to perferme it yea you say the Church is not only able to performe the office of guide but also that alwayes in fact she doth exercise the same in teaching all necessary truth But you say pag. 163. lin 9. A Church of one denomination distinguished from all others by adhering to such a Bishop such a determinate Church alone can performe the office of Guide and Directour And Pag. 105. n. 239. lin 30. No Church can possibly be fit to be a guide but only a Church of some certaine denomination as the Greeke the Roman the Ahissine Wherefore the Visible Catholique Church being fit and able to performe the office of Guide and Directour as you grant she is and that it is essentially necessary that she be so she is and of necessity must be a Church of one denomination subiect to one certaine supreme Guide and Bishop 4. From these most certaine truthes by you granted approued and proued it is necessarily and euidently consequent that the Roman Church is the Visible Catholique Church of God an infallible Teacher of all fundamentall and necessary truth yea infallible in all thinges she proposes as matter of fayth This I say is cleerely consequent of the former grants For the visible Church being the Guide Teacher and Directour of men is on the one side a Church of one denomination else she could not performe that office of guide which she doth as you confesse alwayes actually performe On the other side being the Catholique that is the Vniuersall Church she must be spread ouer the face of the earth as the Roman is in Europe Africa Asia America and in many of the particular Kingdomes and Prouinces of these foure quarters of the world So that the wordes of S. Paul to the Romans come to be verified no lesse now then at that time your fayth is renowned and published in the whole world Which vniuersality or vniuersal Vnity agrees to no other Church of one denomination as is manifest Wherefore the Roman Church is the Holy Catholique Church the infallible guide of men in the way of Saluation 5. Hence is concluded the security of Roman Catholiques that they cannot possibly erre about matters of fayth so long as they follow the dogmatical directions and definitions of the Roman Church Contrariwise they who oppose what they know to be proposed by her as matter of fayth erre Heretically damnably and cannot possibly be saued without expresse repentance of their errours The Conclusion 6. THis argument of the assured Saluation of Roman Catholiques and of the assured damnation of all the knowing opposers of their Religion and Church being thus euidently demonstrated for Conclusion I could wish an Ocean of teares of bloud endued with the quality of mollifying hearts as hard as the Adamant for so I might condignely and fruitefully deplore the pittifull state the commiserable condition the vnfortunate thraldome in Errour of many millions in our deare Country caused by mortall auersion from the true Catholique Church which is instilled into their mindes by Heretical education 7. They grant conuicted by the euidence of Gods word that the Catholique Church is the ground and rocke of Truth wheron men may securely rest and rely an infallible Guide and teacher of all Fundamentals consequently of all euen profitable truth about Diuine matters They further acknowledge conuicted by experience and reason that the Church cannot be fit orable to performe the office of guide Directour except it be of one denomination of one obedience subiect to one determinate Bishop as her supreme Pastour and Gouernour They cannot but see with their eyes there is no Church Catholique or vniuersally diffused of one Fayth of one Obedience of one Denomination subiect to one Pastour acknowledged of all of that Religion but the Roman Consequently that there is no Church besides the Roman fit or able to performe the office of Guide and Directour to men that are saued as the true Catholique Church is bound to do and alwayes actually doth These thinges they confesse or see and yet so inflexible is the obstinacy the passion pride against the Roman Church wherwith Education like Medusa's head hath dulled stupifyed and instoned their soules as they contemne her Direction forsakes her Communion hate her Authority scorne her Motherly care of their Saluation running to perdition in the way of their owne fallible and palpably false conceytes fancied to be Scripture 8. Why did our Sauiour make his Church the pillar and ground of truth that is an infallible Teacher of the doctrine of Saluation but that he would haue men to make vse of her teaching As knowing that through a world of errours which carry with them a faire shew of truth they could not attayne to eternal Happinesse without a Visible infallible Guide No doubt when he gaue her the office of Mother he bound vs as we would be his Children and Heyres to loue honour and reuerence Her and to liue alwayes in the lap of her Communion When he gaue her the office of Guide he bound vs to follow her directions as we desire to speed in our iourney to him and to come to see for euer his Blessed face When he gaue her the office of Rocke he obliged vs to build our fayth and hope of Saluation on her Teaching assuring vs that no sublimity of wit vnderstanding no height of perfection be it in our conceite neuer so eleuate can reach to Heauen which is not grounded on the neuer-fayling fortitude of this Rocke 9. They then that haue disioyned themselues from the wombe and lap of this Mother can neuer be so in Gods fauour as to be his Children the Heyres of his glory the fellow heyres with Christ They that follow not the Directions of this euer vn-erring Guide be not in the way towardes him that is Truth and Life but wander in a wildernesse of Errour the issue wherof is eternall Death· They that haue not setled the feete of their Fayth and Affection on this Rocke the sole Rocke of safety in this vast Ocean of dangers what are they but wauing and wauering Babes floating in a sea of vncertainties tossed this way and that way with euery gust of erroneous doctrine 10. For a man not to belieue that our Sauiour did institute his Church to continue for euer the Teacher of all sauing truth the Rocke of Saluation against which the gates of Hell shall neuer preuayle what is this but to stop his eares against the cleer and plaine voyce of his word For a man to say that he gaue the office of Guide to a confused multitude and Chaos of different Religions and Obediences and not to a Church of one denomination which alone is able to performe that office what is it but to open his mouth into blasphemies against his Diuine Wisedome For a man not to see that there is no vniuersally diffused Church in the world of one fayth and obedience all the Professours thereof adhering
which moueth D. Potter such other Ministers to maintaine the errours of the Roman Church to be but littleones and not damnable but because they dare not hold the contrary in regard of the vnchristian absurdities which they perceiue to be consequent theron as by the next Section will appeare All Christians of former ages damned if the errours of the Roman Church be damnable of themselues §. 5. 13. CAn any absurdity be more vast and vnchristian then this contained in the title of this paragraph What wonder if Protestants that be moderate and not carried away with precipitous zeale through horrour to be forced vnto this immanity dare not affirme that our errours are in themselues damnable though otherwise their little loue towardes vs considered they could do it with all their heart To proue this vast absurdity to be consequent vpon the said proposition we must suppose what no man doth or can deny that for many ages before Luther all the famous men for learning and sanctity who by heroicall actes of Charity and other Christian vertues and working of Miracles maintained the credit of the Christian name held the doctrines of the Roman Church which Protestants contend to be erroneous The fame is also euident concerning the Fathers of the more Primitiue times and is confessed by Protestantes namly D. Whitgift late Archbishop of Canterbury Almost all the Bishops and Writers of the Greeke Church and of the Latin also for the most part were spotted with the doctrines of free-will of Merit of Inuocation of Saintes and such like So that if the Doctrines of the Roman Church which Protestantes traduce as erroneous be damnable of themselues it is consequent that the most famous Bishops Doctours and