wounding their owne Religion with their owne hands seeing all the reformation as they terme it which they haue made of our Catholike faith consists only in certaine pretended sequences and inferentiall deductions out of the Scripture If the Minister here reply that diuers Catholike Authours for all are not of that opinion doe teach that necessary and ineuitable consequences deduced out of the written Word are to be taken as Articles of faith then may you say first admitting so much yet such consequences are not Scripture and therefore what is proued only by them is prooued by that which is not Scripture Next demand of your Minister if hee grownd himselfe herein vpon the authoritie of some particular Catholike Writers if he doth then followeth it that hee grounds his Articles of faith not vpon the Scripture which by his owne doctrine he should doe but vpon the iudgements of certaine Men and such whom at other times hee absolutely reiecteth with all contempt and scorne And here he is to note that Catholikes as not holding the written Word to bee the sole rule of faith may without contradicting themselues teach the foresaid opinion which the Protestant cannot defend without mainly impugning and crossing his former doctrine of the Scripture being the sole Iudge of faith since as I haue said the Scripture in no place affirmeth that consequences drawne out of it selfe are to bee receiued as Articles of faith If our Minister secondly reply that our Sauiour himselfe in Matthew 22. hath argued from consequence of Scripture and prooueth thereby the Resurrection of the dead you are to answere thereto first that Christ our Lord by drawing any consequences from Scripture doth make the same consequences to become Scripture since whatsoeuer hee said which is recorded by the Euangelists is thereby become Scripture Secondly say that it is an Article of faith to beleeue that our Sauiour concludeth truly whatsoeuer hee deduceth from the Scripture by consequence since the Scripture witnesseth that he enioyed an infallible assistance of God neyther of which priuiledges can our poore Minister assume to himselfe Thirdly say it is true that the Resurrection of the dead is an Article of faith but the Scripture saith not that it is an Article of faith in that it is prooued by consequence from Scripture which is the point only here questioned of 5. In the fift place you may put your Minister in mind that euery true consequence resulteth out of two Propositions put in good forme of a Syllogisme according to the true rules of Logick but the Scripture deliuereth not any rules which are to be obserued in the forme of a Syllogisme or other approoued method of arguing therefore it followeth that when the Minister laboureth to prooue his Articles by consequences of Scripture he proueth not his Articles by only Scripture since Scripture as is said speaketh nothing of the forme of consequences and consequently in his controuersies of faith hee relyeth not vpon Scripture as only Iudge as he promised in the beginning to doe but rather vpon Aristotle who setteth downe the true rules and precepts to be obserued in consequences or at the most hee relyeth vpon the Scripture ioyned with Aristotle and then not vpon Scripture only 6. In the sixt place demand of your Minister who shall iudge of the consequence which he deduceth from Scripture whether it be good or no As for example in the former alleaged illation concerning Christs body in the Eucharist to wit The body of Iesus Christ is in Heanen as we reade in the Acts c. 3. therefore it is not vpon the earth vnder the formes of Bread and Wine The Protestant maintaines this to bee a good consequence wee Catholikes deny it Who must now iudge whether it bee a true or a vitious consequence If the Scripture must be Iudge hereof then cause the Minister to alleage some Text of Scripture which according to our Sectaries is the rule of all truth in faith affirming the Inference to be good If the Protestant Minister himselfe must iudge of the goodnesse of the consequence and yet there is no more reason for him then for the Catholike to iudge thereof who then seeth not that the Protestant vnder the pretext of the holy Scripture maketh himselfe sole and last Iudge of Scripture it selfe of consequences drawne from the Scripture and finally of all Controuersies in Faith and Religion And here you may further adde and demand how it is possible that an ignorant Mechanicall fellow who perhaps cannot write or reade can haue true faith of any point that is deduced by consequence from Scripture since he is not able to iudge whether the Consequence bee good or vitious especially where one of the Propositions is taken from the difficult grounds of Philosophie and then much lesse can he iudge of the requisite formes of syllogismes Hee must not here insist vpon the affiance hee hath of his Ministers learning who deduceth this Consequence seeing by so doing hee forsaketh the former Principle of the Protestants to wit that articles of Faith are to receaue their proofes not from Men but only from the written Word of God Againe seeing in the Protestants censure the whole Church of God may erre as is afore vrged in consequences drawne from Scripture and in articles builded vpon the said consequences much more then may any one Minister be deceaued therein 7. In the last place of all after the Catholike hath thus fully shewed by seuerall wayes that the Minister many times in his proofes hath relinquished the Scripture whereupon afore he pretended to relye hee may descend if so hee finde himselfe furnished with sufficient learning thereto to examine the truth or falshood of the Propositions from which the Ministers consequence ariseth though perhaps it were better iudgement to rest satisfied with the former Victorie as being more easily to be discerned by the ignorant Auditorie then otherwise it could be being gayned by long and difficult disputes Now in the examining of the Propositions of the former Argument for example which was this That body which is in Heauen is not vpon the Earth But the body of Christ is in Heauen as wee reade in the Acts chap. 3. Therefore the body of Christ is not vpon the Earth c. The Catholike I say is here to denie the first Proposition to wit That body which is in Heauen is not vpon the Earth distinguishing for greater satisfaction that one and the same body cannot naturally or by the ordinarie course of Nature be at once both in Heauen and vpon the Earth but supernaturally and by the Power of God it may be as we hold that Christs body is supernaturally and by the omnipotency of God both in Heauen and vnder the formes of Bread and Wine where his body through Gods infinite power hath no reference to any externall coextention of Place If the Minister doe proceede on further against this distinction still drawing one argument after another out of
