blaspheme the Church dispersed ouer the whole world except the Church of Rome and some few of the West Then it followeth that in his iudgement the Church of Rome was not the Catholicke Church because Vrbicus who blasphemed the Catholike Church commended and followed the Church of Rome Many things might be brought for this purpose but I striue for breuitie This may suffice to prooue that the ancient Fathers did not hold the Church of Rome to be the Catholike Church In this Church there is a communion of Saints which Communion the Papistes deuise to bee betwene the Saints in heauen and the Saints on earth and them that bee in purgatorie These bee vaine conceits without any ground For the Church hath this Communion with GOD the Father and with IESVS CHRIST and among themselues as Saint Iohn teacheth 1. Ioh. 1. 3. Our Communion is with the Father and his Sonne Iesus Christ And declaring this Communion which the members of the Church haue one with another hee saith If wee walke in the light as hee 1 Ioh. 1. 3 7. is in the light wee haue Communion one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ doeth cleanse vs from all sinne In which wordes hee declareth who are partakers of this Communion and consequently who are members of this Church For wee haue Communion one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Then they haue this Communion who by the blood of Christ are cleansed from all sinne And therefore they who are in Purgatorie can haue no part of this Communion because they are not cleansed from all their sinne by the blood of Christ This Communion then is a Communion which the Church of the redeemed haue among themselues These bee they who sing that new Song Thou art worthie Apoc. 5. 9 to take the Booke and to open the Seales thereof For thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of euery kinred and tongue and people and nation This is the Communion that the Church of the redeemed haue and therefore it is called The Communion of Saints that is of such as are sanctified by the blood of Iesus Christ But this Communion is not in the Church of Rome For the Communion which is in the Church of Rome is such a Communion which by their owne confession is held among such men as haue no inward grace but onely the externall profession of Religion This being their owne confession it must needs follow that the Communion of Saints is not among them For Saints haue no Communion with wicked who haue no inward grace who are the members of the deuill and not of Christ The reason is because betweene the members of Christ and the members of the Deuill there can bee no Communion as S Paul prooueth For what fellowship 2. Cor. 6. hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse or what Communion hath light with darkenesse or what concord hath Christ with Beliall or what part haue beleeuers with vnbeleeuers c. Thus haue wee prooued that there is no agreement betweene the Church of Rome and the Catholike Church because the Church of Rome is neither holy nor Catholike neither in it is found the Communion of Saints Then they who boast so much of the Catholique Church the Catholique Church suffer themselues to be blinded by cosening companions who know not the trueth For they thinke to hold the Catholike Church before they will bee acquainted with a particular Church Let them bee intreated to vnderstand that if they desire to be in the Catholike Church without which there is no saluation they must betake themselues to some particular Church heere on earth which holdeth Vnitie with the Catholike Church And then shall they be sure to bee in the Catholike Church when they are found in such a Church which holdeth Vnitie with the Catholique Church that is by the ministery of the Church wherein you liue and are taught you must vnderstand that you are collected as members into one bodie that from the Head you may receiue an increase of this Body to the edifying of your selues in loue and so bee truely knit to the Head of the Church Iesus Christ that by one and the same Spirit you may be iustified and sanctified so holde the vnitie of the Spirit that by one rule of faith you may be taught and ruled and that you may be sure that the same rule which hath been the rule of faith from the Apostles times and continued euer in the Church be the rule of your faith When thus by the ministerie of a particular Church in whatsoeuer place of the world that Church be you are gathered into one Body vnder one Head gouerned by one Spirit holding one and the same rule of Faith then may you be assured that you are in the Catholike Church for the Catholike Church being vniuersall and not particular cannot be fixed to any one particular place but the men that must be gathered into the Church are particular men and holde particular places and therefore must vse the helpe of particular Churches to bring them to the Catholicke Church or else they shall neuer find it If thus men would seek the Church they should be sure to finde it there is but one way they that receiue not the loue of the trueth are iustly deceiued and perish that all might be damned who beleeued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse So that when deceiuers come with their strong illusions yet shall they be able to preuaile against none but onely such as loue not the trueth But they who loue the trueth and seeke it with care and diligence as they would seeke siluer and golde or things that are esteemed more precious shall by the great mercy of God vndoubtedly bee saued from errour and damnation And all such by the free mercy of God shall be brought into the true Church that therein as in the Arke of Noah they may be saued For vnto the ende of the world must that alwayes be verified which is written The Lord added to the Church Acts 2. 