but after a long and due Examination of the substancâ— of them hee refuted them soe substantially as to this day noe man of the Church of England hath answer'd him I observe in this place that this Gentleman spent a great deale of tyme in deliberation about seaven years before Adjuring said XXXIX Articles which hee once believed as you doe now Sall as Articles of faith which belief and Doctrin hee suckt from his Cradle much more tyme I say hee had bestow'd and deliberation in quitting them then you have done in deserting the Catholick Religion and its holy Communion in which you were bred and your parents before you which can not be spoken but to your shame and infamy The light and grace God gave to Mr. White the Gentleman I speake of led him out of Babilon in to Ierusalem and you without great musing on the weightiest matter can ever concerne you the damnation or salvation of your soule are fled from Ierusalem to Babilon The Tytle of Mr. Whites Book Schismatis Anglicani redargutio Authore Alexandro VVhite ex eodem Schismate per Dei gratiam ad fidem Catholicam Converso Viro qui coripientem dura cervice contemnet repentinus ei superreniet interitus cam Sanitas non sequetur Proverb cap. 29. Lovani typis Jeronimi Nempaei 1661. This Book Sall if you have it not allready you will finde with som of the Priestes there Such is my opinion and of the Devines of my side of the sound substance of this Book and the Reasons and Arguments and Authoritys of Scripture Apostolicall Tradition Counsells and Fathers hee produceth that I presume without all vanity to give a Challenge on the behalfe of Verity and the Roman Catholick Church to you and to the Protestant Arch-Bishop of Cashell I say I give a Challeng to you both and all that Profess the XXXIX Articles in the three Kingdoms to make answer to this Book This is not a Thrasonical defiance such as Mr. Iewell Bell and others Protestant Divines made to all the Catholicks in the world of disputing with them about Religion but the place of disputing must have beene in England they being sure the state would not allow therof this Challenge is only for answering this Book wherin Mr. White hath distroy'd the Babell tower of your XXXIX Articles which you will neuer build up againe This mans Arck hath cast downe your Dagon hee hath impeached your new English Creed the XXXIX Articles af a treason against heaven and verity I pray you Sall if you have any memory as yet left of mee peruse seriously sedato animo this learned Book one of two effects it will have that either it will convert you or confound you Now if your Arch-Bishop and you and the rest of your Devines shall refuse this Challeng doe not vapour hereafter of the light Doctrin and Sanctity of your XXXIX Articles nor of your owne maistership in Devinity for 18. years in Spaine My Reader you have heard Sall tell why hee went out of the Catholick Church But S. Augustin gives another kinde of answer wherfore such men goe a way from us Habent says the Saint calumnias suas August Tom. 8. in Psal 118. Conseioâ— 26. 1 Haeretici habent Scismaâ—ici quos omnes superbia de membrorum Christi compage proecidit When men begin highly to prise their owne learning and to censure and contemne the Doctors of Holy Church generall Councells and even the high Priest himselfe the Pope in matters of Religion as Sall hath now done and to interpret Scriptures according to their owne braine and fancy then swelling with vanity they break out of the pales of the Church Nature is strong in such kinde of men and grace weak and soe they easily fall into sinn Quia quod Creatura peccare non possit habet ex bono gratiae non ex conditione nature Poore Sall this presumption hath pulled you out of the Temple yea periit ipse Angelus superbia tumidus propria potestatis delectatione corruptus this hath beene and is your disease Smoth the matter the best you can pride will be found one of the greatest motives of your departure from us III. CHAPTER VVHat Guid led Sall out of the Ad secundum House of God it was likly the privat Spiritt of Protestanisme a kinde of Serpent that with hissing whispers infects the brains of curious men this spirit hath much helpt to loose the man Doctor Whitaker esteemed agreat Devine in the English Church defines this private spiritt to be an inward In Contro 1. q. 5. C. 3. contrae Bellarum perswation of the truth from the Holy Ghost in the secret Closset of the believers hart Sall with this deceiving guid you made your fatall Transmigration from our side I would faigne know where in Scripture or the ancient Fathers did Whitaker finde a ground for such a definition of his privat Spirit hee found it noe where and therfore likly hee made it in a dream This Spiritt hath not been knowne to the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church for full fiftien ages they heard nothing of it nor doe any of us claime it it is only a priviledg of your Church a pleasant Imagination that makes your people madd Exempli Gratia A Protestant with whome I conferred about Religion som years past told mee in plaine termes hee needed noe light or assistance from Saint Augustin or Saint Paul himselfe for to understand Scripturs being certaine Iesus who redeemed his soule would have a care that hee should not err in expounding of Scripture or any thing that touched his salvation I demaunded from him could hee prove by Scripture hee had that infaliable spirit or sacred light hee answered hee could and cited that place of David Signatum Psal 4. est super nos Lumen vultis tui Domine The light of thy Countenance O Lord is signed upon us I told him that Lumen was commonly expounded to be ipsa ratio by which man is the image of God as hee might read in the Book of Genesis and that by this light man was in his nature distinguished from a brute and that a Turck and a Pagan alsoe had this light as well as hee and by a good consequence had an infalible privat spiritt of expounding Scripturs as well as hee I alsoe assured him that his owne Devines would tell him the light understood by David was noe other then reason which is the image of God whereto wee are created like which was fixed in our understanding that wee may see and know there is a God that ought to be served adored and loved and that hee will reward his servants Next said I t is absurdity to say that a Pagan which denys Scripturs should haue a spiritt to expound the Scripturs which follows from your opinion But this and all I could say could draw noe other answer from the man then that hee was sure hee had himselfe from
