were they in lyke authority with the Iewes whih after the vniuersall Church did authorize by the holy Ghost for authentical Scripture vpoÌ„ which authority S. Austen feared not to confirme the prayer for the dead as holy Canonicall Scripture with the Church OBIECTION LOng since of many it was doubted of the Epystle to the Hebrewes the second of S Peter the last of Daniel c. Therefore for this doubt they are not to be adiudged Hereticks who now eyther reiect them or put them in doubt ANSVVER THe consequent is denyed because the lyke raeson should follow in the lyke doubt whether they are to be baptized agayne whome Heretickes haue baptized which S. Cyprian with some others haue thought meet to be don And whether the Moysaicall law is to be obserued of Christians yea also who belieued of the Gen tils whereupon the counsell of Ierusalem was moued about these Heresies Lykwyse whether the grace of the Euagely did appertayn to the GeÌ„tils or to the Iewes only as is disputed in the Act. Apost cap. 11 For albeit the Church retayne all tymes the same one fayth yet notwithstanding by progresse of tyme and occasions as the church increaseth in her nomber so things pertinent to fayth may be amplifyed and made more ample then it was in the beginning For the Church at no tyme euer receaued for an opinion of Faith that which before she had once reiected Now those books once censured and approued by the Church it is not lawfull more to doubt of them and are in as great authority and veneration as the others bookes of Scriptures be for example For as a piece of gold in the beginning is suspected to be false and conterfeyt yet if afterwards it be tryed by the touch-stone of the Goldsmyth and found sufficient and approued of the Magistrat is receaued of the whole people goeth currant as other quoyne and is no lesse worth then any other peace of gould which was neuer suspect euen so these books of Scripture c. QVAESTIO XVII Of Traditions WHerefore are the Papists so simple as to belieue some thinges which are not expresly contayned in the Scriptures VVich they call traditions Calu. lib 4. inst cap. 8. § 8. Brent in prolog Kemnit in exam Conc. Trident. ANSVVER IT may be demanded in lyke manner wherfore Caluin lib 4. inst cap. 3. § 19. Alloweth and commendes traditions for in the ordination of the ministers of the Church he commandes as a precept the imposition of handes yet notwithstanding seing there is no commandement extant in the Scripture he himself protestes it to be necessary as his owne wordes recorde Albeit sayth he there is no commandement extant for the imposition of handes yet we doe see it to be in perpètuall vse from the Apostles and therfore that same diligent obseruation of theirs ought to be to vs as a commandement So that Caluin who before denyed traditions doth allowe of them as necessary in the ordination of the ministery whome for entrance we see led with the spirit of coÌ„tradictioÌ„ For I say that not only these things which plainly are conteyned in the Scripture are to be obserued but also many traditions and obseruations which haue flowed and comed from Christ his Apostles which are to be retayned necessary as it were in a manner the written word it selfe Because it is found in the Scriptures Christ and his Apostles to haue delyuered many things which are not written For in the 16 of S. Iohn Christ sayes I haue many things to say to you but you caÌ„not beare them now In which wordes he signifyeth that many things are necessary and needfull to be known to the Apostles which things out of doubt he made knowne when he appeared to them the fourty dayes speaking of the Kingdome of God his Church and of the gouernement of the Kingdome of grace and what the Apostles haue heard out of doubt they haue delyuered to the Church for her cause these were coÌ„municated of our Lord to them which although they be not expressed in the Scriptures yet by tradition are delyuered Of which S. Paul speaking to the Thess epist 2. cap. 2 v. 14. stand and hold fast sayth he the traditions which you haue receaued whether by word or by our Epistle that is to say the doctryne delyuered to you whether by the preaching viua voce or by an epistle written to you Which place these venerable fathers expoundes of traditions as S. Basil lib. de S. S. Chry. Oecom Theoph. and S. Aug. epist 174. to that now sayth he which I haue rehearsed it fal so that Homousion is not found in the writteÌ„ word and yet as an article of fayth the word is defended Lykewyse the Father is called vnbegotten which is not read in the Scriptures The Symbole of the Apostles is by tradition not by the writteÌ„ word Lykewyse the obseruance of Sondy for the Saboath the baptizing of infantes â—he receauing of the SacrameÌ„t fasting And S Luke acknowledgeth that he hath receaued by tradition what he hath written in his Euangely For if you reiect traditioÌ„s why not also the whole wrytten Scripture by what reason is there only four Euangelists and no more And wherefore are they receaued that neuer sawe Christ and these Euangelists reiected who did see heare and were conuersant with him as Nicodem S. Thomas Thaddeus S. Peter Bartholomewe and others who haue wrytren Euangelyes and yet their written Euangelyes are reiected and these other foure are receaued who neuer did see Christ And with vs you belieue theÌ„ which are not expressed by any written word but only belieued to be true Euangelists by tradition What can be more sayd for verification of the truth then the wordes of the Apostle 2. Thes cap. 2. v. 14. Which wordes all tend for the commendation of our belief Of which S Basil l. de S. S. cap. 29. I account it Apostolicall to continue and belieue firmely the vnwriten word To whom all the Fathers are conformable For when the old Heretickes as Gnostes Marcion Cerdone Arius Eunomius Aerius Nestorius c. opposed themselues against traditions disdayning and denying them were with the whole consent of the auncient Fathers condemned as Heretickes as witnes Iraen lib. 3. Tert. de praescript S. Basil lib. de S. S. cap. 27. Epiph. Haer. 53. S. Aug. lib. 5. cont Maxim Now brother Asill what can be denyed against traditions what argument haue you for your defence for you accept no Scripture as canonicall ergo yow must proue Scripture by tradition and the other Scripture which you reiect is named apochrypha and in so doing you must allow tradition and so on euery side tradition conuinceth you and yet ye wil be oppugners and denyers of tradition I demand this if you were to conuince any man of Heresie for denying the Canon of Scripture what argument would you vse to conuince him As for example Luther in the Preface of the new testament decreed to reiect the epistle
of S. Iames for Apochripha to conuince him of this error it cannot be done by the Scripture neyther of himself because he is iudge in his own cause neyther is he to be belieued by the reuelation of his priuat spirit for all do make for confirmation of his opinion therefâ—re to conuince him rightly they must haue recourse to the tradition of the Church as sayes S. Aug. Serm. 191. de temp We receaue the new and ould testament in the nomber of bookes the which by authority of the Catholik Church is delyuered to vs. Moreouer this other argument is to be obserued for the Church from the beginning of the world till Moyses two thowsand yeares was without Scripture only ruled by traditions and rites of the sacrifice In the new testameÌ„nt Christ hath written nothing neyther commaunded to wryte but well he sayth Marc. 16. vers 15. Preach you the Euangely to all creatures in which mission no precept is giuen of writing for saluation depends vpon the word of God and not vpon books neyther the written Scripture nor reuelation or prophesie c. For that cause Iraen lib. 3. cap. 4. wryteth that some nations in his tyme had the fayth of Christ and yet no Scripture Where is it found in the Scripture to reiect traditions But this is the cause why you withstand all traditioÌ„s for these being banished easily you may peruert and glosse the Scriptures and apply them to your own myndes which traditions of the holy Church staÌ„d out against you for the clearing of the verity and will not suffer the Scriptures to be corrupted with your fansies which corrupt interpretations permitted and suffered we shall see you follow traditions and consequently your owne inuentions to be for holy Scripture for the first part is probable for Caluin himself approueth the traditions of the Iewes commenting in the 104 Psal sec 18. Many things remayned amoÌ„gst them by successiue tradition which were godly and necessary for them of the which no mention is made in the Scriptures Out of which place it followeth that Caluin willingly would Iudaize and as concerning the following of their owne senses in reiecting the traditioÌ„s of the holy Ghost to erect their own traditions contrary to the written word I would most willingly be satiefyed by what reason eyther spirituall or morall why you Puritans vphold and set vp traditions as the pillar of repentance denigrate and made black and sinners to stand there to the spectacle of the whole Church with the showing of their heades at the crosse bound with yron chaynes in tyme of Market your sackcloth at the Church doore and carting of poor women thorow the city of whom haue you learned to punish fornicators by this ignominious punishement Others by the purse and to pardon some who are fatt and to execute rigor vpon the poor From whence haue you receaued that tradition in your prayers to hould your noses in others tailes and to ly groaning on the ground after the manner of the Iewes From vvhence is that tradition to fast on sondayes and feast on frydayes and to work on Christmas day and other Sainctes dayes and to obserue monday suter sonday for holy day These a thowsand more are the Puritanes traditions of their owne inuentioÌ„ vvithout any Scripture or vvritteÌ„ word and yet not vvithstanding they vvill abolishe and condemne all traditions and yet vvill set vp and authorize traditions of their owne authority contrary to the law of God and all Scripture and tradition of any age before passed OBIECTION THe Lord sayth Deut. 12. vers 32. What I coÌ„mand thee do thow that vnto the Lord only neyther shalt thou add any thing neyther diminish Therefore traditions are superfluous and in vaine ANSVVER IF this argument were auaileable neyther the Prophets nor the Apostles ought to haue writteÌ„ any thing after Moyses for vvhat the Prophets haue vvritten are not conteyned in Moyses neyther vvhat the Euangelists Apostles haue wryten are contayeed in the old testament but generally and implicite In lyke sorte traditions are contayned in the Scripture implicite vvheÌ„ Christ sayd Luc. 10 v. 16. Who heareth you heareth me Therfore the sense of these vvordes vvhich sayth that thou shall add nothing nor diminish is that thou shalt add nothing repugnaÌ„t vnto those things vvhich are commaunded in the Scripture In this same sense sayth S. Paul Gal. 1. v. 8. Whether we or an Angel froÌ„ Heauen euangelise to you otherwise then that which we haue euangelized let him be accursed For that praeposition praeter is asmuch to say as coÌ„trary for otherwaies should he be contrary to himself who added many things as his epistles witnes And lykewyse S. Iohn after he had written the Apocalyps and Euangely who threateneth the same curse should fall in the same sentenceÌ„ in adding to his Epistles in which are many precepts traditions which are not contayned in the Apocalyps and Euangely c. OBIECTION THE Scripture is a Rule to belieue therefore it ought to contayne all things which are to be belieued ANSVVER THe Scripture is a Rule to belieue but not adequat and a right Rule because the right Rule is the word of God whether written or delyuered by Tradition OBIECTION THese things are written that you may belieue that Iesus is the Sonne of God and that belieuing you may haue lyfe in his name But all things writen serue to belieue in Christ therefore all beliefe is written ANSVVER SAinct Paul sayes that Abel Enoch Noe Abraham Isac Iacob Heb. 11. had vndoubtedly true fayth yet they had no Scripture writen Againe the primitiue Church at least tenne yeares after Christ had no Scripture written who will say but that they had true faith Againe these are not conteyned in the written word to vvit the consubstantiality of the Trinity the procession of the holy Ghost the virginity of the most blessed Virgin Mary the baptising of children and the not rebaptising of them who are baptised of Heretickes the breaking of the Sabaoth keeping of Sonday the obseruing of Easter the receauing of the Sacraments fasting the eating of blood strangled meares prohibeted in the Law and EuaÌ„gely Act. 15 But I would know of the ProtestaÌ„tes what Scripture they haue for women to singe Psalmes and to glosse on the Scriptures in the Church at home and in the tauernes What Scripture haue you for your pillary crosse steeple repeÌ„tance seat carting and showing of poore women for the sinne of fornication for these things you haue no Scripture but must build vpon traditioÌ„s eyther true or false QVAESTIO XVIII Of the certitude of Hope WHerefore doe the Papists deny that our Hope is with certitude seing it is written that Hope maketh vs not ashamed but bringeth with it certitude and confidence Luth art 10 11. Caluin lib. 3. instit cap 2. § 16. ANSVVER WHat certitude assured hope can the Protestants haue in our Sauiour if they defend and abyde in the principall poincts of their
one new doctrin and of these som were called Marcionists Basilidanes other Saturnists others agane of late Lutheranes Thair names and profession is after the name of men and so faile to be called Catholik Caluinists Protestants Puritanes and therfor in this they faile to be called Christianes as sayes Athan. in apol secund Lact. firm lib. 4. c. 30. de vera sapientia Therfor heretikes and ther Reformed faith is not lerned of the Apostles fathers and predecessors of the Church but partly borrowed of som other heresie or partlie by phantasticall and new inuention and so no faith but inuention neither Apostolicall but Pharisaicall The reformed faith â—is lyk a painted man nether Catholik but particular which is no more faith in effect than a painted man is a man For this cause S. Hieron Epist. ad Pamach reproches taxes the heretiks saying Wheir for after fourhundrith years past labor ye to teach which befor we haue not knowne for vnto this present day The world wes Catholik Christian befor thair faith was knowne without your doctrin the world was Christian And Tertull. de praes haeretic repelles their vaine boast concerning any Catholik tytle saying who ar ye from whence and when cam ye where haue ye lurked so longe And S. August no lesse scornes them saying to the Donat. S. Aug. admiration from whence they ar come From whence haue ye apeared of what soile haue ye sprunge out ouer what sea haue ye comed or what heauen haue ye faln from And lykwise Opt. Melet. lib. 2. contr Parm. Sayes in dirision to the heretiks Opt. Mel. derides them asking the originall of thair church Show the original of your Church who would chalenge to you the holy Catholick-Church And as Valer. Max. lib. 6. in principio sayes for conclusion that as the name of God is a most certaine pledge of humane saluation As the name of God is a sauegard to saluation so is the Catholike name a sauegard to al beleueres and a sauegard for man so is this name Catholike a sauegard to al Christian belieuers and theirfor we haue great reason to adheere and ioyne our selfe to the Catholik-Church and not to your reformed which hath no affinitie nor any thing of a Catholik Church or name in it Morouer these and diuerse reasones persuade me Reasone persuades man to beleue the RomaÌ„-Church to be Catholik the only Roman Catholik faith to be accepted as true Apostolicall doctrin but yours and others suchlyk vnder pretext colour of reformation to be repudiat as very fleeting dregges of heresie Which shall not be difficill to proue For the Apostle sayes Ephes 4. that there is one comen and sauing faith in expressing these wordes there is one God one faith one Baptisme This Church is praised of the Apostles own mouch And first for that is the trew and Apostolicall faith which the Apostel praising God and writting the Romans cap. 1. doth say your faith is published through the whol world But our faith which is hated and dispraised by name of Papistry and proprie is that same Roman faith This Catholik church is hated of all heretikes and calumniated Seing no man as yet by any sure reason could shew the Roman Church from that tyme to discrepat or disagree in any substantiall point or that eyther Bishope counsell or any Catholick person do dissent from the Roman Church in essentialles or yet the pastors of our Church Amongst the pastors of the RomaÌ„ Church ther is no variaÌ„ce in essentialles at any tyme to varie from them in substantiall things yea in the smal-lest artickles what soeuer but all to accord and agree with the Catholik faith and to fauour no opinion of heresie Therefor our Papisticall and Roman faith hath obteined the title of the Catholick and Apostolicall name That richtly others sectes discouered this is only to be adiudged and belieued of all men for trew Catholick and Apostolicall and yours for heresie Trew faith most be receaued and belieued of hearing and not by reading of books or reuelations The second reason is the trew faith which who ordinarly declares or teaches to any other it must be first by the ear receaued of the Church of God by the preaching of Christ as the apostell affirmes Rom. 10. faith is by hearing and hearing is by the word of Christ as he would say trew faith is conceaued not immediatly by reuelation or reading of the Scriptures but by those things which are hard of the preacher and mediatly by external doctrin and the doctrin trewly that is harde or to be harde consistes in the word of God preached by the Church But the reformed faith teached by Luther and Caluin and their faith is not by hearing and externall doctrin which they euer receaued in the Church from any pastor doctor bishope or any other hauing authoritie of mission The ProtestaÌ„ts preiching is nether by the word of God nether of the church or euer had commission of any man to preach that reformed faith Therefor their reformed faith is no trew faith The minor is euident becaus they can not produce any doctor nor pastor if they can do it from whome they haue receaued their doctrin For the assertiones written by Luther him self declare the contrary Who in his book of Seruill libertie Luthers glorie him to dissent from all the fathers of the Church obiectes against Erasmus Rotterd in the cause of frewill publiquely to vant boast him to depart and dissent from the doctrin of all the former pastores of the Church and declared by the mouth of the Church and to oppose him self coÌ„traire to Dion Areop Iren. Clem. Cypr. Arnob. August c. Whos 's doctrin in the course of frewill deliuered of the elders to be trew Catholik doctrin and authorised of the mouth of the Church We sayes Luther beliue Luther adiudged all the fathers blind ignoraÌ„t in the Scriptures and preach that the fathers all these many ages past plainly haue ben blind and most vnexpert ignorant and vnlerned in the holly Scriptures And therefor for conclusion of this minor theyr preaching and doctrin is not of the Church nor of any pastor of the Church and consequentlie no faith nether word of God Trew faith should beginne at IerusaieÌ„ The thrid reason is the preaching of the trew faith ought to beginne at Ierusalem and after to go abrod through all the partes of the world as it is writen in S. Luc. 24. it behoued that penance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name to all nations beginning at Ierusalem but the preaching of Luther and Caluins reformed faith hath not begonne at Ierusalem The reformed faith begane in Germany in Geneue in particulare cornes nether is it spred abrod through the world and therefor it is no trew faith The minor is euident for Luther begane in Wittemberg in Saxonie and Caluin in
if we read our seruice prayer in latin the vulgar people vnderstand it not and so there is no more fruit of the hearing of it then if a man should speake to the wall ANSVVER THE Apostles saying contaynes a threefold prayer to wit the prayer of the mouth of the spirit and mynd to which these three concurre the tongue the will and vnderstanding therefore if any pray with his mouth in an vnknowne tongue he prayeth with mouth and wil if he do it for Gods cause but his mynd is without fruit to wit that he vnderstandes not because what he prayeth he vnderstandes not in the meane tyme his prayer is not without fruit for it is meritorious to him that prayeth and acceptable to God albeit it be destitute of that fruit which men conceaue by vnderstanding And therefore S. Paul striueth to declare the gift of Prophesie which is the gift of the exposition of holy Scriptures of the wordes of prayer to be more excellent then the gift of the tongue For seing dayly the nomber of the faithful increased both amōgst Ethnicks Iewes to the fayth of Christ it was not requisit to the faithfull to speake before them with many tongues but then it was their part to speak with interpretation of the Scriptures without which they vnderstood not the Scriptures But now when men are taught in the faith of Christ and with continuall preaching of the word what seruice or prayers are in the Church that men are ignorant of Therefore to what end should diuyne seruice be done in a vulgar tongue seing it is not vnknowne to the vulgar what is done in the Masse or songes of the Church whilst they cōforme their gestures to the wordes of the Priest now to stand now to bowe their kne now to left vp their handes and eyes now to knok on their briests c But to the argument which the heretick propoundeth against the Masse and Church mattens we answere that S. Paul speakes of a Prophet Preacher or Doctor to interprete the Scriptures as Hierome Austen witnes in this place Secondly that albeit the lay-men vnderstād not the wordes yet notwithstanding they vnderstād all the mysteries by preaching Therfore the hearing of masse and matines and euen songe is not vnprofitable c. howbeit they vnderstand not the wordes for these reasons Because in the diuyne seruice of the Church vsually is read the holy Scripture by which the holy Ghost speaketh to vs and powreth some grace in our hartes tongues to expresse our affection and loue towardes God Thirdely the Priest in the masse or collect is comon minister of the whole Church and therfore all hearers of Gods seruice should repose in the faith of the Catholick Church for she more pleaseth God is more acceptable to him as a most beloued spouse to her husband then the fayth of any priuat men Fourthly the end of masse and diuyne seruice is common to all whether he vnderstand or no for the end of the masse the Churches intentiō is knowne to all to wit that the sacrifice is offered for the liuing and the dead in remembrance of the death and passion of Christ to the honour of God and edification of his Church and to the honour of the Blessed Virgin Marie all his Saincts and therefore it sufficeth that we haue diuyne seruice in Latin seing it is one of the three chiefe tongues which Christ sanctifyed on the Crosse and that we appertayne to the latin Church c. QVAESTIO XX. Of the Aue Maria. HOw doth the simple Papists think that they pray when they rehearse the Angelicall salutation saying Aue Maria Aue Maria. Caluin in Harm Euang. c. ANSVVER THe Catholick Papists commit no foolishnes while they repeat the Angelical salutation as a true prayer The reason is because prayer consisteth in two partes the on is in giuing of thanks and the other in prayer therefore it is not affected folly or superstition The maior is euident because there are many Psalmes of Dauid that are only actions of thankes and yet are nombered amongst Ecclesiasticall prayers also they are nōbred by their owne iudgement in the Psalmists in this manner were Paul and Sylas at midnyght praysing and praying our Lord. Act. 16. v. 25. For the petitions desyres are included in the prayer it self Moreouer the minor is euident first because while we repeat that prayer we commemorat the benefit of our redemption by the incarnation of the sonne of God by way of thankes giuing therfore it is to be thought and adiudged for a prayer Secondly it is a prayer implicit by way of insinuation as was the prayer of the leprous-man to Christ saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Matth. 8 v 2. To whom Christ answered condiscending to his inward desyre and priuat prayer saying I will be thou clean Euen so in lyke manner whyl we repeat this salutation we pray-the Mother of God to haue a care of vs implicitly Thirdely the holy Church hath put to this a formall and expresse prayer in the end of the Salutation saying holy Mother of God pray for vs now and in the houre of our death Therefore it is a true prayer howsoeuer the ennemies of God and of his blessed Mother whisper and murmure against her OBIECTION YF the Angelicall Salutation be allowed of the Catholickes for a prayer Ergo when the Angell saluted the Virgin he prayed to her ANSVVER THe sequel is absurd for altough he saluted her it followes not that he prayed to her as whē the action of a thing is of a diuerse intentiō end it acquires a diuerse name and action according to philosophicall axiomes saying Actus accepit speciē ab obiecto that is to say the deede taketh his forme of the obiect As for example when any man shal giue an almes for the succour of his nyghbour this intention and end of his worke is obserued of the forme of the obiect in that he is his nyghbour poore and in the other when any man shall giue an almes to deceaue his nyghbour the first is meritorious but in the second he demerites Euen so the intention and end of the Angels salutation it was congratulatory in that she was chosen to be the Mother of Christ And therefore he is not cōuinced in this to haue prayed to her but by the same axiom to haue saluted her OBIECTION THe Papists vsurpe an others office which is wronge whyle they salut the Blessed Virgin Mary they vsurpe the office of the Angell therefore they sinne in making this salutation which is not proper for them to do but the Angell ANSVVER I Deny the vsurping of an others office this is inuented of Caluins owne head But Athan. in Euāgel de dei para sayth that all the Spirits of the celestiall Hierarchies doe incessantly sing in Heauen this glorious and vnspeakable hymne and for this cause it followeth that not only this