47. from day to day such as should be saued FOrasmuch as I haue taken this as a thing granted by the Papists That they haue added their vnwritten Traditions which they call Apostolicall vnto the Scriptures to make vp the totall rule of â—aith the Scriptures making â—ut one part thereof and â—heir Traditions another by which alteration of the rule of faith they haue forsaken coÌ„munion with the Church which till that time alwayes held this rule which to the end of the world must holde â—t I haue here set downe the words of the Trent Council and of Car. Bellar. expounding the same for their sakes who being ignorant may doubt whether this be true or not CONCIL TRIDENT Sess 4. Decret 1. Omnes Libros veteris noui Testamenti nec non Traditiones ipsas tum ad fidem tum ad mores pertinentes tanquam vel ore tenus à Christo vel a Spiritus sancto dictat as continua successione in Ecclesia Catholica conseruat as pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit ac veneratuâ— Tridentina Synodus That is All the books of the old and new Testament as also the Traditions themselues pertaining both to faith and maners as being either pronounced from the mouth of Christ or deliuered by the holy Ghost and by continuall successioÌ„ preserued in the Catholicke Church the Councill of Trent receiueth and honoureth with like and equall affection of piety and reuerence Card. Bellarm. lib. de verbo Dei non script cap. 3. Asserimus in Scripturis non contineri expressè totam doctrinam necessariam siue de fide siue de moribus proinde preter verbum Deâ— scriptum requiri etiam verbum Dei non scriptum id est diuinas Apostolicas Traditiones That is Wee affirme that in the Scriptures is not conteined expressely all necessarie doctrine whether of faith or maners and therfore besides the written word of God is required also the vnwritten word of God namely Diuine and Apostolicall Traditions Card. Bellar. ibid. cap. 4. Scripturae sine Traditionius nec fuerunt simpliciter neâ—essariae nec sufficientes That is The Scriptures without Traditions were neither simply necessary nor yet sufficient Card. Bellar. ibid. cap. 12. Dico Scripturam etsi non â—it facta praecipuè vt sit regula fidei esse tamen regulam fidei non totalem sed partialem Totalis enim regula fidei est verbum Dei siue reuelatio Dei Ecclesiae facta quae diuiditur in duas regulas partiales Scripturam Traditiones That is I say that the Scripture though it was not made especially to be the rule of faith yet is the rule of faith not in whole but in part for the whole rule of faith is the word of God or the reuelation of God made to the Church which is diuided into two partie-rules Scripture and Traditions These things the learned Papists make no doubt of and â—herfore I take them as things granted by them because all â—heir learned men grant the â—ame For the vnlearned I â—aue set them down that they may vnderstand that the rule of faith which the Church held before which holdeth â—he Church in vnitie is by â—hem forsakeÌ„ And therfore if they will seeke a true Church they must seek such a Church which holdeth still the same rule of faith with the true Church of Christ which was before the Trent Council and must stand till the end of the world FINIS
from this pestiferous generation who deuise still how to holde you in the bondage of their superstition and consider what account they make of you vpon whom they vent such stuffe altogether presuming vpon your simplicitie hoping that you will take all without discussing whatsoeuer they deliuer Men of common reason will neuer put confidence in such men as are conuinced once for liars If this bee true which they haue so confidently written and by which they haue so notoriously abused you in slaundering of the Ordination of our worthie and reuerend Bishops then might you haue cause to be offended with our Church But if this vpon triall bee found a manifest and absurd lye then what cause haue you to trust them in any thing whose whole studie is to abuse your simplicitie and credulitie who hauing forsaken the trueth labour to drawe after them so many as they can into the societie of their Apostasie respecting neither trueth nor conscience so they deceiue by any meanes And thus praying to him that keepeth the Keyes of Dauid and openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth that hee of his infinite mercie will open your eyes to see your hearts to vnderstand his word and trueth and therein your owne Saluation I rest Yours in the seruice of your Faith GEORGE CARLETON SHORT DIRECTIONS TO KNOVV the true CHVRCH THE Church is either the Catholike Church or particular Churches The Catholike Church is defined in the Scripture The body of Eph. 1. 