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scripture_n	bishop_n	church_n	pastor_n	3,273	5	9.0845	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03884	A treatise concerning the church Wherin it is shewed, by the signes, offices, and properties therof, that the Church of Rome (and consequently such particuler churches as liue in her communion) is the only true church of Christ. VVritten in Latin, by the Reuerend Father Iames Gordon Huntley of Scotland, Doctour of Diuinity, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by I.L. of the same Society. The third part of the second controuersy.; Controversiarum epitomes. English. Selections	Gordon, James, 1541-1620.; Wright, William, 1563-1639.	1614 (1614)	STC 13997B; ESTC S114238	53,360	142

all euen by naturall reason For a good tree bringeth forth good fruit And contrariwise a bad tree bringeth forth ill fruite Moreouer wicked doctrine which is eyther against the Law of Nature or good manners cannot be of God of the other si●e the doctrine which is agreable to the ●aw of n●ture and good manners is of God Finally true miracles do conuince that there is the true Church of Christ where such miracles are done seing that true miracles can only be done by the power of God for euen as God alone hath made and ordayned all thinges so God only can change at his pleasure the Natures of thinges and the naturall order therof according to that saying of the Prophet Dauid Blessed be our Lord God of Israell who can only worke miracles But God who is goodnesse it selfe cannot testify or approue any false doctrine by miracles 10. The third signe of the true Church is that it is Catholike or Vniuersall and that two waies First because it continueth alwaies as we haue proued already Secondly it is also Catholike or vniuersall because since the comming of Christ it is dilated and propagated ouer all the whole world 11. S. Augustine vseth this argument most of all against the Donatists to shew the true Church For first God promised Abraham that all Nations should be blessed in his seed and afterward he confirmed the same with an Oath So God the Father said vnto Christ Aske of me and I will giue thee Nations for thy inheritance the limites of the earth for thy possession Many such like places are in the Psalmes and in the new Testament 12. And this signe is also visible because that which is euery where and at all tymes may be seene of all men when it is a thing that can be seene as this is 13. Moreouer this signe is very certaine euen by the light of nature For naturall reason teacheth vs that the prouidence of God extendeth it selfe very carefully ouer all those which are his and that falsity cannot alwaies continue but must needes be ouercome by truth and that God is of greater power and able to do more then the Diuell Yea the beginning and progresse of all false religions as Bellarmine well noteth are certainly knowne Finally the worke and counsell of men but not of God is quickely dissolued as Gamaliel saith in S. Luke 14. The fourth signe of the true Church of Christ is that it is Apostolicall to wit founded by the Apostles of Christ and that she hath continued euer since their tyme till these our dayes by a continuall succession For this signe as also the former is the proper marke of the Church of the new Testament for of it is all our Controuersie But that the Church of Christ was founded by the Apostles appeareth e●idently by those wordes of S. Paul built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets And we haue already proued the continuall succession of the Church by many testimonyes of Scripture ●he same also the Prophets do testify in many places 15. Moreouer seeing that there are as the Apostle sayth alwayes Pastors and Doctors in the Church without whom she cannot consist and continue as our Aduer●aries confes●e it necessarily followeth as we haue declared before that there hath alwaies beene a conti●●all succession of these Pastors and Doctors in the true Church of God 16. But that which many do say is both foolish and friuolous to wit that there hath beene alwayes a con●inuall succ●ssion of doctrine in the Church but not of persons For seeing that true doctrine must needes proceed from some persons a●d those of men for not Angells but men doe teach now adayes if the true doctrine continueth it is also necessary that the men which teach this doctrine continue still and such also as are lawfully called to this office as we haue proued before 17. This continuall sucession is also a visible sig●e because in some parts or persones thereof it may be seene at all tymes as suc●ssiue and transistory things are wont to be seene for in this manner only can a riuer for example sake tyme it selfe be seene 18. Finally this signe is also certaine and euidently well knowne among the Infidells for vnlesse this sucession be continuall the