body who would haue the verie flesh of Christ present in the Sacrament for this is against the article of the Creede that Christ is ascended into heauen and there sitteth till his comming againe in iudgement Concerning these meanes thus writeth Augustine Rarissime inuenitur ambiguitas in verbis proprijs quam non aut circumstantia ipsa sermonis qua cognoscitur Scripturarum intentio aut interpretum collatio aut praecedentes soluat inspectio de doctrin Christ. lib. 3.4 There is almost no ambiguitie in any word properly vsed that is not metaphoricall or borrowed which may not either by the circumstance of the place the conference and comparing of interpreters or by looking into the originals easily be taken away Augustine we see approueth this methode though our aduersaries like it not Besides these prayer must be vsed before we enterprise any thing that the Lord would direct vs. And they which cā not so easily take this course which is prescribed shall do well to seeke helpe of learned and godly expositors or to consult with their Pastors and Ministers Ex Whitacher quaest 5. cap. 9. THE SEVENTH QVESTION CONCERNING the perfection and sufficiencie of Scripture THis question is deuided into three parts First whether the Scriptures be absolutely necessary Secōdly whether they be sufficient without vnwritten traditions Thirdly whether there be any traditions of faith and manners beside the Scriptures THE FIRST PART OF THE NEcessitie of the Scriptures The Papistes THe Iesuite laboureth to proue that the Scriptures are not simply necessarie error 11 which we denie not for meate is not simply necessarie for God may preserue man without so in respect of God nothing is simply necessarie God is not necessarily tyed to vse this or that meanes but his argumentes do tend to this end to shew that the scriptures are not necessarie at all and may be spared in the Church so saith Petrus a Soto the Scripture was not alway extant and it is not necessarie vnto faith And the Scripture it not now so necessarie since Christ as it was afore Tilman de verbo Dei error 17. 1 There was no Scripture from Adam to Moses for the space of two thousand yeares and yet true Religion was kept and continued and why might not true Religiō be as well preserued a 1500. yeare after Christ without scripture as afore We answere It foloweth not because in times past God taught his church by a liuelie voyce that the written word is not necessarie now for the Lord saw it good that his word should be left in writing that we might haue a certaine rule of our faith in this corrupt and sinfull age And what els is this but to cōtroll the wisedome of God saying it is not necessarie or needfull for the Church which the Lord saw to be needfull for if the Lord had thought it as good for vs to be taught without Scripture as in that simple and innocēt age of the world I meane innocent in respect of vs he would not haue moued and stirred vp his Apostles to write 2 After the time of Moses when the law was written yet there were many that feared God amongest the Gentiles which had not the Scriptures as Iob and the other his friends Ergo the scripture not necessarie The Iewes also them selues vsed traditions more then Scriptures as Psal. 44. v. 1.2 the fathers did report the workes of God to their children by the negligence also of the Priests the law was lost as 2. King 22. we read that the volume of the law was found which had bene missing a long time We answere First euē the faithfull amōgest the Gētiles did read the scripture as the Eunuke Act. 8. had the booke of the Prophet Isay. Secondly the Iewes declared the workes of God vnto their children but the same were also written as how the heathen were cast out before them and of their deliuerāce out of Egypt those were the things they heard of their fathers as we read Psal. 44. 78. yet all these things are recorded in the bookes of Moses Thirdly what though the Priests were negligent in preseruing the scriptures it is no good argument to proue that therefore they are not necessarie neither was the whole booke of the law lost but either Moses owne manuscript or the booke of Deuteronomie Yet he hath proued nothing 3 The Church after Christ wanted the Scriptures many yeares Ergo they are not necessarie We aunswere it is a great vntruth for the old Testamēt the Church could not be without and the new Testament was written not long after in the age of the Apostles whose liuely voyce and preachings were vnto them as their writings are now to vs. See now what strong arguments they bring the scriptures were not necessary in the time of the Patriarkes when God taught them by his owne voyce they were not necessarie in the time of the Prophetes and Apostles when they had mē inspired of God to teach them Ergo they are not now necessarie when neither God teacheth from heauen neither haue we any Prophetes or Apostles to instruct vs by heauenly reuelations nay rather because they were not necessarie then when they had other effectuall meanes notwithstanding they are necessarie now seeing there is no other way of instruction left vnto vs. The Protestantes THat the scriptures are necessarie for the people of God the reading preaching and vnderstanding whereof is the onely and ordinarie meanes to beget faith in vs we thus proue out of the Scriptures them selues 1 The scriptures conteine necessarie knowledge to saluation which can not be learned but out of the scripture Ergo they are necessarie The knowledge of the law is necessarie but that onely is deriued from the Scripture as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 7.7 he had not knowen lust to be sinne vnlesse the law had said thou shalt not lust And if the right knowledge of the law is not learned but out of the scripture much more the knowledge of the Gospel is more high and mysticall and more straunge vnto our nature 2 That whereby we are kept frō error and doubtfulnes in matters of faith is necessarie but this is performed by the scripture Ergo. First the Scripture keepeth vs from error Math. 22.29 ye erre not knowing the scriptures saith our Sauiour The ignoraunce of scripture was cause of their error Secondly if our knowledge were onely builded vpon tradition without scripture we should be doubtfull and vncertaine of the truth so S. Luke saith in his Preface to Theophilus I haue written saith he that thou mightest be certaine of those things whereof thou hast bene instructed Hence we conclude that although we might know the truth without scripture as Theophilus did yet we can not know it certainlie without 3 If the scriptures be not necessarie then we may be without them but this can not be Ergo the scriptures can not be spared for then God had done a needlesse and superfluous worke in stirring vp
the Prophets and Apostles to write S. Paule saith that what soeuer is writtē is written for our learning that through patience and cōsolation of the scriptures we might haue hope Rom. 15.4 The Lord saw in wisedome that his people could not be without the Scriptures which are necessarie for their learning for their comfort and to strengthen their hope how then dare our aduersaries say that the scriptures are not necessarie seeing these things wrought in vs by the scriptures knowledge consolation hope are most necessarie 4 Let Augustine now put in his verdict Illud credo quod etiā hinc diuinorū eloquiorum clarissima authoritas esset si homo illud sine dispendio salutis ignorare non posset de peccator merit remiss lib. 2.36 I thinke saith he that euen concerning this matter speaking of the originall or beginning of the soule the Scriptures would not haue bene silent if we might not safelie be ignoraunt of this matter without daunger of saluation Ergo whatsoeuer is necessarie to saluatiō is onely to be found in scripture for other matters there not expressed there in no daunger in not knowing them therfore the Scriptures by this Fathers iudgement are most necessary THE SECOND PART OF THE SEVENTH question of the sufficiencie of Scripture The Papistes THey do straungely affirme that the Scriptures conteine not all things necessarie error 12 to be knowen cōcerning faith and manners and that they are not sufficient without traditions Bellarm. cap. 3.4 Lindanus a Papist saith that the scriptures conteine not all things necessarie to saluation Andradius that their approued traditions are of equall authoritie with the Scripture Ex Tilman de verbo error 2. 1 First the Iesuite thus reasoneth against the sufficiencie of Scripture There are diuerse bookes of canonicall Scripture lost and perished Ergo that part of canonical scripture which remaineth is not sufficiēt that much is lost he thus proueth 1. Chron. cap. vlt. mention is made of the bookes of Nathan Gad. 2. Chron. 9. of the bookes of Ahiiah Ieedo in the new Testamēt Col. 4. of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Laodiceans all those bookes are lost We aunswere First we denie not but that some bookes are now wanting which were part of canonicall scripture yet that which remaineth is sufficiēt as some of Solomōs bookes are perished which he wrote of herbes plāts and many of his Prouerbes the Lord saw that they were not so greatly necessarie for vs to saluation Secondly there is not so much wanting as the Iesuite would beare vs in hād for the books of the Prophets which he nameth are the same with the bookes of the Chronicles of the Kings which no doubt were writtē by those Prophetes And as for the Epistle of S. Paule to the Laodiceās there was neuer any such the text is written from the Laodiceans it was the Epistle rather of the Laodiceans to S. Paule vnto the which he partly maketh aunswere in the Epistle to the Colossians and therefore he would haue it read also in their Church 2 If the Apostles had any such meaning to contriue in the scriptures the summe of faith and all necessarie knowledge it is very like Christ would haue geuen them some expresse commaundement so to do but we read not of any such strict commaundement Ergo they had no such purpose Bellarmine We aunswere First they them selues dare not denie but that the Apostles wrote by the instinct of the spirite what is that els but the commaundement of God Actes 16.6 Paule was forbidden of the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia and ver 10. when he had seene a vision of a man of Macedonia appearing vnto him the Apostle concludeth that they were called of God wherefore what they did by the secret mouing of the spirite was done at the cōmaundement of God Secondly Apocal. 11.1.14.13 Iohn is biddē to write that which he saw no doubt the other Apostles had the like cōmaundement 3 There are many points which we ought in no wise to be ignoraunt of which the scriptures speake either obscurelie of or not at all First these things are obscurely and doubtfully set downe in Scripture the equalitie of the persons in Trinitie the proceeding of the holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne the doctrine of originall sinne We aunswere First if these things be found at all in the Scriptures it is sufficient concerning the question we haue in hand Secondly the Scripture doth manifestly declare the truth in all those points the equalitie of the persons is directly proued 1. Iohn 5.7 the procession of the spirite Iohn 15.26 the spirit is there said to be sent frō the Father the Sonne And Ioh. 14.26 Original sinne is described plainly by the Apostle Rom. 5.12 though the name be not found in Scripture Secondly there are diuerse things necessarie to be knowen not at all declared in Scripture First as that Marie continued a perpetuall Virgine We answere the Scripture saith euery where she was a Virgine neither maketh mention of any children she had and therefore out of the Scripture we gather that she continued Secondly Basile saith that it is sufficient to know she was a Virgine before the birth of Christ. Secondly to know that the Pasch or Easter must be kept vpon the Lordes day is necessarie Aunswere there is no such necessiitie in it to saluation neither needed the Church so much to haue contended about it in times past these are the mightie weapons which our aduersaries vse The Protestantes WE do not affirme as our aduersaries charge vs that all things necessarie to saluation are expressely conteined in scripture that is in so many words but this we hold that all things which are necessarily to be knowen of vs are either expresly declared in Scripture or necessarily concluded out of Scripture and so conteined in them We also graunt that it was not Gospell onely which was written but all that Christ and his Apostles taught by liuely voyce the whole summe whereof and substaunce is conteined in the written word and so we conclude that nothing necessarie to saluation either concerning faith or manners is els where to be found but in the holy Scriptures 1 S. Paule saith if we or an Aungell preach vnto you otherwise then that which we haue preached let him be accursed Ergo the Scripture conteineth all things necessarie First the Iesuite aunswereth that S. Paule speaketh not onely of his writings but also of his preachings which were not written We aunswere that the summe of all S. Paules preachings is conteined in his Epistles and other holy writings for S. Paule confirmed his doctrine out of the scriptures as Act. 17.10 the Berrheans examined his doctrine by the scriptures and found it to be consonant and to agree in all things Secondly he condēneth those which preach any thing not besides or otherwise but contrarie and therefore not any other doctrine besides Scripture is forbidden but that
third of Iohn the last Chapter of Marke We differ not then in the new Testament vnlesse it be concerning the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews which ouer aduersaries stoutly affirme to be S. Pauls which we deny not neither certainly can affirme it seeing in some Greeke copies it is left out and in the Syriacke translation But it mattereth not who was the author seeing we receiue it as canonicall for the title is no part of the booke and so neither of Scripture and we receiue many bookes in the old Testament the authors whereof are not perfectly knowne So then all the question is about the Apocrypha of the old Testamēt they are called Apocrypha because they are hid and obscure not because their authours are vnknowne for as I sayd we knowe not by whom certaine Canonical bookes were written neither are they so called because of some vntruthes conteined in them contrary to Scripture as the most of them haue for it foloweth not that euerie booke which hath no vntruth or lye should straight wayes be taken for Scripture but they are therfore iudged and called Apocrypha because they were not in former time receiued into publike and authentick authoritie in the Church neither to be alledged as grounds of our faith though they may be read for example of life and may haue other profitable vse But the Canonicall Scripture onely hath this priuiledge to geue rules of faith and thereupon it hath the name that we may be bold to beleeue and ground our faith vpon the canonicall holy Scripture which is the onely word of God Wherefore out of this number of Canonicall Scripture we exclude all the books afore named therfore let not the reader be deceiued that although they be ioyned in one volume with the Scripture to think that they are for that of the same authoritie and credit with the rest first we will shew one reason in general and afterward come vnto the particular books in order 1 All canonical scripture in the old Testament was written by Prophets we haue a sure word of the prophetes saith S. Peter 2.1.19 and S. Paule Rom. 16.26 calleth them the Scriptures of the Prophets But none of those bookes aforenamed of Tobias Iudith and the rest were written by the Prophets for they were all written since Malachies time who was the last Prophete as the Church complaineth Psal. 74.9 There is not one Prophete nor any that can tell vs how long Ergo none of these bookes are canonicall 2 All the canonicall bookes of the old Testament were acknowledged of the Iewes and Hebrues for they were then onely the Church of God and where should Scripture be found but in the Church to them sayth S. Paule were committed the oracles of God Rom. 3.2 But the Iewes receiued none of these books for none of them are written in the Hebrue toung neither did they receiue them with the like authoritie as other bookes of Scripture and this some of the Papists can not denie Ergo thy are not Canonicall 3 There is no Scripture of the old Testament but it hath approbation of the new for as the Prophetes beare witnesse to Christ so he againe doth witnesse for the Prophets and therefore it is a true proposition of Caietane though he be controlled and checked of Catharinus an other Papist for it that there is no Scripture which was not either written or approued by the Apostles but in the whole new Testament you shall not find one testimony cited either in the Gospel or the Epistles out of any of the Apocrypha as out of other bookes of Scripture therefore hauing no approbation of the new Testament we conclude they are none of the old 4 It shall appeare in the seuerall discourse of the particular bookes that there is somewhat euen in the bookes themselues to be found that barreth them from being Canonicall OF THE BOOKE OF BARVCH The Papistes THis is their best reason for the authoritie of this booke because Baruch was Ieremies scribe and therfore Baruch can not be refused vnlesse also we doubt of Ieremie Bellarm. lib. 1. de verbo Dei cap. 8. The Protestantes THis booke was neither written by Ieremie nor Baruch first because it is in Greeke if either Ieremie or Baruch had written it it is most like they would haue written in Hebrue Secondly the phrase and manner of speach sheweth that it was neuer written in Hebrue for in the 6. Chapter in the Epistle of Ieremie it is said that the Israelites should be in captiuitie seuen generations that is 70. yeares but it can not be found in any Hebrue booke that generation is taken for the space of 70. yeares OF THE SEVEN APOCRYPHAL Chapters of Esther The Papistes ONe of their chief Arguments besides testimonies and authorities which would make to great a Volume is this which is common also to the rest of the Apocrypha they are read in the Church haue bene of auncient time Ergo they are Canonicall I aunswere that it is no good argument Hierome saith plainly Legit Ecclesia sedeos inter Scripturas Canonicas non recipit Praefat. in lib. Solomon The Church indeede saith he readeth them yet for all that they are not Canonicall And Augustine was wōt to read vnto the people the Epistles of the Donatistes and his aunsweres vnto them Epist. 203. The Protestantes THe most of our reasons against the authoritie of the 7. Chapters added to Esther for of the 10 first Chapters which are found in the Hebrue we make no doubt at all are drawen from the matter of the booke it selfe 1 In the second of the Canonicall Esther ver 16. it is said that the conspiracie of the two Eunuches against the king was in the 7. yeare of Assuerus but in the 11. Chap. ver 2. of the Apocryphall Esther we read that Mardocheus did dreame of this conspiracie in the secōd yeare Bellarmine aunswereth that both are true for the dreame was in the secōd yeare the conspiracie in the seuēth so belike there was fiue yeares betweene But in the 11. Chapter it is said that Mardocheus was much troubled about that dreame and the next night after his dreame the conspiracie was enterprised 2 The true history of Esther saith that Mardocheus had no reward at that time of the king cap. 6.3 but the forged storie saith that at the same time the king gaue him great gifts which can not be meant of that great honor which afterward was bestowed vpon Mardoche for then Haman being hanged the same day could worke him no despite wheras the forged story saith that after the king had rewarded him then Haman began to stomach him because of those two Eunuches 3 Againe the storie which is added was written many yeares after Mardoches Esthers death vnder the raigne of Ptolomaeus Cleopatra as it appeareth cap. 11.1 it is not like therefore to be a true storie Bellarmins ridiculous cōiecture is this that there were two stories
lawfull for any to inuent allegories of scripture as it seemeth good to them selues THE SECOND PART OF THE SIXTH QVEtion to whom the chief authoritie to expound Scripture is committed The Papistes error 9 IT was decreed in the Councell of Trent that scripture should be expoūded as the Church expoundeth it and according to the common and consonant cōsent of the fathers Sect. 4. The Rhemistes say that the sense of the scriptures must be learned of the fathers and pastors of the Church Praefat. Sect. 18. If the fathers agree not the matter is referred to a generall Councell if there it be not determined we must haue recourse to the Pope and his Cardinals The Iesuite dare not referre the matter to the Pope alone to expound scripture but ioyneth the Colledge of Cardinals with him Bellarm. lib. 3. de script cap. 3. 1 They obiect that place Deut. 17.9 where the people are commaunded to resorte vnto the Priest or Iudge in doubtfull matters Ergo there ought to be a chief and supreme iudge in Ecclesiasticall matters Bellarm. We aunswere First here the ciuill Magistrate and the Iudge are ioyned together as ver 12. Wherefore if they will gather hereby that the Pope must be supreme Iudge in all Ecclesiasticall matters then the Emperour ought to be as well in ciuill Secōdly the text saith they shal come to the Priests ver 9. assigning many not to one onely Priest Thirdly they must iudge according to the law v. 11. not as they list thē selues Fourthly here is no mentiō made of doubts in interpreting scripture but of controuersies that may fall out betweene man and man either Ecclesiasticall to be decided by the Priest or ciuill by the Magistrate Fiftly we graunt that in euery country there ought be a supreme and high seate of iudgement for determining of controuersiall matters betweene men but it foloweth not that there should be a supreme iudge ouer the whole Church especially in such matters as this concerning the sense of the scriptures which i◠not commited to the iudgement of men neither is any such controuersie named in that palce ver 8. 2 Ecclesiastes 12.11 The wisemā cōpareth the wordes of the wise to nayles which are fastned geuen by one pastor Ergo the Pope is supreme iudge We aunswere the wise men are here vnderstood to be the Pastors and Ministers of Gods word but this one pastor signifieth neither the high Priest in the old law nor the Pope in the new but Iesus Christ the high shepheard for our soules What great boldnesse is this to attribute that to the Pope which is onely proper to Christ 3 They also picke out some places in the new Testament as Math. 16.19 to thee will I geue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Christ saith so to Peter Ergo the Pope hath authoritie to expound scripture We aunswere First by the keyes here is meant commission to preach the Gospell not onely to expound doubtes Secōdly they were geuen to all the Apostles not to Peter onely Math. 28. v. 18.19 Thirdly the Pope is not successor of Peter no more then any other godly Bishop nor so much vnlesse he folow Peters steps So they abuse that place Math. 18.17 he that will not heare the Church c. Ergo the Bishops and chief pastors must expound the doubt in scriptures Aunswere First our Sauiour speaketh here of the discipline of the Church of correctiōs and admonitions not of interpreting scripture which dependeth not vpō the will fantacie of Pope Cardinals or Popish Councels but must be tryed by the scriptures them selues Secondly we must geue eare to the Church but with a double condition we must be sure it is the Church of God secōdly we must not heare them cōtrary to the scriptures but so long as they do teach the doctrine of Christ. The Protestants WE haue a more compendious way to come to the vnderstanding of the scripture It were to lōg whē we doubt of any place to stay till we haue the generall consent of the pastors of the Church or to expect a generall Councell or go vp to Rome And it were to much to trouble the Popes grauitie with euery questiō The Lord hath shewed vs a more easie and ready way see that we neede not ascend to heauen or cōpasse the earth or passe the Alpes but the word of God is amongest vs the scriptures them selues and the spirite of God opening our harts do teach vs how to vnderstand them the interpretation of Scripture is not assigned to any succession of pastors or tryed to any place or persons Our arguments folow some few of them 1 That onely hath power to geue the sense of Scripture which doth beget vs faith the spirite onely by the Scriptures begetteth faith Rom. 10.17 faith commeth of hearing the word Ergo the spirit of God is the onely interpreter of scripture The proposition also is cleare for seeing the Scripture is the true sense and meaning therof if any should geue the sense of the scripture but that which worketh faith then vpon him should our faith be grounded If the Pope therefore geue the sense of Scripture and our faith ariseth of the Scripture vnderstood then our faith is builded vpon the Popes sense argum Whitach 2. 9. 2 The Scriptures cā not be interpreted but by the same spirit wherewith they were writtē but that spirite is found no where but in the Scriptures Ergo. The first part the Papistes them selues graunt the second is thus proued the spirite of the Apostles is not geuen by secret inspiration that sauoureth of Anabaptisme where is it thē to be found whether is it like that S. Peters spirite should be found in the Popes chaire or in his Epistles or if they haue S. Peters spirite where is S. Paules found but in his writings Yet it is all one spirite appeareth not els where but in the Scriptures where euery man may finde it as wel as the Pope the spirituall man iudgeth all things 1. Cor. 2.15 you haue an oyntment from him that is holy and you haue knowen all things and ver 27. you need not that any mā teach you By these places it is euident that euery faithfull man by the spirite of God may vnderstand the scriptures 3 The doctrine of the Church must be examined by the Scriptures Ergo the scriptures are not to stand to the iudgement of the Church The former part is proued by the example of the Berrheans Act. 17.11 If they did well in examining Paules doctrine much more may the decrees of the Pope Church Coūcels be examined by the scriptures But they knew not whether Paule was an Apostle or not therefore they might examine his doctrine saith the Iesuite Answere it is no matter for the person of Paule they examined his doctrine which dependeth not vpon the person Secondly they could not be ignoraunt of his Apostleship who was famous throughout the Churches Thirdly they doubted onely whether Paul was an
which is contrarie We aunswere whatsoeuer is imposed as necessarie to saluation beside the Scripture praeter Scripturas is also contra Scripturas contrarie to Scripture as are all Popish traditions which they lay a necessitie vpon both beside and contrarie to Scripture Neither did those false Apostles against whom S. Paule writeth so much bring in another or cōtrary Gospell as the Apostle saith ver 7. as they did labour to corrupt and peruert that Gospel which S. Paul taught Therfore all traditiōs whether praeter or cōtra beside or contrarie to Scripture are notablie by this place ouerthrowen 2 Iohn 20.31 these things are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name Ergo the Scriptures conteine all things necessarie to saluation for they suffise to worke in vs faith and faith bringeth vs to eternall life First Bellarmine aunswereth that Iohn speaketh onely of that which he had written Aunswere If this one Apostles writings were able to worke faith the whole body of Scripture much more but he rather speaketh of all other holy writings of the Apostles for he was the suruiuer of them all acknowledged their writings and approued them Secōdly saith he the Apostle saith not that those writings onely suffise but they are profitable and referred to this end to worke faith Aunswere The Scripture is not one of the meanes but the sole whole and onely meanes for if they perfectly worke faith what neede any other helpes but the first is true for they doe beget in vs a perfect faith which shall bring vs to eternall life Ergo they are the onely meanes of faith 3 The whole Scripture saith S. Paule is profitable to teach to improue to correct and instruct in righteousnesse 2. Tim. 3.16 Ergo it conteineth all things necessarie for what els is requisite besides these foure to teach the right faith improue error to instruct in righteousnes and vertue to correct vice First they aunswere the Apostle meaneth as well euery booke of Scripture as the whole euery part therfore hath this perfection as well as the whole But you will not say that euery booke conteineth all things necessarie to saluation therefore this perfection is not so to be taken We aunswere First S. Paule vnderstandeth the body of Scripture as ver 15. thou hast knowen the Scriptures he speaketh of them all Secondly if euery part had these vtilities you might as well conclude that euery word and sillable hath them for they are parts of Scripture Thirdly it appeareth by these foure great vtilities here set downe that the Apostle meaneth not any part or partes of Scripture but the whole for euery part of Scripture is not profitable for all these endes but the whole Secōdly they say it foloweth not the Scripture is profitable therfore sufficient they also graunt it is profitable Aunswere but we conclude out of S. Paule that the Scripture is not onely profitable but sufficient as it foloweth v. 17. that the man of God may be absolute perfectly instructed to euery good worke If then the scriptures are able perfectly to instruct vs then are they sufficient then neede we no other helpes 4 Lastly Augustine thus writeth in Psal. 66. Ne putetis saith he ex alijs Scripturis petendum quod forte hic deest Thinke not saith he that it is to be found in any other writings if it be not in Scripture And in another place In Euangelio quaeramus nam si ibi non inuenimus vbi inueniemus Let vs saith he seeke to be resolued in the Gospell if we finde not there where shall we find it Ergo by the iudgemēt of Augustine there is no truth necessary to be knowen which is not to be found in the Scripture THE THIRD PART OF THE SEVENTH question whether there be any traditions beside Scripture concerning faith and manners The Papistes error 13 THey vnderstand by this word tradition doctrine preceptes and ceremonies with other vsages of the Church which are not written in the scriptures They do not say that all their traditiōs are necessary but they make diuerse kindes of them some are vniuersall obserued in the whole Church some particular some are free some necessarie some are Apostolicall inuented by the Apostles some Ecclesiasticall by the Church so thus they conclude all traditions decreed in Councels and iudged Apostolicall whatsoeuer the Church of Rome receiueth as Apostolicall are not to be doubted but to be Apostolicall indeed Secondly all Apostolicall traditions are of equall authoritie with the writings of the Apostles Bellarm. lib. 4. cap. 2. 9. and they are that part of the word of God which is vnwritten as well as the scriptures are that part which is written Let vs see what arguments they bring for these traditions 1 They geue an instance of certaine traditiōs as the Baptisme of infants and the not rebaptising of those which were before Baptised by heretikes We aunswere these two customes of the Church are grounded vpon scripture for as childrē were in the time of the law Circūcised so are they now vnder the Gospell Baptised and that promise Gene. 17. I will be thy God and the God of thy seede as it belonged to them and their children so doth it appertaine to vs and our children Concerning the other point that they whom heretikes haue once Baptised ought not to be Baptised againe S. Augustine doth proue it out of the scripture Ephe. 4. there is one Faith one Baptisme Ergo not to be repeated But now they come in with other traditions as the Lenton fast which they vse most fondly and superstitiously the eight Ecclesiasticall orders Bishops Prists Deacōs Subdeacons Acolythistes Readers Exorcistes Doore-keepers the worshipping of Images with many other these they would face vs out to be Apostolical traditions and to haue bene vniuersally obserued which are but their vayne brags and Thrasonicall crakes they shall neuer proue them vniuersall much lesse Apostolicall And because they finde no scripture to establish these their superstitious fantasies by they flye vnto tradition which is their onely hauen where they hope to finde succour but all in vayne Bellarm. lib. 4. cap. 9. Consul Whitacher quaest 6. cap. 4. 2 They proceede and alledge scripture for their traditions as that place Iohn 16.12 I haue many things to say but you can not beare them now Ergo say they there are many traditions not written We aunswere First it foloweth not because Christ declared not all things at that time that therefore he kept them from his Apostles all together Nay whatsoeuer afterwardes the Apostles learned of the spirite of God they had heard before of Christ for it was the office of the spirite but to put them in remembrance of Christes sayings Iohn 14.26 which they had heard before but vnderstood them not and so forgat them Wherefore these things which Christ forbeareth to speake are the same things which are cōteined in