23. Iesus Christ and the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all The Apostle describing this Church sayth By one Spirit we are baptized 1. Cor. 12 13. into one body And againe You are the body of Christ and Vers 17. members in particular And againe Christ is the head of the Eph. 5. 25. Church and hee is the Sauiour of the body He is before all things Col. 1. 18. and by him all things consist and hee is the head of the body the Church So that in the Scriptures of the New Testament we finde no definition of the Church but either in these wordes That it is the body of Christ or in words that signifie the same thing We finde no other Head of the Church but Christ himselfe Particular Churches are visible Assemblies who professe the true Faith and holde the ordinances of Christ and are gouerned by diuers visible heads or gouernours as Saint Gregory the Pope sayth Peter Lib. 4. Epist 38. ind 13. the Apostle of Christ which was the first member of the Church Paul Andrew Iohn what other are these but heads of particular Assemblies Singularium plebium capita so sayth Gregory And againe The Saints before the law the Saints vnder the Law and the Saints vnder grace all these making vp the body of Christ or members of the Church So Gregory vnderstood the Church that Saint Peter was a member onely but not a head of the vniuersall or Catholicke Church But of a particular Church sayth S. Gregory Peter was a head Yet no otherwise then as S. Iohn was the head of another particular Church S. Paul of another S. Andrew of another And so other heads or gouernours of other particular Churches because no Apostle could guide all particulars or the whole This was the ancient doctrine and knowledge of the Church These particular Churches though in respect of the places wherein they were gathered they be many and in that respect called in the plurall number Churches in Scripture Rom. 16. 4. and 1. Cor. 7. 17. and 2. Cor. 8. 18. and Apoc. 11. 4. and in many other places yet in respect of the faith which they professe they are but one for the Church is but one not two not many And euery particular Church that would prooue it selfe a true Church of Christ must proue that by the vnitie which it holdeth with the Catholicke Church which is but one For euery particular Church holding vnitie with the Catholike Church by reason of that vnitie is one with it And euery particular assembly that holdeth not this vnitie with the Catholicke Church is no true Church of Christ but an assembly of Heretickes But now the question betweene the Papists and the reformed Churches will bee whether of them two do hold this Vnitie with the Catholicke Church For if we proue the reformed Churches keep this Vnitie wee prooue them assuredly to be the true Churches and if wee prooue that the Papists haue broken off this vnitie with the Catholike Church then are they prooued to be no true Church but an assembly of heretickes that haue forsaken the Church To prooue this wee must declare what this Vnitie is and wherein it consisteth which thing being declared will euidently declare where the true Church is The Vnitie of the Church is fourefolde For though others may make moe parts yet all may be comprised in these foure For the Church is one first by the Vnitie of the Body secondly by the Vnitie of the Head thirdly by the Vnitie of the Spirit fourthly by the Vnitie of Faith All these are necessarily required to prooue a Church to holde Vnitie with the Catholicke Church And albeit where one of them is found they are all found yet because the Scriptures and Fathers speake distinctly of them wee will distinctly declare them The vnitie of the Body is an vnitie whereby all the members of the Church are knit together with the Head in one body For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of 1. Cor. 12. that one body being many make but one body euen so is Christ sayth the Apostle This may be called mysticall Christ or the mysticall body of Christ that is his Church For this is the true Church the proper Church the Scripture doeth not acknowledge any other Catholike Church sauing this which is the body of Christ In which body all beleeuers are knit to Christ as the members of one body with the head And in this body euery member receiueth Eph. 4. 16 grace from the Head and the whole body according to the measure of euery member receiueth increase of the body to the edifying of it selfe in loue Thus is euery member of the body that is euery member of the Church ioyned vnto Christ by faith and loue And herein standeth the vnitie of this Body From this Vnitie the Papists are fallen away for they teach that the members of their Church as they call it neede not to haue any inward grace but it sufficeth if they make onely an externall profession of faith and haue the cōmunion of the Sacraments which by very sense is perceiued So saith Card. Bellarmine Lib. 3. de Ecclesi◠cap. 2. lib. 3. cap. 2. de Ecclesia It followeth that the Popish Church hath not vnitie with the Catholike Church which is the body of Christ For there is but one Church that is the body of Christ and the members of this Church are