true Church of God shall altogeather perish and decay all honor worship of the true God wil be ouerthrowne and there will remayne no way for men to their eternall saluation But of the other side where there is a cōtinuall successiō and a neuer interrupted continuance of the same Religion there appeareth sufficiently a great prouidence and a singular assistance of Almighty God towards men 19. Furthermore that which we haue hitherto sayd of these sower signes might suffice but that the pertinacy and inconstancy of our Aduersaries is so very admirable and great For albeit in one place they acknowledge themselues to receiue the Nicen Creed wherein these fower signes of the Church are expresly conteined yet notwithstanding elswhere when they see themselues manifestly conuinced by these signes of perfidious dealing they do vtterly reiect thē For Beza in his booke of the true visible signes of true Catholike Church wherin notwithstanding he goeth about nothing els but to establish those his inuisible markes of the Church albeit he affirmeth that his followers doe acknowledge all those Creedes which haue beene alwayes approued by the common consent of the whole Church to wit that of the Apostles the Nicene that of S. Athan●sius the Constantinopolitane and the Calcedon yet for all this he impugneth these markes of the Church of which he knoweth that he and his are altogether destitute and especially the fourth which is deduced from the Apostolicall succession 20. He therefore obiecteth these signes that they are not proper vnto the Church quarto modo as Po●phyrius and other Logicians define proprium quarto modo because they doe not agree to the true Church only For vnity and succession may also be found amongst wicked men as appeareth by the Iewes and Mahomets But these are easily answered For these signes are not alledged as properties quarto modo as Beza thinketh but rather as it were accidents by the collection wherof Indiuidua are distinguished one from another as the same Porphyrius teacheth for those accidents whereby Indiuidua are distinguished may be found separated one from another in diuers substances but not all gathered togeather in one 21. Wherfore seeing that the Church is one singular and indiuisible we must not only alledge the properties thereof but also other signes as it were qualities and accidents wherby this true Church may be distinguished from all others For albeit some one or other of these signes may be found in some other things yet they cannot all fower togeather be found any where but in the true Church 22. Therefore any one of these signes considered by it selfe separateth the true Church

alwayes euer since the Apostles tyme performed ●ea there are many heresies the which euen our Aduersaries doe condemne which were in tymes past not by any genera●l Councell but only by the Church of Rome suppressed as that of the Pelagians Donatists Priscillianistes c. 18. The fi●th reason The office of the true Church is by her name cōmunion to distinguish true Catholikes from false and counterfaite but by the name and Communion of the Roman Church Catholikes were alwayes distinguished from heretikes He asked the Bishop sayth S. Ambrose speaking of his brother whether he agreed with the Catholike Bishops that is to saywith the Roman Church So also S. Ambrose and S. Victor Vticensis who liued in S. Augustines tyme do testi●y that the Arians were wont to call Catholikes Romans or Romanists the same w●iteth S. Gregory Turonensis of the Arrian Gothes which were in Spaine The Bishops also of Spayne being cōuerted from Arianisme to the Catholike fayth among other things they condemned a certayne booke set for●h by the Arians with this title The passage o● the Romans to the Arrian Church So the heretiks called Paulitians called Catholikes Romanists as Euthimius testi●ieth Soe finally now adayes Chatholikes are by our Aduersaries called Papists and Romists of the Pope and Bishop of the Roman Church 19. The sixt reason the office of the true Church is to keepe and mayntaine the holy Scripture faithfully continually But our Aduersaries can assigne noe other Church as keepers of the holy Scrip●ures besides the Roman Church Therfore it is only the true Church of God For our A●uersar●es cannot say that they receaued the holy Scripture from heauen ●or from any i●uisible and vnknowne Church but from the visible Roman Church Wherefore sayth Caluin It is most certaine that all the writings os the Prophets and Apostles came no otherwise to all posterity but as it were from hand to hand deliuered vnto vs by the auncient Fathers continually from yeare to yeare Thus he But none hath deliuered the Bibles frō hād to hand but the Romā Church Wherefore it is as certaine that the Roman Church is the true Church of Christ as that the holy Scripture is true Scripture seeing we do not know this which we haue to be