wheat in his Barnflower out of which Sall like light chaff of pride thou hast flowen away wanting the weight of fortitude in thy faith Look well about you straying lost man and consider what you have done you have fled away from the Camp of Israel to the tents of Philistim you have stayned as much as in you lay the fame and renowne of the Order of the Society of Jesus you are the first of that Order of our Country that ever fell you have defamed your Nation you have poluted the â—and of Saints qua hactenus carebal Monstris But such sliders back and Apostata's as you and latly som others will make our holy I land an Africa you have in this your Apostacy dispised the power of Allmighty God you have belyed his truth you have againe Crucify'd Jâ—sus the Angells you have made angry the Saints you have dishonoured and men you have offended and scandalized Dic crgo mihi jam Sall hominum miserri me si non feceris scelera multa in domo Dei But whither glorying and boasting in that which is your shame your Apostacy soe runs the rumor of you whither will you turne your face where will you hide your selfe from the wrath of God where can you finde an azile of safty who will defend you who will take your part in the day of Extremity you are become for which my hart is much grived ludâ—brium fabula in gâ—ntibus Doe not say my words are bitter it is your great sinn against heaven makes mee bitter and to quarrell with you for my custome hath beene all my life pacem habere cum hominibus cum vitiis bellum I follow S. Augustins Rule Diligere homines interficere errores naturam amarâ— culpam odio habere quia ea faedatur natura quam homines amamus Soe that my Anger against you at present is piety and shall pray to be soe understood in this whole tract or confutation of your flight from the Catholick side for how can I be longer a frind to him that is becom a declared Enemy to God and his Angells by a publick Abjuration of holy faith In the first place the manner of of abjuring your Religion under the Tytle of a Recantion c. is vile and infamous could not you have performed this ungodly bussiness in that Arch-Bishops Chamber a work of darkness should have been Smoothered in silence and darkness noe but you must have used a solemnity in facie Ecclesiae Protestanticâ— ro have many wittnesses of your Ignominys would any man become bankroote a great infamy to a Marchant Publish his minde to the world If an incontinent woeman should put out in the Market-place a Declaration that shee was to make sale of her body soule and honour would not all of that sex cry upon her a shame upon the strumpet cauté si non casté This much to the Tytle of what Sall hath done now to what was done the Uggly Abjuration wherof much is to be said and spoken 1. What drew Sall out of Gods House 2. What guid led him the way 3. Having forsaken the Catholick Religion what Religion is hee become of 4. Who are the Doctors hee hath parted with and who they hee hath now embraced 5. What Company hath hee forsaken and who are they hee sticks unto 6. A discussion upon some principall parts of the Recantation 7. Certaine advertisments to said Sall. 8. The Authors harty Exhortation unto him for his speedy returning to his Mother the Roman Catholick Apostolick Church Those poynts I will handle as briefly as the Importance Of the matter will require and shall indevour by Gods blessing to give the pious and indifferent Reader all rationall satisfaction II. CHAPTFR TO the first query What drew Sall Ad primum out of Gods House Hee answers for himselfe that hee determined this change on a serious examen and ponderation hee had made upon the XXXIX Articles of the Confession of the Church of England for the safty hee found in them for salvation heare himselfe speak in his Recantation After ernest prayer saith hee to God for the assistance of his Devine light in soe weighty a matter I pen'd downe for better consideration the reasons I did heare read and conceive against the Romish tenets controverted I did alsoe carfully peruse and seriously reflect upon the XXXIX Articles Canons and Lithurgie of the Church of England to be safer for my salvation then that of the Roman Church You see gentle Reader this man pretended feare of his salvation if hee remained in the Catholick Communion and past to that of the Protestant Religion for the Devine Doctrine and satisfaction hee found as hee says in the XXXIX Articles of the English Confession Truly Sall I took you for a better Devine then to have changed soe rashly and unlearnedly the party you professed formerly to be of for any light truth or sanctity could be found in said XXXIX Articles I meane those of them different from the Catholck Religion One of these Articles vigesimus secundus Cui titulus est de Purgatorio runns thus Romana Doctrina de Purgatorio Indulgentiis Veneratione Adoraâ—ione taem Imaginum quam Reliquiarum ut de invocatione Sanctorum est absurda inaniter inventa nec ulla Scripturae authoritate nititur sed potius Dei verbâ— repugnat That is to say The Roman Doctrine of Purgatory Indulgences Veneration and Adoration as well of Images as of Reliques as alsoe of the Invocation of Saints is absurd and vainly invented nor is it grounded upon any Authority of Scripture but is rather repugnant to the Word of God Sall this is a false prophane hereticall Article of thy new Chosen faith Wheras the Worship of Images and Relicks wee Catholicks doe Worship but not adore Images and Reliques The Doctrin of Purgatory Indulgences and the Invocation of Saints is warranted by Scripture and Apostolicall Tradition and hath beene from age to age from the very tyme of the Apostles maintained taught and defended by ancient Fathers and Doctors Nominatim the foure most famous of the Church Gregory Ambros Augustin and Jerom as alsoe by the generall Councells and the continual practice and use of the holy Church and those who opposed themselves to those tenets and to the Doctrin derived touching them have beene condemned in all tymes as Hereticks Ergo this Article you Imbrace for a Theoreme and principle of faith for soe it is in the English Church is an heresy and you an heretick and soe I must esteem you to be If it were my purpose to sift and examine one by one such of these XXXIX Articles as ars different from the Catholick Doctrine I should not be in great trouble to prove them to be what indeed they are false and hereticall but that is done to my hand by a pious learned person bred in the Protestant Religion and for a long tyme a zealous defender of said XXXIX Articles