the Apostles writings Secondly if there were other matters which Christ vttered not how foloweth it nay what great presumptiō is it to say that those trifles and apish toyes which the Papistes vse in their Idolatrous sacrifice and their other beggarly ceremonies which boyes may well laugh at are those profoūd matters which the Apostles were not then able to conceiue 3 That of all other they take to be an inuincible place 2. Thess. 2.15 keepe the instructions or traditions which ye haue bene taught either by word or by Epistle Ergo there are traditions besides scripture We aunswere when S. Paule wrote this Epistle all the scriptures were not writtē wherefore besides these two short Epistles which do not conteine the summe of the Gospell nor all necessarie preceptes he by his preaching supplied what was wanting and so declared vnto them the whole mysterie of the Gospell as he saith 1. Thess. 2.2 these he calleth his traditions because yet he had not written his other Epistles wherein those instructions and traditions are conteined This then is but a weake argument the Thessalonians had other instructiōs and traditions beside the two Epistles writtē vnto them Ergo they had other traditiōs beside all the writings of S. Paule and the other Apostles this is their mayne and waightie argument The Protestantes FIrst we graunt that all things are not written which our Sauiour Christ and the Apostles taught and that it was the Gospell which they preached as well as this which is written yet in substance they preached the same Gospell which now is expressed in the scripture neither was there any necessarie precept deliuered in their Sermons which is not now to be found in the scriptures Secondly we denie not but there were certaine rites and orders ordained by the Apostles in diuerse churches which were not cōmitted to writing because they were not to continue and endure for euer in the Church as that precept Act. 16. that the Gentiles should abstaine from strangled and from bloud Thirdly we also graunt that the Church may vse externall rites and orders either left by tradition or ordained by the Church for decencie and comelynesse and tending to edification But we constantly affirme that there are no traditions in the Church of God necessarie to saluation beside scripture wherein all things are conteined necessarie to saluation both concerning faith and manners 1 It is not lawfull as to take ought from the word of God so to adde any thing vnto it Deut. 12.32 Apocal. 22.18 But they which bring in traditiōs necessarie beside the scriptures do adde vnto them Ergo. To the proposition the Iesuite aunswereth that all addition to the word of God is not forbidden for the Prophets did write after Moses the Apostles after the Euangelistes We aunswere that those holy men had authoritie from God to compile scripture if the Papistes haue the like Apostolike authoritie for their traditions let them shew it and we will beleeue them Secondly the Prophetes did but explane Moses and expound the law and the Apostles did as it were set forth their Commentaries vpon the Gospell this therefore was no addition because they did not derogate from the perfection of the scriptures any way To the assumptiō they aunswere that their traditions are but expositiōs of Scripture We aunswere their traditions are cleane contrarie to Scripture as the worshipping of Images and the sacrifice of their Masse and they adde to Scripture making it vnperfect saying it doth not conteine all things necessarie to saluation Wherefore they can not escape that curse which they runne into that adde to the word of God 2 All traditions among the Iewes besides the law were condemned Math. 15.3 Ergo all vnwritten traditions now must be abolished The Iesuite aunswereth First Christ condemned not the auncient traditions of Moses but those which were newly and lately inuented Aunswere first the Scripture maketh no mention of any such traditions of Moses Christ biddeth them search the Scriptures not runne vnto traditions Secondly these seemed to be auncient traditions bearing the name of Elders traditions and they were in great authoritie amongest the Iewes most like because of some long continuance Secondly saith he Christ findeth fault with wicked and impious traditions Aunswere First their traditions were not openly and plainly euill and pernicious but had some shew of holynesse as the washing of pots and tables and beds I would the Papists did not here take thē selues by the nose whose traditions come nearer to open impietie and blasphemie then theirs did Secondly Christ in opposing the Scripture against traditions therein condemneth all traditions not written besides the Scripture 3 If Paule preaching the whole Gospell Act. 20.27 did say none other things then Moses and the Prophetes then all things necessarie to saluation are conteined in the Scriptures For it can not be said to be a whole and perfite Gospell if any thing necessarie to saluation be wanting But Paule preached nothing but out of Moses and the Prophetes Act. 26.22 Ergo much more now is the Scripture a perfect rule of faith we hauing beside Moses and the Prophetes the holy writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles 4 Last of all although we might multiplie many arguments but these I trust strongly concluding out of Scripture may serue as a sufficient bulwarke against all Popish paper bullets Let vs heare in the knitting vp the iudgement of Augustine In his rebus inquit in quib nihil certi statuit Scriptura mos populi Dei vel instituta maiorum pro lege tenenda Epist. 86. In all those things saith he speaking of externall rules and ceremonies of the which we haue no certaine rule out of Scripture the custome of the people of God and the godly constitutions of our forefathers must stand for a law but concerning matters of faith and good maners the Scriptures do giue certaine rules as in another place In ijs quae aperte in Scriptura posita sunt inueniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque viuendi De doctrin Christian. 2.9 all things appertaining to faith and the rule of life are plainlie expressed in the Scripture Ergo by the sentence of Augustine traditions besides scripture haue nothing to do with the doctrine of faith and manners but do consist onely in externall rites and customes of the Church THE SECOND GENERALL CONTROVERSIE CONCERNING THE CHVRCH HAuing now finished the questions betweene our aduersaries and vs concerning the Scriptures and word of God which all do belong to the Propheticall office of Christ in the next place such controuersies are to be handled as do concerne the Kingly office of Christ. And seeing the Church of Christ is his kingdome where he ruleth and raigneth we must intreat of the Church and first in generall of the whole and in speciall of the partes and members This present controuersie concerning the Church in generall standeth vpon fiue principall questions 1 Of the definition of the Catholike Church two partes
Was not here great amitie and loue thinke you amongest the Popes Another notable example of their vnitie we haue in Pope Vrbanus time the 6. against whom stood vp a contrarie Pope in Fraunce named Clement it is worth the noting what coyle these two popes kept between whō many battailes were fought many thousands slaine Pope Vrbane beheaded fiue Cardinals together after long torments Bishop Aquilonensis because he did ride no faster was had in suspition and slayne and cut in peeces by Vrbans souldiers at his commaundement behold here I pray you the vnitie of these Catholikes We will adioyne one other example no longer since then in king Henry the eights time The Duke of Bourbon being the leader of the Emperors armie layd siege to Rome and sacked it the souldiers brake in vpon the Pope which was Clement the seuenth being at Masse slew diuerse of the Priests and one Cardinall called Sanctorum quatuor they layd siege to the Castle of S. Angell so long till the Pope yeelded him selfe The souldiers dayly that lay at the siege made iestes of the Pope sometime they had one riding like the Pope with a whore behind him sometimes he blessed sometime he cursed sometime with one voyce they would call him Antichrist See here is their Catholike obedience to their chief Bishop Thus much concerning their vnitie and concord in life Let vs likewise take a view of their vnitie in doctrine We heard before how Pope Stephen and Sergius abolished the decrees of Formosus how then saith the Iesuite that the decrees of Popes do consent together The Councell of Basile and Constance before that decreed that the Pope should be subiect to generall Councels but this Canon was afterward reuersed and now generally the Papists hold the contrary that the Pope is aboue Councels Let vs see the consent of their writers Bellarmin lib. 1. de verbo cap. 12. maintaineth against Lyranus Driedo Genebrard and others that Iudith was in Manasses time Against Alphonsus de Castro that heretikes are no members of the Church Lib. 3. de Eccles. cap. 4. Against Iohannes de turre cremata that faith is not necessarie to make one a member of the Church Lib. 3. de Eccles. cap. 10. And euery where the Iesuite taketh great libertie to confute and controll other his felow Papistes belike hauing found out some starting holes that they either knew not or were ashamed to creepe into as the Iesuite doth But saith he we denie not but that we haue dissentions but they are not in materiall points but in such things as appertaine not to faith I meruaile he blusheth not thus to say him selfe knowing the contrary Is it not a substantiall point and belōging to faith to know which bookes are canonicall Scripture which are not But in this question they do much disagree Caietanus the Cardinall saith that we must acknowledge no Scripture but that which was either written or approued by the Apostles But Catharinus a Papist doth reiect that opinion Hugo Cardinalis Arias Montanus do hold no bookes of the old Testament to be canonicall which are written onely in Greeke the Papistes now generally hold the contrary Ex Whitacher 1. contr c. quaest cap. 6. Bellarmin saith that all those opinions which the Church holdeth as articles or preceptes of faith were deliuered by the Apostles that the Church must not now seeke for new reuelations but content her selfe with the Apostolike traditions and doctrine de Scriptur lib. 4. cap. 9. Out of the which words it doth necessarily folow that the church is not now to foūd any new article of faith but this generally is denied by the Papistes and Stapleton an English Papist is not ashamed to say that the Church may adde more bookes to the canonicall Scripture by her absolute authoritie Further to beleeue that the virgine Marie was without sinne yea conceiued without originall sinne is now amongest the Papistes receiued for an article of faith and therefore in Paris none are admitted to be Doctors of Diuinitie which doe not first confirme this article by their oth Yet this was a great question betweene the Scotistes and Thomistes and a great and hote contention arose about this controuersie anno 1476. betweene the Dominicke Friers who affirmed that she was conceiued in sinne and the Franciscanes that held the contrary But these Franciscanes had the vpper hand and foure of the other order were condemned and burned for it at Berne and yet for all this our aduersaries will say still that they varie not in matters of faith Thus we haue seene what is to be thought of Popish vnitie Now to answere briefly to their false accusation whereby they charge vs with manifold schismes and dissentions yea Bellarmin is not ashamed to say that an hundred seuerall sectes are sprong amongest vs. cap. 10. lib. 4. de Eccles. 1 We say with S. Paule oportet haereses esse 1. Cor. 11. there must be heresies and diuisions in the Church And it is a signe we haue the truth when the deuill goeth about by schismes and contentions to hinder the preaching thereof We answere to you as Augustine did to the paganes Non proferant nobis quasi concordiam suam hostem quippe quem patimur illi non patiuntur Let them not boast of their concord and cast in our teeth the dissention of Christians the enemie assaulteth not them as he doth vs Quid ibi luchri est quia litigant vel damni si litigant the deuill shall get nothing if they should disagree nor lose any thing by their agreement for he hath sure hold enough of them already consenting all in Idolatrie But amongest Christians he laboureth to hinder the truth by discord because he can not otherwise withdraw them frō the true Religion Hearken now ô ye Papistes if you consent together it is in euill so long it pleaseth the deuill well enough he should destroy his owne kingdome in sowing dissention amongest you for you fight for him He vseth to cast fire brands amongest good Christians to withstand by this meanes the proceeding of the Gospell 2 It is a great sclaunder that there are so many diuisions amongest vs an hundred saith the Iesuite but he shall neuer proue ten He might haue bethought him selfe of a full hundred of sectes amongest his owne darlings the Monkes and Friers as M. Fox hath faithfully gathered the number pag. 260. 3 Those few schismes and dissentions which we haue and yet to many we must needes confesse are not about points of faith and articles of Religion but concerning some things belonging to discipline and Church gouernement which matters we denie not but haue bene somewhat to hotely and egerlie folowed of some amongest vs but God be thanked this contention hath not bene pursued by fire or death as the Franciscanes did persecute the poore Dominickes nor yet to the pronouncing of ech other heretikes as Eugenius your Pope was condemned as an hereticke in the Councell of
Basile to be no necessarie poynt to saluation if wee did hold her to haue beene a virgin afore and many such other poyntes there are in scriptures which a man may be ignorant of without perill of saluation Ergo much more may we be ignorant of vnwritten verities or rather Popish fables 2. The Church hath no more authoritie then the Apostles nor yet in all things so much But they had no power to make articles of faith for Saint Paul deliuereth that which he had receiued concerning the sacrament he durst not adde vnto it as the Papists haue been bolde to doe since 1. Cor. 11. Ergo the Church may explane and open articles of fayth out of the scriptures but not make new 3. We prooue it by the confession of our aduersaries The fathers of Basile that concluded it was an article of the Christian fayth to beleeue the superioritie of the councel did gather it out of the saying of Christ dic ecclesiae and therfore enforced it as an article Whereby wee gather that they helde that the Church could establish no article of fayth without scripture Bellarmine likewise sayth that the Church is not now gouerned by newe reuelations but wee ought to be contented with those decrees which wee haue receiued from the Apostles Ergo as D. Whitakers doth strongly conclude the Church cannot coyne new articles of faith 4. Lastly we haue before prooued at large out of the worde of God that the scriptures containe all things necessary to saluation and therefore all articles of fayth must be deriued from thence 1. controu quaest 7. And so we conclude with Augustine Linguae sonos quibus inter se homines sua seusa communicēt pacto quodā societatis sibi instituere possunt Quib. autē sacris diuinitati congruerent voluntatem dei sequuti sunt qui rectè sapuerunt Quae omnino nunquam defuit ad salutem iustitiae pietatique hominum Men sayth he may deuise among themselues what language they will vse to expresse their minde But howe to serue God wise men euer followed the will and commaundement of GOD which neuer hath failed men in all necessary matters concerning righteousnes and godlines By this fathers sentence the scriptures which containe the will of God containe all necessary things Ergo we neede not seeke elswhere AN APPENDIX OR MEMBER OF THIS part of the question whether we are to beleeue in the Church The Papists WE ought to beleeue and trust the Church in all things yea to beleeue in the Church Rhemist 1. Tim. 3. sect 9. the scripture also vseth this speech error 25 to beleeue in men annot in 10. Rom. sect 41. 1. Exod. 14.31 they beleeued in God and Moses Ergo. We answere your owne vulgar text hath it crediderunt deo Mosi seruo eius they beleeued God and his seruant Moses that is hauing seene the great power of God in the destruction of the Aegyptians in the red sea according to the word of Moses they gaue credite vnto Moses which spake vnto them from God 2. Philem. v. 5. Hearing of thy loue and fayth which thou hast toward the Lord Iesus and vnto all the saints See say they here is faith toward the saints Wee answere there is no man that is not peruersly disposed but may easily distinguish the Apostles wordes to attribute fayth to Iesus Christ and loue to the saynts Which may appeare by the altering of the preposition as they themselues read in their owne translation loue and fayth in Iesus Christ and toward the sayntes so it must needes bee thus vnderstoode fayth in Christ and loue toward the sayntes this therefore is but a sophisticall cauill The Protestants THis word Credo beleeue is taken three wayes for there is credere deo to beleeue God that is to trust him in all things credere deum to beleeue God to be credere in deum to beleeue in God as our creator Lord and redeemer So we doe credere ecclesiam we beleeue there is one holy Catholicke Church credere ecclesiae we doe also beleeue and giue credence to the Church following the word of God But we do not in any wise credere in ecclesiam beleeue in the Church 1. We must not beleeue or put any confidence in a creature the Church is but a creature Ergo for to beleeue in God is onely proper to the Godhead and therefore Iohn 14.1 where Christ sayth ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me we doe necessarylie out of these words inferre that Christ is God because we are commaunded to beleeue in him 2. Fayth is of things that are absent and not seene but the Church is present alwayes vpon earth and alwayes visible as our aduersaryes hold how then can it bee an obiect of our fayth We can not beleeue in that which is visible seene for it is agaynst the nature of fayth 3. Augustine sayth sciendum est quòd ecclesiam credere non tamen in ecclesiam credere debemus quia ecclesia non est deus sed domus dei De tēpore serm 131. We must know that we are to beleeue there is a Church not in the Church for the Church is not God but onely the house of God THE SECOND PARTE OF THE QVESTION concerning the ceremonies of the Church The Papists THey doe holde that the Church of God may vse and blesse diuers elements error 26 and creatures for the seruice of God as holy water to driue away diuels the hallowing of salt waxe fire palmes ashes oyle creame milke honey Rhemist 1. tim 4. sect 12. 13. Yea that the Church may borrow rites and ceremonies of the Iewes ibid. sect 18. Yea by the creatures thus blessed or rather coniured they say remission of sinnes is obtayned sect 14. 2. Remission of sinnes was annexed to the oyle wherewith the sicke were annoynted Iames 5. Ergo remissions of sinnes may be applied by the like consecrated elements Rhemist 1. Tim. 4. sect 14. We answere First it followeth not because the creature of oyle was vsed in the miraculous gift of healing which ceremonie was no longer to continue than that miraculous gift indured it followeth not that other elements may be vsed so now there being not the like occasion seeing all such myraculous giftes are now ceased Secondly it was not the oyle whereby their sinnes were forgiuen them neither was it applied to that ende it was onely a pledge vnto them of their bodily health but the prayer of fayth shall saue the sick sayth the Apostle v. 15. for God hath promised to heare the faythfull prayers of his children both for themselues and others 3. Saint Paul vsed imposition of hands which was a ceremonie of the law vsed in consecrating of Priestes Ergo it is lawfull to borrowe ceremonies of the Iewes We answere It followeth not because Christ and the Apostles by the spirite of God retayned some decent actions vsed in the lawe therefore now the Church at her libertie may take of
Councel for that function as Cardinal Arelatensis was chosen in the Councell of Basile by the fathers to be moderator First that it belongeth to the Prince to haue this prerogatiue it is hence prooued because he is the chiefe iudge in all matters and causes both ciuil and eccesiasticall And it appeareth by the auncient practise of the godly kings in Israel and Iuda Dauid gathered a Councel together when hee brought the Arke to Ierusalem 1. Chronicl 15.3 where he was the chiefe doer and director for he appoynted the Leuites their courses and set forth a certayne fourme of thanksgiuing to be vsed 1. Chronicl 16.4.7 Hezekiah assembled a Councel 2. Chronicl 30.2 where it was decreed that the passeouer should be solemnly kept the postes were sent forth with the kings writ or commission In Iosiah his raigne there was a great assembly at Ierusalem of the Princes the people priests and Leuites and al from the greatest to the smallest where the king him selfe was president and chiefe agent reading the law before the people 2. Chronicl 34.30.31 Secondly we finde that the Emperours themselues haue beene present at Councels As in the Nicene Constantine the great was present in the Councel of Chalcedon Martianus in the Constantinopolitane 3. Constantinus the Emperour in the Constantinopl 4. Basilius the Emperour was present Is it to bee thought that these noble Emperours were at the Councels as inferiors or vnderlings or had they not the chiefe places then sure they were presidents for in the Councell the chiefe place belongeth to the president They might appoynt a speaker or prolocutor for them as in the parliament house though the prince be present yet the Lord Chauncellour speaketh but the chiefe power and Soueraigntie in the Councell was in the Emperours Thirdly not to heape vp many reasons in so playne a cause I will alleadge one example most manifest out of Augustine who writeth that in that great Councel at Carthage where the matter was discussed between the Catholicks the Donatists there being present more then 500. Bishops of both sides Marcellinus was appointed to be moderator of that disputatiō who diuers times putteth in his sentence in the disputation and last of all bidding both parts to go aside he writeth the sentence definitiue and concludeth against the Donatists approuing the actes of the Catholike Bishops haec August breuicul collation THE FIFTE QVESTION WHETHER Councels may erre or not The Papists error 33 THey are not all agreed what to determine of this matter some affirme that Generall Councels can in no wise erre although the consent of the Pope bee wanting thus the fathers in Basile concluded who is it say they that will preferre a sinfull man before an vndefiled Church But Bellarmine more the Popes friend then so holdeth that euen generall Councels may erre vnlesse they follow the instructions and directions of the Pope Yea that it is not sufficient for the pope to call a Councel and sende his Legate thither but hee must write continually for aduertisement from his maister before any thing be concluded and therefore they doubt not to say that the Councell of Basile erred though it had the consent of the Popes Legate in defining that the Councell is aboue the Pope because he had no such direction from the Pope Bellarmine de concil lib. 2. cap. 11. Nay the Iesuite goeth further that particular Councels being approoued by the Pope cannot erre cap. 5. So they holde that the holy fathers of the cruell Inquisition cannot erre Yea Panormitane was not ashamed to say openly in the Councell of Basile that he would prefer the iudgement of the Cardinals of Rome before all the world This then is the Iesuites opinion that no Councels by the pope confirmed can erre that a particular Councel hauing his allowance is to be preferred before a generall without Let vs see some of their reasons 1. They abuse certaine places of scripture for their purpose as that Act. 15. It seemed good to vs and the holy Ghost I am with you to the end of the world He that heareth you heareth me Bellarmine cap. 2. Rhemist in Act. 15.8.10 so then thus they argue Councels are neuer without the spirite of God therefore can they not erre A silly argument as though the spirite of God were at their commaundement or were tyed to places or persons They must first performe the condition before they can chalenge the promise that is to followe the rule of Gods word and obediently to submit themselues thereunto then will God vouchsafe to be present The Gospell sayth that wheresoeuer two or three are gathered together in my name I will be present euen in the midst of them Here promise is made not to thousands or hundreds but to two or three and therefore by this place an assemblie of few persons may as well be exempted from error as Councels but there is a condition In nomine meo in my name and then followeth in medio illorum in the midst of them if then they are not met in the Lords name they cannot looke for the presence of Christ. I pray you where was the holy Ghost present in that Councel at Rome vnder Iohn 23. when there appeared a great Oule which stared and out faced the pope who blushing at the matter and fuming rose vp and departed At the sight of which Owle they whispered one in anothers eare that the spirit appeared in the likenes of an Owle and after that in an other session the same Owle appeared and could not be driuen away vntill by throwing bats and cudgels at her shee fell downe dead before them ex Nichol. Clemang In the beginning of the Councel of Constāce after the accustomed hymne song veni sancte spiritus a bil was set vp with these wordes alijs rebus occupati nunc adesse non possumus Wee are now otherwise occupied we cannot be present with you We see now how sure the Papists are of the holy Ghost in their popish Councels The Protestants WE doubt not to say that Councels haue erred and may erre presuming any thing besides the warrant of Gods worde and that neither vniuersall or particular Councels are priuiledged much lesse any one man no nor the Pope not to erre in matters of fayth otherwise then following the trueth of the Scriptures for in so doing they are sure not to be deceiued 1. We haue also examples in the scripture of Councels that erred as that assemblie in Achabs dayes of 400. Prophets who were al deceiued the Iesuite thus answereth that it was an assemblie of prophets not of priests as though priestes were more piuiledged from error than Prophets And these say they were false Prophets not Prophets of the Lord We graunt so and this withal that wheresoeuer the Lords Prophets and pastors and ministers assemble that there they will heare the Lords voyce which the Pope in his Councels doth not But he still supposeth that the Pope and his ministers
the perfection and authority of the scriptures as also whether it be in the Pope to summone dissolue and confirme Councels which hath been sufficiently declared before in the controuersie concerning Councels Concerning other questions as the canonizing of Saints which they say appertaineth to the Pope the election and confirmation of Bishops pardons and indulgences we shall haue fitter occasion to deale in them in their seuerall places and controuersies At this time wee purpose onely to touch these two poynts aforesaide of the Popes Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction THE FIRST PART WHETHER THE POPE may make lawes to binde the conscience and punish the transgressors thereof iudicially The Papists THat the Pope hath such authorie to make lawes for the whole Church error 49 which shall binde vnder paine of damnation as well as the lawes of God it is the general opinion of the papists Fox 981. articul 13. p. 1101. artic cont Lambert 29. But they put in this clause So they bee not vniust lawes nor contrarie to the diuine law Bellarm. cap. 15. And yet they say that the Pope may make lawes hauing not the authority nor warrant of scripture neither is it necessarie for these lawes to be expressed or diduced out of scripture And these lawes are not onely of externall rites and orders of the Church but euen of things necessary to saluation Bellarm. cap 15. in reprehens Caluini Yea he addeth further that in matters not necessary to saluation he can not be disobeyed without deadly sinne and offence of conscience cap. 16. loc 1. Bulla Leonis 10. aduersus Lutherum Fox p. 1283. col 1. 1. The Apostles prescribed a law concerning the abstaining from blood things strangled and offered to Idols concerning the which Christ gaue them no precept But this law did binde the people in conscience for euery where the Apostles gaue straight charge for the keeping of the decrees Bellarm. Answere First the Apostles commaunded no newe thing but the same which they themselues were taught of Christ that they should take heede of offence the Christians therefore were not bound in conscience any further to keepe the decrees concerning such things then for auoyding of scandal and offence Secondly for afterward the offence being taken away the law also ceased and Saint Paul giueth libertie notwithstanding this law to eate things offered to Idols if it might be done without offence Asking no question sayth he for conscience sake 1. Cor. 10.27 Ergo their consciences were not hereby obliged and bound 3. It is necessary to haue some lawes beside the diuine law for the gouernment of the Church for the word of God is too vniuersal neither is sufficient to direct euery particular action therefore other ecclesiasticall lawes must bee added but euery good and necessary law hath a coactiue and constraining power and bindeth the conscience to obedience Ergo the constitutions of the Popes and Councels which are the only ecclesiastical lawes doe binde the conscience Bellarmin cap. 16. lib. 4. Answere First the word of God contayneth all necessarie rules to saluation wherefore all lawes of the Church concerning matters of faith are but explanations and interpretations of the rules of fayth set forth in scripture if they be godly lawes and so are not the lawes of men but of God and doe bind the conscience to the obseruation thereof as the lawes of the Church which command Christians to resort to the congregation to heare Gods word and reuerently to receiue the sacraments are the very ordinances and commaundements of Christ who enioyned his Apostles to preach and baptize and his faythfull people to heare and to be baptized and therefore in conscience wee are bound to the obedience hereof Secondly there are other ecclesiasticall lawes appoynted for the publique order of the Church concerning externall rites and circumstances of persons and place as the houres of prayer the forme of the leâ—turgie publike seruice the times fittest for the celebration of the sacraments and such like These and such like constitutions do not binde in conscience absolutely in respect of the things themselues which are indifferent but in regarde of that contempt and offence which might followe in the not keeping of them contempt to our superiors whome wee ought in all lawfull things to obey offence in grieuing the conscience of our weake brethren So that euen these constitutions also which are made according to the rules of the Gospell that is vnto edification to the glorie of God and for auoyding of offence doe necessarilie binde vs in conscience not conscience of the thinges themselues which are but externall but conscience of obedience to our Christian Magistrates and conscience in taking heede of all iust offence sic Caluin Institut lib. 4. cap. 10.11 3 But we are not God be thanked driuen to any such straight that if there be neede of any such Ecclesiasticall lawes we should run for succor to the Popes beggerly decretals And yet such Canons as were in force amongst them agreeable to the rules of the Gospell we doe not refuse But if there bee want and penurie of good lawes euery Church hath as full authoritie to make decrees and ordinances for the peace and order and quiet gouernement thereof not as the Pope of Rome hath ouer the vniuersall Church for that by right is none or if it be it is but an vsurped power but as the Bishop of Rome hath in his owne Bishopricke and dioces The Protestants WHat our sentence is of this matter it doth partlie appeare by that which wee haue alreadie saide that the Pope hath no power ouer the whole Church and therefore can make no lawes to binde the conscience or otherwise for the same for it belongeth not to his charge Secondly we say that neither he nor any ecclesiasticall gouernement beside can make lawes of things necessarie to saluation other then those which are in Scripture conteined Thirdly all Ecclesiasticall lawes made concerning externall rites and publike order doe not otherwise binde the conscience then in regarde of our obedience due to Christian Magistrates in lawfull things and for auoyding of scandall and offence But in respect of the things commaunded such lawes doe not binde Caluin loc praedicto 1 Saint Iames saith there is one lawe-giuer which is able to saue and to destroy cap. 4.12 He therefore onely maketh lawes to binde the conscience that is able to saue and to destroy but that cannot the Pope doe Ergo Caluin argum Bellarmine answereth that the lawes of men doe binde vnder paine of damnation in as much as God is offended and displeased with their disobedience and so iudgeth them worthie of punishment cap. 20. All this wee graunt that the lawes of men being good lawes doe binde in conscience in respect of the contempt and disobedience to higher powers but not in respect of the thinges commaunded which in their nature are indiffereÌ„t The Iesuite should haue said that God is offended not onely for their disobedience but simplie