Saints in so many former Christian ages were guilty of errours in themselues and of themselues damnable which being so they should be all certainly damned without any hope of their Saluation 14. This consequence I proue by what you by write pag. 403. lin 30. They that haue vnderstanding and meanes to discouer their errours and neglect to vse them we dare not flatter with so easy a censure as to giue them hope of Saluation But the eminent Fathers and Christian Saintes of so many ages before Luther had sufficient vnderstanding and meanes to discouer their errours and yet neuer made vse of them They had excellent vnderstandings they were verst in all manner of sciences they had the holy Scripture which you say is the only meanes to know all necessary truth and to discouer all damnable errours a meanes not only sufficient but also in your iudgment most playne and easy so that men not only may but also cannot but therin discouer which be damnable errours except they wilfully shut their eyes against the light Therefore there is no hope of the saluation of the Ancient Fathers and Saintes of former Christian ages if your Proposition be true they who had sufficient vnderstanding and meanes to discouer their errours and neglected to vse them there is for them no hope of Saluation Moreouer pag. 279. num 64. lin 8. you say that which is in it selfe damnable will actually bring damnation vpon them that keep themselues in it by their owne voluntary and auoydable fault But the Ancient Fathers and holy Saints in the ages before Luther held the doctrines of the Roman Church which you account damnable full of great impiety and Idolatry they kept thēselues in them according to your groūds by their owne voluntary and auoydable fault for they had sufficient meanes to discouer their errours to wit they had the holy Scripture wherin as you say these errours are discouered not onely with sufficient but also with abundant clarity that there cannot possibly be greater you must therefore of necessity grant that these damnable and impious errours if they be such as you say they are brought actually damnation vpon the Fathers and Saints of former ages Agayne page 290. lin 2. of liuing in the Communion of the Roman Church and approuing her doctrines and practises you say Though we hope it was pardonable in them who had no meanes to know their errour yet of its owne nature and to them who did or might haue knowne their errour it was certainely damnable Now the holy Fathers and Christian Saints of former ages might haue knowne our errours if they be errours because they had the holy Scriptures in which you say such errours are discouered their damnable falshood so plainly as nothing can be more If then you say true that the Roman Religion is full of great impiety and damnable doctrines it is euidently consequent by your principles that all holy Bishops Doctours and Saints who are confessed to haue held the sayd doctrines are certainly damned for euer no hope remaining of their saluation Wherfore the reason why Protestants hold our Religion safe and a sure way to Heauen as being free from damnable errour is not Charity and excesse of good will they beare to our persons as they pretend but feare of the vast absurdity which they see consequent thereupon that so many former ages and worldes of holy Bishops Doctours Conuerters of Nations workers of Miracles and admirable Saints are certainly damned 15. There be many Protestant Ministers that could find in their hearts to grant this dismall position of the damnation of the ancient euer esteemed Saints if the same would stand them in steed to maintaine the diuision from the Roman Church yet they dare not venture cleerly to auerre so much for feare that this would produce the contrary effect and moue many of their followers to recoyle back from them For in the separation made by Luther from the Roman Church there be many piously inclined mindes carefull of their future eternity either of weale or woe cordially desirous to be secure of the happines of the one and mighty fearefull to fall into the misery of the other Should Protestant Ministers cleerly deliuer their mindes that the Roman Religion is damnable euen of it selfe a direct way to Hell and that such as walke or haue walked therein are certainely damded these piously disposed and timerous Soules would feele horrour to be of the Protestant Religion which cannot be the way of saluation except the Roman Christianity so great so glorious so continued from Christ and his Apostles contayning within her bosome so many worlds of holy Bishops learned and pious Pastours and of admirable Saints be damned at least all the intelligent Professors therof The apprehension of this dreadfull and dangerous state amazed euen the stout and curst heart of Luther whē he saw himselfe engaged in a course out of which he could not issue with saluation except so many former ages of Saints were damned How often sayth he did my heart tremble and pant within my breast obiecting against me that most stronge argument Art thou onely wise Did so many Christian worldes in former ages all erre What if perhaps
so many glorious markes of the true Christian Church to reiect the definition of Generall Councels without any necessary and inforing reasons without any sure ground or euident certainty that they be errours No doubt such an one the more ignorant that he is the more damnable wretch he is and by so much is his pride more detestable Wherfore Protestants if in their vndertaking and venturing to reiect the definition of Councels and the receaued Traditions of so many former Christian ages they chance to erre though but out of simplicity and ignorance this simplicity and ignorance will not excuse and mitigate but rather accuse and aggrauate the crime of their erring presumption and pride 7. This truth that Protestants cannot be saued by ignorance as Roman Catholiques may you seeme to acknowledge pag. 285. lin 7. We assure our selues if our liues be answerable we shall be saued by our knowledge And we hope and I tell you agayne spes est rei incertae nomen that some of you may possibly be saued by occasion of their vnaffected ignorance Behold the way of saluation by Ignorance you leaue vnto vs and in your great excesse of charity hope that some of vs may possibly be saued throgh ignorance But you Protestants are sure to be saued by your knowledge by your euident certainty that the truth standes on your side against the definition of former Christian worlds Now if this be the case of Protestants that they must be saued by their owne knowledge by being sure they haue such euident certainty of truth as may counter poyse the authority of so many Christian ages and Councels how pittifull and lamentable is their case They cannot be saued except they be furnisht with knowledge and euident certainty that they haue truth on their side For if they want this knowledge they cannot prudently nor without execrable Pride oppose Generall Councels which stand for the Roman Doctrines But Protestants at least millions of them are as sure and certayne as they liue that they haue no such knowledge no such euident demonstration or certainty that the Roman Church and Councels erre Therefore they cannot except they be stupide and senselesse but be sure they are in a damnable state and shall certainly be damned except they change their course 8. The second part of this Section that Protestants if they erre cannot be saued from their sinfull damnable errours by general repentance is proued Because Generall Repentance doth extend only to those things wherein the Penitent may lawfully and with a safe conscience apprehend and feare there may be sinne For as you say pag. 20. lin 45. Generall repentance is vniuersall sorow for all their sinnes both which they know they haue committed or which they feare they may haue But Protestants belieue their Religiō against the Church of Rome to be the Gospell to be the word of God to be most infallible Christian truth and so do not feare any fault or sinne in their beliefe yea they cannot with a safe conscience so much as apprehend that their beliefe may be sinfull false or vncertayne For as you say cap. 5. n. 107. this were to doubt of the certainty of the Gospell Ergo the Generall repentance of Protestants neyther doth nor can extend it selfe to recall virtually and implicitely the Doctrine they hold against the Roman Church no more then they repent of the