uncertain Of the infallible Church But her Infallibility is called in question and any Church may challenge this Prerogative as wel as theirs unlesse they can shew a better Title Without Revelation from above it is stil uncertain fide divina whether we are to Believe any Churches Infallibility concerning Scripture Or if any which of all Revelations from above we acknowledge none but the written Word they acknowledge Traditions as wel as It yet so as the Scriptures by their Confession are as certain as Tradition which they make equal only with the written Word acknowledged by us not above it Wherefore if the Scriptures be in themselves by their Objections uncertain then is Tradition as uncertain What shall assure us of the Truth of either The infallible Church But this can assure no man unlesse he first Believe it for certain and infallibly What shal make it certain to us The Scriptures But they are uncertain say our Adversaries and the Church must confirm their certainty unto us Though this Circle wherein Valentian and Sacroboscus have run giddie were of force to raise up all the Spirits in Hel and though they raised should sift all the Jesuites Brains in the world yet should not all the invention of Man with the help of Devils be able to find out the least Probability of avoiding the former Inconvenience Nay they should far sooner make ropes of the sand in the Adriatick Sea so strong as would hale Italy unto the Islands of Devils before they could teach all the Jesuites in the world so much Geometry as to make one of these Uncertainties support another CAP. XXXI The Unsufficiency of the Roman Rule of Faith for effecting what it aims at albeit we grant all they demand the ridiculous use thereof amongst such as do acknowledge it 1. WHen I was a Child as our Apostle saith and spake as a child understood as a child I thought some great matters might be contained under those Hyperbolical and swelling Titles of the Romish Church where-with mine ears were often filled And although I had been instructed to the contrary yet could I have wished her doctrine true such was my Affection to her shape as it was falsely represented to my childish Fantasie But after the Day-star had shined in mine heart the former Humour wherewith the eye-sight of my infant mind had been corrupted was quickly dispelled Once able to look more narrowly into the subtilest of her School-mens Disputes and examin her learned Clerks Apologies for her by the Gospels Light I saw clearly how by presenting meer shews or shadows of Truth they led weak-sighted Souls into Error as it were in a mist in the beginning of their works usually inserting pretended Grounds here and there as they espie occasion of their intended Conclusions supported with some sleight Reasons for the present feeding us with expectation of better Proofs either in some other work or a great way after in the same which may stay our minds til we come at them where they return us back again to what is past that being now far off and most particulars out of mind may seem not altogether nothing to such as wil not take pains to review it And thus in fine as the mist so their Proofs seem every where somewhat til a man come near them but then so vanish as he shall see nothing of that he looked for 2 Bellarmins books de verbo Dei compared with those others of his de Romano Pontifice c. and Valentians Analysis fidei wil easily approve this observation to him that shal read them through with Attention Both of them in the beginning of their works promising great matters made me expect some extraordinary proof in the processe but finding them best at the first always ambitions in producing multitude of Allegations to little purpose copious in bestowing glorious Titles and Prerogatives upon their Holy Church and yet finally contracting her Universalitie and sacred Catholickship into one mans breast who by their own Confession may be so carnally grosse that he cannot draw any spiritual breath their former goodly Encomions ending thus made me call to mind how crafty companions cozen children of what they love or stay their crying at what they dislike by promising them some Gallant â—ine Gâ—â—die Trim Goodly Brave Golden New Nothing Such brave Epithets so ravish a childs thoughts as at the first hearing he parts with any thing he hath or forbears to seek what otherwise he would have in hope of such a gay reward never looking into the substance of what is promised which was indeed just nothing With like bombast outsides do modern Priests Jesuites terrifie silly souls men or women meer children in understanding from all communion with our Church leading them through such painted Forefronts or fained but sightly Entrances into their vast imaginary empty Paradise wherein grows nothing but forbidden Fruit. Though Volums they write huge and large and in the sublimity of their speculative imaginations fetch Arguments from beyond the Moon yet unto him that hath but the eye of ordinary Reason in his head not blinded by their juglings their best Collections prove in the end but like the drawing of a net spread far and wide in the open air able to retain nothing of what it had compadded only such as looked a far off or had brains so weak or sight so ill disposed as could not distinguish betwixt the element of air and water making more then an ordinary stir in fetching so huge a draught might happily suspect some goodly Catch 3 Suppose we should grant that the Pope whiles he speaks ex cathedra cannot erre who shall I am sure no Jesuit or