thinke it sufficient to receiue the outward signe of the Sacrament of Baptisme without inward grace as these men teach but hee holdeth the inward spirituall grace to be needfull and therefore declaring that spirituall grace he sayth Wee are baptized by one Spirit into one body For seeing that by the grace of Baptisme men are regenerate and made the sons of God therefore this vnitie which the Church hath by the Sacrament of Baptisme is defined by the Apostle not to be externall perceiued by sense as these teach but to be internall and spirituall For by one Spirit we are baptised into one body that is by one Spirit wee are regenerate and are made members of this holy body the Church And therefore the Apostle ioyneth these three things together One Lord one faith one Baptisme Ephe. 4. 3. as if he should say One head one rule one body of beleeuers regenerated by baptisme We are forced from euidence of the trueth to vnderstand Baptisme from the words of the Apostle not of the externall perception but of the inward grace of the Sacrament because what he meaneth by one Baptisme himselfe declareth when he sayth By one Spirit wee are all baptised into one body The summe is this vnitie which the Church hath from the Spirit is a spirituall grace without which inward spirituall grace no man can haue the communion of the holy Ghost or be a member of Christ his Church in the vnitie of one Spirit But without this inward spiritual grace a man may bee a member of the Church of Rome therefore the Church of Rome is not the Church of Christ forasmuch as that Church is fallen away from the vnitie of the Spirit which knitteth all the members of the Church together The fourth vnitie whereby the Church is knowen to be one and the same alwayes is the vnitie of Faith For the true Church from the Apostles hauing receiued the true faith hath helde the same vnto this day and must holde it without change vnto the end of the world And therefore the ancient Fathers were wont to prooue the Church to be alwayes the same in many generations and successions because the same faith was alwayes helde in the Church without change whereupon S. Hierome commenting vpon the 23. Psalme vpon these words Haec est generatio quaerentium dominum sayth Ecclesia ex pluribus personis congregatur tamen vna dicitur propter vnitatem fidei that is The Church is gathered together of diuers persons and yet it is said to be one for the vnitie of faith Then they who hold not this vnitie can neuer prooue that they haue the vnitie of the Church which Christ redeemed with his blood which the Apostles taught and planted The faith of the Church is said to bee one because the rule of faith is one and the same from the beginning of the Church to the ende the rule of faith is the doctrine of faith contained in the holy Scriptures This is the rule that ruleth the Church for the Church must teach the true faith and that is the true faith which the Church teacheth out of the holy Scriptures so that wee must not take whatsoeuer the Church teacheth without any limitation or rule For the Church hath a rule to teach by this rule is the rule of faith taken out of the holy Scriptures so long as any particular Church teacheth according to this rule so long is that Church to be heard but if a Church once fall away from this rule of faith then it ceaseth to be a true Church of God as many particular Churches haue fallen away because they haue forsaken this rule of faith First therefore I will proue out of the Scriptures and ancient fathers that the true Church is knowen by the rule of faith And then I wil demōstrate that this rule of faith is no other thing then the true doctrines of faith conteined in the Scripture By which meanes it wil appeare what is the true Church and where it is to bee found The Apostle proouing that the Ephesians were a true Church of God saith You are no more strangers Eph. 2. 20. but felow citisens with the Saints and of the houshold of God are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ Iesus himselfe being the chiefe corner Stone In which wordes hee declareth what the true Church is an assembly of Saints the houshold of God vpon what foundation it is built for the doctrine of the faith vpon which the Church is built is called a foundation And because this doctrine is cōteined in the holy scriptures written by the Prophets and Apostles therefore it is called the foūdation of the prophets Apostles Then the church is built vpon this foundation that is vpon the faith cōteined in the Scriptures written by the prophets Apostles And if any Church change once this foundation that ceaseth to be a true Church of Christ Of diuers testimonies of fathers I will cite a fewe Clemens Alexandrinus saith Wee Libr. 7. stromatum say that the ancient and Catholike Church is knowen to be in the vnitie of one Faith which faith is contained in the proper Testaments or rather in one Testament which in diuers times is Contra omnes hereses one Athanasius saith The Orthodoxe Church truely reading and exactly examining the holy Scriptures doeth edifie it selfe vpon the Rocke The Authour Hom. 49. of the imperfect worke vpon Matt. saith If any would know what is the true Church how shall hee know this but onely by Scriptures S. Austin saith In the Epist 60. Scriptures we learne Christ in the Scriptures we learne to know the Church of