SYNOPSIS PAPISMI THAT IS A GENERALL VIEWE OF PAPISTRY wherein the whole mysterie of iniquitie and summe of Antichristian doctrine is set downe which is maintained this day by the Synagogue of Rome against the Church of Christ together with An Antithesis of the true Christian faith and an Antidotum or counterpoyson out of the Scriptures against the whore of Babylons filthy cuppe of abominations Deuided into three bookes or Centuries that is so many hundreds of Popish heresies and errors 1. COR. 11.9 There must be heresies that they which are approued amongst you might be known TITVS 3.10 A man that is an heretike after the first and second admonition auoyde AVG. DE VERA RELIG CAP. 6. Ecclesia Catholica vtitur gentibus ad materiam operationis suae haereticis ad probationem doctrinae suae schismaticis ad documentum stabilitatis suae alios inuitat alios excludit alios relinquit omnibus tamen gratiae Dei participandae dat potestatem siue illi informandi adhuc siue reformandi siue recolligendi sunt The true Catholike Church doth vse the Gentiles as matter to worke vpon heretikes for the trial of their doctrine schismatikes to proue their constancie the first she inuiteth the second she excludeth the third she leaueth yet to them all she offereth the grace of God in instructing the Gentiles reforming of heretikes and bringing home againe schismatikes Collected by Andrew Willet Bachelor of Diuinity AT LONDON â—â—â—nted by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Man dwelling in Pater noster row at the signe of the Talbot 1592. TO THE RIGHT VERTVOVS MOST EXCELLENT AND NOBLE PRINCESSE QVEENE ELIZABETH OVR DREAD LADY BY THE GRACE OF GOD Queene of England France and Ireland defender of the faith c. WHen we call to minde most gracious and dread Soueraigne the manifold blessings which the Lord by your Highnes hand hath reached forth to this Realme Church of England the long flourishing peace which the land vnder your prosperous gouernmeÌ„t hath these many yeares enioyed the like whereof neither our forefathers haue seene nor other countries knowne The notable reformatioÌ„ also of the church purging of the house of God which daies the holy Martyrs and seruants of God long sighed for and desired to see but saw them not When we doe consider these things we nothing doubt to say that the prophecie of Esay is fulfilled in these our daies who saith concerning the Church Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queenes thy nursing mothers as it is also prophecied in the Psalmes In stead of thy fathers thou shalt haue children whom thou mayest make Princes in all lands For now who seeeth not that many Christian Princes in the worlde are become the children of the Church Your Maiesties renowmed father king Henry the eight and your Highnesse brother of blessed memory king Edward the sixt did but begin the foundation of the Temple and lay the plot and with Dauid prepared gold siluer brasse iron and all thinges needfull for the building but it was his good pleasure that you with peaceable Salomon should finish the building and with Zorobabel should prosper with the stone of tinne in your hand The Lord hath made you a wall and a hedge to his vineyard to keepe out the wilde boare a goodly tree to giue shade to the beasts of the field succour to the â—oules of the aire a nurse to the people of God to carry them in your bosome as the nurse beareth the sucking child The Lord Christ would once againe hang vpon the breasts of a Virgin God hath raised you vp a Deborah to iudge Israel an Esther to deliuer the Church the Lord hath made you as that vertuous matrone that doth cloath her family with double rayment your Realme flourisheth with true religion and abundance of peace this is our double apparell Now seuen women shal no more take hold of one man saying Come let vs be called by thy name but thousands of men make sute to one woman as all Israel went vp to be iudged of Deborah What though the Papists fret and storme and cut your Maiestie very short saying that the Prince ought neither to giue voice in couÌ„sell for matters of religion nor make Ecclesiastical lawes and would as Zedechiah his eyes were put out Adonibesech his fingers cut off so both take away the eye of your iudgement and your right hand of power in Ecclesiasticall matters What though another foule mouthed Iesuite doth most impudently slaunder your Maiestie saying in great contempt I am reipsa Caluinistis in Anglia mulier quaedam summus Pontifex est As for them let them wander and run vp and down in the Citie barking and snarling like hungrie dogges seeking meat and shall not be satisfied as the Psalme saith yet shal the building prosper vnder your hand the people of God doe cry out with shoutings Grace grace vnto it the whole Church of God from all partes of the world saluteth you saying We haue blessed you out of the house of God do encourage you to go forward gird thy sword to thy thigh prosper thou with thine honor ride on because of the word of truth God hath giuen into your hand a two edged sword with one edge iâ— defendeth the Church from false religion with the other the coÌ„mon wealth from oppression as an ancieÌ„t father saith Tunc iustitia dicituâ— gladius ex vtraque parte acutus quia hominis defendit corpus ab exterioribus iniurijs animaÌ„ à spiritualibus molestijs To Kings Princes it is especially said Thou shalt walke vpon the Lyon and Aspe the young Lyon and Dragon thou shalt tread vnder thy feete The Lyon is the open enemy the Aspe dragon is the close hypocrite that peruerteth religion The good lawes of Princes are as the pitch of Noahs arke it was pitched within and without so good Princes are to prouide both for the safetie of the land from forraine enemies abroad and to preserue the soundnes of religion from corruption of heresie at home How lawfull your Maiesties gouernement is and how well pleasing before God the sequele and effect doth abundantly shew Salomon asked wisedome and he receiued both riches and honor withall none of all these hath God denyed to you the Lord loueth you his left hand is vnder your head his right hand doth embrace you as the wiseman saith At his right hand is length of daies at his left riches honor all these hath the Lord graunted vnto you and thus the Lord honoreth those that honor him And as your Maiestie doth proceede and continue in aduauncing the Lords honour so he is able yet to do greater things for you Now then seeing your Highnes is our Zorobabel the chiefe builder of Gods house and the rest of your faithfull subiects are the helpers and workemen some as labourers vnder you I your humble and meanest subiect
knowne in time of persecution exercebant patientiam Ecclesiae they did proue the patience of the Church but now as Augustine saith exercent sapientiam they doe exercise the wisedome of the Church Let not the number and multitude offend vs of those which doe band themselues against the Church for so it must be Christs flocke is but a little flocke Let vs not be afrayd of their wisedome power or strength the scripture teacheth vs that they in their generation are wiser then the children of light yet the Lord our God that is with vs and fighteth for vs is wiser and stronger then they Let them not deceiue vs with a shew of holinesse for Sathan can transforme himselfe into an Angel of light neither let it moue vs because they endure some trouble and losse of their goods and imprisonment of their bodies for their religion which is falsely so called for S. Peter saith That men may suffer as euill doers and so doe these And S. Augustine saith Si poenae martyres faceret omnes carceres martyribus pleni essent omnes catenae martyres traherent If the punishment onely and not the cause made Martyrs al prisons should be full of Martyrs and all that are bound with fetters and chaines should be Martyrs But let vs not stumbling at any of these stones be constant in the faith and go forward in the profession of the Gospel which is grounded vpon the Scripture sealed with the blood of Martyrs waited and attended vpon these many yeeres as the mistresse with the handmaid with peace prosperitie and abundance of all blessings With them there is no peace to be had their owne Doctors teach that no reconciliation can be made betweene vs And indeed so it is for there is no fellowship betweene light and darknesse The Israelites were commanded not to sow their ground with diuers seedes nor to plough with an oxe an asse What is this els but that the Church of God cannot consist of beleeuers Idolaters of true Christians and hypocrites Catholikes and Heretikes Protestants and Papists Their seede and ours is diuers they sow the doctrine of men and humane traditions we sow the seede of Gods word The oxe is onely fit for the Lords plough that chaweth the cud and deuideth the hoofe the asse doth neither Who is he that deuideth the hoofe chaweth the cud Augustine telleth vs Fissa vngula pertinet ad discernendū quid dextrū quid sinistrū ruminatio pertinet ad eos qui cogitant postea quid audierint He deuideth the hoofe that deuideth and discerneth what is good what euill and they chaw the cud that do meditate of that which they heare out of the word But such are not the common Catholikes among Papists for they do not allow euery one the mistresse the mayd the ploughman and artificer to talke of Scripture or moue questions and doubts in Religion and so make them asses not oxen to chaw the cud They say it belongeth not to euery Christian to discerne betweene true and false doctrine but they must take their faith of their superiours and obey them in all things and so neither would they haue them deuide the hoofe taking from them their discerning iudgement There is no agreement therefore to be looked for at their hands no more then yron or clay can be tempred together Their old vessels cannot receiue the new liquor of the Gospell but they must first become new themselues they must first put off their beggerly ragges of Popish ceremonies and superstitions or els they shall neuer put on Christ And to be short Reuertantur illi ad te ne tu reuertaris ad illos Let them returne vnto vs we will not returne to them as the Lord saith to Ieremie But lest now we should be thought to speake without booke deepely charging our aduersaries with heresie lyes false doctrine and prouing nothing we will take some paynes of set downe some principall opinions of the Papists which haue in the purer ages of the Church been condemned for heresies Marcellina the companion of Carpocrates the archheretike worshipped the Images of Iesus and Paul and offered incense vnto them August heres 7. So the Papists do worship the Images of Saints and in the second Nicene Councel it was decreed that the Image of God should be worshipped with the same honour that God himselfe was The Heracleonites did anoynt their sicke which lay a dying with oyle and balme Heres 16. So the Papists haue found out extreme vnction and made it a Sacrament The Caians did hold that the sinne of Iudas in betraying Christ was a benefite to mankind Heres 18. The Papists come somewhat neere One of them affirmeth that the Iewes had sinned mortallie if they had not crucified Christ Ex Iuell defens Apolog. p. 676. The Pepuzians iudged heretikes because they permitted women to be Priests Heres 27. So it was decreed in the Florentine Councel among the Papists that in the case of necessitie not only a lay man but an heretike pagan and a woman to may baptize The heretikes called Angelici were condemned because they worshipped Angels Heres 39. So the Rhemists teach that Angels may be worshipped Annot. in Apocal. 3 sect 6. There was a sect of heretikes that walked with bare feete because God sayd to Moses put off thy shooes c. Heres 68. And so are there of Friers that goe barefoote as the Friers Flagellants and Franciscanes The Priscillianists did make the Apocrypha that is bookes not Canonicall of equall authoritie with Scripture Heres 70. So doe the Papists the bookes of Tobie Iudith Machabees and others which are not found in the Canon of the Hebrue they make thē bookes of Canonical Scripture and part of the word of God yea they say that whatsoeuer the Pastors of the Church doe teach beside Scripture in the vnitie of the Church is to be taken for the word of God Rhemist annot 1. Thessal cap. 2 sect 12. An Archheretike called Marcus did hold that Christ did not verily suffer and indeed but in shew onely and appearance Heres 14 The Appollinarists also affirmed that Christ tooke humane flesh without a soule Heres 55. I pray you how farre are the Papists from these heresies for they affirme that Christ suffered not in soule Nay the Rhemists hold that it is a blasphemous assertion so to say Annot. Hebr. 5. v. 7. What is this els but either with Marcus to say that Christ suffered but in shewe and that he felt nothing in soule when he cryed out vpon the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me for if there were no such matter indeed Christ must haue vttered those words only in outward shew and pretense Againe they cannot shift off handsomely from them the Appollinarists heresie for why did Christ take vpon him our flesh and soule but to redeeme man that was lost both in bodie and soule and therefore he must needes haue
abridgeth the story of one Iason a Syrenean Lib. 2. cap. 2. v. 23. Who was an Heathen but the spirite of God vseth not neither needeth to borow of prophane writers He saith that this worke was not easie but paineful to him but required sweating and watching v. 26. But to the holy writers of Scripture though their own labour and diligence was not wanting yet was not the worke hard or molestious vnto them Lastly the author faith he writeth for pleasure recreation of the Reader and craueth pardon if he haue not done well Lib. 2.15.39 But to read for pleasure is no end of Scripture neither doth the spirit of God vse any excuse either for matter or manner Our aduersaries say that S. Paule likewise confesseth that he was rude in speaking 1. Cor. 11.6 We aunswere he so saith because the false Apostles so gaue out of him not that he was so indeed and yet in that place S. Paule doth not excuse him selfe for his not sufficieÌ„t haÌ„dling of his matter as this author doth neither is that speach of S. Luke any thing like for there the Euangelist doubteth not to say that he had attained to an exact knowledge of all things Vpon these premises we conclude that these bookes of the Machabees are not Canonicall nor to be taken for any part of holy Scripture though we denie not but that there may be some profitable vse of them for the storie AVGVSTINES IVDGEMENT OF the bookes called Apocrypha FIrst generally of them all thus he writeth Quas itaque Scripturas dicimus nisi Canonicas legis Prophetarum de vnit Eccle. 16. We acknowledge no Canonicall Scripture of the old Testament but the law and the Prophetes but none of the Apocrypha were writteÌ„ by any of the Prophets Againe he saith Omnes literae quib Christus Prophetatus est apud Iudaeos sunt Psal. 56. All the bookes which do Prophesie of Christ were kept amoÌ„gest the Iewes but none of the Apocrypha were written in Hebrue Ergo. Concerning the story of Bel and the Dragon he calleth it a fable de mirabilib lib. 2. cap. 32. Of the same credite is the storie of Susanna The booke of Iudith was not saith he receiued in the Canon of the Iewes De Ciuit. Dei 18.26 The two bookes of Ecclesiasticus and the wisedome of Solomon are onely said to be Solomons propter eloquij nonnullam similitudinem because of some affinitie and likenesse of the stile De Ciuit. Dei 17.20 So he thinketh that Solomon was not indeed the author of them how then can that booke be Canonicall which geueth it selfe a false title being called the wisedome of SolomoÌ„ and was neuer compiled by Solomon THE SECOND QVESTION CONCERning the authenticall and most approued Edition of the Scriptures The Papistes WHereas it is confessed that the Hebrue Edition of the old TestameÌ„t error 2 is the most auncient in the which toung the Scriptures were compiled by the Prophets that the new TestameÌ„t was writteÌ„ in Greeke by the Apostles and the Euangelistes yet our aduersaries do generally hold as it was decreed in the TrideÌ„tine Chapter Sess. 4. Decret 2. That in all sermoÌ„s readings disputations controuersies the vulgare Latine traÌ„slation should be taken for authentike before the Hebrue or Greeke and that no man should presume vpon any occasion to reiect it or appeale from it The Protestantes WE do truly affirme that although there are diuerse EditioÌ„s of the old Testament besides the Hebrue and some of them verie auncient as the translation of the Septuagints compiled by 72. auncieÌ„ts of the Iewes at the instigation of Ptolomeus Philadelphus king of Egypt 300. yeares before Christ and after Christ there were other translations in Greeke made by Aquila Synomachus Theodotion and others also a Chalde Paraphrase compiled by the Iewes last of all diuerse Latin translations the which as Augustine saith in his time were so many that they could not be nuÌ„bred yet of al the rest the Hebrue being the most auncient and the mother of the rest and freest from corruptions ought to be receiued as most authentike And for the new Testament though there be a Syriacke translation verie auncient yet the Greeke ought to be preferred being the same toung wherein the Apostles and the Euangelistes wrote to be the onely authentike copie As for the Latin translation of the Bible we are able to proue it to be verie corrupt and faultie and therefore not authentike The Papistes Argumentes 1 THe Latin Church hath vsed the vulgare Latin translation for the space of 800. or 900. yeares and it is not like that the Church all this while was without the true Edition of the Scriptures Ergo it is onely authenticall We aunswere First by this Argument it foloweth that this vulgar Latin being generally vsed was preferred before other Latin translations which were at the first in great number not that therefore it is more authentike then the Hebrue in the old and the Geeeke in the new Testaments Secondly there were other Churches besides the Latin all this while as amongest the Greekes famous congregations and Churches that be it in the Latin Church the vulgar translation was reteined being erroneous yet the whole Church continued not in that errour which were not so tyed and bound to the Latin translation Thirdly if men all this while knowledge decreasing and a way being in preparing for Antichrist were negligent in correcting and amendiâ—â— the common translation this is no good Argument to make it authenticall â— As the Hebrues had an authentike translation in their own toung and 〈…〉 in theirs why should not the Latin Church haue it also authenticall in Latin We aunswere First it is no good reason because the Lord did consecrate the Hebrue and Greeke toung and therein would haue his word written that therefore he would or should also haue made the Latin as well authenticall as they Secondly if the Latin Church must haue an authentike translation why should not other countrys likewise haue their authenticals The Armenians had the Scriptures of old translated by Chrisostome the Sclauonians by Hierome the Gothes by Vlphilas why should not these also as well be authenticall and so looke into how many toungs the Scriptures should be translated so many authenticall translations should there be 3 They say that all other translations which are come forth since are erronious and much differ amoÌ„gest them selues Aunswere First this is no reason to prefere it before the Hebrue and Greeke though it were better theÌ„ all other traÌ„slations Secondly they charge vs falsly that our traÌ„slations are dissonant and erronious for their disagreement is not in such substantiall points where any of them do swarue from the originall we allow them not and yet there is not the meanest of them but may iustly compare with theirs yea and be preferred before it Thirdly if their traÌ„slation were so pure as they say Beza him selfe maketh it he would not haue set forth a
new Edition and he preferreth it in some places before other translations but is farre of from making it authenticall and so are we these are the Iesuites arguments De verb. Dei lib. 2. cap. 10. and some of our Rhemists in their Preface to the new Testament Some of our Argumentes are these for it is not necessarie to repeat all and it were to long 1 If the Latin translation be authenticall as it was decreed in the Councel of Trent then it must haue bene so from the beginning so soone as there was any Latin translation for the Councell had not authoritie to make that authenticall which was not but onely to declare it so to be But the Latin translation for the space of 600. yeares after Christ was not receiued as authenticall for we finde that the Latin writers as Lactantius Hilarius Ambrosius Hieronimus Augustinus and others did not vse the same Latin translation Ergo this vulgare Latin hauing not bene alwayes since it was extant authenticall why should it now begin 2 That Edition which was made and framed and first writtē by the Prophets Apostles Euangelistes is to be preferred before that which was not cōpiled by any Prophet or Apostle But such are the Hebrue in the old Testament and the Greeke Edition in the new by the confession of our aduersaries Bellarmin cap. 7. lib. 2. Such is not the Latin for it is vncertaine by whom it was written for the Iesuite confesseth that it is not all of Hieromes Edition as the booke of the Psalmes Wisedome Ecclesiasticus the Machabees which they thinke were not translated by Hierome But let vs graunt that the whole was of Hieromes doing yet was he no Prophet nor Apostle saith he Aliud est vatem esse aliud interpretem it is one thing to be a Prophet another to be an interpreter Wherefore it is no reason that Hieromes or whose translation els soeuer should be receiued before the writings of Prophets and Apostles But say our aduersaries if we had a perfect copie of the Hebrue Greeke editions we cōfesse they were to be preferred but now they are full of faults and greatly corrupted We aunswere First the Iesuite him selfe disputing against Canus and Lindanus two Archpapistes that though there may be some scapes in the translations by the fault of some Libraries and imperfect copies yet concerning the doctrine of faith and manners saith there is no corruption in them Lib. 2. cap. 2. Secondly though there may be and are some wordes falsly written and by errour thrust into the text yet they shall neuer proue that they are more corrupt the Hebrue and Greeke then the Latin for it foloweth no more that because of some scapes the Latin is to be preferred before them thē that a cloake altogether patched and ragged is better then a cloake of veluet that hath but one peece 3 The Iesuite him selfe and other Papistes confesse that in some cases it is very necessary to haue recourse to the originall as when some word seemeth to be mistaken by the writer as where cecinit is read for cecidit dorix for vorax cor for coram or when the Latin copies do varie or if the sentence in Latin be ambiguous and lastly the force and propertie of the wordes is better vnderstood in the originall Bellarm. lib. 2. cap. 11. Ergo by the Iesuites confessiō the originall or fountaines are more certaine and sure without doubtfulnesse and ambiguitie therefore more authenticall then the Latin 4 There are many great errors in the vulgare translation and contrarie to the originall Ergo it is not authētike Some of the places we will quote as Genes 3. ipsa conteret for ipsum she shall breake the Serpents head where we do read that not the woman but her seede shall breake his head Genes 6. ver 6. for figmentum cordis malum the thoughtes of mans hart are euill they read intenta ad malum cogitatio enclined to euill and so extenuate originall sinne Genes 14.18 for protulit panem vinum Melchisedech brought forth bread and wine they read obtulit he offred or made an oblation of bread and wine and would hereby establish the sacrifice of their Masse Ecclesiasticus 16.14 for secundum opera a man shall receiue according to his workes they read after the merite of his workes In their Latin translatiōs of the Psalmes there are many corruptions Psal. 67. v. 12. si dormiatis inter medios cleros though ye sleepe between two lots without any sēse the Hebrue thus inter ollas though you haue lyen amongest the pots as being blacke with affliction v. 22. they read conuertam in profundum maris I will turne them into the bottom of the sea for reducā profundo maris I will bring them frō the depth of the sea cleane cōtrary Psal. 132.15 viduā eius benedicam I will blesse his widow for victū I will blesse his victuails So in the new Testamēt are many false readings Luc. 1.28 plena gratia for gratis dilecta hayle Marie full of grace for freelie beloued Luc. 15.8 euertit domū for euerrit she ouerthrew the house for she swept the house 1. Cor. 15. v. 51. non omnes immutabimur we shall not all be chaunged for omnes immutabimur we shall all be chaunged Ephe. 2.10 creati in bonis operib created in good workes for ad opera bona created vnto good workes An hundred more errours and ouer you may finde noted in the readings of our learned country mā D. Whitakers 2. quaest de Scrip. 10.11.12 cap. these I haue set down for a tast Lastly we will rehearse Augustines iudgement Vtcunque est ei linguae magis credatur vnde est in aliam per interpres facta translatio Howsoeuer the case standeth saith he we ought to geue more credit to that toung out of the which other are translated Lib. 15. de Ciuit. cap. 13. Ergo the Hebrue in the old Testament and the Greeke in the new out of the which the Latin and all other trāslations haue issued ought to haue the onely preheminence THE THIRD QVESTION CONCERNING the vulgare translation of Scripture The Papistes THey do not absolutely condemne the translation of the Scriptures into the vulgare toung what soeuer they haue thought in times past neither would they generally haue euery mā permitted to read the Scripture but such onely as haue especiall licence from their ordinarie hauing the testimonie of their Curates that they be humble and deuout persons Rhenens praefat sect 6. So then they hold it daungerous for all men to read Scripture and they would not willingly licence any but their Pope holie deuout Catholikes they are like to make a mad peece of worke that go about to picke their faith out of Scripture say the Rhemists annot 1. Cor. 1.5 This then is their opinion that it is neither necessarie nor conuenient for all men to haue accesse to the Scriptures we will see some of their reasons 1 From
the time of Esdras till Christ and in our Sauiours time the Scriptures were not in the vulgare toung but onely in the Hebrue which the Iewes vnderstood not after the captiuitie Ergo it is not now necessary to haue them in the vulgare toūg That the people vnderstood not Hebrue the Iesuite proueth out of the 8. of Nehemiah where it is said that Esdras did expoūd the law to the people because they vnderstood it not We answere that the text saith cleane contrary that he read the law before the people that vnderstood it v. 3. and they might geue the sense though the people vnderstood the language Concerning the places obiected out of the Gospell to proue the Iewes spake another language thē Hebrue as it appeareth by those speaches Marc. 5. Talitha cumi Math. 27. Golgotha which sauour not of the Hebrue toung we answere that although they spake not pure Hebrue but many straunge wordes were vsed yet they vnderstood the Hebrue for why els doth Christ bid the people to search the Scriptures And they were not the Iewes but the Romane souldiers that vnderstood not the voyce of Christ vpon the Crosse saying he called for Elias 2 The Apostles saith the Iesuite wrote their Epistles onely in Hebrue or Greeke and not in the vulgare tounges of the natiōs to whom they preached Ergo it is not necessary that the scriptures should be in the vulgare toung We answere First it had bene an infinite labour for the Apostles to haue left their writings in euery language neither was it necessary seeing out of the original they might be trāslated into euery language Secōdly they preached the same things vnto the Gētiles in their own toūgs which they afterward left in writing Thirdly the Greeke toūg wherein they wrote was vniuersally knowen and few countryes were ignorant of it especially in the East parts 3 There is no cause say they why the Scriptures should be translated if it be for the vnderstanding of the people they vnderstād them not being translated neither We aunswere many things they may easely vnderstand and for the harder places they are nearer the vnderstanding of them being translated then before for then they haue two great lets the toung vnknowen and the obscure and hid sense now they need not to labour for the toung but onely for the sense 4 The Scriptures are occasion of offence and heresie being not right vnderstood Ergo. First because many surfet of meats and drinkes it is no reason that sober men should be forbidden the vse of them no more for heretikes wicked mens sakes ought the people of God to be barred from Scripture Secondly more haue perished by ignorance in Scripture then by misunderstanding it and the Scripture was ordained of God to meete with offences and to confute heresies 2. Tim. 3.15 Wherefore these men make them selues wiser then God that thinke the Scripture is an occasion of those diseases for the which it is apppointed a remedie The Protestantes WE do beleeue and hold that it is requisite expedient and necessarie for the Scriptures to be vttered and set forth in the vulgare and commō speach and that none vpon any occasion ought to be prohibited the reading thereof for knowledge and instructions sake and that Christian Magistrates ought to prouide that the people may haue the Scriptures in their mother knowē toung Wherefore great wrong was offered to the people of England that diuerse 100. yeares till king Henrie the eight could not be suffred to haue the Scriptures in English And how I pray you did the Papistes storme when as Tindals translatiō came forth some affirming that it was impossible to haue the Scriptures trāslated into English some that it would make the people heretikes others that it would cause thē to rebell Fox pag. 117. col 1. What fowle and shamefull slaunders were these For the vulgare translations of Scripture we reason thus 1 It is Gods commandement that the Scriptures should be read before the people that they may learne to feare God Deut. 31. vers 11.12 The people are commanded to write the law vpon their gates and in their houses to conferre and talke with their children and teach them the law Deut. 6.6.7.8 And our Sauiour biddeth the people search the Scripture Iohn 5. v. 39. Ergo what God hath commaunded no man ought to prohibite or forbid the people therfore must not be kept from reading of Scripture 2 Without Scripture there is no faith faith is necessarie for all people Ergo the knowledge of the Scripture that faith cōmeth by the scriptures read Iohn 20.31 these things are written that ye might beleeue Iesus Christ to be the sonne of God Againe the weapons of Christiā men are not denied to any whereby they should fight against their spirituall enemies but the word of God is a speciall part of our harnesse and a principall weapon euen the sword of the spirite Ergo. 3 The Gospell may be preached in the vulgare toung as our blessed Sauiour and the holy Apostles taught the people Ergo the word of God may be read and writtē in the vulgare toung The proposition our aduersaries graunt that Sermōs may be made in the vulgare toung but it foloweth not say they that therefore Scripture should be in the mother toung Rhem. 1. Cor. 14.8 But I pray you how can the preacher alledge Scripture in his Sermō vnlesse it be recited in the vulgare toung or how should the people know they preach the word vnlesse they may compare their doctrine with Scripture as the Berrheans did Act. 17. 4 We haue the practise of the Church of God in times past for our warrant for in Chrisostomes time the people had vulgare translations whereupon he exhorteth them to get them Bibles or at the least the new Testament the Actes of the Apostles the Gospels Homil. 9. Epist. ad Coloss. We heard before that the Armenians Sclauonians Gothes had the Scripture in their own language so many hundred yeares ago in England king Alured translated the Psalter a copie whereof was found in Crowland Abbey called S. Guthlakes Psalter as M. Lābert witnesseth and Bede our learned country man translated S. Iohns Gospell Fox pag. 1115. col 2. The Rhemistes also confesse that more then 300. yeare ago the Italians had the Bible translated and the French men aboue 200. yeares ago Praefatan Testam 4. sect Why should not the people of God haue the same libertie now freely to read the Scriptures as they haue had in times past 5 Let vs heare Augustines opinion Lectiones diuinas saith he in Ecclesia sicut consuestis audite in domib vestris relegite I would haue you both to attend vnto the publike readings in the Church and in your house to read ouer againe the holy lessons but how could the people read them at home if they were not in their vulgare toung AN APPENDIX OR PART OF THIS question concerning publike prayers and diuine seruice in the