private Spirit can without all ambiguity and pretence of gainsaying determin directly and absolutely what it is to speâ—k ex cathedra And it is not to be expected that the Pope will ex cathedra define what it is to define a thing ex cathedra in such sort as shall leave â—…sion to excuse his Errour if he should be urged with a Sentence ex cathedraâ— which to the Major part of professed Christians might seem doubtful whether it were palpably erroneous or no. But suppose we knew directly and authentically what it were to speak ex cathedra and when the Pope did indeed so speak when not which no man can know but only by hear-say unlesse such as hear him give Sentence yet what Assurance can the Jesuites give unto the Christian World that his Holiness shal so determin or speak as often as the Peace of Christs Church or Weal of Christendom shal require That he shal speak de sacto ex cathedra whensoever the Church stands in need of a Decision the Papists themselves do not hold as any part of his Infallibility but only that he is able so to speak when his Infallibility wil. And â—… on 〈◊〉 arâ—umâ—ntum No man in their judgement can or ought â—…rain him to a â—…cision except he list And seeing they
be certaine whether ever there had been such an Emperour as they plead succession from or at least how far his Dominions extended or where they lay This manner of plea in secular controversies would be a mean to defeat him that made it For albeit the Christian World did acknowledge there had been such an Emperour and that many parts of Europe of right belonged unto his lawfull heir Yet if it were otherwise unknown what parts these were or who this heir should be no Judge would be so mad as finally to determine of either upon such motives Or if the Plaintiffe could by such courses as the World knows oft prevail in judgement or other gracious respects effect his purpose he were worse then mad that could think the finall resolution of his right were into the Emperours last Will and Testament which by his own confession no man knows besides himself and not rather into his own presumed fidelitie or the Judges apparant partiality So in this Controversie whatsoever the Pope may pretend from Christ all in the end comes to his own authority which we may safely believe herein to be most infallible that it will never prove partiall against it self or define ought to his Holinesse disadvantage 10 Here again it shall not be amisse to admonish younger Students of another gull which the Jesuite would put upon us to make their Churches Doctrin seem lesse abominable in this point lest you should think they did equalize the authority of the Church with divine revelations Valentian would perswade you it were no part of the formal object of faith It is true indeed that the Churches authority by their Doctrine is not comprehended in the object of Belief whilest it onely proposeth other Articles to be believed No more is the Sun comprehended under the objects of our actual sight whilest we behold colours or other visibles by the vertue of it But yet as it could not make colours or other things become more visible unto us unlesse it self were the first and principal visible that is unlesse it might be seen more clearly then those things which we see by it so we would direct our sight unto it so would it be impossible the Churches infallible proposal could make a Roman Catholicks Belief of Scriptures or their Orthodoxal sence the stronger unlesse it were the first and principal credible or primary object of his Beliefe or that which must be most clearly most certainly and more stedfastly believed so as all other Articles besides must be believed by the belief or credibility of it This is most evident out of Sacroboscus and Bellarmines resolution or explication of that point how the Churches proposal confirmes a Roman Catholicks belief To give this Doctrine of their Churches infallibility the right title according to the truth it is not an Article of Catholick Belief but a Catholick Axiom of Antichristian unbelief which from the necessary consequences of their assertions more strictly to be examined will easily appear CAP. XXIX What manner of casual dependance Romish Belief hath on the Church that the Romanist truely and properly believes the Church onely not God or his Word 1 THe two main assertions of our Adversaries whence our intended conclusion must be proved are these often mentioned heretofore First that we cannot be infallibly perswaded of the truth of Scriptures but by the Churches proposal Secondly that without the same we cannot be infallibly perswaded of the true sence or meaning of these Scriptures which that Church and we both believe to be Gods Word How we should know the Scriptures to be Gods Word is a Probleme in Divinity which in their judgement cannot be assoiled without admission of Traditions or divine unwritten verities of whose extent and meaning the Church must be infallible Judge It is necessary to salvation saith Bellarmine that we know there be some books divine which questionlesse cannot by any means be known by Scriptures For albeit the Scripture say that the Books of the Prophets or Apostles are divine yet this I shall not certainly believe unlesse I first believe that Scripture which saith thus is divine For so we may read every where in Mahomets Alcoran that the Alcoran it self was sent from heaven but we beliefe it not Therefore this necessary point that some Scripture is divine cannot sufficiently be gathered out of Scriptures alone Consequently