that Christ in the foresaid words speaketh or meaneth of his owne body but only of a (*) So is this Text expoūded by Cyprian Serm. de Coena Domini Origen l. 3. Ep. ad Rom. Chrysostome vpon this place carnall vnderstanding of spirituall things If the Minister will not yeeld to you herein then will him according to his vndertaken taske to proue out of some place of Scripture that the former words are spoken of Christs body if he say he can cause him presently to repeate it if hee confesse hee cannot as it is impossible for him to doe then let him openly acknowledge that it cannot be proued from Scripture that the former words to wit The flesh profiteth nothing doe concerne the flesh of Christ much lesse the absence of it in the Eucharist 3. Thirdly the Catholike is to demand touching the interpretation of this Text of Scripture or of any other who is to iudge whether the interpretation giuen by the Minister be good or no. If he reply that the Scripture is to iudge of it then vrge him as I admonished afore to shew any passage of Scripture teaching that his interpretation of the former Text is good and true if the Scripture affirmeth not so much then is it the bare assertion of the Minister himselfe which warranteth his former interpretations of the Texts alleaged by him for true and then the Minister forsaketh herein his mayne Principle of prouing from the Scripture alone erecting himselfe the last and supreme Iudge in all Controuersies of Faith and Religion and then consequently he performeth no more herein then all Heretikes heretofore haue beene accustomed to doe to wit strangely to alleage and detort (e) So witnesse Tertul. l. de Praescrip aduers haeres Ierom. Ep. ad Paulinum August cont Maximinū Arianum l. 1 Vincent Lyr. aduer haeres the Scripture for patronizing of their Heresies and finally to make themselues sole Iudges of interpreting the Scripture 4. Fourthly for the greater confronting of our poore Minister thus intangled you are to demand of him whether his grauitie forsooth stands subiect to errour or mistaking in his exposition of the former Texts of Scripture against the Reall Presence if he confesse that he may erre therein then followeth it that his beliefe as being founded vpon a doubtfull construction and such as may be erroneous is no longer any true beliefe since Faith in it owne nature according both to Catholike and Protestant is most certayne and infallible If the Minister say that he relyeth in the interpretation of the Texts mentioned or the like vpon other learned Ministers of his owne brotherhood then leaueth hee againe the Scripture and finally relyeth for proofe of his faith vpon the bare authorities of certayne particular men But if his vanitie rise to that height as to maintayne himselfe not to be subiect to any erroneous mistakings in interpreting the Texts of Scripture then first cause him according to his owne prescribed method of prouing to alleage some place of Scripture warranting this his supposed infallibilitie of expounding and if hee vrge any Text detorted to that end and purpose tell him that if it make for his not erring in expounding the Scripture then much more maketh it for the not erring of the whole Church of Christ therein which point notwithstanding I meane the (f) see Whitakers hereof hee Eccles cont Bellar. controu 2. q. 4. p. 223. Iewell in his Apologie of the Church of Eng and part 4. c. 4. Luther epist ad Argentinenses Perkins in his exposition vpon the Creede pag. 400. For these Protestants teach that the Church of Christ wholly erred from Austins time till Luthers dayes not erring of the whole Church in it interpreting of the Scripture himselfe denyeth But if the whole Church of Christ may and hath erred in Religion and consequently in interpreting Gods written Word as the Protestant confidently auerreth that it hath then aske the Minister with what face can he being but a member of his Church and perhaps but a bad and vnlearned member thereof assume to himselfe a freedome of not erring when hee interpreteth the Scripture 5. Fiftly and lastly it behoueth you to heare at large the Ministers interpretation of Scripture and his proofes and reasons warranting his said interpretation and then you are to desire him to make good those proofes and reasons out of the Scripture alone which he not doing then are you to denie his said Explications Proofes and Reasons not obliging your selfe as being the Defendant to shew the reason of your denyall And it is more aduantageous for you simply to denie his expositions and proofes of the same then to set downe the reasons of such your denyall For by alleaging your reasons whereunto the Defendant is neuer obliged besides the danger perhaps of your owne insufficiency discouered in labouring to make them good you giue fit occasion and oportunitie to the Minister to beginne new discourses against your Reasons and so by degrees and afore you bee aware hee leaueth his Scene and windeth himselfe out of his vndertaken taske to wit of prouing his interpretation of the Texts of Scripture by Scripture to which method if you punctually and precisely tye him without suffering him to vse any digressions or euasions by questioning of you or otherwise as by his owne Principle Doctrine and often vanting he obligeth himselfe then shall you find him presently stabled and plunged in the middest of his disputes it being impossible for him to iustifie and make good his first vndertaking or his expositions of Scripture by Scripture alone And thus farre concerning the first kind of the Ministers alleaging Texts of Scripture in proofe or disproofe of any point controuerted Which course here set downe the Catholike is to obserue in all other Texts of Scripture which any Protestant shall vrge out of their immediate and literall Construction to proue or disproue any point controuerted betweene him and vs. In this second place it commeth in to prescribe certaine directions how an vnlearned Catholike is to answere to the Protestant Minister when hee laboureth to proue or disproue any article of Faith from the Scripture but this not immediately from the expresse and euident sense thereof whereof I haue afore entreated but only by certayne inferences and sequels necessarily as hee saith deduced out of the said Scripture This forme shall be exemplified in the former example of the Reall Presence the falsehood of which doctrine our Protestant Minister will perhaps labour to proue by an inference or deduction drawne from the pure written Word of God in the Acts chap. 3. where we reade that Heauen must receaue Christ vntill the time of the restitution of all things meaning that Christ is to stay in Heauen till the end and consummation of the World Now out of this place the Protestant Minister thus argueth as aboue I haue touched in one of my former obseruations That body which is in Heauen is not at
