For he saith not absolutely whatsoeuer thy brother shall say or beleeue but if thy brother shall offend or trespasse against thee which make the most wee can is but quaestio facti non iuris that is a matter of fact not of faith it is onely touching some personall and perticular iniuries in deciding whereof the Papists themselues denie not but the Church may erre See aboue Grad 4. So Matth. 23. 2. Vpon the chaire of Moses haue sitten the Scribes and the Pharisees all things therfore whatsoeuer they shall say vnto you obserue ye and doe ye I answere that these words whatsoeuer they shall say vnto you are either to be taken conditionally that is with this prouise that they speake the truth otherwise not and then aduantageth it nothing the Papists cause or else absolutely and then our Sauiour should contradict himselfe who reproued the errors of the Scribes and Pharises Math. 5. and forewarned his Disciples to take heed of their leauen Matth. 16. 6. Besides all precepts concerne the time present or future now Bellarmine himselfe confesseth that the high-Priests Councels of the Iewes were at this present lyable to errour nay farther that it was prophesied that they should erre and denie Christ Isa 6. Dan. 9. and therefore this could bee no such absolute precept of obedience as the Papists imagine especialy to those which now liued when by their owne acknowledgement such as possest the Chaire of Moses might erre and be deceiued Other places are alleadged by our Aduersaries which because they run rather in the plurall number with vos you arguing a democracie or aristocracie in the Church then with te thee implying a Monarchie which to maintaine the Iesuites bend all their forces and for that they are to bee vnderstood primarily totally and absolutely of the Apostles secondarily partially and conditionally only of other pastors as Iohn 16. The spirit of truth shall leade you into all truth and Luke 10. Hee which heareth you heareth mee therefore the weight and load is laid vpon such particular promises as our Sauiour is thought to haue made vnto Peter in the Gospells Where to omit that of our Sauiour to Peter Luke 22. 32. I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not for which the Cardinall cannot produce one ancient father Popes excepted to proue that our Sauiour intended therein any speciall benefit to Peters Successors saue onely to his personall faith as also that which he spake vnto him Iohn 21. 15 Feede my Sheepe which of a precept they would willingly change into a promise contrarie to the rules of Grammer or Logicke as if Saint Peter had made Popes of the inferior pastors of the Church and their Successors when he bad them in like manner Feede the flocke of Christ forasmuch as Christs word is the same in his owne mouth and in the mouthes of his Apostles The maine foundation whereon at length they pitch is that of our Sauiours to Saint Peter Matth. 16. 18. And I say vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it In which words they let not a tittle fall to the ground without admiration Our Sauiour say they speaks not as at other times Simon thou sonne of Ionas this was his vulgar stile he brought with him frō home and it was of his fathers bequeathing nor as otherwhile hee did by the sirname imposed by himselfe pronouncing it barely without an Emphasis onely Peter and no more but making as it were a preface to some new dignitie which he purposed to bestow vpon him I say vnto thee thou art Peter as who would say thou art a rocke and vpon thee that rock I will build my Church To giue more colour to this interpretation they will vs to take notice how our Sauiour spake not in the Greeke but in the Syriack language in which Cephas the name of Peter is the same in termination sound and sense that Peter is implying both of them a rocke This is a faire glosse if they were Masters of Languages and had commission to set forth new Calepines But first how chance that the Apostles which were better seene in the Syriacke Tongue it being their naturall dialect than you can be vnderstood not this elegancie but did afterwards quarrel about precedency not knowing that their Master had before past his promise thereof vnto Saint Peter How comes it that the Fathers pickt not out your sense who liued neerer the times of the Apostles as S. Austen Chrisostom Hilarie Basill Ambrose and others by this rocke vnderstood not Peter but either his confession or Christ whom hee confessed seeing this knowledge of the Church how by Scripture it is built vpon Peter was as behoofull for them as for vs. But secondly what if our Sauiour foreseeing that this Rocke would be lapis offendiculi a stone of offence and that some supposing Peter to bee it would at the sight thereof no lesse then at Gorgons head be stupified and turned into stones hath in the Greeke edition of Saint Matthewes Gospell which themselues deny not to be authenticall distinguished between the one the other by a threefold Gramatical difference then we cannot without contempt offered to Grammarians admit it or at least the sirrop of blind