and vvater syde go about to stope all other vvaters rouÌ„d about and doe set skar crowes ouer them that the poore birdes not knovving vvher to make succourse to find vvaters not of chose but of very necessity at last most light in their snayres vvhich euidently appeare in the Hereticks of this age euer vvith Heresie to haue malice adioyned vvith it as experience hath proued in Scotland that in the beginning Heresie was so delectable to the vvhole estait of the land after vvith vvhat subtility policy and craft it is established in so far that it is pointly registred in the books of Parlamét the professioÌ„ of their faith is acted vvord to vvord for a perpetual memorie the vvholl bodie of the kingdome is coacted to svveir to subscriue this new faith who refuses eyther Protestant or Catholik theÌ„ malice inuy hatred and blasphemy must force then what by excommunication horning or by prisonement confiscation of goods exill or death they belieue no man whom onse they conceaue iealousie of their malice is in reconciliable that they are in will desire after the mynd of Caligula who wished the heades of all the RomaÌ„s to stand on maÌ„s body that at one blooe he may beheade them al. And therfore to effectuat their malicious desyres and that the poyson of their hart may be made knowne they evvomat clamorous raillings and blasphemies against the Pope of Rome al Catholike people that thereby the ignoraÌ„t being onse snared in their heresie anone are drouÌ„k with the same poysoÌ„ of blasphmy fury hatred and malice against Catholicks and Priests that they are lyke made and frented people and that they cam home from their sermonds no lesse feirce and fyrie then sogeres froÌ„ the warlyke speaches of their Captain exhorting them to the fight or as it is said of the citizins of Abdera that onse hearing a furious Tragedie in a heate sommer day they were so stroken with such a fit of frenesie through the vehemeÌ„t heat of the soune that many days they did nothing but act the same Tragedie vvith furious gestures in there straites VVas not the lyk tragedie acted in S. Iohnstoun and through all Scotland in vvhat frenesie and madnes were the people that in one yeare they raysed throwdown and demolised all the abbayes Churchs Chappell 's and Hospitalls in the whole land with perseuerance in blaspheming condemning skoffing freting raiging and moking God his Church These holy puritaÌ„e Sancts are full of zeall to evomat such haynous abominable blasphemies for poor and sound doctrine dissembling credit and honesty who are known enemies they want in their sermons and make ample disgressions to geet with men of small iudgement the name of a great preachour to be called a cunning clerk that as S. Austen saith Any man of very small learning may doe the same to prate vpon palpable follies and to be inuectiue which custome is deduced froÌ„ the Manicheis who made long sermons with much grauity long graces c. against whom S. Aug. lib. 1. de morib eccl c. 10. writes adiudging suchlyke toyes vvicked vvhich doe no way concerne vs for they speake vpon old wyfes tailles and childish bables for in that in which they are most earnest in approuing and confuting matter of Religion against tht Catholickes the more they show themselues to want iudgment and whosoeuer is seduced and deceaued of them to follow Heresie condeÌ„neth not the Catholik Church but showeth himself ignorant to lack iudgement For the nature of Heresie is to blinde the vnderstanding and induce ignorance And therefore as S. Cyp. lib. 1 epist 3 saith that of theÌ„ who are prophane out of the Church no things is to be expected but a deprauat mynd a deceitfull tongue cankered malice and sacrilegious lyes whosoeuer shall giue credit to these professors shall suffer with them the sentence of damnation at Christ comming to iudg the world In lyke maÌ„ner S. AusteÌ„ serm 22. de verb. Apost declaring the cause of the peruersitie of heretiks with what malice and hatred satan hath spyred them that they so continue in their wicked course against conscience all morall reason is more the feare of the shame of the world then the feare of God or loue of their soule Lest there religion being detected and discouered it should be said to them why haue you deceaued vs so long why did you seduce vs wherfore told yee vs so many fals things regarding more the weaknes of men to reprehend their folly then the inuinciblenes of the truth which must preuaile VVhose description of doctrine and manner is not neadfull to be produced of vs Catholiks when sufficiently of Luther others they are described as ane Anatomie to the obiect of all beholders as reportes Theod. Fabrit in locis comm in art Luth. pag. 4. 5 saying The natures of these Viperes are such that they can cauill deceatfully with wordes making the Scriptures a noise of wax they show their impious ingenious spirit to turne and alter the sense by the meaning of the Apostles in which they are admirable doctors surpassing in skill wite of al the learned and profound men of this world For they are gouerned by a malignaÌ„t spirit w h doth possesse be wich their wits are inradged with satanicall viruleÌ„cy against Gods Church and her professors They caÌ„not eshew but must interpret the Scripturs wroÌ„g for in this they are for all the world lyke spidders that suck poyson out of fayre and fragaÌ„t flours the venome not being in the flours but in theÌ„selues And therfore as heresie must be It is not without our profit to wit for our instructioÌ„ seing that heresies are and suffered to be to that intent that they who are perfect in his Church might be known for by Heresies the Church is tryed as gold be the fyre as the sea that is moued with teÌ„pests casts out his froth filth the poor waters keep his boâ—ds course soe the Church in tyme of tribulatioÌ„ and stormes of heresie voydes away the fooll vncleane meÌ„bers out of her the souÌ„d and faithfull remaine vnder her Catholicke rowfe abydeth in the faith onse receaued and belieued For in tyme of Heresie Schisme the part of euery good Christian man must be to doe as good sogers to ruÌ„ne to their captain generall lookiÌ„g to him expecting to be directed how and wheÌ„ to stryke as the modest and geÌ„tle passager wheÌ„ the teÌ„pest stormes ariseth to disordre their passage sufferes with hartly mynd the master to ruell the sterne medling not with that that which he hath not skill of Euen so when priuie rebelles and wicked members of Christian religion sowe seditious schismes and preaches heresie troubliÌ„g therby the quiet setled coÌ„scieÌ„ces of true belieuers euery ChristiaÌ„ man especially the lai inferior sort ought to cleaue to their heades and ruelers in Christ Church medling not vvith any
Bishopes vnto this present day from the very seat of Peter to whom our Lord commended the feeding of his sheepe after his resurrection to the Episcopal dignitie of the present Bishop and last the name catholik doth hold me in the vnitie of the Church Not without caus the churh hath retained the name Catholick which name this Church hath alwayes not without cause among so many different sectes of heresies in such sort obtained that although all heretiks desire to be called Catholikes yet if a stranger should demaund where is the assembly of the Catholick Church No heresie can show their church for catholick ther is no heretik that dareth assigne him his temple or his preiching-hous for Catholick Lykewise in his Symbol sayes he we do beleue the holy Church that is Catholik for the heretiks schismatikes do cal their congregations Churches but the heretikes beleuing those things of God which ar false Heretikes by error do violat the faith Schismatikes by making diuisions violated vnitie They apertein not to the Catholik church do violate the faith the schismatikes by vnlawful diuisiōs do separat them selfes frō brotherly charitie although they beleue in all things the same with vs. And for this cause nether do the heretikes or schismatikes apertain to the catholik Church And againe S. Aug. lib. de vnit eccles c. 4. sayes all those that beleue that our lord IESVS CHRIST is come in the flesh in which he was borne and hath suffered that he is the Sonne of God with God and one with the Father the only immutable word of the father by whom all things weer made but do in such sort dissent from his body which is his Church that their communion is not withall them with whom the Catholick Church doth participate but ar in som diuided part it is a manifest token that they ar not in the catholik Church lykwise Prosper sayes that he who doeth communicat He who accordes with the vniuersall Church is a Catholik Vnder S. Cyprian the people where called Catholikes with this vniuersal church is a Christian and a Catholick he that doth not communicat is an heretik an Antichrist And Pacianus sayes the people vnder S. Cyprians charge haue neuer been called otherwayes then Catholikes Now amongst thiese testimonyes what place haue our reformed to be named with a catholik tytle whom as S. Aug. sayes dissention and diuision makes heretikes And againe in his Epist. 152. ad donatist Whosoeuer is deuyded from the Catholik Church sayes he how laudable soeuer he seeme to liue for this only cryme No heretik nor schismatik how soeuer he liue well can not be saued out of the church that he is only separated from the vnitie of the Church he shal be also secluded from lyf and the wrath of God shal remaine on him This same argument hath Fulgentius lib. de fid ad Pet. diac cap. 29 saying hold for most certain and dout not in any maner that no heretik or schismatik baptized in the name of the Father Sonne Holy Ghost if he be not in vnitie with the catholik-catholik-Church although he giue great almes and shede his very blood for the name of CHRIST yet can he in no wyse be saued Thus the fathers in the primitiue tyme wholly affirme how so euer they agree with the Catholikes in all the artickles of the belief and in holy Scriptur yet not being in the vnitie of the catholik church can not be saued What shal we say of the moderne heresies that deny the artikles of ther belief The ignorance of heresie to pretend which is no thaires and peruert the Scripture in adding diminishing in glossing and commenting in changing and chopping and yet will pretend the Catholik Church and hir name But in vaine as S. Augustin sayes to the Donatistes yow accord vvith vs in baptisme and in the belief and in all other Sacraments of our Lord but in the Spirit of vnitie and in the place of peace and last in the catholick Church No heresie could euer atteine to the name Catholick how soeuer they weere desirous to haue it you are not vvith vs and therfor heretikes separated and cut of from the church and nothing pertinent to this name Catholik For vve see euidentlie this name kept S. Augustein in the right faith for no heretik could obtein the name of the Catholik Church although euery heresie did much desyr to obtein it The reasō is because that all heresies be but partes and peculiar sects of some country or the doctrin of a small tyme. The word Catholik betokenes ane vniuersall profession Where as the vvord Catholick doth betoken a certaine vniuersall profession induring from the beginning to the ending and spread abrod thorovv all partes but those vvho began their doctrine after the apostles tyme vver euer named of their masteres The heresies haue thair names of the inuentors of that sect as the Arians of Arrius the Lutherans of Luther and the Caluinists of Caluin but they in the contrary vvere called Catholikes vvho kept the vniuersall faith vvhich the Apostles had first taught and vvhich vvas continued alvvayes in the vvhole Church And for that S. Augustin tract 22. in Ioh. We haue receaued the holy Ghost He hath receiued the holy Ghost that keeps vnitie and gif we reioyce of the faith with the name if vve loue the church and if vve be knit and conioyned together by charitie if vve do all exalt and reioyce to be a catholik as vvell in faith as in name Here vpon Pacianus Epist 1. ad Symphron sayes be not angry good brother and do not afflict thy self a Christian is my name The word Christian is the forname and the word Catholick is the surname and a Catholik is my surname by the former I am called and by the second I am made manifest Therfor this name is no wayes attributed to those who are enimies to this name and hath it in scorne and mockerie that iustlie they discouer ther corrupt affection The corrupt affections of heretikes to this name Catholik and hereticall malice toward the word in so much that some of them calleth it a voyd and vaine word some againe a gracelesse terme fruitles name so the old heretikes as S. August cont Gaud. lib. 2. cap. 25. sayes called it a humain fiction Thair intention is to put out of memorie the name Catholik by their euill nature and qualitie they geue diligence to abolish and extinguish both the veritie of our faith the name consonant thervnto therefore their name declare thē sufficiently what they are prognosticating of them as they are as Iustinus in triphone sayes Heretikes were prognosticat to com befor they cáme there shall aryse many false Christs and false Prophet and they shall seduce many of the faithfull and are distinguisht amongst vs taking their names of certane men as euery on was author of
consequentlie froÌ„ god him self for as S. August sayes he shall not haue god for his father that will not haue the church for his mother OBIECTION OVr faith is pure reformed and is Catholik forasmuch as it is free of the errors and superstitions of the papistis and therefor this our reformation is to be preferred and is more Catholik then the papistes faith is ANSVER TOo late hast thou spruÌ„g vp vaine boaster that with these vaine wordes and suchlyk illusiones thow labores to seduce and blind so many learned men in the church of God or perchance thou thinkest them to be children lying in craddles that in singing of such triflinge songs thow canst mak them slumber or rather stumble The protestants reformation admittes no power spirituall or temporall What puritie â—s in yowr faith how reformed and how long catholike that more iustlie it may be called deformed and the in bringer of all deformatioÌ„ and distruction of all ecclesiasticall powere the which reformation admits no policie and no ecclesiasticall forme but damnes the rites of all former ages Derides the cannones of the Church They deride the canons of the Church and Scoffes at the fathers mockes and scoffes the holy fathers howsoeuer they weer neere the tyme of the Apostles for euidence doth not Cal. lib. 3. instit cap. 4. § 38. condemne all the ancieÌ„t fathers whose bookes ar extant in speaking of satisfaction and that in his fourth booke of instit cap. 12. § 20. sayes he Caluin condeÌ„nes the ancieÌ„t fatheres and presseth them to haue sown superstition in the Church In all he will not excuse the ancient fathers but that they haue sowed the seede of superstition and haue giuen occasion to Tyrannie which therafter a rose in the church and than furth with beganne the superstitious obseruance of Lent thus he and thus is the beginning of the reformation and the puritie of the gospell to bolster heresie for treuth and veritie It may be called a renouation of old damned heresies harken good frends and I shall declare the assumtion and the effect of this reformatioÌ„ first the trew church of God visible in all the countries of the world in this reformed churches opinioÌ„ to haue perished and to remaine and a byde in som certaine places of the world obscure and hidde of this mynd was the Donatists as witnes Opt. meleu lib. 2. cont parm and S. Ang. lib. de Vnit. Eccl. cap. 12. this same doctrin of reformed faith The Church to haue perished was the old heretikes opinion with the reformers hath Caluin teached that the church of Christ hath perished and remaines inuisible aganst the plain tenor of the Scriptur Cal. lib. 4. cap. 2. § 2. Secondlie the Arrianes taught the sonne not to be aequall to the father in deitie as witnes Epiph. heresie 69. The sone is not equall with the father And the same groundes hath Caluin for his reformation lib. 2. inst c. 14. § 3. God is the author of sinne Thirdlie Florinus held opinion God to be the author of sinnes as Euseb lib. 5. c. 20. And the same opinion is stoutly defended of Caluin lib. 1. iust cap 18 § 4 5. lib. 1. cap. 15. § 16. Man is instified by onlie faith Fourtly man to be iustifyed and saued by only faith and not by workes was the opinion of Simon Magus and Eunomius as S. Aug. haer 54. Iren. lib. 1 cap. 20. The same doctrin teaches Luth. in Serm. de piscat Petri We should come only with Ysaac sayes he that is with faith and the seruantes and asses that is workes it behoweth to leave them below and a syde And in an other Sermon in that subiect Sic Deus dilexit munduÌ„ if thow com sayes he with Sackes full of good workes it behoveth thee to lay theÌ„ down otherwayes thow canst not enter into heauen And Caluin ther mak his bragg in his thrid book of inst cap 11. § 14. Now plainly the reader doth behold sayes he with what oequitie the Sophisticall papistes do cauill and iudge our religion when we say Aman is iustified by only faith Man hath no freewill Fyftlie Manicheus condemned and denyed frewill as S. Aug. haeres 49. The same hath Luther renewed as in his book of Servill will cont Eras and suchlyk Cal. lib. 2. cap. 2. § 4. This name of frewill hath euer beene extant with the Latines but with the Grekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word much more arrogant Mariadge and Virginitie is alyk in merit Sixtlie Iouinian made Mariage alyke in dignitie and merit to Virginitie and plainly to haue taught fasting and abstinence to be of no merit as S. Hier. obserues lib. 1. 2. cont Iouian These same subiectes teaches Luther and Caluin Luther in his epithalamio and Cal. lib. 4. c. 12. § 19. cap. 13. § 3. what if I should repeat the erroneous opinions of the Albigenses Waldens Wiclif Hussites Abailardes Baerâ—â— garians Almarik and suchlyk abominable sectes condemned long since of the Church and of all generall counsells accursed and yet not withstanding these are the patrones The old heretikes ar the patrones of the newe heretikes and Rabbies of the reformed who weer renewers of Heresie inuentors of noualties whose begininge and progresse is knowen to be wrapped in errore and superstitioÌ„ while they think to be free ar snared in blindnese of vnderstanding and in hardnes of hart They ar blind through the hardnes of ther hart and indured goeth headlonge to perditioÌ„ as reprobated of God through the hardnes of their own hart and therfore if any maÌ„ censure and iudge with equitie the reformed they haue no faith no religion no name but the name of particular men as Caluinists and Lutherans and of suchlyk monsters already condemned And therfore for conclusion let the catholik RomaÌ„ faith liue and reigne to whose campe I admon she all aduersaries not to approch for treuely it is plesant and delectable to be a protestant but more Secure to die a Catholik therfore let euery good Christian eschewe and flee from the Lutherans and Galuinistes who ar particular sectes seing each Gentell reader flee the heretikes for they promise much and porforme but little one of them promisseth with Faustus Manicheus to giue a new illumination and a new reformation euery on of them endeuoreth to draw the into his sect but take heed and be warned and cry with S. Hieron epist ad Damas Meletius Vitalis and Paulinus also Luther Caluin and Rotman and all other sectaries doe say that they haue the trew and Christian faith so said the heretikes of old so sayes the moderne perchance aman might beleue if one said it but two and three do say and they all do lie what hunting mak they to mak a proselite and a child of hell o tymes o maneres o monsters what absurdities followeth this new reformation as is rehersed that Christian men are
how the reformed belieue this article of the creed to wit the remission of synnes Cal. doctrine can not agree accord with this article Good workes are synne seing that they say that all our workes ar mixed and defyled with synne and what soeuer good workes shal be done of the most holyest man by the vncleannes and the impuritie of the fleshe are polluted corrupt and putrifyed Man is not fre neither of originall nor actuall synne by any Sacrament Only faith by imputatiue iustice maketh man fre Lyckwise he teaches that we are not free of originall synne neither are we absolued or remitted from any other synnes howsoeuer confessed and satisfyed but only couered by the imputatiue righteousnes of Christ neither are these synnes imputed to the fault nor to the punishment as Rabbi-Caluin teaches lib. 3 inst cap. 14. § 9.10 11. lib. 4. inst cap. 15. § the which doctrine doth subuert and ouerthrow the very article of our creede to wit the remission of synnes Cal. reiectes the iudgment of S. Aug concerning synne in the regenerat He teaches that in the sainctes synne reignes All the regenerat ar in aid cleaue by imputatiue iustice which stoutlie he defendes by reiecting and casting of the opinion and iudgment of S. Austen de concupiscentia in renatis We teach sayes he in the holy Sainctes euer to be synne vntill they be freed and vnclothed of this mortall body lib. 3. inst cap. 3. § 10. and proceeding more deeplie to iustify his doctrine of only faith moues this doubte and solues it him self But how is it sayes he that God doth purge his Church of all synne and that he promiseth to hir the graces of fredome and puritie by baptisme and doth fulfill it in his elect It is referred and fulfilled in communicating his imputauiue iustice and this God performes and exhibites in regenerating his own that in them the kingdome of synne may be distroyed abolished by subministratinge to them vertue of the holy Spirit by which they are superior and victors in the fight lib. 3. instit cap. 3. § 11. Synne to reigne and not imputed for a faust is false doctrin And a litle after those reliques of synne which be in his sainctes we cōfesse them not to be imputed as if they were not of the which doctrine it followes synne absolutlie not to be remitted for it implicates a contradiction synne to reigne and not to be imputed for a fault for Caluin affirmes Cal. sayes synne reignes not but dwelles Synne failes to reigne in the sainctes but not to dwell as an other contradiction Contrariwise catholikes exhort all men firmely to belieue assured lie confide that there is remission of synnes in the holy Church and this remission is to vs and to yow and to Iudas the triator and to euery mortall synner and to those that now are and to those that shal be hereafter and to those that are in purgatorie for Christ hath promerited to all abundantlie who hanging in the crosse is made a propitiation for our synnes and not for ours only The Catholikes firmly belieue remissiō of synnes but for the synnes of the whole world But that we Catholikes belieue all men to haue receaued and obteined remission of their synnes de facto sola fide credendo not onely we Catholikes deny and gainstand but also the Scriptur for treuly Christ hath tasted the death for all But that all men haue remission of synnes de sacto is against the Scriptur and Christs death We belieue the remission of synnes by the power of the Church but all do not apply to them the fruite of his most pretious death for in deed he is made the cause of saluation to all but yet the Scriptur sayes Heb. 5. v. 9. He was made the author of eternall saluation vnto all them that obey him Therefore wee belieue most firmly the remission of synnes but not to be remitted in particular by onely faith but that power is giuen to the Church to remitt synne and to reteine synne Howbeit we admitt the heauenly promisses of the remission of synnes iustification and eternall lyfe Remission of synnes is not made to any in particulat The promises of God are to all a lyke are made with condition and such lyke which generally is denounced to perpeteyne to euery man to wit so farr as lyeth in God who without acception of persones promisseth and giueth to all men abundantly but with that condition that he do worthy pennance for his synnes and to keepe the commandementes of God as Ezech. cap. 18. v. 21. If the vngodly man shall do pennance for his synnes which he hath wrought and shall keep my preceptes and do iudgment and righteousnes he shall liue the lyfe and shall not die and lykwise Matth. cap. 10. v. 22. Yow shal be hated of all men for my name saks but who shall perseuer vnto the end shal be saued No mā is certaine of perseuerance in vertue But because a man is vncertaine of his owne righteousnes and perseuerance in virtue and lykwise vncertaine of his saluation therefore it is said in the holy Scripture Apocalyps 3. v. 11. Hold fast what thow hast that no man tak thy crown for there hath falne Saul Salomon Iscariotes Many haue falne those they stoode as of the Caluin som are made Turkes Paulus Alciatus Sartor Blandrata Socimus Lysmannus Luther Calu. and many more of the protestantes companious abiuringe their faith are falne to Turcisme Mahematisme and Atheisme as witnesseth Beza in the history of Valentine Gentill and Caluino-Turcismus lib 1. cap. 2. Wherevpon we may gather that the great maxime of the Caluinistes Theologie is falne and is conuniced of falsehood affirming that only faith once gotten neuer doth faile or decayes as stoutly Cudsemius in his Hyperaspisce declares but when we see their owne turned from their owne faith to infidelitie what iudgment is against them and what condemnation fall they into no lesse treuly than in the same iudgment and damnation of the heresiarches who by the doctrin of this only faith minister subiectes to Paganisme and Atheisme OBIECTION I. THerefor what Dost thow commande and bids vs dispaire ANSVVER GOd forbid for as we deny that any can firmly belieue certainlye persuade him self of the remission of his synnes euen so no lese we affirme cōstantlie that euery Christian man is bound to belieue and with faith to do what is in him to expect the effect of faith What Christiās ar bound to hope with firme and sure hope in this lyf of true remission of synnes by the Sacrament of baptisme and pennance and in the world to come to eternall lyf which hope except we haue it firme and constant in vaine we ar called Christians OBIECTION II. THow speakes a paradox and a contrary thing for firmly to belieue and assuredly to persuade thow denyes and yet thow commaundes and biddes euery one to be