the same time vpon the earth vnder the formes of Bread and Wine But the body of Christ according to the former alleaged Scripture remaynes till the end of the World in Heauen Therefore the body of Christ is not here vpon the earth vnder the formes of Bread and Wine 1. Now before the Catholike doe answere directly to this argument I would haue him first to demand of our Minister if for want of expresse Texts to conuince our doctrine of the Reall Presence hee is forced to vse inferences and consequences from Scripture for wee see that place of the Acts toucheth not the Question of the Reall Presence but only by consequence which kind of arguing is euermore weake and vncertayne if the Minister will not confesse so much then wish him to insist in cleere and perspicuous passages of Scripture without any furtherance of Inferences omitting the more obscure If he can be drawne to such a confession then force him thereto it much disaduantageing his cause since at other times hee professed in great gallantrie and brauerie of wordes to confute our Catholike Doctrine herein euen from the vnanswerable perspicuitie and euidencie of the Text it selfe 2. Secondly comming to the deduction of his argument in particular the Catholike is not precisely to insist in the discoursing the falshood thereof leauing this to the closure and end of the whole Dispute But hee is to shew that euery true consequence or illation is drawn from two Propositions of which if either of them bee not in the Scripture eyther expresly or at least secondarily by another illation then doth the Minister in vrging such an argument as for the most part he doth fly from his vndertaken taske of conuincing the Catholike point by the Scripture alone Here then in the former Syllogisme to wit That body which is in Heauen is not at the same time vpon the earth vnder the formes of Bread and Wine But the body of Christ according to the Scripture remaines euer in Heauen Therefore the body of Christ is not here vpon earth vnder the formes of Bread and Wine You are to demand of your Minister whether the first Proposition which is That body which is in Heauen is not at the same vpon the earth c. be in expresse Scripture or no if it be then let him proue it from some euident and expresse Text if it be not then force him to confesse so much and next will him to proue the same proposition at least by consequence out of some Text of Scripture But hee not being able to proue the same by Consequence then force him to confesse so much in the hearing of such as are present who may cleerly see that the Minister hath twice or thrice already abandoned the Scripture in his forme of prouing Next giue him liberty to proue the said Proposition by any other Meanes hee can He hauing no other meanes of prouing it then in this sort from Philosophie only Euerie Body possesseth or occupieth at one only place and consequently it followeth that that Body which is in Heauen is not at the same time vpon the earth vnder the formes of Bread and Wine Here now our Minister is afresh to bee required to shew his Maior or first proposition which is this Euerie body possesseth or occupyeth at once but only one place out of the Scripture which he granting he cannot let him confesse so much publikely Then will him to proue it only by consequence from Scripture the which to performe hee is no more able And he then acknowledging so much suffer him to prooue his said Proposition by any other Medium he can But remember still that according to this prescribed method he be put to proue his Maior or Minor of his next ensuing argument the choice of eyther of them being left vnto your selfe first by expresse Scripture if not so at least by consequence from Scripture and lastly seeing by neither of the two former meanes hee can proue it suffer him to proue it as he may still proceeding with him punctually according to these directions in euery argument which hee shall make Which course being kept with the Minister must needes confound him in the presence of his absurd auditorie since he shall bee forced by this meanes seuen or eight times more according to the number of arguments made by him to relinquish and abandon his mayne Principle erected by himselfe to wit that nothing is to beleeued as an Article of faith but what receiueth it sole proofe from the written Word eyther in expresse Wordes or at least by necessary illation out of it 3. In the third place you are to demand according to our method in the first kind of Texts of your Minister being enuironed in these straits whether he is subiect to errour in his deductions and consequences of Scripture or no If he confesse himselfe that he may erre therein then can it not be an Article of faith which is proued thereby since faith as is noted aboue cannot bee subiect to errour or mistaking And then it followeth that it is lawfull to beleeue or not beleeue such an Article of faith as not being proued from Scripture but by doubtfull and perhaps erroneous consequences If he say he is not subiect to such an errour then disclaymeth he from another point of his doctrine as is afore intimated which teacheth that the whole Church then much more himselfe being but one illiterate fellow may and actually hath fowly erred in Articles of faith and deductions of Scripture 4. In the fourth place you are to demand if the Scripture doth affirme that what is deduced by necessary consequences out of it selfe for heere we suppose for the time that the Ministers Consequences from Scripture as necessary be Scripture or the beliefe of such Consequences is to be holden as an Article of faith or no Here I speake precisely of an Article of faith since it is one thing to say that a Proposition is true and to maintaine the contrary is to maintaine a falshood another thing to auerre the said Proposition to be an Article of faith Now if the Scripture saith that euery such consequence is to bee taken as Scripture the beliefe thereof as an Article of faith then desire the Minister that hee would shew you where the Scripture so saith of consequences taken out of it selfe If no such assertion is to bee found in the Scripture as certainly there is no such then how are those points to bee accounted Articles of faith at least by the Ministers owne doctrine which hee proueth from consequences of Scripture since the Scripture saith not in any place that eyther Consequences drawne from Scripture are Scripture as indeed they are not or that such consequences taken from Scripture are to bee acknowledged as Articles of faith And yet our Minister and his party generally teach that those only are Articles of faith which receiue their probation only from the Scripture deadly