but not of Churches for hee allow'd no power or Jurisdiction to the Fmperour over or in the Church Sall you see how Ambrose by this undaunted generous answer denyed to yield to the Emperour one Basilica or Church for the Liturgy of the Arriaens the Empresse being of that Religion and you have joyned in Communion and Religion with those Protestant Bishops and Clergy-men that made and signed the XXXIX Articles and delivered up to Queen Elizabeth all the Churches in England and all Eeclesiasticall Iurisdiction and power over themselves and all the people in Spiritualibus which I am a shamed to write with those I say you have joyned denying to the Pope against all piety and reason over that Kingdome and People all Spirituall Superiority and therin you seperate to your great shame from Saint Ambrose The next conflict Ambross had was with Maximus who had kild the yong Prince Gracianus the holy Bishop goeing to seek the body of the dead Prince behaved himselfe like a noble and stout Prelate hee excomunicated the Tyrant for sheding Innocent blood and commaunded him to doe severe pennance for soe cruell a Murther After this Ambrose had a great encounter with the Emperour Theodosious which fell out in this manner Theodosius after defeating the Tyrant Eugenius who was killed in the fight which victory hee atributed to Saint Ambrosse's prayers and power with God being transported with an implacable anger against the Cittizens of Thessalonica for the death of one of his Courtiers slaine by that People in a tumult to revenge this mans death hee invited the People to the Spectacula or usuall pastymes in those days and gave order to the armed Souldery to inviron and Massacre the innocent multitud without Distinction of Age or sexe there were slaine by this blooddy Edict seaven thousand Soules This butchery being ended the Emperour took his way for Millan and thinking according to his ordinary custome to goe to the Church Saint Ambross with a Godly anger opposed himselfe and denyed him ingress giving him a severe reprehention in this kind Quid inquit tentas Caesar quid moliris tune Domini Templum post tam Crudelem innocentium hominum stragem intrare audes noli Caesar noli Priorem iniquitatem tuam haec te-meritate augâ—re exhorresco hoc tam immane facinus tuum gladium civium Innocentium tam iniqua morte cruentnm videre non possum Glamat Caesar de Terra ad Caelum contra te Sanguis innocentum That is What doe you atempt Caesar what are you about to doe doe yon dare to enter Gods Temâ—le after soe Cruell a Massacre of Innocent People Caesar doe not doe not augment the sinn you have committed with this new Temerity I abhorr thy cruell Act and I cannot indure to see your sword blooddy with the unjust death of soe many innocent Cittizens Caesar the blood of the Innocent Cryes to heauen against you What did the Emperour in this encounter receeving soe sharpe a rebuke hee revered the reprehention and the liberty of the holy Bishop and began to lament bitterly his great sinn and soe retyred to his Pallace not daring to enter the Church I may in this place say O Incomparabilem Pontisicis dignitatem O Imperatoris piâ—tatem insignem Soon after came on the feast of the Nativity when the Emperour much afflicted for his being kept out of the Church sent Rufinus prefect of the Pallace to have the Excomunication taken of this powerfull Courtier made account the Saint would instantly yield but the Bishop would not heare him wherfore the Emperour wholy compunct and penitent came in person to Ambrose humbly demaunding hee would give him Entrance into the Church on that holy Feast that heâ— might partake of the joy the poorest men in the Citty enjoyed but the Bishop said Quid agis Caesar quid poscis num tam immane scelere tuo dignam penitudinem ostendisti tuum est said Caesar remedia dare meum accipere imperâ— quid fieri velis non obsisto hoc solum ambio ut cum Deo meo in Gratiam redire possem That is What doe you Caesar what seek you from mee have you done condigne pennance for soe great a sinn It is said Caesar your part to commaund and praescribe a remedy and myno to receive the same Commaund what you will have done I shall not resist this only I seek that I may be reconciled to my God Then Ambrose seeing and admiring Caesars most Christian example in contrition and obedience received him into the Church with great joy of all the People Was ever under the heavens a more noble and pious contention then this between Tbeodosius and Ambrose I have enlarged my selfe a little longer though I hope not unprofitably upon this rare History and example of the zeale and fortitude of a good Bishopl and of the piety and obedience of a good Emperour Had wee in this age but a few Ambroses they would I dare say make the Church of God and the Monarchy of the world more Godly and happier then now they are And how to Saint Augustin Was there ever from the Creation of the world a more learned and humble man then this Saint What Heresiarch in his tyme lifted up his head that hee did not refute and knock downe doe not all learned men at this day draw from him as from a Spring and Fountaine all Wisdome and Learning Who among men was a greater defender of verity and the Church then hee What quantity of vollumes and books hath hee set forth to this effect noâ— Doctor profounder none more learned nor more penetrating hard questions and difficultyes in Scripture Fathers and Divinity then hee but in nothing more gloriovs then in his humble Books of Confessions Are not you Sall confounded in your soule for parting from this great Catholick and most holy and learned Doctor and adhering to those new unCatholick Bishops of England with theire XXXIX Articles for the most part of them condemned Heresies who have but the titulary name of Bishops and noe holy Order at all and consequently cannot conferre holy Orders on others wherfore as was well observed by a late Author the Church of England is noe Church because it wants Priest and Sacrifice What shall I say now of holy Hierome the great Oracle of the world for expounding Scriptures to him from all Places and Provinces Fathers and learned men did write for clearing and resolving deep difficultyes and obscure sences of the Scripture who a greater Enemy to his body then this Saint Who more mortify'd what an austere life did hee lead in the Wilderness of Syria where hee cry'd out in this Language O quoties ego ipse in eremo constitutus Epist 22. ad Eustochium in illa vasta solitudine quae exusta solis ardoribus horridum Monachis prestat habitaculum putabam me Roman is interesse deliciis Sedebam solus quia amaritudine repletus eram Horrebant sacco membra deformia
