if we had not the testimony of the Church how should we haue bin infallibly sure that there were any Gospel at all or how should wee haue knowne that those bookes which beare title of the Gospell according to S. Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn Are true Canonicall Scripture rather then those bookes which are writen in the name of Nicodemus and S. Thomas bearing the same title or inscription of Gospell Fourthly if the true doctrine of faith in all particuler pointes must bee fore knowne as a marke whereby to know the true Church then contrary to that which hath bin proued the authority of the Church should not be a necessarie meanes whereby men must come to the knowledge of the true faith For if before wee come to know which is the true Church we must by other meanes haue knowne which is the true faith what neede then is there for getting true faith already had to seeke or bring in the authority of the same Church Fiftly If before we giue absolute and vndoubted credit to the true Church we must examine and iudge whether euery particuler point of doctrine which it holdeth be the truth with authority to accept that only which we like or which seemeth in our conceipt right and conformable to Scripture to reiect whatsoeuer wee mislike or which in our priuate iudgement seemeth not so right and coÌ„formable then we make our selues examiners and Iudges ouer the Church consequently we preferre our liking or disliking our iudgement and censure of the interpretation sense of Scripture before the iudgement and censure of the Church of God But it is absurd both in reason and religion to preferre the iudgment of any priuate man be he neuer so witty and learned or neuer so strongly perswaded in his owne mind that he is taught by the Spirit before the iudgement definitiue sentence of the Church of God the which is a company of men many of which both are alwaies haue bin vertuous wise and learned which is chiefe is such a company as according to the absolute and infallible promises of our Sauiour hath vndoubtedly the holy Spirit among them guiding them and teaching them all truth and not permitting them to erre as before hath beene proued But you may perhaps say that in Scripture we are willed not to beleeue euery spirit but to try spirits whether they bee of God or no and that therefore we must examine and try the spirit of the Church by looking into euery particuler point of doctrine which it teacheth I answere That in that place of Scripture it is not meant that it belongeth to euery particuler man to try all spirits but in generall the Scripture giueth the Church warning not to accept euery one that boasteth himselfe to haue the Spirit and willeth that they should trie those spirits not that euery simple or priuate man should take vpon him to trie them but that those of the Church to whom the office of trying spirits doth appertaine to wit the Doctors and Pastors which almighty God hath put in his Church of purpose Vt non circumferaâ—ur omni vento doctrinae that we may not be caried away with euery wind of doctrine and Vt non simus paruuli fluctuantes that we may not be litle ones wauering with euery blast of those that boast themselues to be singulerly taught by the Spirit So that this trying of spirits is only meant of those spirits of which men may well doubt whether they be of God or no theÌ„ also this trial beloÌ„geth to the Pastors of the Church But when it is certaine that the spirit is of God we neither need nor ought doubtfully to examine or presuÌ„ptuously to iudge of it but submitting obediently the iudgement of our owne sense and reason wee must beleeue the teaching of it in euery point Now it is most certaine that the Spirit of the true visible Church is of God as out of holie Scripture hath bin most euidently proued And therefore our only care should be to seeke out those markes by which all men may know which particuler coÌ„pany of meÌ„ is the true Church of Christ whose doctrine we neither need nor lawfully may examine and try in doubtfull manner but must obediently and vndoubtfully in all points beleeue as the only assured and infallible truth CHAP. XV. That these foure properties Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica that is to saie One Holy Catholique Apostolique are good markes by which men may know which is the true Church SITH our Sauiour Christ hath thought good to plant a visible Church vpon earth which he would haue to continue vntill the worlds end for this speciall inâ—ent and purpose that all men in all ages by meanes of it may learne the doctrine of the true faith the true worship of God the right vse of the Sacraments the holesome lawes of good life and generally all good thinges that appertaine to the glorie of God and the saluatioÌ„ of our soules wee haue not any reason to doubte but that the same our Sauiour for the exceeding loue which of his part
without exception or respect of persons he beareth to al maÌ„kind hath ordained some marks or notes by which all sortes and consequently euen simple men may sufficieÌ„tly discerne which company among many which challenge to themselues the title of the true Church is indeede the true Church For sith hee would haue euery one to heare and learne thinges necessary to saluation only of the true Church we must needes thinke his wisedome and goodnes to haue marked this his Church with such manifest signes properties that all men may easily know it and discerne it from others whome he knew would take vpoÌ„ them though falsly the title and profession of the true Church This seemeth to haue beene expressely foretold by the Prophete Isaias when he saieth Scietur in gentibus semen eorum germen eorum in medio populorum Omnes qui viderint â—os cognoscent illos quia isti sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus Their seed shall be knowen in the nations their ofspring in the middest of people all that shall see them shall know them because these are that seed which our Lord hath blessed Which is as much as if he should say that the Church shall haue such manifest markes that it shal be easy for euery one to know them to be the true Church Some of these markes are set downe by S. Austen who calleth them bandes or chaines which doe hold a faithfull man in the Catholique Church although for the slownes of his wit or for some other cause he doth not euidently see the truth of the doctrine in it selfe Of these markes diuers authours haue written at large I for breuitie sake haue chosen out onely these foure Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica One Holy Catholique Apostolique because I hope these will be sufficient and because I finde these eâ—pecially set forth in Scriptures commeÌ„â—ed by Councels and generally admitâ—ed of all sortes both Catholiques and Protestantes as now I am to declare First for the generall admittance of these properties of the true Church I need no other proofe but that both Catholiques and Protestantes allow of the Nicene Constantinopolitane Creed whereâ—n we profes to beleeue the true Church â—he which Church is there described with these onely foure properties which before I named as though by those onely euery man might sufficiently know that Church which in euery pointe they are bound to beleeue Now if besides this proofe out of the generally receiued Councels some precise man would haue â—eproue these properties to agree to the true Church out of the Scripture it selfe this also I may easily doe The true Church is signified to be One by those wordes of the Canticle Vna est 〈◊〉 mea if we will beleeue the exposition of S. Cyprian and S. Austen Also we may gather the same out of those wordes of our Sauiour in which he calleth his Church vnum ouile one sheepfold Also by those places of S. Paul where he tearmeth the Church vnum corpus one body Moreouer Christ our Sauiour praying for his Church did specially intreate without doubt obtained vt omnes vnum sint that all the membres therof should be one thing to wit that at the least they should al professe one and the same faith all partake of one and the same baptisme and other Sacramentes all liue vnder one and the same Lord in due subordination subiection to that vniforme and orderly gouernement of lawfull pastours ordained appointed in the Church by him The true Church of Christ therefore is one Contrary the conuenticles of Heretiques are destitute of this marke of vnitie according as Tertullian affirmeth saying Denique penitus inspectae Haereses omnes in multis deprehenduntur cum auctoribus suis dissentientes Finally all Heresies if they be well looked into are found to differ in many thinges from their first founders And the reason of this disagreemeÌ„t amoÌ„g Heretiques the same Tertullian assigneth very well in the same place saying Variant inter se Haeretici dum vnusquisque pro suâ— arbitrio modulatur quod accepit quemadmodum 〈◊〉 pro arbitrio composuit ille qui tradidit Heretiques do differ in pointes of doctrine â—mong themselues while as euery one taâ—eth vpon him to fashion the faith which he receiued according to his owne liking 〈◊〉 fancie like as he that first deliuered it â—nto them did inuent it according to his owne will and pleasure The true Church is also proued to bee â—â—ly by that of S. Paule Templum Dei sanctum est quod estis vos The temple of God is holy which temple you are By which place notwithstanding S. Paule did not â—eane to signifie that euery one of this companie was holy For a litle after in the same Epistle hee saith to the same coÌ„panie Omnino auditur inter vos fornicatio â—â—lis fornicatio qualis nec inter gentes There is plainely heard fornication among you and such fornication as the like is not among the heathen He doth not therfore I say meane that euery one of the Church is holy but that the whole company is to be tearmed holy because the profession thereof doth of it selfe wholy tend to holines the doctrine being such as withdraweth from all vice and instructeth and moueth men to vertue the Sacraments also do not only signifie but in the vertue which they haue from Christ his Passion they also worke in vs as instrumentall causes true inward sanctitie Wherfore although euery one that is in the Church be not holy yet no doubt alwaies some are the which their holines it pleaseth almighty God to testifie and make knowne sometime by miracle and ordinarily he vseth to make it apparant enough by the light of their vertuous actions which at all times in many members of the true Church doe so shine before men that by it men are moued to glorify God and sometimes to imitate in their owne life that which in others they admire And whatsoeuer member of the Church faileth from this holines of life it is euident that the faulte is only in himselfe who liueth not according to the prescript of his profession nor vseth in due sort those meanes which it hath of the holy Sacraments which as I said before are effectual instruments of sanctification Contrariwise no sect of Heretiques is truely holy neither was there euer any person that did inuent or obstinately adhere vnto any sect of heresie which â—ad in him true saÌ„ctity And no merueile Because the very profession and doctrine it selfe of euery heresie is opposite to the very rootes of true sanctity the which rootes be true Christian faith and humilitie For how can he be truely holy and iust who being possessed with the spirit of heresy must needs be depriued of true faith without which the iust man cannot liue according to that saying of S. Paule Iustus ex fide viuit Or how can he be holy that doth