Philosophie or other humane authoritie the Catholike may when it please him demand of the Minister whether all the Propositions which he alleaged in so many arguments be in the Scripture or no if they be not as certainly they are not but are grounded vpon Philosophie or other humane learning then followeth it ineuitably that the Minister besides his often leauing of Scripture before hath afresh abandoned the Scripture many times after the distinction was giuen And the reason hereof is manifest because hee draweth his Consequence from the written Word of God accompanyed with some nine or ten Propositions or more or lesse according to the number of the Propositions made Which Propositions are not found in the Scripture nor can be proued from it but are taken from Philosophie or other humane literature Of all which Propositions besides that nothing is proued by Scripture alone as it is proued by the helpe of them if but any one be false or through ignorance or otherwise misse-vnderstood then necessarily it followeth that the first proofe and consequence drawne from Scripture as implicitly and potentially relying vpon the said false or misse-vnderstood Proposition be also false and consequently the article as proued thereby can be no article of Faith And thus farre of this Example of the Reall Presence yet for greater illustration of the Method here prescribed and that euery ordinarie iudgement may become more capable thereof I will proceede further in exemplifying it in another point of Controuersie maintayned by the Protestants to wit that the Pope is Antichrist Now for proofe hereof the Protestant Minister doth commonly vrge that Text in the second of the Thessalonians chap. 2. viz. Vnlesse there come a reuolt first and the Man of Sinne be reuealed the sonne of Perdition which is an Aduersarie and is extolled aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped so that hee sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe as though he were God c. Out of which words our Aduersaries doe teach that the true portrayture or delineation of the Pope may be taken since say they this former Text doth euen literally and expressely personate the Pope 1. Now here againe according to the former method the Catholike is first to demand of the Protestant Minister who alleageth this place whether this Text in cleere and expresse wordes or only but by his owne presumed construction either nameth the Pope or speaketh of him in direct termes That it nameth not him it is euident That it is to be vnderstood of the Pope we denie but our Minister affirmeth 2. Therefore secondly you are to require your Minister to shew by conference of Scripture or otherwise where the Scripture affirmes that the points contayned in this former Text to wit a Discession or reuolt the Man of Sinne the sonne of Perdition one that is extolled aboue all that is God and finally one that sitteth in the Temple of God as God are to bee vnderstood of the Bishop of Rome If the Minister say there are some such Texts auerring so much will him to shew them if he grant that there is not any as of necessitie hee must then is the former Text wrested to the Pope only through the Ministers wilfull misse-application and misse-interpretation 3. Thirdly demand of your Minister who shall iudge whether this foresaid Text bee to bee vnderstood of the Pope or no. If the written Word must iudge as according to his owne Principle it ought then cause him to produce some passage of Scripture warranting so much if no other Scripture doth warrant so much then resteth it that the Minister soly becomes Iudge thereof and so he abandoneth the Scripture for Iudge and erecteth himselfe as Iudge 4. Fourthly enquire of your Minister as afore in the example of the Reall Presence whether the Minister in his application or interpretation of this Text of Scripture bee subiect to errour or no If hee bee then followeth it that the beleeuing the Pope to be Antichrist as being proued from the interpretation of this Text of Scripture deliuered by the Minister is no article of faith since it is grounded vpon that authoritie which is subiect to errour If the Minister say that he cannot erre in this his construction then as is afore deliuered hee swarueth from that generall doctrine of the Protestants which teacheth that the whole Church of God and then consequently any one member may and hath foulely erred in construction of Scripture and in points of faith deduced from such constructions 5. In the fift and last place examine his interpretation of the former Text more particularly and shew if your sufficiency of learning will extend so farre for otherwise content your selfe with your former demands how seuerall points in this Text cannot in any sort be applyed to the Pope and how the ancient Fathers haue interpreted the same Text in a most different sense from the Ministers interpretation and in the same sense which wee Catholikes deliuer as for example that the Reuolt or Discession here specified is not meant of any reuolt from truth of Doctrine as the Protestants affirme but a reuolt or departure from the obedience of the Roman Empire as (a) Catech. 15. Cyril (b) In hunc locum Chrysostome (c) In Apolog c. 32. Tertullian and (d) In 2. Thessal 2. Ambrose doe expound these wordes Againe that the Pope is not extolled aboue all that is God is euident and consequently that the Pope is not Antichrist since hee acknowledgeth God and Christ our Sauiour yet according to the iudgements of (e) L. 20. de Ciuit. Dei c. 8. Augustine (f) In c. 11. Danielis Ierome (g) L. 6. de â—â—â—â—tate Hilarius and others Antichrist shall in expresse and direct words deny Christ not acknowledging him in any sort as the Redeemer of the World That the Pope confesseth himselfe to be the seruant of God which by the former Text Antichrist shall not doe and that therefore he sitteth not in the Temple of God as God is also cleere And therefore answerably hereto wee reade that Damasus then Pope of Rome was called by (h) In 1. Timoth 3. Ambrose Rector domus Dei the gouernour of the House of God and that the Bishop of Rome was in like manner stiled by the Councell of (i) In Epist ad Leonem Chalcedon Custos Vineae the keeper of Gods Vineyard Lastly that by the Temple of God in the former Text is not to be vnderstood the Church of the Christian but the Temple of the Iewes as wee Catholikes maintaine and shew out of the ancient Fathers to wit out of (k) C. 23. in Matthiam Hilarius (l) Catech. 15 Cyril of Jerusalem (m) In c. 21. Lucae Ambrose (n) In hunc locum Chrysostome (o) L. 20. de ciuit Dei c. 19. Austine and (p) Q. 12. ad Algasiam Ierome All which Fathers doe ioyntly teach that the