Christ. Vincentius Licinensis saith The Church of Lib. contr heres cap. 32. Christ is a carefull keeper of the doctrines committed to her shee changeth nothing of them at any time she diminisheth nothing she addeth nothing shee cutteth off nothing necessary shee putteth to nothing superfluous shee looseth not her owne shee vsurpeth no strange doctrine Bede saith The In Iohn lib. 1. c. 12 foundation of the Church is the soundnesse of the Faith of the Apostles and Prophets According to these speake the rest because wee would not stay too long vpon testimonies Whereby it appeareth that this hath beene the common doctrine of the Church that the true Church is knowen by holding the rule of faith which true faith the Prophets and Apostles haue written and declared to the Church So that heerein standeth the ministerie of the Church in preseruing this faith for euer sound which by the holy men inspired of God to write the Scriptures is left to the Church Or as S. Iude faith Iude 3. To contend earnestly for the faith which was once deliuered to the Saints Now that this rule of faith is no other thing sauing only the true doctrine of the Scripture it will appeare if wee briefly consider the testimonies of the Scriptures and doctrines
hic populus decipi vult decipiatur in nomine diaboli that is Seeing this people will needes be deceiued let them be deceiued in the name of the deuill and so gaue them the Popes blessing Thus doe the Popish teachers come to saue soules making the people blind keeping them in blindnesse and then profanely scoffing at that blindnesse which themselues procured But S. Chrysostome and the ancient godly Fathers dealt farre otherwise with the people alwayes exhorting them to reade the Scriptures And Chrysostome in the same place doeth with great reason and eloquence both pull off this vaile of ignorance which the Papists labour to cast ouer the eyes of the people and doeth very effectually descry the fraude and imposture of such teachers as these Popish teachers are For sayth Chrysostome would it not be thought a very absurd thing if in borrowing and lending of money a man should trust him that brought him money and not tell it after him how is it then that this is thought so absurd not to tell money after another and shall we in things o◠the greatest weight simply follow the sentence of othe◠men without examination seeing we haue such an exac◠rule of holy Scripture Chrysostome prooueth that the learned Papists are couseners an◠the simple Papists sottish lik◠them that will not see their money tolde This is the reason that in stead of golde and siluer they receiue copper and brasse The damage redoundeth to the destruction of their soules and therefore they ought to haue a greater care and foresight lest in the matters concerning their soules they bee abused by such as dare change the rule of Faith delighting in the ignorance of the simple and profanely scoffing the ignorance which themselues haue caused This thing the simple people ought more carefully to looke to more exactly to preuent then any damage that can grow in their worldly estate Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria Lib. de recta fide ad regni saith It is necessary for vs to follow the holy Scriptures and from their prescript in no manner of thing must we depart Tertullian saith The rule of Faith Lib. de velandis virgini is instituted by Christ and it is one and the same which none may change which none may reforme Then whether the Papists wil call it an Alteration or a Reformation of the rule of faith which in Trent they haue done it is vtterly denied that the Church may either alter or reforme that rule S. Hillarie saith The presumption or Lib. ad Constan August frailtie or errour of some hee speaketh there against the Arrians but his wordes doe no lesse touch the Papistes hath either fraudulently confessed or impudently transgressed the vnchāgeable cōstitution of Apostolike doctrine So he calleth the rule of faith Indemutabilem Constitutionem Apostolicae doctrinae S. Hierome saith The Church Lib. 1. in Mich. c. ◠of Christ which dwelleth well possessing the Churches spread ouer the whole world is ioyned together in the vnitie of the spirit and hath cities of the Lawe and Prophets of the Gospel and Apostles and goeth not out of her boundes that is out of the holy Scriptures Thus he calleth the holy Scriptures the bounds and limits of the Church out of which limits the Church of Christ neuer goeth but the Church of Rome is gone out of these bounds S. Augustine Libr. de bon vidutat cap. 1. saith The holy Scripture hath fixed a rule for our doctrine lest we might dare to be wiser thē we ought I omit many for breuity S. Gregory saith In the volume of the Scriptures are conteined In Ezek. all things which doe teach vs all things that edifie And again All our munitiō is cōtained in the holy Writ To these Ancients agree the writers of the Church of Rome Peter Lombard saith Lib. 1. dist 1. Matters of faith must be demonstrated according to the authorities of holy Scriptures T. Aquinas In 1. ad sim c. 6. saith The doctrine of the prophets and Apostles is called Canonicall because it is the rule of our vnderstanding and therefore no man ought to teach otherwise The same might be