it hath nothing to do to iudge of Scripture being the seate of Antichrist neither is the authoritie of that Church to be credited but rather suspected and mistrusted 2 There are certaine writings of the Prophetes not canonicall and other writings of some that were no Prophetes made canonicall Ergo the Church hath authoritie to iudge of Scripture sic Stapleton For the first where he obiecteth that there are many writings of the Prophetes as of Solomon Nathan Ahiia Ieedo 2. Chronic. 9.29 that are lost and if they were extant should not be receiued We aunswere First it is not to be doubted of but some part of the canonicall Scripture is lost Secōdly how proueth he that if they were extant they were not to be acknowledged for Scripture To the second that bookes not made by Prophets are iudged canonicall as of Tobie Iudith We aunswere that these bookes ought not to be canonicall neither that euer they were so taken till of late it was decreed by Councels of no great antiquitie for in the Laodicene Councell and other auncient Councels they were deemed not to be canonicall 3 Certaine bookes of the new Testament before doubted of as the Epistle to the Hebrues the Apocalipse the 2. Epistle of Peter the second of Iohn are receiued into authoritie by the Church and other bookes as the Gospell of Thomas Mathias Andrew Peter were reiected by the authoritie of the Church We answere First we deny not but that the Church is to discerne betweene the true Scriptures forged bookes but this she doth not of her own authoritie but folowing the direction of Gods spirite speaking in those writings for the Church looking into the sacred and diuine matter of the Apostles writings was moued to acknowledge them for the word of God though of some they were doubted of finding the other to be fabulous bookes did by the direction of the same spirite reiect them Secondly Augustine and Hierome thinke that the Canon of Scripture might be confirmed in the Apostles time Iohn being the suruiuer of thē all who both acknowledged the true writings of the Apostles and condemned the contrarie If it be so the spirite of God in the Apostles hauing determined this question already concerning the canonicall Scripture the Church hath no authoritie to alter or chaunge that decree Plura apud Whitacher quaest 3. de Scriptur cap. 5. The Protestantes WE do not despise the sentence of the Church as our aduersaries doe falsely charge vs but we confesse that it is the duetie of the Church to geue testimony to the Scriptures as the Goldsmith doth trie the gold Fulk annot 2. Gal. 2. But the Church ought not to set the Lordes stampe vpon false coyne as the Papistes do in making Apocryphall bookes canonicall Neither doe we onely beleeue the Scripture because of the Churches testimonie nor chiefly but because the spirit of God doth so teach vs and the Scriptures them selues do testifie for them selues so that euerie man is bound to acknowledge the Scripture though there were no publike approbation of the Church Fulk 2. Galat. 6. Whitacher quaest 3. cap. 1. de Scripturis We do reason thus 1 The Iesuite doth reason strongly for vs he bringeth fiue arguments to proue the Scripture to be the word of God veritas vaticiniorum the constant and perpetuall truth of the Prophecies incredibilis scriptorum conspiratio the wonderfull harmonie and consent of holy writers of the Scripture testis est Deus ipse the spirite of God is a principall witnesse vnto vs testis est ipsa Scriptura the Scripture it selfe beareth witnesse as 2. Tim. 3. all Scripture is geuen by inspiration testis est diuinorum numerus infinitus miraculorum lastly the many and great miracles wrought by the Prophetes and Apostles do testifie for the truth thereof He maketh no mention at all of the testimonie of the Church but saith the same that we hold that the spirit of God inwardly working in our harts by the Scriptures them selues which we find to be most perfect consonant true of singular maiestie doth teach vs which is the word of God Bellarmin de verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 2. 2 The Scripture geueth authoritie to the Church Ergo the Church geueth not authoritie to the Scripture the first we proue by our aduersaries own confession for being asked how they know that the Church erreth not they alledge such places of Scripture as Math. 28.20 I am with you to the end of the world and the like how then doth the Church geue authoritie to Scripture seeing it taketh her warrant and authoritie from thence the Iesuite him selfe saith that nihil est certius vel notius Scripturis nothing is more certaine or notoriously knowen then Scripture and againe sacra Scriptura est regula credendi certissima the holy Scripture is the most certaine rule of faith Bellarm. de verbo 1.2 If the authoritie of Scripture then be most certaine what reason is it that they should depend vpon the iudgement of the Church which is nothing so certaine the lesse certaine ought rather and so doth indeed depend of the more certaine the Church vpon the Scripture not contrariwise for the Scriptures are the foundation of the Church Ephe. 2.20 3 To beleeue the Scripture is a worke of faith the Church can not infuse faith into vs but the spirite of God Ergo the spirite of God not the Church teacheth vs to beleeue Scripture argum Whitach 18. 4 If the Scriptures depend vpon the approbation of the Church then the promises of saluation and eternall life conteined in the Scriptures do so likewise but it is absurde to thinke that the promises of God do stand vpō the allowance of men Ergo neither the Scriptures argum Caluini 5 The Scripture is the chief iudge and ought so to be in all cōtrouersies we may appeale from the Church to the Scripture not from the Scripture to the Church the Church is subiect to the Scriptures the rule of faith is in the scriptures not in the Church for the cōpanie of faithful which is the Church are ruled by faith they do not ouerrule faith neither are a rule thereof the Church is a point of beliefe as in the Creede not a rule or measure thereof Ergo the Church is not the chief iudge of Scripture but it selfe to be iudged by scripture Whitach argum 16. 6 We haue euident places of scripture Iohn 5.34 saith Christ I receiue no witnes of men but the scripture is the voyce of Christ and of the same authoritie Ergo. Ver. 36. I haue a greater testimonie thē of Iohn the scriptures do testifie of me Ver. 39. The testimony of the scriptures is greater thē the record of Iohn Ergo then of the Church 1. Iohn 5.6 the spirite beareth witnesse that the spirite that is the doctrine of the spirit is the truth And. ver 9. if we receiue the witnesse of man the witnesse of God is greater Ergo not the iudgement of the Church
but the witnesse of the spirite doth certifie and assure vs of the truth and authoritie of scripture 7 I will adde one saying out of Augustine Mihi certum est nusquam a Christi authoritate discedere non enim reperio valentiorem Contra Academic lib. 3. cap. 20 I am resolued for no cause to leaue the authoritie of Christ speaking in the scriptures for I finde none more forcible Ergo the authoritie of scripture is aboue the Church which is denied by the Rhemistes annot 2. Gal. sect 2. THE FIRST QVESTION CONCERNING the perspicuitie and playnnes of the Scripture The Papistes OVr aduersaries do hold that the scriptures are most hard difficult and obscure error 6 Bellarmine saith necessario fatendum est Scripturas esse obscurissimas it must needes be graunted that the scriptures are most obscure de verbo Dei lib. 3. cap. 1. They do not onely affirme that some things are obscure in the scriptures but that they are all hard and doubtfull and vncertaine and compare thē therfore to a leaden rule which may be turned euery way Petrus a Soto And to a nose of wax Lindanus a Papist ex Tilmanno de verbo Dei error 5. Our Rhemistes say it is all one to affirme some things to be hard in a writer and the writer to be hard so they conclude that the scriptures are both in respect of the matter and manner very hard and therfore daungerous for the ignoraunt to read them Rhemens annot in 2. Pet. 3. ver 16. 1 They obiect that place 2. Pet. 3.16 where the Apostle saith speaking of S. Paules Epistles that many things are hard Ergo the Epistles of S. Paule are hard and so the scriptures this is Bellarmine and the Iesuites argument We answere First he saith not that Paules Epistles are hard but many things which he entreateth of Secondly they are hard not to all but the vnstable and vnlearned do peruert them Thirdly We denie not but that some places in the scripture are obscure and haue neede of interpretation but it foloweth not that therefore the whole scripture is obscure and because of some hard places that the people should be forbidden the reading of all 2 The scriptures are obscure both in the respect of the matter and manner first the matter is high and mysticall as of the Trinitie of the incarnatiō of the word of the nature of Angels such like We aunswere these mysteries may be said to be obscure three diuerse wayes First in their owne nature so are they hard indeed for by humane reason we can not attaine to the depth of thē Secondly in respect of their handling in the scripture so are they not obscure for all these things are plainly declared in the word as the nature of such deepe mysteries will afoord Thirdly in respect of vs so must they needs be obscure if men be not cōtented with the knowledge in the word but curiously search further Luther therefore doth aptly distinguish of these things he saith that res Dei the things of God are obscure the very depth of his mysteries can not be comprehended of vs but res Scripturae these things as they are opened in scripture are plaine if we will content our selues with that knowledge Secondly saith Bellarmine the maner of handling is hard and obscure there are many tropes metaphores allegories Hebraismes which can not easily be vnderstood We aunswere First many of these are rather ornamentes of the scripture as tropes metaphores then impediments to the reader Secondly though the phrase of scripture seeme hard at the first yet by further trauell in the scriptures it may become easie and plaine for all things are not vnderstood at the first Thirdly we denie not but that some places are obscure and had neede to be opened 3 If the scriptures be not hard what need so many Commētaries and expositions Rhemist 2. Pet. 16. We aunswere First so many Commentaries are not requisite some may be spared Secondly expositions are needfull for the vnderstanding of darke places but many things are plaine inough without expositions and may be vnderstood of the simple The Protestantes WE do not hold that the scripture is euery where so plaine and euident that it need no interpretation as our aduersaries do slaunder vs and therefore here they do fight with their owne shadow Bellarm. lib. 3. de verbo cap. 1. We confesse that the Lord in the Scriptures hath tempered hard things and easie together that we might be exercised in the Scriptures and might knocke labour by prayer and studie for the opening of the sense and that there might be order kept in the Church some to be hearers some teachers expounders by whose diligent search and trauell the harder places may be opened to the people But this we affirme against our aduersaries first that all points of faith necessarie to saluation are plainely set forth in the Scriptures secondly that the Scriptures may with great profit be read of the simple and vnlearned notwithstanding the hardnesse of some places which in time also vsing the meanes they come to the vnderstanding of Ex Fulk annot 2. Pet. 3.16 Whitacher quaest 4. cap. 1. 1 First that which we maintaine is euident out of the scripture Deut. 30.11 the commaundement which I commaund thee is not hid from thee nor farre of And as it foloweth thou needest not ascend to the heauens or go beyond the sea the word is neare vnto thee euen in thy mouth and hart to do it argum Brentij Ergo the scriptures are plaine First the Iesuite aunswereth that it is meant onely of the decalogue and the ten commandements that they are easie not of the whole Scripture As though if the commandements be easie the rest of the scriptures be not likewise as the Prophets and historicall books being but commētaries and expositions of the decalogues S. Paule Rom. 10.6 vnderstandeth this place of the whole doctrine of faith who better knew the meaning of Moses then the Iesuite 2 2. Cor. 4.3 If our Gospell be hid it is to them onely that are lost Ergo the Scriptures are plaine to the faithfull The Iesuite aunswereth S. Paule speaketh of the knowledge of Christ not of the Scriptures First it is manifest out of the 2. verse that S. Paule speaketh of that Gospell which he preached to the Corinthians which is the same he wrote vnto them wherefore if the Gospell preached were easie and plaine why is not the Gospell written by him I meane the doctrine of faith being the same which he preached Secondly if they graunt that the knowledge of Christ is easie we aske no more for this is that we say that the doctrine of faith and saluation is plainly expressed in Scripture 3 This is the difference betweene the new Testament and the old the old is compared to a clasped booke Isay. 29.11 the new to a booke opened Apoca. 5. the knowledge of Christians farre exceedeth the knowledge of the Iewes it
was lawfull for them to read the scriptures much more for all Christians The Iesuite aunswereth that our knowledge is greater then theirs not in all scripture but in the misteries for our redemption onely We answere this is all we desire for if the misterie of saluation and redemption be plainly opened in the scripture why should not the people be admitted to the reading of the word to be confirmed in the knowledge of their redemption who seeth not what sillie aunsweres these be 4 Augustine thus writeth of this matter In ijs inquit quae aperte in Scripturis â—osita sunt inueniuntur ea omnia quae fidem continent moresque viuendi De doctrin Christia lib. 2. cap. 9. The plaine and easie places of scripture conteine all things necessarie vnto faith and good life Ergo the doctrine of saluation in the scriptures is not hard and difficult but easie of good Christians to be vnderstood THE SIXT QVESTION CONCERNING the interpretation of Scripture THis question doth diuide it selfe into three partes First concerning the diuerse senses of the scripture Secondly to whoÌ„ the chief authoritie to expound scripture is committed Thidly what meanes must be vsed in the interpretation of scripture THE FIRST PART OF THE SIXTH QVEstion of the diuerse senses of Scripture The Papistes error 7 THere are two straunge Assertions of our aduersaries coÌ„cerning this matter First they affirme that the scripture may haue diuerse senses and meanings in the same place The sense of the scripture is either literall say they historicall which is the first most proper sense or spirituall that is an higher sense deriued out of the other and it is of three kinds Allegoricall Tropologicall Anagogicall they shew by particular instance and induction that the scripture besides the literall sense may haue these also The Allegoricall sense is when besides the plaine historicall and literall meaning somewhat is signified which by an allegorie is referred vnto Christ or the Church as Gal. 4. beside the truth of the storie of the bond and free woman S. Paule applieth it vnto the two Testaments Ergo one place may haue more senses then one The Tropologicall sense is when as there is somewhat signified appertaining to manners as Deut. 25. Thou shalt not mussell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne this by S. Paule is applied to the Ministers of the Gospell 1. Cor. 9. Ergo the scripture hath diuerse senses The Anagogicall sense is wheÌ„ the place is applied to decipher set forth the kingdome of heauen and eternall things as Psal. 94. I sware vnto them if they should enter into my rest this is literally vnderstood of the rest in Canaan spiritually of life eternall Ergo many senses thus reasoneth Bellarmin lib. 3. de Scriptur cap. 3. The Protestantes WE affirme that of one place of scripture there can be but one sense which we call the literall sense when as the wordes are either taken properly or figuratiuely to expresse the thing which is meant as in this place the seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head the literall sense is of Christ who should triumph ouer Sathan though it be spoken in a borowed and figuratiue speach There can be therefore but one sense which is the literall as for those three kinds they are not diuerse senses but diuerse applicatioÌ„s onely and collections out of one and the same sense 1 It shall appeare by a seuerall induction of all these kindes In the first example of the Allegoricall sense Galathes 4 the Apostle saith not that there is a double sense but that it may be allegorically applied which is historically set downe There is then but one sense of the place part whereof consisteth in the storie part in the allegorie so that the whole sense is conteined in them both Concerning the second exaÌ„ple of the Tropologicall there is not a twofold sense of that place but one whole generall sense that as the mouth of the oxe was not to be musled so the Minister of the Gospell must be prouided for Likewise of the Anagogicall kind it is not one sense to vnderstaÌ„d the rest of Canaan an other of the kingdome of God but there is one whole sense that as they for their Idolatrie were depriued of the land of promise so we should take heede lest by our disobedience we lose the hope of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ So we coÌ„clude that those are not diuerse senses but one sense diuersly applied 2 The literal sense is the onely sense of the place because out of that sense onely may an argument strongly be framed wherefore seeing allegories and tropes do not coÌ„clude they are not the senses of the place An allegorie or type may be part of the literall sense and then it concludeth but when an allegorie is framed beside the literall sense it concludeth not and therefore is no part of the sense as to reason thus the oxes mouth must not be musled Ergo the Minister must be maintained it foloweth well because it is part of the sense but allegories deuised beside the sense proue not though they may illustrate The Papistes THeir other assertion is this that it is lawfull to allegorise scripture both in the old and new Testament Bellarm. lib. 3. cap. 3. They reason thus Rhemens error 8 annot Heb. 4. ver 5. The Apostle applieth the rest of the Sabboth to the eternall rest Ergo the like applications of the fathers are lawfull See annot Heb. 7.2 the Apostle say they findeth great misteries euen in the very names Ergo it is lawfull to make allegories The Protestantes WE say it is daungerous to make allegories of Scripture without the warrant and direction of Gods spirite this was the occasion that diuerse of the auncient fathers greatly erred as the Iesuite him selfe repreheÌ„deth Papias Iustinus Lactantius for allegorising that place Reuel 20. which made them fall into the error of the Chiliastes by false interpreting of the thousand yeares there mentioned To their argumeÌ„ts our learned countryman D. Fulk answereth First it foloweth not because it was lawfull for the Apostles gouerned by the spirite to make allegories that it is therfore lawfull for others Secondly wheÌ„ the fathers or any other writers can be assured of the same spirite which the holy writers had and of the like dexteritie in vnderstanding and expounding Scripture they may likewise be bold to make allegories Let vs heare what Augustine saith of this matter Sicut mihi multum errare videntur qui nullas res gestas aliquid aliud praeter id quod eo modo gesta sunt significare arbitrantur ita multum audere qui prorsus ibi omnia significationib allegoricis inuoluta esse contendunt As they are much deceiued which thinke that the stories in the scripture do signifie no other thing but that which was done so they are to rash and bold that would draw all things to allegories which they read in scripture Ergo it is not
Apostle but we are sure the Pope is none neither successor of any Apostle but very Antichrist Ergo we haue more iust cause to examine his decrees 4 Lastly let Augustine speake Nouit charitas vestra omnes nos vnum magistrum habere sub illo condiscipulos esse nec ideo magistri sumus quia de superiore loco loquimur vobis sed magister est omnium qui habitat in nobis omnib You know brethren saith he that we are all felow scholers vnder one maister and though we speake to you out of an higher place yet are we not your master he is the teacher and master of vs all that dwelleth in our harts Ergo the spirite of God speaking in the scriptures is the chief and best interpreter thereof THE THIRD PART OF THE SIXTH QVEstion concerning the meanes or methode to be vsed in interpreting of Scripture The Papistes error 10 OVr aduersaries prescribe this methode and course to be takē in expounding of scripture which consisteth in foure rules the generall peactise of the Church the consonant interpretation of the fathers the decrees of generall Councels lastly the rule of faith consisting partly of the scriptures partly of traditions vnwrittē Stapleton Cōcerning the three first we haue already touched them in part they appeare to be insufficient First the Councels and fathers he made chief interpreters of Scripture before and now they are but meanes what other chief iudge then is there to vse these meanes surely none but the scriptures Secondly these meanes are most vncertaine the practise of the Church is often changed fathers agree not in their expositiōs and Councels can not alwayes be had Concerning the rule of faith consisting of vnwritten verities he groundeth it falsely vpon that place Rom. 12.6 let vs prophecie according to the rule of faith and Gal. 6.16 as many as walke according to this rule This rule was a certaine platforme of Religion geuen by the Apostles before the Scriptures were written according to the which say they the Scriptures were afterward compiled by the Apostles Rhemens in Rom. 12.6 Answere S. Paul meaneth no other rule but that which is set downe in his writings no other forme of doctrine but that conteined in his Epistles as in the 6. to the Galathians speaking of this rule he alludeth to the former verse where he saith he reioyced in nothing but in the Crosse of Christ his rule therfore is to receiue Christ onely without the ceremonies or workes of the law against the which heresie he disputeth in the whole Epistle But of all other it is a great blasphemie to say that the Apostles set downe the Scriptures by a rule as though the spirite of God by whom they spake had neede of any such direction The Protestantes WHen we say that the scriptures must expound them selues our meaning is that by certaine compendious and ready meanes we should labour to vnderstand the scriptures by them selues the meanes are especially these foure First to haue recourse to the originall toung as in the old Testament to the Hebrue in the new to the Greeke as 1. Tim. 2.15 through bearing of children they shal be saued if they continue in faith and loue In the English it is doubtfull whether this clause if they continue in faith be referred to children or to those that beare them but read the Greeke and the doubt is remoued for bearing of children is all one word in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that it must needes be vnderstood of the women for this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bearing of children is in the singular number that which foloweth of the plurall and it is but an action not a person so that it should be improperly sayd if they continue that is in bearing of children Stapleton obiecteth against this meane that it is not now needefull seeing there is a perfect and absolute translatiō authorised by the Councell of Trent he meaneth the vulgare Latin We answere First it is no perfect but an erronious translation and verie corrupt Secondly if it were neuer so perfect yet for more certaintie it is profitable to search the originall euery man will trust his owne skill rather then another mans Thirdly the Councell did fondly in authorising an old blind translation before the authenticall copies of the Hebrue and Greeke 2 Secondly the scope of the place the circumstance of it with that which goeth before and commeth after must be wayghed which will bring great light to the place we haue in hand an example we haue 1. Pet. 4.8 loue couereth multitude of sinnes the Papistes gather out of these words that loue doth iustifie vs before God and taketh away our sinnes but by the circunstance of the place the Apostole saying immediatly before haue feruent loue among you it is euident he vnderstandeth brotherly loue amōgest our selues whereby faultes are buried forgeuen and forgotten Stapleton obiecteth that this is but an vncertaine way and many times fayleth for the scripture passeth many times from one matter and argument to another how then can it helpe to consider the circumstance of the place being of a diuerse matter We answere we say not that any of these meanes serueth for euery place but when one fayleth to vse another when the circumstance helpeth not to runne to the originall if there we find no succour to cōpare places together and when we may to vse them all or the most 3 Thirdly the conference of places is very profitable as Iames. 2.21 Abraham was iustified by workes compare it with that place Rom. 4.2 there S. Paule saith flatly that Abraham was not iustified by workes Wherfore seeing one Apostle is not contrary to the other we must needs gather that this word iustified is diuersly taken Paule saith that Abraham was not iustified that is made righteous before God by his workes Iames saith he was iustified that is declared to be iust before men and so Thom. Aquinas expoundeth it Stapleton obiecteth that this meanes in cōparing of places is of it selfe many times of smal force Answere as though we affirme that these meanes must be vsed asunder and not rather ioyntly together and where one fayleth another to helpe Secondly some things are found but once in the scriptures Aunswere they are then either very plaine or not greatly necessarie Thirdly heretikes haue erred in comparing of Scripture Answere they compared them not diligently nor with a syncere minde but corruptly and negligently 4 The fourth rule is the analogie and proportion of faith which is nothing els but the summe grounds of Religiō gathered out of scripture such as are conteined in the Creede the Lordes Prayer the ten Commaundements and in our whole Catechisme We must take heede that in the interpretation of Scripture we swarue not from this rule of faith nor impugne any principle of Religion Wherefore the Papistes interpretation of those wordes of Christ we do reiect Hoc est corpus meum this is my
of the question First whether wicked men and infidels be true members of the Church Secondly whether the Catholike Church be inuisible 2 Whether the Catholike Church may erre and whether the visible Church may fayle vpon earth 3 Concerning the true notes and markes of the Church 4 Of the authoritie of the Church two partes First whether the Church haue authoritie in matters of faith beside the Scriptures and whether we ought to beleeue in the Church Secondly concerning the ceremonies of the Church 5 Whether the Church of Rome be the true Church two partes First whether it be the Catholike Church Secondly whether the Church of Rome be a true visible Church of these now in their place and order THE FIRST QVESTION OF THE definition of the Catholike Church The Papistes THe Catholike Church say they is a visible companie of men professing the same faith and Religion and acknowledging the Bishop of Rome to be their chief pastor and the Vicare of Christ vpon earth Bellarmin de Eccles. Lib. 3. cap. 2. Canisius capit de praecept Eccles. articul 9. Lindanus lib. 4. cap. 84. The Protestantes THe Catholike and vniuersall Church is the inuisible cōpanie of the faithfull elected and chosen to eternall life Iohn 10.16 A particular Church is a member of the vniuersall and Catholike Church and it is a visible companie and congregation of men amongest whom the pure word of God is preached and the Sacramentes rightly administred in the which visible congregation there may be and are many hypocrites euill and vnfaithfull men found and shal be to the end of the world Ex Amand. Polano So then betweene the vniuersall and particular Church there is a treble difference First the one is dispersed ouer all the world the other in some one country citie or any certaine place Secondly the vniuersall consisteth onely of the elect the particular both of good and bad Thirdly the Catholike is inuisible the other is visible and to be seene The question betweene vs and our aduersaries is about the vniuersall Catholike Church which they do falsly define in three points First they hold that wicked men are true members of the Catholike Church Secondly they allow not this distinctiō of the Church visible and inuisible but do affirme that the Catholike Church is visible Thirdly they make the Catholike Church to be in subiection to the Bishop of Rome Concerning this last point it belongeth to the controuersie of the Bishop of Rome and therefore we will not touch it in this place The other two are now to be handled in this question as two partes thereof THE FIRST PART OF THIS FIRST question whether wicked men and infidels may be true members of the Church The Papistes THey affirme that not onely the predestinate but euē reprobates also may belong vnto the Church and be true members thereof Bellarmin Lib. 3. de error 14 Eccles. cap. 7. Nay they denie that the elect which are vnborne and not yet called do appertaine to the Church of Christ. Rhemistes annot in 1. Tim. 3. Sect. 10. This then is generally their opinion that there is no internal grace or vertue required in the mēbers of the Church but onely the externall and publike outward profession Bellarmin cap. 2. And therefore they doubt not to say that euen wicked men and reprobates remaining in the publike profession of the Church are true members of the body of Christ. Rhemistes annot in Iohan. 15. Sect. 1. 1 They first alledge certaine places of Scripture as Math. 3. the Church is compared to a barne floore where there is both chaff and corne Math. 13. to a net cast into the sea where all manner of fish are gathered together 2. Tim. 2. to a house wherein there be vessels of honor and dishonor Ergo both good bad are members of the Church Bellarmin cap. 7. lib. 3. We aunswere All these places must be vnderstood of the visible Church which is knowen by the publike preaching of the word and therefore Math. 3. compared to a fanne and Math. 13. to a draw net the Apostles pastors and teachers are the fisher men Wherefore we denie not but that wicked men may be in the Church but not of it yea they may be members of the visible Church for a time but can not be truly ingraffed into the body of Christ. Fulk annot Iohan. 15. Sect. 1. 2 The Church say they is compared to a body 1. Cor. 12. as in the body there are some partes which haue neither sense nor life so in the Church there are some mēbers which haue neither faith nor charitie which is the life of the Church Ergo wicked men may be right members of the Church Bellarm. cap. 10. there may be also some fruitlesse braūches in the vine and so euill men may be members of Christ. Rhemist annot 15. Iohan. 1. euery braunch not bearing fruit in me shal be cast forth Ergo there may be fruitlesse braūches in Christ. We answere to the first who would haue said as the Iesuite doth that there are partes in the body that receiue neither life nor sense of the body doth he meane the nayles and heares as he seemeth to geue instance in the end of the Chapter but they are no partes of the body but excrements he is so deepe in his sophistrie that he hath forgotten Philosophie and yet they receiue some gift from the body for they grow encrease but the wicked receiue no grace at all from the Church The Rhemistes yet are more reasonable that say the wicked in the church are as ill humors and superfluous excrements in the body rather then liuely partes therof 1. Iohan. 2. Sect. 10. To the second is a dead bow or a braunch I pray you any part of the tree I thinke not the tree can not conueniently spare any one of the partes therof but the dead partes are hurtfull and combersome and it doth the tree good to cut them of But that they haue preuented vs we would haue vsed no better argument against them then this drawen from the resemblance of a mans body for as what is in the body receiuing no life nor power from the body is not properly a part of the body howsoeuer it seeme to be ioyned to the body so the wicked although they be in the outward face of the Church yet because they are not partakers of the spirituall life thereof by Christ are not truly to be iudged members of it 3 If wicked men should not be right members of the Church but the faithfull and predestinate we should be vncertaine which is the true Church which is not to be admitted because the whole doctrine and all the principles of Religion do depend of the testimonie of the Church Bellarm. lib. 2. cap. 10. We aunswere First although it is necessarie that the true Church should be certainly knowen yet not for that cause which the Iesuite pretendeth for the Religion of Christians is grounded vpon the Scriptures