obedience swallow it downe Now our Sauiour saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou art Peter and vpon thee Peter or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou art a rock and vpon thee that rock I will build my Church but with a triple mutation and alteration in the construction first of the Person thou Peter in the second and that rocke in the third secondly of the gender 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the masculine and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the feminine thirdly of the sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which by the iudgement of the most iudicious Grecians signifies vsually but a single stone and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which implies a Rocke so that as our Sauiour in another place tels vs that God can of stones raise vp children vnto Abraham in like manner hee doth now by a nominall Metamorphosis conuert a Sonne of Abraham into a stone and a stone of his building too yet he doth not by this Charter so inlarge his shoulders as to serue for a rocke whereon to support his whole building Say farther hee did make him a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deriuatiue or denominatiue from that rocke and so as the Fathers sometimes vsed the word by a Metonymie terme him a ministeriall rocke by which he built his Church yet did hee not by this make him the principall rock on which he built it Grant againe that hee was taught that amongst the ministeriall rocks he should be Petra primaria a prime rocke yet was he not made Petra solitaria the only rock In a word he might be admonished by this name to be Petra deuotione a rocke for deuotion and zeale in
him to speake but by writing nor that writing to bee ordinarily read and declared without an Herald The principall Iudge wee say is God himselfe from whom proceedes the knowledge of all supernaturall truths whatsoeuer The instruments whereby hee communicates them vnto vs are threefold first his Spirit whereby he speakes inwardly vnto vs both enlightning vs to behold and perswading vs to beleeue the sense and meaning of his mysteries Yet is not this a priuate spirit because it reueales not ought vnto vs besides the publicke writing nor ordinarily without the ministerie of the Church For to speake more clearely a spirit may be termed priuate Either 1. Ratione Principij in regard of the author and efficient from whence it comes 2. Ratione Subiecti in regard of the subiect or person in which it dwells 3. Ratione Medij in regard of the meanes which it vseth Now the spirit wherby we iudge of diuine truths howsoeuer it may bee termed priuate in regard of the Subiect or Person wherin it inhabites hee being haply as most men are of a priuat condition yet we allow it not to bee priuate either in regard of the meanes which it vseth which are the reading of the Scriptures publike ministerie of the Church Councells Fathers c. or in respect of the Author efficient thereof which is the Holy Ghost the common father of light and grace at which kind of spirit Saint Peter specially aymes when hee saith no Scripture is of priuate interpretation 2. Pet. 1. The second instrument whereby God declares his sentence is the Scripture which is the only outward infallible rule whereby Controuersies may be resolued and decided and is not to be accounted imperfect or vnsufficient for this purpose because all men are not able to pry forth with into the meaning thereof throughout or for that it wants vocall organs to expresse which amidst varietie of senses attributed vnto it is his owne For it promiseth not to doe this but to those who are enlightned with the spirit and which make right vse of the publike meanes as the ministerie of the Church reading of Authors comparing of places and the like Logicians telling vs that an instrument is then sayd to be sufficient not when it serues for all vses and in all manners whatsoeuer but when it serues to such an end and in such sort applyed as the principall efficient hath ordainedit as a writing is then sufficiently legeable if those which haue eyes and a will therunto can read it though to the blind and negligent it seeme otherwise The third instrument whereby God publisheth his decrees is the Church and in it the Bishops and Pastors thereof whether assembled in Councels or otherwise considered in their ordinarie ministerie This holds the place of an Herald and howsoeuer it stands not in equipage with the two former yet God hath commanded vs to heare it and promised that it shall neuer erre in fundamentall points either totally or finally So that in summe the totall and plenary indicature of matters of Faith belongs to the Holy Ghost whereby the Iudge of these things properly taken is he alone the gift of his spirit the Scriptures and the Church are but partiall instruments of promulgation seruing onely as seuerall trunkes and pipes whereby his decree arriues at the eares of our vnderstanding yet if any shall compare the outward instruments together the Church and the Scriptures and demand by which of the