Doctrine they hold against Iewes and Turkes For they hold both these Doctrines as much the one as the other to be the word of God and therefore not to be doubted of much lesse repented as though it might be sinfull errour Moreouer it is not possible that a man should at the same time repent himselfe of a thing and together detest from his heart all repenting thereof But Protestants abhorre detest as impious all doubting and much more all repenting of their Religion as it is opposed against the pretended Superstitions Impieties Idolatries of the Church of Rome for they thinke it holy Scripture Diuine Reuelation as certayne as the Gospell Wherfore it is impossible that Protestants should repent of their opposing the Church of Rome so long as they be Protestants and belieue the doctrine of Protestancy to be the Gospell and the Roman Religion to be full of Impiety and Idolatry There is no hope such Protestants can be saued except God send into their heart the light of his Spirit and make them see their Religion so farre as it is opposite to the Roman to be but a masse of old damned Heresies and moue them to repent and to recall and detest them in particular Your impudent slandering of Charity Maintayned that he granteth Saluation vnto any Protestant that is ignorant or repentant §. 4. 9. YOu are much vexed that the Roman Religion is proclaimed safe euen by her Aduersaries and that yours is wholly destitute of such comfortable testimonies Wherfore the warrant you cannot obtayne by truth and fayre dealing you seeke to get by falshood fraud and forgery euen of our Maintayner to whome you speake in this manner pag. 31. lin 12. That which you do say doth plainely inough affoard vs these Corollaries 1. That whatsoeuer Protestant wanteth capacity or hauing it wanteth sufficient meanes of instruction to conuince his conscience of the falshood of his owne the truth of the Roman Religion by the confession of his most rigide Aduersaries may be saued notwithstanding any errour in his Religion 2. That nothing hinders but that a Protestant dying a Protestant may dye with Contrition for all his sinnes 3. That if he dye with Contrition he may and shall be saued All these acknowledgements we haue from you whiles you are as you say stating but as I conceaue granting the very point in question which was as I haue already proued out of C. M. whether without vncharitablenesse you may pronounce that Protestants dying in their Religion and without particular repentance and dereliction of it cannot possibly be saued 16. Thus without shame you falsify the Tenet of your Aduersary the doctrine of our Church Where doth our Maintayner say that whatsoeuer Protestant notwithstanding any errour Socinians be Protestants in your account because they hold the Bible the Bible and only the Bible who maintayne Christ Iesus not to be the eternall Sonne of God incarnated Where doth our Maintayner affirme that these Protestants may be saued in this so vild errour vpon any condition yea where doth he say of any Protestant that he may be saued in any errour which the maintaynes knowingly against the Roman Religion if he want sufficient meanes of instruction to conuince his conscience of the falshood of his owne and truth of the Roman He hath no such wordes and his wordes from which you pretend to draw this wine of Comfort for Protestants haue not any the least relish of that sense These they are when any man esteemed Protestant leaueth to liue in this world we do not instantly with precipitation
auouch that he is lodged in Hell For we are not alwayes acquainted with what sufficiency of meanes he was furnished for instruction we do not penetrate his capacity to vnderstand his Catechist we haue no reuelation what light might haue cleered his errours or Contrition retracted his sinnes in the last moment before death Here our Maintayner requires sufficient meanes of instruction that a man be bound to belieue but he sayth not as you make him say that this instruction must conuince his conscience that his owne Religion is false and the Roman true If a Protestant be thus farre instructed as to perceaue that the Roman Religion is by the full consent of former Christian ages and by the definition of Generall Councels deliuered as the doctrine of Christ Iesus and his Apostles if I say any Protestant be thus farre instructed he is so sufficiently instructed that if he refuse to belieue he is certainly damned Do not you professe that to forsake any Church without necessary causes is as much as a mans saluation is worth Doth not D. Potter auouch that it is not lawfull to goe against the definition of Generall Councels without euident reasons Wherefore Protestants that haue abandoned the Roman Church are by your principles conuinced to be in a damnable state if they know the Roman Religion to be the Christian tradition of their Ancestours the definition of Catholique Councels Nor is it necessary that they be conuinced in conscience that the Roman Religion is true it sufficeth they haue no conuictiue demonstrations against it Wherefore it is extreme want of conscience in you to say that our Maintayner and the most rigide Aduersaries of Protestancy affirme that no Protestant shall be damned for any errour whatsoeuer he holdes against the Roman Church except he be conuicted in conscience that his owne Religion is false and the Roman true 11. And yet not content to haue brought this falshood as a Corollary from his wordes you make it his formal saying and set it downe in a distinct Character as his verball and formall assertion Pag. 31. n. 4. lin 6. Charity mistaken affirmed vniuersally and without any limitation that Protestants that dye in the beliefe of their Religion without particular repentance cannot be saued But this presumption of his you qualify by SAYING that this sentence cannot be pronounced truly and therefore not charitably neyther of those Protestants that want meanes sufficient to conuince them of the truth of your Religion and falshood of their owne nor of those who though they haue neglected the meanes they might haue had dyed with Contrition that is with a sorrow for all their sinnes proceeding from the loue of God Thus you shewing the Adamantinall hardnes of your Socinian for head and Samosatenian conscience For this long sentence which you set downe charactered as the saying of Charity Maintayned with a direct affirmation that it is his saying is forged and feigned by your selfe from the first to the last syllable thereof not only against his meaning in that place but also the whole drift of his Treatise For what is the drift thereof but only to shew that the Roman is the true Church and that her proposing of a doctrine to be belieued is sufficient to bind men to belieue it without any other Conuiction besides the authority of her infallible word 12. Also the second assertion you impute to him That nothing hinders but that a Protestant dying a Protestant may dye with contrition for all his sinnes is an impudent vntruth no such acknowledgment in all his book You seeke to gather it from these wordes We haue no reuelation what light may haue cleered his errours or Contrition haue retracted his sinnes This reason say you or contrition haue retracted his sinnes being distinct from the former and deuided from it by the disiunctiue particle or insinuates that though no light did cleere the errours of a dying Protestant yet Contrition might for ought you know retract his sinnes This is a fond voluntary inference for the clause or contrition retracted his sinnes was not added to signify that a Protestant may haue contrition of all his sinnes though his vnderstanding be not cleered from his errours but to declare that though his vnderstanding be cleered from errours yet this will not suffice that he be saued except after the abiuration of his errours he do further conceaue hearty sorow Contrition for the deadly and damnable sinnes of affection and action he may haue committed 13. For that a Protestant cannot be truly penitēt of all his sinnes vntill his vnderstanding be cleered or at least his zeale allayed that he become remisse in his Religion and doubtfull this reason doth inuincibly conclude It is impossible that a man should repent of a thinge at that time when he is in actual or habitual heat of affection vnto it But Protestants so long as they are Protestants and their Vnderstandings not cleered from their errours or their zeale allayed with cold doubtfulnes are alwayes either actually or habitually in the heat of condemning the Roman Church for Impieties and Idolatries in the heat of presumptuous Pride whereby they preferre their seely conceits about the sense of Scripture before the iudgement of the Church and her Generall Councels Ergo it is impossible that a Protestant persisting stiffely in his Religion should be penitent of all his sinnes knowne and vnknowne The third Conuiction IN this Conuiction I am to proue three things first that Roman Catholiques hold all fundamētall truth and so are secure from damnation Secondly that it is madnesse to persuade any man to leaue the Roman Church Thirdly that it is impossible that Protestants should be sure they belieue all Fundamentall truths That Roman Catholiques are free from all Fundamentall Errours and your Contradictions herein §. 