true Scripture but by the authority tradition and testimony of the Roman Church 20. Vnto this that also belongeth which we haue proued before to wit that the true Church doth not only giue a bare testimony but also sufficient authoritie to the holy Scriptures for this the onelye Roman Church and no other aboundātly performeth 21. The seauenth reason The office of the true Church is to iudge of all controuersies which do arise among Christians eyther in points of fayth or other Ecclesiasticall affayres But to the Roman Church only and to no other besides all controuersies were brought which arose in the Church eyther in fayth or other Ecclesiasticall matters For vnto this as to the seate of S. Peter and the supreme Church all had recourse who had any iniury or wrong done them So S. Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria so Peter his successor so S. Iohn Chrysostome Patriarch of Constantinople and many others did of whom Bellarmine and Baronius more at large the which Caluin also cannot deny 22. Heereunto also it belongeth that the Roman Church hath confirmed all generall Councels lawfully assembled as Bellarmine declareth and Baronius more at large in euery age 23. The eight reason The office of the true Church is to ordaine appoint lawfull Pastors and Ministers of the Sacraments and to conserue alwayes the ordinary vocatiō as we also proued before But our Aduersaries can assigne no other Church but the Roman which hath alwayes had this ordinary vocation and cō●inuall succession of Pastors and the ordinary authority to send and institute Pastors in the Church of God 24. The ninth reason The office of the true Church is to teach a true faith without any error so that in no one point of doctrine necessary to saluation she may erre as we haue already proued out of holy Scriptures But our Aduersaries can shew no other Church besids the Romā which hath not often erred in fayth Neyther dare our Aduersaries affirme that there is as yet among them any visible Church which cannot erre in fayth But Doctor Sanders Bellarmine Coccius and L●ro●ius do most euidētly demostrate that the Roman Church neuer erred hitherto in doctrine concerning matters of faith 15. And heere it is to be considered that in all other Churches found●d by the Apostles yea in the Patriarks seates themselues there haue not b●n only heresies but also many Archbishops heretikes but only the Roman Church among them all hath alwaies byn free vnsteined with any heresy The which Caluin doth plainly acknowledge when he writeth that the Roman Church in the tyme of old heresyes was not so troublesome as other Churches were and that it kept more exactly then the rest the doctrine once deliuered vnto her by the Apostles But he badly ascribeth this to the power and strength of nature or to the generous dispositiō of the Romans not to the prouidence and grace of God 26. Much better did the auncient Bishops of Rome referre it to the singular prouidence of God and to the praier of Christ of the which Christ himselfe speaketh when he sayth But I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy fayth fayle not And indeed Bellarmine alledgeth seauen auncient Bishops of Rome which attribute this to the prayer of Christ. 27. The tenth reason The proper and chiefest office of the true Church is to bring men to their eternall saluation so that without her helpe or without her we cannot hope to be saued as we proued before by our Aduersaries doctrine We aske therfore of them whether our predecessors who liued vnder the Bishops of Rome these thousand yeares past were all damned or no they dare not affirme they were damned but out of the true Church of God we cannot hope for saluation the Roman Church therfore wherein they liued and obteined their saluation is the true Church of Christ. CHAP. V. By the signes of the true Church it is declared that the Roman is the true Church of Christ. WE haue declared out of the holy Scriptures that there are foure most certaine signes of the true Church of Christ all which doe proue the Roman to be the same Church we speake of 2. First as concerning the vnity of faith and doctrine the Church of Rome hath the same faith in all and euery particular point therof with the primitiue Church as also with that Church which hath continued now for the space of almost a thousand six hundred yeares as Coccius clearely declareth out of the writings of all both auncient and late Historiographers and that through euery article now in Controuersy And we will hereafter