Temple of Salomon which was the Temple of the Iewes shall be the seate of Antichrist and not Rome from which wee gather that in the fore-said Fathers iudgements this passage of the former Text cannot be applyed to the Pope This done Cause your Minister to disproue your interpretation taken from the authoritie of the Fathers or otherwise from the Scripture alone and vrge him to shew and set downe such passages of Scripture from which hee may make shew to confirme his owne Constructions and the Reasons thereof and to refute your interpretation and the Reasons thereof which hee shall find most impossible to performe And thus farre of this Text which the Protestants are accustomed to produce as immediatly and expresly prouing without any helpe of sequels that the Pope is Antichrist Now if your Minister should vrge that place in the Apocalips ch 17. as the Protestants are woont strangely to insist therein wherein S. Iohn speaking of the Whore of Babilon saith It is that great Citie which is seated vpon seuen Hills and hath the gouernment ouer the Kings of the earth From which Text the Protestants gather by way of inference and sequell that seeing Rome is seated on seuen Hills and that the Pope of Rome vsurpeth as they say domination ouer diuers Kings And seeing that by the Whore of Babilon Antichrist is vnderstood that therefore the Pope is from hence necessarily prooued to bee Antichrist Now here againe you are to recurre to your former Method practized aboue in answering to Texts of Scripture vrged by way of consequence in disproofe of the Reall Presence And first demand of him if for want of expresse and cleere Texts he is forced to fly to obscure places of consequences and illations And if hee pretend any more euident proofes of Scripture in this point wish him omitting all doubtfull illations to insist in them alone But if he will perseuer in alleaging this Text then for greater perspicuitie you may draw it into an argument in this forme Antichrist or the Whore of Babilon is said in the Apocalips ch 17. to sit vpon seuen Hills and to tyrannize ouer the Kings of the Earth But the seate of the Pope to wit Rome is placed on seuen Hills as all men confesse and hee vsurpeth rule ouer Christian Kings and Princes Therefore the Pope is Antichrist or the Whore of Babilon 2. Next desire your Minister to proue from Scripture alone two points in your Maior or first Proposition first that by the Whore of Babilon in the 17. of the Apocalyps Antichrist is meant secondly that by the words seuen Hills we are to vnderstand literally and plainly seuen Hills and not some other thing shaddowed thereby seeing in the Apocalyps most points are deliuered in figuratiue and Metaphoricall words I say will him to proue these constructions by some expresse Texts of Scripture If hee grant he cannot then cause him to acknowledge so much openly And that done will him to prooue so much by some consequence at least of Scripture If he make shew hereof then cause him to set down that other Text from the which he seemeth to proue his fore-said construction by consequence And thus accordingly in his next new argument and all others ensuing you haue the like liberty to deny any one Proposition I mean which to you shal seem more false and to cause him to prooue the denyed Proposition first from expresse Scripture then that failing from Scripture at least by way of consequence in proouing of which you shall doubtlesly find your Minister often to relinquish the Scripture and consequently to abandon his doctrine of the Scriptures sole Iudge 3. In the third place as in the former Texts I admonished tell the Minister that if hee bee subject to errour in these deductions from Scripture to wit that by the Whore of Babylon Antichrist is meant and that the wordes seuen Hills doe here literally signifie seuen Hills then can it bee no Article of faith which is founded vpon such doubtfull proofes if he be not subiect to any such errour then most insolently he assumeth that priuilege to himselfe I meane the gift of not erring which he granteth not to the whole Church of God 4. In the fourth place will your Minister as afore we haue taught to proue which he neuer can doe that the Scripture saith that what is deduced necessarily out of it selfe for heere you may suppose the deductions to bee necessary ought to be taken as an Article of faith though otherwise we should grant that the deductions be true 5. In the fift you may tell him that seeing the Scripture speaketh nothing of the true and approued formes of Syllogismes they being deliuered by the rules of Logicke and Philosophy that therefore admitting for the time your Ministers Texts and Testimonies for probable and truely applyed yet so farre forth as concernes the formes of consequences deduced from those Texts and heere insisted vpon by your Minister the Scripture alone cannot assure vs of the soundnesse of them and consequently it cannot assure vs to rest in the former example that by the Whore of Babilon in the 17. of the Apoc. Antichrist is meant or that by the seuen Hilles in the said Chapter wee are literally to vnderstand seuen materiall Hills and consequently that the Pope is Antichrist 6. In the sixt demand of your Minister who must iudge whether this Exposition giuen by him of the foresaid Text be good or no If he say the Scripture must iudge will him to alleage some Text of expresse Scripture If he saith that the Protestant Church or himselfe must iudge then put him in minde that he abandoneth his former doctrine of the Scriptures sole Iudge of Articles of faith flyeth to the authoritie of Man therein Lastly you may aske him if he would bee content as in reason he ought that the authoritie of the ancient Fathers might bee admitted touching the fore-said exposition of the former Text If he would then followeth it that besides his forsaking hereby the Scripture as Iudge hee would be conuicted of errour therein seeing the Fathers are traduced by the Protestants to be Patrones not only of other Catholike Opinions but also of this particular question to wit that the Pope is not Antichrist 7. In the seuenth and last place if you bee not content with his former ouerthrow you may if your reading and learning shall enable you so farre examine more particularly the passage of the former Scripture and shew from the contexture of the place it selfe first that by the Whore of Babilon Antichrist cannot possibly bee vnderstood seeing in the same Chapter of Apocalyps we reade that the ten hornes of the Beast there described at the comming of Antichrist shall make the Whore of Babilon desolate and consume her with fire for thus we there reade And the ten hornes which thou sawest vpon the Beast are they that shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate
this Discourse such aggrauating circumstances on both sides which so farre-forth as they concerne the interpreting of Scripture may iustly seeme to aduance the Fathers and depresse or vnderualiew our Sectaries they being such as in a cleere and dispassionate eye or in the libration of an eauen and stable hand shall be able I hope to weigh much and cause in this point an euidency of Credibilitie at least if not an euidency of Truth and to admonish vs to call to mind that counsell in Iob (b) Iob c. 8. Diligenter inuestiga patrum memoriam and againe (c) Ibidem Interroga generationem pristinam But to beginne 1. The Fathers liued in the times neere (d) Ignatius and Dionysius the Apostles Scholars Iust Martyr Irenaeus in the second Age. Tertull. Origen Cyprian in the third Athanas Ambr. Hilar Basil Nazianz. in the fourth Chrys Ierom. Augustin in the fift to Christ some conuersing with his Apostles others with their Scholars and therefore the more easie for them to know what expositions of Scripture were first deliuered and what Faith first preached Adde to this that the very practice of their Religion then vsed the Church then remayning by the acknowledgement of our Aduersaries in her integritie of faith serued as a Comment to them of the Scriptures Our Sectaries appeared so many ages after and indeed so late to wit in these our owne Canicular and vnlucky dayes as that their very writings wherein they first vented forth their doctrine may bee said to bee as yet scarce drie Men at this present liuing who can remember their first reuolt and insurrection so euident it is that their beliefe was neuer heard of before the deplorable apostasie of Luther Luther the Adam of his vnfortunate posteritie vpon whom is deriued by his fall an Originall Contumacy as I may terme it against the Church of Rome their perdition following ineuitably except they baptize themselues in the teares of an vnfeigned and contrite submission But to proceede 2. The Fathers for no small number of them euen from their Cradle Mothers breasts did suck those (e) Ignat. Epiphan Athanas Basil Nazianzen Chrysost Cyrill Theodoret. c. were Greeke Fathers in which tongue the new Testament was written tongues wherein a great part of the Scripture was first written and therefore they are much aduantaged the Letter being the shell of the sense for the picking out of the true meaning thereof Our Sectaries what insight they haue in the said tongues is only by Arte and industrie which euer subscribeth to Nature whereof if wee compare them with the Fathers herein they will appeare to be but yong and Alphabeticall Linguists which disparitie of theirs must needs be great since the Tongues in this respect may bee truely termed the Porters of Learning or the Mines wherein the riches of knowledge are found 3. The Fathers deliuered their sentence interpretations of Scripture many ages before the points of Faith and Doctrine for which they were vrged were euer questioned of and therefore what they writ was free from all partialitie and preiudice of iudgement the false glasse which euer reflecteth backe the sight of any thing in an vntrue forme Our Sectaries now after their Religion hath once got one wing doe after shape such constructions of Scripture as are most sutable to their Positions thus where in reason Faith is to bee framed according to the sense of Scripture here with them the sense of Scripture is to be measured by their faith 4. The Fathers though writing in different Ages different Countries different Tongues vpon different occasions like the earth which is most stably setled in an vnstable place euen with wonderfull agreement consent and constancie an infallible Character of Gods holy Spirit for non est Deus dissentionis 1 Cor. 14. sed pacis do interpret all the chiefe passages of Scripture vrged either by vs or our Aduersaries in one and the same sense in regard whereof it is lesse probable that God should permit so many so vertuous so learned men ioyntly to erre therein Our Sectaries indeed inter-league and jump together in wresting Gods Word from all Catholike sense but that done then beginne their irreconciliable warres and disagreements in seeking to appropriate the seuerall (f) Thus for example in that place of Matth. c. 16. Tues Petrus by the word Rocke Erasmus vnderstandeth euery one of the faithfull Caluin Christ Luther and the Centurie writers doe vnderstand thereby the confession of Faith Constructions to the vpholding of rich ones peculiar and different opinion thus they being instantly resolued in themselues from whom to flye but not whom to follow a Document to teach vs that Heresie is euer in labour with Discord and Vnion against the true Church presently ingenders Disvnion within the false Church for it is certaine that the seuerall Doctrines of our Aduersaries could yet neuer be wounded vp in one generall Confession 5. The Fathers did cut of all lets and impediments which might hinder eyther Deuotion or Study the two wings wherwith Mans vnderstāding mounts vp to the speculation of the highest Mysteries Hence it proceeded that they embraced perpetuall Chastitie contemned all Riches and Honours chastized their bodies with Fasting Prayer and other spirituall Disciplines thus according to the Alchymist making Mortification immediate to precede Vinification so as this course of abandoning the World besides Gods speciall assistance to all such truely Noble and Heroicall Designes cleereth and enlighteneth much the speculatiue power of the Soule the only faculty proper for knowledge otherwise ouer-clowded with the mists of wordly cares anxieties and distractions Our Sectaries though commonly at the first they euer haue the Gospell in their mouthes thus acting the Prologue with the Spirit but the Epilogue or Conclusion with the Flesh are in the end become so loth to be spotted with the least aspersion or touch of Superstition since (g) Osiander in Epitom Cent. 4. p. 99 p. 100. 103. no better they repute the Fathers liues as that they prostitute themselues as Drugges to the Word being become euen breathlesse through their earnest pursuite of Temporall pleasures dignities and sensualitie and raueling out their whole time in the gaining and enioying thereof but the lesse maruell since it is written (h) Rom. 8. that those who are after the flesh fauour the things of the flesh 6. The Fathers I meane diuers of them through Gods boundlesse Omnipotency vntwisting at his pleasure the thred of Nature for most easie it is to that powerfull hand which first created Nature to dis-nature all things created haue wrought many stupendious and astonishing Miracles some whereof were done in proofe and confirmation of their (i) Vide Cyprian Serm. de lapsis Ambr. de obitu Satyr c. 7. Optat. l. 2. contra Donatist Nazian in Cypr. Aug. de Ciuit Dei l. 22. c. 8. Chrysost l. contra Gētil Euseb l. 7. c. 14. Religion and though