their faith and be separated froÌ„ the Church as Ethnikes and Infidels dâ—facto neuerthelesse in name and externall showe they are within as holy Scripture makes mention as Matth. 13 in the feyld of corne was togeather tares and wheat in the net good fysh and bad in an hous foolish and wyse virgines Euen so such persones hauing faith without workes not obscurly but plainly doe pertayn to the Church howbeit they are damned therefore it happeth to faith without charity eyther to be formall or informall but the effect and Vertue depends in his will in whome charity is and for this cause The effect of faith depends in his will in whome is charity the Heretickes forceing falsy the contrary are deceaued for whilst they presuppose and iudge with themselues that trew faith cheifly is placed in only persuation by which a man may persuade certainly assure himself because of the imputatiue righteousnes of Christ de facto that his sinnes be remitted to him and that graces and charity concomitanter are infused into his soule with his assured persuasion of only faith The hereticks folish persuasion concerning faith that this persuasion in their iudgmeÌ„t is a most trew thing neyther think they euer at any tyme that this can be separated from grace charity which is false and absurde as we haue before proued for they lay great weight vpon a weake foundatioÌ„ and build castelles vpon a sandy-mount for it is not only fayth that iustifyes a man nether is it euer annexed conioyned with charity grace but is separated OBIECTIO FAith consists in the knowledge of Christ but Christ cannot be knowne but by sanctification of his spirit Therfore faith can no way be separated froÌ„ charity For the Apostle sayth Rom 10 v. 10. VVith the hart man belieueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation ANSVVER THE Apostle vnderstandes not in these words sanctification of the spirit including charity but he sayth the hart belieueth to ryghteousnes in which wordes he plainly signifyeth that faith is way and mean to gett and obtaine righteousnes but this faith doth not euer include necessarily the actuall stat of righteousnes and charity and therefore the knowledg of Christ may be in man without charity and so it is separated Other expounde this place of the good affection of will requisit in man to belieue and not annexed absolutly to the action of loue and charity OBIECTIO FAict without workes is dead as the Apostle sayes Iac. 2. Therfore as a dead man is not a trewe man so neyther is fayth in sinneres a true faith without workes and charity ergo faith and charity cannot be separated ANSVVER THE Apostle to the contrary assimilated and compared faith not to a dead man but he assimilated and compared such to a dead body as v. 26. for as the body sayth he without the spirâ—t is dead concerning the vitall operatioÌ„s whereby it failes not to be a trew body euen so without workes faith is dead concerning the vtility meryt and saluation albeyt it failes not to be trew faith for the Apostel affirmeth the Diuels to belieue albeyt not to saluation how much more a sinner may belieue and haue true faith and yet not to his saluation Because it is without workes which are the operations of the vytall spirit and so faith is separated from charity and compared to a dead man without the spirit when he wanted the operatioÌ„ of the vitall spirit and yet cannot be called otherwyse then a body Ergo and so is fayth OBIECTION THE Fathers in whose doctrine thow Papist so oft dost boast teach faith without workes not to be true faith as S. Cyp de simplic pral Beda in cap. 2. Iac. c. Ergo â—rew faith is neuer without workes ANSVVER THE Fathers deny such to be true faith that is not liuely and perfyt and to be such as it ought to be as laughter is not full ioy yet it is accounted for ioy and gladnes So S Hier. cap. 5. ad Gal. When charity is farr of and suchlyke fayth is remote and absent we say it is not perfect charity and true faith not that it is farr of and absent as concerning his essence but concerning his perfection operation and lyfe And hereupon the Fathers teache the verity and the Heretikes lye and teache false doctrine QVAESTIO V. Of the necessity of myracles WHerefore require the Papists myracles of vs for confirmation of our reformed faith seyng long since it was maruelously confirmed of the Apostels Martyres Confessores So that there is no neede of newe myracles Caluin praef instit ad Franc. gal reg ANSVVER Luther atteÌ„ptâ— to rayse the dead He also attemptes to cast out diuels If their doctrine be trew from the Apostles how flee they to extraordinary things Caluin makes for a myracle of a liuing maÌ„ a dead He would haue wrought a myracle for confirming his doctrine of predestination I Aske wherefore Luther that great Prophete Elias and a cheif Apostle yea the Angel of God so called of his successores for confirmation of his Euangel made his recourse to myracles whilst he assayed and attempted to rayse from death one William Nesone drowned in the ryuer of Albus as Staph. in respons vlt. beareth witnes Also he attempted to work a myracle in the casting out of a Deuill out of the possessed but in vayne Wherfore I say went Luther to vse an extraordinary meane if his doctrine be the doctrine of the auncient tymes that myracles are not now necessary Lykewyse to the same effect wherfore attempted Caluin to work a myracle to rayse a dead man who by caluines policy dissembled himself dead for the confirmation of his doctrine of predestinatioÌ„ and the preordination of God concerning the fall of man as Bols in vita Calu. lib. 13. Againe I ask if Caluin was scrupulous to sowe the doctrine of the Catholyk faith yet wherfore induces he a new faith and if he hath purged the error of the Paptsts Church wherfore runnes he to working of a false myracle wonderfull to the world Lykwyse a certayn ringleader of the Anabaptists attempted to worke a myracle in the kingdome of Polonia who inuyted all his fellow compagnions to be present at his baptisme promysing to them that they should see the holy Ghost come downe from the heauen to confirme his baptisme An Anabaptist in Polonia attempted to cause the holy Ghost appeare to proue his doctrine from heauen to be from heauen the day is prefixed the place is appointed the rumor spred abroade all are desyrous to see this myracle and first of all this Arch-heretick entreth into the water but in place of the holy-Ghost and of the spirit of truth anone the Diuell appared with a horrible and fearfull countenance offering himself to them all The Anabaptist is beaten of the diuell and taking the Heretick by the hair of his head lifteth and caryeth him in the ayre letting
Church and approued by authority for trew doctrine according to the iudgment of men and of them who haue authority to iudge in matters of Fayth Otherwayes their mission and doctrine cannot be receaued nor belieued who without this ordinary authoritie by thēselues approue doctrine to be sufficient or insufficient and must be moued thēselues by some other preacher and his authority to belieue and therfore if there want myracles I know not how they shall approue their doctrine discusse ambiguities resolue doubtes neuer I say by their owne reasoning and vnderstanding of their priuie spirit but their doctrine shall euer be held suspect No doctrine can be known trew without myracles zuing affi mes the same And for the verity of this assertion Zuing. Tom. 2. eccl sayes how many haue vsurped the function to Preach and teach or to worke myracles were called of God cōfirmed by eléctiō of the pastores of the Church Thus he I hope Zuingl hath sayd as much as I would say that ordinary vocation is necessaey that therby God workes often tymes myracles for the maitayning of the same and therefore both lawfull mission and myracles are of God The heretycks make themselues Pastors without ordination to their shame and ignominie who sitting in the Chayre of pestilence contemne and blaspheme all lawful succession and ecclesiasticall ordination calling themselues and presuming to gouerne vvithout lawfull ordination and taking the name of Byshop on them and no man gyuing it to them as sayth S. Cyp. de Simpl. prael They succeed to none but beginne at themselues Hereticks are prophane persones Calu. flyeth to extraordinary vocation and are prophane and enemies to our Lords peace and his diuyne vnity But Caluin teaches in his book de vera eccl reform That God rayseth vp pastores extraordinarily by the inspiration of his owne spirit who should restore his decaying and ruinous Church as long since he did in the Synagogue of the Prophets And so in our tyme by the ordinary vocation of man he hath raysed Prophets and Pastors for the building of his Church as Luther Zuingl c. Whose commendations of their owne Bretheren of the Gospel is wonderfull and first The commendation of the extraordinary Pastores Towit luth and zuingl Bez. to Sanctezij calles Luther the wonderfull instrument of God most heauenly inspyred and an admirable seruant of God in whom who acknowledgeth not the spirit of God knowes nothing Iewell calls him the most excellent man of God sent of him to lyghten the world Apoc. part 4. cap. 4. § 2. Mathesius calles him the Supreme Father of the Church con 8. de lut pag. 88. Amdorff sayes that there was none lyke in the world in spirit and faith vvisdome and profunde knowledge of the Scriptures Amdorff praef tom 1. Luther Albertus calls him a trew Paul and Elyas and a man sufficient to appease and diuerte the vvrath of God from men to whō Augustin myght think no shame to be his Scholler lib. cont Carollost lib. 7. Some other call him the Angell of God Austen might haue bene Luther Scholler flying throw the myddest of heauen hauing the eternall Ghospel in his hand Illiricus in apoc cap. 14. Schussinburge sayth that Elyas and Iohn Baptist vvere but figures of Luther Elias Iohn baptist were figures of Luther Luther vituperation and disprayse of his owne professors Theol. cal lib. 2. fol. 124. in the end this extraordinary Prophet is descrybed of his owne for Schulss lib. 2. art 12. de Theol. cal calles him proude furious intolerable full of errour impudent a forger and a deprauer of Gods word deceyptfull a seducer a false Prophet lunatyck presumptuous a crucifyer and a murtherer of Christ Lykewyse Zuing. calles him a drunken dreamer and a head full of lyes Moreouer Caluin vvould be numbred amongst these Prophets Caluin would be accounted a Prophet and extraordinaryly called as is obserued in diuerse of his sermons saying I am a Prophet I haue the spirit of God am sent of God I cannot erre if I erre it is God that deceaues me and puts me in errour for the synnes of the people His myracles and lyf his Propheticall extraordinary vocatiō is rehersed of Schlussinburge one of their owne professiō His myracles and vocatiō is commēded of the professors of the Gospel lib. 2. art 12. fol. 72. de Theol. Calu. who sayes that God would not be mocked by men hath shewed his iudgment in the world against Caluin visyting him in the scourge of his fury punishing him before the day of his death for he strok this sacramētal heretyck in such sorte that he dyed desperate swearing and inuocating the diuells to whom he randered his spirit vvhich isued out of his priuy members and out of his vlcerous soores and lay so stincking that the people was notable to endure the stinck and thus miserably ended his lyf Besides this he vvas infamous by sodomy Calu. dieth desperat cursing God and inuocating the diuels his bad lyfe The Catholyckes haue registred the myracles of the Sainctes for a memory all as S. Luc did the actes of the Apostles cruell bloody tyrannous deceytfull treacherous a babler a contemner a sophist an epicure and a tosser of the Scriptures as Quid in his metamorphosis thus he So that this way they haue made their extraordinary vocation conformable to their extraordinary myracles but for the Catholyck part all the holy Fathers haue accounted of myracles and haue written the admirable lyues of the Sanctes and haue them in regyster from Christ tyme imitating S. Luc admirable and miraculous relation of the actes of the Apostles and Dauid praysing God in his Sainctes as also to follow their deuotion and holynes of because the Prophet sayes Ps 14. He that glorisyeth them that fearour Lord shall dwell in his tabernacle and rest in his holy hill For their myracles done on earth haue made them glorious in heauen for Caluin confesseth In heb 2.4 2. cor v. 12. That myracles are seales of doctrine Calu. is contrary to himselfe for now he sayes that myracles are seales of trew doctrine The Heretyks wāt myracles Myracles The ouerthrow of Idolatrie Myracls were the cause of the conuersiō of Scotland and do establish faith and Scripture Wherupon all the Sectaries haue great cause to distrust their faith as a nouelty vnsealed and vnestablished by the vertue of God for they are knowne altogeather to want myracle as also good lyfe Far otherwayes was the conuersion of Scotland from Idolatry to the Catholycke fayth which was not only by the preaching of the vvord but also was in the working of myracles as trew faith reuealed and approued from heauen with admirable holynes of lyfe and modest conuersation both in clergie and lay persons that many ages after death and solution of mortality we see and read the lyuing Lord honoured and worshipped in them whose bodyes whilst they liued were the temples of the holy Ghost
is out of a malignaÌ„t spirit and a synne against the holy Ghost to attribute the myracles wrought by the Saincts of God vnto the power of the Diuell OBIECTIO IN Belzebub in the power of the Diuels the Papists cast out Diuels worke myracles Ergo their myracles are of the Diuell and not of God ANSVVER THE proposition is false for if at the touching of the relyckes of Sainctes or in visiting their Sepulturs Chapells or to goe pilgrimagie to their relycks and places or make prayers and inuocations to them or applications of the Sacraments in honour and deuotion towards them the myracles wrought and done in the Catholycke Church are to be attributed and ascrybed to the power and vertue of the Diuell Of this proposition should followe two great absurdities First that the Diuell with all power and force should honour Christ and his Sainctes which is most contrary by the absurditie for then the Diuell should distroy himself and his kingdome in promoting the worshipe and honour of God and his Sainctes vnto whome he will giue none nor acknovvledge any due eyther to God or his Sainctes Secondly that the name of Christ his Saincts should serue for the working the workes of the Diuell and the diuyne power and vertue of God should serue to the obsequie of the Diuell Which assertion by the absurditie is horrible blasphemy against the holy Ghost OBIECTIO WHen those and such lyck myracles fall out they are not to be attributed and ascrybed to come of the Sainctes or of their merytes or by their intercessions or praeyers but because it fortuned so ANSVVER IT is an open blasphemy eyther to speake or thinke to straine the bodyes and soules of men to the course of the planets and to the hid influences of the heauens so that Leo affirmes Epistol ad Astoricensem VVho followeth these there is no more place left for him in the Church of God because sayth he who once haue giuen themselues vnto the constellations and persuade themselues after their owne opinion departe and cut themselues from the bodye of Christ Vnto this the counsell of Braccar cap. 1. If any belieue that the souls and bodyes of men are astricted and gouerned of the fatall signes with the Priscilianists let him be accursed Moreouer myracles and prodigious thinges oft fal out and are wrought when the relyckes of the Sainctes are of the people reuerenced and applyed and when these Sainctes are inuocated by their ernest deuotion and to beare witnes of their reuerence and honour to Gods Saincts they receaue the holy Sacraments euen then especially myracles are done rather then any other tyme therefore seing at the deuotion of the people the application of the relykes of the Sainctes myracles are done they cannot be attributed to come of fortune or influeÌ„ces of the planets but of God the author of all goodnes and the gouernour of this world for if the fishe-poole Probatica in Ierusalem had vertue giuen to it to cure diseases at a certayne season of the year by the descending of an Angell mouing the water which vertue and working of myracles in the Probatica of IerusaleÌ„ cannot be attributed to the influences of the planets neyther to fortune but to God and mediatly to the ministery of the Angell euen so myracles done by the relyques of his Sainctes or at their Sepultures or Alters cannot be attributed to fortune or any fatall starâ—e but to God and by the mediat miniâ—tery intercession of his Sainctes by whose ministery God is honoured QVAESTIO VII The Pope is taken of the reformed for Antichrist WHerefore doe the simple and ignorant Papists obey the Pope in maâ—ters of religâ—on seing he is but a man anâ—â—â—uely Antichrist Luther ass art 27. Smalchald de pot paâ—ae Caluin in 2 Thes cap. 2. Illir de primat papae ANSVVER VPon this proposition I demaunde and aske wherefore doe your mynisteres of your Churches in spirituall things in vvhatsoeuer Kingdome The Protestants minysters are subiect in matters of faith to lay-men or Comonwealth they are in obey men and that lay-men of no ecclesiasticall function neyther of ecclesiasticall authority Is not this euident and known to all Europe how the Caluinistes of Ingland gaue their homage sure obedience in matters of faith vnto Queene Elizabeth and instituted hir head of their reformed Synagogue lykwyse by hir ordinances and statutes we know and vnderstand that these mynisters were compelled The minysters made Queen Elysabeth head of the Church swore obedience in maters of fayth contrary to their owne conscience The scripture forbyds wemen in church matters The hereticks wrytes against the lawfull temporall gouernment of wemen and bound to diuerse ecclesiasticall ceremonies repugnant to their iudgments and yet of necessity must rest contented and also must subiect themselues obedient to her statutes What absurditie what basenes what indignity and what madnes of mynd to giue to a woman the primacy of the Church whom the Apostle 1. Timoth. cap. 2. v. n. 12. commaundes to learne with silence with all subiection who is neyther permitted to teach neyther to rule ouer a man How much more preposterous to rule the charge of the Church For if Buchanan and Knox writ books against the regiment of a woman in which bookes they excluded his maiesties mother of happy memory from the temporall gouernment and as a thing most vnworthy that a woman should haue any temporall gouernment ouer man How much more indecent to rule ouer Preists in the Church of God In the begynning of this heresie both in Ingland and Scotland so long as the two most Catholyck Maryes Princesses liued the Heretickes opposed wrot against their gouernement in temporall things vvhich was by the law of God Hereticks doe allowe the gouernement of wemen for their purpose and nature lavvfull for them Notvvithstanding when Queen Elizabeth obteined the crowne then it vvas lawfull for her to rule not only in temporall thinges but also in ecclesiasticall causes as head of the Church Therfore it is farr lesse strange It is not against the law of God or reason to obey a man neyther contrary to the tenor of reason neyther to holy Scripture to be subiect to a man then to a vvoman howbeit in lay-men this prehemineÌ„ce was neuer giuen of our Lord neyther was it euer permitted to them to haue the primacy of his Church For if as the Protestants sayes Christ neuer commited the iuriâ—diction of his Church to lay men vvhy are the Papists so simple and ignorant to obey a man in matters of religion May it not be ansvvered with the lyke humanity vvhat is his Maiesty King of great Britany a man or no I hope they will not call him a Prophet neyther Euangelist The King of Britanie is not a prophet nor an apostle nor an angel but a man neyther Patriarch nor Angell yea a man and head of the Church vnto whom all his good dutifull subiects are