Christ and one chayre might be made manifest and knowne Hitherto S. Cyprian 11. But now that these promises of Christ did not only belong to the person of S. Peter but also to all those who were to succeed him in the same office till the end of the world we do thus clearly proue and demonstrate First because S. Peter is heere made the foundation of the Church and the rocke wherupon it is buylded but the Church of Christ alwayes remayneth therfore the foundation therof must alwayes remayne seing that nothing can continue and be without it foundation 12. Moreouer those keyes which were giuen to S. Peter do remayne alwaies in the Church as all our Aduersaries confesse Ergo he also remayneth to whom these keyes were giuen For that authoritye or those keyes were not giuen for S. Peter alone but for the Church which is alwayes extant It therfore alwaies retayneth those keyes and that authority of bynding or loosing men from their sinnes in S. Peter and his successors till the end of the world 13. And this is that which S. Leo saith when he writeth that S. Peter euen to this day gouerneth the Church of God that is to say by his successors insomuch that his dignity neuer fayleth euen in an vnworthy successor But hitherto there was neuer any successor of S. Peter acknowledged in the Church of Christ besides the Byshop of Rome He therefore is the only successor of S Peter and the supreme Byshop of the Church And the Roman is not only the true Church of Christ but also preferred before all others euen by Christ himselfe 14. The second place is Feede my lābes feede my sheepe In which wordes God cōmended to S. Peter not only his lambes which signifieth the common sorte of people but also his sheepe to wit the Pastors and Fathers of his Church First saith Eusebius Emissenus he committed to S. Peter his lambes and then his sheepe because he made him not only a Pastor but the Pastor of Pastors Peter therefore feedeth the lambes and also the sheepe He fe●deth children and their mothers he ruleth the peo●le and their Prelates He is ther●ore the Pastor o● all becaus● besides lambes and sheepe there is nothing in the Church Hitherto Eusebius And S. Bernard My sheepe saith Christ Vnto whome is it not plaine and manifest that he did not assi●n● some but all nothing is excepted where there is no distinction made Thus S. Bernard And S. Leo Peter doth properly gouerne all whome principally Christ also gouerneth 15. Furthermore it is manifest that these wordes were spoken to S. Peter and not to the other Apostles seing that Christ asked him thrice Doest thou loue me And moreouer he added more then these that he might make a manifest distinction betwixt S. Peter and the other Apostles 16. Finally it is most certaine that this promise of Christ doth not only appertayne to the person of S. Peter but also to his successors which are to remayne in the Church till the end of the world For both the Apostle doth plainly testify and our Aduersaries do also confesse that the office of a Pastor is ordinary and shall alwaies continue and be in the Church of God 17. And the chiefest re●son hereof is because we stand in no lesse need now of a supreme Pastor then they which were in the primitiue Church whiles yet the Apostles were aliue yea we haue much more need therof besides that there are still and alwaies shal be some sheepe of Christ therfore there shall also still continue their chiefe Pastour The Roman Church therfore is not only the true Church of Christ but also that wherein S. Peters successor and the supreme Pastour of the whole Church of Christ remayneth 18. But these two places are so manifest that they cannot be confuted or wrested to any other sense vnlesse we will reduce all wordes to a metaphoricall signification or other figuratiue speaches the which is a common tricke of our Aduersaries whē they are vrged with plaine wordes of the holy scripture But against all these falsifications of our Aduersaries we must alwaies obserue that rule of the Catholike Church taken out of S. Augustine to wit that we must neuer depart from the proper signification of the words of holy Scripture vnlesse we be forced by the authority of some more euident poynt of faith wherunto the proper significatiō of the wordes do manifestly repugne For otherwise if we might as often as we would refuse and leaue the proper signification of the wordes there will be nothing lesse certayne in all the holy Scripture 19. Moreouer it will be an easy matter for euery one to fly to metaphors and improper significatiōs when he is pressed with the playne wordes of holy Scripture but there is nothing heere that should force vs to departe from the true and proper sense of the wordes None therefore but desperate and carelesse of their owne saluation will giue credit and belieue these foolish toyes and dreames of our Aduersaries inuented only by them in hatred and con●empt of the Byshop of Rome 20. Yea he will rather imbrace and follow the vniforme consent and vnderstanding of the aunci●nt Fathers and of all the whole Church For the holy Fathers in many places do affirme that ●h●se two laces of the holy Scripture are to be vnderstood litterally of S. Peter the which Bellarmine and Coccius haue diligently