and although the true Church doth geue a notable testimonie thereunto yet doth not our faith depend vpon their witnesse testimonie or allowance Secondly the true visible Church is certainly knowen by the preaching of the word and the right vse of the Sacramēts so that we doubt not but there is the true Church where we finde these markes neither is it needfull to know the estate of euery particular member thereof for so long as all actions in the Church are directed and ordered by the rule of Gods word we neede not to doubt to commit our selues to that Church howsoeuer otherwise men do stand before God and yet so much as is necessarie the faithfull may be iudged knowen by their fruites Thirdly though we admit that wicked men are mēbers yet the vncertainty remaineth still for they them selues hold that neither men not Baptised or persons excommunicate or heretikes can be of the Church but many may liue in the Church whom we know not to be Baptised which may be ipso facto by the deed doing excommunicate without publike sentence and heretikes also wherefore euen amongest themselues they are vncertaine who are members of the Church The Protestantes WE hold that the Catholike Church consisteth onely of the predestinate and comprehendeth the vniuersall number of all those which shal be saued not onely those now liuing on earth but all that haue bene since the beginning of the world of this Church S. Paule was euen being a persecuter for he was neuer a member of the deuill nor reprobate as Iohn Husse saith articul 2. Of this Church Iudas the traytor neuer was though he were reputed for a Disciple of Christ for a while Huss articul 7. Therefore the wicked and reprobate though they liue in the outward assembly of Christians are no more the true members of Christ then the tares in the field may be counted wheat or good corne 1 The true members of Christ are also his sheepe the wicked are not the sheepe of Christ Ergo neither his members The sheepe of Christ heare his voyce they do not heare his voyce Ergo if they shall aunswere that hypocrites and wicked men do heare Christes voyce so long as they continue in the outward profession of Christians we thus improue it Christes sheepe do folow him in life and example Iohn 15.4 but so doe not they If it shal be yet aunswered that they may also a while walke in Christes steps this is not enough for all Christes shal be saued ver 9. wherfore the Gospell vnderstandeth such folowers as continue to the end 2 Christ is the head of his Church and all the partes thereof but he is not the head of the wicked reprobate Ergo. The Iesuite graunteth that he is the head euen of those partes that shall perish Bellarmin cap. 7. We thus answere Christ is the head onely of those for whom he gaue him selfe Ephe. 5.23.25 but he gaue not him selfe for the wicked Ergo. If this be denied we thus proceede Christ dyed onely for those whom he sanctifieth and cleanseth to make them a glorious Church without spot and wrincle Ephe. 5.26.27 But this can not agree any wise to the wicked Ergo. 3 The Church of God is the whole familie of the children of God in heauen and earth Ephe. 3.15 they both make but one Church the wicked are not of this familie for who would say that the Saintes in heauen and wicked and reprobate men vpon the earth are felow seruaunts and of one houshold Ergo they are not of the Catholike Church 4 Of all other that is a most euident place 1. Iohn 2.19 they went out of vs but were not of vs Ergo heretikes and reprobates are not of the church Bellarmine aunswereth though they were not of vs that is of the Church animis voluntate in soule and minde and purpose of hart yet they were of vs externa professione in externall profession Thus they are not ashamed such is there great boldnesse to contradict the scriptures for the Apostle saith non erāt ex nobis they were not of vs they say yes forsoth after a sort erāt ex nobis they were of vs the Apostle saith nay they say yea he saith indeed exierunt ex nobis they went out of vs which soundeth nothing like as erant ex nobis they were of vs as the Iesuite subtillie would conclude 5 Let Augustine speake for vs both Illa columba vnica pudica casta sponsa sine macula ruga non intelligitur nisi in bonis iustis sanctis That louely doue saith he the chast vndefiled and vnspotted spouse that is the Church of God is onely vnderstood of those that are righteous faithfull holy Ergo the wicked are not of the Church which is the spouse of Christ. THE SECOND PART OF THE QVESTION whether the Catholike Church be inuisible The Papistes THey do affirme that the Catholike Church is and hath bene alwayes visible error 15 not so visible because it might be seene but that it hath bene alwayes actually visible not seene onely vnto the mēbers of the church but notoriously knowē to the whole world Rhemens annot in Math. cap. 5. Sect. 3. Neither do they meane any particular Church so to haue bene visible but the vniuersall catholike church which they define to be a visible cōgregatiō of all faithfull men Canisius cap. de fide Symbol articul 18. Bellarmin lib. 3. de Eccles. cap. 12. ration 7. 1 The foundation of the Church is visible therefore the Church is visible the proportion they proue thus for whether we affirme Christ or Peter to be the foundatiō of the Church both of them are now visible in him which is the Vicare of Christ and Peters successor We answere First we vtterly denie either Peter to be the foundation of the Church or els the Pope to be his lawfull successor for Peter is no more the foundation of the Church then all the Prophetes and Apostles Ephe. 2.20 whose doctrine is the foundation not their persons And as for the Pope we care not so much for outward successiō in place which notwithstanding they can not proue to haue bene perpetuall without interruption as we do require a succession of faith and doctrine Secondly we affirme that Christ is the foundation but not the visible beholding of Christ with the carnall eyes but beleeuing in his name for when Peter had vttered that notable confession of Christ he said that flesh and bloud had not reuealed it but his father in heauen but if the beholding of Christ had geuen Peter a sight of the foundation thē flesh had reuealed it vnto him his carnall eyes had brought him to Christ. Thirdly we may much better returne this argument vpon them selues that because the foundation of the Church which is faith in Christ is inuisible therefore the Church is inuisible 2 They heape vp many places of Scriptures but to small purpose as Math. 18. tell the
mysterie of antiquitie which began euen to worke in his dayes 2. Thess. 2.7 Secondly we also aunswere that all these things the authors of their sectes the time the persons that withstood them may manifestly be detected first concerning the time we haue a manifest Prophesie Apocal. 20. that Sathan should be bound a thousand yeares and afterward let loose when no doubt Antichrist should begin to shew him selfe to the world Cōcerning this space of a thousand yeares there are two probable opinions some thinke they are to begin immediatly after our Sauiour Christes time and so counting a thousand yeares all which time Sathan must be bound then Antichrist should begin to appeare Thus Iohn Wicliffe expoundeth it Others say the thousand yeares ought to begin after the three hundred yeares expired of persecution for all that while it is most like Sathan was let loose when he raged with opē mouth like a Lion against the Church and Saints of God of this opinion was Walter Brute somewhat after Wicliffes time who by this meanes maketh the Prophesie of Daniell of 1290. dayes and that in the Apocalipse 12. of 1260. dayes to agree with the thousand yeares of Sathans binding for taking euery day for a yeare we shall come to .1290 yeares after Christ when the thousand yeares must be expired beginning from the three hundred yeares of persecution If we count the thousand yeares from Christ we shall come to the time of Hildebrand the seuenth who was Pope of Rome a thousand yeares after Christ and vpward by whom the mariage of Ministers is thought first to haue bene forbidden if we begin after the ceasing of persecution which continued three hundred yeares we shall fall into the yeare .1300 about the time of Iohn Wicliffe whē the great rabble of Monkes and Friers began to swarme and superstition to encrease But we will take a litle payne briefly to touch the authors of many superstitions in Poperie and of their erronious and hereticall opinions Anno. 420. Zosimus Bishop of Rome did chalenge a prerogatiue aboue other Churches that it might be lawfull to make appeales frō other Churches to that sea and to set the better colour vpon it he falsely alledged a decree of the Nicene Coūcell but there was no such thing found there wherefore it was decreed in the Councell of Carthage at that time that none should appeale ouer the seas to Rome Bonifice the third purchased of the wicked Emperour Phocas the title of vniuersall Bishop Transubstantiation was first concluded against Berengarius anno 1062. vnder Leo the ninth but not publikely enacted before anno 1216. vnder Innocentius the third The Dominicke Friers brought in the same time and their Sect established by Innocentius the third Auricular confession also was brought in anno 1215. vnder the same Pope Mariage first prohibited by Nicholas the secōd Alexander the second Gregorie the seuenth about the yeare 1070. The Communion in one kinde forged and inuented and decreed in the Councell of Constance not aboue two hūdred yeares ago By these few examples it may appeare that it is false which the Iesuite saith that the authors of their sectes and heresies cā not be shewed Now we will briefly declare what oppugners and gainsayers they haue had in all ages since their grossest opinions began to be receiued Such were Bertramus and Berēgarius about pope Hildebrands time that mightily impugned the grosse opinion of Trāsubstantiatiō Robertus Gallus 1291. Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne who was called malleus Romanorū the mallet or hammar of the Romanes anno 1250. Franciscus Petrarcha 1350. Iohannes de rupe Scissa who Prophesied against the Pope 1340. with many other which ceased not to crye out against the abhominable vices and erronious opinions of the Church of Rome Wherefore it is a great vntruth which the Iesuite doth so stifly auouch that we can not set down the pedegree discent of their church and faith and how it hath continually bene resisted 3 Now whereas they say that they can name the ringleaders of our sect we haue none other maisters and authors of our faith then our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles by whose holy writings we refuse not to be tryed But you flye from the light you disgrace the Scriptures making them imperfect and insufficient this the true Disciples of Christ would not do you are the Disciples of Christ as the Pharisies bragged that they were the Disciples of Moses And as then the true church was not in those that sat in Moses chaire though they could alledge great antiquitie but in Christ and his Apostles so is not now the true Church to be discerned by custome or number of yeares but by that truth which was taught and preached by our blessed Sauiour and his Apostles Of Vniuersalitie Note 2. OVr Church is vniuersall say they both in respect of time person place error 19 it hath alwayes bene in the world in all countrys and nations it hath florished Ergo it is the true Church That it is vniuersall they first proue by the name of Catholike which is say they by Gods prouidence appropriat to them which name they affirme without ground to haue bene imposed by the Apostles vpon true beleeuers Rhem. in Act. cap. 11. Sect. 4. We aunswere First the name of Christians is a more honorable title then the name of Catholikes for it is manifest Act. 11.26 that this name was vsed in the Apostles time and by the Apostles them selues allowed but it is not certaine that the name Catholike came from the Apostles Againe many heretikes chalenged this name to be called Catholikes who did not so easily obtaine to be called Christians which ancient and honorable name the Papistes do despise for in Italie and at Rome it is vsed as a name of reproch to signifie a dolt or a foole Fulk in Acts. 11.26 2 We say that you doe vsurpe this name as the Donatistes in Augustines time would be called Catholikes for what is the name of Catholike without the Catholike doctrine They are the true Catholikes that professe the auncient and Apostolike faith to vs therefore be it knowen to you this name of better right appertaineth then to you ô ye Papists yet we haue better argumentes to proue our Church by then by sillables and titles Quasi nos saith Augustine huius nominis testimonio nitamur ad demonstrandam Ecclesiam non promissis Dei As though we saith he do leane vpon this name to proue our Church by and not rather vpon the promises of God Secondly they proue their vniuersalitie by the multitude of people that haue receiued the Romish faith and their Church say they hath replenished the greatest part of the world They would proue this by the propagation of the Church in the Apostles time in Tertulian Irenaeus Hierome Augustine yea and afterward in Gregories dayes yea and now also besides many great countryes in Europe they haue of their church in
come after him which should preach the same fayth that hee had taught and should conuert many from their errors And many such examples wee haue of holy martyrs and worthy Prophets But we hereby doe not proue our Church Yet this I hope hath not been out of the way to haue aunswered a little to our aduersaries vaine and vntrue bragges Hitherto we haue touched the principall notes and markes whereby the Papists doe decipher out their Church vnto vs Now it followeth that we declare the right and certaine signes of the true Church Of the true and infallible Notes of the Church of Christ. THe outward tokens whereby the true visible Church is discerned are not many in number as our aduersaries doe reckon vp many the Iesuite no lesse than 15. supplying belike in number that which they want in waight Neither in this place doe we speake of the vniuersal Catholike inuisible Church which is beleeued and not seen being an article of our faith but of particular visible Churches which are discerned and knowen by these two essentiall markes the true preaching of the word and right vse of the sacraments Some also doe adde a third namely ecclesiasticall discipline Beza confess de eccles art 7. Hooper vpon the Creede articul 72. But this partly is comprehended in the 2. former for there cannot be hearing preaching of the worde the frequenting of the sacraments vnlesse there bee an exercise of Church discipline partly also we say that it is not so essential a note as the other are for the absence of the other make a nullity of the Church If the word or sacramēts in substance be corrupted the Church also is defaced but if there be not an exact forme of discipline it doth not straightway cease to be a Church Wherfore we conclude that the true preaching of the word and right vse of the sacraments are the only necessary and essentiall notes of the Church Where these two are rightly vsed according to Gods worde there is a right Church as here in England God be blessed Where they are falsely and impurely handled there is a false and corrupt Church as among the Papists where they are not at all in vse there is no Church as amongst the Turkes Iewes and Infidels First we will examine our aduersaries arguments and then bring foorth our owne The Papistes 1. BEllarmine thus argueth the true notes of the Church ought to be proper and particular not common and generall as these are for euery sect of hereticks doe chalenge to themselues the right preaching of the word and vsage of the sacraments Ergo they are no true notes We answere 1. It skilleth not how many do lay clayme to those notes the word of God it self is a manifest iudge where pure doctrine is taught and the sacraments rightly kept according to the institution It is no matter howsoeuer Papists and other heretickes doe make their bragges the scriptures themselues can soone decide this question 2. I maruaile they are not ashamed to obiect that our notes are common seeing theirs are most common for not only assemblies of hereticks but euen the heathen and Idolatrous Gentiles might as well prooue themselues to be the Church by those popish notes of vniuersalitie for Idolatrie had ouer-spread the whole world of vnitie they all consented to persecute the Church of Christ of antiquitie for the worship of Idols continued aboue two thousand yeares of succession for the monarch of the Assyrians endured 1300. yeares their kings all this while one succeeding another They had also Prophets and such as wrought miracles Our aduersaries may be now ashamed to cast vs in the teeth that our notes are common when as theirs doe well agree to the Synagogues of Sathan and assemblies of Infidels 2. Sayth he the note or the marke must be better knowen and more notorious then the thing marked or notified by it so are not these for we know not which is the worde of God nor what bookes are canonicall and to be taken for scripture but by the Church We answere the Iesuite still beggeth that which is in question a foule fault in a professed disputer for haue we not largely prooued before 1. contr quaest 4. that the Church dependeth vpon the authoritie of the scripture and not contrariwise and that there is no more certaine and euident and vndoubted thing in the whole world vpon the which a man may bee bolde to builde and ground his faith then vpon the scriptures This sure is a childish and ridiculous argument to take that as graunted which is most of all in controuersie 3 The true notes sayth hee are inseparable from the Church it is neuer without them But many true Churches haue wanted these The Church of the Corinthians was a true Church and yet they beleeued not the resurrection cap. 15. The Galathians were a true Church and yet they held that Moses lawe was to bee obserued together with the Gospell And the Corinthians likewise did not sincerely obserue the Sacraments 1. Corinth 11. Ergo they are no true signes We answere First this argument may with better right bee returned vpon their owne head for many true Churches haue wanted their markes Christ and his Apostles had neither succession from Aaron nor vniuersalitie and yet they made the true Church The Church of the Iewes after Malachies time had no Prophets nor miracles for the space of 400. yeares before Christ yet were they the true Church and so of the rest of your notes the Church of Christ hath many times wanted them Secondly It was not the whole Church of Corinthus that doubted of the resurrection but certaine false Apostles that laboured to seduce others 1. Corinth 15.34 Some of you sayth the Apostle haue not the knowledge of God he saith not all So likewise amongst the Galathians there were false teachers that stood for the lawe of Moses Galath 5.9 a little leauen doth marre the whole lumpe It was not therefore a publike doctrine in the Church but secretly taught by false Apostles Thirdly there may be some error in the Church but being not fundamental such an one as destroyeth faith it doth not dissolue the Church as there was some abuse amongst the Corinthians in receiuing the Sacrament but the forme and institution and substance of the Sacrament was kept Nay yet to graunt a little more though the error bee daungerous and of great waight and moment and such an one as being stifely maintained would destroye the faith and Church too yet if they haue fallen into it rather of ignorance then any other cause and doe not continue in it but doe submit themselues to bee reformed by the word it ceaseth not for all that to be a Church So the Corinthians referred themselues wholly and their opinions to the iudgement and determination of the Apostle Hetherto our aduersaries haue sayd nothing agaynst vs now wee will say somewhat for our selues The Protestants 1 FOr the sufficiencie of these
Notes we would desire no better arguments then those which our aduersaries alleadged against vs for first our notes are proper onely to the Church and cannot bee found in any place where the Church of God is not Secondly they are most notorious markes and a man by the Scriptures may more easely knowe what true doctrine is and which are the right Sacraments then which is the true Church Thirdly these markes can not be absent from the Church but doe alwayes accompanie it and it is no longer a true Church then it hath those markes 2 We are able out of the Scriptures to proue these marks which may stand in stead of many reasons Iohn 10. my sheepe heare my voyce Ephes. 5. clensing it by the washing of water through the word Ergo the Word and Sacraments are true notes of the Church Bellarmine answereth to the first place that the hearing of the word is not a visible note of the Church but a signe vnto euery man whereby he may knowe his election Wee replie agayne looke which way a man is knowne to bee a member of the Church by the same way the Church also it selfe is discerned if the hearing of the word doe make one a sheep of Christ then doth it also shew which is the flocke and fould of Christ As I knowe my hand or foote to bee a part of my bodie because it hath life and motion of the bodie euen so the bodie is discerned from a carkas because it moueth and liueth To the second place he answereth very simply that the Apostle there sheweth not which is the Church but what good Christ hath wrought for his Church We replie againe But the Church is best knowne by the benefites that Christ hath bestowed vpon it amongst the which the Word and the Sacraments are not the least Ergo by these the Church is knowne and in that place by the Apostle described And let the reader iudge whether that place of the Apostle where there is direct mention made of the word and sacraments be not fitly applied to our purpose concerning the description of the Church 3 Let Augustine speake In scripturis didicimus Christum in scripturis didicimus ecclesiam epistol 166. In the scripture we doe learne Christ in the scripture let vs likewise learne the Church His argument is this Looke how Christ is knowne so is his Church but Christ is onely knowne by his word Ergo so is his Church The fourth question of the authoritie of the Church THe Papists affirme that the authoritie of the Church consisteth in these fiue poynts First in authorising the scriptures and defining which are Canonicall Secondly in giuing the sense of the scripture Thirdly in determining matters besides scripture Fourthly in making lawes constitutions for the Church Fiftly in exercising of discipline Concerning the two last we doe not greatly stand with them We acknowledge the Church hath authoritie to make decrees and constitutions but so as the Apostles did Visum est nobis spiritui sancto It seemed good to vs and the holy Ghost the Church must be directed by the wisedome of the spirit speaking in the scriptures We also acknowledge the holesome power of the Church in exercising of holy discipline but it must be done in the name and power of Christ. 1. Cor. 5.4 not according to the will of men Concerning the two first we haue alreadie shewed that neither the Church doth giue authoritie to the word of God but doth take her authoritie from thē for the scriptures are of sufficient credite of themselues 1. controu quaest 4. Neither that the sense of scripture dependeth vpon the interpretation of the scripture but that the word expoundeth it selfe 1. controu quaest 6. There remaineth therefore onely one poynt to be discussed of the authoritie of the Church namely in deciding of matters beside the scriptures which are of two sorts either necessarie appertayning to faith or indifferent concerning ceremonies of both these in their order THE FIRST PART WHETHER THE CHVRCH hath authoritie in matters of faith beside the scriptures The Papists WE ought to take our faith and al necessarie things of saluation at the hands error 24 of our superiours Rhemist Act. 10. sect 8. In poynts not decided by scripture wee must aske counsaile of the Church Praefat. sect 25. The Church is the onely piller and stay to leane vnto in all doubts of doctrine without the which there can be no certaintie nor securitie we must therefore beleeue it and trust it in all things annot 1. Timoth. cap. 3. sect 9. Yea it hath authoritie say they to make newe Articles of faith as in the Councell of Constance it was decreed to be necessarie to saluation to beleeue the Pope to be head of the Church In the Councell of Basile it was made an Article of the faith to beleeue that the Councell was aboue the Pope and therfore Pope Eugenius in not obeying the Councell was adiudged to be an heretike 1 Vpon these words in the Gospel Iohn 15.27 the spirit shall testifie of me and you shall beare witnesse also they conclude thus Ergo the testimonie of the trueth ioyntly consisteth in the holy Ghost and Prelates of the Church Rhemist Iohn 15. sect 8. We answere The witnesse of the spirit and of the Apostles is all one witnesse for the spirit first testifieth the trueth to the Apostles inwardly and the Apostles inspired by the spirite did witnesse it outwardly so the Pastors of the Church witnessing with the spirit which is not now inspired by reuelation but onely found in the scriptures are to bee heard but if the spirit testifie one thing in the word and they testifie another there we must leaue them 2 The Church erreth not Ergo we must heare her in all things Rhem. 1. Timoth 3. sect 9. We answere First the Church may erre if she followe not the scriptures Proued before 2. controu quaest 2. Secondly so long as the Church heareth Christs voyce we are likewise to heare hers and so long as she is preserued from error she will not swarue from Christs precepts neither impose any thing vpon her children without the warrant of her spouse The Protestantes THat the Church hath no such power to ordaine articles of faith or impose matters to be beleeued necessarie to saluation not contayned or prescribed in the holy scriptures We prooue it thus and wee are sure that the true Church of Christ will neuer chalenge any such prerogatiue 1. All truthes and verities in the scriptures are not so necessary to saluation that the ignorance thereof should bring perill of damnation Ergo much lesse are any verities out of scripture of any such necessitie the first is manifest for to know the iust chronologie of time or space of yeares from the beginning of the world to Christ is a veritie in scripture yet not necessary so to beleeue that Marie continued a virgin euer after the birth of our Lord was thought by
the Iewish ceremonies this is great presumption to thinke it is lawfull for the Church to doe whatsoeuer Christ and his Apostles did Fulk 1. Tim. 4. sect 18. The Protestants ALthough there be great moderation to bee vsed in the ceremonies of the Church and there is also some limitation for them yet hath the Church greater libertie in the rites and ceremonies which are appoynted for order and comelinesse sake then in the doctrine of fayth and religion The doctrine of saluation is alwayes the same and cannot be changed and toucheth the conscience But rites and ceremonies are externall and commanded for order sake and neither are they vniuersall the same in euery Church nor perpetuall but are changed according to times and as there is occasion Againe the precepts of Christianitie are either directly expressed or necessarilie concluded out of the scriptures but externall rites and ceremonies are not particularlie declared in the word there are onely certaine generall rules set downe according to the which all ceremonies brought into the Church are to bee examined as for the Sacraments of the Church they cannot bee altered hauing a perpetuall commandement from Christ Therefore the Church cannot appoynt what how many ceremonies soeuer she shall thinke good but according to these foure rules and conditions which followe here in order 1 All things ought to bee done to the glorie of God euen in ciuill actions much more in things appertayning to the seruice of God 1. Cor. 10.31 Our aduersaries offend agaynst this rule applying and annexing remission of sinnes to their owne inuentions and superstitious ceremonies as vnto penance and extreame vnction which they also make Sacraments for this is greatly derogatorie to Christs institution who hath only appoynted the hearing of his word and vse of the Sacraments for the begetting and encreasing of faith and by this faith only is the death of Christ applied vnto vs for the remission of sinnes 2 All things ought to be done orderly and decently 1. Cor. 14.40 Wherefore al ridiculous light vnprofitable ceremonies are to be abolished such our aduersaries haue many as knocking kneeling creeping to the Crosse lighting candles at noone day turning ouer of beades and many phantasticall gestures they haue in their idolatrous Masse as turning returning looking to the East to the West crossing lifting quaffing and shewing the emptie cup with many such toyes 3 All things ought to bee done without offence 1. Corinth 10.32 But to whom that hath but a little feeling of religion is not the abhominable sacrifice of the Masse offensiue What good conscience doth it not grieue that the Priest should create his maker as they say should offer vp the bodie of Christ in sacrifice and be an intercessor as it were for his mediatour desiring God to accept the sacrifice of his sonnes bodie As also to make it a propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke and the dead But of these matters we shall haue fitter occasion to entreate afterward when we come to the seuerall controuersies 4 All things ought to bee done to edifying 1. Corinth 14. vers 12. But the popish ceremonies are so farre from edifying that by reason of their infinite rabble and number they are a clogge vnto Christians and more burdensome then were the obseruations of the Iewes They haue hallowed fire water bread ashes oyle waxe flowers braunches clay spittle salt incense balme chalices paxes pixes altars corporals superaltars altarclothes rings swords and an infinite companie besides doe these tend thinke you to the edification of the minde Nay they doe cleane destroy and extinguish all spirituall and internall motions drawing the heart from the spiritual worship of God to externall beggerlie and ragged reliques and ceremonies Fulk 1. Timoth. 4. sect 1. Beza lib. confess de eccles articul 18.19.20 The fift question whether the Church of Rome be the true Church THis question hath two parts First whether the Romane Church be the Catholike Church or not Secondly whether the Church of Rome be a true visible Church THE FIRST PART WHETHER THE ROMANE Church be the Catholike Church The Papists BEllarmine defining the Church maketh this one part of the definition to be error 27 subiect vnto the Bishop of Romes iurisdiction Lib. 3. de eccles cap. 2. And therefore they conclude that they are out of the Church and no better then heretikes that doe not acknowledge the Pope to be their chiefe Pastor Canis de praecept eccles cap. 9. So they make the Romane faith and Catholike to bee all one Rhemist annot in 1. Rom. sect 5. Their reasons are none other then we haue seene before taken from vniuersalitie antiquitie vnitie vnto the which wee haue alreadie answered quaest 3. of this controuersie Not. 1 2 3. The Protestants WHile the Church of Rome continued in the doctrine of the Apostles it was a notable and famous visible Church and a principall part and member of the vniuersall Catholike but now since it is degenerate and fallen away from the Apostolike faith from being the house of God to be a synagogue for Antichrist we take it not to be so much as a true visible Church But neuer was it to be counted the Catholike Church as though all other Churches were parts and members of it but it selfe onely was a part as others and Catholike too while it continued in the right faith but not Catholike as hauing iurisdiction ouer the rest and all to receiue this name of her 1 The vniuersall Catholike Church is so called because it conteyneth the whole number of the elect and first borne of God Heb. 12.23 Whereof manie are now saints in heauen many liuing in the earth many yet vnborne But all these were not neither are of the Romane faith the holie men departed knewe not of these superstitious and prodigious vsages which now doe raigne in the Church of Rome nay many of them neuer heard in their life so much as of the name of Rome Ergo. 2 It is called Catholike and vniuersall because they that are to be saued must belong vnto this companie and be of this Church for without the Church there is no saluation for Christ onely gaue himselfe for his Church to sanctifie it and cleanse it Ephes. 5.25 But all that dye out of the faith of the Romane Church do not perish Nay verely we doubt not to say but that all which depart this life in the communion thereof without repentance are barred from saluation and dye out of grace We are in the right faith neither will we be our owne iudges the scriptures shall iudge vs Euery spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God 1. Iohn 4.2 We beleeue aright in both the natures and all the offices of Christ which you doe not which doe greatly deface his prophetical office in not reuerencing his word but making it imperfect his kingdom in appointing him a Vicar and Vicegerent vpon earth as though he of himselfe were not sufficient to gouerne