and coÌ„pell man to Idolatrâ— and to worship himself and his image in all Churches and approued Religion And where as the Apostles sayes 2. Thes 2. That God shall send them not only the worker of error but the very fountaine of errour For as S. Ambros in Luc c. 21. sayes that he shall dispute out of the Scriptures that he his Christ and he shall teach that he himself is God also he shall leade not only men to Idolatrye bus also shall persuade and compell all men to follow and obey him he shall also commauÌ„d himself to be worhhipped and adored and his image to be placed in the temple of God not only in Ierusalem but in all other Churches also For Antichrist knowing sayes the Apostle Antichrist shall vsurpe the name of Christ because he knowneth Christ shall come and beat him downe He shall call himself God The Pope can not be Antichrist because he belieues the articles of his creed which Antichrist shall abolish 2. Thess 2. That our Lord shall come to beat him down in the meane tyme will vsurpe his name vnto himself to that ende that his kingdome may seeme true he will leade with him such as may perish togeather with him that he may sit in the house of our Lord in the seat of Christ affirme himself very God And therfore seing Antichrist is noted properly to be a singular man and as yet not come whose power lyf is against Christ that consequently the Popes of Rome cannot be this Antichrist who long since are come for the difference which is betwixt them may decerne which of them is with or against God for this sayd Antichrist shall oppose against Christ and abolish the faith of Christ And contrary wâ—â—e the Pope forbideâ—h no man to belieue in Christ neyther denyeth any part of holy Scripture Antichrist will do openly against the faith of Christ and shal call himself God but the Pope did neâ—er against the faith of Christ neyther priuatly nor publickly nor neuer did call himself God The differeÌ„ce betwixt the Pope and Antichrist and by what notes they may be knowne Antichrist will not only be called God of o her men but will extoll himself aboue God that is he will extoll himself aboue the blessed Trinity But this extolling no Pope euer did think of much-lesseprofâ—sse it but professe and confesse themselues to be seruants of them who serue God and therefore the Pope is not Antichrist Antichrist thallbe receaued of the Iewes for the Messias Antichrist shal be receaued specially of the Iewes S. Hier. ad Algas Chrys Hom 4 in Iohn But the Iewes haue not receaued the Pope at any time and if they receaued not Christ far lesse the Pope but shall receaue Antichrist as Christ fortold Ioh. 5. Which place all the Fathers expouÌ„d of Antichrist as Ambros in 2. Thess 2. Cyril lib. 3. in Iohn cap. 6. Theod. in 2. Thes 2. Antichrist shall come circumcised Antichrist shal come circumcised of the circumcision and of the circumcision that the Iewes may haue some confidence in belieuing him as S. Hier. sayes sup He shall do all those things not by his owne power but by the permission of God for the Iewes sake And Theod. vt sup sayes that the Iewes do looke for him and when he cometh they will belieue in him But to this day the Pope is not of the circumcision neyther circumcised neyther is he expected of the Iewes neyther of them is belieued ergo neyther is he Antichrist Moreouer Daniell cap. 7. After the description of the four Empyres it is said Daniels prophesie of Antichrist that the fourth beast which is the Roman Empyre had ten hornes and I considered the hornes and behold an other littel horne sprange out of the middest of them and three of the first hornes were pulled vp before his face and behold the eys as it were of a man were in his horne and a mouth speaking great things In which place S. Hier. in Dan cap. 7. Let vs say sayes he Before Antichrist come ten kings shall deuide the Roman Empyre and the eleuenth king shall humble three principal of the ten as a token of the comming of Antichrist Before the comming of Antichrist the Euangelly must be preached tâ—rough the world That all the Ecclesiasticall wryters haue lest by tradition that in the consummation of the world when the Empyre of the Romans must be distroyed there shal be ten Kings who will deuyde the Roman Empyre amongst themselues and there shall arise the eleuenth being a very little King who shall ouercome three of these ten Kings that is to say the Kings of Egypt Africk and Ethiopia this witnes Hippol Hom. de Antichrist and Theod. 2. Thess 2. But the Pope hath not conquered to him the Kingdomes of Egypt Africk Ethiopergo he is not Antichrist Moreouer before the comming of Antichrist the Euangely is to be preached through the whole world as Christ hath sayd Matt 24. v. 14. This euangely of the Kingdome halbe preached in the whole world for a testimony to all nations then shall come the consummation But this liberty of the Euangely is not fulfilled as yet as a certaine signe of the comming of Antichrist when he shall appeare seing Antichrist is not as yet come as of this signe may be gathered Ergo the Pope is not Antichrist Before Antichrist come Henoch and Elias must come when they come they will withstand him in their preachings Moreouer the preaching of Henoch and Elias is not yet fulfilled who by their preachings shall oppose themselues against Antichrist for confirming of the faithfull in the Catholik and Apostolicall Faith as witnes S. Ioh. Apoc. 11. I shall giue my two witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundrith and sixtie dayes clothed in saâ—hcloth as witnesseth this place in their commentaries Primas Bed Richard Aret. in Apoc. Damasc lib. 4. cap. 18. Greg. lib. 4. cap. 11. D. Aug. in Gen. ad lit lib. 9 cap. 6. But Elias and Enocâ— shall not come but in the tyme of Antichrist and as yet Antichrist is not comed Ergo the Pope is not Antichrist Hippol. serm de Antich Aug. de ciuit lib. 20. cap. 19. Chry. in 2. Thes cap 2. Moreouer Antichrist shal be borne of the trybe of Dan as witnes Iren. lib 5. aduers Haeres Hippol serm de Antichrist Theod. in 2 Thes 2 Greg. Moâ—al lib 14 in 106. cap. 11. Antichrist shal be borne of the trybe of Dan. But the Popes are not borne neyther deriued from such a trybe ergo not Antichrist Morouer Antichrist commeth a litle before the end of the world as the forsayd Authors make mention but if the Pope were Antichrist the world should haue byn finished long since ergo the Pope is not Antichrist The tyme of Antichrist shal be three yeares and an half he shal reigne in Ierusalem and sit in the teÌ„ple of God Moreouer
that rock was the reward of the confession The prayer of Christ for Peters faith was the warrand of perpetuity of his strong confession The prayer of Christ is a warrant of pâ—rpetuity Peters primacy The power to feede Christ sheepe was to make Peter such a rock as should stay vp his Church by teaching and ruling the faithfull whose voyce we are bound to hear as Chry. in Iohn hom 18. Cyril in Ioh. l. 2. c. 12. Hill de Trin. l. 6. Tertul. de praesc aduers Haeret. Hippol. de consum mundi Origen hom 5. in exod Cyp l. 1. Epist 3. l. 4. Epist 9. Hil. c. 16. in Matth. S. Amb. 68. S. Bas in conc de paenit S. Hier in 16. Matth. Epiph. in anchoratu Theod. in cant cant Damasc in Iosaphat Barlaam Theoph. in 22. Luc Euthym. in 26. Mat. Aug. retract l. 1. c. 21. cont Epist Don. Prosp de vocat geÌ„t lib. 2 c. 28. S. Greg. epist l. 6. epist. 37. In fine we haue many reasons why S. Peter aboue all others was this rock to wit the excellency of his faith The excelleÌ„cy of Peters confession and faith is the cause that he is the rock In Peter is vnity and an euerlasting Preisthood the auoyding of Schisme an ecclesiasticall iorisdictâ—oÌ„ These are Peters prerogatiues which declare him head of the Church and are collected and conferred of the Scripture set in order as followes Peters prerogatiue of primacy The keyes of heauens are promised to him Christ compares Peter with himself in paying tribut Christ made choise oâ— Peters but to preach in and the excelleÌ„cy of his glory the vnity of the church built on him are a lone the signifying of Christ to be the only euerlasting sheepheard And last for the eschwing of Schisme and for receauing of ecclsiasticall power for the whole Church So that the Apostle Peter passeth farr the other Apostles in ecclesiasticall dignity in so much that these his prerogatiues may be easly gathered out of the Scripture it selfe as first he is only named first of all the twelue Matt. 10. For asmuch as he had the promise to be called Cephas that is to say a rock and this promiss was made before the twelue were choosen and was really named Peter at the tyme of his choise Ioh. 1. For asmuch that although both S. Iohn Baptist had confessed Christs Godhead before and Naâ—hanieli had sayd Thow art the sone of God thow art the King of Israel Marâ— 3. Ioh. 1. Yet only Peters confession being made after was most heighly esteemed and rewarded For asmuch as he is called Peter and Christ doth say to him Matt. 16. Thow art Peter vpon this rock I will build my Church For asmuch as the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen are namely promised to Peter alone Matt. 16. And for asmuch That the tribut of didragma was dewe for the first begotten of euery famille num 3. loseph de antiq lib. 18. cap. 12. Yet Christ payed both for himself for Peter also as being the vnderhead and first begotten of his family the Church Chry. in Matt. Hom. 59. For asmuch as also Christ although an other boate was a hand yet he taught the people out of Peters boate Luc. 5. to shewe that in Peters chayre his doctrine should alwaies be firmely professed Christ prayeth for Peters faith Peter entered first into the sepulture of Christ Peter of the Angel is nominated specially Peter walkes on the sea as aprerogatiue to rule the world Peter more then others loued Christ and is commaunded to feed his sheepe Christ fortelleth Peter that he shall suffer death on the crosse for christs sake Peter answered for the rest of the Apostles Peter giues sentence on iudas to depose him Peter after receipt of the holy Ghost taught the faith to the multitude Amb. in 5. cap. Luc. For so much as the Apostles were sure to be sifted of Sathan Yet the faith of Peter allone is prayed for that he being once conuerted might strenghthen his bretheren Luc. 22. Leo serm 2. de nat Pet. Paul For so much as when the tidings of Christs resurrection was sent to his disciples Peter was first that entred into the sepulâ—hre Luc. 24. For asmuch as he was not coprehended with the rest but was seuerally named by himselfe whil the Angel sayd Teil his disciples and Peter Marc. 16. For asmuch as the other Apostes sayled in the sea in a boat yet Peter alone walked in the sea without a boate as a token that the whole world was as a sea and was to be subiect to his turisdiction Iohn 22. Bern. de considerat lib. 2. For asmuch as some other Apostles standing by Peter alone is shewed to haue loued Christ more then they Ioh. 21. And he alone is commaunded to seed Christs sheepe and to rule his lambes Aug. ibid. For asmuch as it is sayd to Peter alone Thow shalt strech-forth thy handes and foâ— ow thow me which way in following was by suffering death on the Crosse prophesied by Christ Ioh. 21 For asmuch as Peter answered alwayes for the Apostles as being the mouth of them all Iohn 6. Matth. 16. For asmuch as after Christs ascention Peter allone gaue sentence vpon Iudas and pronunced him deposed Act. 1. And an other to be choosen in his place Act. 1. Chry in act Apost hom 3. For asmuch as when the Holy Ghost came downe Peter aboue all the test first of aâ— taught the faith and the multitude being conuerted saye to Peter and to none other what shall we do c Act 2 Peter exhortes the conuerted to peÌ„nance and baptisme Peter wrought the 1. miracle Peter first publickly confessed Christ before the counsell Peter knew the secrets of Ananias and Saphiras harts Peters shadow wrought myracles Peter excommunicated enioyned pennance to SimoÌ„ Magus For asmuch as Peter made answere for all that they should repent and be baptized Act. 2. For somuch as Peter did the first miracle after the comming of the holy Ghost and first healed the seete of the lame because he being the head shewed mistically that he established the feete of others Act. 3. Amb. serm 68. For so much as Peter confessed Christ first not only before priuat men but also at the seat of iudgment Act. 4. For asmuch as Peter perceaued the secrets of the hartes of men some to do in simplicitie and some in deceipt He therefore extended his power on Anania and Saphira stryking them dead with one word Act. 5. Greg. lib. 1. Epist 24. For asmuch as all the Apostles did miracles yet Peter was so famous aboue the rest that his shaddowe wrought myracles Act. 5. For asmuch as Peter excommunicated and enioyned pennance to Simon Magus the first Heretick Act 8. For asmuch as he was the first after Christs AscentioÌ„ who rayted a dead persone to lyfe called Tabitha Act. 9. Peter by visioÌ„ is made to know of the conuersion of the gentils For
7. Brent in prolog cont a sotum Cent. Madeb lib 4. cap. 7. ANSVVER I Say no counsell eyther particuler or generall or whatsoeuer Prelates or Byshopes are assembled haue any infallible authority to defyne themselues without the authoritie and approbation of the Byshop of Rome No counsel may of it self define matters of faith without the head Diuers counsels haue erred which we proue manifestly with reason seing suchlyke sometymes without his authority haue erred as the counsell of Ariminense in which counsell were six hundrith Byshops with Arius in which it was defined by thē that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 homousion should not be vsed as an vnproper word which is to say that Christ Iesus in his Godhead is not to beheld consubstantiall to his Father Lykwise the Counsell of Millan which confirmed the Heresie of Arius Neyther this should seeme to any a maruell that two such great Counsells are dispysed and reiected because they are imperfect and lame without a head neyther doe such Counsels represent the vniuersall Church but only the body of the Church without a head Therefore it is not to such lyke coūsells The promises of God are to the head not to the body not to no particular member that the infallible promises of Gods diuyne assistance in defining matters of Faith are promised and effected but only to the head who by lawfull ordination hath receaued from Christ immediate power and authority to defyne matters of faith as head of the Church So that the body cannot defyne any thing without the head In the head is the sensitiue power to rule the body seing in the head are the sēsitiue powers of the body Therefore the body is vnder the gouernement of the head and not contrariwyse the body to rule the head Moreouer whatsoeuer counsell hath ioyned to it the authority and approbation of the Byshop of Rome is of infallible authority whether it be general prouincial The counsel of Ierusalem is a paterne to all other lawfull counsels or national because the decrees and definition of the counsell of Ierusalem are called the decrees of the holy-Ghost who cannot erre In which counsell it is sayd it is seen good to the holy Ghost and to vs. Act. 15. v. 28. For this cause all other counsels lawfully assembled may say the same words representing the vniuersall Church because that counsell was the forme and exemplar of all other counsels lawfully gathered with the authority of the head As also because no lesse necessary is the assistāce of the holy ghost in these letter dayes then he was in those dayes but now more necessary because of the greater breaking out of Heresies Greater reasōs are in these tymes to gather coūsels then were in the dayes of the Apostles which shall deny our Lord that hath bought vs bringing on themselues swift damnation not knowing what they professe and lyuing lyk brute-beastes only seaking their pleasures and liberty without contradiction of a superior power For which causes generall counselles are vsed to be ordayned that they may suppresse and extinguish such new nouelties and Hereticall opiniōs which from the beginning of the Church by generall counselles with the head as chief Pastor and vicar of Christ haue byn damned accursed So that aswell by Scripture as reason it concludeth that whatsoeuer counsell is gathered lawfully and hath the authority of the Pope Counsels approued by the Pope are infallible is infalible that in one word I shall make it euident that euer in the Church that auncient costume hath bene that whatsoeuer decreetes of a Synode were concluded were euer sent to the Byshop of Rome to be confirmed Counsels remit their decree and examination with the Hereticks books to the Pope to be censured by his iudgement and approued So that S. Aug. Epist 90. beareth witnes of the counsell of Chartage wrytting in these wordes to Innocent Byshop of Rome saying vnto our most blessed Father and honourable brother Holy Innocent Pope VVe Aurelius Mundinus Rusticanus Fidentius and the rest who were present in the Counsell at Carthage and after cōmemoration of those who were present and of those things which were decreed in the counsell against Pelagius they add these words following Lord and holy Brother we haue thought good to intimate to thy charity what we haue done that the authority of the Apostolick seat may be annexed to the statutes of our iudgementes and meaning for the defence of the saluation of many and the correction of the peruersitie of some others as also the Heretical booke of Pelagius and the answer of the Catholyck Fathers we haue sent vnto thy holynes to be adiudged The same lykewise This infallibility is ascrybed to the assistance of the holy Ghost S. Aug. doth witnes in his epist 92. 95. for we doe not ascrybe this infallibilitie to the Byshopes and Fathers gathered togeathe in the counsell for that they are many or learned men but to the promise of the assistance of the holy Ghost as Matth. 18. v. 20. 28. v. 66. Which assistance of the holy Spirit we belieue you not to haue in your synodes wherin lyke manner men are foūd This holy Ghost no Heretycks are assisted with where also is found men and noe Angels The Protestant counsels are left without determination and worse then they be good Luther sets at nought all counsels and condemnes the Canons of Nyce and not Angels neyther Prophets nor Euangelistes but very men with whome the spirit of dissention makes matters indeterminate and without conclusion amongst you And moreouer wherefore giues your Bretheren such obedience and are in subiection vnto your pseudo Byshops as to a spirituall and higher power and accept of their decrees seing they are lyke our Catholicke Byshops in name mortall men whose lyues are knowne to all men Therefore we haue attributed infallibility of the counsels to the assistance of Gods holy spirit and not to man which if Luther in his booke of counsels would haue behoulden with a pure eye would not haue broken out in that bitternes to accurse and blaspheme the counsels with which he sets at nought the Canones of that holy counsel of Nyce which in all former tymes hath been esteemed soe venerable in the Church of God tearming all the articles of this counsell to be but haye stubble and strawe Kemnitius will examine the counsell of Trent after his spirit To augment this did not Kemnitius a Lutherā a prophane temerous fellowe wryte the examen of the counsell of Trent in which was so many learned men and all are tryed and examined of him In which doing they not only violate and transgresse the diuyne law of God which law commaundes all men to seek the knowledge of the law of the mouth of the Priestes Hereticks trāsgresse the law of God and imperiall ordinances of man as Mal. 2. but also the humane law of Martian the Emperour which commaundes
and so all things hard and pondered A iudge and a witnes diâ—fers greatly he giueth sentence therfore seeing an Hereticke and Catholicke both sayes that they haue searched the Scriptures these Scriptures beare testimony of their doctrine so that in this debate the searching of the Scripture is not a sufficient way seing these Scriptures are interpreted of euery one at his pleasure but there is need of a iudge who may giue sentence of the true interpretation and sense of Scriptures and this iudgement and sentence is due and proper to the Pope and his counsell and not to the searching of Scriptures But this is the ambition and pryde of all Heresies who set at nought the vniuersality of the whole Church because they will credit them selues their owne proper iudgement Hereticks wil credit themselues and noe other and that all men from the primitiue tymes haue erred and they only haue not erred let scriptures fathers counsels vniuersalitie and practise do all what is right they will belieue themselues and remaine iudges in their owne cause as though they were gods not men and neyther subiect to sinne nor error OBIECTION THe Generall counsell doth represente the whole Church as defyneth Martyn 5. in the ende of the counsell of CoÌ„stance which counsell representeth the persone of the wholl Church which Church can noe way be gathered togeather but so farr as the Prelates assemble in one place and in the name of all the faithfull But it followes that the vniuersall Church cannot erre Ergo neyther the Generall counsel which is the vertue of the whol Church ANSVVER SEcluding the Pope as head the counsell is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neyther doth it represent perfectly the wholl Church and so it may erre because they are particular counsels as the couÌ„sell of Carthage and Areminense as Caiet Tractat. de Auth. Concil cap. 9. OBIECTION IF the infallibilitie of the counsell depende on the Pope in vaine it seemes to call a counsell for truely alswell by the Pope himself without a counsell the matter may be defyned as wish the counsell ANSVVER NOt so neyther are couÌ„sels instituted in vaine for how much more inquisition is made of the groundes of verity and is decerned by the iudgement of many the verity is made the clearer and errour is taken away because those things in which the Pope defines with the counsell are of greater weight then those which he defynes of himself that the very Heretick may persuade himself that it is true solyde which by so great labour and exquisit diligence is found out and with so many consentes is defyned for veritie wherefore the Pope doth wysly in censuring of heresie and other weightie causes to conuocate counsel and to defyne the same with them In which definition of counsell although the Byshops are iudges yet notwithstanding they are inferior iudges but the Pope is supreame iudge And as a King in the kingdome may recall the sentence of an inferior iudge when the greater part is left out euen so the Pope as head of the Church may approue and reiect with the assistance of the holy Ghost and when the greatest part of the Church condiscendes and defynes therupon with him OBIECTION IN many counsels the Pope of Rome is absent and only his Legates are present Ergo they may err very much ANSVVER I Grant such counsels may erre except those Legates haue instruction from the Pope and do followe the same and that the definition of the counsell be conformable to his instruction in soe doing the counsell agreeth with the head in the same doctrine and such a counsell is adiudged lawfull when the Pope before hath giuen them instruction and hath pronunced his iudgement what shal be done But if the Pope send no instruction by his legates albeit his legates do coÌ„sent vnto the definition of the counsel it is of no effect neyther is that definition infallible because the authority to define and conclude is not in the Legats who are but only messengers betwixt the counsell and the Pope But for conclusion all coÌ„uselles before they conclude any thing after longe deliberation and inquisition in euery matter with their iudgements and sentence they vse to seeke confirmation of the Pope as we read of the counsell of Trent in the bull of Pius 4. by which confirmation both the counsell is approued lawfull and all things are confirmed and ratifyed and this is the manner of all Catholick Counsels that for many no heresie dare show one to be an vniuersall counsell for them although they had for protectors of their heresie most puissant and potent Emperours and Kings as Valence and Constance Arian Emperors the Vandals and Gothes as also all sectaries haue attempted but as yet neuer could assemble a generall counsell QVESTIO XII Of the veritie of the Roman-Church and of her notes WHerefore doe the Papistes promise to all men saluatioÌ„ to be only in the Roman Church Conf. Aug. art 6. Calu. lib. 4. inst cap. 1. § 10. Brent in conf Wittemb cap. de Eccl. ANSVVER BEcause it standeth with reason for that the Papistes haue certaine markes of credible euidence that only that multitude of men who obey at the present tyme the Pope of Rome The true Church is knowne by her markes are the true Catholick Church which we proue after this manner Seing that congregation of men is only the Church of Christ which is videlicet one holy Catholick and Apostolicall Church So that all the auncient counselles were decerned by those tokens from other sectes and not by the preaching of the pure word neyther by the pure vse of the Sacramentes The Hereticks marks are as obscure as their church which is inuisible the which the Heretickes assigne for notes of their Church alyke obscure with their Church For what is he of the fift EuaÌ„gelists profession who proues not by those marks that the Church of Christ is with him and with no other Because saith he only in his congregation is the true preaching of the word and sincere vse of the Sacraments but markes ought to be euident otherwise they are no markes but the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ that obeyes the Pope of Rome hath those euident markes which is One Holy Catholick and Apostolicall Church therefore this is the true Church and only in her is expected saluatioÌ„ For first the Church of God is One partely in the head The Church is one for diuerse respects in so farre that all Byshops acknowledge the Pope for head to whom they agre and accord in doctrine and in administration of the Sacramentes Partly in diuyne worship for withall Catholikes is offered the same sacrifice and the same Sacramentes with the same administration of Ceremonies And partly amongst the members themselues to wit in the doctrine of Faith for all belieue one thing and condemne heresie In this one Church vnity is kept In one church vnity is kept and taught as witnesseth