seeing faith must rely upon Gods Word unlesse we have Gods word unwritten we can have no faith His meaning is we cannot know the Scriptures to be divine but by Traditions and what Traditions are divine what not we cannot know but by the present visible Church as was expresly taught by the same Authour before And the final resolution of our believing what God hath said or not said must be the Churches Authority To this collection Sacroboscus thus farre accords Some Catholicks rejected divers Canonical Books without any danger and if they had wanted the Churches proposal for others as well as them they might without sin have doubted of the whole Canon This he thinks consonant to that of Saint Austin I would not believe the Gospel unlesse the Churches authority did thereto move me He addes that we of reformed Churches making the visible Churches authority in defining points of faith unsufficient might disclaim all without any greater sin or danger to our souls then we incurre by disobeying some parts of Scripture to wit the Apocryphal books canonized by the Romish Church The Reader I hope observes by these passages How Bellarmine ascribes that to Tradition which is peculiar to Gods providence Sacroboscus that to blind belief which belongs unto the holy Spirit working faith unto the former points by the ordinary observation of Gods Providence and Experiments answerable to the rules of Scriptures 2 Consequently to the Trent Councels Decree concerning the second assertion Bellarmine thus collects It is necessary not onely to be able to read Scriptures but to understand them but the Scripture is often so ambiguous and intruate that it cannot be understood without the exposition of some that cannot erre therefore it alone is not sufficient Examples there be many For the equality of the divine persons the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son as from one joynt original Original sin Christs descension into Hel and many like may indeed be deduced out of Scriptures but not so plainly as to end Controversies with contentious spirits if we should produce onely testimonies of Scriptures And we are to note there be two things in Scripture the Characters or the written words and the sence included in them The Character is as the sheath but the sence is the very sword of the spirit Of the first of these two all are partakers for whosoever knowes the Character may read the Scripture but of the sence all men are not capable nor can we in many places be certain of it unlesse Tradition be assistant It is an offer worth the taking
intreat the Christian Reader to consider well upon whom their usual Objections of Scriptures Obscurity are most likely to fall Upon us for whose good they were given Or upon God the Father who gave them his Son that partly spake them his Holy Spirit who only taught them his Prophets Apostles Evangelists or other his blessed Ministers which wrote them CAP. XV. The Romanisis Objections against the Scriptures for being Obscure do more directly impeach their first Author and his Messengers their Pen-men then us or the Cause in hand 1 THat these Scriptures which our Church holds Canonical and we now maintain to be the Rule of Faith were given for the good of Christs Church or Multitude of faithful men throughout the World our Adversaries wil not deny or if they would the Scriptures which expresly to deny they dare not bear evident Testimony hereof Infinite places are brought to this purpose by such as handle that Question Whether the written Word contain all Points necessary to Salvation 2 Saint John saith he wrote his Gospel that we might Believe By what Authority did he undertake by whose Assistance did he perform this Work Undertaken it was by Gods appointment effected by the assistance of his Eternal Spirit to the end we might Believe the Truth what Truth That which he wrote concerning the Mysteries of mans Salvation But how far did he intend this our Belief of such Mysteries should be set forward by his pen Unto the first Rudiments only or unto the midway of our Course to Heaven Questionlesse unto the utmost Period of all our Hopes for he wrote these things that we might Believe yea so believe in Christ as by Believing we might have Life through his Name Was he assisted by the Eternal Spirit who then perfectly knew the several tempers and capacities of evey Age And did he by his direction aim at the perfect Belief of succeeding Ages as the end and scope of all his Writings And yet did he write so obscurely that he could not be understood of them for whose good he wrote Out of Controversie his desire was to be understood of all for he envied no man Knowledg nor taught he the Faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons He wished that not the great Agrippa's or some few choice ones only but all that should hear or read his Writings to the Worlds end might be not almost but altogether such as he was Faithful Believers From his fervent desire of so happy an end as the Salvation of all he so earnestly sought the only correspondent Means to wit Posterities ful instruction in the Mysteries thereto belonging And for better Symbolizing with the ignorant or men as most of us are of duller capacity in such profound Mysteries his Paraphrase upon our Saviours speeches is oft-times so copious as would be censured for polixity or Tautology in an Artist But seeing the common salvation of others not his own Applause was the thing he sought he disdains not to repeat the same thing sometimes in the same otherwhiles in