two it is that the Holy Ghost speakes properly as hee is iudge of Controuersies and on which wee are finally to rest for his infallible sentence I answer not the Church but the Scriptures First in respect of their dignity because the Scriptures are the immediate worke of God dictated by his Spirit Whereas the expositions of the Church proceed not immediately from God but mediating the voice of the Scriptures Secondly in respect of their certainty for the church is subiect to error the Scriptures are not Againe the truth in regard of the Scriptures is fixt and therefore easie to be there found shee being alwayes lodged in the same bookes but in regard of the Church it is Ambulatorie and therefore needes more search to discouer it there as not being entayled either to chaire place or person Thirdly in respect of the order and manner of knowing them for howsoeuer by a confused knowledge the Church may bee notior Scripturis knowen better then the Scriptures and-before them yet according to a distinct knowledge are the Scriptures notiores Ecclesia knowne better and sooner then the Church for the true Scriptures are knowne by their owne light but the true Church is not knowne but by the light of the Scriptures The conceit that the Church must be accompanied with infallibilitie if to no other end yet to make a finall end of Controuersies vpon earth is ridiculous for if they suppose a finall end of Controuersies amongst all men whatsoeuer first they suppose that which shall neuer be whilest the Church is militant vpon earth for the Apostle tells vs that there must be heresies 1. Cor. 11. Secondly they present a meanes vncompetent to compasse that which they designe by naming the Church of Rome to that office both in that she is a partie and hath not as yet cleared her title to that dignitie and in that infallibilitie in the Iudge is not sufficient to compose differences in supernaturall matters without grace in the hearer which is no coyne that comes out of the Popes treasurie nor hear be that growes in his Garden but raines from heauen where and what measure God pleaseth On the other side if more particularlie they require an end of Controuersies amongst those whom God hath elected and that so farre as is necessarie for the saluation of their soules it is needlesse to attribute infallibilitie to the Church for the seruing of this Cure because to them God supplyes the infallible assurance of his truth by meanes more excellent and agreeable to the nature of his spirituall Kingdome to wit by his Wisedome in furnishing them with a rule both able to bee knowne by its notes and characters and also sufficient to decide all necessarie questions that may at any time be incident by his Grace enabling them to see the truth and demonstrating the certaintie thereof to their consciences and by his Prouidence raising vp faithfull Pastors in one place or other to prepare open and display those verities and decisions to the flocke Many like cratchets to these and answered by the same grounds doe issue daily out of the Iesuits warehouse as for example if wee produce one place of Scripture to proue the meaning of another they bid them call vpon vs to alleadge a third place which shall say that this place ought to bee expounded by that as if wee needed a Text to proue God no lyar or that he doth not contradict himselfe If in disputing vpon any subiect we goe about to destroy their Assertion they will them
euer since the time of our Sauiour vnto this present I doe beleeue with the same faith and vpon the same grounds that I beleeue the Catholike Church because I beleeue our Church of England to be a member of the Catholike and this I beleeue a priori that is for the promise sake made in the Scriptures that it shall bee so But where our Church was before Luther or who were the Professors of it euer since the time of our blessed Sauiour vntill this present is no part of my Creed There is not a syllable in it which inuites me to proceed that way Doe I say I beleeue the vniuersalitie of Christs Church and must my foundation be such onely as can breed in me but an opinion or naked hope doe I begin in Faith and with the Galathians must I end in the flesh that is with sense Doe I build with one hand a Church Catholike which cannot bee seene and with the other must I draw it in a Map or point it out to the eye Nay set the Church as Catholike aside and consider it but in her parts which consideration of it belongs not to the Creed yet in this sense also is the Church at sometimes so obscured that by our Aduersaries owne confession none but the prudent and wise are able to discerne it The Church is I confesse compared in the Reuelation to a woman clothed with the Sunne in Isaiah to a Citie built vpon an Hill and by the Fathers to the Moone the Sunne the Moone and a Hill are things most easie to be discerned yet we know this Sunne may be obscured with a Clowd an Hill may be hid with a mist and the Moone as Saint Austen in his 119. Epist alluding to the Church obserueth hath her wanes and eclipses in the time of her peregrination SECT