the Apostle 1. Cor. 1. I beseech you BrethereÌ„ by the name of our Lord IESVS Christ that ye say all one thing and that there be no Schismes among you but be you perfect in one sense and in the same knowledge Againe 1. Cor. 14. God is not a god of dissention but of peace Againe Rome 15. Now the God of patience and consolation giue you to think the same thing one with another according to Iesus Christ that with one mynd and one mouth yow may honour God Againe Rom. 12. Be not high minded and be not wise in your selues Againe Phil. 2. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirit if any compassion and mercy fulfill my ioye that ye be lyke minded hauing the same loue being of one vnity and of one iudgement Therefore to descrybe this One with her vnity she is called the body of Christ and his Spouse the Kingdome of Heauen his only doue and perfect one his elect and sister new Ierusalem the arck of Noe. as witnesse these following Eph. 4. 5.1 Cor. 11. Rom. 12. Cant. 6 4. Apoc. 21. Gen. 8. Psalm 79. Cant 2. Esa 5. Ier. 2 12. Matth. 20. Marc. 12. Apoc. 14. Luc. 5. Matth. 13. Therefore as the Church is One so hath she vnity the reason is because first she is directed by the holy Ghost The causes of vnity in the Church â—s the holy Ghost the teacher of the truth a visible head to fâ—llow the truth and the definitioÌ„s of â—he Church for conseruing of the truth which is the God of loue and peace and alwayes teacheth the truth which is but One. Secondly the high Pastor and head of the Church who vnder Christ gouernes this Church in a visible manner is an other cause because whilest all obey one who cannot swarue froÌ„ the truth because he is the head of the church for whome Christ hath prayed Matth. 16 Luc 22. For faith and truth must agree in one because faith truth are but one Thirdly the definition of the Church as a square rule by which the truth and religâ—on is tryed and Scriptures are expounded which rules are the cause of vnitie loue peace in the Church of Christ Noe such lyke thing can be sayd of the protestantes where is this one Church amongst theÌ„ where is vnity which is a vertue proceeding of the holy Ghost who teacheth the truth for the conseruation of vnitie where is the head vnto whome all concurres where are the definitions for the keeping of vnity Are these effects among the sectaries Moreouer in the article of faith nombers of SacrameÌ„ts exposition of the Scripture the vse and effectes of the Sacramentes such jarres emulations and discords are amongst themselues that Nicol. gall superintendent in Rhensburgein thesibus hypoth sayth Our contention is not in small matters neyther of trifles How variable is the vnitie of the protestants and irreconciliable but in the highest articles of the Christian religion to wit of the law of the Ghospel of iustification and good workes of the Sacraments and vse of them of diuyne worshipe and ceremonies Which by no meanes can be appeased hidden or dissembled for they are plaine contradictions which can not be accorded thus he So that by their owne professors they are conuinced of discord and sectes Lykewyse Sturnius de rat contrad inaeundae pag. 24. Doth verisie this discentioÌ„ in so much that the Lutherans in their bookes published doe condemne the Churches of Ingland France Scotland Szuitzerland as Heretickes Lykewyse in his Epitome colloq Malbrug an 1564. pag. 82. discouering the Zuinglians who clame vnitie and fraternall peace with the Lutherans saying that the Zuinglians wryte that they account themselues bretheren with vs it is an impudent lye and vainely forged by them that we cannot sufficiently admire their impudency for we account them Hereticks not in the Church of God farrelesse to repute them our bretheren whom we finde transported with the spirit of falshood and to be contumelious to the sonne of God Againe Schluss in Theol. Cal. lib. 3. cap. 6. sayes that the Caluinistes would account vs Lutherans as their bretheren whom notwithstanding they condemne as Hereticks This discord Iezler Zuinglio Caluinist lib. de diuturnit bellâ— euch pag. 25. 80. Discoueres more at length saying there is no end of chiding writting accusing disputing condeÌ„ning and excommunicating one another betwixt the Lutherans and Caluinistes To the same effect sayes Schluss lib. 2. art 15. Theol. cal That it is most cleare no definition eyther of generall or particular counsel is expected for vnity in religioÌ„ because it is impossible to theÌ„ to agree in matters of religion except the great day of the Lord hasteÌ„ and close vp this variance Lykewyse Carlil in his book how Christ descended into Hell affirmes their vnity is to wrest the Scriptures from their right sense and to showe themselues to loue darknes more then the light Whereupon Cal. in praf non test gall 1567. I confesse sayth he that Sathan hath gained more by these new Gospellers then was in popery by keeping the word from the people Is not this the vnitie of these professors of discoâ—d Schisme and variable opinioÌ„s as Greg. maior in orat de conf dogm The Papistes saies he doe obiect the scandalls and discordes which are amongst vs I confesse they are greater then can be deplored with any teares I confesse the weake myndes of many to be so troubled thereby that they haue begun to doubt wher the truth is or whether there be any Church of God or no. Lykewyse Chytreus in thema deprau Aug. conf The Euangelicall Doctors are more barbarous and lyk cruell beastes contending among themselues then barbarous souldiours Lykewyse Nil Selueccerus sayth that the professors of the Ghospel are loathsome to the world their chayrs pulpites and seates begunne to displease all men in which no other doctrine is heard then venemous debates contentions and varieties of opinions For as says Vigand lib. de errorib maior It is neyther woll nor flax that they contend about but the very capitall pointes of Christian doctrine vntil the great day of the Lord they shall neuer better agree Therefore for conclusion no vnity in heresie but this vnity is in the Catholicke Church because the multitude of belieuers are of one hart In conclusion no vnity is in haeresie As the Catholicke Church is one so is vnity and loue in her One is the Church and in vnity for diuerse reasoÌ„s and one mynd Therefore our Roman Catholik Church is that one and keepes vnitie that same with the Churches which are from the primitiue tymes which may easely appeare by the profession of our faith and in the circumstaÌ„ces of all former antiquitie which also remaines one and in keeping vnity in the continuall succession of the selfe visible head not in nomber but by successiue succession and moreouer it is
ANSVVER I Confesse we are called so of only Heretickes but not so of any nation vnder heauen no not of the Turkes neyther is that name of any particular man as Heretickes names be but â—f â—im who in the place of Chrâ—st gouerneth the Church of God and if all the Popes were nombred to thâ—s present day all the Protestants are not able to fynd one that is called by this name Pope or any of them to haue inuented any new religion or to haue left any disciple after theÌ„ who haue byn named after that name Therefore when we are called Papists I aske of the Heretickes was there euer any that was called Papa by his proper name or did euer any Heresie coÌ„tinâ—e a thowsand yeare without a name giuen to it but how should the Church descrybe Heresies to vs but by naming them from their proper names for their names shewe who hath instituted and inuented that sect OBIECTION THe Church is belieued by faith but we belieue the holy Catholick Church Therefore it is not seene because saith is not a thing of appearence and seene ANSVVER THe conclusion is false because that which is seen may also be belieued in so far as it hath some thing that is not seene as Christ Iesus was seene wiâ—h mens eyes a man and was belieued by faâ—th God and man as is said 10.20 to S Thomas because thow hast seen me Thomas thou hast beliued that is to say thou hast seen a man and thou hast belieued him to be thy God and Lord euen so we see men with our eyes who appertaine to the Church and those men we belieue to be the holy Apostolik and Catholick Church and in this Church to be only remission of sinnes grace iustification eternall lyfe and therefore out of this multitude of mortall men neyther Saluation nor the fauour of God is to be expected of any other societie or Church OBIECTION CHrist sayes that the Kingdome of God shall not come with obseruation neyâ—her shall they say behold here or there â—e is ergo the Church cannot be demonstrated and seen ANSVVER THe solution is made in the words following for he sayes behold the Kingdome of God is with yow but Christ denyeth not but the Kingdome his Church may be seen and demonstrated But he answers the folish question of the pharisie who had heard so oft the Kingdome of God preached of Christ who was desyrous to see it it is aÌ„swered that Christ is not to reygne in this world after their mynd as other Kinges doe with magnificence and pompe and to place the throne of Maiesty in a certaine place of the Kingdome but he sayes he dorh reygne as he hath begunne in the hartes of men which is his Kingdome whom he doth paint out with his finger saying Mat. 5. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of God to wit ye are citizens of Gods kingdome the Church from which the pharisies are farr of OBIECTION THe Church is belieued to be Holy and none except the holy appertayn to the Church but holines is not seen knowne with the eyes ergo the Church is inuisible the members of the Church are vnknowne ANSVVER THe conclusion is false for there are Sainctes and holy men in the Church albeit we see them not yet we belieue for to a lyuing tree there adhere many dead branches and in the body of man are many humors and excrementes without life resident in the body and yet notwithstaÌ„ding all men belieue and say that a man is a lyuing man ergo OBIECTION IT is defended of the Fathers that the Church in this present lyfe is sayd to be beautifull and to be without spot cant 4 Ergo sinners and wicked men are not meÌ„bers of his Church ANSVVER THe Scripture in that place speaketh of the Triumphant Church in Heauen notwithstanding if with S. Greg. cap. 86 Eccl. dogmat Thou coÌ„paâ—re it to be the mâ—litant Church in that sense it is called also beautifull and spotles because of the Sacrament of regeneration which makes her meÌ„bers liuely by inherent righteousnes and grace are made glorious before God and are not obscured and hid as the Donatistes thought with the conuersation of the wicked And albeit as S. Greg. cap. 4. Gen. sayes no iust or holy man doth want sinne yet notwithstanding he fails not to be holy and iust if in affection he retayn holynes and righteousnes and by pennance doth wash away his sinnes carefull to keep himselfe from mortall synnes and is contrite for the venyall saying with the Psalm 50. Create in me a new hart o God OBIECTION THe Church of God is only in the spirit because it is belieued ergo it is inuisible ANSVVER IF the Church be inuisible how hath Christ coÌ„maunded Matth. 18. to tell the Church and if he heare not the Church let him be c. but if the Church be inuisible how shall she be told and how shall they hear her censure Lykewyse if the Church be the body of Christ and Christians members Rom. 12. 1. Cor. 1. 12. Ephes 15 Coll. 1. If the Chutch be inuisible and only mathematicall how hath the Apostle sayd ye are the body of Christ and members of his members It is true the Protestant Church is inuisible and mathematicall but the Catholick Church is a visible Church as a candell on a candelstick and as the sonne and moone in the firmament Luc. 11. ps 19. For if it had been mathematicall and hid S. Paul should not haue had the prayses of all the Churches 2. Cor. 8. Neyther Dauid would not haue sayd Ps 21. with thee my prayse is in the Church of the people and in the chaire of the elder they doe praise him What the moderne heresies do say about the inuisibility of the Church the same haue the former Heresies done lykewyse as S. Augustin is witnes against the Donatists who would haue included the vniuersall Church in that inuisibility and in a hid corner in Africk QVESTIO XIII Of the pretended reformation of the Protestantes WHerefore enuyously name the Papists our reformed Church deformed Seeing we haue reiected all papisticall doctrine and superstitions of Poperie out of it Bucherus Melan. Piscator Sarcer Caluin c. ANSVVER THat shall we declare friendly without enuy seeing that vnder the pretext of a sounde reformation The ProtestaÌ„ts reformation consistes in denying the article of our Faith ye haue introduced a most horrible deformation concerning the doctrine of fayth and in abolishing all ecclesiasticall discipline in reiecting the generall Counselles in condemning the ceremonies of the Church in dispysing the auncient Fathers and in giuing liberty to the flesh For what is more deformed or abominable in religion then to counfound deforme and deny the faith of Christ For what article of our faith is not deformed and denyed of the Protestantes as appeareth by the iudgement and doctrine of their owne Rabbies Against the 1. article of the
the most sacred and true Ghospell By the testimonie of this doctrine I will iudge all men Angels Lykewyse Luth. Tom. 2. Tom. 5. ad Gall. cap. 1. fol. 290. sayes the same I am assured Christ himselfe doth call me an Euangelist and approueth me his preacher Lykwyse Calu. de vera Eccl. reformat rat 463. de libro arb cont phigium lib. 1. pag. 192. sayes that the matter it self not Martin Luther in the begiuning did speake but God to haue thundered out of his mouth and not we to speake now but God to vtter his power albeit each one of these are repugnant to other yet are secure of their owne opinions to proceede from the holy Ghost Moreouer they impugne this article who derogate from holy Scripture the authority due therto by inspiration of the holy Ghost of the which Zuing. tom 2. Elench cont Anabap. fol. 10. sayes that although Paul did arrogate so much to his epistls as to think all in them coÌ„tayned to be authentical which is to impute to the Apostls immoderate arrogancie whereupon it concludes Zuingl to haue the assurance of the holy Ghost and noâ— S. Paul But Ochinus lib. 2. dial pag. 154.155.156.157 proceedes further saying we should belieue no more theÌ„ the Sainctes of the old testament Hereby we see the whole new testament is discredited and misbelieued Some other Hereticks were more curteous in abridging and excluding some partes of it but not all And what Ochinus alloweth Luther disproues saying Sermone de Moyse Let not Moyses be thrust vpon vs we in the new testament will neyther regard nor hear him Et Iacob Curio in Chronol ann 1556. pag. 151. sayes that he had rather neuer preach then to propouÌ„d any thing out of Moyses and he that doth alledge any thing of his doth depriue Christ of the harts of men And that Moyses belongs not to vs that he receaueth him not for otherwyse he should receaue all the Iewish ceremonies that his gouernemeÌ„t is failled himselfe is dead that Moyses only belongeth to the Iewes and not to Christians Et Sand. de schism Aug. lib 2. pag 272. reporteth Buccerus to say If all be true which the Euangelists set down Christ must be truely and really in the SacrameÌ„t yet whether we be bound to belieue absolutly euery thing set down by them to be true or no he would not be iudge To conclude this is their designe what they list to belieue that they will belieue that they make the inspiration of the holy Ghost to be holy Scripture and themselues Euangelistes and true and what displeaseth their mynds be it in the new or old Testament they can raze reiect affirme it apochriphal neyther in this are they satisfyed but perswade themselues that the holy Ghost himself could suggest or teach nothing but what Christ before had delyuered by mouth and such restraint limitation to be heedfully noted This Caluin lib. 4. inst cap. 8. § 8 howsoeuer Christ foretould the contrary of the holy Spirit Morouer what is sayd of impugning of Scriptures which is a misbeliefe against the holy Ghost in that there are few Protestantes who haue not denyed some part of Scriptures Moreouer the holy Ghost is misbelieued and impugned when traditions of the Church are denyed although they be not all extant in the Scripture as the name Trinity the consubstantialitie of persones the obseruation of Sonday for the Sabboth the baptising of infantes the receauing of the communion fasting and the feast of Easter c. Which traditions the holy Church acknowledges to haue issued from the holy Ghost according to Christ his promise that he should not only teach but also suggest all truth Moreouer the Protestantes impugne the holy Ghost when they impugne miracles which are done by the power of the holy Ghost and not by the Diuell S. Aug. in quaest ex vtroque test quaest 102. proueth that they sinne with the Pharisies in the sinne against the holy Ghost for there is no miraculous operations but they appertaine to the working of the holy Ghost Moreouer the Protestantes impugne that article to wit the Catholicke Church who cannot abyd the name Catholick nor the name of Church but rather tearme it congregatioÌ„ which properly belongeth to beastes Of this see more in the first question and in the twelft vpon the note Catholick Moreouer they misbelieue the holy Ghost who affirme the Church may err in any point of beliefe not accounting of the promise of Christ who had sayd that the gates of Hell should neuer preuayle against it Matth. 16. Luc. 22. Iohn 14. Act. 2. that is to say the faith therof should neuer fayle and the holy Ghost the teacher of all truth should perpetually remayn with it to keepe the spouse of Christ vnspoted and without all wrinkle and this Church is the Church of Rome as the sectaries themselues professe neyther deny they but in this Church is vniuersality consent antiquitie as Fox acts pag. 1359. Iewelrepl cont Hard. part 4. diuis 14. 21. pag. 249. 268. Cal. lib. 4. institut cap. 2. § 2.3 Also considering that in no other prosession is the lyk holines of lyfe and vnity in doctrine which accompany one another as good and bad fruit of a good and a bad tree No heresie that euer hath been can make comparison with the Catholicke Roman Church eyther for holynes of lyf or integrity of doctrine As for their doctrine we may easily consider to what holynes of lyfeâ—t tends as their owne Rabbins shall testimony giue And first Caluin iustruct contra Laberâ— cap. 13. Hath any man coueted his neyghbours wyfe let him inioy her if he caÌ„ for he knoweth assuredly he doth not contrary to the will of God Let him boldely snatch by force or fraud his neyghbours substance for he will take nothing vnles God wil and approue it Lykwise Zuingl â—om 1 in actis disp Tigurinaefol 628. God hath bound himself to giue vs Heauen we need not trauail to at tayn it And as for fruites ensuing such doctrin Luther sayes Tom. 1 inc 8 Mat. They speake of the ghospel as if they were Angels but if you regard their workes they are rather diuels J in nari in 1. Cor. cap. 15 fol 161 162. They liue lyk hogges as dogges they die Lykwyse Calu. descand pag. 118 127 128. Our preachers I say our preachers who enter into the pulpit are eyther of wickednes or other euils more filthy examples then Pagans are and such forsooth as are to be coÌ„teÌ„ned of the people and to be pointed at in diâ—isioÌ„ I admire the patience of the people that womeÌ„ childreÌ„ do not load them with myre and dyrte Lykwyse Zuing tom 1 fol 115. We caÌ„not deny but the heat of the flesh is ardent with vs whereas the workes thereof hath made vs infamous to all Churches Morouer the Roman Church hath stability and constancy in her whol doctrine in her SacrameÌ„â—s and Scriptures But the
contrary is with the Protestants no constancy no stability in their doctrin as witnes Zuingl Tom. 2. comm de vera falsa relig cap. de euch fol. 202. We recant here what we sayd there with this condition that that which we delyuer the 42 yeare of our age take place of what was taught in the 40. yeare In this same mynd is Beza in colloq mompel pag. 1â—0 268 388 I confesse me to haue written many things which I wish had not been written I would to God the memory of them all were abolished Moreouer they impugne this article and fall in misbeliefe who appeall to an inuisible Church remoued from all senses lyk a Platonicall Idea separated from all knowledge neyther extant in any country neyther read of in any history in which there is no Euangelicall Annunciation no Sacraments minystred no persones knowne and this is done because their conscience informed them that the true visible auncient and vniuersall Church in which Christs name Scriptures and Sacraments were preserued stood with vs agaynst them in auouching the same It is a desperat opinion proceeding from profound infidelitie As concerning that article The communion of Saints the forgiuenes of sinnes Against the 10 Article By this article it is euident that there should be a communion betwixt the liuing and the dead who liue and die in one faith hope and charity But this article is misbelâ—eued of the Protestants who deny all corespondence betwixt the Saincts in Heauen and men in earth As also they misblieue impugne Scriptures which iustify this controuersie of the inuocation of Saincts conformable to this article Moreouer this article disalloweth the discordes amongst the Protestants themselues For Sturn di ratiâ— contradict ineundae pag. 24. sayes that the Lutherans in their published bookes do condemne the Churches of England Fraunce Flanders Scotland c. And call their martyres Martyres of the Diuel And Iester Zuingl Caluinist lib. de diuturm belli eucha pag. 25.80 There is no end of chiding wryting accusing disputing condemning excoÌ„municating betwixt the Lutherans and the Caluinistes and this is the communion of the Saincts in the reformed Church Morouer they fall in misbeliefe and impugne this Article who affirme it blasphemie to giue tytles to Saincts in Heauen which they themselues vsurpe and giue to sinners on earth in this madde humor is Caluin who not induring any honour towards Saincts or images yet could permit his owne picture to be borne about the necks of them in Geneua and when some thought it insolent arrogancy and reprehensible admonished that the people might sinne thereby because they esteemed it as a remedy against mischances answered them grieue at it till yow burst and after hange your selues Bols in vita Calu. cap. 12. Morouer as concerning the forgiuenes of synnes all protestants remayne in this misbeliefe and are repugnant to this article partly affirming only fayth to iustifye and consequently being once in this Protestants fayth which once had can neuer be lost they can neuer after synne what should they belieue which they already haue as we haue declared in the second question at length Partly by making God the author of euil and themselues but bare instruments and consequently not themselues but that God hath need of the remission of sinnes Partly in saying a man hath no frewill and consequently cannot synne Partly by saying that synnes caÌ„not be forgiueÌ„ in the Church contrary to Christs doctrin Iob 20 For if the Protestant will not deny but there is remission of sinnes in baptisme whey not in pennance to the remission of sinnes for if the one be a washing of the spotted the other is also a lowsing of the bound and the one as necessary as the other Against the 2â— article Moreouer as concerning the resurrection of the dead this article is misbelieued and impugned amongst themselues For Luther sayth of the Caluinists that they intend to a manifest Apostasie coÌ„cerning this article Tom. 7. VVitt. defend Verb. Caen. fol. 390. The same Villagaignon epist ad Geneu in praef lib. 1 de euch affirmes that with his eares he hard it preached of the Caluinistes that the hope of lyf did not beloÌ„g to the bodyes but to the soules Lykwyse Almaricus on of Foxes Martyres as Caesar lib dial dial 5 affirmes sayd that there was no resurrection of the bodyes Caluin is of this same opinion in his epist ad Farell fol. 194. saying In that the resurrection of the flesh seemeth incredible to thee it is no thing admirable Moreouer they misbelieue this Article who deny mens soules to be immortall vnto which opinion Luther is inclyned Tom. 4 in Eccles cap. 9â— 5 10. It appears sayth he out of this place that the dead feel nothing Lykewyse Calu in praef Psiâ—hrinachiae in praef Gallasij sayes that he knew certayne good men to whome this opinion of the souls sleeping seemed sound It followes that he himself is one of these good meÌ„ who in the ps 130. sayes that the soules of the wicked are anihillated and not in hell lib. 3. iust cap. 25. § 12. and the residue to be but shadowes imaginations fantasies idoles dead And consequently no immortality Whereupon it was concluded in a solemne disputation at Geneua when they had long consulted how to auoyd purgatory to say Let vs affirme the soule to be extinguished togeather with the body Purgatorie is abolished by denying the article of the â—â—eed and so purgatory wil be spedely abolished For this doctrine is so vrgent that they are persuaded that it cannot well be denyed vntill the resurrection of the dead and the immortality of the soule also be denyed But why is purgatorie so annexed to this article that the Protestants are driuen to his extremity because they obserued that God oft forgiueth the offenses and yet reserueth a chastisment for satisfaction as in Adam in Moyses in Dauid whose offenses being forgiuen yet Adam remayned subiect to death This place serueth for the proofe of Purgatory and indured all other myseries Moyses neuer entred into the land of promise Dauids ch ld begotten in sinne dyed So lykewyse because God is euer one and lyk himself such as repent late or slakly might be forgiuen at their death and yet for satisfaction remayne in purgatory therefore it is the rediest way to deny purgatory by the denyall of the resurrection of the dead and mortality of the soule Against the 12 article And as for that Article the lyfe euerlasting So many are in misbeliefe and impugne this as deny God Heauen the resurrection of the dead the immortality of the soule and our redemption by Christ c. And this is the great aboundaÌ„t light of truth that hath sprung with the reformed who in the blindnes and night of darkenes wherein they are wrapped do vant and glorifie as in the clearnes of the light Greg. lib. 1. Mor cap. 26. who wil be more curious to know how
