him bring in Iacob 5. v. 14. the Priests of the Church and let them pray ouer them anoiling them with Oile in the name of our Lord c. Confesse therefore your sinnes one to Ibidem 16. another These and an hundred more plaine texts recorded in that fountaine of life wherein our Catholike Roman doctrine is deliuered in expresse tearmes to wit Thereall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament That Priests haue power to pardon sinnes That Christ built his Church vpon S. Peter That good workes doe in iustice deserue eternall life That we are iustified not by faith alone but also by good workes That in extremity of sicknesse wee must call for the Priest to anoile vs with holy Oile That we must confesse our sinnes not to God alone but also vnto men these and diuers such like heads of our Catholike faith formally set downe in holy Scripture the Protestants will not beleeue though they bee written in Gods word neuer so expresly but doe ransacke all the corners of their wits to deuise some â—dde shift or other how to flie from the euidence of them Whereupon I conclude that they doe not receiue all the written word though they professe neuer so much to allow of all the bookes of Canâ—nicall Scripture For the written word of God consisteth Lib. 2. de Trinitate ad Const not in the reading but in the vnderstanding as S. Hierome testifieth that is it doth not consist in the bare letter of it but in the letter and true sense and meaning ioyned togither the letter being as the body of Scripture and the right vnderstanding of it the soule spirit and life thereof he therefore that taketh not the written word in the true sense but swarueth from the sincere interpretation of it cannot be truly said to receiue the written word as a good Christian ought to doe Seeing then that the Protestants and all other sectaries doe not receiue the holy Scriptures according vnto the most ancient and best learned Doctors exposition they may most iustly be denyed to receiue the sacred written word of God at all though they seeme neuer so much to approue all the Bookes Verses and Letters of it which is plainly proued by S. Hierome vpon the first Chapter to the Galathians R. ABBOT I Haue noted a §. â— before in this Chapter that St. Austin faith of the Prophets and faithfull of the people of the Iewes that though not in name yet in deede they were Christians as we are As they were Christians then with vs so are we now Iewes with them not according to M. Bishops vnderstanding of the name of Iewes to whom I may well say as Austin said to Iulian the Pelagian b August coÌ„â— Iulian. l. 4. c. 3. Cùm insana dicis rides phrenetico es similis When thou speakest madly and laughest thou art like to a frantike Bedlem but according to the Apostles construction thereof c Rom. 2. 29. He is a Iew which is one within and d Phil. 3. 3. we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and reioyce in Christ Iesus and haue no confidence in the flesh We must be Iewes by vnity of faith with them as they were Christians with vs because they with vs and wee with them make but one body and one Church whereof though there be diuers Sacraments yet there is but one faith from the beginning to the end receiued first by the Patriarches written afterwards by the Prophets written againe more clearly by the Apostles so that e Ephes 2. 20. vpon the foundation not foundations but one foundation because one euen one written doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets the houshold of God are built and our faith resteth wholly thereupon I haue walked no rounds I haue broken through no brakes of thornes but haue kept a direct and euen way and haue so strongly builded all this as that I scorne M. Bishops poore paper-shot as much too weake to throw it downe To him I know these things are rounds and mazes he knoweth not which way to get out of them they are brakes of thornes he lyeth fast tyed in them God giue him grace to yeeld to that which he seeth himselfe vnable to reproue He is very angry it seemeth as touching the last point that I should say that the Protestants receiue and beleeue all the written word He saith that therein I begge that which is principally in question and thinketh that I haue little wit or iudgement to thinke that they would freely grant me that But our vsage and debating of questions with them is sufficient to put that out of question We vse the Scriptures our selues we translate them for common vse we reade and expound them publikely in our Churches we exhort men to reade them priuately in their houses wee instruct them to receiue no doctrine but what they see there wee make the same written word the soueraigne Iudge of all our controuersies wee defend the authority and sufficiency thereof against the impeachments and disgraces which Papists haue cast vpon it What may we doe more to make M. Bishop beleeue that we receiue and beleeue the written word Surely if I tell him that the Sunne shineth at noone day he will not beleeue it if it seeme to him to sound any thing against the Pope But he will giue instance to proue that we doe not so first for that we reiect diuers bookes of the old Testament Wherein he saith vntruly for the bookes of the old Testament are the bookes of Moses and the Prophets the Psalmes f August coÌ„t Gaudent lib 2. cap. 23. Non habent Judaei sicut legem Prophetas Psalmos quibus Dominus testimonium perhibet tanquam testibus suis To which saith Austin our Lord Iesus gaue testimony as his witnesses of which we reiect none the other bookes that are adioyned to these we doe not reiect but we reade them and commend them yea we say as much of them as M. Bishop vouchsafeth to say of Pauls Epistles and the rest that they contayne many most diuine and rare instructions but yet we giue them no authority for confirmation of matters of faith because Christ and his Apostles haue giuen no testimony or witnesse of them and the primitiue Church in that respect hath expresly disclaimed them as I haue shewed at large g Of Traditions sect 17. before and resteth hereafter in this booke to bee shewed againe Secondly he bringeth sundry texts of the new Testament to proue that we doe not rightly vnderstand and beleeue all that is written in Gods word wherein he saith their Catholike Roman doctrine is deliuered in expresse termes First to proue the reall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament he citeth the wordes This is my body which shall be giuen for you c. But if the Romish doctrine be here deliuered in expresse termes how is it that their owne Scotus saith that
to say that against Peter only the gates of hell shall not preuaile and that they shall preuaile against the other Apostles and not rather that in all euery of them it is verified which is said Vpon this rocke will I build my Church In a word he reasoneth thus that because that which is said I will giue to thee the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen is common to them all therefore all the rest both going before and following after as spoken to Peter is common to them all And this the Scripture confirmeth in that it saith that u Ephes 2. 20. the houshold of God are builded not vpon the foundation of Peter only but vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and not St. Peter only but x Apoc. 21. 14. the Lambs twelue Apostles haue their names written in the twelue foundations of the city of God Yea it is yet further to be obserued out of the Fathers that they make Peter in all this matter y August Epist 165. Petro totius Ecclesia figuram gerenti Dominus ait super hanc Petram c. to be are the figure as St. Austin saith of the whole Church z IdeÌ„ de verb. Dom. serm 13. Hoc nomen ei vt Petrus appellaretur à Domino impositum est hoc vt â—a figura significaret Ecclesiam Quia enim Christus Petra Petrus populus Christianus The Lord saith he gaue him that name to be called Peter that by that figure he might signifie the Church for because Christ is Petra the Rocke therefore Peter is the people of Christ And thus of that which Christ there saith a Mat. 16. 19. Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heauen Gregory Bishop of Rome deliuereth that b Greg. exposit in 1. Reg. l. 6 c. 3. Quod antiquis â—usquam dicitur mâ—dò vniuersali Ecclesiae dicitur Quodcunque ligaueris c. it is spoken to the vniuersall Church Therefore Origen applieth the name of Peter to euery man that ioyneth with Peter in the confession of the same faith c Orig. in Mat. c. 16. Quòd si nos quoque locuti quod dixit Petrus Tu es Christus c. tâ—nquam non accepta 〈◊〉 reuelatione à carne sanguine sed luce cordi nostrâ— illucescentâ— Ã Patre qui in câ—lis est efficimur Petrus nobis dicetur quod hunc sermonem sequitur Tu es Petrus c. If we say as Peter said Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God as not receiuing reuelation hereof from flesh and blood but by light shining into our hearts from the Father which is in heauen we also are made Peter and it shall be said to vs which followeth that speech Thou art Peter c. And anone after he affirmeth againe that d Ibid. paulò post Dicta sunt vt doc et spiritus illius ad quemuis qui tâ—lis factus fuerit qualis â—rat ille Petrus siquidem nomâ—â— ducunt à Petra quicunque sunt imitatoâ—es Christi qui est petra spiritualis c. Christi membra cum sint ab â—â— nomen habeâ—t dicti Christiani à Petra Petri. the spirit of the Gospell speaketh those wordes to euery one that is such as that Peter was for they take their name saith he of Petra the Rocke whosoeuer are followers of Christ who is the spirituall Rocke being called of Christ Christians and of Petra the Rocke being called Peters Hereto St. Ambrose also alludeth when giuing the reason why Peter was so called e Ambros in Luc. lib. 6. cap. 9. Vt ipse sit Petrus quòd de petra habeat soliditatem coÌ„stantiâ— fidei firmitatem Enitere ergò vt tu petra sis itaque non extra te sed intra te petram require c. si petra fueris in Ecclesia eris quia Ecclesia supra petram est For that of Petra the Rocke he had soundnesse of constancy and stedfastnesse of faith hee vseth this exhortation Therefore endeauour that thou also maiest be a Rocke and not without thee but within thee require this rocke if thou bee a Rocke thou shalt be within the Church because the Church is vpon a Rocke To conclude Origen expounding by way of allegory that which is written as befalling vpon the death of Christ that the rocks were clouen in sunder maketh the rocks to be the Prophets whom he proueth rightly to be so called f Origen in Math. tract 35. Probamus scissas tum Petras esse Prophetas primùm ex eo quòd Christus dicitur Petra spiritualis rationis est omnes imitatores Christi dici similitèr Petras esse sicut lux mundidicuntur ex eo-quòd ipse Dominus â—orum est lux mundi deinde etiam ex eo quòd ipse Petrus à Domino Petra est appellatê° cum dicitur ei Tu es Peâ—rê° c. Maximè autem demonstratuâ— ex co quòd oâ—nes quibus non prâ—ualent portae inferorum qui opus nominis petrâ— babeâ—t in se id est Apostoli Propheta Petra sunt ipsi sunt â—um qui super eis adificantur c. First for that Christ is called the spirituall rocke and it standeth with reason that all that are followers of Christ should likewise be called Rocks as they are called the light of the world because Christ their Lord is the light of the world and secondly for that Peter is by Christ called a Rocke when it is said Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke c. For it is strongly proued thereby saith he that all against whom the gates of hell doe not preuaile who haue in them the worke or effect of the name of Rocke as namely the Apostles and Prophets are themselues Rocks and the foundations of them that are builded vpon them Thus doe the Fathers turne and wind those words of Christ they finde Christ himselfe to be the Rocke they finde Peter in some sort to be a Rocke albeit not Peter alone but the rest of the Apostles yea the Prophets also as well as he yea they finde euery faithfull Christian man to be a Rocke by constancy of faith and by drawing on others through his example of confession to the acknowledgment thereof but no where doe we finde that euer they tooke the Roman Church to be the Rocke How vnhonestly then doth M. Bishop abuse his Reader by setting downe in grosse that parenthesis according to the exposition of the ancient Fathers when as no such exposition is to bee found amongst the ancient Fathers Albeit it is also to bee noted how vnhandsomely this matter hangeth together and cannot be stained in any sort to serue his turne for seeing the Church was when as yet there was no Roman Church how senslesse a thing is it that the church should be said to be builded vpon the Roman Church Surely that against which the gates of hâ—ll shall not preuaile is the Church builded