II. The second way whereby one may know the Church to be Catholike or Vniuersall IF any should mistake me and thinke that pressing so earnestly the preeminencie of knowing the Church to be Catholike and Vniuersall a priori that is from the promises made vnto it in the Scriptures we doe suspect our proofs a posteriori from the Professors of our Religion in all Ages to be either none or weake let them know that we want not those who haue scored out varietie of sufficient paths to proceed this way also which howsoeuer they bee not like the testimonie of our Sauiour to beget a faith yet are they like the testimonie of the Samaritan woman to induce a credulitie For not to tyre you with large discourses which were to exceed my limits onely for satisfaction herein to the reasonable and impartiall Hearer let vs take along with vs these few considerations 1. The first that we are to distinguish betweene our affirmatiues that is such things as are purely affirmed by vs and our negatiues such as in whole or in part we denie betweene which there is a great difference to be made in all sciences For affirmatiue propositions onely are the proper parts and ingredients of a discipline Negatiues are admitted say Logicians not so much by way of Precept as of Cautell and of Commentaries to vindicate the other from misconstruction 2. The second that such affirmatiues of ours as are established by our Church of England at least such as concerne the foundation of faith haue beene in all ages professed by the Church of Rome it selfe For explication whereof we are to obserue that the Popes Arithmetick which he vseth in calculating the articles of faith is not substraction but addition what wee purely affirme the Popish writers for the most part doe affirme the same the difference is that they affirme somewhat more then wee doe They denie not so much that our affirmations are truth as that they say we affirme not all the truth wherevpon they vsually stile vs in their writings Negatiuists For example sake Wee agree on both sides the Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith the Bookes of the old Testament written in Hebrew to bee Canonicall that we are iustified by Faith that God hath made two receptacles for mens soules after death Heauen and Hell that God may bee worshipped in spirit without an Image that wee are to pray vnto God by Christ that there be two Sacraments that Christ is really receaued in the Lords Supper that Christ made one oblation of himselfe vpon the Crosse for the redemption propitiation and satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world In a word where they take the Negatiue part as in with-holding the Cup from the Laytie forbidding the administration of the Sacraments in the vulgar tongue and restrayning the marriage of Priests yet euen in these they condescend vnto vs for the lawfulnesse of the things in themselues and in respect of the Law of God and oppose them onely in regard of their necessitie and conueniencie and for that the Church of Rome hath otherwise ordayned But see our affirmations content them not To the Scriptures they adde and equalize vnwritten Traditions To the Hebrew Canon the Apocrypha To Faith in the act of Iustification Workes To Heauen and Hell Purgatorie Limbus Patrum and Limbus Puerorum To the worship of God in spirit Images To prayer to God by Christ inuocation and intercession of Saints To Baptisme and the Lords Supper fiue other Sacraments To the realitie of Christ in the Sacrament his corporall presence To the sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse the sacrifice in the Masse with other like and these we denie 3. The third that our affirmations by the iudgement of the Church of Rome haue beene in all ages deemed sufficient to saluation so that our Negatiues take not away any doctrine the explicit beliefe whereof is absolutely necessarie For first in regard of knowledge the Schoolemen hold that much lesse is needfull to bee explicitly beleeued then what is contayned in our affirmations For whereas wee entertayne and embrace amongst our affirmatiue articles not onely the doctrine of the three Creedes but also sundrie other assertions as may appeare by the booke of Articles and Homilies established in our Church Albertus Magnus on the contrarie with Bonauenture Richardus and Durandus thinke that so much onely of the Creed is necessarie as the Church solemnizeth in her holidayes Thomas Aquinas Scotus Gabriel Biel and Pope Adrian the sixth which goe farther thinke it needfull to beleeue but the whole Creed and Alexander ab Hales which goes farthest thinkes that one need but adde to the Apostolicall Creed the Nicen and Athanasian to make a compleat beleeuer quanquam hoc nimis durum videtur though this seemes too hard an imposition saith Gregorie de Valentia in his third Tom. vpon Thom. 1. disp although one wade no farther therein then the proper sense and haue no great distinct knowledge of the matters Nay Bellarmine is so confident in this point that he sticks not to say that the Apostles themselues neuer vsed to preach openly