deformed the Protestantes profession is concerning the articles of our creed let him read Quirinus Cnoglerus de Symbolo Caluin Luther and he shall fynde a thowsand pointes of misbeliefe and filthy absurd errors and negations in the twelfue articles of our fayth that rightly they conclude their proposition to be true to haue indeed in their reformation reiected all papisticall doctrine God and all true fayth and therefore iustly may be called deformeres and no reformers QVAESTIO XIIII Of the stability of the visible Church WHerefore affirme the Papists the Church of God euer to be visible seing sometymes tho hath perished and hath remayned altogeather inuisible Luth lib. de Abrogand miss Caluin lib. 4. instit cap. 1. § 7. Melanch in loc com loc 12. alij ANSVVER GOod friends I belieue you suppose that Christ hath two churches seing it is oÌ„ly one which according to the prophesies is visible and spreed abroad through the whole world and that her citizins shyne in the midest of a crooked peruerse nation lyke stares in the firmament The Church is visible and doth remayne glorious in euery nation shewing themselues members in professing the doctrine and Sacraments of this visible Church Therfore one it is and not many publict and not hid the kingdome of Christ is visible the tabernacle of God is placed in the sonne Nether shall this seeme marueâ—ll to any if all that appertaine to the Church would take heed to the last end vnto which all doth tende and to the same principales mediates if all I say would coÌ„curre with one mynde to wit in fayth hope and charity for it cannot be that there be two Churches otherwayse there should be two last endes distinct and two kynds of principall mediates to obtayne these endes Therefore it is to be belieued of fayth that the Church of Christ hath euer bene visible as may appeare of her notes and by many places of the holy Scripture of the which two shall suffice for breuities sake first in the ps 18. It is sayd that he had placed his tabernacle in the foune that is to say he had placed the Church in the pure light that it may be visible to all the world For as S. Aug Tract 2. in Epist. Ioh. sayes he hath placed his Church in the sonne not in the night but in the day Agayne he sayeth what more am I to say theÌ„ that he is blind that sieth not so great a mountaine and that he shuttes and closseth his eyes against the candell sette on the candelstick Matth. 5. Againe S. Aug vpon the 18. of Matth. v. 15 our Sauiour admonishes if they brother sinne against thee goe and reproue him betwixt thee him if he hear thâ—â— thow hast wonne thy brother but if he hear thâ—e not yet take owne witnes with thee or two that in the mouth of two or thee â—itnesses euery word may stand but if he hear thee nâ—t â—hen tell the Châ—rch if he hear not the Church let him be to thee as an heathen and publican I hope if reason be with man the reformed will here consider diligently the wordes of Christ be-because these wordes specially tell the Churcâ— is to recure to the Church as iudge the which must be visible for no iudge can be inuisible if he execute the office of a iudge for how shall I finde her that is inuisible how shall I declare to the Church if it be not visible who hath euer institute recourse to an inuisible iudge Lykewyse I ask how long hath your reformed Church bene inuisible what minysters of the diuyne word haue you had with you what Sacraments and how are they minystred in all ages past who of yow hath opposed against Vprysing heresies For somuch as the spouse of Christ hath ben oppugned in euery age Answere for her inuisibility if you can As for the Catholickes and to their purpose many places of the Scriptures serue as the parable of the banquet The Thresking floor and the fishers net the sheepfold c. All which doth proue the Church to be visible In the name of the other Senatours of the world compereth S. Aug. in his Epist 161. ad Hon. Danat making meÌ„tion of the visibility of the Church and belieues it of fayth and as it were with his finger pointing the Church of God euer to be visible For so much as S Paul in all his Epistles putteth the names of these Cities Kingdomes and Nations as Macedonia Achaia IerusaleÌ„ Romanes Hebrues Corinth Colloss Philip Gallat Ephes Lykewyse S. Iohn in his Apocal. wryttes to the seauen Churches in Asia c. Which Churches vndoubtedly were visible as the other Churches rehearsed thorefore the Churche is not inuisible and mathematicall vnknown to the world but only to God Are Christian men so blind as yet not to see thâ—s Church before your doctrine which of necessity must make a visible Church for if the Church he inuisible how are you become visible for Pastores are the representation of a visible Church and not of an inuisible who is so blind to â—ollow your imaginary opinioÌ„s against the mount of God the glorious sonn the burning laÌ„p to make the churche obscured and darkned through your idle opinions obserue this for a true note we are all obliged vnder payne of eternal damnation to coÌ„ioyne our selues to the true Church of God to perseuere in her that is to say to obey her head to coÌ„municate with the rest of the meÌ„bers Lyke as S. Hier. sayes Epist ad Dam. Vnto thy holynes that is to say I ioyne and concord with the chayr of S. Peter I know the Church is builded vpon a rock whosoeuer is without this hous shal not eat of the Lamb and he is prophane And if any man be not within the Ark of Noe. he shall perish induring the deluge Now truely it is impossible to any to eat of this lamb out of the right house or to be out of the ark of Noe who desyres to be saued or to communicat with the true Church if it be inuisible Therefore as the Israelites in the old testameÌ„t had the visible signe of circumsition as a sacrameÌ„t of a visible Church euen so in the new testameÌ„t the holy Ghost descended vpon the Apostles in visible signes as a Sacrament of a visible Church for if in the law of nature there was euer certaine externall Symboles visible for humane society obseruance of deuty euen so in the law of grace Christ hath instituted the Sacraments for vnity and charity of the members of his Church For as S. Aug. lib. 19 cont Faust. cap. 11. sayes in no religion true or false men can be vnited without visible signes and Sacraments Moreouer the visible Church from the tyme it began it neuer fayled neyther may fayl because before the incarnation of Christ the true fayth of God was euer and lykewyse the worship of God was in some men who made vp a Church
of God lykewyse that Church which was after Christ hath neuer fayled or might fayle according to that stait in which it was instituted of himself It is euideÌ„t by testimony of holy Scripture in which Christ kingdomes is fortold to be eternall as psal 47 v. 9. Is sayd as we haue hard so we haue we seen in the city of our God and God hath established it for euer Which psalme is spoken altogeather of the Church and her perpetuity lykewyse her visibility is also meÌ„tioned whyl the prophet sayes as we haue hard and seene therefore it is not obscurly designed or inuisible Also Dan. 2. v. 44. sayes That in the dayes of those Kings the God of Heauen shall set vp a Kingdome which shall neuer be distroyed and this Kingdome shall not be giuen to another people but it shall break and distroy all these Kingdomes and it shall stand for euer Moreouer S. Matth. 16. v. 18. sayes That the gates of Hell shall not preuayle against her for as there is a visible head there must be a visible body and seing Christ was seen in earth did conuerse with men shall not his body and members therof also be visible if the foundameÌ„t be visible it behoweth also the house to be visible and seing the Apostles and prophets are foundament of his Church Ephes 2. who can deny the building not to be visible Lykewyse our coniunction with Christ is not only spirituall but also is bodily that we may be bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh the Apostle calleth it a great Sacraments Eph. 5. And seing by Sacramentes we are vnited and knowne togeather which are visible things and therfore appertayne to a visible body which is his Church also which hath a visible head that the Church of God may euer appeare visible wherupon Chrysest Tom. 5. orat de non rontemnend Eccles What is more stronger then the Church of God the barbarous may pull downe the walles but the infernall diuels cannot ouercome it When she is battered she is victor and when she is inuaded with deceipt ouercommeth thus he And S. Bernard Serm. 79. neyther by the verbositie of Philosophers neyther cauillations of heretyckes neyther by the sword of the persecutors might the Church at any tyme be separat from the loue of God thus he Moreouer it is sayd Eph. 4. v. 11. He gane some to be Apostles and some Prophets some Euangelistes and some Pastors and â—eachers for the â—â—summation of the Saincts for the worke of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ whyll we all meer togeather in the vnity of faith and in knowledge of the sone of God vnto a perfyt man and vnto the measur of the age of the fulnes of Christ In which words the Apostle rehearsing these offices Apostles Pastors and Doctors to abyd in the Church to the end of the world declares the Church to be visible which no ways caÌ„ be vnderstood of an inuisible church by reason that there is no such offices that Moreouer it implicates a contradition the visible Church sometyme to haue fayled and the inuisible to remayne for somuch as the wonders of the world are noted partly by Scripture as the deludge Gen. 6 4 Reg 17 Matth. 25. the going back of the sonne the sonne mone to haue lost their light and darkenesse to haue ouer shaddowed the whole face of the earth at the death of Christ Lykwyse Historiographers and Chronologies make mention of erthquakes fyre tempestes pestilence and such lyke prodigious things which are registred and are extant in euery mans hand and yet what tyme the Church fayled and became inuisible there is no Scripture no chronologie no witnes euer to be found but only clamorous mens voyces to say it once it was visible this they graunt but how in fayled it is improbable For if the visible Church hath fayled and the inuisible remaine and was not seene there followe to wyld absurdities for eyther she professed her fayth and yelded not to the persecutions of the Gentills or Heceticks and in so doing it followeth that she was visible as the primitue Church in the tyme of the Apostles and Martyres in tyme of persecutors for in profession suffering sho appeared and was a spectacle to the world and contrary wise if she professed not her sayth but lurked and retayned it inwardly in the hart and outwardly by dissimulation accommodated hirself to the tyme in following of false worship as the Helchesiâ—nes did as witnes Euse lib. 6. cap. 31. In so doing sho cannot be accounted the true Church of Christ For Christ sayes Matth. 10. â— 33 VVho shall deny me before men him shall I deny before my Father in Heauen Therefore the Church in vigor and subsistance cannot want a signe of visibility Morouer the Church contayning alswell the vniuersality of faithfull as of Byshops absolutely cannot err in matters of fayth which vniuersally eyther are to be belieued of fayth or propounded vnto vs to be done for good manners whether expressely they be found in the Scripture or noe because the Church is gouerned of Christ the head as S. Paul sayes Ephes 1. u 22. He hath giuen him to be head of all the Church which is his body And therefore if sho may err it redounds vnto Christ which according to the verity it self no manner of way may fall because God is true and because the Church is the pillar and foundament of verity 1. Tim. 3 v. 15. Therefore sho cannot err lykewyse Christ promissed to his Apostles and to the whole Church The spirit of verity to abyd with hir for euer and to leade hir in all verity S Ioan. 14. 16. It is not to be vnderstood of simple verity because the Scripture speakes generally of all verity descrybing the holy spirit to teach the Church and sho to be a pillar of verity that in nothing sho should err otherwayes if the Church may erre in teachings things necessary to saluation no man shall know wher the verity is and the holy Ghost shall be found the lyar For haue not all the Fathers in whatsoeuer question and controuersie of fayth fled to the church as vnto the ancher of verity They would neuer haue taken this refuge if they thought that the Church might erre To this effect S. Aug. lib. 1. contra Cresc c. 33. sayth the verity of the Scriptures is kept of vs seing we doe that thing which hath pleased the vniuersall Church the which doth commend the authority of the selfe Scripture forsomuch the holy Scripture may deceaue none but whosoeuer hath feared to be deceaued by obscurity of any question let him consult with the Church which without any ambiguâ—ty doth demonstrate and shaw the holy Scripture Againe Epist 118. To dispute against that thing sayes he which the vniuersall Church belieues it is most insolent madnes Againe in psal 57. In the bowells of the Church sayes he veritie remaynes
whosoeuer is separated frō this bowels of the Church of necessity he must speake false I say of necessity he must speake false who eyther would not be conceaued or eyther of the mother is made abortiue being once conceaued Which Church Serm ad Catachum cap. 20. He calleth a true mother a godly mother a chast spouse garnished with the dignitye and riches of hir husband not in outward showe by lying deceipt but in veritie which cannot erre And if the prelates of the Church may err consequently the whole Church may err for the people are bound to follow their pastors Mat. 23. v. 3. from whence then is the protestants Church seing the Church is inuisible and hath erred c. OBIECTION IT is written say they the kingdome of God shall not come with obseruation Luc 17 neither shall they say behold here or behold there Luc. 17 v. 21 Therfore the Church which is thè kingdome of God is inuisible and may not be seen ANSVVER IN the same chapter answer is made saying behold the kingdome of God is within yow or amonge yow for in the obiection Christ repelles the vaine opinion of the Pharisies who thought the kingdome of God to haue his beginninge with obseruation of worldly pompe with triumph and publique coronation after the maner of worldly princes makeing his residence in a certaine place of the kingdome He answers them that the Messias shall not reigne that maner of way but in such maner as he hathe begunne to wit in the hartes of men and in his church which then consisted in his Apostles and disciples which in another place he verifieth saying Blissed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of God Luc. 6. v. 20. as though he would say yow ar members of the kingdome of God with peace without worldly tumultes and triumphes from which the riche Pharisies are far of Lykewyse S. Pet. 1. epi. cap. 2. v. 5. sayes The Church is a spirituall house to wit not according to the inuisible substance as angells or soules c. Neither sayes he that the Churche consisteth of grosse materialls but of consecrated and sanctified men to God vnited in one body and mynd as was the multitud of belieuers in the dayes of the Apostles OBIECTION Yow haue not come to the mount that may not be touched and to the burninge fyre Hebr. 12. v. 18. 22. But yow haue come to the mount Sion the citie of the liuing God Therfore the Church is not visible for that the citie of the liueing God is not visible ANSVVER THe Apostle in this place denyeth not the visibilitye of the Church but discrybes the beautie of the triumphant Church in calling it heauenly Ierusalem vnto which it is sayd the faithfull haue to approche by faith and hope not that there are two Churches seing that it is all one but builded with diuerse estates to wit perfect and imperfyt vnto which perfection the militant doth labour in faith and hope whill she come to that beauties ende which is descrybed in heauen OBIECTION THose thinges which are belieued ar not seen but in the Creed VVe belieue the holy Catholik Church and therfor the Church being belieued is inuisible ANSVVER MAny things are belieued which notwithstanding are seen as Christ was seen with mans eyes and yet he is belieued the Messias and God and this he proues him self Iohan. 20. v. 29. saying Because thou hast seen me Thomas thou hast belieued ergo Christ was seen and belieued Lykewise in baptisme we see water and the application there of with the prolation of wordes and yet notwithstāding the vertue of the Sacramēt which we see not is effected which is that original synne is takē away iustifying grace is infused a character is impressed in the soule none of these are seen and yet faith belieues them for in all these things there is some things seen and other things belieued euen so in the Church we see with our eyes a company of men professing themselfes Christianes vnder the gouernment of a head but that that company is the very trew Church of Christ we belieue so that some things are seen and some things belieued Is therfore the article of our beliefe to be abolished and to say I see and suppose the Catholik Church and deny to say I belieue the Catholik Church this article conteineth many things more proper to faithe then reason because we see not the elect neither do we know them and yet we firmly belieue them to be in this company as lykewise we belieue this company and Church to be ruled of the holy ghost and yet we see him not and to be without error the piller and ground of veritie and in this Church only to be remission of synnes iustification the infusion of grace hope of eternall lyf the holy scripture and hir true interpretation dispensation of the Sacramentes and the true preaching of Gods word and out of this company and holy Church no mortall man can attain to the fauor of God or eternall saluation all these ar belieued and ar not seen nor known ergo the Church is visible OBIECTION ADam and Eua haue synned therefor the whole visible Church which consisteth in these two persones hath failled and erred Ergo ANSVVER ADam and Eua were not the Church but hir begining neither erred they in teachinge of false doctrine but as priuat persones doing euill or thinking euill OBIECTION IN the tyme of Isai and other Prophetes of the old Testament it appeared to haue failled for Isai sayes 1. cap. v. 3. That Israel hath not known me and in the 6. v. he sayes that from the soale of the foote to the crown of the head there is no whole place Lykewise Hier. 2. v. 29. Ye haue left me sayth the Lord. Et Psal 13. v. 3. All haue declyned and are made altogether vnprofitable there is not one who doth good there is not one VVherupon we gather both the Church to be inuisible and to haue erred ANSVVER ALbeit the whole Church of the Iewes in the tyme of Elias or at any other tyme hath failed which I graunt not notwithstāding it follow not that the Church of Christ hath failed because the Synagoge was not an vniuersall company of Gods peopl but a particular in which were many who liued holy and erred not as Melchisedech Iob Cornelius Centurio the queene of Candies Enuch and all these were found both righteous and faithfull Morouer the Prophet speaketh after the maner of Scripture by reason of the multitude of the wicked which speach passeth as an vniuersal signe how beit in truth all are not such for the mynd of the Prophet is no maner of way to affirme that all men haue falne from God absolutly but such as deny the diuyne prouidence of God saying there is no God and to be none who doth good notwithstanding a little after he declaires some to be good whom he calleth the people of God poor Iacob and Israell and
consequently the Churche neither was inuisible nor erred at that tyme. OBIECTION SAint Hier. Dial. cont Lucif the whole world sayth he hath sorrowed and maruelled to be an Arian ergo the Church hath erred ANSVVER HE calleth the world a great part not absolutly the whole world lykewise these Catholik bishops were assembled at Arimin to Abolishe that name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which counsell they only materially erred not knowing the true signification of the Greek word neither were these fathers heretiks for furth with knowing the error they amended it with pennance OBIECTION ALl the Apostles in tyme of the passion of Christ lost their faith therefore the whole Church some tyme hath erred The Antecedent is proued Matth. 26. v. 31. all you shal be scandalized in me this night Luc. 24. v. 11. but these words seemed to them as fained neither belieued they him Marc. vlt. And he reproued their incredulites and hardnes of hart because they belieued not these who had seen him risen Ergo the Church in the Apostles hath erred ANSVVER THe Apostles at that tyme sinned becaus they were slow to belieue and were worthy of reprehension yet notwithstanding they were not infidelles howbeit they cōmitted a sinne in ouer much fearing quia timor cadit in virum iustam neither at this tyme had they receaued the holy ghost the doctor of Veritie to preserue them from humane error and feare neither by this argument hath the Church erred QVAESTIO XV. The interdicting of Scriptures WHerfor doth the Papists interdict and forbid the people the reading of the Scriptures which is easy of vnderstanding and cleare in themselues Luth. de lib. Arb. Caluin lib. 1. instit cap. 7. § 2. Beza conf fid Punct 4. art 27. Brent prolog cont à Soto Illiric in Claue Script c. ANSVVER I Deny the holy Scripture to be easy of vnderstanding as ye persuade your selues for it is a book full of mysteries and difficulties the knowledge of which none can attaine without the great help of Gods grace and morall Science so that the vulgar reading of the same without vnderstanding hath giuen occasion to many to interpret them after their own sense and filthily to err as the euidences bear witnes from whence ar heresies Schisme and dissention Are they not builded on the Scriptur because that euery mā wil vnderstand it after his own opinion and not according to the iudgement of the Churche And therefor we see by experience that the Scriptur is not facill of vnderstāding for the disciples thē selues were whole three yeares vnder the instruction of Christ Iesus the maister of veritie who were euer by him and often they heard him preach of his suffrings death and resurrection notwitgstanding they vnderstood not the scriptures perteining to that neither in the law Psalmes nor Prophets vntil Christ opened to them the sense that they might vnderstand the Scriptures Luc. 24. v. 45. that is to say that not only Christ hath expounded the Scriptures to them as a litle before he did to his disciples going to Emaus but also he giues to his Apostles and disciples a certaine diuyne grace of the sense and meaninge for the better vnderstanding of the Scriptures So that it is euident when the Apostles and disciples were thus dull to vnderstand the Scriptures how shall the vulgar people vnderstand them Moreouer S. Peeter 2. Epist. cap. 3. v 15. sayes As our beloued brother Paul according to the wisdome giuen to him hath writtin to yow and as in all his epistles speaking of them in which there are some difficil to vnderstand which the vnlearned instable depraue Therefore it followeth that all the writings of S Paull were not to euery one plaine but many things difficil to vnderstand Moreouer to what end haue the learned laboured in the knowledge of the tongues to seeke and search the vnderstanding of the Scriptur if it be so easy of vnderstanding why did S. Hiero. vex himself aboue twentie yeares in studying the Scriptures a man instructed in all tongues and indued with most singular learning yet we read of him that oft he doubted in expounding the Prophetes and hath beene in extasie of mynd through the profunde obscuritie of the Scriptures In the same laborinth was S August the pillar of diuinitie whilst he explicated the sinne against the holy Ghost lib. 2. de doct Christ cap. 6. in which he himself thinketh not to haue laboured sufficiently because of the difficulties that aryse in the holy Scripture which were aboue his iudgement Therefore S Hier. epist ad Paulin. sayes the law is spirituall and hath need of reuelation that it may be vnderstood as also that we may contemplate the glory of the reuealed face of God The sealed booke in the Apocalyps with seauen sealls is showen which if thou shalt giue it to a mā of vnderstanding to read he will answere thee I cannot for it is sealled How many at this day think thēselues to be of vnderstanding literature and yet hould the sealed book in their hand neyther may they open it except he open it who hath the key of Dauid who opens and no man shuts shuttes and no man opens thus he Morouer the Euangelists Matthew and Luke seeme to vary in the genealogie of Christ in that Luke sayes that Ioseph was the sonne of Heli S. Matthew sayes that Iacob begate Ioseph which disagreemēt Iulian the Apostate obiected to Christians Lykewyse S. Chryst. 1 Matth. sayes that it is to be numbred among hid things how that Elizabeth beyng of the trybe of Leui may be called the Cosin of Mary who was of the trybe of Iuda Moreouer S Marke speaking of the day of Iudgmēt sayes of that day hour no man knoweth it neyther the Angels which are in Heauen neyther the Sonne himself but only the Father In reading this no man seeth the doubt Lykewyse S. Hier. receaued some questions of Algasia and Hedibia about the reading of the Scriptures and the first is why did Iohn in prison sent to Christ demaunded saying art thow he that shall come or shall we looke for an other who before had pointed him saying behold the lābe of God c. How cometh he now to aske dout of him Hedibia ad Hier. Matth. 28. Iohn 20. 4.5 How agreeth this that Matthew sayes that Mary Magdalen fell downe at the feet of Christ after his resurrection and held his feet S. Iohn sayes the cōtrary that he forbad her to touch him Iohn 20. Lykwyse S. Marke sayes Matth. 16. Iohn 20. that the two Maryes in the morning in the first day of the sabaoths they came to the sepulchre when the Sonne was rysē and S. Iohn sayes the contrary that they came whē it was darke Lykwyse in the resurrection Matth. 28. Iohn 20. Marc. 16. there are a great number of apparant contrarieties as the tyme of the resurrection of the appearance of the Angells in the Sepulchre their