1. 1. HE that belieues all Fundamentals cannot be damned for any errour in fayth though he belieue more or lesse to be Fundamentall then is so This is your formall assertion in so many wordes pag. 207. n. 34. which supposed I assume But Roman Catholiques belieue all Fundamentals that is all necessary truth Ergo they cannot be damned for any errour in fayth The assumption of this argument might be proued by many testimonies from your Booke I will insist vpon two the one in this Section the other in the next Pag. 16. lin 8. We grant the Roman Church was a part of the whole Church And if she were a true part of the Church she retayned those truths which were simply necessary to saluation For this is precisely necessary to constitute any man or Church a member of the Church Catholique In our sense therefore of the word Fundamentall we hope she erred not fundamentally Thus you who pag. 280. n. 95. say the playne contrary that our errours are fundamentall And pag. 289. nu 86. that our Church not onely might but also did fall into substantiall errours 2. I know that to salue
all men are bound vpon their saluation to know and belieue them in particular and yet obstinatly refuse to giue them an exact account which in particular they be 13. Besides what an intricate and infinite obligation do you charge vpon Protestantes in saying that there is as thinges now stand at great necessity of belieuing those truths of Scripture which are not fundamentall as those that are so For the necessity of belieuing fundamentals deliuered in holy Scripture is vnder paine of damnation to know them in particular and distinctly which obligation is so strict that you say it implies contradiction that Saluation be had without the least of them Now if the necessity of belieuing not fundamentals be as great as this yea the same with this no Protestant can be saued that doth not belieue such passages of Scripture as be not fundamentall distinctly in particular euen as he is bound to belieue fundamentals You often as pa. 169. lin 12. eagerly and bitterly declame against vs for requiring harder and heauier conditions of Saluation then God requires or then were required in the dayes of the Apostles Who more guilty of this crime then your selfe For this your necessity of belieuing the not fundamentall truthes of Scripture as much as the fundamental was not euer in Gods Church seeing your selfe onely say it is so as matters now stand Wherby you insinuate that as matters stood anciently this great necessity and obligation had no place in Gods Church Nor can you say that it is required of God for then it would be deliuered in Scripture and consequētly perpetuall in the Church euer since the Ghospell was written wheras your wordes vrging this obligation onely as now matters stand imply the contrary It is therefore manifest that this necessity so heauy and direfull is layd vpon Protestants not by Apostolicall commaund not by diuine Precept but by your selfe and other proud ignorant Ministers who neither know which be Fundamentals nor can agree vpon any short rule within the compasse of which they are all comprized Hence they are forced to send euery Protestant to fish for Fundamentals in the vast and deepe Ocean of holy Scripture not giuing them any direction any rule any assurance of finding them all except they can comprehend cleerly and distinctly all the innumerable truthes plainely reuealed therein 14. Finally what you say pag. 134. lin 24. That may be sufficiently declared to one which is not sufficiently declared to another and consequently that may be fundamentall to one which to another is not And pag. 281. lin 4. The same errour may be not Capitall to men that want meanes of finding the truth and Capitall to others who haue meanes and neglect to vse them This doctrine by you often repeated driueth Protestants into a Thicket of Thornes and briers into new insuperable difficulties vncertainties of their Saluation For though a Protestant were sure which in Protestācy he can neuer be that he distinctly belieues all capital essential truthes which are to be belieued of all how shall he be sure that he belieues all truthes which to him in particular in regard of his greater knowledge and capacity are you say Capitall and Fundamentall How can he be certaine that there are not some capitall and substantiall truths which he hath not found in Scripture though he had meanes of finding them And if he want beliefe of these Fundamentall and Capitall truths how can he possibly be saued For though you should say that these are the least of thinges fundamentally necessary to saluation yet this will not possibilitate their saluation it being contradiction to say that Saluation may be had without any the LEAST thing necessary to Saluation as you affirme Pag. 382 lin 1. The fourth Conuiction YOu could find no Way to make good the Saluation of English Protestants against the demonstrations of Charity maintayned but onely such a Way wherein the vildest Heretiques that now liue or euer liued vnder the cope of Heauen may be saued as well as they yea euen Iewes and Turkes these two consequences frō your principles I will demonstrate in two Sections of this Conuiction That in your VVay English Protestants cannot be saued more then Socinians with fixproofes that you are of this impious Sect. §. 1. 1. YOu say in your Preface n. 39. that you haue not vndertaken the particular defence of the Church of England but the common Cause and Religion of all Protestants And pag. 375. n. 56. you professe that by the Religion of Protestants which you mayntaine to be a safeway to saluation you do not vnderstand the doctrine of Luther or Caluin or Melancton nor the Confession of Augusta or Geneua nor the Catechisme of Hiedelberge nor the articles of the Church of England no nor the Harmonie of Protestants Confessions but that wherin they all agree as a perfect rule of their fayth and actions the BIBLE the BIBLE I say the BIBLE onely is the Religion of Protestants This is the onely Religion the onely way you could find to saue English Protestants wherin they can no more be saued then any other that belieue the Bible and only the Bible as a perfect rule of their life and actions Now in the number of Protestants Ghospelers and Biblists the new Ebionites or Samosatenians whon we terme Socinians are comprehended the most blasphemous Heretiques against the Fundamentall articles of Christianity that euer breathed worse then Arians For Arians acknowledged the Eternity of our Lord Christ Iesus that he had an Eternall most perfect diuine Essence only they would not confesse him to be coequall and consubstantiall to his Father But Socinians deny him to be the eternall Sonne of God affirme him to be meere man and tearmed the sonne of God as other Iust and holy men and Prophets are 2. Now that Socinians are by your account in the number of them that goe the safe way to Saluation as well as English Protestants is manifest not only because they professe the Bible and onely the Bible but also because they are that sort of Christians whose Religion you follow as these six arguments euince 3. First because being so much suspected and accused euen in publique writing to be of that impious Sect and if you were not prouoked to make a cleere profession of the Christian fayth against them you haue not done it you say sometimes that Christ is the Sonne of God but neuer his Eternall Sonne which omission of the word Eternall in a man so suspected of Socinianisme as you are is in the iudgement of our late Soueraigne King Iames a signe of guiltines maketh your Booke worthy of the fagot 4. Secondly because you dislike words about matters of Fayth not found in the Scripture which Christians vse for the better declaration of the Creed This you tearme a vayne conceit that we can speake of the things of God better then in the word of God You declame also bitterly