Rome keepâ— entirely the same faith In which sort the Donatists also would not haue denyed all other Churches to be called Catholike that with their Church of Africa kept entirely the same faith and therefore I said rightly before that the name is now by the Papists Donatistically applyed not only to one particular Church of Rome as M. Bishop falsly repeateth to put the sot if he could from himselfe to me but also as I added to men bearing the name of Catholikes only for communicating with that Church As for vs we apply the name Catholike no more to the congregations of the Protestants then we doe to all that professe in truth the communion of one vniuersall Church The name of Protestants being casuall and arising by occasion in these Northerne parts may haply be inclosed and confined within the bounds of Europe but the Church of Christ cannot be so inclosed and o Aug. Epist 48. Erit Anathema quisquis annunciauerit Ecclesiam praeter communionem omnium gentium cursed is he saith St. Austin that preacheth the Church otherwise then in the communion of all nations No otherwise doe wee preach the Church wee limit it not to our selues wee say the Papists ought not to limit it to themselues There are questions betwixt them and vs but how many Christian Churches are there in the world which neither know them nor vs nor haue euer heard any thing of the quarrels that are betwixt vs How many Churches are there in the East which haue heard of the Pope and his proceedings and will by no meanes endure to hold communion with him He will say that those Churches doe not accord with vs in iudgement of all points of faith Be it so no more did Cyprian and p Aug. cont Gaudent lib. 3 art 10. Quando rebaptizabat Cyprianus ab hâ—reticis venientes Ecclesia CarthagineÌ„sis Episcopus tunc Ecclesiâ— Romanae Stephanus Episcopus in â—odem baptismâ— quem foris accepâ—raÌ„t suscipiebat â—aereticos ambo haec diuersa facienâ—es in vnitate Catholica permanebant Stephanus Bishop of Rome agree in all points and yet they were both members of one Catholike Church How many differences of opinions are there found amongst the Fathers and yet we doe not therefore diuide them into many Churches They may erre and we may â—rre but we beleeue that wheresoeuer the Gospell of Christ is read and published there Christ hath a people to whom hee reuealeth all truth that shall be necessary vnto eternall life In a word they professe the same Christ they reade the same Gospell and Scriptures that we doe and therein our faith both hath beene from the beginning and doth now continue dispersed and spread ouer the whole world W. BISHOP §. 2. SEcondly M. Abbot is much mistaken in his comparison of the name of Iew with the name Catholike for â—o omit first that such examples proue nothing but doe only serue for shew or explication and moreouer that it can hardly be shewed that the name of Iew was a name of such honour at any time for that peoples honourable name was Israelites and were not called Iewes till towards the declination and wane of their estate Neither was it euer any peculiar and proper title of the people of God for God had many good seruants that were neuer called Iewes as may be gathered by Iob the Husitâ— Naaman the Syrian the widdow of Sarepta a Sydonian and by a great number Luc. 4. vers 16. of Prosilites and finally by that which the Apostle teacheth Many Gentiles were saued without the law Rom. â— vers 14. Lastly most vncertaine it is of what name the Prophet Isay speaketh when he saith It shall be left for a name cap. 65. vers 13. of curse All these impertinencies of his example being too too many I doe remit him but cannot pardon his grosse fault in the maine point of the comparison for the name Iew according to the vsuall signification of the word being the name of a certayne people of one race and kindred and hauing a law giuen them by Moyses which should continue only for a prescript time and end at the coÌ„ming of Christ is not like the name of Catholike which is no speciall name of the people of any one Countrâ—y but is attributed and doth agree to all sorts of men of what Countrey or nation soeuer that do embrace the true Christian faith And is inseparably linked and so fast ioyned and riueted with the Christian profession and religion that it shall neuer faile fall or be separated from it so long as Christs faith standeth nor euer be contemned of the faithfull whiles Christs true religion flourisheth which is proued inuincibly out of the very Etymologie of the name Catholike and that according to M. Abbots owne interpretation in the same place who doth expound it to signifie that Church which is through the whole world and shall be to the worlds end If the name Catholike shall continue to the worlds end the true title of the Church who then but miscreants and Heretikes can take it for a name of curse reproch and shame Is it not vntill this day set downe in the Apostles Creede as the honourable title and epithite of the true Church I beleeue the holy Catholike Church Must he then not be rather an Apostata then a Scholler of the Apostles that blusheth not to anouch the very name Catholike to be the proper badge of Apostataes and Heretikes which the Apostles ascribe and appropriate vnto true Christianity If any proude and false fellowes doe vsurpe that name and challenge it to themselues wrongfully as many did euen in S. Augustines time when M. Abbot confesseth it to haue beene in greatest estimation let such vsurping companions be rebuked sharply and conuicted of their insolent and audatious folly but the name Catholike which the Apostles thought worthy and fit to be placed in the articles of our Creede and principles of our religion must alwaies remaine and be among true Christians a name very glorious and desireable We therefore say with S. Augustine We receiue Tract 32. â—â— Iohannem Lib. 1. coâ—t Gaudent c. 33. the holy Ghost if we loue the Church if we be ioyned togither by charity if we reioyce in the Catholike name and faith And they that doe not ioy in that name but mocke at it doc blaspheme as the same most holy Authour intimateth The name Iew being taken in the Apostles sense for one of what nation soeuer that fulfilleth the iustice of the law neuer was nor neuer shall be a name of reproch so that M. Abbot is driuen to hop from one sense of that name to another to make it applyable to his purpose R. ABBOT SVch examples saith he proue nothing but serue only for explication And what of that As though it were vnlawfull for me to vse explication and I were bound to proofe only His first exception then is wholly idle and of no effect
inferiore apud Polycarpum essem c. Commemorarequeam quomodo se cum Joanne ac reliquis qui DominuÌ„ viderunt conuersatum esse dixerit sermones eorum memorauerit quae ex illis de Domino audierit de virtutibus eius doctrina tanquam ex ijs qui ipsi verbum vite viderant percepta cuncta sanctis Scripturis consona recâ—nsuerit that he had beene in his childhood with Polycarpus and that he had heard him tell how he had beene conuersant with Iohn and the rest that had seen the Lord and remembred their speeches and what he had heard of them concerning the Lord and his miracles and doctrine as receiued from them who themselues had seene the word of life and reported all things agreeable to the holy Scriptures Here is a commendation of the Scripture and an intimation giuen that tradition ought to be no other but consonant and agreeable to the holy Scripture but of referring to the Churches in cases of controuersie not so much as one word But though his head here failed hiâ— yet I know well what the place is that he meant to cite which followeth in the booke whence I alleaged the sentence to which he answereth And yet there is nothing in that place fitting to his purpose Ireneus hauing there to doe with Heretikes who being reproued by the Scriptures reiected the triall of the Scriptures vpon the like pretences as the Papists now doe and therefore being forced to vse against them the testimony of the Churches from the time of the Apostles for proofe of those things which were cleare by the writings of the Apostles as we now doe against the Papists but saying nothing at all as to deliuer a rule that when cases of controuersie doe arise we should alwaies haue recourse to such testimony of the Church Of that place of Ireneus I haue spoken sufficiently m Answere to Doctor Bishops Epistle to the King sect 11. before and therefore I will not here againe trouble the Reader any further therewith In what sort also he attributeth principality to the Roman Church I haue already declared in the n §. 2. first Chapter of this booke Now as he is impudent in answering Ireneus so in his answere to Tertullian he is much more impudent The sentences of those two Fathers I cited as depending one vpon another Ireneus saith that the Gospell which the Apostles preached they afterwards deliuered to vs in the Scriptures Tertullian saith o Tertul. de Praescript Nobis non est opus curiositate post Christum nec inquisitione post Euangelium Cum hâ—c credimus nihil desideramus vltrà credere hoc enim prius credimus non esse quod vltrà credere debemus Wee neede no curiosity after Christ nor further enquiry after the Gospell when we beleeue this we desire to beleeue nothing further for this we first beleeue that there is nothing further for vs to beleeue Marke well gentle Reader the coherence of these wordes The Apostles committed the Gospell to writing we neede no further inquiry after the Gospell we desire to beleeue nothing further we beleeue that there is nothing else for vs to beleeue To this what doth M. Bishop say Beleeuing this beleeuing what the written word only nothing lesse The Gospell M. Bishop it is the Gospell you see of the beleefe whereof he speaketh and beside which or after which he desireth to beleeue nothing yea beleeueth that there is nothing further to be beleeued Seeing then the Gospell is written as Ireneus saith it followeth by Tertullian that beside the written word there is nothing else to be beleeued Nothing lesse saith M. Bishop And why For in that whole Treatise saith he his principall drift is to proue that Heretikes cannot be confuted out of the written word but by ancient customes and traditions which he calleth Prescriptions Where he most shamefully abuseth that worke of Tertullian expounding Prescriptions to be meant of old customes and traditions whereas Tertullian hath nothing to that purpose but by Prescriptions meaneth grounds of reasons and arguments whereby to proceede and deale against Heretikes for the reprouing and conuincing of them Neither doth he goe about to proue that Heretikes cannot be confuted by the written word but only sheweth that it was to no purpose to deale with them by the Scriptures or written word because they receiued and reiected Scriptures as they list did put in and blot out alter and chop and change so that whatsoeuer made against them should goe for no Scripture Yea the matters of their heresies were touching those articles of our faith which are clearely and manifestly testified by the Scriptures and therefore M. Bishop dealeth very lewdly with Tertullian to make him to say that they could not be confuted thereby I neede not stand hereupon hauing p Of Traditions sect 10. before at large discouered M. Bishops dishonesty herein and shewed out of the matter of the booke how falsly he fathereth that drift vpon Tertullian Only it is here to be noted what a prety meaning he maketh of those wordes which I cited thence namely this When we beleeue the whole doctrine of Christ both written and deliuered by Apostolicall tradition then we desire to beleeue no more of any vpstart Heretikes new deuises Where I pray thee to note how his two answeres agree together He told vs before to Ireneus that the Apostles left the Gospell in writing Here to Tertullian speaking of the Gospell he answereth that the Gospell signifieth the whole doctrine of Christ both written and vnwritten So when he list the Gospell is written and when he list the Gospell is vnwritten and he cannot tell certainly what it is If the Gospell were left in writing then the Gospell is no doctrine vnwritten or if the Gospell doe signifie also vnwritten doctrine then the Apostles did not leaue the Gospell in writing but only a part and parcell thereof But we beleeue that the Apostles left vs a perfect written Gospell and therefore we say to M Bishop and his fellowes as Athanasius said to the Arian Heretikes q Athanas de Incar Christi Si Discipuli estis EuangelioruÌ„ ne loquamini contra Deum iniquitateÌ„ sed per scripturas cedite Quòd si diuersa à scripturis fabulari vultis cur nobiscum concertatis qui neque â—oqui neque audire sustinemus quod extraneum sit ab istis dicente Domino c. If yee be Schollers of the Gospell speake not iniquity against God but goe by the Scriptures but if you will babble things diuerse from the Scriptures why doe you meddle with vs who endure neither to speake nor heare any thing which is strange from the Scriptures our Lord Christ telling vs If yee abide in my word then shall yee be free indeed Now to shew that beside the written Gospell and word of God there is nothing else to be receiued I alleaged a peremptory sentence of St. Austin r Aug.