proued out of others but this may suffice From all which I conclude that the doctrine of the Scriptures hath euer bin held to be the rule of faith which must rule the Church in teaching For these men presume that they deale with simple men that may not examine their doctrines and therefore they bid the people take doctrines at their hands and seeke no further And they tell vs that the rule of faith is that which the Church teacheth These be mad fellowes that presume so much vpō the simplicity of others for the rule of faith is a rule that ruleth the Church for deceiuers may come into the Church The Scripture hath warned vs of deceiuers that such shall come Antichrist with his deceiuing Priests shall come Now lest these deceiuers should abuse vs with false doctrines which they may call the doctrines of the Church the rule of faith is fixed to rule them and all other The ancient Fathers were all ruled by this rule we are ruled by the same rule onely these that haue changed the rule refuse to be ruled by this rule They tell vs that their doctrine must bee the rule to vs but they tell vs not what should rule their doctrine Now here is the point which we entreat learned and vnlearned to consider who seeke out the true Church and are desirous to find it and therein to rest The Church is knowen by the careful keeping of the true faith that is the true Church which from the Apostles in all successions hath held the true faith the true faith is knowen by the rule of faith the rule is the same in all ages This rule hath beene helde inuiolable from the Apostles times downeward in the Greeke Church in the Latine Church euen in the Church of Rome vntill the Councill of Trent And in the Councill of Trent we find this rule changed For whereas before the Church helde this rule alwayes to bee the Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine conteined in the holy Scriptures now they haue made the rule to bee Scriptures and vnwritten Traditions These vnwritten Traditions they call the word of God as well as Scriptures and thus haue they made a word of God of their owne inuention By this meanes they magnifie the Popes authoritie and haue turned the Supremacie into a Godhead and will not vnderstand that they worship Antichrist in the Church For these Traditions are the Popes word as the Scripture is Gods word And they blush not to teach that the word of the Pope is the word of God And thus haue they set vp in the church another God and another word of God And what can Antichrist doe more then this Then in seeking the true Church wee must follow the rule we follow the same rule that all the fathers followed and because
by grace knit to Christ their head as we haue prooued out of the Apostle Therfore that Church whose members are not knit to Christ by grace to the edifying of themselues in loue is no true Church of Christ It will not aduantage them to say that they haue among them some good men who they doubt not are members of Christ though their Church hath communion also with such as haue no inward grace and vertue For the Church of Christ hath no cōmunion with wicked men who liue without inward grace because the communion which the Church hath is called in our Creede Acommunion of Saints The Saints are men sanctified by the Spirit of God washed by the blood of Christ from their sins These Saints haue communiō both with Christ their Head by faith and with and among themselues by loue and charitie This communion is not betweene good and euill between Saints and wicked men but only among the Saints who are cleansed from all sinne by the blood of Christ for so S. Iohn teacheth speaking of this communion of Saints If wee walke in 1. Ioh. 1. 7 the light as he is in the light wee haue communion one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne cleanseth vs from all sinne Then this communion is among them that are cleansed by the blood of Christ from all sinne But the members of the Church of Rome which by their owne confession haue no inward grace are not cleansed from all their sinne by his blood And therfore such men cannot say that they haue this communion or any part thereof For vnto such S. Iohn saith in the words immediatly going before If we say that wee haue communion 1 Ioh. 1. 6 with him and walke in darkenesse we lie and do not the truth Now if these be found to be lyars by the testimonie of S. Iohn who say they haue communion with Christ when they walke in darknesse when they haue no inward vertue for such must needs walke in darkenesse who haue no inward light direction then out of doubt the Popish Church as now it standeth can haue no communion with Christ and consequently can be no true Church of Christ The reason is plaine from these principles which are their confession on the one side and the expresse testimonie of Scriptures on the other side The second Vnitie of the Church is the vnitie of the head Christ is the head of his Church And the Church of Christ is knowen by this vnitie for that is the true Church that hath alwayes kept this Head Iesus Christ But the Romish Church hath changed this head seeing they haue the Pope the head of the vniuersall Church Their common answere is That the Pope is Christ his Vicar and the ministeriall head But this