gathered togeather as many other Catholike Authors haue done before them But because this matter is so cleare and manifest that euen our Aduersarsaries cānot deny it as we will plainly shew in the next Chapter we wil not now spend any more tyme in alleadging of Authors 21. But our Aduersaries doe heere cry out and obiect against vs that the holy Fathers doe sometymes affirme that the Church was built vpon the fayth of S. Peter and sometymes vpon his confession As though forsooth there were any among vs so foolish as to thinke that the Church was built vpon S. Peters back or shoulders or vpon S. Peter as he was an Infidell or dumme and not rather vpon S. Peter as indued and replenished with the gift of faith confessing and professing openly the mysteries thereof Wherfore it is all one whether we say that the Church is built vpon S. Peter or vpon his faith and confession for we do not separate S. Peter from his fayth or from the publike pro●ession therof but we only affirme that the Church of Christ was b●ilt vpon the faith and confession of S. Peter alone and of no other 22. And hence it is that the same holy Fathers who in some places affirme that the Church was built vpon the faith and confession of S. Peter do els where plainly testify that it was built vpon S. Peter himselfe Yea euen in the same place they sometymes say that it was built vpon the faith or confession of S. Peter and sometymes vpon S. Peter

adoration as a thing very remarkable which greatly setteth forth the honour and excellency of the Church of Christ. 8. The fourth testimony is to be seene in the Apocalyps where S. Iohn testifieth in expresse tearmes that God made such a promise to the Angel that is to the Bishop of the Church of Philadelphia Behold I will make them come and adore before thy feete and they shall know that I haue loued thee which is all one as if he had said I will make them come and adore th●y feete for in the Scripture according to the Hebrew phrase to adore before any thing is to adore the thing so Elcana and Anna his wife are said to haue adored before our Lord when they adored our Lord himselfe so S. Iohn in his Apocalyps writeth that all Nations shall come and adore before God that is they shall adore God himselfe lastly that which by S. Luke is expressed in these wordes if thou shalt adore before me S. Matthew expresseth thus if falling downe thou shalt adore me It is all one therfore in the Scripture to adore before a thing and to adore the thing Moreouer if God was willing and pleased that men should adore the feet of the Bishop of Philadelphia much more gratefull and acceptable will it be to him that Christians with a godly affection should prostrate themselues at his feete who is the supreme Bishop of the whole Church and by kissing of thē exhibite vnto him not only a Ciuill but also a Religious adoration adoring him in God and for God which is well expressed by God himselfe whē he saith they shall know that I haue loued thee so as this adoration must be admitted or expresse Scriptures denied 9. Neyther is this any whit differing from the custome of the auncient Church as our Aduersaries obiect but rather very conformable and agreable therunto for it is manifest that kissing of feete was exhibited of old not only to the Bishop of Rome but also to other holy personages For thus writeth S. Hierome of blessed Epiphanius Men and women of all ages did flock vnto him in great troupes offering their little ones kissing his ●eete c. And S. Chrysostome vehemently exhorteth the people to prostrate themselues at the feete of all Monkes in signe of honour and reuerence Come saith he and touch the holy feet for it is much more honorable to touch their feet then to touch the head of others 10. And that it was an auncient custome in the Roman Church that such as came to salute the supreme Byshop should prostrate themselues and kisse his feere is sufficiently proued by the hystory of S. Susanna recited by Baronius and Tertullian who liued a hundred yeares before Susanna maketh also not ob●cure mention hereof for describing the manner after which in his tyme penitents were wont to be receaued in the Roman Church amongst other thinges he saith that penitents were wont to fall downe to the Priests and to kneele to the dearely beloued of God which is nothing els but kneeling downe to adore and the same Tertullian els where saith that they were wont to licke vp the footesteps of euery one that past where he seemeth to allude to those wordes of the Prophet Isay cited a little aboue they shall licke vp the dust of thy feete and adore the steppes of thy feete Now if it be so that they licked the footestepes of all Christians much more doubtlesse the footestepes of the supreme Byshop who receaued them into the Church and who at that tyme was called the blessed Pope as the same Tertullian witnesseth 11. Neyther doth this