thing to be examined by you to know the Author matters nothing I desire not that Athistâ—â— read my writings such as 〈◊〉 not in God can make no 〈◊〉 fit of Godly things for my part I make more Esteem of a Pagan that adores stocks anâ— stones thinking there is a Deit â— in them then of Aâ—hises Neâ—ther is it my ayme thaâ— Maho metans or Jewes read this worke the first not believing Christ to be the Sonn of God though they hold him to be a holy Prophet and borne of a Virgin the other believe not the Mesias is yet come whose Fathers Crucify'd him when hee was borne and came among them and made Evident by wonders and miracles that hee was the true Sonne of God and the now living Jewes as blinde and obstinate as theire Fathers tred theire stepps spitting on the Crucifix and whipping it in theire Chambers and stobbing with poyniards the H. Sacrament with horrour and extream Malice wherof there are Many Authentique Histories My wish is this Book be only read by Roman Catholicks and by Protestants the first will likely be well satisfyed with this my endevours and from the protestant reader I only pray that hee will be pleased with atention and without prejudging to read all and after to speak with God alone about the state of his owne Soule and what Religion hee will Chuse for his eternall salvation The argument I doe not handle Scholastically conceiving not that the better way to haue my sence rightly understood I am for the way of fact declareing ingeniously what happen'd in England upon the comming in of both Religions what kinde of men were instrumentall in bringing them in what theire manners vertues or vices who of them were of Sanctity and who not who of them wrought Miracles which are Evident signes of true Religion which was brought into all Kingdoms Countrys and Provinces by Sanctity and Miracles I deny what Sall falling from his faith who gave me the occasion of writing afirms to witt That the Roman Catholick Religion is repugnant to humaine reason It were to make Religion fabulous and foolish to say it is contrary to wisdome and reason for what can be oppositt to wisdome and reason but folly and fables As Scripture by which soly many Protestants will haue Religion try'd excluding tradition even Apostolicall it selfe though it be Verbum Dei non Scriptum is the Word of God supernaturall written in paper with the hands of his holy scribes by Revelation so is Reason Gods naturall Word and Gods truth written by his owne hand in our soules Signatum est super nos Lumen vultus tui Domine Doth not all this prove a great agreableness between Religion and reason whereby is clearly evinced that Religion is not repugnant to humaine Reason Haue not Pagan Philosophers even by the light of reason without any other teaching perceiued in many things what is honest and what dishonest what just and what uniust what vertue what vice this is that light in mans soule which S. Basill calls Iudicium quoddam naturale per Bas homilia aâ—â— populum quod ab iniquis bona facile discerniâ—us And S. Augustin accounted soe much of reason that hee said Recta ratio vertus est And S. Aug. de util Credendi Cap. 12. if Caluins Authority were worth any thing he says Semen Religionis est in mente humana But I pray you heare S. Paul telling you the Philosophers were unexcusable for not hauing made the right use they could and should haue made of the knowledg they had of Cod by the light of reason Because saith Ad Rom. Cap. 1. hee whereas they knew God they haue not glorify'd him as God or given thanks but are become vaine in theire cogitation and theire foolish hart hath bin darckned How have these Philosophers knowne God not by faith but by the light of reason and knowing him soe they should have as the Apostle teaches glorify'd him as God I shew in this Book the number of Catholick Arch-Bishops that sate upon the Chaire of Canterbury to haue bin sixty one many of these haue bin nobly borne and many of them very learned and vertuous twelve haue bin canonized saints Your number of Protestant Arch-Bishops have not as I think bin aboue six as Parker VVhitgift Grindal Branckfort Abots Laud and Sheldon all of them lowly born and as wee heare meanly Learned of theire vertues wee heard Little And could those few and less learned and vertuous know more of Gods verity and holy will then soe many Eminent Catholick Arch-Bishops what in Gods name would make any man think soe You had fifty two Catholick Monarchs of England Kings and Queens I speake nothing here of seventy small Kings when England was devided into seven Kingdoms many of these haue bin of the Gallantest Princes in Christendome as Egbert that first reduced England to a Monarchy Ina Edgar Canut William the conquerour Henry the second Edward the third Henry the fifth and Henry the seventh many of them vertuous and Godly Princes and som of them acknowledged for Saints by all the Church of God the Protestants have had but five in all the first a Child of nine yeâ—ars Edward the sixth the second a Woeman Queen Elisabeth a Cruell a woeman who put to death Queen Mary of Scotland the present Kings great Grandmother which was an open Murther and soe Esteemed by all the world as alsoe in the tyme of her raigne 200. Priests and Religious men soly for theire Religion A woeman druncken Apâ—c Cap. 17. of the blood of Saints and of the blood of the martyrs of Iesus A woeman fitter for Brauery then devotion thee other three King James a lerrned and wise Prince his Sonne Charles a sober and good King the last our present Souveraigne King Charles the second of him let those speak that shall survive him But certain it is Protestant Historians will not preferr those Protestant Princes in vertue valor glorious atempts and magnificence to the Catholick Princes To speak of both Religions Catholick and Prorestant and which of them is safest for salvation I offer you here a remarkable reflexion and consideration as thus Ask of the Mahometan the Jew and of the Scismatick Christians as the Ruthenians Armenians and all of the Greeck Church yea and of the Lutherans and Calvinists that disagree among themselves which is the best and safest Religion they will all say after their owne the Roman is the safest which is an Evident Jugment that the Roman is the fafest of all much like that the grave Judges gave for the Lacedemonians when all the Provinces of Greece claimed for the Palm and praise in the glorious victory they obtained against the Persians Those excellent Judges before whome the cause was brought demanded of every one of them whome they thought to have deserued best after themselues and all answering that the Lacedemonians the wise Iudges gave sentence that indeed the Lacedemonians had