different words becoming in speech as his fellow Apostle was in Carriage All unto all that he might at leastwise of every sort gain some oft-times solicitous to prevent all occasion of mistaking our Saviours Meaning though in matters wherein Ignorance could not be deadly nor Errour so easie or dangerous as in those other Profundities of greatest moment which he so dilates and works upon as if he would have them transparent to all Christian eyes 2 Do not all the Evangelists aim at the same end do they not in as plain 〈◊〉 as they could devise or we would wish divulge to all the world the true Sense and Meaning of our Saviours Parables which neither the promiscuous Multitude to whom he spake nor his select Disciples or Apostles themselves until they were privately instructed understood aright as they themselves testifie so little ashamed are they to confesse their own so they may hereby expel or prevent like ignorance in others Tell me were not our Saviours Parables expounded by his blessed mouth as plain Rules of Life as may without prejudice to his all sufficiency be expected from any other mans Are not his similitudes wherein notwithstanding are wrapt the greatest Mysteries of the Kingdom drawn from such matters of common Use as cannot change whilest Nature remains the same for the most part so plain and easie as wil apply themselves to the attentive or wel-exercised in Moralities Strange it seemed unto our Saviour that his Disciples should not at the first proposal understand them Perceive ye not this Parable how should you then understand all other Parables Yet happy were they that they were not ashamed to bewray their Ignorance by asking when they doubted though in a point of little Difficulty This good desire of progresse in their course begun brought them within the Hemisphere of that glorious light whereby they were enabled afterward to discern the greatest Mysteries of the Kingdom And unto their Question concerning the meaning of that great Parable of the Sower which is one of the Fundamental Rules of Life Our Saviour immediately replies To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God but unto them that are without all thing are done in Parables that they hearing may hear and not understand lest at any time they should turn and their sins should be forgiven them 4 Had our Evangelists only set out the Text and concealed the Comment it might have ministred matter of suspicion whether all Christians throughout all generations whilest this Gospel shal endure should be taught of God from the greatest to the least of them or whether Christ had not appointed some great infallible Teacher as his Vicar general to supply the same place successively in the Church that he himself had born amongst his Disciples One on whose living Voice all the Flock besides were in all Doubts or Difficulties to rely as the Apostles did on Christs in the unfolding of this Parable But seeing they have plainly revealed to us in writing what was revealed to them concerning the Meaning of this and other Parables of greatest Use from our blessed Saviours Mouth Their written Relations of these mysteries with their Expositions must be of the same Use and Authority unto us as Christs living Words were unto them And as they were not to repair unto any other but their Master alone for the Word of Eternal Life not to omit any other infallible Teacher for declaration of his Meaning so may not any Christian to this day infallibly rely upon any mans Expositions of his Words already expounded by himself and related by his Apostles these laid up like precious seed in our hearts the diligent labours of Gods ordinary Ministers only supposed would bring forth the true and perfect Knowledge of other Precepts of life in abundance competent to every man in his rank and order 5 For seeing what
III. That The continual practise of Hereticks in urging Scriptures to establish Heresie and the diversity of opinions amongst the Learned about the Sense of Them is no just Exception why They should not be acknowledged as the Sole Entire and Compleat Rule of Faith OUt of the former Discourse their other Objections are almost answered already and they be especially Two The first If the Scriptures be plain and easie how comes it to passe that there should be such Contentions amongst the Learned about them Or whence is it that every Heretick is so forward to urge Scriptures for his Opinion even to the Death The Second lies as it were in the womb of this as this did in the former's and drawn out in its proper shape is thus There can be no certain Means of taking up controversies or contentions in the Church but only by admitting an Infallible Authority for deciding all controversies viva voce seeing the Scripture is alwayes made a party on all sides in such contentions 2 In the former Objection they indict the Scriptures as the Principal in the later our Church as an Abetter of such Quarrels and Contentions as it breeds For our Church we shall answer in the next for Gods Word in this present Section CAP. XIX Containing the true State of the Question with the Adversaries General Objections against the Truth 1 IT cannot be denied that alwayes there have been and alwayes will continue Contentions amongst learned men in Points of Faith or Doctrine or about the true Sence or Meaning of Scriptures in these other Cases For thus much these Scriptures themselves do plainly witnesse Oporâ—… esse haereses For there must be Heresies even among you that they which are approved among you might be known