repâ—aesentaret the representation of his body as Saint Hierome vnderstandeth it g Gelas cont Eutych Nestor Imago similitudo corporis sanguinis Domini in actione mysteriorum celebratur the image and similitude of his body as Gelasius termeth it h Chrysost in Mat. Op. imperf hom 11. Non verum corpus Christi sed mysterium corporis eius not his very body but the mysterie of his body as Chrysostome most expresly teacheth For conclusion of this section he poppeth without any diuision into a speech of the Church of Rome I made it a wonder that S. Paul writing to the Romans should say neuer a word of the prerogatiue of that Church or of the Pope M. Bishop for answere to this saith that he speaketh of the Church of Rome being but then in her cradle most honourably And how forsooth he saith to them i Rom. 1. 8. Your faith is renowmed in the whole world and againe k Rom. 16. 19. Your obedience is published into euery place In which places wee see a great testimony and commendation of their faith that then was but yet we see no priuiledge or prerogatiue of that Church What he said of the Râ—mans the same he said of the Thessalonians l 1. Thess 1. 8. Your faith which is towards God is spred abroade in all places and what hath the Church of Rome to challenge therâ— by more then the Church of Thessalonica Wee see M. Bishop doth as his fellowes doe hee will needes bee saying something though that which he saith be as good as nothing He saw well enough that he had said nothing but marke how therevpon he bewrayeth his owne shame No maruaile saith he to the wise though he did not then make mention of her supremacy for that did not belong to the Church or people of Rome but to S. Peter O wisedome and what hindered that hee spake nothing of S. Peters supremacy in that Church Marry because as yet he was scarsly well setled there neither did that appertaine to the matter hee treated of Iust the naile on the head In all his booke he hath not vttered a truer speech the supremacy of S. Peter did not indeed appertaine to the matter the Apostle treated of I shewed before out of Theodoret that the Epistle to the Romans containeth all kinde of Christian doctrine The supremacy of S. Peter appertained not thereto and therefore the Apostle hath said nothing of it in that Epistle But if it had beene a part of Christian doctrine had it not beene as pertinent to the matter he treated of to write somewhat of it as it was to write m Rom. 16. 3. 5. c. so many salutations to so many priuate and particular men Was it appertaining to the matter he treated of to coÌ„mend to the church of Rome n Ibid. Vers 1. Phoebe a seruant of the Church of Cenchrea and did it not appertaine thereto to commend vnto them Saint Peter the supreme Pastor and Bishop of the whole Church And what though hee were not as yet well setled there would not S. Paul therefore put to his helping hand that he might be setled He saith for Phoebe o Vers 2. that yee receiue her in the Lord as it becommeth Saints and that yee assist her in whatsoeuer businesse shee hath neede of your aide and would he not request them as much for the receiuing of S. Peter to his place and assisting him therein And what though the supremacy belonged not to the Church or people of Rome but to Saint Peter did it not yet concerne the Church and people of Rome to know the supremacy of S. Peter And though the supremacy belonged to S. Peter did there no prerogatiue thereby grow to the Church of Rome Pope Benedict saith that p Extrauag comm l. r. tit 3. Sancta Romana Mater vniuersorum Christi fidelium Magistra the Roman Church is the Mother and Mistresse of all that beleeue Pope Nicholas the third saith of Peter and Paul q Sext. de clect c. Fundamento lsti sunt qui Romanam Ecclesiam in haÌ„c gloriam prouexerunt vt sit gens sancta populus electus câ—uitas Sacerdotalis Râ—gia per sacraÌ„ bâ—alt Petri sedâ— caput totius orbis effecta These are they who haue aduanced the Roman Church to this glory to be a holy nation an elect people a Priestly and Kingly City being by the holy sâ—ate of S. Peter made the head of the whole world and what should the Apostle then meane if this be true to say nothing of all this glory M. Bishop himselfe hath told vs before that r Chapt. 1. §. 2 the church of Rome is the Rocke vpon which the whole Church is built and against which the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile that all Churches ought to agree with the Church of Rome for her more potent principality that falshood in matters of faith can haue no accesse vnto the See of Rome Could all these things be so and yet the Apostle writing to them to say nothing hereof Surely M. Bishops dunghill reasons giue me leaue gentle Reader so to call them as they be are very vnsufficient to satisfie any wise man but that the Apostle in that large Epistle would certainly haue said somewhat of the dignity of the Roman Church and the Supremacy of St. Peter and the Bishops there if it had beene so Å¿ Bellarm. Epist ad Blacwel Archipresbyt Vnum ex prâ—cipuis fidei nostrae capitibus religionis Catholicae fundamentis chiefe a point of Catholike religion as they would now haue it taken to be W. BISHOP §. 7. OF Pardons S. Paul teacheth in formall tearmes which both the Church of Corinth and hee himselfe gaue vnto the incestuous Corinthian that then repented these be his words And whom you haue pardoned any 2. Cor. 2. vers 10. thing I also for my selfe also that which I haue pardoned if I haue pardoned any thing for you in the person of Christ that we be not circumuented of Sathan What can be more manifest then that the Apostle did release some part of the penance of that incestuous Corinthian at other mens request Which is properly to giue pardon and indulgence And if S. Paul in the person of Christ could so doe no doubt but S. Peter could doe as much and consequently other principall Pastours of Christs Church haue the same power and authority R. ABBOT MAy wee not thinke it strange that M. Bishop should thus dare in the sight of God and the world to abuse the holy word of God He knoweth well that in the Scriptures there is nothing to giue any signification of the Popes Pardons It is an abhomination brought into the Church of latter time a thing vnknowen to the ancient Fathers and neuer heard of for a thousand yeares or more after the time of Christ Syluester Prierias one of the Popes great champions confesseth with a
I will take it here in his due place making it to appeare that this mistaking in a circumstance altereth nothing of the substance of that comparison which I had there in hand The first branch then of the comparison shall bee this The Donatists did set vp a particular Church to be the Catholike Church all of them first in the south of Africa some of them afterwards namely the Rogatists at Cartenna in Mauritania and so haue the Papists done at Rome in Italie Against this branch as it was before set downe hee giueth two exceptions First that they doe not hold it so to be at Rome aâ— the Rogatists did at Cartenna And what is the difference Marry they hold it to be so at Rome as that it is dispersed also all the world ouer but the Rogatists held it to be wholly included in the bounds of Cartenna and confines thereof The first part of which answere on their owne behalfe is false and the second part thereof concerning the Rogatists is vaine For it is false that hee saith that their Romish Church is dispersed all the world ouer and hee knoweth well that the Churches of Greece and all the Easterne Churches are holden by them to be Schismatikes because they disclaime subiection to the Church of Rome True it is they would haue it all the world ouer and they make simple fooles beleeue that it is so but they themselues know that the skirts of it are too short to reach so farre and that a huge part of the Church there is that will haue nothing to doe with them And this drew from Bellarmine that caution that I before mentioned in the first Chapter that a Supra cap. 1. §. 1. though one only Prouince did imbrace the true faith yet the same should truly and properly be called the Catholike Church so long as it could bee plainly shewed that it is one and the same with that which at any time or times was ouer the whole world Now hereof it followeth that the other part of his exception concerning the Rogatists is vaine For although the communion of the Church of Rome be farre larger then that was of the Rogatists at Cartenna yet doth neither of them containe any more but a part and their doctrine as touching their communion sorteth all to one For whereas M. Bishop saith that the Rogatists included the Church within the bounds of Cartenna and the Countrey thereabout it was not by position of doctrine that they so included it as if it could not be any where else but because they pretended that the Church was only in their communion and there were none in any other part of the world that tooke part with them it followeth of this defect that they so included it But though there were now not aboue b Aug. Epist 48. Tu cum decem Rogatistis quâ— remansistis c. ten or eleuen Bishops of them remayning as Saint Austin obiecteth to them yet by that hee vpbraideth them with this number remayning it appeareth that they had beene of greater number and extent and wee cannot doubt but that they would as willingly haue had the whole world to ioyne with them as the Church of Rome would Now inasmuch as they held themselues only to bee the Catholike Church And there were none of them otherwhere to bee found to Baptise and reconcile peâ—itents but only within the confines of Cartenna Saint Austin rightly obiecteth it as an absurdity ensuing thereof that c Ibid. Quisquis fâ—â—rit hac praedicatione commotus in qualibâ—t paâ—te orbis terâ—arum nisi quaesierit inuenerit latentâ—m in Mauritania Caesariensi Cartennensem Vincentium aut aliquem ex cius nouâ—m aut decem conâ—ortibus dimitti ei peccata non posâ—int c. Nisi Cartennas venerit aut in viâ—â—iam Cartennensium mundari omninâ—â— delictis suis non potâ—rit then whosoeuer there were in any part of the world that were moued with the preaching of the Gospell vnlesse he did seeke and finde out Vincentius Bishop of Cartenna lurking in Mauritania Caesariensis or some one of his nine or ten consorts he could not haue remission of sinnes or as otherwise hee expresseth it except hee came to Cartenna or into the Countrey neare adioyning hee could not bee clensed from his sinnes Now although the Roman Church as M. Bishop vnderstandeth it is of much larger extent and stretcheth it selfe into sundry Countries and Nations yet being but of small compasse in comparison of the whole world the exprobration of the same madde fancy lyeth vpon it that whosoeuer in the further parts of the world shall be moued with the preaching of the Gospell and conuerted thereby vnlesse hee come to Rome or into some part of the world where he may meete with a Popish Priest hee cannot bee baptised or reconciled to God hee cannot obtayne the remission of his sinnes it being by them resolued of themselues as by the Rogatists of themselues that out of their particular communion there is no saluation Therefore both Rogatists and Papists let them goe together and the truth is that in this behalfe there is no difference betwixt them As touching his second exception although it bee not generally true of the Donatists that they placed the Catholike Church at Cartenna yet it is not altogether vntrue because the Rogatists were Donatists d August vt supra Vos qui non solum cum illis communiter Donatistae a Donato verumetiam propriè Rogatisâ—â— a Rogatâ— appâ—llâ—nuâ— being in common with the rest called Donatists of Donatus as Saâ—nt Austin noteth and by a more proper name Rogatists of Rogatus For although they had in some spleene and vpon some peâ—uish quarrell diuided themselues from the rest yet the substance of their doctrine was still the same as before as appeareth by St. Austin who disputing against Vincentius the Rogatist chargeth him in effect with nothing else but the common positions of the Donatists and therefore they were all at once coÌ„monly comprehended vnder the name of Donatists The Donatists then though not all the Donatists but of them the Rogatists only placed the Catholike church at Cartenna and to the Rogatists then being a part of the Donatists the Papists are like who doe in the same sort place the Catholike Church at Rome Yea and although the Donatists in generall did not seate the Church at Cartenna yet M. Bishop is not ignorant that they in generall before some quarrelling fell amongst them did in effect the same thing by designing the place thereof in Africa properly so called so as that none should be called Catholikes in any part of the world but such as did communicate with that African Church of theirs For although they acknowledged that the Church by the preaching of the Apostles had beene dispersed ouer the world according to the manifold testimonies and prophecies of holy Scripture in that behalfe which they professed to beleeue â—et they said that c Aug. de