against persecuting cursing damning of such as will not subscribe vnto the words of men as the words of God No reader of vnderstanding in Ecclesiasticall affayres can doubt but you gird at the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consubstantiall decreed by the first Councels of Nice to declare the substantiall Equality betwixt the three diuine Persons and at the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deipara Gods Mother commanded by the Councel of Ephesus to be giuen to the Blessed Virgin to signifie that she was mother to him that was personally not onely true man but also the eternall God These Canons of the first generall Councels these sacred formes of Ecclesiasticall speach you cannot indure because they thunder against Socinians they proclaime them to be Heretiques and strike their Impieties dead 5. Thirdly because you reprehend them who by firme resolution of their will vphold themselues in the beliefe of their Religion though their reason and vnderstanding fayle them Which is as much as if you had sayd We are not through pious affection and reuerence of Gods word to belieue things aboue the reach of reason things in the apprehension of which our naturall vnderstanding faileth as are the mysteries of the Trinity of the Eternall Generation of the Sonne of God 6. Fourthly because you say that they who captiuate their vnderstanding to the beleefe of those things which seeme irreconcileable contradictions may aswell belieue reall contradictions which no wiseman will do But he that belieues the mystery of the B. Trinity the Sonne of God his Eternall Generation must of necessity captiuate his vnderstanding to the beliefe of impossibilities implicancies contradictions seeming to be such in human reason as euery true Christian by experience findeth Therefore in your opinion no wise man doth or will belieue them 7. Fiftly because you ioyne with the auncient enemyes of Christ Iesus his God head to disparage the Gospell of S. Iohn wherein the eternall Generaation of the Word the onely begotten Sonne of God is most fully and plainely deliuered as also the indispensable necessity of belieuing the same Ioan. 3.8 He that belieueth in him is not damned he that belieueth not is already damned because he belieues not in the Name of the onely begotten Sonne of God For though you dare not say plainely that S. Iohns Ghospell is of no authority yet in effect you say as much contending that in his Ghospell nothing is contayned of necessary beliefe which is not cleerely plainely set downe in S. Lukes Gospell Wherfore because Christ Iesus his being the Eternall Word and sonne of God is no where set downe so cleerly in the Gospell of S. Luke you Socinians will not be bound to belieue it through our Lord himselfe in S. Iohns Gospell pronoūce that he who belieues it not is already damned that is as sure to be damned as if he were already in Hell Now what is this but in fauour of Sociniansme to giue the lye to S. Iohn yea to our Sauiour himselfe 8. Sixtly you are proued to be not onely a Socinian but also impiously obstinate in the defence of that Sect by your changing the sacred text of Gods word that they may not seeme therin accursed S. Iohn in his first Epistle Cap. 4. v. 2. giueth this signe to know the spirit of true Prophets and Preachers Euery spirit which confesseth Iesus Christ to be come in flesh is of God and euery Spirit which confesseth not Iesus Christ to be come in flesh is not of God but of Antichrist And Ep. 2. v. 7. Many Deceyuers are come out into the world who do not confesse Iesus Christ to be come in flesh this is a Deceyuer an Antichrist In which places it is manifest that S. Iohn speakes of false Christians namely the Ebionites who deny Christ Iesus to be a Person come from the bosome of God vested with humane flesh who deny him to be the Word made flesh the Sonne of God incarnate Which being your Socinian Beliefe that the same might not seeme damned as Antichristian you make bold with Gods word and thrust in your owne wordes in place therof Preface num 12. The rule S. Iohn giues to make this trial of Spirits by is to consider whether they confesse Iesus to be the Christ that is the guide of their fayth and Lord of their actions And pag. 339. lin 4. you say S. Iohn Ep. 2. v. 7. speabes not of Heretiques but of no Christians of Antichrists of such as denied Iesus to be the Christ Thus still as often as S. Iohn sayth such as deny Iesus Christ to be come in flesh be false Prophets deceyuers Antichrists you change the text into such as deny Iesus to be the Christ as though S. Iohn had spoken in this place against Iewes who deny Iesus to be the Christ or the promised Messias Whereby you not only chauge the text but also foyst in a falshood into Gods Word For it is false that whosoeuer confesseth Iesus to be the Christ is therby knowne to be of God and a true Christian seing Turkes confesse Iesus to be the Christ that is the Messias promised to the Iewes and yet are not Christians And that S. Iohn speaketh against Heretiques who vnder the name of Christians went about preaching that Iesus Christ is not the eternal sonne of God is cleere by the wordes which immediatly follow He that departeth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God He that abideth in his doctrine hath the Father and the Sonne If any come to you and bringe not this Doctrine receiue him not into your house bid him not God speed For he that sayth to him God speed is partaker of his malignant workes 9. What then may we thinke of those English Protestants and of their state and Saluation who haue made you the Patron of their Religion and Pastour of their soules can they be excused from being partakers with you in your malignant workes tending to the peruersion and damnation of many I confesse you haue rewarded them as they deserue For you giue them no better assurance or hope of Saluation then to Socinians who deny Christ Iesus to be the Eternal only begotten Sonne of God whose damnation goeth before them vnto iudgment Miserable they are who be so desperately bent against Charity maintayned by Catholiques as rather then yield to be saued in the Catholique Roman Church will be defended by such a Socinian Patron and in a Way which giueth them no hope of saluation but together with Heretikes who deny the Incarnation of the eternal Sonne of God who are branded in Scripture with the note of Deceyuers and Antichrists and by the mouth of our Lord himselfe men already damned That in your VVay Iewes and Turkes may be saued aswelll as Protestants §. 2. 10. PRotestants of your stampe who pretend to belieue the Bible and only the Bible being deuided into innumerable sects agreeing in
consequently of the Doctrines contained therein only as an opinion very probable as is hereafter shewed Ergo you question the holy Scripture the Religion and Gospell of Christ you make an if of the truth and certainty thereof You examine it doubtingly with liberty of iudgment prepared in mind to leaue it if perchance you find the grounds thereof apparently false What is this but to be a Nullifidian a man setled in no Religion but doubtfull of all Such an one as they were whome the Apostle checketh terming them men still learning but neuer attayning to the assured knowledge of any thinge Againe Pag. 307. n. 107. you write thus speaking vnto our Maintayner Your eleauenth falshood is that our first reformers ought to haue doubted whether their opinions were certaine which is to say they ought to haue doubted of the certainty of Scripture which in formall and expresse termes contaynes many of these opinions From this testimony I conclude that you doubt of the cetainty of the Scripture You professe to examine and question all your Protestant opinions of Diuine matters to make a doubt of the certainty of them But you contend that some of your Protestant opinions of Diuine matters be such as to make a doubt or question of the certainty of them is to doubt of the certainty of formall and expresse Scripture Ergo your Way and practise of doubting of all your opinions about Diuine matters is doubting euen of the truth of the Christian Scripture and