answere is but a cloake to couer ignorance For the Church is but one and herein wee haue the confession of the Papists For Cardinall Bellarmine sayth the Libr. 3. cap. 2. de Eccles Church is onely one and not two and of this one Church he maketh the Pope to be the head as being Christs Vicar Now to bolt out the truth we reason thus The Church is one this one onely Church is Christ his bodie Christ his Spouse therefore if the Pope bee Christ his Vicar and the ministeriall head he must by this delegacie gouerne the same Church vnder Christ which is his body his Spouse For if Christ gouerne one Church and the Pope another then the Pope cannot be Christ his Vicar because hee gouerneth not the same vnder Christ for hee must bee Vicar to him whose Church hee doeth gouerne But the Pope doeth not gouerne the same Church vnder Christ but another Assembly For Christ is the head of his owne body of his owne members that is of Saints of true beleeuers of such as receiue inward grace vertue from the head and by that grace grow vp to the edification of themselues in loue as the Apostle teacheth But the Pope by the common confession of Papistes is head of such a Church whose mēbers haue no inward grace or vertue in them but onely the externall profession of the Romish faith acknowledging that the Pope is their head and gouernour For without this acknowledgment that the Pope is the head of the Church and Christ his Vicar on earth no profession of faith can make a man a member of that Church whatsoeuer faith he professe he is not receiued as a member in that Church vnlesse hee professe this faith of the Papall authoritie And if he professe this though there be in him no inward grace no vertue yet he is taken to be a true member of that Church By this it appeareth that the Pope doeth not gouerne the same Church vnder Christ whereof Christ is the head For Christ is not the head of wicked profane liuers that are without inward grace without vertue the deuill is their head Saint Austin sayth Lib. 3. cap. 37. de doctrina Christiana truely Diabolus est caput impiorum qui sunt eius quodammodo corpus ituri cumillo in supplicio aeterni ignis sicut Christus est caput Ecclesiae quae est corpus eius futurum cum illo in regno gloria sempiterna that is The deuil is the head of wicked men who are after a sort his body and shall goe with him into his kingdom and euerlasting fire euen as Christ is the head of the Church which is his body and shall be with him in his kingdom and euerlasting glory Whereupon it followeth that if the Pope bee the ministeriall head of a Church that Church consisting of wicked men that liue without inward grace or vertue as themselues confesse and the deuill being the head of all such as S. Augustine proueth It followeth I say that the Pope is by this found to be the Vicar of the deuill and the ministeriall head of the deuill ruling an assembly whereof the deuil is the head and not Christ This conclusion though it seeme to derogate much from the assumed title of his Holinesse yet considering the former premisses no man of learning and vnderstanding can iustly denie Then the Church of Rome is fallen away from this communion with the Head Christ Iesus because it is certaine that they who haue no inward grace and vertue haue no cōmunion with this head The third vnitie of the Church is the vnitie of the Spirit The whole Church is gouerned and directed by the same Spirit And therefore the Apostle speaking of the giftes which God giueth for the edificatiō of the Church sayth All these worketh that 1. Cor. 12. 11. one and the selfe-same Spirit And of the members of the Church that are gouerned by the selfesame Spirit he sayth a litle after the former words For by one Spirit we are all baptized 1. Cor. 12. 13. into one body In which words it is euident that to be a member of the Church the Apostle doeth not
of ancient writers in this poynt I will take a few of both S. Paul saith Whatsoeuer Rom. 15. 4. things are written before are written for our doctrine that by patience and consolation of the Scripture wee might haue hope Whereby the Apostle teacheth plainely that the Scriptures are the rule of our doctrine so that nothing may bee taught nothing may bee learned concerning our faith but according to this rule deliuered in the Scriptures And againe All Scripture is giuen 2. Tim. 3. 16. by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may bee perfect throughly furnished vnto all good workes The Apostle declareth how the Scripture is profitable and perfect The Papists confesse that the Scripture is profitable but not perfect They denie the perfection the Apostle prooueth both It is profitable to perfect the man of God that profitablenesse that is able to make men perfect is both profitablenesse and perfection If the Scripture can make the man of God perfect then there is no neede of any traditions of men to make vp this perfection This hath bene the common doctrine of the Church that the Scriptures are so perfect in themselues that they containe the whole rule of faith In this confession agree the Greeke Church the Latine Church the Church of Rome and all Writers in the Church of Rome haue helde vp this common faith vntill the Council of Trent which Councill ended