likewise hold that there is no saluation but in communicating with the Church of Rome Forsooth we must vnderstand that the Rogatists and Donatists spake falsly concerning their Church but most sure it is saith he that there is no saluation out of the true Church of Christ. It is sure indeede and will not both Rogatists and Donatists and all manner Heretiks say the some as well as he They all confesse that out of the true Church of Christ there is no saluation and therefore doe euery sort of them take vpon them to be the true Church of Christ that so they may perswade men that there is no saluation but with them But M. Bishop inferreth Wherefore whosoeuer doth not communicate with the Church of Rome which is the chiefe member thereof is out of the state of grace and saluation And would not a Donatist as well inferre Wherefore whosoeuer doth not communicate with the Church of Africa which is the chiefe member thereof is out of the state of grace and saluation Indeed he should haue said somewhat to the purpose if he had made it good that out of the communion of the Church of Rome there is no communion of the Church of Christ but if he cannot make this good then full simply doth he conclude There is no saluation out of the true Church of Christ therefore there is no saluation out of the Church of Rome But he telleth vs that the Church of Rome is the chiefe member of Christs Church Be it so and so was the Church of Ierusalem the chiefe member of the Church of the Iewes and yet the Church of Ierusalem put to death the Prophets and Christ himselfe and in that communion there could be no saluation Is not a chiefe member of the same substance as is the rest of the body and what hindereth then but as the other members so the chiefe member may be wounded and corrupted and cause annoyance to other members that adioyne vnto it Albeit we desire him to proue to vs that the Church of Rome is the chiefe member of the Church of Christ I regard not what humane estimation hath attributed vnto it for the renowme and eminency of the place but I require some diuine institution whereby it hath beene founded the chiefe member of the Church We say that with God there is no more respect of the Church of Rome then of any other Church if they will haue vs to beleeue more we put them to that for their Roman Church which St. Austin required of the Donatists for proofe of that which they said for their African Church a August de vnit Eccles c. 6 Legite nobis hoc de Lege de Prophetis de Psalmis de Euangelio de Apostolicis literis legite credimus Reade vs this out of the law out of the Prophets out of the Psalmes out of the Gospell or Writings of the Apostles reade it to vs and we beleeue it namely that Christ abideth no where heire vpon the earth but where he can haue the Pope to be b Ibid. Quare superordinatis dicendo in nullis terris haeredem permanere Christum vbi non pâ—tuerit cohâ—redem habere Donatli his fellow heire as the Donatists said of their Pope Donatus or that the Roman Church is such a chiefe member of the Church as that no man can liue but by the breath that he draweth from thence or obtayne forgiuenesse of sinnes but in the society and fellowship thereof I know I trouble M. Bishop now he loueth not to be called vpon for Scripture for the proofe of this matter for hee knoweth well that the Scripture hath nothing at all to giue testimony thereof Well though hee bring nothing out of Scripture yet he hath that out of Hierome that will serue his turne c Hieron ad Damas Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens beatitudini tuae id est Cathedrâ— Petri communione consocior super illam petram aedificatam Ecclesiam scio quicunque extra hanc domum agnum comedcrit prophanus est siquis in Arca Noe non fuerit peribit regnante diluâ—iâ— I following no chiefe but Christ saith he to Damasus Bishop of Rome ioyne my selfe to your blessednesse that is to the communion of Peters chaire vpon that Rocke I know the Church to be built whosoeuer eateth the Paschall Lambe out of this house he is prophane whosoeuer is not in the Arke of Noe shall perish by the floode By these wordes M. Bishop would beare vs in hand that Hierome beleeued a perpetuall necessity of hauing communion of faith with the Bishop and Church of Rome But tell vs M. Bishop in good sooth doe you thinke that Hierome not long before would haue said the same to Liberius that here he saith to Damasus He saith of Liberius that d Idem in Catalog Liberium Romanae vrbis Episcopum pro fide ad exilium pergentem primus solicitauit fregit ad subscriptionem haereseos compulit by the perswasion of Fortunatianus he was ouercome and brought to subscribe the heresie of Arius and would he then haue ioyned in communion with him If he would in this case haue disclaimed Liberius then certainly he could not meane to Damasus that it standeth for a perpetuall rule in the Church that who so will be saued must ioyne in communion with the Bishop of Rome But Hierome dealt aduisedly by expounding himselfe in his first wordes though M. Bishop list not to take knowledge of it He professeth to giue primacy to none but to Christ himselfe to make none the Authour or Lord of his faith but only Christ Notwithstanding in communion and fellowship of faith he professeth to ioyne with Damasus But how farre or in what sort I ioyne in communion with your blessednesse that is with Peters chaire Not simply then with Damasus Bishop of Rome but with Damasus sitting in Peters chaire Now as e Mat. 23. 2. the sitting in Moses chaire importeth the teaching of the doctrine of Moses so the sitting in Peters chaire importeth the teaching of the doctrine of Peter Damasus at that time did so and maintayned against the Arians the confession of Peter f Mat. 16. 16. Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God This Hierome well knew and therefore what hee would not haue yeelded to Liberius though Bishop of Rome because hee sate not in Peters chaire that hee yeeldeth to Damasus because he did so and desireth by him to be instructed whether the vse of the word hypostasis might stand with the truth of the confession of Peter It is therefore communion with Peters chaire which Hierome commendeth that is with the faith and doctrine which therein Peter taught but he doth not tell vs that the Bishop of Rome doth alwaies and infallibly sit in Peters chaire For of Peters chaire at Rome we deeme the same as of Peters chaire at Antioch and Alexandria both which Gregory Bishop of Rome maketh
Catholike Church from the errour of perfidiousnesse the obseruance or obedience almost of the whole world ioyned to his name and honour in which manner â—armenian also though he held the Church d Optat. lib. 2. Eam tu apud â—os solos esse dixisti to be with them only yet pretended e Ibid. post Offerre vos dicitis pro vna Ecclesia quae sit in totâ— terrarum orbe dissusa to offer or pray for one Church which is dispersed ouer the whole world Euen so the Papists also albeit they know that it is but a small part of the world wherein the communion of the Bishop and Church of Rome is accepted or acknowledged yet take pleasure to babble and prate as if the Popes triple crowne were so wide as to compasse the whole earth and his scepter so long as to reach to the worlds end Thus much then M. Bishop hath gained by being angry at my comparing the Papists to the Donatists that whereas I mentioned but fiue resemblances before I haue now added twelue more and so like are they in all these that I doubt not but by obseruation they may be found like in many moe As for the retortion of this comparison which he hath vsed in his answere to my Epistle Dedicatory as it is wholly forced and violent in it selfe so it argueth only malice and folly in him I will set downe the branches of the Donatists heresie as he hath noted them and adde the application that he hath made of euery of them First he f Reproofe pag. 42. saith they held that the true Church of Christ was perished all the world ouer sauing in some coastes of Africa where their doctrine was currant Well and what is that to vs The Protestants saith he teach euen as they did that Christs visible Church was perished for nine hundred yeares at the least all the world ouer and is now wholly decayed in all other parts of the world sauing where their doctrine is embraced and this he saith was the maine point of the Donatists heresie To shew why he nameth the visible Church he putteth in a parenthesis thus for the inuisible Church the Donatists held could not perish as St. Austin witnesseth in Psal 101. Which is a very lie neither is there any thing to be found in St. Austin to that effect But as touching the visible Church where doe the Protestants hold or affirme that it was or is perished in that sort as he saith Why doth he not cite vs some authour of this assertion Well whether we say so or not it skilleth not g Bellarm. de notis Eccles c. 9. Ecclesiam visibilem a multis seculis perijsse nunc solum esse in septentrionalibus partibus vbi ipsi sunt doceâ—t omnes Bellarmine hath told him that we all say so and that is enough for him Yet that we doe not all say so M. Bishop may sufficiently vnderstand by that that hath beene before handled at large as touching this point in the answere h Sect. 17. to the Preface to his second part whither I referre the Reader for further satisfaction hereof Here I briefly answere him that we hold in all that time wherof he speaketh one only Catholike church whereof the Church of England was a part and the Church of Rome another part and the Greeke Church another part and so the rest throughout the whole world The Church in these parts was in that time blemished with many corruptions and errours whilest first the Teachers in steede of i 1. Cor. 3. 18. siluer and gold and pearle built hay and straw and stubble vpon the foundation and secondly the Pastors more and more k Ierem. 10. 21. became beasts as the Prophet saith and sought not the Lord nor had any vnderstanding to teach Gods law by meanes whereof ignorance encreased and of ignorance grew superstition and one idolatry begat another till the whole face of the Church was berayed with the filth thereof l Mat. 24. 15. the abhomination of desolation standing in the holy place and the man of sinne tyraÌ„nizing ouer the Church and giuing strength to all abuse and corruption for his owne gaine So grosse were the enormities and superstitions which in this time had growen into the Church as that the great Rabbines of the Church of Rome could not for shame but in some part acknowledge the same and tooke vpon them to correct sundry things m Trident. CoÌ„cil sess 22. de Missa celebr Quae siue temporum vitio siue hominum incuria improbitate irrepserunt in Missam ipsam which either by the corruption of times or by the carelesnesse and naughtinesse of men were crept into the very Masse And thus the Pope himselfe confessed concerning their Offices and Primers that n Offic. Beatae Mariae per Pium V. in Summar constitut indulgent c. Vanis superstitionum erroribus alia ferè omnia huiusmodi officia etiam Latino sermone referta esse deprehensum fuit c. Credant ijsdeâ— alijs â—fficijs multas sub falsis confictis sanctorum nominiê° confictâ—â— orationes fuisse insertas they were found to be stuffed with vaine errours of superstitions and that many counterfaite praiers were inserted into them vnder false and counterfaite names of Saints Of these errours and superstitions they reformed what they list and purged their bookes and Seruice of many things that were amisse and what will any man say hereupon that they became another Church We proceeded further and voided the Church of the rest of those abhominations which ignorance and errour had brought in which they were not willing to haue medled with because the same were gainfull to them and shall we be said hereupon to deny that there was any visible Church before and to beginne a new Church No we say that the Church hath continued still from the time that it was first planted we affirme it to haue been the house of God the garden and vineyard of the Lord but we say that the husbandmen had long dealt wickedly and vnfaithfully in the vsage of it they drest not the Lords vine but suffered it to grow wild they let this garden be ouergrowen with briars and weedes and Foxes and Swine had liberty to tread it downe and to destroy it All that we haue done hath beene but to loppe and prune the vine to dresse and water the garden that lay wast to plucke vp the weedes and thornes to driue out the noysome beasts and to repaire the fence that they may be kept out Therefore we doe not take vpon vs to be another Church but the same Church reformed neither haue we gone about to bring in a new religion but only to reforme that which they call the old retaining still the same Scriptures which they acknowledged the same articles of faith the same Sacraments of Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord the same forme of diuine Seruice saue