Ghospell of Christ A thinge most impious and execrable as you now suppose yet so fond and forgetfull you are as to say you should haue litle hope of Saluation did you not do it or endeauour to do it 6. In fine your safe Way is a Labyrinth of implicatory and inextricable errours Protestants that are concluded therein are lost in a maze of vncertainties and in an intricate mixture of contrary doctrines being sure to find nothing therein but damnation which way so euer they turne themselues Do they doubt of the truth of their Religion which they belieue to be the Ghospell They are both according to truth and in your doctrine damnable wretches as being formall Heretiques Be they so firme in their Religion as they ranke doubting thereof among deadly sinnes Then they are you say obstinately blind sure to fall into the pit of perdition as much as we are at the least you affoard them litle hope of obtayning Saluation The sixt Conuiction 1. THis Conuiction sheweth that only Roman Catholiques haue sauing fayth which is demonstrated by three Arguments The first Sauing fayth is that without which it is impossible to please God Now fayth which pleaseth Gods must be on the one side certaine and infallible otherwise it is not worthy of God to whose word we owe so firme beliefe that if an Angel from heauen should Euangelize against that we haue receaued as his word he were not to be heard but to be accursed On the other side it must be a free and voluntary assent not enforced by the euidence of the thinge For if the reason of belieuing be euident and such as doth necessitate the Vnderstanding to assent the assent is not pleasing to God because it is not voluntary obedience and submission to his word Roman Catholiques by belieuing the Church to be infallible in all her proposals obtaine a persuasion about Diuine mysteries firme and infallible and yet of voluntary obedience and submission But the Opposers of the Roman Church not only want certainty in truth but also know not which way to challenge infallible certainty without euidence 2. This may be proued by what you write Pag. 329. lin 31. The infallible certainty of a thing which though it be in it selfe yet is not made appeare to vs infallibly certaine to my vnderstanding is an impossibility What is this but to say that fayth of a thing cannot be infallibly certaine except the thinge belieued be made so cleere and apparent that the vnderstanding cannot choose but assent vnto it For what appeares to vs to be infallibly certaine is seen of vs to be infallibly certaine What we see to be infallible certaine we cannot choose but assent that it is so So that a firme grounded beliefe of the truth of thinges not appearing without which it is impossible to please God is by your doctrine to Protestants impossible 3. Moreouer that Protestants cannot haue fayth pleasing to God that is fayth infallibly certayne not grounded on euidence I demonstrate in this sort No man can be assured infallibly of the truth of things not seene nor to him euidently certaine but by the word of an Authour infallibly veracious in all his words deliuered vnto him by a witnesse of infallible truth For if the witnesse or messenger of the word be fallible let the Authour of the word be neuer so infallible our assent to the truth of the thing proposed cannot be infallible Now Protestants haue not the word of God by meanes of a witnesse and messinger infallible For the witnesse proposer and messenger of the word of God is the visible Catholique Church which Protestants hold to be fallible full of false Traditions not free so you say from errour in it selfe damnable and in this sense Fundamentall Wherfore it is demonstratiuely certaine that onely Roman Catholiques who belieue the Church to be infallible can haue Fayth worthy of God Fayth of voluntary submission to Gods word that is fayth of things to them not euidently yet infallibly certayne and consequently they only please God by their belieuing and are saued 4. The second Argument You say pag. 148. lin 16. There is no other reason to belieue the Scripture to be true but onely because it is Gods word so that you cannot belieue the doctrines and myestries reuealed in Scripture to be true more firmely and infallibly then you belieue the Scripture to be Gods word for we must be surer of the proofe then of the thing proued thereby otherwise it is no proofe as you say pag. 37â— n. 59. But your assurance that the Scripture is the word of God is onely human probable and so absolutely fallible For you belieue the bookes which were neuer doubted of in the Church to be Gods word and a perfect rule of fayth onely by the tradition or testimonies of the ancient Churches pag. 63. lin 35. But the ioynt tradition of all the Apostolicall Churches with one mouth and one voyce teaching the same doctrine is onely a very probable argument as you affirme pag. 361. n. 40. Ergo your fayth that Scripture is Gods word consequently of all the mysteries therin reuealed is but human and probable and therefore vnworthy of God being not firmer then the credit we yield to euery morall honest man For to vs his word is probable and credible and to you the word of God is no more 5. Protestants commonely pretend that their fayth
that these Bookes be the word of God resteth finally not vpō the credit of human Tradition but vpon the Scripture onely which shewes it selfe with euident certitude to be diuine and supernaturall truth and so reuealed of God Euen as light is seene by its owne brightnesse and hony is proued to be sweet by the very tast thereof But this point of Protestancy you reiect as fond vaine ridiculous pag. 371. n. 51. and proue it to be such Because if the Bookes of Scripture were euidently certayne if they did with euident certitude demonstrate themselues to be Diuine truth then all men that haue vnderstanding and capacity to apprehend the right sense and sentence of Scripture would belieue them to be true which experience sheweth be otherwise If Protestants answere that such as haue their tast distempered to them hony is bitter so Infidels through preiudice and distemper of passions do not perceaue and tast the Diuinity of the Doctrines of the Scripture Against this the reply is ready and conuincing For they who through distemper of their palate iudge hony to be bitter do not apprehend the true tast of hony but a tast contrary to the true tast thereof which being in their palate they conceaue it to be in the meate But Infidels by their vnderstanding do rightly apprehend and conceaue the true senses of Scripture and the mysteries of fayth deliuered therein more cleerely then many Christians of meane capacity do and yet they do not iudge them to be Diuine truth or truth at all Ergo the very true sense and sentence of Scripture doth not with euident certainty shew it selfe to be Supernaturall truth such as could not be reuealed but of God 6. Finally if the Protestants beliefe of Scripture be grounded vpon sight of the truth thereof this their beliefe is not sauing fayth for Fayth by which men are saued as hath beene sayd is that wherby they submit by voluntary obedience their vnderstanding to Gods word belieuing firmely and assuredly vpon the Authority thereof things in themselues incredible and aboue the reach of human reason But Protestants do not belieue the doctrine of Scripture because it is the word of God but because as they say they see it to be Diuine truth and consequētly the word of God Ergo they haue not the fayth of humble submission to Gods word which is the onely fayth that pleaseth God and by which men are saued 7. The third Argument Protestants haue not fayth of infallible adherence that is fayth worthy of God about the sense and interpretation of Scripture For holding the Churches interpretation to be fallible they pretend to be sure by this rule that what they belieue to them seemes plainely cleerely euidently reuealed and proposed in the Scripture But this rule of assurance is not infallible but very fallible and deceytfull For euen Protestants thēselues contend that many texts and places of Scripture which seeme plaine and cleere are to be vnderstood figuratiuely against the plaine proper and literall sense For example the words of our Lord about the chiefe Sacrament mystery of fayth THIS is My Body This is My BLOVD in their plaine proper and literall sense deliuer and establish Transubstantiation as Protestants grant Hence Protestants that are resolued