KEEPE YOVR TEXT OR A short Discourse wherein is sett downe a Method to instruct how a Catholike though but competently learned may defend his Fayth against the most learned Protestant that is if so the Protestant will tye himselfe to his owne Principle and Doctrine in keeping himselfe to the Text of the Scripture Composed by a Catholike Priest Vincent Lyrinens cont Haeres Si quis interroget quempiam Haereticorum vnde probas vnde doces hoc Statim ille Scriptum est enim Tollentem Extollit It crowneth the carrier 1619. AN ADVERTISEMENT to the Reader GOOD READER Thou mayst vnderstand that some yeeres past there was printed a little English translation out of French concerning a Conference in France betweene a Father of the Societie and a Minister of Amiens wherein the learned Iesuite by tying the Minister to his owne principle of prouing the Points controuerted from the written Word alone did in the presence of many mightily confound the Minister This short English translation as experience hath shewed hath wrought much good vpon diuers But being aduertized that the Copyes of it are almost spent partly by losse of many and partly otherwise Therefore I haue here taken some small paynes to set downe in a short Discourse the said Method in effect holden in dispute by the former Iesuite but in seuerall points enlarged altered and moulded anew For omitting the French Confession of Fayth as being different in many articles from the doctrine of our English Protestants whereunto the former English Translation by discussing seuerall points of Faith there maintayned had speciall reference I haue first premised certayne obseruations for the better conceiuing of the Method here prescribed Secondly the Method it selfe of answering is more enlarged Thirdly where the Minister in the foresaid Conference much relyed vpon conference of Scripture it is here shewed that conference of Scripture euen by the acknowledgment of diuers learned Protestants is altogether insufficient for proofe of any Article Fourthly the Argument is here fully answered which may seeme to be taken by retorting vpon vs the Method here practized when we vndertake the Opponents part and office against the Protestant Fiftly whereas in alleaging of only Scripture the sole drift of the Protestants is to appeale to their owne interpretation of it reiecting herein the interpretation of the Primitiue Church therefore I haue here alleaged the iudgements of diuers most eminent Protestants accordingly condemning the Primitiue Fathers of flat Papistrie and consequently of their supposed false constructions giuen with vs of the Scripture Sixtly and lastly here are presented to the Reader certayne forcible arguments of Credibilitie priuiledging the Fathers aboue the Protestants in interpreting Gods sacred written Word all which seuerall passages are wanting in the foresaid English Translation And thus Christian Reader farewell and vse this my small labour to the spirituall benefit of thy Soule KEEPE YOVR TEXT A Discourse wherein is set downe a Method to instruct how a Catholike though but competently learned may defend his Religion against any learned Protestant so that the Protestant will tye himselfe to his owne Principle in keeping himselfe to the Text of the Scripture IT is too well knowne that Luther whose fall the fall of the starre in the (a) c. 9. Apocalyps may seeme to a dumbrate had no sooner by his defection from the Catholike faith endeuoured to ouerthrow the Roman Church but that there instantly was erected a new Church no no Church which brookes Innouation and Noueltie yet so reputed and after graced with the title of the Protestants Church This Church indeed this broken troupe of some few scattered and branded souldiers forsaking the ensigne of our Lord Iesus sweet Iesus doe they thus remunerate thy corporal death suffered to expiate the guilt of their eternall death labouring to iustifie her iniustifiable doctrine by declining all other proofs (b) 50. Luther in comment c. 1. ad Galat. Brent Prolog c. de Tradit Caluin l. 4. Instit c. 8. §. 8. Kemnit Examen Concil Trid. sâ—ss 4. made sole recourse to the sacred Scriptures so Malefactors flye to holy places for Sanctuarie where diuorcing the letter from the sense shee did so paraphraze the same with her adulterate Scholies and Expositions as that no Heresie so crosse to the Vnitie of Christian faith which to a vulgar eye might not seeme to be proseminated and sprung from thence Nor content herewith but further shee proceeded for Man once finally leauing God precipitates himselfe into an Abysme or infinit depth of irrecouerable inconueniences vndertaking to write most virulent Treatises against Apostolicall Traditions and the authoritie of Christs Church as ignorantly presuming that the more due reuerence was exhibited to them the lesse was ascribed to the Scripture Hereupon her members vauntingly gaue out for Heresie is euer borne with the Twinne of Pride that the superstitious Papist so pleaseth it them in their charitable language to stile vs was deadly wounded in all points of his faith with euery little splinter or passage of the written Word Which Word as is said they haue erected for the sole rule of faith auerring (c) So write the former cited Protestants besides many other As for example Beza is alleaged by D. Bancroft in his Suruey p. 219. for sole proofe of any point to say Aduerbum prouoco Cartwright in his second Reply part 1. p. 509. thus writeth We haue good cause to hold for suspect whatsoeuer in gouernment or doctrine the Primitiue times left vnto vs not confirmed by substantiall proofes of the Word D. Rainolds thus reprehendeth S. Basil and S. Chrysostome for their not admitting only Scripture in his conclusion annexed to his Conference I take not vpon mee to controule them but let the Church iudge if they considered with aduice c. D. Whitakers thus saith of Chrysostome touching the said point l. de sacra Script pag 678. I answere it is an inconsiderate speech and vnworthy so great a Father Finally to omit many others D. Wallet in his Synopsis p. 38. saith The Scripture is not one of the meanes but the sole whole and only meanes to worke faith that nothing is to be beleeued as an Article of faith which hath not it proofe taken from thence and that themselues will confound the poore Papist in any point whatsoeuer of Religion from the Scripture it selfe scorning to borrow any other proofes then from the writings of the Prophets the Apostles and the Euangelists But this is a meane frothy oftentation of wordes and as the learned Catholike well knoweth inuented only to retaine that grace and fauour which they haue already gained from the weake iudgements of their abused followers And therefore to represse this their inconsiderate venditation of prooning what they pretend only from the Scripture they here telling vs that as a Diamond cuts a Diamond so one place of Scripture best explicates and vnfolds another I doe challenge the Protestant peremptorily to stand to this his