But the Question is not whether there have been now are or alwayes shall continue many Contentions about the Sense of Scripture but First Whether the Scriptures have not plainly set down the original Causes and nurses of such Contentions and the Means how to avoid them so men will be ruled by them most plain for this purpose or Secondly Whether not submitting their wils desires and affections unto these plain and perspicuous Rules of life this supposed Infallible Rule of the Romish Church can prevent remove or compose all such Contentions according to the Truth and cause men stedfastly hold the Unity of Faith in the Bond of Peace 3 The Causes of Contentions about the Sence of Scriptures are the very same with the fore-mentioned which made the Scriptures unto sundry seem Obscure or the same which make men to mistake their true Sence and Meaning For even these Wars and Contentions whereof we speak specially these arise from Lusts which sight in our members †we lust and have not we envy and have indignation and cannot obtain we fight and war and got nothing not the Truth which we seek because we ask it not Do not such as contends most about the true Sence ask it most doth not every Heretick the earnester he is professe that he prayes for the Truth so much the more servently yea but such men receive not that which they so earnestly ask because they ask it amisse They desire skill in Scripture to advance their own Conceits and maintain their foolish and carnal Affections otherwise asking they should have and seeking they should find especially the true Sence and Meaning of Gods Word which must instruct us how to frame all our other Petitions unto God aright 4 These and infinite like places we acknowledge plainly declaring the Causes of Contentions and as many more some of which shall be here and there inserted directing us how to avoid all occasions of striâ—e and debate Both which if we observe Contentions will quickly cease Which those not observed must increase as a just punishment of Truth neglected coâ—…icted or low esteemed notwithstanding the best indeavours of any Authority upon earth imaginable to the contrary 5 But some perhaps will demand Is there no use of Humane Authority in this Case yes As for the begetting of true and lively Faith we supose the live-voice of an Ordinary Ministery as the Organ whereby the written Word must be conveyed to our Spirits so for retaining the Unity of this Faith in the Bond of Peace for suppressing or preventing all Occasions of Schismes Heresies or Contentions we acknowledge the necessary Use of a Lawfull Magistracie yet no infallibilitie in either The proper end and use of Both is to espouse mens Souls with an indissoluble knot of Love and Loyaltie unto the written Word the only Infallible Rule of that Faith whereby they live The One by unfolding the generall Points or Maximes of Christian Faith The other by constraining them at least to a civil Practise of undoubted Principles acknowledged by all and inhibiting such Courses as the Moral Precepts of this Canon have defected for Causes and Nurses of Contention Our Adversaries whether out of wilfull malice or oversight or out of both according to the diversities of their tempers have taken occasion to traduce our Churches Doctrine as if it admitted no Means for preventing or composing Contentions but onely the bare letter of Scripture Whereas we all teach that the written Word is the onely Means Infallible not the onely Means Simplie for effecting Both. Nor doth it skill how necessary either Ministerial Expositions or Juridical Decisions be for bringing us unto or retaining us in the Unitie of the Truth professed for not Necessity of Means but Infallibility of Direction is the proper unseparable Condition of the Rule of Faith And seeing Gods Word only endures for ever and therefore onely is Infallible it must be the Sole Rule of Faith how many or how necessary soever the Means be that must bring us to the true Knowledge of it 6 Valentian and Saero-boscus think it all One to acknowledge no Ecclesiasticall Authority or use of Ministerie and not to acknowledge an Infallibility in Both. But this is a Position devoid both of Sense and Reason For As our Senses though of themselves onely capable of particular and Material Objects subject to change and contingencie are the necessary and onely ordinary Means whereby our Intellective Facultie is brought to apprehend Universal and immaterial Principles whose Truth is necessary everlasting and immutable So may the Ministery and Magistracie though both in themselves fallible and obnoxious to Errors be the necessary and onely ordinary Means whereby we are brought as it were by a sensible Induction to the infallible Acknowledgement of the supernatural divine eternal Truths which are the proper Object of the illuminated or spiritual as immaterial and universal Principles are of the natural understanding which shall God willing be declared hereafter In this place I onely thought good to forewarn the Reader of this Hiatus in our Adversaries Collections whereunto the blind and ignorant English Papist led by such blinded forraign Guides as Valentian and Sacro-â—osâ—â—â— who either