other but all shall not passe through Purgatorie by their owne confession They are driuen to this shift to graunt that vers 13. the fire is taken in one sense namely for the sentence and iudgement of God and vers 15. in another that is for the flames of Purgatorie But who seeth not how absurd a thing this is that in an allegorie the same word and in the same place should be so diuersly taken Thirdly The day shall reueale it that is sayth Bellarmine the day of the Lord at the comming of Christ the Rhemists vnderstand the particular day of euery mans death so well they agree together But it is apparant that this is the meaning that the day that is the time shall declare it for God hath appoynted a time to examine euery mans doctrine by fire which is nothing els but the iudgement of God by the fire of his word whereby euery man in the day of his calling and conuersion shall knowe whether he hath preached aright or not Fulk The Protestants THat there is no such place of Purgatorie after this life but that here onely is the place of repentance and to be reconciled vnto God and that the soules departed are presently either receiued vp to heauen or thrust downe to hell thus it is proued out of the scriptures Argum. 1. The scripture maketh but two kinds of works either good or euill Ecclesiastes 12.14 But two sorts of men he that beleeueth shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be condemned Mark 16.16 But two places heauen and hell Math. 25. Christ hath but two flockes one of sheepe at the right hand another of goates at the left and he saith to the one Come ye blessed to the other Goe ye cursed There are but two sorts of men therefore but two places Ergo no Purgatorie Bellarm. There shall be indeede at the comming of Christ but two places heauen and hell Purgatorie shall haue an end Ans. First you say your selues that there shall be two infernall places for euer Hell for the wicked and a Limbus for infants that dye vnbaptized and heauen that maketh three and now you say there shall be but two Secondly there are but two places now because there are but two sorts of men for the beleeuers are alreadie passed frō death to life Iohn 5.24 The vnbeleeuers are alreadie condemned Iohn 3.18 Thirdly Augustine consenteth with vs Non est vlli vllus medius locus vt possit esse nisi cum diabolo qui non est cum Christo There is no middle or third place but he must needes be with the diuell that is not with Christ. De peccator remiss merit lib. 1. cap. 28. And againe Tertium locum penitus ignoramus imo nec esse in scripturis sanctis inuenimus The third place beside heauen and hell we are vtterly ignorant of nay wee finde not in scripture that there is any Arg. 2. S. Paul saith that euery man shall receiue the works of his bodie according to that which he hath done either good or euill 2. Cor. 5.10 Therefore there is no place to cleanse and purge the soules of men after this life for then they should not receiue according to the works done in their flesh Bellarmine sayth that euen they whose sinnes are remitted after death doe receiue nothing but that which was done in the flesh for they deserued in their life time to be helped after death Ans. First as for desert we will shewe elsewhere that it hath no place before God neither in this life nor the life to come for the scripture sayth Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne not who deserueth remission of sinnes Rom. 4.6 Secondly this deuised and friuolous distinction doth not stand with the Apostles meaning for he speaketh of things actually done in the flesh not deserued to be done and of the workes of the bodie not of the soule of things perfectly done not begun onely or in choate and he vseth it as a reason to perswade men euen while they liue to be accepted of God vers 9.11 But if there might be any such helpe after death there needeth no such hast presently to be conuerted vnto God Argum. 3. Apocal. 14.13 Blessed are the dead from henceforth that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours Ergo there is no Purgatorie for all the godly departed are at rest Bellarm. First it is not meant of all the godly but onely of Martyrs which dye for the name of Christ. Ans. As to liue in Christ Iesus is a phrase of scripture signifieth to liue godly in Christ 2. Timot. 3.12 so to dye in the Lord signifieth to dye in the faith of Christ 1. Thessal 4.16 Therefore this place is vnderstood of all the godly Bellar. 2. This word amodò from henceforth is not to be vnderstood straight after their death but straight after the day of iudgement thē they shal be blessed Ans. First by this reason none that are dead in Christ should be happie before that time And yet by your owne confession Martyrs are straightway receiued vp to heauen Secondly S. Iohn vseth this word elsewhere to signifie from this time forward as Iohn 1.51 Christ sayth to Nathanael From henceforth you shall see heauen open Rhemist Thirdly it may be also vnderstood of the soules of Purgatorie that are without danger of sinne and damnation and are put in vnfallible securitie of their saluation with vnspeakable comfort Ans. First so the Saints liuing are blessed being as well without feare of damnation Rom. 8.1 and are assured of their saluation Rom. 8.16 Secondly I pray you what rest or comfort can they haue that endure greater paine then any in this life And how can their consciences be quieted seeing their soules are so afflicted for bodies they haue none whatsoeuer they suffer is in soule how then can ioy and paine comfort and horror be together in the soule Fulk ibid. THE SECOND PART OF THE CIRCVMSTANces and other matters belonging to Purgatorie The Papists error 11 1. THey say it is an article of faith to beleeue that there is a Purgatorie and that he which beleeueth it not is sure to goe to Hell Bellarm. lib. 1. de purgatorio cap. 11. The Protestants WE hold that it is not onely an article belonging to the faith but contrarie to it and that though there were a Purgatorie yet it should not be necessarie to saluation to beleeue it First because the scripture hath not determined it which containeth all things necessarie to saluation Secondly the Greeke Church holdeth it not to this day they confesse no Purgatorie though they pray for the dead it were a hard matter therfore to pronounce them damned Thirdly Augustine doubted of it He sayth that there should be some such place after death non incredibile est it is not incredible vtrum ita sit quaeri potest aut inueniri aut latere fideles potest whether it be so or not
festiuities of her Conception and Assumption be not kept she should haue none at all and so be thought worthie of lesse remembrance then any other Saint Galat. 4. sect 5. Rhemist The Protestants 1. WE doe not celebrate any festiuall daies in the honour of creatures neither of the Virgine Mary nor any other Saint but only to the honor of God and therefore the feasts of the Annuntiation and Purification may much better be receiued because they belong and are referred vnto Christ then the other festiuities of the assumption and conception of Mary the institution whereof was most superstitious the one for the fayned assumption of her bodie which your owne writers are vncertaine of the other to maintaine the heresie of the Franciscanes that she was conceiued and borne without sinne As for the memorie of the Virgine Mary it may better be kept then by such festiuities as our Sauiour Christ taught to keepe the remēbrance of Mary Magdalene by preaching the Gospell Math. 26.13 Fulk annot Act. 1.7 And if they only are Catholike generations that call her blessed in keeping these festiuities in her memoriall then there were no Catholike generations for many hundred yeeres after and so do you condemne the age of the Apostles for neither then nor many yeres after were these superstitious festiuities heard of But Mary saith in her song From henceforth euen from this time forward shall all generations call me blessed so that if her blessednesse had consisted in the memorie of those daies they should immediatly haue been kept especially the day of her natiuitie Fulk Galath 4. sect 5. 2. We doe allow all praise giuen vnto the Virgine without the dishonour of God and her Sonne and Sauiour Christ we doe acknowledge the honour that God vouchsafed her not to be a meritorious or principall efficient cause of our redemption but onely an holy vessell and instrumentall cause of the conception and birth of Christ by whose only merite and worthines our redemption is perfited as by a proper and principall and onely meritorious efficient cause thereof And therefore those are blasphemous titles which are giuen vnto her to call her the ladder of Heauen and gate of Paradise and such like and so in a manner to make her our redeemer Augustine saith She was more happie in that she conceiued the faith of Christ then in conceiuing the flesh of Christ. If then these titles be vnmeet for her in respect that she receiued the faith of Christ which is common to al the children of God then are they more vnfit in that she conceiued the flesh of Christ. 3. It is great presumption to thinke that the Virgine Mary may command her sonne in heauen seeing she had no authoritie to command him vpon earth in any thing pertaining to his office Ioh. 2.4 And now likewise that carnall respect of children to their parents ceaseth in the kingdome of God As for that superioritie higher kind of honour which she hath aboue al the Saints beside we finde no warrant out of scripture She is respected now in heauen not as she bare the flesh of Christ but as she liued by faith in Christ she also reioyced in God her Sauiour The scripture therefore maketh one condition and estate of all that shall be saued and sayth generally of all of others as well as the Virgine Christs mother That they shall be as the angels in heauen Matth. 22.30 Yea our Sauiour sheweth that Whosoeuer doth the wil of God is his sister brother and mother Math. 12.50 By the which we learne that other the faithfull seruants of GOD may by their faith in Christ be as well accepted of God as if they had borne Christ in the flesh Where then is that high dignitie which she hath as the mother of Christ aboue all Saints Augustine saith Tu concinis sine fine choris coniuncta Angelis Archangelis sociata Thou O Virgine doest reioyce being ioyned vnto the heauenly quire being associated to Angels and Archangels He maketh her not Ladie or Queene of heauen but onely a fellow companion of the Saints and Angels AN APPENDIX OR FIFT PART OF THE MErites of the Virgine and of the Aue Maria. The Papists 1. THey doe teach and hold that she onely amongst all women deserued to error 84 beare the redeemer of the world and so by her merites obtained that fauour to be the mother of Christ. Argum. The Angel saluteth her calleth her Full of grace which sheweth the prerogatiue that she had aboue other women and the worthines that was in her Rhemist Luk. 1. sect 12.15 The Protestants Ans. 1. Wee acknowledge that herein she was blessed aboue all other women in that she was chosen to be the mother of our Sauiour and that she was endued fully with the graces of the holy Ghost but those graces she had not of her selfe but of the free gift of God without her merites 2. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth freely beloued not full of grace as it is likewise taken Ephes. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath made vs accepted in his beloued Sonne 3. She her selfe confesseth her selfe in her song to bee of a lowe degree poore in spirit and hungrie whom God in mercie looked vpon Luk. 1.50 whereas God sent away the proud and rich as the proud Pharisie that thought himselfe rich of good workes obtained nothing of God Luk. 18. Wherefore if she had stood vpon her owne deserts she had made her selfe rich not poore neither should she haue magnified the mercie of God but his iustice for when a reward is giuen according to desert it is of his iustice and not mercie Augustine thus commenteth vpon the words of her song Magnificet animae mea Dominum recordetur quomodo nullis suis praecedentibus meritis sed sola dei bonitate sit ab iniquitate saluata Let my soule praise the Lord and remember how that not by any merites going before but through the only gracious goodnes of God it is deliuered from sinne Ergo Mary not saued by her merites nor consequently the mother of Christ by her merites but onely by the meere fauour of God The Papists 2. THey much commend the often vsing of the Aue Mary which is done say error 85 they to the honour of Christ and our Ladie Argum. They be the very summe and abridgement of the whole Gospell and therefore to be vsed Rhemist Luk. 1. sect 11. The Protestants 1. You do shamefully abuse those words in making a praier of them which was but a forme of salutation vsed by the Angel neither can you say them in that sense they were vttered in by the Angel Also you offend in the vaine repetition of them vpon your beades as the heathen did Math. 6.7 and in committing idolatrie in the inuocating of the Virgine and praying vnto her in these words who is a creature and not a God to be called vpon 2. What mysterie soeuer be contained
Minister SOme things are yeelded vnto of both sides First that no man ought to take vpon him to administer the Sacraments vnlesse he be thereunto lawfully called and ordeined by the Church sauing that they make exception of Baptisme which in case of necessity as they teach may be giuen by the hands of lay men or women but of this matter we shall haue fitter occasion afterward to consider Secondly it is agreed that the efficacy or vertue of the Sacrament dependeth not of the faith or honesty of the Minister but a faithfull man may receiue the sacrament worthily euen at the hands of an vnworthy Minister The Papists THe point of difference betweene vs is this They do teach that the efficacie error 90 perfection and being of the Sacrament doth necessarily depend of the intention of the Minister so that they holde it to be no sacrament if the Minister haue not Intentionem faciendi quod facit ecclesia A full purpose and intent in ministring the Sacrament to doe that which the Church doth that is to consecrate the elements and to make a Sacrament Trident. concil sess 7. canon 11. Bellarm. cap. 27. So that by this rule if the Ministers intention be not wholy vpō the busines he hath in hand it shall be no Sacrament Argum. If the Ministers intention were not necessary to make a sacrament when it chaunceth that the gospell is read at the table by a Minister there being both bread and wine set before them and he in reading saith This is my body and This is my blood straightwaies all that bread wine should be consecrate and become a sacrament but because his intention is wanting it is none Bellarm. ibid. Ans. 1. But what if the Minister should haue a fantastical conceite and intent as he readeth to consecrate all the bread wine vpon the table then it should seeme by your rule that it must needs be a sacrament which were euen as absurd a thing as the other 2. There are other lets impediments from hauing a sacrament at the table thē the intention of the minister being wanting or kept back for the elements are not consecrated nor the Sacrament made by the bare pronouncing of the words but the whole institutiō ought to be obserued there must be eating drinking taking and doing al in the remēbrāce of the death of Christ there must be distributing receiuing inuocatiō thākesgiuing the whole action in the sacramēt is the cōsecration therof these things thē being wāting there can be no Sacrament The Protestants IF the Sacrament be administred aright according to the institution of Christ whatsoeuer the Minister be howsoeuer affected be he neuer so prophane in his hart without any godly purpose or intention yet to the worthie receiuer it ceaseth not to be a Sacrament Caluin in antidot concil Tridentin sess 7. canon 11. Argum. 1. The word of God with what intention soeuer it be preached yet may haue his effect and worke faith in the hearer So Christ be preached saith S. Paul whether vnder pretence or sincerely I therein ioy Philip. 1.18 Ergo the Sacraments also may haue their efficacie without the intent of the Minister argum Lutheri Argu. 2. If the effect of the Sacrament consisteth vpon the intention of the Minister then should euery man be vncertaine whether any thing be wrought in him or he haue receiued any benefit by the Sacrament because he knoweth not the intent of another mans hart and so should he be depriued of the spirituall comfort which he might reape by the Sacrament Caluin Augustine saith Sacramentum Baptismi tam sacrum est vt nec homicida vel ebrioso ministrante polluatur The Sacrament of Baptisme is so holy that it cannot either by a murtherer or drunken person ministring it be defiled And I pray you is it not like to be a good intention that should enter into the harts of such lewd and wicked men Therfore without any good intention euen by the hands of such may the Sacraments be giuen THE FOVRTH PART WHETHER THE Sacraments be seales of the promises of God The Papistes error 91 THey vtterly deny that the Sacraments be pledges and seales vnto vs of the promises of God or that therby our faith is nourished and confirmed and we assured of free remission of sinnes by the death of Christ neither that the sacraments were ordeyned for any such end Bellarm. lib. 1. de sacram cap. 14. Argum. 1. If the sacraments confirme vnto vs the promises of God in his word then must they of necessitie be more euident and better known vnto vs then is the word of God for that which is lesse knowen and not so notorious cannot perswade vs of that which we haue better knowledge of But such are the Sacraments which are not so euident being called mysteries of religion as are the words of God Ergo Bellarm. ibid. Ans. 1. It is strange to see that you should now contend for the euidence and plainenes of Scripture which you haue locked vp from the people with no other pretence then because they are hard and obscure and dangerous ro be read of the simple Secondly you doe not well in comparing the word and the sacraments together for they cannot be diuorsed or separated for the word giueth life to the sacraments the sacraments againe giue liuely testimony and witnes to the truth of the word But let this be the question not whether the writing by it selfe and the seale by it selfe are of greatest force but whether an instrument with a seale be not of greater euidence and strength then without it So the word of God which doth but beate vpon the sence of hearing must of necessitie not in it self but in respect of vs worke more effectually being sealed by the sacraments where we receiue instruction by two other sences of ours the sight and the taste The Protestants THat the Sacraments are ordeined of God to be pledges and seales of his promises made vnto vs in Christ that as verily as the externall elements are applied to the outward man so our soules spiritually are refreshed with an assured hope of the remission of our sinnes in Christ and so the sacraments to be seales onely of the righteousnes of faith and not giuers or workers of grace in vs it is euident out of the Scripture Argum. 1. Abraham receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnes of faith Rom. 4.1 Circumcision then was to Abraham a seale of the righteousnes of faith that is that he was iustified by faith Ergo so are all other sacraments Rhemist Indeede circumcision was a seale to Abraham for he was iust before and receiued this sacrament as a seale thereof afterward But it foloweth not that it was so in all for in Isaac his sonne and so consequently in the rest the Sacrament went before and iustice followed annot Rom. 4. sect 8. Ans. 1. The Apostle setteth forth the example of Abraham to shew
Martyrs and so to bee saued for Macrobius writeth that one of Herods sonnes which was nursed in those parts was slaine among the rest the infants which were saued were within the promise and belonged to the couenant and so could not bee lost their saluation depended of their free election before God it was not purchased by the very act of their dying Secondly the theefe also vpon the Crosse was iustified by his faith and beleefe in Christ. And therefore Augustine doth chiefely commend his faith Tunc fides eius de ligno floruit quando discipulorum emarcuit Then his faith did as it were bud and flourish out of the tree of the crosse when the faith of the Disciples withered The Protestants NEither the outward worke of Martyrdome nor contrition doe iustifie or giue remission of sinnes but the faith onely of Martyrs and penitent persons whereby they apprehend Christ. Argum. 1. Saint Paul saith 1. Corinth 13.3 That if a man giue his bodie to be burned and haue no loue it profiteth not Ergo it is not the outward act of Martyrdome but an effectuall and liuely faith working by loue which pleaseth God Argum. 2. Neither is the bare worke of sorrowe and contrition in it selfe acceptable to God for there is a worldly repentance that causeth death there is a godly repentance not to be repented of which worketh in vs care zeale feare desire which are the fruites of faith 2. Corinth 7.10.11 Ergo it is faith onely that maketh all our workes to be accepted of before God for without faith it is vnpossible to please him Hebr. 11.6 The Papists 2. MArtyrdome and contrition or conuersion of the heart vnto GOD error 102 though they bee no Sacraments yet may supplie the lack of Baptisme Bellarm. ibid. Argum. Martyrdome in the scriptures is rightly called a Baptisme as Christ speaking of his death saith I must bee baptized with a Baptisme Luk. 12.50 And therefore it may fitly stand in stead of Baptisme Ans. If euery thing that hath the name of Baptisme may bee vsed in place thereof then adde vnto your number of such deuised supplies the Pharisaicall washing of cuppes for they are called baptismata calicum the Baptismes or clensings of cuppes Mark 7.4 The Protestants WE neede not any such supplies to make good the want of Baptisme neither is it safe so to doe 1. It is great presumption and boldnes without warrant of Gods word to giue the effect and blessing which God hath annexed to the Sacraments to any other externall worke for what is this else but to institute other Sacraments then Christ left And shall wee not thinke that God by his spirite can better supplie the losse and the want of the Sacraments then we by our owne inuentions can helpe our selues 2. Concerning contrition of the heart if you vnderstand by it true repentance and withall a vowe and true desire to receiue the Sacrament of Baptisme which cannot bee obtained because of some remedilesse necessitie that in such a case it standeth as auailable as if a man had been actually Baptized for thus the Rhemists expounde themselues annot Iohn 3.2 I pray you what greater necessitie is there now of Baptisme then of the other Sacrament For this is true and we willingly grant that euery man that shall be saued must either receiue the Sacraments or haue a desire vnto them for the neglect and contempt of the Sacraments without repentance is a sinne damnable And thus you ouerthrow your selues making Baptisme necessarie without necessitie 3. Augustine admitteth none of these supplies but onely Martyrdome Nemo fit membrum Christi nisi aut Baptismate Christi aut morte pro Christo No man is made the member of Christ but either by the Baptisme of Christ or in dying for Christ here Augustine maketh but one supplie of Baptisme they make two When men followe their owne inuentions there can be no agreement THE FOVRTH QVESTION WHETHER women and Lay-men ought to baptize The Papists error 103 THey hold that not onely Lay men but Pagans that are not baptized themselues yea and women also may be ministers of Baptisme in a case of necessitie eBllarm cap. 7. Argum. Exod. 4. Zipporah circumcised her sonne and the Lord was pleased therewith and went away from Moses whom hee came against to haue slaine him Ergo women may as well now minister Baptisme Ans. First there is not the like strict necessitie of Baptisme as there was then of Circumcision for if euery man childe were not circumcised the eight day the Lord threatned to cut him off from among the people Genes 17.14 But Baptisme is not tied or limited to any such time or number of dayes Secondly there was great necessitie which enforced Zipporah to circumcise her childe for they had neglected the time and passed the stint of dayes wherefore the Lord strooke Moses with sicknes and being not able himselfe to performe that duetie his wife in great haste taketh the childe and cutteth him to saue her husbands life but shee in great indignation cast away the fore-skin from her knowing that shee was constrained to commit an vnwomanly act There cannot bee any such necessitie of Baptisme as there was then of Circumcision which was to be done within a certaine compas of dayes Thirdly you may as well proue by this example that a woman may baptize the Bishop Priest or Deacon standing by which notwithstanding you hold vtterly vnlawfull as that it is lawfull for her to baptize For Zipporah did it in the presence of Moses The Protestants NEither lay men of what calling soeuer nor yet Midwiues or any other women ought to bee suffered in a wel reformed Church to baptize infants neither are they authorized so to doe amongst vs. Argum. 1. The commission and charge to baptize was giuen onely by our sauiour Christ to his Apostles and all lawfull Ministers their successors Matth. 28.19 Ergo Lay men and women in baptizing goe beyond the commission of Christ. Argum. 2. The preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments are and ought alwaies to be ioyned together And the care and charge of both is committed to Pastors and Ministers lawfully ordained Goe saith our Sauiour and teach all nations baptizing them Matth. 28.19 But it is not lawfull for women to preach the word 1. Corinth 14. vers 35. Ergo not to baptize Argum. 3 If it be lawfull for such to baptize it is onely in the time of necessitie but there is no such necessitie as we haue shewed of Baptisme Ergo it is not at all lawfull for them Augustines iudgement is this if a Lay man doe giue Baptisme Nescio an piè quis dixerit esse repetendum I cannot tell whether it may well bee iterated or repeated Hee dooth not allowe Lay men to baptize but is of opinion that they are not to bee baptized againe that receiue Baptisme at their handes Yet hee speaketh vncertainelie I cannot tell saith he and so we will conclude with
Augustine Si Laicus baptismum dederit nulla cogente necessitate alieni muneris vsurpatio est If a Lay man doe baptize where there is no necessitie it is an vsurping of another mans office But there is no such necessitie to cause him so to doe Ergo. THE FIFT QVESTION OF SVCH AS are to be admitted to baptisme Of the Baptisme of Infants part 1. THat infants are to bee baptized it is fully agreed and concluded betweene vs. Which point we doe strongly maintaine by the Scriptures against the Anabaptists of our age But herein we dissent from our aduersaries The Papists error 104 1. THey affirme that the Baptisme of children and infants is grounded vpon tradition and not vpon Scripture Bellarmine lib. 4. de verbo dei cap. 9. The Protestants IT were very hard if we had no more certaine ground for the baptizing of infants then tradition which is but a feeble weapon to fight against heretikes withall we haue manifest proofes out of Scripture for it First they belong vnto the couenant Genes 17. I will bee thy God and the God of thy seede Ergo they haue right to the signe of the couenant Secondly they are called holy which are borne of faithfull parents 1. Cor. 7.14 Ergo are not to be denied Baptisme Thirdly they are redeemed by the blood of Christ who died for all the children of God Iohn 11.52 To them belongeth the kingdome of God Ergo also Baptisme which is a pledge of remission of sinnes and eternall life Fourthly it is also proued by the practise of the Apostles who baptized whole families with all that thereunto belonged Act 16.33 Fiftly Augustine also proueth it out of Scripture by comparing our Baptisme with the circumcision of the Iewes Veraciter coniâ—cere possumus quid valeat in paruulis baptismi sacramentum ex circumcisione carnis quam prior populus accepit How auailable Baptisme is in little ones we may gesse by the circumcision which the former people in the lawe receiued Ergo not onely by tradition but chiefely by Scripture the lawfulnes of childrens Baptisme is confirmed The Papists 2. BAptisme they say giueth grace and faith to the infant that had none before error 105 Rhemist Galath 3. sect 6. This then is their opinion that infants though actually fully they haue not faith as other haue yet there is a certaine habite of faith and hope infused into them in Baptisme so that partly they doe beleeue of themselues and partly by the faith of others namely of them that bring them to Baptisme Bellarm. lib. 1. de baptism cap. 11. Argum. Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Rom. 3.28 We hold that a man is iustified by faith Ergo children if they haue no faith are neither iustified neither yet doe please God Bellarm. Ans. First these places doe as wel proue that children haue an absolute perfit and actuall faith for it is a perfect faith that iustifieth vs and maketh vs acceptable to God which I am sure our aduersaries will not yeeld vnto Secondly the iustification and saluation of children dependeth of the free election of God Rom. 9.11 And that which faith worketh in those that are of vnderstanding the spirit of God is able to effect in infants by some secret way best knowne to himselfe The Protestants THat infants neither haue faith in themselues nor yet are profited or furthered to their saluation by the faith of others it is thus proued Argum. 1. Saint Paul saith Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10.17 But infants can neither heare nor vnderstand the word of God Ergo no faith is wrought in them Argum. 2. There is no habituall or potentiall faith that pleaseth God but the iustifying faith is alwaies actuall working by loue Galath 5.6 Ergo children haue either no faith or it must needes bee an actuall or working faith Argum. 3. Infants are not iustified nor relieued or helped forward towards their saluation by the faith of their parents or Godfathers when they are baptized for the Scripture saith The iust shall liue by faith Rom. 1.17 that is by his owne faith not the faith of another Augustine denieth that children are illuminate in their mindes when they are baptized Si illuminati essent ipsum baptismum laeti susciperent cui videmus eos cum magnis fletibus reluctari If they were illuminate they would ioyfullie receiue Baptisme which we see them to striue against with great crying And why should the Apostle say Bee yee not children in vnderstanding 1. Corinth 14.20 if so be their mindes were illuminate Wherefore that saying in the Gospell saith hee This is the light that lighteth euerie one that commeth into the world Iohn 1.9 Whereby they would proue that children doe receiue light at their verie first comming into the world is thus to bee vnderstoode Quia nullus hominum illuminatur nisi lumine illo veritatis because no man is lightened but onely by that light What now is become of that lumen fidei the light of faith which you say is infused into children in Baptisme AN APPENDIX OF THE POpish vse in baptizing of Bels. The Papists error 106 THey begin now to be ashamed of the blinde practises of their superstitious and ignorant forefathers for Bellarmine flatly denieth that bels are baptized amongst them but they are onely consecrate and halowed for diuine vses as other Church vessels are lib. 4. de Roman pontific cap. 12. The Protestants IT is a great shame for them to denie so manifest a thing For in the halowing of bels first there were Godfathers chosen secondly they gaue names to the bels thirdly the bels had new garments put vpon them as is accustomed to bee done to Christians in their Baptisme Fourthly the baptizing of bels was onely permitted to the Bishops suffragane whereas their Priests and Deacons did vsually baptize infants all this sheweth that it was not onely a Baptisme which they bestowed vpon bels but in a more principall kinde then common Baptisme was This was one of the greeuances which the Princes of Germanie complained of in the assembly at Noremberge that the suffraganes exacted of the people such great summes of money for the baptizing of bels with what face then can they denie this vngodlie custome of theirs in Christening and baptizing of bels THE SIXT QVESTION OF THE effects and fruites of Baptisme THe partes of this question are these first whether our sinnes are wholly remitted and cleane taken away in Baptisme Secondly whether Baptisme serueth onely for the remission of sinnes that are past Thirdly of the liberties and priuiledges which are obtained by Baptisme which partes are now seuerally to be handled THE FIRST PART WHETHER IN BAPtisme our sinnes be cleane taken away The Papists THe sinnes which are past they affirme not onely by the grace of Christ error 107 receiued in Baptisme to be forgiuen and pardoned and no more imputed but euen wholly to be rased