would say c. or this is the meaning of such a Text c. but it sufficeth for vs to presse only the most obuious familiar and literall sense of the said Texts Now to that second part of the former Obiection where it is vrged that the Catholike insisting in Proofes drawne from Philosophie or from humane authorities of the Pope Fathers Councels and the like stands obnoxious to the same inconueniences whereunto the Protestant by vrgeing proofes of like nature is iudged in this discourse to runne I answere to this first that seeing the Catholike notwithstanding all due reuerence and honour to the Scripture acknowledgeth not the Scripture to be the sole rule or square of Faith that therefore hee may seeke to proue his articles from other testimonies then only Scripture Secondly I say that the Catholike beleeueth not any point as an article of faith because it receiueth it proofe from humane authorities since they are holden as morall inducements only of faith the Church of God being the Propounder of such diuine Mysteries and the reuelation of them made by God the true Formall and last Cause of our beliefe of them Lastly I answere that the supreme Bishop or generall Councell from whom the Catholike drawes his authoritie are not simply humane authorities but withall diuine and supernaturall Since the one is the head of the Church the other the mysticall body of Christ to both which himselfe hath (q) Mat. 16. 1. Tim. 3. giuen infallible assistance in points touching Mans saluation and hath (r) Mat. 18. threatned that they who finally shall denie this assistance shall neuer enter into the spirituall Canaan And thus much touching the solution of the former obiection Hitherto wee haue discoursed of the Method which is to be obserued by an vnexperienced Catholike with a ready and prepared Protestant Scripturist where if we deeply weigh what can be the last hope of such a Disputation we shall find that the finall resolution of all would runne to this point to wit to know what credit and affiance is to be giuen to certayne exorbitant constructions of Scripture forged against all true contexture of the passages themselues and crossed by the reuerent Antiquitie of the purest Ages by which course the Protestant stands no lesse chargeable in beleeuing of errours then in not beleeuing the truth So as this must be in all likelihood the issue of all for so long as the Protestant Minister perseuers in alleaging of Scripture so long he expects that we should reuerently entertayne that sense and construction of it which his worthy-selfe vouchsafeth with wonderfull pertinacie of iudgement the very Crisis of all Hereticall disease to impose vpon it thus making himselfe in the end sole Iudge both of the Scripture and of all Controuersies from thence to be proued For to admit our expositions of the Scripture he scornes solemnely affirming that it were openly to patronize superstition to follow the iudgements of the ancient Fathers in their interpreting of it he is no more willing since he is content to charge and insimulate though truly the said Fathers within the defending of our supposed errours And hence it is that diuers of our Aduersaries haue disgorged out of their impure stomachs most Serpentine and venimous speeches against those Lamps of Gods Church And answerably hereto we finde Luther the right hand of Satan thus to belch forth in his Inuectiues against the Fathers of the Primitiue Church saying (Å¿) Tom. 2. Wittenberg An. 1551. l. de serm arbitr p. 434. The Fathers of so many ages haue beene plainly blind and most ignorant in the Scriptures they haue erred all their life time and vnlesse they were amended before their deaths they were neither Saints nor pertayning to the Church Thus Luther Doctor Whitaker saith (t) Cont. Duraeum l. 6. p. 423. The Popish Religion is a patched Couerlit of the Fathers errours sewed together The pretended Archbishop of Canterbury (u) In his defence to the answere of the Admonit p. 473. How greatly were almost all the Bishops of the Greeke Church and Latine also for the most part spotted with doctrines of Free-will of Merit of Inuocation of Saints and such like Beza (x) Epist Theol. epist 1. p. 5. Itaque dicere nec immerito c. I haue been accustomed to say and I thinke not without iust cause that comparing our times with the ages next to the Apostles we may affirme that they had more conscience and lesse knowledge and we more knowledge and lesse conscience So Beza Melancton (y) In 1. Cor. c. 3. Presently from the beginning of the Church the ancient Fathers obscured the doctrine concerning the iustice of Faith increased Ceremonies and deuised peculiar Worships Finally (z) L. de notis p. 476. Peter Martyr speaking of our Catholike doctrines thus saith So long as wee doe insist vpon Councels and Fathers wee shall be alwayes conuersant in the same Errours But who is more desirous to see at large how the Fathers of the Primitiue Church are first confessed by Protestants to teach euery particular article of our Catholike and Roman Faith Secondly reiected by the Protestants for teaching such doctrines Thirdly abusiuely alleaged by the Protestants for the more debasing of the said Fathers let him peruse (a) viz. tract 1. and 2. throughout that most exquisite and excellent Worke the very scourge of our moderne Heretikes stiled The Protestants Apologie of the Roman Church from which I acknowledge that I haue discerped these last few testimonies In this manner now you see wee find not only Vertue Learning and Antiquitie to be most shamefully traduced by Vice Ignorance and Innouation but also our selues consequently by reason of our refuge made to the Fathers Commentaries for the exposition of the Scripture to bee mightily wronged by our Aduersaries as if vnder the pretext of Antiquitie wee laboured to introduce Noueltie Now from all this it necessarily followeth that in the rigid censure of these seuen Iudges the ancient Fathers those Champions I meane of the true Israelites against the wicked Philistians whose pennes were peculiarly guided by God to the pursuite and profligations of future Heresies did most foulely contaminate and defile the beautie of the holy Scripture with their erroneous Commentaries since they beleeued nothing but what as they thought was warrantable at least not repugnant to those diuine writings thus distilling by their misconstruction of it to vse our Aduersaries owne phraze our Superstitious and Babylonian Religion But since it importeth much to the picking out of the true sense of Scripture alleaged by the Protestant against vs and consequently to the drift of this small Treatise to shew whether it is more probable that the Fathers whose ioynt interpretation of Scripture is euer coincident and conspires with ours should rather not erre in their exposition of it then our nouelizing Sectaries therefore I will more largely set downe which shall serue as the Catastrophe to close vp