not to belieue a mystery so high aboue reason seemingly repugnant to sense will by no meanes allow these wordes to be true in their proper and literal sense they will not yield to the plain euidence of the Diuine text Whereupon it is euidently consequent that they cannot be sure about any mystery of fayth by vertue of the sole seeming euidence of the sacred Text. For instance take the most fundamental text of Scripture about the most fundamētal mystery of Christian Religion to wit the Incarnation of the Sonne of God The Word was made flesh How doth this text euidently conuince that the Eternal Word and Sonne of God was made Man truely substantially personally What Protestants say of the word of Christ This is my Body why may not Nestorians affirme about this text The Word was made ffesh that it is not true in a proper plaine and literal sense but metaphorically figuratiuely that God and Man were made one in Christ by affectual vnion as two great friendes are said to be one How can Protestants be themselues assured or how can they proue by the sole euidence of the text that this Nestorian interpretation is false And if their beliefe of the mystery of the Incarnation be not solide and firme grounded on a rule of interpretation infallibly certaine how can they be saued 8. Learned and iudicious Readers may find in your booke a world of laughter about your answering the arguments of Charity Maintayned you do it so vnscholler-like so okerly and vntowardly Let your answere to this argument serue for a patterne Our Maintayner vrgeth D. Potter that if the Church may erre in points of fayth not fundamentall you can neuer be sure of any such point For as you erre about some deceyued by the seeming euidence of the Scripture so you cannot be sure you do not erre about other You answere Pag. 117. n. 160. A pretty Sophisme depending vpon this principle that whosoeuer possibly may erre he can neuer be certaine that he doth not erre A Iudge may possibly erre in iudgment can he therefore neuer be sure he hath iudged aright A Traualler may possibly mistake his way must I therefore be doubtfull whether I am in the right way from my Hall to my chamber Or can our London-Carrier haue no certainty in the middle of the day when he is sober and in his wits that he is in the way to London And a litle after nu 161. whereas our Mayntainer argueth that you cannot be sure it is an errour to make the Church Iudge of Controuersies because you pretend to be sure by the seeming euidence of Scripture but this rule is not infallible so you cānot be sure by the warrant thereof The ground of this Sophisme say you is very like the former viz. that we can be certaine of the falshood of no proposition but those only that are damnable errours But I pray good Sir giue me your opinion of these The snow is balcke the fire is cold M. Knot is Arch-Bishop of Toledo the whole is not greater then a part of the whole that twise two make not foure in your opinion good Sir are these damnable heresies Or because they are not so haue we no certainty of the falshood of them I beseech you Sir consider seriously with what strāge captions you haue gone about to delude your King and your Country if you be conuinced they are so giue glory to God and let the world know it by your deserting that Religion which standes vpon such deceytfull foundations This you write which you could neuer haue written had you been with your London Carrier sober and in your wits You haue proued Gusman de
Church in errour yet excommunicate those that belieue your owne supposition What found vanity is this To say Our Aduersaries do vntruly suppose there be corruptions in our Church is this a courteous supposall and not rather a constant deniall that she doth erre and a charge of falshood vpon them that so suppose Is the vntrue supposition of our Aduersaries our owne supposition I was euen amazed at your inconsideration when I read these words in your Booke pag. 280. n. 95. lin 8. Why I pray may not a man of iudgement continue in the communion of a Church confessedly corrupted aswell as in a Church supposed to be corrupted A strange assertion A man may aswell imbrace the cōmunion of a Church corrupted confessedly by the concession of her friends as of a Church vntruly supposed by her Aduersaries to be corrupt So that with you for a Christian to say S. Ioseph was the Father of Christ and the Blessed Virgin corrupt according to the vntrue supposition of the Iewes is all one as to say S. Ioseph was the Father of Christ and the Blessed Virgin corrupt confessedly euen by the concession of Christians Wherfore if it be damnable to neglect Heresies not Fundamentall as without question it is this proueth Protestants damnable who thinke it not against Saluation to hold errours in fayth and heresies against the definition of the whole Church if such heresies be about matters profitable onely and not simply necessary The eight Conuiction 1. YOu inscribe the pages of your last Chapter with this title The Religion of Protestants a safer Way to Saluation then the Religion of Papists For which assertion besides bare and bold affirmations earnest verball expressions manifest tokens as you say of a weake cause you haue one Argument which is this pag. 393. n. 9. If the safer way for auoyding sinne be also the safer way for auoyding damnation then certainly the way of Protestants must be more secure and the Roman way more dangerous Take into your consideration these ensuing controuersies Whether it be lawfull to worship Pictures To picture the Trinity To inuocate Saints and Angels To deny laymen the Cup in the Sacrament To prohibite certayne Orders of men and women to mary To celebrate the publique seruice of God in a language the assistants generally vnderstand not and you will not choose but confesse that in all these you are on the more dangerous side for the committing of sinne and we on that which is more secure For in all these things if we say true you do that which is impious On the other side if you were in the right yet we might be secure inough for we should onely not do something which you confesse not necessary to be done We pretend and are ready to iustify out of Principles agreed vpon betweene vs that in all these things you violate the manifest Commandements of God and alleage such texts of Scripture against you as if you would weigh them with any indifferēcy would put the matter out of question but certainely you cannot with any modesty deny but that at least they make it questionable This argument I haue set downe at large because it is the best in your booke and yet vaine and weake as I now demonstrate The ground of your Safety onely false suppositions and foolish braggs §. 1. 2. FIrst it is false that if Protestants say true we do that which is impious For Protestants against Zelots maintayne that our practises though erroneous in their iudgement yet are not impious and in themselues damnable and that they who in sincerity of heart professe them shall this notwithstanding without doubt be saued 3. Secondly it is false that if we be in the right yet you may be secure inough in your refusing to vse these our practises because they be not necessary For though it be no sinne of it selfe purely to omit pious practises and profitable deuotions yet to omit them out of proud cōtempt and much more out of an Hereticall persuasion that they be impious is vndoubtedly an heynous and damnable crime It is not necessary that you marry a wife you may be saued if you lead a chast single life but if you omit mariage out of an opinion that it is a thing impure or out of contempt of that doctrine that Mariage is a great Sacrament in Christ and his Church you will except you repent certainly be damned In like manner if we be in the right and that these be pious Christian practises of voluntary deuotion you who relinquish them out of contempt and Hereticall persuasion that they are impious cannot escape damnation without a dereliction of your errour 4. Thirdly it is false that if we be in the right yet you only do not something which we confesse not necessary to be done For we do not say of all these practises that they be not necessary to be done yea we say it is necessary to Saluation to receaue the B. Sacrament and in receauing to adore it Besides we say that you not only omit to do what is not necessary to be done but also condemne the vniuersall practises of Gods Church and definitions of her Generall