adoration derogate any thing frō the honour of God or Christ but rather much more illustrate and set it forth for this honour is exhibited to the Byshop of Rome not for his owne holines or any other quality with which he is adorned as a priuate person but only for that authority and spirituall power which he receaued from Christ and which indeed properly appertayneth to God and to Christ and therefore in him and by him Christ whose person he representeth is honored and adored according to those words of Tertullian VVhen therefore saith he thou stretchest thy selfe forth to the knees of thy brethrē thou layest hold on Christ and makest thy supplication to Christ. And this Caluin himselfe by the force of truth confesseth when he speaketh of the Adoratiō of the Church for expounding those wordes of the Prophet Isay they shall ador● the stepes of thy seete or as he translateth they shall bow themselues downe to the plantes of thy feete thus he writeth Heere some man will aske whether this honour of which the Prophet speaketh be not too much and greater then is to be exhibited to the Church ●or to bow our selues down and prostrate our selues are signes of that honour which no man ought to admit I answere this honour is not exhibited to the mēbers but to the head to wit Christ who is adored in the Church so Caluin which also those words of God in the Apocalyps manifestly ●eclare to be true I will make them adore thee before thy feete and they shall know that I haue loued thee for therefore is this honour exhibited to the supreme Bishop because God hath so exalted the Roman Sea and beene so liberall towards it which is a signe of exceeding great loue And heere hence it is that the same veneration is exhibited to all Bishops of Rome as well to the bad as to the good for they are not honored for their owne goodnes but for the office which Christ bestowed vpon them As also they are called holy and most holy not for their owne personall holynes but for the holynes of Christ whose person and place they susteine vpon earth and for the holynes of the office which they receaued frō God euen as S. Paul called Feftus President of Iury very good not for any goodnes of his owne for h● was an Infidel and a wicked man but in regard of his office for so the Presidents of Prouinces were wont to be stiled as well noteth Baronius 12. Moreouer wheras in the Scripture feet signify diuine mission and vocation which is most ample in the Bishop of Rome no meruaile if greater veneration be exhibited to his ●eet it is to be obserued that the● is a Crosse vpon his shoe which all kisse to giue vs to vnderstand that the honor is not ex●ibited to him but to Christ crucified whom he representeth 13. To conclude heere hence is easily solued that which our Aduersaries obiect of S. Peters refusing to be adored by Cornelius the Centurion for Cornelius adored not S. Peter in respect of Christ whose Vicar he was but in respect of himselfe whom he took to be some God as did the Licaonians thinke of Paul Barnabas so S. Hierome or surely they thought Peter to be more

lawfully assembled and seeme to proceede orderly the definitions notwithstanding thereof will not be altogeather certayne according to the opinion of many Catholikes vnlesse they haue their approbation from the Bishop of Rome if he be not present at the Councell The reason is because before that the Councell be approued and allowed of by the Pope it is as yet an vnperfect body of Christ without any visible head and such a body may stumble fall 11. And hence it is that the Councell of Trent demanded her confirmation from Pius 4. who solemnely afterward confirmed it The which also the other auncient Councells demaunded yea euen those which our Aduersaries do admit as for example the first Nicene Councell that of Calcedon the sixt Synod to omit other later Councells 12. The first is that we affirme a Generall Councell approued by the Pope cannot erre in fayth The reason is because it is altogeather necessary that there be some supreme iudgmēt in the Church of God wherunto all should submit themselues and belieue assuredly in all matters in Cōtrouersy as we haue proued before but there can be no other supreme iudgment but this 13. Moreouer we see that euen frō the beginning of the Church till now all heresies and controuersies concerning matters of faith haue byn still ended taken away by the generall Councels Wherfore they who deny this do open make way for all old Heresies The which when our Aduersaries had learned by experience in the Anti-trinitarians Anabaptistes Vbiquitarians and such other sectes they were forced to admit those six more auncient Councels as we sayd before but the authority of all Generall Councells is alike and equall 14. Finally our Aduersaries themselues acknowledge that there is no better or surer remedy to roote out and take away all her●sies therfore