in mens hearts So in later Ages since the Almightie gave his Word in every language and the number of Preachers hath been greatly multiplied the old Serpent permits the Jesuits and his other Instruments to translate expound and Preach the Gospel to the ignorant And in opposition to the practise of Reformed Churches the lay Roman Catholick may now behold yea read the Words of Life What difference then can any make betwixt theirs and our Doctrine in this Point such as in times past was betwixt true Miracles wrought by the singer of God and Diabolical Wonderments all which later were usually wrought to idle purposes and by some apish trick or other bewrayed their Authors sinister intendments So doth the cunning restraint of this Libertie late granted to the Roman Laicks great in shew bewray who was the Authour of this Plot and what his purpose Some merry Devil sure is minded to make Hell sport by putting this gull upon the learned Papist his Instrument to put the like upon the ignorant who now at length may read the Scriptures but with absolute submission of their Interpretation to his Instructors who may not take any receit thence but according to their supreme Infallible Physitians prescripts which may not be examined by any Rule of Gods written or unwritten Word nor may any man call his skill in question much lesse condemn him of Imposture by the lamentable issue and dismal successe of his Practises Should men upon like termes be admitted to read Galen or Hippocrates and yet the Monopoly of Medicines permitted to some one Emperick or Apothecarie not liable to any account whether his confections were made according to the Rules of Physick Art or no They might be in greater danger of poysoning then if these grand Physitians had never written for that might be prescribed them by such an authentick Mountebank as a Cordial which the other had detected for Poyson So should the Christian World might the Jesuites plea prevail be continually at the Popes Curtesie whether they should embrace that Sense of Scriptures which Christ and his Apostles have condemned for the Doctrine of Devils as the Oracles of the living God and food for their Souls 7 But some man more indifferent would here perhaps interpose Though theirs be bad do you prescribe us any better Method of Health Your former counsel to practise the Apostles Rules is as if a man should say to one sick of a dangerous disease Expel the bad humour and you shall be well Yet as we said before Est pars sanitatis velle sanari To desire the exâ—…pation of such Affections as hinder our proficiencie in the School of Christ or knowledge of his precepts is a good step to health The Scriptures are the words of life containing Medicines as well as Meat and must purge our Souls of carnal Affections as Physick doth the body of bad Humours They teach withall what Abstinence must be used ere we can be capable of that spiritual Welfare which they promise to the Soul of such as follow their Prescriptions And because our natural Corruption cannot be asswaged much lesse expelled but by their force or vertue which is not alwayes manifested upon the first Receipt we are to come unto them with such reverence as the Moralist did to Meditations of Vertue Vacua sobria mente in sobrietie of Spirit not in the heat abundance or actual motion of such Affections as hinder their operation upon our Souls as men usually take Physick upon a fasting and quiet stomack although Pestered with bad humours which yet cannot be extirpate but by Physick nor by Physick if ministred in the actual motion heat or raging of such humours If a man have but this desire to be rid of such Affections as breed this distemper in his Soul or work a distast of the Word of Life he is capable of that Promise Habents dabitur and shall in good time see his desire augmented whose encrease will bring forth greater fervencie in prayer and prayers if fervent though in men subject to such infirmities avail much and shall in the end be heard to 〈◊〉 full And as well in thankfull duty to the Redeemer of Mankind for his gracious Promises as in hope of being further partakers of the Blessings promised Every one that heareth Gods Word ought and such as hear it a right will as oft as they seek recovery of their spiritual Health by it or such Means as it prescribes abstain from all occasions and occurrents that may encrease provoke or strengthen such Affections as hinder the operations of it upon their Souls For even Nature taught the Cynick to account surfetting and intemperate diet madnesse in the Heathen whiles they sacrificed for Health If any have erred in hearing Gods Word amisse or in the unseasonable applying of Sacred Prescripts these Errors must be recalled by further consultation with their dispensors by more diligent search and better instruction in other parts of this Method of Life 8 Saint Peter knew many ignorant and unstable Souls had perverted some haâ—d places of S. Pauls Epistles as they had other Scriptures to their own destruction Did he therefore advise them to whom he thus wrote not to seek their Salvation out of Saint Pauls Epistles but with absolute submission of their judgement to his and his successours Prescripts Or doth he not seek to establish them in that Doctrine which Saint Paul had taught according to the wisdom given him in all his Epistles Or can any endued with reason doubt whether Saint Paul himself did not expect his Writings should be a Rule of Faith to all that read them without continuance either of his own or others actual Infallible Proposal of them He had protested once for all Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach unto you otherwise then that we have preached unto you let him be accursed He had said before and yet saith he now again If any man preach unto you otherwise then ye have received let him be accursed For he had taught them as their