God an infalible spiritt of rightly understanding the Scripture In which hee walked Religiously according to Doctor Whitakâ—rs definition of the privat Spiritt Wee Catholicks that have nothing to doe with this privat Spiritt doe firmly believe God hath given a speciall Grace and infalible Spiritt of expounding the Scripture and defining Theorems of faith to generall Councells assembled together in the Holy Ghost Vbi duo vel tres congregati sunt in nomine meo ibi ero in medio illorum That likwise the Pope hath this infalible Spiritt quando loquitur ex Cathedra but privat men bee they ever soe great Saints or learned wee doe not allow this infalibility unto them though wee doubt not but the Doctors of the Church who submitts themselves in all to the Church are specially assisted by the Holy Ghost in interpreting the word of God The pride of this privat Spiritt makes Protestants to make noe account of the ancient Fathers and Doctors nor of generall Councells or any diffinition or determination of the Church Ex. G. the second Counsell of Nice defines the Doctrin of Tradition in this manner Si quu Traditionem Ecclesiae sive scripto sive consuetudine valentem non curaverit anathema sit The privat spiritt of Doctor Whitaker spurning at this Councell said Generall Councells may erre Behold one Doctor of the English Church doth blast with a breath all the authority and creditt of this generall Councell Tell mee Sall is not this a Spiritt of pride in Doctor Whitaker a little Pigme contesting with soe many tale Gyants of Sanctity and learning all the Biphops and great Doctors of that famous Councell If wee produce the Authority of Fathers and Saints excellently learned as Cyprian Gregory Ambross Ierom Augustin and others behold the Father of Protestanisme your prime Doctor Luther whom your Church terms a holy man and the Hely-as of Germany speaks resolutly Gods Word is aboue all the Devine Majesty makes for mee in soe much as I regard not if a thousaad Augustins and as many Cyprians stood against mee Was this man in his sences Luth. Tom. 2 contra Henricum Regem Angliae when hee vapered in this kinde but how did Luther prove the devine Majesty made for him by noe other means but by his privat infalible spiritt which hee supposed though by Scripture hee could not prove it hee himselfe had and those Saints had it not See now Sall if you are happy in hauing Luther a monster of sinne with his privat Spiritt on your side and Cyprian Augustin and the rest of holy Doctors against you whome you have forsaken to stick unto Luther By this privat Spiritt you Protestant Domineer over all sorts of men interpreting Scripture as you please and who interprets otherwise be they universitys Doctors Fathers Councells yea and the very high Bishop of old Rome himselfe all erre and why soe because they have not the privat Spiritt of Protestanisme what a rediculous thing this is even Common reason teacheth us By this privat Spiritt you Protestants admit for Canonicall Scriptures all you please and you declare Apocriphall what you please by this Spiritt you take what Traditions you please and by the same reject what you please by this Spiritt you disâ—anon the Books of the Machabees Ecclesiasticus and others those said Books have bine acknowledg S. Aug. in doct Christ l. 2 c. 8. Can. 47. for Canonicall by Saint Augustin and the third Councell of Africk You will doubtless tell mee that your chiefest Doctors Luther and Calvin had this infallible Spiritt in expounding the Scriptures and yet they give quite contrary interpretations of one and the same passage of Scripture as this Hoc est Corpus meum Luther understands Matt. cap. 26. that Text Secundum Litteram and says it is soe of faith to be understood and condemns for Hereticks the Sacramentariant Swinglians and Calvinistes who understand that place figuratively Luther hath this saying Englished I doe Luth. Ep. ad Har vagium Tom. 7. VVitt f 380. art 28. contra Lovanienses Tom. 2. VVitt. f. 503. protest before God and the world that I doe not agree with them the Sacramentarys nor ever will while the world standeth but will have my hands cleare from thee blood of those sheep which these Hereticks doe drive from Christ deceive and kill And againe in the same place Cursed be the Concord and Charity of Sacramentaryes for ever and ever to all Eternity Luther hee understands the above cited place litterally and possitively affirms that the body and blood of Christ is realy and substancially in the Sacrament of the Altar Hee likwise affirms but erroniously that bread is there with the body of Christ Calvin takes a quite Contrary way and affirms possitively the Body and blood of Christ is not realy and substantially in the Sacrament but figuratively see as hee expounds this Text Hoc est Corpus meum thus Hac est figura Corporis mei now what is more different then the Body of Christ to be realy in the Sacrament and the Body of Christ not to be realy in the Sacrament Sall reconcile the best you can these two great Doctors of your Church for plaine reason tells us if the Spiritt of one of them bee true the other must bee a lying Spiritt And those are the men these Monsters of incontinency and pride cover'd with all sort of vices are the Doctors and Masters you have now chosen Seeing then this privat lying Spiritt approves of expounding Scripture at will and pleasure allowing only such exposition of Gods Word as sorts well to the supporting of theire owne errors seeing it tramples all Authority of Councells Fathers and Doctors who expounded Gods Word differently from the Protestant Church seeing it ingenders contrariety in Doctrin even in the injoyers thereof as was now shewed in Luther and Calvin through each mans misconstruction of Scripture To conclude seeing the exorbitancy pride and petulancy of this Spiritt is such that it expects that all men should receive from it as from a second Moyses the Tables of our Evangelicall Law I pray sitt downe and saddly consider what you have done in following this pestiperous Spiritt and wandering with it have separated your selfe from your holy Mother the Church IV. CHAPTER BEfore resolving any thing upon this Ad tertum quere to wit of what Religion is Sall become having forsaken the Catholick Religion I must tell you hee hath been weakly armed against the evill temptation that overcame him hee hath not been a tale strong oak resisting the storme sathan rais'd against him but a wavering reed without strength or stay hee stood not stiffly upon the Rock of Peter but yielded without fighting Tempore tentationis recessit harken weake pusilanimus Sall to old Tertulian telling you Quod Hereses apud Tertul. prescrip cap. 2. eos multum valeant qui infide non valent That is that Heresies are strong against those who are not strong in theire