cont lit Petil. l. 3. c. 6. Siue de Christo siue de eius Ecclesia siue de quacunque alia re quâ— pertinet ad fidem vitamque nostram non dicam Nos neqâ—aquam coÌ„parandi â—i qui dixit Licetsinos sed quod secutus adiecit si Angelus de coelo vobis annunciauerit praeterquam quod in Scripturis legalibus Euangelicis accepistis anathema sit If any man nay if an Angell from heauen shall preach vnto vs concerning Christ or concerning his Church or concerning any thing pertaining to our faith and life but what we haue receiued in the Scriptures of the law and gospell accursed be he Here M. Bishop commeth forth and telleth vs To St. Austin I answere first that those are not his formall wordes which he citeth and that is all his first answere Wherein he sheweth no other but a perfidious and treacherous purpose in that he would put a surmise into the Readers minde that I had cited the wordes amisse when he had nothing to alleage why he should say that I had done amisse What ailed him that he did not himselfe set downe the formall wordes that it might be seene what fault I had committed in the citing of them Thou maiest well be assured gentle Reader by the whole course of his writing that if he had had any thing to say he would not haue omitted so to doe To let this goe he taketh vpon him secondly to giue vs a formall answere Admitting the sense saith he if it be rightly taken I say that the wordes are to be vnderstood If any shall preach contrary to that that is written Of this sense he maketh St. Austin himselfe the Author quoting one place in the margent of his booke as he did before with Ireneus when as the wordes which he citeth are in another shewing that he tooke them at all aduenture out of their large volumes and neuer looked into the Author whether he did right or wrong It is true indeede that in the place quoted St. Austin applieth the wordes of the Apostle If any preach beside what yee haue receiued to condemne Faustus the Hereâ—ike Å¿ Aug. cont Faust Maniâ—h l. 17. c. 3. Quâ—a de Christo contra Christi Discipulos loquitur contra Euangclium quod illâ—rum authoritate firmatum est for that he spake of Christ contrary to the Disciples of Christ and contrary to the Gospell which by their authority was confirmed Thus he might very rightly vse the wordes and not beside the meaning of the Apostle who when he taught the Galathians to reiect whatsoeuer was beside the gospel which he had taught them doth much more teach them to condemne whatsoeuer should be contrary thereto But this exposition though it be true yet is not sufficient because it was not enough that the Apostle should condemne only things contrary but all doctrines beside the Gospell which they had receiued For we cannot doubt but that the Apostle preached vnto them the whole doctrine of the Gospell euen as he did to the Ephesians t Act. 20. 27. all the counsell of God Now of the whole doctrine of the Gospell it is truly said that not only nothing contrary but nothing beside it is to be receiued The Apostle therefore meant so that they were to receiue nothing beside the Gospell which they had receiued And this Chrysostome very well obserueth u Chrysost in Gal. c. 1. Nâ—que dixit si contraria annuntiauerint aut totum Euangelium â—ubuerterint verum si vel paululùm euangelizauerint praeter Euangelium quod accepistis etiamsi quidvis labefactarint anathema sint Paul doth not say if they preach contrary things or if they subuert the whole Gospell but if they preach but euen a little beside the Gospell which yee haue receiued or if they weaken any thing accursed be they This Theophy lact expresseth more plainly thus x Theophy l. in Gal. c. 1. Neque enim fi contraria solum praedicauerint intulit sed si euangelizauerint quid prater quod ipsi Euangelizâ—uimê° hoc est sâ— plusculum quippiam ipsi adiâ—cerint execrationi â—ubdantur For he saith not only if they preach contrary things but if they preach any thing beside that which we haue preached that is if they adde but any little thereto let them be accursed As for the wordes of Austin which M. Bishop citeth he knoweth not whence they make nothing against this meaning but wholly for it saue that he somewhat forceth them by false translation and cutteth off the last part of them y August in â—â—an tract 98. Non â—â—t plus quà m accepistis sed praeter quod accepistis nam si iltud diceret sibi ipse praeiudicâ—ret qui cupiebat venire ad Thessalonicenses vt suppler et quae eorum fidei deâ—uerunt sed qui supplet quod minus erat addit non quod inerat tollit Qui autem praetergreditur regulam fidei non accedit in via sed reâ—â—dit de via The Apostle saith not more then yee haue receiued but beside what yee haue receiued for if he had so said he should haue preiudiced himselfe who desired to come to the Thessalonians to supply what was wanting to their faith Now he that supplieth addeth that which is wanting and taketh not away what was before But he that goeth beside the rule of faith goeth not forward in the way but departeth from the way Where St. Austin doth not say otherwise then you haue receiued as M. Bishop translateth but beside what yeâ— haâ—e receiued as the Apostle speaketh calling that which they had receiued the rule of faith and saying that he that goeth beside or beyond that rule as it were to make a larger way departeth out of the way which M. Bishop thought it safest for him wholly to suppresse But he noteth withall that the Apostle forbiddeth them not to receiue more then they had receiued that is to receiue that more perfectly which they had receiued by growing more and more in the knowledge and vnderstanding thereof and proceeding therein as it were from milke to strong meate which is the drift of St. Austins discourse there only hee willeth them that beside that which they had receiued they should receiue nothing In a word to speake as the Schooles speake in extension they were to receiue no more by adding to the doctrine which they had beene taught in intension they were to receiue more by increasing and profiting in that which they had receiued But that we may know that it was St. Austins minde as his words import that nothing is to be receiued beside what we receiue out of the Scriptures of the law and the gospell we are to obserue againe that which I before obserued that he saith that z August de Doct. Christ l. 2. c. 9. In ijs quâ— apertè in Scriptura positâ—â— sunt inâ—â—â—iuntur illa omnia qua continent fidem moresque viuendi in those things which are
plainly set downe in Scripture are found all those things which containe faith and conuersation of life Yea he saith further that a Idem de vtilit cred cap. 6. Planè ita modificata vt nemo inde baurire non possit quod sibi satis est si modò ad bauriendum deuotè ac piè vt vera religio poscit accedat the doctrine of the Scripture is so tempered as that there is no man but may draw from thence that that is sufficient for him if he come to draw with deuotion and piety as true religion requireth him to doe Hereto adde how he vseth the wordes of the Apostle where to he alludeth in the sentence by me cited in his disputing against the Donatists b Idem de vnit Eccl. c. 11. 12. Quisquis aliud Euangelizauerit anathemâ— sit Aliud autem euangelizat qui perijsse dicit de câ—tâ—ro mudo Ecclesiam in parte Donati in sola Asrica reâ—nansisse dicit Ergo anathema sit Aut legat miâ—i hoc in scripturis sanctis noÌ„ sit anathema Whosoeuer preacheth any other thing accursed be he but he preacheth another thing who saith that the Church is perished out of the whole world and is remaining only in the Donatists therefore accursed be he or else let him reade it to me in the holy Scriptures that he may not be accursed Now then if by St. Austins iudgement there be found in Scripture all things belonging to faith and manners and there be no godly man but may draw from thence that that is sufficient for him if he be to be holden accursed that preacheth that which he cannot reade to vs out of the holy Scriptures then it appeareth that M. Bishop dealeth falsly in expounding the wordes of Austin and that they serue very fully to that purpose and meaning whereto I alleaged them and whereto without any ambiguity at all they most plainly sound But because we haue here in hand to informe the Roman Catholike I will conclude this place with the censure of a Roman Bishop Gregory the first who calleth c Gregor in 1. Reg. l. 2. c. 3. Quid cor animam Dei â—â—si sacram eius scripturam accipinâ— the holy Scripture the heart and soule of God and telleth vs that d Idem Moral l. 16. c. 16. Per cam Deus loquitur omne quod vult by it God speaketh all his will or all that he requireth and that so as that e Ibid. l. 18. c. 14. Eos ad sacrae authoritatis paginas vocat vt si vere loqui desiderent inde sumere debeant quid loquantur Qui ad verae praedicationis verba se praeparat necesse â—st vt causarum origines à sacris paginis sumat vt omne quod loquitur ad diuinae authoritatis sundamentum reuocet atque in câ— aedificium locutionis suae â—irmet he that desireth to speake or preach iruly must take from thence that which he speaketh and set â—h the grounds of his matters out of the sacred bookes that he may bring all that he speaketh to the foundation of diuine authority and thereupon settle the building of his speech He saith againe that f IdeÌ„ in Cant. c. 5. Sancti viri se consilijs Scripturae ex toto addicunt vt videâ—icet nihil agant nisi quod ex responsâ— Scripturarum audiunt c. Quia de quibuscunque scrupuliâ— in Scripturis consilium quaeritur fine minâ—ratione de omnibus ad plenum inuenitur holy men doe wholly addict themselues to the counsels or directions of the Scripture namely so as to doe nothing but what they heare by answere of the Scriptures because of whatsoeuer doubts aduise is sought for in the Scriptures namely concerning matters of faith and godlinesse it is there fully found of all things without exception and g Idem in Ezech. hom 15. Vniuersa nostra munitio in saâ—ro â—lâ—quâ—o cominetur all our munition or armour to wit against our ghostly enemies yea h Ibid. hom 9. In hâ—â— volumine cuncta quâ—â—dificant omniâ— qu◠〈…〉 diunt scripta contiâ—entur all things that doe â—difie all things that doe instruct are contained therein In all which speeches if Gregory say truth then it must stand good which I haue set downe that all our faith and religion is contained in the Scriptures and neither may the preacher speake nor the hearer receiue any thing that hath not confirmation and proofe out of the booke of God W. BISHOP §. 7. MAster Abbot hauing in few lines runne ouer foure large questions to wit first That the Prophets and Patriarks beleeued no principall points of the Roman faith secondly that Christ deliuered nothing but what the Iewes before hand beleeued thirdly that the Apostles preached the same and no other to the Gentiles fourthly that whatsoeuer they preached they afterwards wrote he fiftly addâ—th that the Protestants receiue and beleeue all the written word Whence he will haue it to follow finally that the Protestants are very good Iewes and doe iumpe iust with them in all articles of faith and consequently are true Catholikes so that in M. Abbots reckoning before you can be a true Protestant Catholike you must first become a good honest Iew. Behold what a round this man is driuen to walke and how many brakes of thâ—rnes he is forced to breake through ere he can come to make any shew of proofe that the Protestants are Catholikes the matter is so improbable I haue already declared how false euery one of his former foure propositions be the fift is as vntrue and more if more may be then any of the other and he plaies the sophister in it egregiously to beggâ— that which is principally in question How proues he that Protestants receiue and beleeue all the written word hath he so little wit and iudgement as to thinke that we would freely grant him that for to omit that they receiue not but reiect diuers bookes of the old Testament because they were not in the Canon of the Iewes or doubted of by some in the primitiue Church by which reason they might refuse as many of the new doe they rightly vnderstand and beleeue truly all that is written in that blessed booke of Gods word nothing lesse Doe they giue credit to our Sauiour â—esus Christ himselfe telling them This is my Mat. 26. 27. 28. Body that shall be broken for you this is my Bloud that shall be shedde for you Whose sinnes ye shall Ioh. 20. v. 23. forgiue on earth shall be forgiuen in heauen Thou Math. 16. v. 18. art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church c. and the gaâ—es of hell shall not preuaile against it Call the worke-men that had laboured in Math. â—0 v. 8. his vine-yard and pay them their hire Doe you see Iacob 2. v. 24. that by workes a man is iustified and not by faith only Is any man sicke among you let