number and place Moreouer that Christ breathing on his Apostles sayd receaue yee the holy Ghost Now if he gaue them the holy Ghost before his Ascention what needeth he to send them the holy Ghost after his ascention seing they had receaued the holy Ghost already Hidib quaest 9 Lykewyse S. Paul sayes Rom. 3. We thinke a man to be iustifyed by fayth without the workes of the law And contrariwyse S. Iames cap. 2. sayes what auayleth it though a man say he hath fayth if he haue no workes can his fayth saue him for without workes faith is dead Moreouer it is sayd Rom. 5. That fayth was reckned to Abraham for righteousnes And contrariwyse S. Iac. 2. sayes that Abraham our Father was iustifyed by workes Lykewyse S. Paul Rom. 10. declaring the reiection of the Iewes and vocation of the Gentiles alledgeth the Prophet Isai saying I am found of them that sought me not and manifested to them that asked not for me but vnto Israell all the day long I haue streached forth my handes vnto a people that belieueth me not but speaketh against me And after this he sayes hath God cast away his people God forbid if the Casting away of thē be the reconciliation of the world Haue they so offended and stumbled that they should fall he answeres saying God forbid And yet after this he argumentes the contrary saying because of vnbeliefe they are broken and cast away I pray yow is this place by reading the plaine text easily vnderstood How opposite is the Apostle to the readers iudgement Lykwyse about predestination Rom. 9. where he sayes that it lyeth not in the will of man neyther in the running of man but in the mercy of God Againe the Apostle is contrary to himselfe Rom. 7. saying will is present with me Moreouer in the first Epistle Timoth. cap. 2. it is sayd that God will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of his truth If God so willeth who can gainstand his will why then doe so many perish amongst Christians and others remayne in infidility Lykewyse the Apostle Rom. 9. wished to be accursed for his bretheren the Iewes yet he saies that nothing could separate him from the loue of Christ Roman 8. what may be gathered of these wordes but that he loued the Iewes better then Christ Algasia ad Hier. q 9. Lykewyse S Paule cor 15. sayes when al things are subdued vnder him then shall the sonne also himself be subiect vnto him that put all things vnder him that God may be all in all this place fits well Caluin with the Arians to make Christ inferior to his Father Lykwyse the Apostle sayes Coll. 1. that he doth fullfill that lacked of Christs sufferings in his body This place seemes to make the passiō of Christ insufficient if we vnderstand it according to the letter Lykewyse to the Hebrues 6. saying it is impossible that those who once are illuminated haue Gusted the Heauenly gift and are made participant of the holy spirit and haue tasted of the good word of God of the ioyes of the world to come if they fall away The Scripture is of difficill vnderstāding should be renewed againe by pennance VVhich in cap. 10. For sinning willingly after the receipt of the knowledge of verity there is not left now for sinne any sacrifyce but a terrible expectation of indgement and burning fyre If these places were not fauourably interpreted by the literall sense no man can be saued that if a man sinne after he is Christened and hath receaued the gifts of God that after he cannot be reconciled with pennance and by this all hope of mercy for remissiō of sinnes is takē away which argument was the cause of Nouatus heresie Moreouer S. Hier. ad Algas quest 7. sayes what was the Apostles meaning What wonderful heresies hath rysen of the Scripture that scharcely wil any man die for the righteous man peraduenture for a good man durst a man die The words seemes to be plaine and easie of vnderstanding and yet notwithstanding for lack of knowledge two great Heresies arose of this sentence For Marcion by this defended that there were two Gods one iust creator of Heauen and earth and author of the Law and Prophets The other a good God the God of the Ghospell and Apostles whose sonne is Christ For the iust God few or none haue dyed for the good God innumerable martyres haue dyed thus Marcion Lykewyse Arius was in the contrary opinion that Christ was the iust God by this argument ps 71. Giue the King thy Iudgments o God and thy righteousnes to the Kings Sonne And the other good God he calleth the Father God of Heauen by reason by the Euangelist Luc. 18. why cal yow me good seing there is none good but God the Father All these being well considered is the Scripture easy of vnderstanding Think with your selues and iudge equally and if so be why haue your chief Rabbines written so many prolix cōmentaries on the Scripture and chiefly on the wordes of Christs institution which are so plaine and clear in themselues and yet there hath rysen aboue two hundrith diuerse opinions to interpret them For the words of a testament ought to be plaine without obscurity ambiguity doubt or equiuocation as the nature and condition of a testament requyres Therefore iudicious Reader obserue diligētly what facility is in the whole Scripture when in one word there is aboue two hundrith explications they go about to giue yow the light of Gods word whyll they inferre darknes and shut vp the verity from yow they will haue you vnderstand the hid misteryes of God by reading and yet they will be interpreters of the meaning of it and not delyuer it according to the spirit of God and his Church but according to the reuelatiō of ther priuy spirit as Cal. l. ◠inst c. 7 § 2. who sayes the obscurity and hard places of the Scripture in their sense and vnderstanding is no more difficill to iudge them then to iudge the colours of things blake and whyte swet and bitter which of the spirit and sense are iudged So that the reading of the Scripture in a vulgar tongue giues occasion to subuert the faith of Christ and giues place to euery Heresie and to make it a store-house of ech dogmaticall opinion as Luth. postilla dom post pent There is no heresie hovvsoeuer euill or grosse it be which will not defend it self by the Scriptures Lykwyse Tert. lib. de praesc the Scripture sayes he is the booke of Heretickes not of it self but occasionally OBIECTION THE Scripture is the food of the soule therefore the faithfull are not to be depriued of it by interdiction not to read the Scriptures ANSVVER IT is true the Scriptures are the food of the soule but this food is to be eaten by the mouth of the Pastors and teachers of the Church as Mal. 2. v. 7. the lyps of
the Priestes keepe wisdome and they shall aske the law at his mouth and not of the reading of the Scriptures which rashnes S. Hier. epist. 103. reprehendes that euery one will chalenge Scripture this the chatting old wyfe this the doting aged this the babling sophister this euery one presumes to teach before he learne And lykewyse Tert. de Prasc sayes all are swelled vp all do professe knowledge yea euen very hereticall women how male pert and bould they are to teach and dispute in Scriptures therefore to auoyd these absurdities it is not lawfull to reade the Scriptures OBIECTION CHrist gaue thanks to his Father that he had hid these things from the wyse and prudent and had reuealed them to babes Matth. 11. which doth manifest the greater ostentation of Gods diuine righteousnes mercy and light of the Ghospell therefore the Scripture is no lesse commended to the vnlearned of spirituall vnderstanding then to the iudgement of the prudent and wyse but the Papists doe interdict the people this knowledge in reading the word of God in remitting them to the Doctores of their vniuersities ANSVVER I Admit the antecedent and deny the subsequēt for by litle ones is not vnderstood the vnlearned people but the humble and meke that is not puffed vp with vaine science such were the Apostles and Disciples fishers who altogeather were not vnlearned in that whole three years they were conuersant with Christ the Master of veritie who by his diuine doctrine illuminated their mynds and vnderstanding to haue knowledge of the Scriptures But such little ones were not old-doting-foles prating-old-wyfes Barbers Smythes c. who hauing alwayes false passadges search not the vnderstanding of them but prate bable and read them in their shopps esteeming more of their owne iudgement then all the Doctors and vniuersities in the world OBIECTION THE Scripture is the booke of the faithfull Therefore it is to be read and is plaine to euery mans mynd and vnderstanding ANSVVER I Graunt it is but not to be expounded of all because S. Ambrose calleth it the Priests booke neyther was it without a cause that the bookes of the old Testament were most surely kept in the Temple by the Priestes as relates S. Aug. lib. 16. de cruit cap. 13. And therefore the Priestes bookes are not bookes for the vulgar people OBIECTION THEY shal be all taught of God Ioa. 6. v. 45. Therefore there is no need of any other Doctor for the people then the Scripture ANSVVER I Deny the consequent for it is not there signifyed that all people shall vnderstand all Scriptures without any externall Doctours of God by his inspiration as they dreame but he sayes all shal be taught of God in the last tymes which doctrine is fulfilled by Christ and after him of the holy Ghost in powring in his Pastores of the Church true faith So that this doctrine of Christ and true faith is publickly denounced by the Catholicke Church whereby euery one may be taught in the knowledge of God and not by naked reading of the Scripture For the assumption maketh against themselues To what end are ministers and preichers admitted amongst the Protestantes if all men by reading the Byble may be sufficiently taught in the knowledge of God of God by inward inspiration and of his owne reading aswell as by their preaching OBIECTION THe Scripture is the Key of knowledge but this Key ought to be knowne to all Ergo. and the Scripture ANSVVER ORigine lib. 4. de princ cap. 2. sayes that the inter pretatiō of the church is the key of knowledge drawne from the self same Scriptures but the Scripture it selfe is not the Key of knowledge because the Scripture cannot warrant it self withour the authority of the Church and this authority and spirituall interpretation of the Church is the spirituall Key of knowledge and not the reading of Scripture OBIECTION THe reading of the Scripture bringeth consolation of the spirit to the people therefore it is good and necessary to be read of the vulgar for consolations cause ANSVVER IT is true but not to the purpose for there are many other things which giue consolation to the spirit as the expositions of the Scripture Sermons Meditation receiuing of the Sacraments and not the naked reading of the Bible Otherwise if it be of necessity how shall the poore miscrable and idiots who can not read haue any consolation for the word of God consisteth not only in externall sound but in the true sense and vnderstanding OBIECTION CHrist commanded the Iewes to search the Scriptures Iohn 5. vers 39. And the same lykewyse is commanded to Christians to try the doctrine of fayth according to the rule of scripture and that they may iudge of his interpretation ANSVVER THe word search both in Latin and Greeke may be in the indicatiue and imperatiue moode if it be in the indicatiue as D. Stapeltō saies the sense is you diligently inquyre the Scriptures and yet will not belieue that there you doe fynde of me and these were the bookes of the old Testament for there were none other then writiē If it be in the imperatiue Christ hath not here spoken to the vulgar sorte but to the Scrybes Psiests Leuites and Pharisies with whom was the Key of knowledge who had their dayly conuersation in the Scriptures the which for probability Herod affirmeth whill he assembled the Scrybs Matt. 2. to inquyre of them where Christ should be borne OBIECTION THe Beronenses doe search the Scriptures after the preaching of S. Paul and are commēded that they bestowed thēselues dayly in searching the Scriptures cōcerning those things which were affirmed by Paul and Silas Therefore it is necessary to read the Scriptures ANSVVER THe Beronenses search the Scriptures after the preaching of the Apostles not as doubting of the word but diligently attending least with new doctrines cōtrary to the scriptur they might also be deceaued for as yet the Beronenses had not made professiō of Christ name neyther were they boūd to credit the Apostles except their doctrine had ben proued with myracles or els by testimony of Scripture But farr other wayes the reformed vse to do who will mix their priuate interpretation with the Scripture repugnant to the Scripture Church in raysing new opinions and renewing old damned Heresies OBIECTION LVther de ser Arbit Teaches and constantly affirmes that the Scriptures in thēselues are easy of vnderstanding and need no interpretor yea all men are taught of God and his spirit need not to be taught of any other Therefore as they are facill in vnderstanding so should they be cōmon to all men without interdiction ANSVVER WHere difficulties are it is not plaine neyther facill to all men but the Scripture is full of difficulties for it is the storehouse of Gods Secrets Ergo. Moreouer the disciples hearing Christ disputing about the mysterie of his body And because they were his disciples should haue better digested Christs words thē the people
who notwithstaÌ„ding grosly sayd how can he giue his flesh to be eaten this is a hard saying so that neyther the Iewes nor his disciples who should exceede others did attaine to the vnderstanding of Christs words as noteth Chrys in c. 6. Iohn What theÌ„ is this word hard and a saying not easy of vnderstanding which was full of dread that their imbecillitie could not bear it c. For if the Scriptures were easy it was no great benefite that Christ did to his Apostles in opening their wits that they might vnderstand the Scriptures neyther was it any great matter that he hid to his two Disciples going to Emaus vnto whome beginning at Moyses and the Prophets he interpreted in all Scriptures which were written of him for this action of Christ argueth difficulties otherwayes why did he labor to much to make them vnderstand them The Enuch of the Queene of Candy reading the Scriptures confesseth that he vnderstood them not and yet a man of good experience To this effect Philâ—p is moued of the holy Ghost to ioyne him to his chariot who hard him read I say the prophet and asking him if he vnderstood what he read he answered how can I except I had a guy de Wherefore when Philip was with him in his chariot and the Scripture was read the Enuch asked him saying I pray thee of whome speaketh the Prophet of himself or some other man Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached vnto him Iesus For the work of the holy Ghost in placing Philip to him had been in vaine if there had not been difficultie in the Scripture and if this man could not vnderstand without a guyde for all his experience no more can other men do Moreouer when Christ spake of his passion and resurrection his Apostles vnderstood him not saying after a little whyle and ye shall not see me and agayne after a whyle and you shall see me for Igoe to the Father Ioan. 16. If the liuely voyce of Christ was obscure and darke to the Apostles so the same is now being written in dead letters for the liuely voyce of Christ is of greater force then the letter Lykewyse S. Paul numbring the Giftes of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 12. to one sayes he is giuen the vtterance of wisdome and to another the gift of knowledge to another the gift of fayth to another the gift of healling to another the gift of miracles to another the gift of prophesie to another the gift of iudgement to discerne spirits to another the gifte of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues and all these things worketh one and he self same spirit distributing to euery man seuerally as he will Therefore seing euery one hath not the gift of vtterance of knowledge of Prophesying c. and consequeÌ„tly also no more vnderstanding of the Scriptures And as these gifts are not coÌ„mon to all men euen so the vnderstaÌ„ding of the Scriptures is not easy to al men S. Paul proueth this well by the order and disposition of a naturall body from which he deduces an argument to proue an order in the mysticall body the Church 1. Cor. 12. You are sayes he the body of Christ and members of his body and therefore God hath ordayned in the Church first Apostles next Prophets thirdly Teachers fourthly theÌ„ that doe miracles fifthly the gifts of healling c. For if the Scripture be easy of vnderstanding then these giftes are superfluous for where euery one vnderstandeth there needeth no Apostle Prophet Teacher c. And if euery man vnderstand then euery one hath all these giftes contrary to the Apostles meaning who sayes all be not Prophets and Teachers c. Moreouer S. Hier. in praef sup Ezech. sayes that the Iewes might not read the bookes of Genesis before they ere thirthy years of age but the Protestants as new-hatched chikeÌ„s pipes out of their mothers belly pratle of the Scriptures as experience teaches in Scotland it will not serue the Puritane ministers to haue long grace but also the chapter must be read with his Glosse after the spirit and Iok Genny and Mady c. must gather and repeate longe notes old and young must do the same otherwayes they haue not the spirit and are weake in the fayth and soe play the hobly-horse in the Scriptures QVAESTIO XVI Of the adulterating of the Byble WHerefore do the Papistes condemne our reformed Bybles Iohn Wigand lib de bonis malis Germ. Brent Kemn Cent. Magdeburg ANSVVER THe reason is iust on the Catholick part for each on of the sectaries condeÌ„ne on anothers Byble therfore iustly they may be condemned of the Catholicks Each Heretick condemnes one anothers Byble for euill translatioÌ„ For Luther coÌ„demnes the Zwinglians and contrariwyse the Zuinglians the Lutherans lykewyse Beza Castalion and lykewyse Castalion Beza c. Lykwyse did not King Henry the 8 condeÌ„ne his 1. traslatioÌ„ made a new traÌ„slatioÌ„ published it by authority of ParlameÌ„t as witnesseth Calu. Turc lib. 4. cap. 7. Wherefore not vniustly are they condemned of vs Catholickes from whom your grand-Father Lvther had receaued the true coppies who hath corrupted them in mutilating and adulterating the whole text from his originall It is the Protestants reformatioÌ„ to deny many bookes in the Scriptur For what reformation is it to take away from the Canon of Scriptures To bias Iudith the booke of wisdome Ecclesiastes and the Machabies which bookes were receaued for Canon Scripture of the famous and ancient Counsels as Carthage Florence and Trent Of which sacred books Innocent the 1 maketh meÌ„tion of theÌ„ for Canon Scripture in epist ad exuperant Lykewyse Gelatius in his couÌ„sell of seueÌ„ty Byshops Lykwise the Fathers who cyte these books for diuine scripture as at lenght are rehearsed a Sixt Senens lib 8. S. Bibliothecae If this be your reformation let the world be iudge to blot out S Iames epistle calling it a straw-epistle which contrarywise is receaued of the Caluinists Lykwyse to call in doubt the second epistle of S. Peter with the first epistle and the second of S. Iohn Iude the Apocalyps which places were euer in authority with the Greeks and Latines Lykewyse in adding to the Scripture they think no sinne for when S. Paul Rom. 3. v. 22. sayes that the righteousnes of God by the fayth of Iesus Christ is vnto all and vpon all that belieue the reformed traslatioÌ„ add this word only as it were that by only faith the Christian righteousnes falls to vs to exclude all good workes Lykewyse is it an honest translation of the Zuinglians in Turingne to change the wordes of Christ Matth. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. 1. cor 11. where it is sayd This is my Body and this is my Blood to chaÌ„ge it say this signifyeth my body blood For which causes of trumpery the Heretickes cannot suffer the Roman Catholicke Bybles and therfore iustly may the Catholicks say