eyther this is a certaine remedy or els there is none at all the which to affirme were to deny the prouidence of God and his loue of his Church 15. Moreouer that which our Aduersaries say to wit that the later Councels are not lawfull Assemblies because they haue not obserued due manner and forme is a false lye first because it doth not become euery priuate man to be iudge in this matter but it belongeth to the whole Church who hauing receyued for so many ye●res all these as lawfull Councells we must not call them any more in question 16. And seing that our Aduersaries do imbrace and approue the six first Councels the lawfull forme to be obserued in Councells is to be fetched from them the which is exactly obserued in the later Councells as Baronius sheweth euidently in euery one of the first six Councells But Caluin acknowledgeth no lawfull manner of any synodicall assembly nor any such to be gathered togeather in the name of Christ but where all things are proued by Scripture only reiecting all Ecclesiasticall traditions but we haue already proued that the Traditions of the Church of God are as a principall and chiefest part of the word of God 17. Yea euen this was the only cause why S. Cyprian and so many other holy Byshops erred in the African Councells when they determined that all those who were christned by Heretikes should be baptized againe for they confirmed this their opinion very probably by many places of holy Scripture but they reiected the auncient tradition of the Church the which they knew very well was opposite to this error as though it had byn contrary to the holy Scriptures as S. Vincentius Lyrinensis declareth very well and before him S. Augustine in many places 18. And that which is more S. Augustine manifestly writeth that he had byn of S. Cyprians opinion by reason of those probable reasons which were deduced out of holy Scripture but that the whole Catholike Church had defined the contrary And as the same holy Father teacheth at large they most of all oppugne the custome of the Church which were in the same error with S. Cyprian obiecting among other thinges that place of the holy Scripture the which our Aduersaries now adayes obiect against vs. God saith I am the truth he doth not say I am the custome Vnto whome S. Augustine answereth very well that the custome of the Church is not opposite to truth but it is euen truth it selfe 19. Our Aduersaries arguments are of small account or moment Caluin bringeth in the example of Caiphas and of the Iewish Councell wherin Christ wa● condemned the same argument Beza also alledgeth But who doth not know that this was neyther a generall Councell whereunto Christ was not called nor any other true belieuer nor lawfull in it selfe seing that it was not assembled in the name and authority of Christ who was then the supreme head of the visible and militant Church as also because it was called togeather against the true Church of God by the wicked and cursed Synagogue of the Iewes For that was the true Church which adhered vnto Christ and belieued in him but that other which was altogeather depriued had lost the true faith of Christ was rather a fit Church for Sa●han and other infernall spirits And I meruaile truly that Caluin ●nd Bez● do alledge that Councell as true and lawfull which was assembled against Christ himselfe as also by those who were not true belieuers in Christ yea who were filthily stayned with the most heynous synne of infidelity as Christ himselfe witnesseth but we willingly leaue such a Church and Councell to our Aduersaries 20. It was also manifestly foretould by the Prophet that Christ should not be receyued by the Iewes and that the Synagogue of the Iewes should then fall from her faith But the holy Scriptures teach the plaine contrary of the true Church of Christ to wit that Christ and his spirit shall remayne with her for euer 21. But neyther is that other argument which Caluin and Beza vse any better to wit that S. Augustine would not vrge the authority of the Councell of Nice against Maximinus the Arian For neyther can we vrge the authority of the new testament against the Iewes not because we haue any doubt thereof but because the Iewes do not admit the new Testament In the same manner when that Arian would not admit the Councell of Nice but did plainly rei●ct it S. Augustine should in vayne haue vrged the authority therof for otherwise it is well knowne that S. Augustine neuer had any doubt of the fayth explicated in the Councell of Nice the which euen our Aduersaries imbrace as the most true word of God 22. Such as desire to see any more concerning this controuersy of the Generall Councells let them read Bellarmine in his first second booke of the Church militant and Coccius in his first Tome the seauenth booke the 21. 22. article CHAP. XI Of the Authority of the auncient Holy Fathers NOvv it remayneth