that this Doctrin was first invented in the tyme of that Councell The Canon or Diffinition of that great Councell was In haec Verba Verum Christi Corpus sanguis in hoc Sacramento Altaris sub speciebus Panis Vini ver aceter continentur Transubstantiatis Pane in Corpus Vino in Sanguinem potestate divina For the better declaring of this truth Sall you know the Church doth not make new Articles of Faith when it defines any controverted Doctrin It only declares that such Doctrin was delivered to the primative Church and soe downe along to us and groundeth its difinition upon Scripture or authentick Tradition As the Protestants object against Transubstantiation that it is a nouelty Soe did the Arrians against Consubstantiality that it was a novelty brought in by the Councell of Nice wheras said Councell did only define Consubstantiality to have been from the Apostles tyme an Article of Faith and decreed the same should be declared and signify'd by the word Omousion in like manner the Councell of Lateran did define for a mistery of faith Transubstantiation which was soe before theire Difinition and then they agreed upon the word Transubstantiation but the thing by that word signifyed was before beleeved as an Article of Faith by the whole Church though expressed in other tearms as those of Mutation Transmutation Transelementation Conversion of the Bread and Wine into the Body and Bloud of Christ In the mean tyme I can not understand how Sall a new Sacramentarian should dispute with us about the Doctrin of Transubstantiation seing hee slattly denyes the Body and Bloud of Christ to be realy and substantially present in the Sacrament What is more impertinent then to dispute of the manner of a thing or being that you hould has noe being The Lutherans who beleeve the Body and Bloud of Christ to be realy and substantially in the Sacrament though erroniously they likwise hould Bread to be there have some reason to dispute with us about the manner of Christes being there by Transubstantiation or otherwise The first Hereticks that impugned Transubstantiation were the Capharnites who said Quomodo potest hic nobis carnem Ioanes Cap. 6. suam dare ad manducandum And againe Durus est hic sermo When our Saviour said I am the living Bread that came downe from heaven If any man eat of this Bread hee shall live for ever and the Bread which I will give is my flesh for the life of the World The Iewes therfore strove among themselves saying How can this man give us his Flesh to eat This saying is hard and who can heare it Sall you see by this is becom a Capharnite and in this point soe are all that imbrace the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England About the yeare 780. certaine Greek Hereticks called Iconomachi held this Sacrament to be only an Image of Christ and that his Body was not realy in the Sacrament In the yeare 800. one Ioannes Scotus of the Latin Church fell into the same Heresie and after him two ages and more in the year 1050 Berengarius denyed Transubstantiation and the Real-Presence Before these men none did impugne this high mistery of Faith but all the Church did quietly and unanimously beleeve the Real-Presence of the Body and Bloud of Christ in the Sacrament and the aforesaid Iconomachi and all other in this point were confuted by the Fathers and condemned by the Church in severall generall Councells The latter Hereticks as Zwinglians Calvinists and and the like Sacramentarians have alsoe been condemned by the Church In this high point of Doctrin wee are to beleeve and maintain what the Canons and Counsells of the holy Church have defined as that of Lateran aboue cited and others and of the Councell of Trent expressly and distinctly Concil Triden Sess 13. Cap. 1. 2. 3. 6. difining this mistery in the 13. Session in the sixth Chapter it defines more especially the Doctrin of Transubstantiation which is the Conversion of the whole substance of Bread into the substance of the Body of Christ our Lord and of the whole Substance of Wine into the Substance of his Bloud Quae Conversio soe ends the Chapter convenienter propriè a Sancta Catholica Ecclesia Transubstantiatio est appellata The first Canon is in haec verba Si Cone Triden Sess 13. Canon 1. 2. 6. quis negaverit in Sanctissimae Eucharistiae Sacramento contineri vere realiter substantialiter Corpus Sanguinem una cum anima divinitate Domini nostri Iesu Christi ac proinde totum Christum sed dixerit tantummodo esse in eo ut in signo Vel figura aut virtute Anathema sit This Canon is point-blanck against Calvinians and Sacramentarians The second Canon is against Wicklefians and Lutherans the sixth doth define the Worship of Adoration due to our Saviour in the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist Wee cannot follow better guides and masters herein then the ancient Fathers men inspired by God in theire writings who all of them concerning the Sacrament of the Aulter have beleeu'd as wee doe and asserted the true and Catholick Doctrin touching the same in theire writings if Sall hath any esteem for those holy men let him take paines to read theire writings and hee shall finde I promise him that they all held this Article to bee of Faith to witt that Christ is realy and substantialy present in this Sacrament by Transubstantiation or Conversion of the whole Substance of Bread and Wine into his Body and Bloud I will not goe lower then the fifth age because Ptotestants regard not the Authority of Fathers later then that age in which liued Chrisostom Hierom Cyryllus of Alexandria Augustin Proclus Constantinopolitanus Theolet Gelasius Leo Hillarius Eusebius Emissenus c. In the fourth Century wherin the first Councell of Nice was celebrated Athanasius Hillarius Cyrillus of Hierusalem Ambrose Basill Optatus Gregorius Nyzenus Gregorius Nazianzenus Epiphanius In the third age lived Origen Tertulian Cyprian In the second Iustinus Martyr Pius Pope Irinaeus In the first the tyme of the Apostles Ignatius Dionisius Ariopagita Pollicarpe and others Out of all these Fathers and many more can be produced an infinity of passages clearly declaring that they beleeved the Real-Presence and maintained Transubstantiation or the thing therby signifyed and beleeved and that it was delivered from age to age from the Apostles tyme and that this was the Faith of the whole Church I will content my selfe which I hope will content my Reader in aleaging the Authorityes of some of them Tertulian who lived in the third age says Caro abluitur ut anima emaculetur Tertul lib. do Resurrectione carnis caro ungitur ut anima consecretur Caro Corpore Sanguine Christi vescitur ut anima de Deo saginetur That is The Flesh of man is washed with true substantiall Water that the Soule may be cleansed the Flesh is anoynted with true Oyle that the Soule