to theÌ„ iustly with S. Aug. l. 4. de Symb. c. 10. All coÌ„gregations heresies is a concubine and an â—â—hoore who cannot blushe and be ashamed as experience teaches Did not Luther translate the new testament in the German tongue but so wicked pernicious corrupt and erroneous that it ministred sedition mutination and rebellion of the people against the higher powers By this simple women tooke on them the reading of the Scripture and their notes with such feruour of the spirit with contempt of all learned men to preach and exhort publickely contrary to the inhibition of S. Paul who ought to keep silence hold their peace where men are In the same manner did not the sighing-puritane-sisters of Edin brough and other cities in Scotland after this Ghospelling conuersation at four a clock when they were rypest of vnderstanding take vpon theÌ„ to read the Scriptures I hope it falls to them by ignorance and blindnes of mynd so long as they read that bible bable as was prophesyed of Peters-wyfe who will neuer mend but euer grow worse and wòrse For are not their Rabbies in that same conformity with the old Hereticks about the Scripture who were condemned of the ancient Fathers for depraueing the Scriptures denying of sundry books as the Aebionits who denyed S. Paul epistles as witnes S. Iren. l. 1 cap 26. S. Epiph. haeres 3 Lykewyse was not the Manicheans damned for denying the Ghospell of S Mâ—tthew as witnes S. Aug. lib. 33. contra Faust cap. 3 7. Lykewyse the Alogians were condemned for the denying of S Iohns Euangelist and his Apocalyps S. Aug Haer. 30 Lykewyse the Marcionists and Arians for denying the Epistle to the Hebrewes to be S. Pauls as witnes Tertul. de praesc Iten lib. 1. cap. 29. Epiph. Haer. 41. S. Hier. in praef in epist ad Tit. Or the same opinion is the moderne Rabbins with the old Hereticks concerning the Scripture to repudiat reiect the bookes of Moyses here upon is Luthers doctrine Serm. de Moyse saying let not Moyses be thrust on vs we in the new testameÌ„t will neyther regard nor hear him Againe idem Luther calles the old testament no word of God belonging to Christians for Moyses appertayneth nothing to vs. Againe in his booke de decem praec lib. 2. cont Rusticos Thow seditious preacher affirmes sayth he that the old TestameÌ„t is to be obserued preacher I say not to me but to the Iewes preach thy Moyses not a title or Iot of Moyses belongeth to vs yea not the law concernes vs but the Ghospell yea not the ten coÌ„mandements belongs to vs. Lykewyse Luther Serm. de Phar. Publ in proaem noui testam Not vnfitly did I admonish the reader in my prologue of the new testament that they should abolish this opinion to be four Ghospells for I haue sayd that the Ghospell of Sainct Iohn was most acceptable and true Lykewyse he sayes in Assert in prologo the bible buble-bable togeather with the Scripture is nothing but fables Lykewyse Ochinus denyeth the whole new testament Iacob Carion in Chron. an 1556. pag. 151 printed at Basil And lykwyse Ochin lib. 2. dial pag 154. 155. 156. saies that we ought to belieue no more theÌ„ the S â—â— of the old testameÌ„t to him subscrybeth Cal taxing the Euangelists and Apostles lib 4. inst cap. 8 § 4. saying if they be Apostles let theÌ„ not bable what they lift Lykewyse Calu. in Iohn cap. 19. v. 23.24 sayth that the Euangelists wrest allegations and depart from the right meaning of them in cap. 2. Matth. v. 18. in 3. Matth. v. 13 in 5. cap. Matth. v. 17. Caluin accuseth them to speake a bruptly many senteÌ„ces in their wrytings to tearme things improperly and to vse many improper wordes Whereupon Caluin sayd that he could neuer be persuaded that the sixt chapter of S. Iohns Euangelist was euer his To this effect is not these books called Apochrypha in summa the translation of the Byble in the vulgar tongue is the cause of a thowsand errors for sayth not Broughton in his aduertisement to the counsell of the corruptions of the Byble an 1604. That the whole originall text of the new TestameÌ„t was peruerted in aboue 8. hundrith and 8. places and that it was nothing inferior to the Turkish Alcaron Lykewyse in Hampton conference pag. 45 c. The Inglish Bybles are euill translated altogeather And them of Geneua the worst of all they containe partiall vntruthes and are full of seditious notes to much intending to mutiny and rebellion allowing dissobedience to Kings and full of taxing of Kings OBIECTION LOng since of some Fathers some bookes of the Scripture were put in doubt as Iudith Tobie Wisdome and the Epistle to the Hebrews the second of S. Peter Iude Apocalyps c. Therefore with vs also it is lawfull to doubt of them ANSVVER THe sequel is nothing for albeit Thomas did once doubt of the resurrectioÌ„ of Christ it followeth not that he should euer doubt and albeit ther was no book of Scripture which was not walled with the Apostolicall authority and tradition yet-notwithstanding in the beginning of the Church were suspected and doubted whyle by litle and lytle by inspiration of the holy spirit things were made more clear so that these books which before haue ben doubted of haue now of the vniuersall Church abtayned diuyne authority and so consequentely they are no more to be doubted OBIECTION THe Counsell of Laodice omits and leaneth out those books of the old Testament because they were not in the Canon of the Hebrews ergo what the counsell hath not acknowledged neyther we acknowledge for cannon Scripture ANSVVER IDeny the consequence for the Fathers in that Counsell haue not reiected these books as not holy neyther canonicall but they haue not numerated them amongst those books which are read in the Church because of the coÌ„uerted Iews who almost liued Iudaizing of whom Phrygia was full from the tyme of the Apostles and therfore the holy Byshops in that counsell would not atteÌ„pt to read those bookes in the Church which they had not in the Canon of the Hebrwes Secondly if no booke be Canonical but these which are in the Canon of the Hebrewes the new Tastament shal be ieiected for it is not in their Canon OBIECAION GRegorius lib. 19. Mor. cap. 17. as coÌ„cerning these bookes of the Machabees we do not speake vnciuilly if by beside the canonical books which are made for the edification of the Church we shall produce any testimonyes Ergo these books are not canonicall ANSVVER HE denyeth not these books to be holy which are rehearsed in the Canon of the Church seing it could not be hid and vnknown to the holy man of God that 200. yeares before blessed Innocent Pope and the counsell of Carthage had spoken of the Machabees as canonicall Scripture But he speaketh of the Canon of the Hebrwes in which these bookes were not nombred neyther
Ianuar. So that what is instituted of the whole Church for the publicke vtility of fayth it is nōt to be changed Secondly because of the iudgement of the people who are naturally inclyned to Heresie and nouelties whilst in reading of the Scripture and not vnderstāding it they take occasiō to hold opinions against the doctrine of faith the precepts of manners least they should deryde sinistrously interprete these thinges which are religiously instituted and albeit many things be put in the vulgar tongue as the psalmes and other partes of the Scripture notwithstanding the people cannot attayne to the sense and meaning of them for euen these who are expert in the Latin tongue finde difficultie to vnderstād the Scriptures It is not needfull that the people vnderstand what is songe or said in the church except first they consult with commentaries and holy Fathers of the Church Neyther is it needfull that the vulgar people vnderstand what is songe or is celebrated in the Church more then the people vnderstood what the heygh Priest did in Sancta Sanctorum Hebrue 9. Luke 2. For the Ecclesiasticall songs are not instituted to instruct the people in their vnderstanding with wordes but it is instituted to awake and sturr vp their myndes to the worship of God by swet Harmony Reuerence Maiesty and solemne actions What if perchance it come to passe that eyther we trauaile in a strāge coūtry or that a stranger come where Religion is if Gods seruice be not in a vulgar language as Latin is how shall he vnderstand whether they serue God or mocke him how shall he that is ignorant say a men to thy benediction as the Apostle sayth Therefore publicke priuate prayers in a strange tongue albeit they be not vnderstood of him that prayeth yet are acceptable to God haue vertue to impetrate and obtayne blessings because God his saincts vnderstand all tongues which is probable Praiers in the latin tongue are acceptable to God for that common people with the chyldren cryed Matth. 21. v. 9. Osanna filio Dauid which wordes neyther the peoole nor the chyldren vnderstood and yet Christ commendes and prayseth the children neyther reprehendeth he the cry of the people Whereupon Greg. hom 20. in Iosua speaking of a strange tongue sayth If thow hearest somtyme to be read in thy eares that thow vnderstandest not yet in the meane tyme know thow that thou hast receaued vtility thereby in that the only hearing is to thee as it were a certayne charme to expell the deadly poyson dāmage euill spirits who ly snares and go about beseygning Christian souls Which grounds Caluin contradicteth who sayth in his Catechisme to pray in an vnknown tongue it is to mocke God and peruerse hypocrisie Contrary to this who is of sound iudgement A similitude conuinting Caluin will easily esteeme him no hypocryte and mocker who offereth a supplication in an vnknown tongue to the King who is expert in the tongue through dayly vse yet vnknown to the delyuerer It is to be thought that all nations had a common tongue as Gen. 19. in which God was serued but cōfusion of tōgues being made three speciall tongues are separat institute for the diuine seruice of God whereupō this custome followeth that in the occidentall Churches the vse of the latin tōgue was euer with them which was a naturall tongue to them and althought it was not altogeather common to all nations for diuerse nations and tongues were included in the occidentall Churche and yet for diuine seruice this tongue is most frequently vsed So the Greek church vseth the Greek and chaldaick and yet the Greek and chaldaick is another tongue different from the cōmon tongue which the people vseth in their meettings but the others were vsed only amongst the learned and with the Priests in diuyne seruice For it was neuer a custome through the vniuersall world that the vse of the vulgar country tongue should be admitted in diuyne seruice but that which is most cōmon vniuersally to all nations Vt omnis spiritus laudet Dominum And as concerning the reading praying in a vulgar nationall tongue it is no perfection to do so for then the vse of the better tongue failes as Hebrew Greek and Latin which were sanctified on the crosse of Christ And as Latin is common to all it is vsed much more specially it is cōmon to the seruice of God and seing God requireth the best of euery thing to be offered to him as soueraine Lord and most louing Father who doubteth but a learned holy and commō tongue is more honourable then a barbarous prophane priuate tongue is And moreouer in respect of the whole body of the Church with whom specially we cōmunicat in our seruice in prayers that we may say all one thing the vulgar tongues are counted strange and vnknowne which strange tongues S. Paul doth litle regard I. Cor. 14. and preferreth the common tongues which were delyuered to the first Christiās sanctified of Christ and delyuered by the Apostles in the East and West parts of the world not regarding the multitude of vulgar tongues which were vsed in particular prouinces For vsually the Greek tongue was specially in the East and the Latin in the West Church For Christ being on the Crosse from whome is the paterne of all prayers and oblatiōs who knew right well that the common people of the Iewes could not vnderstand him because the true Hebrue tongue was eyther lost or much decayed in the comon speach and euery day more and more failed after the captiuity of Babilon did recyte the beginnig of the Psal 21. in Hebreu my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And did not eyther then or any other tyme interprete it in a vulgar tongue Therfore out of doubt after his example we may do the lyke in these tōgues in our seruice and prayers which Priests and clerkes vnderstand albeit the common people do not vnderstand the same for this good aryseth to the whole Church by the vse of the latin tongue to wit learning and deuotion wheras the Protestants hauing once had the Latin seruice changing it into their particular vulgar tōgue haue lost both learning and deuotion for Amen Alleluia builded many Churches Hospitalles Bridges c. and augmented the deuotion of the people contrary wise So be it hath pulled downe the Churches c. and banished deuotion So that falling from the Latin to the vulgar they haue fallen from the better to the Worse and from vnity into heresy and so to deuyding the coate of Christ into many partes which thing the barbarous and prophane souldiers were affrayed to do Iohn 19. OBIECTION SAinct Paul I. Cor. 14. sayes let no man speake a strange tongue in the Church which is not vnderstood for sayth he who shall supply the place of the Idiot how shall he say Amen vpon thy benediction because he knoweth not what thow sayest but
their merite is not mercenary not basse but honourable good and acceptable to God our Father whose soÌ„nes we are if we inclyne our hart to doe his lawes for a reward and this is the good pleasure of God that concomminaÌ„ter we should worke good workes with his grace vnto lyfe eternall whose will is to remunerat gine that beatitude for a merit of good workes QVAEST 10. XXXIII Of Confidence conceaued of merites WHerefore doe the Papists conceaue such confidence of eteruall lyfe by their merites seing it sauours of presumption and in preiudice of the excellency of our redemer Calu. lib. 3. inst cap. 12. § 3.4 ANSVVER I Say it is not anough to confide and trust simpliciterly but also with assured faith we are bound to belieue good workes to merite lyfe eternall for we cannot obtayne lyfe eternall except we haue laboured to promerit the same with good works as is euidently discussed already notwithstanding no man can firmely determine and assuredely persuade him self in his merites to obtayne and haue lyfe eternall defacto The reason is because we are not certaine of our owne righteousnes that any man is iust absolutly and to haue meritorious workes and howbeit he might in some part repose confidently to haue notwithstanding it followeth that no man assuredly can assure himself of perseuerance and therefore seing no manner of way any man can be certayne in this lyfe without a speciall reuelation of God or els if we would precipitat our selues in the damnable golfe of the Caluinists only fayth We belieue vnder hope sub gratia giuing diligence to make our calling and election sure by good workes as the Apostle teaches 2. Peter 2. and so we may conceaue of our good workes some trust and confidence of eternall glory notwithstanding so that chiefly the same confidence and trust be placed dependently in the only mercies of God and merites of Christ and secouÌ„dely in workes And therefore to the purpose the first part is proued Tob. 4. v. 12. Great confidence is with almesse before the most high-God to all them that doth the same Lykewyse 1. Tim. 3. v. 13. sayth who haue ministred weell purches to theÌ„selues a good place much confidence in fayth And seing good works are the cause of our saluation already proued we may the more rightly trust and confide them to obtayne our saluation as for example when the Phisick is very good the patient may the more coÌ„fide of his health and therefore in such manner I may confide that merites are the cause of which saluation may come and so consequently we may haue that confidence and trust of good vvorkes as an effect depending on the cause SecouÌ„dly the posterior part is prouen of the for sayd introductioÌ„ because the chiefe cause of our saluation is the merites of Christ and Gods diuyne mercy therefore by the merites of Christ vertue is giuen vs to merite and to be perseuerand So that our merits are the workes of Christ which he worketh in vs by the spirit of his grace which no man is ignorant of forsomuch as in all our petitions prayers we remite them to be graunted for his diuine mercy saike and the merite of Christ And therefore the holy Church and euery member concludes their prayer saying by our Lord IESVS Christ c. And therefore here is neyther done nor inferred eyther presumption or preiudice to the excellency of our redeemer for whose fauouâ— and grace all helpe requisit is giuen vs to merite and so it is acknowledged of vs to be froÌ„ him as the principall cause and so we doe not trust and confide in our owne merites but secondaâ—ly and dependenterly for all that we haue receaued or worketh we affirme it to be by the merites of Christ and diuyne grace and whatsoeuer we worke or merite it is through the grace of God and merite of Christ and not of our selues absolutly as our aduersarie imagine Neyther doe we presumptuously any thing neyther with iniury to Christ As concerning their Scrupels for conclusion they are full of scrupelles to withstand the verity reuealed out of the word of God and make no Scrupell where Scruples should be obserued it is no Scrupell with there diuines to affirme God the author of sinne with predeterminat predestination without forseen causes the fall of man and the reprobates damnation of Christ disparing on the Crosse of mans freewill of the whole twelf articles of our Beliefe of the impossibility to keepe the Commandements in defending that all our actions are mortall sinnes in making all sinnes equall and in teaching that Christ hath fred vs from all Lawes in taking away all feare of conscience by only fayth in teaching necessity to be forced in the freewill of man in taking away vyce and vertue in mans actions merite demerite sinne and grace with others infinite numbers of assertions swallowed vp of them without any scrupell lyke another Leuiathan plunged in the weest Sees with a deuoring mouth Soe passe they without Scrupelles walking after their owne fantasies and not according to the word of God neyther the reason of morall knowledge The end of the first Part. THE TABLE OF THIS BOOKE TO whome properly the Catholick name appertayne Quaest I. pag. 2. Of the damnable and speciall Faith of the Heretikes Quaest II. pag. 23. Of the Article of the Creed I belieue the remission of sinnes Quaest III. pag. 44. Of the informall Faith of Synners Quaest IIII. pag. 49. Of the necessity of Myracles Quaest V. pag. 45. Of the verity of Myracles in the Catholicke Church Quaest VI. pag. 61. The Pope is taken of the reformed for Antichrist Quaest VII pag. 73. Of the Primacy of S. Peter Quaest VIII pag. 89. Of the Roman Sea of S. Peter Quaest IX pag. 107. Of Iohne the eight Pope a VVoman Quaest X. pag. 112. Of the infallible authority of Generall Counsells Quaest XI pag. 116. Of the verity of the roman-Roman-Church and of her notes Quaest XII pag. 127. Of the pretended reformation of the Protestants Quaest XIII pag. 145. Of the stability of the visible Church Quaest XIIII pag. 169. Of the interdicting of Scripture Quaest XV. pag. 183. Of the adulterating the Byble Quaest XVI pag. 199. Of Traditions Quaest XVII pag. 206. Of the certitude of Hope Quaest XVIII pag. 214. Of publicts and priuate Prayers Quaest XIX pag. 218. Of the Aue Maria. Quaest XX. pag. 225. Of the Beades Quaest XXI pag. 228. Of Praying in the Churches Quaest XXII pag. 231. Of Predestination and Reprobation Quaest XXIII pag. 236. Of Free VVill. QuÄ™st XXIIII pag. 251. Of Prescience Predestination and Free-will Quaest XXV pag. 259. Of the keeping of the Commandementes Quaest XXVI pag. 264. Of Reall Iustice Quaest XXVII pag. 269. Of good VVorkes Quaest XXVIII pag. 276. Of the incertitude of Righteousnes QuÄ™st XXIX pag. 281. Of the Purenesse of Good VVorkes QuÄ™st XXX pag. 289. Of the Merite of good VVorkes QuÄ™st XXXI pag. 296. Of good VVorkes done in respect of an eternall reward QuÄ™st XXXII pag. 304. Of Confidence conceaued of Merites QuÄ™st XXXIII pag. 306. FINIS
of firme and assured hope that they receaue in the present remission of synnes and in the futur eternall lyfe ANSVVER I Deny the assumption for nothing is to be belieued of vs rightly and Catholickly which may be any way false for faith is the substance of things hoped and an argument of no appearance because the reason of faith is placed in the veritie reuealed of God which for that cause may neither deceaue or be deceaued Yea also we hope these things rightly which otherwayes may happen for the cheifest reason of hope consists in the possibilitie of the acquiring and seeking of these things which we haue hoped according to the commandement and promise of God and for this cause we are exhorted after the exemple of Abrâ—ham that in hope against hope we should labuor and belieue to mak our caling and election sure 1 Pet. 2. The differeÌ„ce betwixt hope and faith For many vnder pretence of this only faith being loaden with the weight of ther synnes and charged in conscience vnthankfull to their Creator and yet apeare externally to work the workes of the righteous and walk securely perswadinge them selfes to be in grace and fauour of God and at last to obteine eternall lyf when without hope they are condemned Because hope lookes to the promisses and coÌ„mandement of God which only faith annulles And therefore we are more commanded and exhorted to hope then beleue because hope hath euer actuall rychteousnes adioyned with him and only faith is lyk an Irishmans in his trowses which is without any conformity to the habit of any other nation so for conclusion only faith is no faith and is playne opposit anu contrary to the article of our creed I beleeue the remission of sinnes QVESTIO IIII. Of the informall fayth of Synners WHerfore doe the Papistes affirme teach fayth to remaine in Synners seperated from loue contrary to the tenour of the Scriptures Fathers Caluin lib. 3. inst cap. 2. § 8.9.10 in Antid Con. Trid. ANSVVER IT is the vniuersal doctrine of holy Church that trew fayth which the Apostles defynes to be the substance of thinges which are hoped for Faith may be without loue aswell as with it and the euidence of things which are not seene may successiuely stand with loue and charity or without it soe that fayth may be in the same specie and nomber notwithstanding with diuersity of tyme formall or informall Faith is formall and informall Calu. Scornes all diuyne and humane sciences Howsoeuer to the contrary Caluin laboures but to no effect albeyt he goeth about to scorne this distinctioÌ„ of faith made in the Theologicall Schooles but if this scorner of diuyne and humane sciences would approach to the fountayne of holy wryt and gust with wholsome taste truely he should fynde the same habit of fayth and nomber to haue the place of merit and of demerit that the scorner may be at rest For first Christ Matth c. 7. vers 22. acknowledgeth fayth in Synners for in the day of iudgment or in the hour of death as in a particular iudgment many shall say to him Faith may be in great sinners to the working of myracles Lord we haue prophesied in thy name and in thy name we haue cast out diuels and haue wrought many miracles to whome he shall answer saying I neuer knew yow For this nunquam giues to vnderstand that euen then when they wrought miracles in fayth and by faith in my name euen then I knew you not because you lyued a wycked and deformed lyfe with your faith Sinne is opposite to the merit of faith and was so defyled in sinne lyke to the conditioÌ„ of a most expert Phisitian who is not ignorant of art and science which he professes and vnderstandes and yet notwithstanding by fragility of nature by intemperancy and bad liuing a similytude doth violate the science and medecyne albeit he doth not loose and quitte the science of medecine euen so a Christian man a Prophet Religious Faythfull or els whatsoeuer morall man instructed in the faith sinning in the precepts of fayth Fayth profits nothing without workes doth not loose or is destitute of his faith nether faithfulnes or ceases to be a Christian and yet notwithstanding is excluded from the Kingdome of God for onely want and defect of charity good workes The naughty banquetter had faith with out his garment Secondly he who entered to the banquet of the King not hauing his weddinge garmeÌ„t Matth. 25.15 was cast into vtter darckenes not because of his faith or of his baptisme by which he entered and abode in the Church but because of only the waÌ„t of his wedding garment that is to say the want of charity So expoundes this place all the Fathers of the Church as S. Greg. in euang hom 78. Thirdly to conclud all doubtes the Apostle sayd if I should haue all faith so that I could remoue mountaynes and want charity I am nothing what it is to haue all faith without charity Calu. Glosse discouered to wit not to be in grace neyther auailles the glosse of Rabbi-Caluin in this place saying that the Apostle speakes not of the Catholyck faith but of the faith of miracles or the vertue of confidence to worck miracles but this euation is naught for when the Apostle sayes if he had all faith absolutly he concludeth all both intensiue and extensiue perfect and imperfect for in the end of the same chapter 1. cor 1 he concludeth that there doe remayne fayth hope and charity these three but the cheifest is charity only so out of doubt he speakes of that faith which before in the same chapter he made mention of Faith is compared with charity and charity to faith as he did speake of that same charity before therfore it followes that he hath compared the Catholicke faith with Charity Fourthly S. Iacob c. 2. v. 14. sayd Bretheren what helpeth it if a man say he hath fayth but hath no workes can his faith saue him Is any Christian so absurd of iudgment Faith may be without workes although it profit not that thinkes faith to iustify a man without workes to the defence of the verity the whole Fathers affirme and haue taught faith cannot iustify any man without workes as Iren. lib. 4. cap. 25. expounding the same saying of the Apostle sayth neyther knowledge nor wisdome towards God neyther the comprehension of diuyne mysteries neyther fayth neyther prophesie helpe without charity but are voide and of no merite before God And lykewyse S. Aug. lib. 15. de Trinit cap. 18. sayth without charity faith may be but not to profit What need we yet witnesses seying reason teaches that by true faith the faithfull are distinguished and discerned from Infidels Heretycks albeit defacto they are separated out of the Church yet in name and shew they are within yet damned and yet notwithstanding if synners fall from