chapter of Iohn cannot be so vnderstoode as they expound it First Christ speaketh not onely of the sacramentall eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood but generally of the spirituall participation by fayth whether in the sacrament or without which is wrought in vs by the holy Ghost 1. If it be vnderstoode of the sacrament then it will follow that no man can be saued vnlesse he doe receiue the sacrament for Christ saith vers 53. Except you eate my flesh and drink my blood you cannot haue life in you This I am sure they will hardly grant that the Eucharist also should bee necessarie as they make Baptisme to saluation 2. If Christ hath relation to the sacrament then must it of necessitie bee ministred in both kindes for in euery place he ioyneth both these together the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood Augustine also thus writeth vpon these wordes Hoc est manducare illam escam illum bibere potum in Christo manere illum manentemin se habere This it is to eate that flesh and to drinke that drinke to abide in Christ and to haue him abiding in vs but this may be done without the sacrament Ergo it is not necessary to vnderstand it of the sacrament Secondly though we should graunt that this whole treatise Iohn 6. may fitlie be referred to the sacrament yet the wordes must be taken figuratiuelie for the spirituall eating and drinking of Christ in the sacrament and not otherwise 1 Vers. 35. Christ so expoundeth his owne words I am the bread of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall not thirst To eate then and to drinke Christ is to beleeue in him 2 Christ vnderstandeth another manner of eating of his flesh then the Capernaites did But they imagined that Christ would giue his very flesh and blood to bee eaten And therefore they went away offended and sayd This is an hard saying vers 60. Therefore Christ to correct their erronious conceit sayth vnto them that his words were spirite and life that is spiritually to be vnderstoode verse 63. So Augustine interpreteth those wordes of Christ as if he had sayd Spiritualiter intelligite quod locutus sum You must vnderstand spiritually that which I haue sayd You shall not eate this body which you see nor drinke that blood which shall be shed for you Sacramentum vobis aliquod commendaui spiritualiter intellectum viuisicabit vos I haue commended a certaine mystery and sacrament vnto you which being spiritually vnderstood shall quicken you The Papists ARgum. 3. Christ in the institution of this sacrament sayd vnto his Apostles after hee had giuen thanks and blessed Hoc est corpus meum This is my bodie that is that which is contayned in this bread or vnder the formes of this bread is my very body Bellarm. cap. 9. So that these wordes must needes be taken properly not to bee a trope or figure 1 It is not the manner of the scriptures to set down flatte precepts and commaundements and directorie rules in obscure termes or figuratiue speeches but plainely and euidently therefore it is not like that Christ being now to prescribe vnto his Apostles the perpetuall lawe and forme of this sacrament would speake obscurely 2 Though he spake by parables and signes to the Pharisies yet there was no cause why he should so doe none being present but his Apostles Bellarmin ibid. Ans. 1. It is very well that you will now though I thinke vnawares grant vnto vs that the precepts and rules in scripture are set downe simply and playnely wherefore the scriptures cannot bee so hard and obscure as you would beare vs in hand they are for if the precepts and rules of fayth be euidently in scripture expressed as you seeme to confesse what reason haue you to keepe back the people from the reading of scripture 2 It is false that the scriptures vse no figures nor tropes in the declaration of the lawes and sacraments of the Church for sayth not Saint Paul speaking of the sacraments of the Iewes Petra erat Christus the rock was Christ 1. Cor. 10.4 that is signified Christ Likewise in the 17. vers We that are many are one bread that is our spirituall vnitie and coniunction is represented in that we are partakers of one bread 3 Sometimes our Sauiour would speake darkely being alone with his Apostles thereby to stirre them vp more diligently to attend vnto his wordes as when he biddeth them beware of the leauen of the Pharisies Mark 8.15 Yet this speech of our Sauiour Christ vttered in the hearing of his Apostles This is my bodie was neither so darke nor obscure that the Apostles neede much bee troubled about the vnderstanding Nay many things being spoken in borrowed and metaphoricall wordes are vttered with greater grace and carrie a fuller sense When Christ sayd I am the doore Iohn 10.9 I am the vine Iohn 15.1 he spake by figure as he doth here for neither was he a vine or a doore as the bread was not his bodie Yet which of the Apostles was there that vnderstoode him not when he called himselfe a vine and a doore Neither could they doubt of our Sauiour Christs meaning here Contra. Now on the other side we will make it playne that these words of Christ are spoken tropically 1 Where Christ sayth according to Saint Luke This cuppe is the new Testament in my blood Luk. 22.23 we must needes admitte a double trope or figure for first the cuppe is taken for that which was contayned in the cuppe Secondly the wine in the cuppe was not the newe Testament but a signe of the new Testament If then in one parte of the sacrament hee spake by a figure why not also in the other when he sayth This is my bodie that is a liuely signe and seale thereof 2 It is no vnusuall phrase in the scripture to say this is that is signifieth as Genes 17.10 Circumcision is called the couenant it selfe where it was a signe onely of it And Exod. 12.11 the Lambe is called the Lords passeouer which it betokened onely In the same sense Christ sayth This is my bodie that is exhibiteth and representeth vnto you my bodie Augustine so expoundeth these wordes Non dubitauit Dominus dicere Hoc est corpus meum cum daret signum corpus sui Christ doubted not to say This is my bodie when hee gaue a signe and sacrament of his bodie The Protestants THat Christ is present with all his benefites in the sacrament wee doe willingly graunt neither doe we thinke that the elements of bread and wine are bare and naked signes of the bodie and blood of Christ but Christ is verily by them exhibited vnto vs and spiritually by fayth we are truely made partakers of his precious bodie blood not that Christ descendeth from heauen to vs but we ascend by faith and in spirit vnto him yea we confesse
person of Christ euen as his humanitie so that Christ was bread by consecration as he was man by his incarnation an horrible and monstrous opinion which is fathered vpon Rupertus the Abbot Iohannes Parisiensis also came neere this opinion who likewise affirmed that the bread was assumed to the person of Christ and vnited vnto him yet not immediatly as the other taught but by the mediation and meanes of the humanitie of Christ. Secondly of those that maintaine the conuersion of the elements First some would haue the forme onely of bread chaunged not the matter as Durandus Secondly some contrariwise would haue the matter altered and the forme to remaine Thirdly the Iesuits affirme the bread wholly in substance both in matter and forme to be changed the outward formes and accidents onely remaining ex Bellarm. lib. 3. de sacram Eucharist cap. 11. Thus men when they begin once to leaue the truth the Lord leaueth them to themselues and they runne mad in their owne inuentions not finding any end and so it is iustly come vpon them as S. Paul saith of the heathen Because when they knew God they did not glorifie him as God neither were thankfull they became vaine in their own imaginations and their foolish hart was full of darkenes when they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles Rom. 1.21.22 We therefore leauing these shalow pittes of humane inuentions which will holde no water will betake vs to the fountaine of truth This then to conclude is our definitiue sentence and full determination according to the Scriptures that Christ indeed is verily present in the Sacrament neither by conuersion of the bread into his body either wholly or in parte nor by assumption of the bread to the vnity of his person nor yet by the coniunction of his body and bread together but he doth verily exhibite himselfe with all his benefits spiritually by faith to be eaten and drunke of the worthy receiuer as we haue sufficiently proued before out of the Scriptures THE THIRD QVESTION WHETHER THE Eucharist being once consecrated be a Sacrament though it be neither eaten nor drunk The Papists THe elements in the Sacrament that is the bread and wine being once consecrate error 116 which say they is done by the prolation of those words hoc est corpus meum This is my body whether they be receiued or not at that instant but be reserued and kept in boxes and pixes and other vessels of the Church for daies weekes moneths to be caried solemnely to those that are sick and to be applyed to other vses are still the very body and blood of Christ. Trident. Concil sess 13. can 4.7 Bellarm. lib. 4. cap. 2. Argum. 1. Christs words which were spoken ouer the bread This is my body were true as soone as he brought them forth before he said Take eat and so likewise of the cup therefore it was a Sacrament before they did receiue and eate it and had beene a Sacrament still if it had not bene receiued at all at that time Bellarm. ibid. Ans. 1. Those wordes of Christ This is my body were not spoken before he brake the bread and distributed it but first as S. Math. setteth it downe he brake the bread and gaue it to his Disciples saying Take eate and then follow those words This is my body Math. 26.26 which seeme to haue bene vttered euen in that instant when they tooke the bread and began to eate it Secondly the institution of the Sacrament consisteth partly of a promise partly of a precept the promise is this Hoc est corpus meum This is my body the precept Accipite manducate Take eate Christ doth no otherwise make good his promise then we performe the condition vnlesse therefore accordingly we doe take and eat it it is not the body of Christ. The Protestants THe Eucharist is no sacrament beside or without the vse thereof so that though some form of words be pronounced ouer it if it be not receiued and eaten and drunk it is no sacrament neither is that which remaineth after the distribution the Eucharist being ended either of the bread or wine any part of the sacrament but so much onely as is taken and vsed Argum. 1. It is no Sacrament vnlesse it be vsed according to the institution as Christ hath commanded it but to the institution it belongeth on the behalfe of the Minister to blesse break and distribute it on the behalfe of the communicants to take eate and drinke it in them all thereby to shew the Lords death and to doe it in remembrance of Christ. But this cannot be performed by vsing the words of benediction onely but by the whole action for how can they shew the Lords death or doe it in remembrance of Christ vnlesse they take and eate Ergo if it be not so vsed it is no Sacrament Argum. 2. The Sacraments of the new testament are alike and of one and the selfesame kinde there is one way of instituting and consecrating both but the water in baptisme is no part of the Sacrament but during the solemne action of baptizing afterward it returneth to the common vse so much as is not vsed Ergo it is so also in the Eucharist for as Christ saith to his Apostles Ite baptizate Goe and baptize so that it was no Sacrament vnlesse some body were baptized euen so he saith Accipite â—anducate Take eate No SacrameÌ„t then vnlesse it be receiued and eaten And here I pray you let it be noted how well the Iesuits agree amongst themselues our Rhemists doe commend the reseruing also of the water in baptisme and carrying of it home to giue it the diseased to drink annot Iam. 5. sect 5. Bellar. saith that Res permanens in baptismo That the thing permanent in Baptisme that is water which remaineth is not the sacrament but ipsa actio the action of baptizing it selfe and alloweth onely the Eucharist to be reserued and remaine a Sacrament Etiam extra vsum Without the vse thereof Bellar li. 4. de Eucharist cap. 3. But we haue shewed already that both the Sacraments are halowed and sanctified alike and that both in the one and the other the vse onely and present action according to Christs institution maketh the Sacrament In Augustines time some vsed to receiue the Communion dayly but vpon the Sabboth or Lords day it was commonly receiued of all Quotidie Eucharistiae communionem percipere nec laudo nec reprehendo omnib tamen dominicis diebus communicandum suadeo et hortor Euery day to receiue the Eucharist I neither commend nor dispraise it but euery Lords day I doe perswade men and exhort all to communicate It should seeme then that in those daies there was no such superstitious reseruation of the Sacrament seeing euery day or at the least euery Sabboth it was administred THE FOVRTH QVESTION CONCERNING the elements or materiall part of the Sacrament namely bread and wine The Papists 1. The bread
the Masse is auaileable The Papists error 132 FIrst they affirme that Masse may be fayd and offered for all the liuing yea for Pagans and infidels for men absent as well as present for Saint Paul willeth prayers and supplications to be made for all men 1. Timoth. 2.1 Bellarm. cap. 6. Secondly the sacrifice of the Masse is auaileable for the dead which are in error 133 Purgatorie Bellarm. cap. 7. Concil Trid. sess 22. can 3. error 134 Thirdly Masse may be rightly sayd in the remembrance and for the honour of Saints with inuocation of them also in the prayers of the Church Bellarm. cap. 8. Argum. The Apostles taught the Church to keepe a memorie or inuocation of the Saints in this sacrifice and that there should be speciall prayers for the dead for these and such like were the things no doubt that S. Paul sayth he would set in order when he came 1. Cor. 11.34 Rhemist ibid. Ans. 1. To the place out of Timothie we haue answered before that it is vnderstood generally of all prayers made by the faithfull neither doth it follow it is lawfull to pray for all men and therefore the Sacrament is auaileable for all men for these are two diuers things prayer is an effect of our faith the Sacrament is an instrumental or ministerial cause of our faith 2. It is too great boldnes for you without scripture to affirme that these superstitious rites of yours were those very orders which the Apostle promised at his comming to establish but either they were such as partained not to the administration of the Sacrament or were but accidentall orders meete for the Church of Corinth and not necessarie for all times and places The Protestants FIrst the Sacrament for sacrifice we acknowledge none is onely ordained for their comfort that doe receiue it neither can one receiue the Sacrament for another no more then he may be baptized in the stead of another Secondly neither doth the celebration of the Sacrament profite the dead as we haue shewed before that it is in vaine to pray for them Thirdly neither are the Saints either then or at any other time to be prayed vnto or either by this or any other religious worship to be honoured Argum. All these superstitious obseruances are cleane contrarie and repugnant to the institution of Christ. First he sayth Take ye eate ye doe this wherefore to their comfort onely the Sacrament worketh that doe receiue it and are doers in that action the benefite thereof then is not extended to the absent but onely to the partakers Secondly the dead can feele no comfort by it because they can neither eate nor drinke it nor be doers therein Thirdly Christ sayth Doe this in remembrance of me he sayth not in remembrance of Angels Apostles Saints but onely of me Therefore it is contrarie to the institution to vse any commemoration of Saints in the Sacrament Augustine sayth Quis offeret sacrificium corporis Christi nisi pro ijs qui sunt membra Christi Who will offer the sacrifice of the bodie of Christ but for the members of Christ Lib. 1. de origin anim cap. 9. Therefore the Sacrament can not be celebrated for Pagans and Infidels who are no members of Christ. Againe he sayth Nos Martyribus non constituimus templa sacerdotia sacra aut sacrificia We doe not erect either temples priests seruice or sacrifices to Martyrs De ciuitat dei lib. 8. cap. 27. Ergo it is not lawfull to vse the Sacrament for the honour of Saints THE FIFT QVESTION OF priuate Masses The Papists IF any man shall say that priuate Masses wherein the Priest alone by himselfe error 135 doth communicate are vnlawful and therefore to be abolished we pronounce him accursed Concil Tridentin sess 22. can 8. Argum. The sacrifices of the law were sacrifices before the people did eate thereof so the substance making of a medicine is one thing the ingredience or taking of it an other Ergo neither is receiuing part of the substāce or making of the sacrifice of Christs bodie but a consequence only therefore there may be a sacrifice and sacrament without it Rhemist 1. Corinth 11. sect 14. Ans. First we denie that there is any sacrifice in the Eucharist but a Sacrament onely and therefore the comparison holdeth not betweene a sacrifice which consisted both of oblation to God and the participation of the people that offered and the Sacrament which Christ in his institution offered not to God but to his Disciples Secondly neither doth the similitude of a medicine conclude for you cannot proue that the Sacrament not receiued hath vertue in it as a medicine hath for faith is requisite to the worthie receiuing of the Sacrament which is not necessarie in the applying of a medicine and yet it is not properly called a medicine vnlesse being made it be also applied and being receiued doth heale The Protestants WE vtterly condemne the superstitious practises of popish priests who doe vse to communicate alone in their Masses the people standing by gazing and looking vpon him yea you might haue seene many Masses sayd in one Church at once almost in euery corner one no person being present for the most part but the priest and his boy Argum. This priuate receiuing of the Sacrament is contrarie to the institution of Christ who sayth speaking to many Take ye eate ye and diuide this amongst you there must be then a diuision and distribution Saint Paul also sayth We that are many are one bread and one bodie in as much as we are partakers of one bread 1. Corinth 10.17 Ergo many must communicate together· For the Apostle speaketh not of the mysticall communion of the faithfull in this place which doe all make but one bodie in Christ for so we doe communicate with the Church by faith not onely in the Sacrament but without it but of the Sacramentall communion of as many as receiue together for how els can they be sayd to be partakers of one bread or loafe vnlesse they receiue together Augustine sayth that Sacramentum benedicitur sanctificatur ad distribuendum comminuitur That the Sacrament is blessed sanctified and broken to be distributed Ergo where there is distribution there must be many to receiue AN APPENDIX CONCERNING THE name of the Sacrament The Papists THey vtterly mislike these names of the Sacrament that it is called amongst vs the Lords Supper or Communion belike say they they will bring it againe to the Supper or euening seruice Rhemist 1. Corinth 11. sect 6. And the name Communion is as ignorantly vsed of them thereby making the people beleeue that many should communicate together 1. Cor. 11. sect 24. they should rather vse the names of the Eucharist Masse or Leiturgie The Protestants FIrst for the name of the Lords Supper we doe learne of S. Paul so to call it When ye come together sayth he this is not to eate the Lords Supper 1. Corinth 11.20 Rhemist The
whose merites and praiers namely of the Saints grant we may be defended Thus the merites and praiers of Christ are excluded 4. We beseech thee saith the Priest to receiue this oblation which we beseech thee in all things to make blessed Heere the Priest is made a mediator betweene Christ and his Father desiring God to sanctifie the body blood of his sonne 5. Who the next day afore he suffered But the Scripture saith The same night For this is my body Heere they haue put in enim of their owne and left out quod pro vobis datur Such is their boldenes that they are not ashamed to change the words of our Sauiour Christ. 6. He saith further The holy bread of eternall life which vouchsafe thou with a pleasant countenaunce to beholde The bread of eternall life is Christ himselfe if this be he how dare ye presume to offer him vp to his Father 7. As thou didst vouchsafe to accept the righteous giftes of Abel and the sacrifice of Abraham Heere the sacrifice of Christ is compared to the sacrifice of beastes and the Priest seemeth to attribute as much efficacie to the one as to the other 8. And the holy sacrifice which thy high Priest Melchisedech did offer vnto thee This is a plaine vntruth and a flat lie as we haue shewed alredy that Melchisedech sacrificed bread and wine 9. Command thou these to be brought by the hands of thy holy Angell vnto the high altar in heauen What an absurd thing is this that he should desire that to be carried into heauen which he eateth and deuoureth And if this be the body of Christ what need the help of an Angell to carry it vp to heauen is not Christ able to lift vp his own body or what need that to be conueied to heauen which was neuer from thence 10. As many of vs as shall receiue thy Sonnes body and blood And yet for the most part none receiue but the Priest and when the people doe communicate the wine they haue not how then can he say As many 11. Remember O Lord the soules of thy seruants which rest in the sleepe of peace and graunt them a place of refreshing and rest Heere is an other error contrary to the Scriptures in praying for the dead and the praier also is contrary to it selfe for first he saith they rest in peace and yet afterward praieth for their refreshing 12. Vouchsafe to giue some portion with thy Saints And why doth he not rather pray to be admitted to the fellowship of Christ 13. Deliuer vs by the blessed intercession of the Virgine What then is become of Christs mediation and intercession 14. Let this mingling together of the body and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ be vnto me saluation of minde and body Then is not Christs blood shed vpon the Crosse the full sufficient and perfect saluation of mankinde if there be an other saluation beside 15. Grant me so worthily to take this holy body and blood that I may merite to receiue forgiuenes of sinnes O sinfull man how canst thou merite that which is Christs onely gift 16. Let the priest bow himselfe to the host saying I worship thee I glorifie thee I praise thee What monstrous Idolatry is this thus to worship a piece of bread 17. Let this communion purge vs from sinne If they meane the principall purging of our sinne so doth Christ onely purge vs Heb. 1.3 If they vnderstand the instrumental meanes of our purgation so are we purged and iustified onely by faith Rom. 3.28 18. Respect not my sinnes but the faith of thy Church By this reason one may be profited by an others faith which is contrary to the Scriptures the Iust shal liue by faith his owne and not an others 19. Let vs worship the signe of the Crosse What I pray you wil not these Idolaters worship 20. Let this sacrifice which J haue offered auaile to obtaine remission of sinnes If the Masse be auaileable for this end wherefore then died Christ Thus we see with how many and what great and horrible blasphemies this popish nay rather diuelish canon of the Masse is stuffed indeede it is an epitome and abridgement of Papistrie the marrow sinewes and bones of their idolatrous profession yea the very darling of the popish Church it is the very proper badge and marke of a papist He that hateth the Masse hateth the whore of Babylon he that loueth the Masse cannot loue the truth If then I should be demaunded at once which of all popish blasphemies and heresies I thinke most abominable contrary to the faith and to be abhorred of all good christians though I know that there are many of this kinde yet I would redily answere the Masse the inuention whereof I am wel assured cannot be ascribed but to the deuil himselfe the author of all lies and blasphemies I conclude therefore with that saying of Gregorie as he said concerning the word Antichristus so may I in as good sense of this word Missa as it is now vnderstoode of Papists Si spectes quantitatem vocis duae sunt syllabae si pondus iniquitatis est vniuersa pernicies If you marke the quantitie of the word it standeth but of two syllables but if we respect the waight of iniquitie it containeth all impietie and vngodlines Soli Deo immortali Patri Filio cum Spiritu sancto sit honor et imperium sempiternum THE THIRD BOOKE OR CENTVRIE CONTAINING A THIRD HVNDRED OF POPISH ERRORS AND HERESIES ABOVT the controuersies of the fiue Popish Sacraments and of the benefites of our redemption and concerning the person of Christ CONSISTING OF SEVEN SEVERAL CONTROVERSIES THE 14 15.16 17 18 19 20. in number Jmprinted at London by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Man 1592. To the right honorable Sir Robert Cicil Knight one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell BOth that general loue right honorable which the Church of God doth beare to your worthie and honorable Father for his sincere and sound affection to religion and the dutifull reuerence which our vniuersitie of Cambridge and generally the whole company of Students doth owe vnto him as their singular good Patrone haue moued and caused me at this time to cōmend this last part of this worke to your Honor his sonne of whose loue also vnto the Gospell following your Fathers steppes we are all perswaded and conceiue no lesse hope of your honourable fauour to learning I haue as your Honor seeth vndertaken an hard peece of worke and thrust my shoulders vnder an heauy burthen for in this worke I haue taken vpon me to discouer and lay open all popish Heresies and Errors to portraite and decipher the whole body of papistrie to spread abroad the whore of Babylons skirtes that her filthines may appeare to vncouer her whorish face which masked vnder the visour of the Church and religion for we may say to them as Leo Bishop of Rome did sometime to certaine Heretikes Ecclesiae
nomine armamini sed contra Ecclesiam dâ—micatis You are armed with the name of the Church and yet you fight against the Church This difficult matter being thus by me enterprised I haue exposed my selfe to the obloquie and euill speech of two sortes of men against whom in the defence of this work I must craue your Honors aid and protection The first sort is of our hollow harted Countrimen that haue English faces but Romish harts who will forge cauillations I know against these labours of mine and not cease to accuse me of lying and falshood as not hauing truly and indifferently set down the opinions of the popish Church To meete then with those slanderous accusations let such men know that I haue beene most carefull and circumspect in this behalf throughout this whole work not to charge them with any opinions which I haue not gathered out of their owne writings and alleadged their owne Authors for them so that with a good conscience I can protest before God that one day shall open the secrets of our harts that to my knowledge I haue not any where vsed any forgerie cauilling or deceit in setting downe their assertions and I would to God their writers were as free from this fault and as indifferent in alleadging the sentence of our Church as we doe deale plainely with them But as for them it is a shame to see how without all feare the Rhemists in their annotations vpon the new testament doe bely and slander our Church I will for example sake note a fewe places They charge vs to say that God is the author of sinne annot Math. 13. sect 2. which blasphemie is further off from vs then it is from them though we graunt that nothing is done in the world beside the will of God not by his permission onely That we affirme all things to be easie in Scripture annot Luk. 6. sect 1. whereas we say onely that the doctrine of faith is plainly declared in Scripture and deny not but that many things are therein hard to be vnderstood That we should say that the preaching of the Law and the iudgement to come maketh men hypocrites Act. 24. sect 2. whereas we holde the preaching of the Law to be necessary to bring men to repentance but iustification by keeping the Law which they teach we vtterly condemne That we condemne good workes as sinfull Pharisaicall hypocriticall annot Rom. 2. sect 3. whereas we acknowledge them to be the good gifts of God the fruits of iustification the way wherein all Christians must walke to saluation we onely exclude them from being any cause of our iustification before God That we allow no fasting but morall temperance and spiritual fasting from sinne Act. 13. sect 5. whereas we doe acknowledge a Christian vse of fasting and abstinence from all meates and drinkes for the taming of the flesh and making vs more fit to pray not an abstinence from flesh onely as they do superstitiously practise That we should say man hath no more free will then a peece of clay Rom. 9. sect 7. whereas we onely say that our free will hath no power or strength at all to will or doe the thing that good is without the grace of God That Caluine holdeth Christians children to be so holy that they neede no baptisme annot 1. Cor. 7. sect 11. Whereas Caluine clean contrary reasoneth thus against the Anabaptists That children ought therefore to be baptized because they are holy as S. Paul saith And such slanderous accusations they haue published against vs which would require a seuerall treatise to be set forth at large Let indifferent men now iudge comparing their writings with ours which of vs hath dealt most vntruly and vnfaithfully each with other and whether we haue not more iust occasion to complaine of them then they of vs. But to let accusations goe I would desire them rather to listen to the words of exhortation that they would but indifferently weigh with an equal balance of Christian iudgemeÌ„t what is set downe on both partes in this booke I trust if they be not wilfull and obstinate in their opinions that they may in time conceiue some better liking of the truth Augustine in a certaine place maketh mention of drunken Polio who one a time came from his pots and riotous company to Xenocrates schoole to laugh the graue Philosopher to scorne but it fell out to his good farre otherwise Ad extremum totum se illi ad quem deridendum venerat discipulum tradidit But Polemo being cleane changed by Xenocrates speech became his Scholler whom he went to scorne and whereas he came drunke he returned sober So I wish that our English recusants would but take vp this and such other bookes into their hands if it were but to scorne them God may so worke with them that their scorning shal be turned into a loue and lyking of the truth And I further say vnto them as Augustine to the Pelagians Quod dicimus orent vt aliquando intelligant non litigent vt nunquam intelligant quod dicimus intendant non contendant illuminentur non calumnientur An other sort of men there is beside these Right honorable against whom I must arme my selfe they are such as are giuen to extenuate disgrace and discommend the labours of others Me thinkes I heare them thus to giue out of me He hath taken a matter in hand aboue his strength some of his writings are extant already we know what he can doe he is like to perform no great matter and what doth he he doth but abridge other mens writings he bringeth nothing of his owne To these accusations I thus answere First I confesse my streÌ„gth to be small of it selfe yet God by weake meanes may worke great things Some Pamphlets of mine I coÌ„fesse are abroad vnworthy this learned age though perhaps befitting the person that wrote them his time age and the occasion considered But I say rather with August I count my self in the number of those qui scribendo proficiunt et proficiendo scribunt which profit in writing and by profiting write Secondly coÌ„cerning my labour paines taken in this work I boast not he that thinketh it light let him trie first himselfe before he giue his iudgement the waight of this burthen he onely knoweth that felt it and God that gaue strength to beare it but as for my part I hunt not for the praise of men I desire onely to profit the church of God I had rather men should holde their peace then flatter It is very well said of him Si inter quos viuis te recte viuentem non laudauerint illi in errore sint si autem laudauerint tu in periculo es I had rather other meÌ„ should be in a small error then I in great danger Epictetus wise saying is much commended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sustine abstine sustaine and abstain I would we might part it betweene