aussi That is And you doe the same 2. The Saduceans deny'd a part of Canonicall Scriptures You doe the same 3. The Scribes and Pharasies depraued the Bible You doe soe too 4. The Capharnaits would not beleeve the Body and Bloud of Christ in the Eucharist Nor doe you 5. Simon Magus said God was Author of Sinn deny'd Marriage was a Sacrament deny'd Free-will made a warre against Saint Peter You doe soe too 6. The Menandrens saith Saint Ignatius deny'd the Eucharist the Sacrifice of the Masse and averred the Body of Christ was not there You doe the same 7. The Gnosticks held them selves only wise and learned accused the Fathers of Ignorance Soe doe you 8. The Montanistes vaunted the Holy Ghost was only in theire Church they deny'd Confession and the Sacrament of Pennance Soe doe you 9. The Novatians held that the Church had noe power to remitt Sinn deny'd Confession rejected the Sacrament of Confirmation soe attesteth Saint Ambrose of them deny'd any Superiority in the Church affirmed all th'Apostles were equall and that Saint Peter was not cheefe soe attesteth Theodoret. You doe the same 10. The Catharians rejected the Sacrament of Pennance deny'd Purgatory affirmed Priests ought to Marry You doe the same 11. The Manichees mocked Virginity deny'd Marriage to be a Sacrament reproched Catholicks for VVorshipping Saints broack downe the Images deny'd Free-will mocked Catholicks for having memoryes of the feasts of Martyrs called Catholicks Idolaters for saying Masse for the dead said the Saints did not pray for us Threw away the Reliques of Saints as acurssed and abhominable things held the Eucharist as the Councell of Nice reports was but a Figure that the Body of Jesus Christ was not there You doe the same 12. The Arrians deny'd prayers for the dead would not receive Traditions said Bishops and Priests were equall cast downe Alters and Crosses hated Monks like aplague admitted nothing but the old and new Testament You doe the same 13. Jovinian mocked Celibatt or the state of Continency preferred Marriage to Virginity gested at the Vow of Religion derided Monks detested fasting on Fryday and Saturday and in Lent made noe Distinction between eating and fasting Marryed theire Priestes held that Fasting and Chastity did noe way profitt the Soule that Jesus did pray and fast for us all denyed the meritt of good VVorks affirming Jesus Christ had satisfy'd for all that all were Priestes that aman may live in vvhat Religion hee vvill You doe the same 14. The Waldenses that began the yeare 1160. Mocked the use of Chrisme in Baptisme and Benedictions Mattins and Canonicall Houres prayers to Saints and Lent deny'd Purgatory said Extremunction was noe Sacrament scoffed at prayers for the Dead denyed the power of the Pope derided Pardons and Indulgences said the Devill had invented Monks and Religious Orders held the Priest was as high as the Bishop You doe the same There are about forty Heresies more in said Litanie which for sauing tyme I omitt the same Author says that Luther with his German Apostata's raked up from Hell 404 Heresies Of Calvin I have given you an account in his owne Words Page 124. beginning thus Calvin comme une meschante Arragneé c. What ought to be considered in this place is that the afore mentioned Hereticks and their Heresies have been condemn'd by the Church and generall Councells this being soe I shall pray Sall as hee tenders the Salvation of his owne Soule to examine with how many of these Heresyes are the Protestants infected and how many of them are delivered as Doctrin of the Confession of England in the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England let him look well to what hee hath done it is certaine noe man sound in his witts will drink of a Fountaine wherin snakes and todes spitt theire Poyson no man will stay in a House infected with the plague if hee can gett out The second Advertisment Cleare places of Scripture in many points controverted make for the Catholicks THere is nothing more frequent then Protestants to bragg that Scriptures are for them in all Articles controverted between them and Catholicks This great Evidence they have as they say on theire owne side and therfore they lay a side Traditions ancient Fathers Councells Canons and Schoole Arguments they will stand to noe other Tryall but Scriptures and when they come to this test they are aground and faile quite in produceing formall Scriptures for themselves of the other side wee Catholicks admitt of Councells Fathers Traditions c. for good Evidences in desiding differrence of Religion between us and them which they denying wee bring express places of Scripture which they cannot doe as doth clearly appear in the ensuing Articles and matters controuerted between us them For example-sake wee Catholicks Real-presence for proving the Real-Presence have expressly Math. cap. 26. Ioan. cap. 6. Iac. 2. Iustification This is my Body You have noe where this is the signe of my Body Wee have expressly The Bread that I will give you is my Flesh You have no where It is but the signe of my Flesh. Wee have expressly A man is justifyed by Works and not by Faith only You have noe where A man is justifyed by Faith alone noe nor that hee is justifyed by Faith without works talking of works that follow Faith wherof only our Controvercy is Wee have expressly Whose sinns you forgive Absolution Ioan. cap. 20. are forgiven whose sinns you retaine are retained You have noe where That Priests cannot forgive or retaine sinns on Earth Wee have expressly The doers of the Law shall be justifyed Rom. cap. 2. You have noe where That the Law required at Christians Hands is impossible or that the doing therof justifyes not Christians Wee have expressly Vow ye and render your Vowes Psal cap. 75. Vowes You have no where Vow ye not or if you have vow'd break your Vowes Wee have expressly Keep the Traditions which you have learned Traditions Epist 1 Thess cap. 2. either by Word or Epistle You have noe where The Apostles left noe Traditions to the Church unwritten Wee have expressly Commaundements Math. cap. 19. If thou will enter into life keep the Commaundements And when hee said hee did that already If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell all thou hast and give to the poore and follow mee You have no where That either the Commaundements can not be kept or that wee are not bound unto them or that there is noe degree of life one perfecter then another Wee have expressly Work your owne Salvation works Phillip cap. 2. with feare and trembling You have noe where Either that a man can worke nothing towards his owne Salvation being helpt with the grace of God or that a man should make it of his beleefe that hee shall be saved without all doubt or feare Wee have expressly Doe ye worthy frutes Pennance Luc. cap. 3. of Pennance You have noe where That