way to goe and vncertaine where they shall arriue And this he doth to hide from them the true vse of that ground and foundation which he himselfe hath layed from whence it properly and naturally ariseth that sith that was the certaine truth which was first deliuered and taught and is to be the measure and rule of the faith and doctrine of all succeeding times therefore we should first haue recourse to the monuments and records of that that was first taught thereby to iudge of the faith and religion of our fathers and to esteeme whether their steps were such as that we may securely follow them In this behalfe Christ hath prouided for vs who h Gregor in Ezech. hom 13 Ipsa quae dixit etiam Scripturae tradidit vt posteris mandâ—â—etur what he spake saith Gregory he committed also to writing that posterity might know the same i August de consens Euangel lib. 1. c. 35. Quicquid ille de suis factis dictis nos legere voluit hoc illis scribendum tanquam suis manibus imperauit Whatsoeuer he would haue vs to reade saith Austin of his doings and sayings he commanded his Disciples as his hands to write the same And thus k Idem in 1. Epistol Ioan. tract 2. Contra insidiosos â—rrores Deus voluit ponere firmamentum in Scripturis contra quâ—s nullus audet loqui qui quoquo modo se vult videri Christianum against deceipt â—ill errours saith the same St. Austin God would set vs a fortresse or bulwarke in the holy Scriptures against which no man dare speake that will in any sort be thought a Christian man Hauing then certaine records of the truth first deliuered such as no man dare contradict what way can we imagine for resolution either more compendious and short or more lightsome and comfortable then to looke to the patterne of faith expressed in those records thence to informe our selues and thereby to rectifie whatsoeuer we finde to haue swarned or declined from that rule This M. Bishop cannot abide this they know to be the gall and bane of Popery and therefore from this they labour to withdraw men that what they cannot defend by testimony of truth they may notwithstanding colour by the example of their fathers This was the intent of M. Bishops not humble but presumptuous request to his Maiesty that he would maintaine and set forth that faith wherein all his royall Progenitors liued and dyed not that he is able to demonstrate in what religion all his Maiesties royall Progenitours liued and dyed but that he may leade him from that rule whereby he should be able to iudge of the faith of his Progenitours and whether his fathers haue in any sort swarued from that faith which at the first was deliuered to their forefathers Albeit if it be true which he saith that Symmachus the Pagan played the part of a foolish Sophister when he pleaded so with the Emperor Valentinian We are to follow our fathers because the Emperors father and nearest Predecessors were no Pagan Idolaters but profâ—ssed Christians then doth himselfe also play the part of a foolish Sophister in pleading so with King IAMES that he must follow his fathers inasmuch as his nearest Predecessours his father and grandfather were no Popish Idolaters but professours of the religion of the Protestants and his mother so well perswaded thereof as that shee would not goe about to disswade him from it But against the plea of Symmachus â—e excepteth further because his forefathers for whose idolatry he pleadeth had before forsaken the true worship of one liuing God Which though it be true yet I maruell how M. Bishop would make him to beleeue it inasmuch as he had to alleage that for so many hundred yea for thousands of yeares their Ancestours had continued those deuotions and that it might seeme strange that amongst so many wise Gouernours so many learned Philosophers so many vertuous men there should not be one of so many generations that euer could see that they did amisse Wee see how he saith not only l Relat. Symmach apud Ambros Epist lib 5. Seruanda est tot seculis fides sequendi sunt nobis parentes qui sâ—cuti sunt felicitèr suos Let vs follow our Ancestours but addeth who with great felicity followed theirs being fully resolued that both their Ancestours and the Ancestours of their Ancestours had in all times past beene the same as they M. Bishop by beleefe of holy Scripture knoweth the contrary because he there vnderstandeth all nations to haue been the posterity of Noah who was a worshipper of one true liuing God saued by faith in Christ to come whose religion set forth in Scripture being compared to the superstitions of the Pagans doth clearely conuince that they were farre departed from that that he was Now then M. Bishop be content that we returne the same to you You say that all our Ancestours from the beginning continued in one and the same euen your religion Shall we now for triall hereof goe to our Ancestours and aske them whether it be so or not No but we will goe to holy Scripture and there see what was the faith and religion of them who are our true Ancestours the first fathers and founders of the Christian Church the Apostles and Euangelists and there we finde a farre other manner of faith then Popery doth yeeld whereby we certainly vnderstand that they haue corrupted the true faith His exception against the Donatists pleading of their fathers is the same as against Symmachus that their fathers were degenerated from the integrity of their grandfathers and therefore were not to be followed But yet the Donatists held that all their forefathers were of their minde euen as stifly as the Papists doe They said that they were not fallen from the Catholike Church but the Catholike church from them so as that they affirmed it to haue beene their Church which was persecuted by Nero and the rest of those Roman Tyrants as I haue before shewed in the second Chapter But St. Austin euery where bringeth them to the Scriptures m Collat. Carthag 1. c. 18. In eis literis Ecclesiam esse quaerendam vbi Christus redemptor eius innotuit Et Collat. 3. c. 101. Nos eam Ecclesiam retinemus quam in illis Scripturis inuenim in quibus etiam cognouimus Christum there to learne and seeke the Church of Christ where we learne to know Christ himselfe and thereby iustifieth that they were fallen away from the Church and not the Church from them and therfore that they were to renounce their fathers that had so done and returne to the Church againe This M. Bishop cannot pleade against vs whose parents haue beene Protestants to moue vs to refuse the religion of our fathers and to returne to the example of our forefathers because by the Scriptures we learne that our forefathers did amisse and therefore that it shall be to vs a
That we are not to imitate our fore-fathers descendeth to the subsequent to wit That his Maiesties Progenitours Kings of England and Scotland were not of our Roman faith which he will proue hereafter at more leasure that is to say neuer For he doth not deny but that the religious and holy man Augustine sent into our country by Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome to conuert our Ancestours the Saxons and English to the Christian faith did then teach the same Roman faith which we now professe so that aboue this thousand yeares by his owne confession his Maiesties Progenitours haue beene of our Catholike Roman faith and religion and very few Kings now liuing I weene can deriue their pedegree much further Afterward he doth rake out of the chanels of Bale Iewel Hollinshead and such like Page 198. late partiall writers which any man not past all care of his reputation would be ashamed to cite for sufficient witnesses in matters of controuersie wherein they themselues were parties that there was great disagreement betweene Augustine the Italian Monke as he speaketh and the Churches of England and Scotland whereas venerable Bede a most approued authour and neare vnto those times who did as most diligently trace out those matters so record them most faithfully he I say whose authority is sufficient to put downe an hundreth late writers interessed in the cause affirmeth that there was no variance betwixt them in any one article of faith but only in some few points of ceremonie namely in these two Vpon what day the feast of Easter was to be kept Beda lib. 2. histor cap. 2. and about the rites of Baptisme For S. Augustine offered them to beare with all other their different rites if they would yeeld vnto him in these two points Vt Pascha suo tempore celebretis That yee would keepe Easter-day at the due time appointed by the Councell of Nice and minister the Sacrament of Baptisme after Euseb in vita Const lib. 3. 17. Epiphan lib. 3. Haeres 70. the manner of the Roman Apostolike Church And concerning these two points who can thinke but that the Sacrament of Baptisme was like to be administred in those daies in the most renowmed City of Rome after a more decent and deuout manner then among the Britans that liued in a corner of the world Now for the other of keeping the feast of Easter the fourteenth day of the first Moone with the Iewes It was many yeares before condemned in the first most famous generall Councell of Nice and therefore it cannot be denyed but that those Britans were either very ignorant in the Canons of the Church if they knew not so solemne a decree or else too too contentious and wilfull in refusing to yeeld vnto it A third clause was added by S Augustine that the Britans would ioyne with him and his fellowes Beda ibidem in preaching the word of God vnto the English nation which also argueth yet more strongly that they agreed together in all articles of faith or else they would not haue required their helpe in instructing others in matters of faith And this is not only registred by S. Bede that holy Historiographer but also reported by their owne late writers Hollinshead and * M. Godwine Volum 1. page 103. * Page 6. in his Catalogue of the Bishops of England S. Bede also witnesseth further in the place aboue said that the same Britan Christians euen then confessed that they did perceiue that to be the true way of iustice which Augustine did preach Furthermore the principall Preachers and most godly men that liued not long before S. Augustines arriuall among the Britans as namely S. Dulcitius and S. Dauid were brought vp at Rome and one of them the Popes Legate too as the aduersaries Iohn Bale in their liues themselues confesse Whereupon it followeth clearely that not only for these later thousand yeares but also in the former hundreths all his Maiesties Ancestors both English and Britans embraced and maintayned the same Catholike Roman faith which we now doe R. ABBOT MAster Bishop kindly threapeth vpon me that I denie not but that Austin the Monke sent hither by Gregory Bishop of Rome did then teach the same Roman faith that they now professe whereas I doe not only deny it to be so but also doe bring a Answ to the Epistle to the King sect 31. diuers instances to proue directly that it is not so Of those diuers let one only here suffice The religion brought in by Austin the Monke continuing here till the time of Charles the Great though it approued the hauing of Images yet condemned the second Nicene Councell for that it approued the worshipping of them The thing by Roger Houeden is thus reported that b Roger. Houeden Annal. p. 1. Anno 792. Carolê° Rex FraÌ„corum misit Synâ—dalem librum ad Britanniam sibi à Constantinopoli directum in quo libro beu proâ— dolor multa inconuenientia verâ— fidei coÌ„traria reperiebantur maximè quòd penè â—mnium Orientalium Doctorum non minus quà m trecentorum vel â—o amplius Episcoporum â—nanima assertione confirâ—atum fuerit Imagines adorari debere quod omninò Ecclesia Dei execratur Contra quod scripsit Albinus EpistolaÌ„â—x authoritate diuinarum Scripturarum mirabilitèr affirmataÌ„ illamque cum â—odâ—m libâ—o ex person 1 Episcoporum ac Principli nostro 〈…〉 â—rancorum 〈…〉 t. in the yeare 792. Charles the King of France sent ouer into Britaine a synodall booke or booke of a Councell directed to him from Constantinople in which booke alas for woe many things were found inconuenient and contrary to true faith specially for that by agreement of all the Easterne Doctors no lesse then three hundred Bishops and more it was decreed that Images should be worshipped which thing the Church of God wholly accurseth Against which saith he Albinus wrote an Epistle wonderfully strengthened by authority of holy Scriptures and brought it together with the booke to the King of France in the name or behalfe of our Bishops and Peeres The Roman faith which Austin brought condemned that Nicene Councell Tho Roman faith which M. Bishop bringeth approueth that Councell for so hath he done in his c Sect. 12. Epistle to the King Therefore the Roman faith which M. Bishop bringeth is not now the same that Austin brought He cannot doubt but that Austin being sent hither by Gregory did teach the same faith here which Gregory himselfe taught at Rome But the faith which Gregory taught at Rome shall be shewed if God will in this booke in many particulars to haue beene contrary to that faith that is now taught from Rome As for our writers Bale Iewell Hollinshead and such like I cite them not as sufficient witnesses in matters of controuersie as he vainly cauilleth but I name them only as recording matters of history which they haue taken out of former stories and writers when mine owne Library