this reason the preaching of the word also shal be a Sacrament Argu. 2. There was repentance and absolution of sinnes both in the olde testament for both Dauid confessed and was sory for his sinne and the Prophet Nathan pronounced forgiuenes from God 2. Sam. 12.13 so likewise Iohn preached repentance for remission of sinnes and the people came and confessed their sinnes heere were all things necessary for true repentance yet was it no Sacrament all this while as they themselues confesse which they holde to be instituted after Christs resurrection Trident. concil sess 14. cap. 1. Why then should it be rather a Sacrament now then before Augustine thus writeth Sacramentum ideo dicitur quia aliud videtur aliud intelligitur It is called a Sacrament because one thing is seene another vnderstoode And then he saith Quid tale aut ipsi vident aut alijs queunt ostendere in eo quod sacramentum poenitentiae vocant But neither doe they see or can shew to others any such visible signe in that which they call the Sacrament of repentance Heere Augustine denieth repentance to be a Sacrament because it hath no visible signe THE THIRD QVESTION WHETHER THERE be any other Sacrament of repentance beside Baptisme The Papists error 3 BAptisme serueth onely they say for remission of sinnes done before for sinnes committed after Baptisme the Sacrament of penance which is a distinct Sacrament from Baptisme is appointed for a remedy and therefore is fitly called The second table of refuge after shipwracke Concil Trident. sess 14. canon 2. Argum. S. Iohn saith If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull to forgiue vs 1. Epist. 1.19 he saith not that by the memory of Baptisme but by confession which is a part of penance our sinnes are forgiuen Bellarm. cap. 13. The Protestants Ans. FIrst we say not that by the bare memory or remembrance of baptisme sinnes after committed are done away but that the sacramentall force of Baptisme doth extend it selfe to our whole life that is to be a seale vnto vs of remission of all our sinnes in the blood of Cbrist Secondly so that confession of our sinnes is not a taking away of the force of baptisme but a more effectual applying thereof as the people which were baptized by Iohn confessed also their sinnes Argu. We acknowledge no other Sacrament of repentance but baptisme for so the scripture calleth it The baptisme of repētance for remission of sinnes Marke 1.4 So Augustine calleth Baptisme Sacramentum fidei et poenitentiae the Sacrament of faith and repentance what neede we then seeke for a new Sacrament of repentance which cannot any where be found in Scripture THE FOVRTH QVESTION OF THE essentiall partes of Penance THE FIRST PART OF THE MATTER and forme of popish penance The Papists error 4 THe forme of this Sacrament say they consisteth in the words of absolution pronounced by the Minister the matter thereof is the contrition confession and satisfaction of the partie penitent Concil Tridentin sess 14. cap. 3. Bellarm. lib. 1. cap. 15. The Protestants NEither is their penance a Sacrament neither can these be partes of a Sacrament Argum. 1. In euery Sacrament there are two things required res terrena and actio externa the earthly thing or element as is water in Baptisme and the externall action neither doth the element alone nor the action alone make a sacrament as in baptisme there is both water which is the matter and the washing that is the action Wherefore seeing in their penance there is nothing but the action of the Minister and the action of the receiuer it can be no sacramēt Argum. 2. The partes of euery sacrament as the forme the matter must be instituted of Christ But this are they not able to shew for the forme and matter of penance namely the institution of Christ Ergo it is no sacrament THE SECOND PART OF THIS QVESTION OF the three materiall partes of popish Penance contrition confession satisfaction The Papistes THese three they say are the true and proper partes of penance contrition error 5 and painefull sorrow of the hart confession to the Priest and satisfaction to God for our sinnes Concil Trident. sess 14. can 4. Rhemist Math. 3. sect 2. Argu. Contrition is proued Psal. 51.17 A contrite hart is a sacrifice to God Confession Math. 3. They were baptized in Iordane confessing their sinnes Satisfaction Math. 11.21 They would haue repented long agoe in sackecloth and ashes Bellarm. cap. 19. Ans. 1. That godly sorrow and contrition of the hart is necessary to true repentance we neuer will deny but that this sorrow is any satisfaction to Gods iustice we abhorre it as a monstrous blasphemy Secondly Confession and acknowledgement of our sinnes vnto God and in some cases where the conscience is not satisfied to the Minister or some other faithfull man we do willingly graunt but that it is necessary to make generall confession of sinnes to the Priest that place proueth it not for Iohn had had shriuing worke enough for many yeeres to heare euery mans particular confession Thirdly that sitting in sackecloth and ashes was no satisfaction for sinne but an outward signe of true sorrow for sinne The Protestants WE doe make two partes onely of true repentance according to the scriptures that is the mortifying of the olde man with his works by dying vnto sinne vnto the which belongeth true sorrow and contrition of hart for our sinnes 2. Corinth 7.11 acknowledgement and confession thereof before God 2. Sam. 12.13 and a perfect hatred and detestation of sinne and indignation with our selues for the same 2. Corinth 7.11 The other part is the renewing and quickening of the new man in vs which consisteth partly in setting our consciences at peace with God our sinnes being forgiuen vs Rom. 5.1 and working in vs a zeale studie care and desire of newnes of life 2. Corin. 7.11 these two partes onely we finde in Scripture Argum. Isai. 1.17 Cease to doe euill Learne to doe good we must die vnto sinne and walke in newnes of life Rom. 6.4 Put off the olde man put on the new Coloss. 3.9 Augustine saith Fructus est dignus poenitentia transacta deflere peccata ea iterum non agere This is true repentance to lament for sinnes past and not to commit the same againe though this be no perfect definition of repentance yet we see that both confession and satisfaction are excluded AN APPENDIX WHETHER REpentance goe before faith The Papists error 6 THeir opinion is that repentance goeth before iustification by faith and that it is a way rather vnto faith and iustification in the remission of sinnes poenitentia est via ad remissionem peccatorum et prior iustificatione Bellarm cap. 19. Argum. Act. 2.38 Repent and be baptized in the name of Christ for the remission of sinnes Remission of sinnes followeth repentance Ergo iustification also and faith Bellarm. The Protestants Ans. FIrst this place proueth not
would haue promised health by calling for the Elders if the gift had not beene generall in euery congregation Ans. 2. Neither is remission of sinnes annexed to the element but to the generall doctrine of prayer made in fayth The prayer of fayth saith the Apostle shall heale the sicke The Protestants EXtreme Vnction is no conuenient ceremonie at all to be vsed in the Church as tending to superstition and breeding a vayne confidence in terrene elements much lesse is it to be holden for a sacrament Argum. 1. It hath no institution from Christ For they themselues confesse that Mark 6.13 there is but a preparatiue to the sacrament of extreme Vnction Rhemist the promulgation and publishing thereof is set forth by the Apostle Iam. 5. But this is not to be admitted that Christ was a preparer of sacraments onely and that they were perfited and finished by his Apostles Nay they were not to adde any thing to the institution of sacraments but to take them as Christ deliuered them 1. Cor. 11.23 Agayne the place in Iames maketh nothing for their popish aneeling for the Apostle would haue al the Elders called but one priest is sufficient to bring your oyntment box Secondly if any man be sick sayth Saint Iames though it be not deadly or mortall sicknes but whensoeuer he is sicke But your Vnction is neuer ministred before the poynt of death Thirdly here health is certainely promised But not one amongst tenne recouereth after your popish aneeling Argum. 2. Christ vsed sometime clay and spittle sometime other elements in healing the diseased as the Apostles vsed oyle why I pray you then may not they be sacraments as well as this For they were signes of healing but for a time no more was the anoynting with oyle Augustine sayth De latere Christi in cruce sacramenta ecclesiae profluxerunt The sacraments of the Church issued out of Christs side vpon the Crosse There gushed out â—â—is side water and blood but wee reade not that any oyle was shedde from 〈◊〉 therefore by Augustines argument Vnction is no sacrament THE SECOND PART OF THE effect and vertue of extreme Vnction The Papists error 53 FIrst it giueth health of body Secondly it wipeth away the reliques of sinne And therefore the priest thus sayth Per istam sanctam Vnctionem suam pijssimam misericordiam indulgeat tibi Deus quicquid deliquisti per visum c. By the vertue of this holy oyntment and the most merciful fauour of God the Lord forgiue thee what thou hast offended by thy sight hearing c. Bellarm. cap. 7.8 The Protestants 1 YOur popish aneeling is not able to heale the bodie as wee see by daylie experience for more die then liue after your anoynting And they that doe recouer should doe as well without your aneeling Wherefore this anoynting of oyle is not like to that vsed by the Apostles for then health certainly followed Iam. 5.14 2 It is also a great blasphemie to ascribe remission of sinnes to a terrene and beggerly element The Apostle saith not the oyle but the Prayer of fayth shall saue the sicke The scripture also testifieth that the Iust shall liue by fayth Rom. 1.17 And we walke by faith not by sight 2. Corinth 5.7 But he that ascribeth remission of sinnes to oyle or any other externall element walketh by sight not by fayth THE THIRD PART OF THE MINISTER of extreme Vnction and the ceremonies The Papists FIrst they giue power only vnto their anoynted Masse priests to aneele the sicke with oyle Lay men haue no authoritie to doe it nor whosoeuer are error 54 no Priests Concil Trident. sess 14. can 4. Secondly for the rite and ceremonie the Priest comming to the sicke must anoynt his fiue senses his eyes eares nostrels mouth and hands also the reines which is the seate of concupiscence and his feete which are the instruments of execution Bellarmin cap. 10. The Protestants 1 THis anoynting which Saint Iames speaketh of was done by the whole company of Elders in euery congregation which were not all the Pastors of the Church Yea and it appeareth by their own Canons Innocent 1. Epist. 1. cap. 8. that it was lawfull for lay men and all Christians to vse this anoynting see Fulk annot Iam. 5. sect 5. 2 What neede the body be anoynted in so many places It is meere superstition of the like minde was Peter sometime when he sayd to Christ who would wash his feete Lord not my feete onely but my hands and my head To whom Christ answered He that is washed neede not saue to wash his feete but is cleane all Iohn 13.9 Where although the words of Christ haue a spirituall meaning yet we see the euident and playne practise of them in Baptisme In the which sacrament we doubt not but that infants are thorougly baptized though euery part be not touched with water And euen so if your aneeling were a sacrament why might it not suffice in some one part of the bodie to be anoynted and not in so many This we are sure of that nowe you speake without booke For the Apostle maketh no mention of anoynting eyes hands or mouth but onely generally of anoynting the sick And thus it appeareth that your extreme Vnction is no sacrament nor any of the other foure which you haue inuented THE CONCLVSION OF THIS treatise concerning the sacrament THus I trust we haue made it pliane by scripture and euidence of argument that there are but two sacraments onely Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord left and enioyned to the people of God by our Sauiour Christ for foure things are required to make a sacrament First the authority of Christ in commanding it Secondly the element or external signe as the matter Thirdly the word of institution as the forme Fourthly the end and vse to be a seale of our fayth for remission of sinnes 1 Concerning the efficient cause we finde that two sacraments onely in the new testament are commanded by Christ to be vsed for euer in the Church Baptisme and the Lords Supper which both by his owne example and presence as also his precept and commandement were established 2 There must be an outward visible elementall signe as is water in Baptisme bread and wine in the Lords Supper But so is there not in the fiue popish sacrameÌ„ts For in some there is no signe at all as in Matrimonie where they are driuen to say that the parties that are maried are the signes In some there is a signe but not visible as in absolution the audible voyce of the priest ponouncing the words of absolution is they say the outward signe But in all the sacraments of Christs institution we finde a visible signe In some there is an outward signe but it is an action or gesture only no material element which is not sufficient so is the imposition of hands in giuing of Orders In some there is a materiall signe as Chrisme in Confirmation oyle in extreme Vnction
life or quickening to bee made a true and right faith The words then are thus to be read and distinguished So faith without works is dead that is this kinde of faith which neither worketh nor euer shall Not thus Faith is dead without workes as though a true faith were quickened by works But euen as the bodie is dead hauing neither soule nor the operations thereof life motion sense so this vaine speculatiue kinde of faith is dead both wanting the spirite and soule that is hauing not one sparke of true faith neither the operations and fruites thereof which a liuely faith sheweth by loue as the soule worketh life and motion in the bodie for a liuely faith can neuer bee without workes And a dead faith will neuer haue workes but remaineth dead for euer Wee must not therefore thinke that it is one and the same faith which sometime is dead without workes and againe is made aliue and quickened when workes come But wee must vnderstand two kindes of faith one altogether voide of good workes which is onely a faith in name and a verie dead faith Another is a liuelie faith alwaies working and this can neuer become a dead faith so neither can the other bee euer made a liuelie faith Argum. That charitie is not the forme or any cause of faith but the effect rather and fruite thereof we doe learne out of the word of God Christ saith Iohn 3.18 Hee that beleeueth shall not bee condemned but is alreadie passed from death to life Iohn 5.24 Faith then is able to saue vs and alone iustifieth vs before God without loue which alwaies foloweth a true faith but is not ioyned or made a partner with it in the matter of iustification But faith could doe nothing without the forme thereof Ergo charitie is not the forme of faith Saint Paul also faith Faith which worketh by loue Galath 5.6 The being and substance of faith is one thing the working another Loue onely concurreth with faith in the working it is no part of the essence or being of faith August Ea sola bona opera dicenda sunt quae fiunt per dilectionem haec necesse est antecedat fides vt inde ista non ab istis incipiat illa Those onely are to bee counted good workes which are wrought by loue faith of necessitie must goe before for they must take their beginning from faith and not faith from them Faith then goeth before loue that worketh therefore loue is not the forme of faith for forma prior est re formata the forme should goe before the thing formed THE FOVRTH PART HOW MEN are iustified by faith The Papists WEe are saide to bee iustified by faith because faith is the beginning error 81 foundation and the roote of iustification Concil Triden sess 6. cap. 8. Faith then by their sentence doth not fully iustifie the beleeuer but is the beginning way and preparation onely to iustification Andrad ex Tilem de fide err 11. Rhemist Rom. 3. sect 3. The Protestants FAith is not the beginning onely of our iustification but the principall and onely worker thereof neither are wee iustified in part or in whole by any other meanes then by faith Argum. He that is at peace with God is fully and perfectly iustified his conscience cleared and his sinnes remitted But by faith wee haue peace of conscience Ergo by faith wee are fullie and perfectly iustified Rom. 5.1 The Scripture also faith The iust man shall liue by faith Rom. 1.17 But wee liue not by iustification begun onely but perfited and finished Ergo our full iustification is by faith Augustine vpon these words Iohn 6.29 This is the worke of God that yee beleeue c. Si iustitia est opus Dei quomodo erit opus Dei vt credatur in eum nisi ipsa sit iustitia vt credamus in eum If iustice or righteousnes bee the worke of God how is it the worke of God to beleeue in him vnlesse it be righteousnes it selfe to beleeue in him See then it is not initium iustitiae credere sed ipsa iustitia it is not the beginning of iustice to beleeue but iustice and righteousnes it selfe THE FIFT PART WHETHER faith bee meritorious The Papists BY faith we doe merite eternall life Catechis Roman p. 121. ex Tilemann de error 82 fide err 20. Rhemists also ascribe meriting to faith Rom. 3. sect 3. Argum. Faith is a worke Ergo if we be iustified by faith wee are iustified by workes and soe consequently by merite The Protestants Ans. FAith in deed is a worke but not any of our owne works it is called the worke of God Iohn 6.29 God doth wholly worke it in vs Ergo wee cannot merite by it Argum. Saint Paul saith Ephes. 2.8 By grace are you saued through faith not of yourselues for it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast himselfe Faith then is no meritorious cause of our iustification but onely an instrumentall meanes whereby we doe apprehend the grace of God offered in Christ God giueth both faith and the end of faith Vtrumque Dei est as Augustine saith quod iubet quod offertur Beleeue and thou shalt be saued both come of God the thing commanded that is faith and the thing offered namely saluation Ergo all is of grace THE SIXT PART WHETHER to beleeue bee in mans power The Papists RHemist Act. 13. sect 2. giue this note that the Gentiles beleeued by their error 83 owne free will though principallie by Gods grace therefore to beleeue partly consisteth in mans free will though not altogether this is their opinion The Protestants FAith is the meere gift of God Ephes. 2.8 and wholly commeth from God it is not either in part or whole of our selues Argum. Rom. 11.36 Of him through him and for him are all thinges Ergo fidei initium ex ipso neque hoc excepto ex ipso sunt caetera Therefore saith Augustine the beginning of our faith is of him vnlesse wee will say that all things else are of God this onely excepted And afterward hee sheweth that our faith is wholly of God not part of him part of our selues Sic enim homo quasi componet cum Deo vt partem fidei sibi vendicet partem Deo relinquat So man shall as it were compound with God to chalenge part of faith to himselfe and leaue part for God THE SEVENTH PART WHEther faith may be lost The Papists error 84 A Man may fall away from the faith which once truely he had as Saint Paul saith of some They had made shipwrack of faith 1. Timoth. 1.19 Rhemist ibid. Ergo true faith may be lost The Protestants Ans. THe Apostle saith Some hauing put away a good cōscience made shipwrack of faith Such a faith in deed that hath not a good cōscience may be lost for it is not a true liuely faith but a dead fruitelesse faith Argum. But hee that once
WOrkes done before iustification though they suffice not to saluation error 93 yet be acceptable preparatiues to the grace of iustification and such as moue God to mercie As were the almes deedes and prayer in Cornelius Act. 10. sect 5. Rhemist The Protestants Ans. COrnelius prayers and almes were not without fayth as Augustine confesseth Non sine aliqua fide donabat orabat He did not giue almes pray without some fayth And he proueth it by that saying of the Apostle Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Seeing then Cornelius had fayth his iustification also was begun for so soone as fayth commeth it iustifieth These were not then workes preparatiue to fayth and iustification but the fruites of his fayth and iustification begun Argum. Before fayth come there can be no workes of preparation acceptable to God because Without fayth it is impossible to please God Hebr. 11.6 Augustine also sayth Ea ipsa opera ante fidem quae videntur hominibus laudabilia inania sunt those very workes which seeme to be commendable before fayth are altogether vaine and vnprofitable If they be vaine they are no preparations to fayth THE SECOND PART OF THE two kindes of iustification The Papists error 94 THere is a first iustification which is meerely of grace without workes as when an Infidel is made iust who had no acceptable workes before to be iustified by The second iustification is that wherein hee that is in Gods grace daylie proceedeth in by good workes Rhemist Rom. 2.3 This iustification and sanctification are all one Concil Trident. sess 6. cap. 7. And it is augmented and increased by the merite of worke sess 6. can 24. Argum. Of the first iustification S. Paul speaketh where he saith We are iustified by fayth without workes Rom 3.28 Of the second Saint Iames intreateth A man is iustified by workes and not of fayth onely 2.24 Rhemist Ans. This your deuice of first and second iustification is but a new deuice not yet 60. yeare olde your second iustification is nothing els but the effect fruits of iustification before God and a declaration that wee are iust before men Saint Paul and Saint Iames do speake of one and the same iustification by faith But they take the word diuersly for Saint Iames by iustifiyng meaneth nothing els but a testifiyng or declaration of our iustification before men And in this sense is the word taken Math. 11.19 Wisdome is iustified of her children that is declared to be iust The Protestants FIrst iustification and sanctification are two diuers things We are iustified by fayth onely by the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ Roman 4.7 We are sanctified when by fayth working by loue we walke in newnes of life These two are perpetually distinguished in the scriptures I meane iustification and sanctification 1. Corinth 1.30 6.11 and Galath 5.25 If wee liue in the spirite let vs walke in the spirite Our iustification is the liuing in the spirit our sanctification the walking in the spirite Secondly our workes can be no cause of the increase of our iustification and the grace of God in vs But both our iustification and sanctification are the free gifts of God For what hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Corint 4.7 This was the olde Pelagian heresie that the grace of God is giuen according to our workes confuted by Augustine Epistol 106. Gratia iam non erit gratia quia secundum merita datur nam merces fidei auctae erit merces coeptae Thus grace shal be no grace for it is giuen according to merite for the increase of fayth or iustice is made the hyre or wages of fayth that is begun Thirdly the scripture speaketh but of one iustification which glorification followeth Rom. 8.30 Whom he iustified them also hee glorified vnles you will haue another iustification to come after our glorificatiō Likewise Rom. 4. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen ver 7. The iustification in remission of sinnes doth make a man blessed Ergo it is the onely sufficient iustification And Augustine accordingly sayth Donando delicta fecit se debitorem coronae by forgiuing our sinnes he hath made himselfe a debtor for the crowne or reward We see heauen is promised at the first remission of our sinnes what neede then any other iustification Wherefore it is a false and blasphemous decree in the Councel of Trent that wee are not iustified onely by remission of our sinnes sess 6. can 11. THE THIRD PART OF inherent iustice The Papists THey teach that men are not iustified by the onely imputation of the righteousnes error 95 of Christ Trid. Concil sess 6. can 11. Neither that wee are formally made iust by the righteousnes of Christ can 10. but by iustice inherent in vs whereby we are not onely reputed and accounted iust but are truely called iust and are so indeede sess 6. cap. 7. Rhemist Rom. cap. 2. sect 4. Argum. Rom. 2.13 Not the hearers of the law but the doers are iustified Ergo we are iustified by an inherent iustice Rhemist Ans. 1. Saint Paul speaketh of the iustification of the law and proueth by this argument that none could be iustified by the law because none were able to doe it And without performing of the law there was no iustification by the law what is this to the iustification of fayth 2. But if we will vnderstand it of the true iustification of Christians it must so be taken as August saith Non vt factorib iustificatio accedat sed factores legis iustificatio praecedat not that iustification doth come to the doers but that it goeth before the doers of the law The Protestants WE acknowledge an inherent iustice in all faithful men beleeuers but it is imperfect not able to iustifie them before God it is no other then sanctification which is a fruit of iustification But that iustice whereby we are iust before God not falsely accounted but made truly iust by God is by the righteousnes of Christ onely which we apprehend by fayth Argum. That iustice whereby we haue peace with God is the only iustice whereby we are iustified before God for vntil we are cleared and made iust before God it is impossible to haue peace with him But this is onely the iustice of faith Rom. 5.1 Ergo by this iustice onely are we iust before God August hath a good speech Si dixerimus quod nihil iustitiae habemus aduersum Dei dona mētimur si enim iustitiae nihil habemus nec fidem habemus si autem fidem habemus iam aliquid habemus iustitiae If we say we haue no iustice at all in vs we do belye the good gifts of God for if we haue no iustice we haue no faith But if we haue faith then haue we some iustice in vs. Here Augustine acknowledgeth no inherent iustice but onely the iustice of fayth THE FOVRTH PART OF
episcoporum grauiorem authoritatem per concilia licere reprehendi si in eis à veritate deuiatum sit That the decrees of all Bishops whatsoeuer not excluding Popes may be corrected either by the sentence of wiser men in that poynt wherein they erred or by the better aduised sentence of other Bishops or by Councels may be reuersed where they doe erre Ergo it is possible for Popes by his iudgement to erre A PART OR APPENDIX OF THIS QVEstion whether the Church of Rome may erre or not The Papists THey doe not onely affirme that the Pope cannot erre but that the Church error 48 of Rome also caÌ„not be deceiued in matters of faith so long as the Apostolike See remayneth there which they say is like there to remaine to the ende of the world Bellarm. lib. 3. de pontif cap. 4. Hereupon Panormitane doubteth not to say that he would preferre the iudgement of the Cardinals of Rome before the iudgement of the whole world this he sayd standing vp in the Councel of Basile Fox pag. 669. ex Aenea Syluio 1. The Rhemists vpon those words of Saint Paul Rom. 1.5 your fayth is published through the whole world doe thus inferre See say they the great prouidence of God in the preseruation of the Romane common faith In times past the Romane fayth and Catholike all one Ergo that See cannot erre in faith We answere they must proue their Romish faith and popish religion to be the same which was praysed and commended by the Apostle or els they gayne nothing but that shall they neuer doe 2. So long as the Apostolike See remayneth at Rome it shall be preserued from error but that is like there to remaine till the worlds end for it onely remayneth when all other Apostolique Sees are gone and it is very probable that if this See could haue been ouerthrowen it should haue been done by the incursion and inuasion of the Gothes Vandals Turkes the emulation of Princes diuisions and schismes of Popes themselues yet for all this it standeth still and hath so continued almost 1600. yeres and shall so continue still Ergo the Romane Church can not erre Bellarmin lib. 2. cap. 4. Rhemist annot in Thessal 2. sect 7. We answere First it is a great vntruth that all other Apostolike Sees are gone for there is a succession at Antioch Alexandria Constantinople Ephesus euen at this day Secondly it is false that the See of Rome hath continued in that religion it now professeth which indeed is no religion but superstition and heresie these 1600. yeres for first till Gregories time which was 600. yeeres after Christ none of the popes would be called vniuersall Bishops and it was more then 300. yeeres from Gregorie the 1. to Siluester the 2. when sathan is thought fully to be let loose for he by the diuel was aduanced to the papacie All these yeeres therefore you must strike off in your account Thirdly that the See of Rome which is the seate of Antichrist hath continued many yeeres we graunt for it is the iust iudgement of God vpon the world because they loued not the trueth that they should be deluded a long time and deceiued by Antichrist and beleeue lies so did Saint Paul prophesie 2. Thessalonians 2.10 11. And wee grant also that that Antichristian See shall in some sorte remayne till the comming of Christ whom hee shall destroie with the brightnes of his appearing as Saint Paul sayth You haue gayned therefore nothing by this but that Rome is the seate of Antichrist Fulk annotat in 2. Thessalonians 2. sect 7. The Protâ—â—tants IT is euident and plaine and neede not much proofe that the Romane Church as also any particular visible Church maie not onely erre in faith but fall cleane away into heresie and Idolatrie as we see it come to passe in the Church of Rome 1. The Church of Rome hath no better assurance of their continuance then the Church of the Iewes had before Christ no nor yet so great for they were a peculiar and chosen nation But Iudah fell and transgressed and committed Idolatrie in the raigne of Ahaz and therefore the Prophet Esay complayneth and sayth From the sole of the foote to the head there is nothing sound cap. 1. ver 6. Neither are they better then the Church of Ephesus was in Saint Iohns time who was as able I think to keepe that Church from error as the Pope is to keepe Rome yet the Lord threatneth to remoue his candlestick froÌ„ amongst them vnles they did amend Reue. 2.5 Ergo the Church of Rome may erre 2. The Pope may erre as we haue before shewed Ergo the Church of Rome for the Apostolike See as they say is the cause that no error can approch or come neere them Therefore me thinketh the Iesuite committeth a foule absurditie in saying the Church of Rome cannot so much as erre personally and yet they grant that the Pope may erre personally So by this reason the body shuld haue a greater priuiledge then the head the Church of Rome should bee freer from error then the Pope who should preserue it from error this sure is a great absurditie in Popish diuinitie Bellarmin cap. 4. 3. It is confessed by our aduersaries themselues that the Church of Rome may erre as the Councel at Rome vnder Adriane the second erred sayth the Iesuite in determining Honorius to bee an heretick one of his predecessors cap. 11. The Councel of the Italian Bishops at Brixia erred in condemning Gregory the seuenth who was if you will beleeue Harding a vertuous and an holy man Nay Paulus Iouius a popish Bishop confesseth that Adrianus 6. was made Pope mira pudenda Senatorum factiosorum suffragatione through the strange and shamefull suffrages of factious Cardinals because they preferred a stranger before their owne order But our aduersaries haue a trick to shift off all this that hath been saide They erred in a matter of fact not in any poynt of fayth Yet they cannot so closely conuey the matter away for Panormitane euen in such questions also preferreth the iudgement of the Cardinals before the whole world speaking in the defence of Eugenius who was challenged in the Councel of Basile for the dissolution of the Councel which he did saith Panormitane with the aduice of the Cardinals whose iudgement he so much esteemeth in this matter which concerned not faith namely for the dissoluing of the Councel THE SEVENTH QVESTION OF THE spirituall iurisdiction and power of the Bishop of Rome THis question hath two partes the first whether the Bishop of Rome haue a coactiue and constrayning power to make lawes to binde the conscience and to punish the transgressors Secondly whether other Pastors and Bishops haue their iurisdiction immediatly from God or from the Pope Other questions also there are which belong to this matter as whether the Pope be the chiefe iudge in controuersies of fayth which we haue already handled entreating of