Faith only is sufficient without all Satisfaction and all other works of Pennance Wee have expressly That every man shall be saved according Apoc. cap. 20. to his works You have noe where That men shall be judg'd only according to theire Faith Wee have expressly That it is a holy Cogitation to Prayer for the Dead 2 Mach. cap. 12. Sacrifice for the Dâ—ad 2 Mach. cap. 12. Voluntary Corporall affliction Daniell cap. 10. Almes Tobias cap. 12. Prayer of Saints for those on Earth 2 Mach. cap. 14. pray for the Dead You have noe where It is Superstition or unlawfull to doe the same Wee have an express example Of an holy man that offered Sacrifice for the Dead You have noe example of any good man that ever reprehended it Wee have expressly That the Affliction which Daniell us'd upon his Body was acceptable in the sight of God You have noe where That such voluntary Corporall afflictions are in vaine Wee have expressly That an Angell did present Tobias his good works and Almes-deeds before God You have noe where that Angells cannot or doe not the same Wee read expressly That Ieremias the Prophet after hee was dead pray'd for the People of Israell You have noe where the contrary to this in express Scripture I leave many places more that I might relate but these are enough to prove that express Scriptures are for us and not for you nor can you shew that wee are driven to deny any one book of the byble or to gloss upon plaine places of Scriptures as you are forced to doe I pray you Sall consider well these things for they touch narrowly your new Religion Further-more I dare give you this Challenge that whereas there have been soe many hundred Heresies for the space of one thousand sixhundred and seventy odd years in the Christian Church condemned and Anathematized by her and her Bishops if it can bee shew'd that the Roman Catholicks doe agree or participate in any one point truly and sincerly that was Iudged for an Heresy in old tyme and that the Roman Catholicks doe hold it in that sence and meaning wherin it was condemned that then wee will yield that our Religion is false and our Church noe true Church But on the other side wee Catholicks offer to shew clearly that you Protestants doe hold divers old and evident Heresyes that were condemned openly for Heresyes by the ancient Catholick Church and in the self-same sence and meaning wherin they were condemned as is evident in the Heresyes of Aerius against Fasting days commaunded by the Church and Prayer for the dead as alsoe of the Heretick Vigilantius that denyed Saints to Old heresys held by Protestants be prayd unto and theire Reliques to be honoured of the Heretick Iovinian that compared Matrimony with Virginity and other like for which wee aleage Epiph. Haeres 75. Hier. cont Vigilantium cont Iovin Aug. lib. de Haeresibus Heres 50. defence pag. 15. Doct. Fulke against Bristowes Motius pag. 54. the cleare testimonys of Saint Epiphanius Saint Hierome and Saint Augustin and the matter is soe cleare that Doctor Fulk his words are brought in against Doctor Bristo's motives saying that Epiphanius and Augustin were deceived in recording those for Heresyes which are not And that Ierome rather rayleth then reasoneth and that Vigilantius was a good man and his opinion sound Sall you see Mr. Fulk a grave Doctor in your Church drawne to that extremity in this point that hee is forced to Iudge Epiphanius and Augustin two grave and ancient Doctors and Saints alsoe to have beene deceived and Saint Ierom to have rather railed then reasoned and infine to say that Vigilantius a pestiferious condemned Heretick was a good man and his opinion sound Good Doctor Fulk you sore to high when you dare judge Doctors pillars of Gods Church to haue been deceiued can not wee say to you Fulk Quis te constituit iudicem Upon those eminent Doctors Sall this ought to trouble you in your new Religion that one of the graue Rabbins of your Church hath showd himselfs soe foolish and impious as to preferre Vigillantius a Notorious Heretick's Opinion to the Iudgment of three soe renowned Fathers in a matter concerning faith Speake my Frindâ—â—â— speak truth and shame the Devill is not this an intollerable presumption in your Fulk an obscure man not knowne out of the Iland of Brittain Sall I pray put these things together 1. That hee that houldeth any one Heresie can not be saued soe teacheth Scripture A man that is an Heretick after Ad Titum Cap. 3. the first and second Admonition auoyd knowing that hee that is such an one is subverted and sinneth being condemned by his owne Iudgment 2. It is confessed by both parts that only a true Roman Catholick can be saued as was declar'd aboue in pag. 40. 41. 42. and 43. as Doctor King Bishop of London proves out of your owne learned men and writers and cleare it is that hee that holdeth any Heresie cannot be a true Roman Catholick for that the Names and Natures of the things are repugnant and consequently if any Protestant of the English Church doth hold any one confessed Heresie hee cannot bee saued Now the cited Doctors have evidently showne and prou'd The now Church of England holdeth many Heresyes wherfore it cannot be the true Church and consequently those dying in that Church and Religion can not be sau'd Doctor Fulk saying those learned Fathers Epiphanius Augustin and Hierome were deceived and that Vigilantius the Hereticks Opinion was sound is a weak ground to rely upon in the present Doctrin and points of Faith and none but a madd man or in a fury of blinde zeal will give him creditt against those most holy and learned Fathers This is a high and dangerous point Sall you had need look well unto it The third Advertisment A dissention in Fundamentall points and Articles being between Protestants they must hold on another for Hereticks Ergò Sall if he mindes his Salvation will part from that Church IN the true Church the beleevers in all Countrys and places agree in all Articles of Faith as it is in the Roman Catholick Church and as it was in the Tyme of the Apostles as this Text signify's And the multitud of the beleevers Actor Cap. 4. Irinaeus c. 1. l. 1. had one hart and one Soule Saint Irinaeus excellently teacheth this Quam accepit Praedicationâ—m fidem Ecclesia diligenter custodit quasi unam domum inhabitans similiter credit quasi unam animam habens unum coâ— consonanter haec praedicat docet tradit quasi unum possidens cor That is The Church keeps diligently the Faith and preaching shee received as if the whole Church were dwelling in one House shee likewise beleeveth as if all the beleevers had but one Soule and one hart and shee preacheth and teacheth and delivereth all points of Faith as if all the beleevers had