for no other but a madde and frantike dreame and yet perforce must vse it because hee knew no better shift therefore he thought good to colour it the best he could by curtolling the wordes alleaged naming only imputation of righteousnesse whereas the Apostle nameth imputation of righteousnesse without workes But let him take the wordes as the Apostle setteth them downe and then giue vs his answere and we shall apparantly see him to be a most impudent man making no conscience of that he saith but studying only to blinde the Reader from seeing that truth which he himselfe knoweth not how with any probable shew to contradict Yet he telleth vs for conclusion that there is only a bare sound of wordes for the Protestants the true substance of the text making wholly for the Papists So then the sound of the wordes by his confession is for vs but inasmuch as the wordes are very plaine and cleare how may we be informed that the true substance and meaning of them is wholly for the Papists when as they containe in shew a flat contradiction to the doctrine of the Papists Wee see here the vse of that caueat which the Rhemists haue giuen to their Reader aduertising him o Rhem. Testam ArgumeÌ„t of the Epistles in generall to assure himselfe that if any thing in Pauls Epistles sound to him contrary to the doctrine of their Catholike Church he faileth of the right sense By this meanes if Saint Paul say it is white yet we must not thinke that he meaneth it to be white if it please their Church to call it blacke And therefore though here he speake of imputation of righteousnesse without works and bring testimony of ancient Scripture for confirmation thereof yet he must not be taken to meane that there is any such or any other but the imputation of the righteousnesse of workes because there is no other approued by the Roman Church Well may we thinke the iudgement of God to be fearefull vpon them who are so blinde as to be led with such fopperies and grosse deceipts CHAP. X. That eternall life is meerely and wholly the gift of God and cannot be purchased by merit or desert ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE PAul teacheth that eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ c. to Hee telleth vs againe and againe c. W. BISHOP IN the same place you had a large solution of this obiection but he that hath made a couenant with hell will not looke vpon that which might helpe him to heauen We teach with the Apostle and with his faithfull interpreter Saint Augustine That eternall life is the gift of God both originally because we must receiue grace by the free gift of God before we can doe any thing that doth deserue the ioyes of heauen and also principally the whole vertue and value of our merits doe proceede of the dignity of Gods grace in vs which doth eleuate and giue such worth to our workes that they thereby deserue life euerlasting Notwithstanding if we take not hold on Gods grace when it is freely offered vs and doe not concurre with it to the effecting of good workes we shall neuer be saued and this our working with the grace of God deserues heauen both which are prouedly this sentence of the same Apostle God will render to euery man according to Rom. 2. vers 6. 7. 8. his workes to them truly that according to patience in good workes seeke glory and honour and incorruption life eternall to them that are of contention and that obey not the truth but giue credit to iniquity wrath and indignation where you may see in expresse termes eternall life to be rendered and repaid for good workes to such men as diligently seeke to doe them and to others who refuse to obey the truth and rather choose to beleeue lies and to liue wickedly eternall death and damnation R. ABBOT WHether M. Bishop or I may bee thought more likely to flatter himselfe in an opinion of hauing made a couenant with hell I leaue it to be esteemed by the whole processe of this worke and the God of heauen shall make it one day more fully to appeare Against his solution of the obiection here propounded he knoweth well that I a Of Merits sect 8. haue returned a replication which sheweth the same to be infirme and vaine and seeing he can fortifie it no further the bare repeating of it is no other but womanish and idle talking The Apostle telleth vs that b Rom. 6. 23. eternall life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free grace or gift of God through Iâ—su Christ our Lord. We teach saith M. Bishop that eternall life is the gift of God originally and principally Thus by his shifting termes of originally and principally he limiteth the Apostles wordes and deludeth a maine Theoreme and Canon of Christian faith leauing it to be vnderstood that though eternall life be originally and principally the gift of God yet totally and absolutely it is not so Which iâ— it be true it must necessarily follow that as the Apostle saith truly that eternall life is the gift of God because in part it iâ— so so a man may truly say against the Apostle that eternall life is not the free gift of God because in part and in some sort it is not so And if no man may dare in this wise to gainsay the Apostle then wee must acknowledge that which Origen saith that c Origen in Rom. 4. Stipendia inquit peccati mors Et non addidâ—â— similitèr vt dicâ— et stâ—pendia aâ—â—â— iustitiae vita aterna sed ait Gratia autem Deâ— vâ—â—a aetâ—rna vt stâ—pend â—m quod vtique debiâ—o mercedi similé est retributionem poenâ— esse docâ—â—â—t mortis vâ—tam verâ— aternam soli gratiae consignareâ— the Apostle hauing said that the stipend of sinne is death did not adde in the like sort that the stipend of righteousnesse is eternall life but eternall life is the grace of God that he might teach that the retribution of punishment and death is a stipend which is like to a debt or wages but might assigne life eternall to grace only And thus the Apostle himselfe teacheth vs to conceiue when he saith d Rom. 11. 6. If it be of grace then it is not of workes otherwise grace is no grace For e August coÌ„t Pelag. Celest lib. 2. c 24. Gratia Dei non eriâ— gratâ—â— vllâ— modo nisigratâ—ita fuerâ—t omni modo grace saith Austin shall not be grace in any respect except it be free in euery respect f Idem Epist 120. c. 19. Haec est gratia quae gratis datur non meritâ—s operantis sed miseratione donantis That is grace saith he which is freely giuen not for the merits of the worker but by the mercy of the giuer Thus Hierome saith g Hieron Epist ad Demâ—trâ—ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non opâ—ruâ— retributio sed donamis est
the body of our Lord Moreouer he speaketh of the Church of Rome being then but in her cradle most honourably saying Your faith is Rom. 1. vers 8. renowmed in the whole world and after Your obedience Rom. 16. ver 19. is published into euery place But no maruaile to the wise though he did not then make mention of her Supremacie for that did not belong to the Church or people of Rome but to S. Peter who when S. Paul wrote that Epistle was scarse well setled there neither did that appertaine to the matter he treated of R. ABBOT NOw to the Masse sâ—ith M. Bishop but there is no wise man that readeth what he hath here written but would thinke that hee had done much more wisely to keepe him from the Masse I cannot tell whether more to pitty his folly or to detest his wilfulnesse See with what a graue preface he entreth to a most ridiculous and childish proofe The same profound diuine St. Austin with other holy Fathers who were not wont so lightly to skimme ouer the Scriptures as our late new Masters doe but seriously searched them and most deeply pierced into them did also finde all the parts of the Masse touched by the Apostle St. Paul in these wordes I desire that obsecrations prayers postulations thanks-giuings be made for all men This phrase of skimming ouer the Scriptures he learned of his Masters of Rhemes who vpon those words of St. Paul alleaging by that place of Austin and some other Fathers that all those kinds of prayers were publikely vsed in the Lyturgie of the Church conclude thus a Rhem. Testam Annot. 1. Tim. 2. 1. So exactly doth the practise of the Church agree with the precepts of the Apostle and the Scriptures and so profoundly doe the holy Fathers seeke out the proper sense of the Scriptures which our Protestants doe so prophanely popularly and lightly skimme ouer that they can neither see nor endure the truth So then it seemeth we must diue very deepe to finde the Masse in the Scriptures but wee are in doubt that they which goe about to diue so deepe will certainly bee drowned and neuer finde that that they seeke for And tell vs in good sooth M. Bishop did St. Austin in your opinion finde in those wordes all the parts of your Masse Nay did he finde that at all to which the name of the Masse is by you properly referred You hold the Masse to be a proper reall sacrifice of the very naturall body and bloud of Christ offered to God for propitiation of the sinnes both of quicke and dead and doth St. Austin speake any thing to that effect or could he finde all the parts of the Masse without finding this Yea that the impudency of him and his Rhemish Masters may the better appeare doth St. Austin say any thing there but what properly belongeth to our Communion and not to their Masse Thou shalt vnderstand good Reader that Paulinus wrote to Austin to be instructed by him of the difference of those sorts of prayers which St. Paul commendeth to Timothy in the wordes aforesaid St. Austin answereth him that b Aug. Epist 59. Illa planè difficillimè discernuntur c. Aliqua singulorum istorum proprietas inquirenda est sed ad â—a liquidò peruenire difficile est Multa quippe hinc dici possunt quae improbandâ— non sint sed eligo in his verbis hoc intelligere quod omnis vel penè omnis frequentat Ecclesia vt precationes accipiamus dictas quas facimus in celebratione Sacramentorum antequam illud quod est in Domini mensa incipiat benedici orationes cum benedicitur sanctificatur ad distribuendum coÌ„minuitur quam totam petitionem ferè omnis Ecclesia Dominica oratione coÌ„cludit Interpellationes siue postulationes fiunt cum populus benedicitur Tunc enim antistites velut aduocati susceptos suos per manus impositionem miserecordissimae offerunt potestati Quibus peractis participato tanto Sacramento gratiarum actio câ—ncta concludit they are very hardly discerned that there is some propriety of euery of them to be enquired of but very hard it is certainly to attaine vnto it For many things saith he may be said hereof which are not to be disliked but I make choise to vnderstand in these wordes that which the whole Church or almost the whole accustometh to take those to be called precations obsecrations as M. Bishop termeth them out of their vulgar Latin which we make in the celebration of the Sacraments before that which is vpon the Lords table beginne to be blessed Prayers those which are vsed when the same is blessed and sanctified and broken to be distributed all which petition almost the whole church concludeth with the Lords prayer Intercessions or postulations which are made when the people is blessed for then the Priests as aduocates doe offer to the most mercifull power them whom they haue receiued by imposition of hands All which being done and after the participation of so great a Sacrament thanks-giuing concludeth all Now what is there in all this that doth concerne the Masse M. Bishop telleth vs that St. Austin findeth all the parts of the Masse here touched by the Apostle and see saith he all the parts of it very liuely painted out but can any man but thinke that he was scant sober when he looked vpon the place and therefore his eyes being troubled thought hee saw that which hee saw not Here is the celebration of a Sacrament the setting of bread and wine vpon the table of the Lord the blessing and sanctifying thereof the breaking of it to be distributed to the people the peoples participating of the Sacrament and in the meane while prayers supplications intercessions giuing of thanks the very true description of our Communion but who seeth any thing here appertaining to the Masse What M. Bishop is there no end of your trifling will yee still goe on to play the wiseman in this sort But to helpe the matter he telleth vs that though he calleth not that celebration of the Sacrament by the name of Masse yet he doth giue it a name equiualent Sacri Altaris oblatio the oblation or sacrifice of the holy Altar It is true indeede that St. Austin nameth the oblation of the holy Altar but nothing at all to M. Bishops vse For willing to giue a reason why the prayers vsed in the very act of the administration of the Sacrament are termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he taketh the same from the composition of the word and because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often vsed to signifie a vow therefore he saith that c Ibid. Ea propriè intelligenda est oratio quam facimus ad votum c. Vouentur autem omnia quae offeruntur Deo maximè sancti Altaris oblatio quo Sacramento praedicatur aliud nostrum votum maximum quo nos vouimus in Christo esse mansuros id est