some fiftie yeres agoe And then began these men whom now we call Papists to change this rule of faith in the Council of Trent For whereas before the rule of faith was euer confessed to be in the doctrine of the Scriptures in that Council vnwritten Traditions were taken into the rule of faith and so they teach now that the Scripture is but one part of the rule of faith and vnwritten Traditions of the Church of Rome another part So that the whole rule is in the Scriptures and in Traditions Whereby it appeareth that the rule of faith is by them changed For I say that they are not able to prooue by any writer of the Church of Rome much lesse by ancients that the vnwritten Traditions of the Church of Rome were helde to be a part of the rule of faith before the Counciâ— of Trent And because the Church is certainely knowen by preseruing the rule oâ— faith for that is the true Church which through alâ— successions holdeth the same faith deliuered by the Apostles and Prophets and that is no true Church which holdeth not the same faith anâ— the same faith is knowen by the same rule therefore thâ— Church of Rome that now is hauing changed the rule oâ— faith hath assuredly changeâ— the faith and hauing changed the faith ceaseth to be â— true Church of Christ because the Church is knoweâ— by the faith which the Apostles left to the Church Anâ— that Church such as it is following now a new rule of faith can prooue their antiquitie no ancienter then the rule That rule being then deuised some 50. yeeres agoe it followeth that when they seeke out their antiquity they will finde their Church to be according to the antiquitie of the rule of their faith of some 50. yeres standing and no ancienter In the meane time they cousen the simple people that cannot iudge with great boasting of their antiquitie and of the coÌ„tinuance of their faith from the Apostles But these be but vaine brags as it will further appeare in the processe thereof But first that we may know how faithful and peremptory the ancient Fathers and Writers of the Church of Rome haue beene in this point to prooue that nothing may be receiued into the rule of faith sauing only the Scriptures of many testimonies I will cite some Clemens Alexandrinus saith Strom. lib. 6. The Ecclesiasticall rule is the consent and conspiration of the olde and new Testament By the Ecclesiasticall rule hee declareth what is that rule which ruleth the Church And speaking of the holy Scriptures he saith There is no other worke but this onely that can bring saluation to men Athanasius saith Contra gentes The holy Scriptures inspired by God are sufficient to instruct men in the trueth Basill sayth Ascet de fide It is a manifest sliding away from faith and an euident signe of pride either to reiect any thing of that which is written or to bring in any thing that is not written Where he prooueth this both by Scriptures and reasons For Christ his sheepe heare his voice therfore it must be the known voice of Christ in the Scriptures that must rule our faith And the Apostle saith That though it be a Gal. 1. 15. mans testament yet if it be confirmed and ratified no man may disanull it or adde any thing to it Whereby Basill most powerfully proueth that the Testament of Christ being confirmed by his death may not be disanulled or haue any thing added vnto it For this were euident forgerie in a mans Testament And what then shall wee call this adding of vnwritten Traditions to the Testament of Iesus Christ Constantine the great had learned this of the orthodox Bishops and therefore hee sayth as Theodoret deliuereth Theodor. lib. 1. ca. 7 his saying in the first Nicene Council The Euangelicall and Apostolicall bookes and the oracles of the olde Prophets doe fully Plene nos instruunt instruct vs what we must vnderstand of the will of God therefore laying aside all contentions let vs seeke out the solution of those doubts that are proposed out of the holy Scriptures S. Chrysostome In 2. Cor. Hom. 13. sayth Seeing wee haue a most exact rule balance and gnomon that is the doctrine of holy Scriptures I beseech you â—hat you will not regard what this â—r that man sayth but seeke all â—hese things out of the Scripâ—ures Where S. Chrysostome â—reacheth to the people and â—rayeth them to read and search â—he Scriptures A cleane conâ—rary course take these Popish doctors who debarre the peoâ—le from reading the Scripâ—ures in a known tongue and â—o keepe them in ignorance â—elling them that they must beleeue nothing but that which the Church teacheth by the Church they meane themselues who are their teachers And they neuer declare to the people how by the rule of faith deliuered in the Scriptures they should examine their doctrines but the blind people must take all at their handes who are resolued to holde them blinde still As Cardinall Caietan comming into Paris and finding the people blinde was not desirous to remooue their blindnesse by instruction but content to abuse their blindnesse and to leaue them as blinde as he found them For when the people were desirous to haue the Cardinals blessing and therein the Popes the Cardinall at the first refused but finding the people earnestly set vpon that motion hee turned to them and sayde these words Quandoquidem