Councells which is not only not necessary to be done but also execrable impious hereticall to be done 5. Fourthly it is a foolish bragge that you can alleadge such cleere texts of Scripture against these our practises For if you can alleade them why do you conceale them Why are you ashamed to bring them to light Why haue you not stored your booke with such allegations as are able to put the matter out of question Some very few you haue produced and those which you tearme the playnest that possibly may be I haue shewed to be darke obscure yea by you falsifyed in the text 6. Fiftly it is also a foolish bragge that your texts of Scripture be certainly such as make the matter questionable which you proue very grauely because we cannot with any modesty deny it Verily had you any modesty or shame you would blush to dispute so poorely miserably seelily in a Controuersy of such moment which concernes the eternal damnation of your Country I adde though it were true as it is most false that your texts make the matter questionable yet your abandoning the Roman Church is damnable For Arguments which make the matter questionable be not necessary nor euident But it is damnable to forsake the Church of Rome and the definition of General Councels without reasons necessary and euident as both you and D. Potter affirme as hath beene often noted These doctrines and practises are proued by manifest and plaine Scripture §. 2. ON the other side Roman Catholiques do not boast ridiculously as you do of their texts of Scripture but by manifest euiction shew euen these of the impiety of which you seeme most cōfident to be Christian and pious and consequently that your damning of them is damnable and impious 7. For
images of Christ crucifyed vsed in the Church with Apostolicall allowance we haue the plaine words of S. Paul Gal. 3.1 O senselesse Galathians who hath be witched you not to obey the Gospel before whose eyes Christ Iesus is painted Crucifyed among you The Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liuely set forth in the picture of his Crucifixion so that S. Paul proueth the Galatians were senselesse people that honoring Christ Iesus pictured before their eyes as crucifyed yet did not hope for Saluation by his Crosse and Crucifixion but by Circumcision and the obseruances of the Law This sense being according to the plaine proper and literall sense of the wordes Protestants are bound by the rule of their Religion to admit thereof and cannot without impiety refuse it and expound the place of metaphoricall Painting except they can euidently demonstrate this sense to be false or incongruous against the Apostles intent which they will neuer be able to do 8. If you say that this text at the most proueth the vsing of Images for the representation not honoring of them I answere with the learned M. Montague your Bishop of Chichester that in the vsing of Images for memory sake the honouring of them is necessarily included which he proueth euidently and together affirmes that it is strange that any Christian should be displeased with the Doctrine That respect and honour is to be giuen to Images 9. The Persons of the Trinity we picture not but only the person of Goa the Sonne in the forme and shape of man as personally he was Onely we represent the type wherein God the Father appeared to wit the forme of the Ancient of dayes described Dan. 7. and the type wherein the Holy Ghost appeared the forme of a Doue recorded Math. 3. 10. For Inuocation of Angels we haue the practise and example of holy Iacob Gen. 84.15 The Angell which deliuered me from all euill blesse these Children which text you cannot answere without iugling and changing the Angell into the figure of another substance 11. For the sufficiency of the Sacrament vnder the forme of bread we haue the expresse warrant of our Lord Ioan. 6.59 He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer And for the practise of Communion in one kind for lay men we haue his example Luc. 24.30.31 12. For the adoration of the Sacrament we haue the Scripture in the plaine and proper sense For sayth D. Morton your B. of Durham If the words of Christ be true in a proper and literall sense we must yield vnto Papists the whole cause of Transubstantiation c. the proper adoration of the Sacrament 13. That we prohibite certaine orders of men women to mary is a slander They freely without constraint prohibite themselues whiles by vow they bind their fayth and fidelity vnto Christ to liue single and chast peculiarly consecrated to his seruice Which fayth and fidelity if they violate and make voyd by consequent Mariage as your first reformer the Frier did who married a Nunne we hold their state sacrilegious and damnable which is the expresse doctrine of S. Paul 1. Tim. 5.12 14. The Controuersy which language is fittest and of most edification in Church seruice whether the vulgar which is best knowne in this or that particular country or some learned language Greeke or Latin which be best knowne in the whole Christian Church cannot be determined by Scripture as hath beene already proued So that measuring the way of Saluation euen by the rule of the Bible only the Roman Religion is the plainer and safer Way better warranted euen by expresse texts of Scripture The Ninth Conuiction THe chiefe Fundamental ground of the security Roman Catholiques enioy that they are in the right Way of Saluation according to which if they walke they cannot be damned is the direction of an infallible guide the holy Catholique Church which is no other but the Roman This is conuinced by what your self are forced to grāt as hath been shewed but because this businesse is the maine and the totall I will here repeate some of the passages though very briefly 1. First conuicted by the wordes of S. Paul you grant that the visible Catholique Church is the pillar and ground of truth that is the teacher of all necessary and profittable truth by duty and office yea that she is always in fact the teacher of all truth necessary to Saluation For say you that the true Church alwayes shall be the maintayner and teacher of all necessary truth we grant and must grant For it is of the essence of the Church to be so and any company of men were no more a Church without it then any thing can be a man and not be reasonable Thus you grant that there is and alwayes shall be a Catholique Church which shall not only belieue inwardly and in heart but also teach and a propose without fayle all diuine reuelation necessary to Saluation For it is her very essence to be so Wherefore not only in belieuing but also in teaching and proposing all necessary truth she can no more faile then from her owne being which is indefectible Hence she is and you must grant she is an infallible guide in Fundamentalls Because to shew men the way to heauen by teaching them all reuealed truth that is necessary to bring them thither what is it but to be a guide of men vnto Saluation shewing them the Fundamental doctrines of Christian Religion without which no man is saued 2. Secondly the visible Catholique Church being as you grant she is an infallible teacher or guide in Fundamentalls must of necessity be also infallible in all her proposalls The necessity of this consequence you deny a thousand tymes and almost in euery period of your third Chapter yet you affirme it in expresse termes Pag. 105 n. 139. lin 23. To say that the Church is an infallible guide in Fundamentals were to oblige our selues to find some certain Society of men of whome we might be certain that they neither do nor can erre in Fundamentals nor in declaring what is Fundamental and what is not and consequently to make any Church an infallible guide in Fundamentals would be to make her infallible in all thinges she proposes and requires to be belieued Which truth you proue vnanswerably Pag. 148. n. 36. 3. Thirdly the visible Catholique Church being a guide in Fundamentals that is alwayes a Teacher of all necessary truth is a Church c of one denomination that is some settled certaine Society of Christians knowne and distinguished from other Societies by adhering to such a Bishop This is proued by this Syllogisme wherein both the premises be your owne formall assertions The Church is appointed of God to be the teacher and guide of men in the way of Saluation and so she is able and fit for that office For God would not by his word haue appointed her an office for which she is vnfit and vnable