mouth full of blasphemic a Syluest Prier cot Luther conclus 56. Indulgentiae non innotuêre nobiâ— authorâ—tate Scripturae sed authoritate Ecclesiae Romanae Romanorumque Pontificum quae maior est Indulgences or Pardons haue not beene knowen to vs by the authority of the Scriptures but by the authority of the Church of Rome and Bishops of Rome which is greater then the Scriptures b Alphons de Cast adu haer lib. 8. tit Indulgentiae Inter omnes res de quibus in hoc opere disputamus nulla est quam minùs apertè sacrae literae prodiderint de qua minùs vetusti scriptores dixerint Et post pro indulgentiarum approbatione sacrae Scripturae testimoniâ— apertum deest There is nothing saith Alphonsus de Castro which the Scriptures haue declared lesse plainly or whereof the old writers haue said lesse There is no plaine testimony of Scripture for the approuing of them And yet M. Bishop no skimmer ouer the Scriptures I warrant you but a man of great obseruation and insight into them will take vpon him to haue found where S. Paul teacheth of Pardons not obscurely or darkely but in very formall termes He citeth to this purpose the wordes of S. Paul concerning the incestuous excommunicated Corinthian now much humbled by repentance and hauing giuen thereof great satisfaction and testimony to the Church c 2. Cor. 2. 10. Whom you haue pardoned any thing I so doe also for my selfe also what I haue pardoned for your sakes I haue done it in the sight of Christ that we be not circumuented of Satan Here he saith that the Corinthians and S. Paul himselfe did giue a pardon he did release some part of the penance of that incestuous Corinthian which is properly to giue pardon or indulgence Iust as well fitted as if he had put a Goose quill to a Wood-cocks taile Hee might euen as well haue alleaged our Bishops as giuers of Popish Pardons because they doe release to men vpon occasion some parts of penance inioyned them for criminall demeanours and had he not made a great speake if he had so done What are we come to vnderstand by the Popes Pardons the releasing of Penitents from the bond of excommunication for the restoring of them againe to the communion of the Church It is true which he saith of this that if S. Paul could so doe S. Peter could doe as much and other principall Pastours of Christs Church haue the same power and authority who doubteth hereof But we speake of a power which the Pope challengeth as proper to himselfe to giue Pardons and Libels of Indulgence or to giue authority to others to giue the same out of the Church treasury of the supererogations of Saints not for absoluing Penitents in foro Ecclesiae but in foro Coeli for releasing of soules from Purgatory and for giuing of them remission for so many dayes or yeares or hundreds or thousands of yeares not only to men for themselues liuing but also for their friends dead and that for doing such and such deuotions or paying so much money for such or such vse or aiding him in his wars against Christian Princes or doing any other worke and seruice that he requireth A lewd and wicked deuise and practise of the Popes of some latter ages and as lewdly coloured by M. Bishop by pretense of that that doth in no sort appertaine vnto it For all that the Apostle intendeth in the words alleaged is that which St. Ambrose briefly expresseth thus d Ambros in 2. Cor. 2. Orat ne adhuc exulcerato aduersum illum animo durum esset illis habere cum illo coÌ„munionem Ecclesiae Hee prayeth them that they would not any longer by a minde exasperated against him bee hard to haue with him the communion of the Church This is the forgiuenesse this is the pardon that he desireth in his behalfe that inasmuch as he hath sufficiently shewed himselfe penitent for his fault they will no longer forbeare to haue Christian society and fellowship with him M. Bishop therefore would neuer haue brought vs this place for Popes Pardons but that by a resolute course of impudency he maketh choise to say any thing rather then to say the truth W. BISHOP §. 8. THe last of M. Abbots instances is That S. Paul saith nothing of traditions wherein hee sheweth himselfe not the least impudent for the Apostle speaketh of them very often Hee desireth the Romans to marke them that make dissentions and scandals Rom. 16. ver 17. contrary to the doctrine which you haue learned and to auoide them but the doctrine that they had then learned before S. Paul sent them this Epistle was by word of mouth and tradition for little or none of the new Testament was then written wherefore the Apostle teacheth all men to be auoided that dissent from doctrine deliuered by Tradition And in the Acts of the Apostles it is of record how S. Paul walking through Syria and Silicia confirming the Churches Commanded Act. 15. vers 41. them to keepe the precepts of the Apostles and of the Ancients Item when they passed through the Citties they deliuered vnto them to keepe the decrees Act. 16. vers 4. that were decreed by the Apostles and Ancients which were at Hierusalem and the Churches were confirmed in faith c. Where it also appeareth that those decrees were made matter of faith and necessary to be beleeued to saluation before they were written Hee doth also charge his best beloued Disciple Timothy To 1. Tim. 6. ver 20 keepe the Depositum that is the whole Christian doctrine deliuered vnto him by word of mouth as the best Authours take it auoiding the prophane nouelty of voices and oppositions of falsly called knowledge Againe he commandeth him to commend to faithfull 2. Tim. 2. vers 2. men the things which thou hast heard of me by many witnesses Was not this to preach such doctrine as he had receiued by Apostolike tradition without writing And further which suppresseth all the vaine cauils of the sectaries he saith Therefore Brethren stand and 2. Thess 2. v. 15. hold the Traditions which you haue learned whether it be by word or by our Epistle where you see that some Traditions went by word of mouth from hand to hand as well as some others were written and were as well to be holden and stood too as the written proceeding from the same fountaine of truth Gods spirit Thus much in answere vnto the instances proposed by M. Abbot which he very ignorantly and insolently auoucheth to haue no proofe or sound of proofe out of S. Paul R. ABBOT HEre M. Bishop playeth the Iugler againe and casteth a mist before his Readers eyes by altering the state of the question betwixt vs and them For the question is not whether the doctrine of truth haue beene at any time deliuered by Tradition that is by word of mouth without writing but whether
Gospell to the Corinthians of free cost though he omitted therein a liberty which God by speciall prouision and ordinance hath yeelded in that case yet the occasion waighed where he did it he did no more then in generality of duty God requireth and commandeth who will haue his fauours so to be a commodity vnto vs as that they be no wrong to him and our liberty so to be vrged and vsed as may stand with charity that it bee not a snare to our brethren or a wound to them whom wee should seeke to heale M. Bishop therefore is yet to seeke for his workes of supererogation St. Paul will yeeld him no helpe for them and a simple man would I hold him for alleaging this text for the proofe thereof but that I know he is tyed to goe that way that other Roman Hackneis haue gone before him Next and for conclusion he commeth to the Sacraments and although he cannot bring colour for their whole fiue superadded Sacraments yet he sheweth his good will by alleaging somewhat for two of them but still hath ill happe and commeth too short of the marke that he aymeth at For marriage he alleageth the wordes of St. Paul as commonly they doe y Ephes 5. 32. This is a great Sacrament Sacrament say they out of their vulgar Latin whereas considering the vse of the word Sacrament that now is they should rather say mysterie or secret as we doe Albeit if the very word Sacrament in their vulgar translation be sufficient to proue a Sacrament in that sense wherein the number of Sacraments is questioned betwixt vs and them they may tell vs of a greater number then now they doe and adde z Ephes 1. 9. the Sacrament of the will of God a Ephes â— 9. the Sacrament hidden from the ages past b 1. Tim. 3. 16 the Sacrament of Godlinesse c Apoc. 1. 20. the Sacrament of seuen Starres d Apoc. 17. 7. the Sacrament of the woman sitting vpon the Beast and sundry other of which their interpreter vseth the word Sacrament as well as hee doth concerning Marriage But the Masters of Rhemes acquit themselues in this behalfe affirming that e Rhem. Testam Annot. Ephes 5. 32. they doe not gather this only of the word Mysterie in Greeke or Sacrament in Latin both which they say they know haue a more generall signification and that in the Scriptures also which being so how idlely doth M. Bishop deale only to bring vs the very word for proofe that Matrimony is one of the Sacraments properly so called of the grace of Christ But the greater is his fault and the fault of his fellowes also in drawing this text to that purpose inasmuch as the Apostle expresly declareth that the mysterie or secret which he intendeth is concerning Christ and his Church This is a great mysterie but I speake concerning Christ and his Church that is saith Hierome in his lesser Commentary f Hieron in Ephes 5. Ego hoc inquit in Christo intelligendum dico in Ecclesia I say that this is to be vnderstood in Christ and in the Church And thus Leo Bishop of Rome wholly vnderstandeth it saying g Leo Epist 22. Quicunque in Christo non confitetur corpus humanum nouerit se mysterio incarnationis indignum nec eius Sacramenti habere consortium quod Apostolus praedicat dicens Quia membra sumus corporis eius c. Et exponeâ—s quid per hoc significaretur adiecit Sacramentum hoc magnum est ego autem dico in Christo in Ecclesia Whosoeuer confesseth not in Christ an humane body let him know himselfe vnworthy of the mysterie of the incarnation and that he hath no participation or fellowship of that Sacrament whereof the Apostle speaketh saying for we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones for this shall a man leaue Father and Mother and shall cleaue to his wife and they two shall be one flesh and expounding what was signified hereby he addeth This is a great Sacrament but I speake of Christ and of the Church He vseth the word Sacrament as the Latin Fathers commonly doe as it extendeth to all things that are mysticall and spirituall but as touching the place is so farre from conceiuing Marriage here intended to be made a Sacrament as that he referreth the Sacrament or secret here spoken of altogether to the mystâ—â—ie of the incarnation and the spirituall coniunction and vnion betwixt Christ and his Church To the very same effect speaketh St. Austin and much more to the purpose because he toucheth the very point in hand h August in Ioan. Tract 9. Illud vnum quatum mysterium de Christo continet quod praedicat Apostolus dicens Et erunt duo in carne vna Sacramentum hoc magnum est Et nequis istam magnitudinem Sacramenti in singulis quibusque hominibus vxores habentibus intelligeret Ego aâ—tem dico in Christo c. Quod est hoc Sacramentum magnum Erunt duo in carne vna Cum de Adam Bua Scriptura Geneseos loqueretur vnde ventum est ad haec verba Propterea â—â—linquet homo patrem c. That one thing which the Apostle mentioneth saying They two shall â—e one flesh this is a great Sacrament how great a mysterie doth it containe concerning Christ And that no man should vnderstand this greatnesse of Sacrament in all men that haue wiues he saith But I speake of Christ and of the Church What is this great Sacrament saith he They two shall be one flesh Marry when the Scripture of Genesis spake that whence it proceedeth to those wordes for this cause shall a man leaue Father and Mother c. In which wordes wee see that St. Austine is so farre from M. Bishops Popish construction and application of this Text as that hee plainely denyeth the matter of Sacrament here spoken of to appertaine to the common Marriage of Men and Women and referreth the same wholly vnto Christ and his Church figured and resembled in our first Parents Adam and Eue and that in some things proper to them only Hereto belongeth that which hee saith i Ibid. Paulò pòst Dormit Adam vt fiat Eua moritur Christus vt fiat Ecclesia Dormienti Adâ— fit Eua de latere mortuo Christo lancea percutitur latus vt proâ—luant SacrameÌ„ta quibus formetur Ecclesia Adam sleepeth that Eue may be made and that the Church may bee made Christ dyeth Whilest Adam sleepeth Eue is made for him out of his side and the side of Christ being now dead is striken through with a speare that the Sacraments may issue forth by which the Church is framed Whereof Leo also addeth in the place before cited k Leo vt supr Quae de Sponsi â—arne prodijt quando ex latere crucifixi manaÌ„te sanguine aqua Sacramentum redemptionis regenerationis accepit The Church came out