own Conscience might witnesse the Doctrine of God and not man as he intimateth in the next words 9 Either Saint Paul is not Authentick in this protestation or else all stand accursed by it that dare absolutely admit any Doctrine though from an Angels mouth but upon due examination and sure triall whether consonant or contrary to what Saint Paul hath left in writing His meaning notwithstanding in many places as his fellow-Apostle witnesseth was much perverted And seeing what was past could not be amended it seemed necessary to Saint Peter to admonish others lest they should be intangled in like errour But what means had he left to prevent this perverting of Scriptures in them Either none besides or none so good as diligent Reading or Hearing the written Word For such was this Epistle which for their Admonition he now wrote and was desirous questionlesse all of them should with attention hear or read
The â—esuits unwillingnesse to acknowledge the Churches proposal for the True Cause of his faith Of differences and agreements about the final Resolution of faith either amongst the adversaries themselves or betwixt us and them 464 27 That the Churches proposal is the true immediate and prime cause of all absolute Belief my Romanist can have concerning any determinate divine revelation 468 28 Discovering either the grosse ignorance or notorious craft of the Iesuite in denying his faith is finally resolved into the Churches veracitie or infallibility that possibly it cannot be resolved into any branch of the First Truth 471 29 What manner of causal dependance Romish belief hath on the Church that the Romanist truely and properly believes the Church onely not God or his Word 478 30 Declaring how the first main ground of Romish faith leads directly unto Atheisâ— the second unto preposterous Heathenism or Idolatry 484 31 Proving the last assertion or generally the imputations laid upon the Papacie by that authority the â—esuites expreslie give unto the Pope in matters of particular Fact as in the Canonizing of Saints 495 32 What danger by this blasphemous doctrine may accrew to Christian States that of all heresies blasphemies or idolatries which have been since the world began or can be imagined 〈◊〉 Christ come to judgement this Apostasie of the Iesuites is the most abominable and conâ—…ous against the blessed Trinity 499 BLASPHEMOUS POSITIONS OF JESUITES And other Later ROMANISTS Concerning the Authority of their CHURCH The Third Book of Comments upon the CREED SECT I. Containing the Assertions of the Romish Church whence her threefold Blasphemy springs HAving in the former dispute clearly acquitted as well Gods Word for breeding as our Church from nursing Contentions Schisms and Heresies we may in this by course of common equity more freely accuse their injurious calumniators And because our purpose is not to charge them with forgery of any particular though grossest Heresies or Blasphemies though most hideous but for erecting an Intire Frame capacious of all Villanies imaginable far surpassing the Hugest Mathematical Form human fancy could have conceived of such matters but only from inspection of this real and material patern which by degrees insensible hath grown up with the Mysterie of Iniquity as the Bark doth with the Tree Such inconsiderate passionate speeches as heat of contention in personal quarrels hath extracted from some one or few of their private Writers shall not be produced to give evidence against the Church their Mother whose trial shall be as far as may be by her Peers either by her own publick determinations in this controversie or joynt consent of her authorized best approved Advocates in opening the Title or unfolding the contents of that Prerogative which they challenge for her 2 Our accusations are grounded upon their Positions before set down when we explicated the differences betwixt us The Position in brief is This That the infallible authority of the present Church is the most sure most safe undoubted rule in all doubts or controversies of faith or in all points concerning the Oracles of God by which we may certainly know both without which we cannot possibly know either which are the Oracles of God which not or what is the true sense and meaning of such as are received for his Oracles whether written or unwritten 3 The extent of divine Oracles or number of Canonical books hath been as our Adversaries pretend very questionable amongst the Ancient though such of the Fathers as for their skil in antiquity were in all unpartial judgments most competent Judges in this cause were altogether for us against the Romanists and such as were for their opinion were but for it upon an errour as thinking the Jews had acknowledged all those books of the old Testament for Canonical Scripture which the Churches wherein they lived received for such or that the Christian Church did acknowledg all for Canonical which they allowed to be publickly read Safe it was our adversaries cannot deny for the Ancient to dissent one from another in this question or to suspend their assent till new probabilities might sway them one way or other No reasons have been produced since sufficient to move any ingenious mind unto more peremptory resolutions yet doth the Councel of Trent bind all to an absolute acknowledgement of those Books for Canonical which by their own confession were rejected by S. Hierom and other Fathers If any shall not receive the whole Books with all their parts usually read in the Church and as they are extant in the old vulgar for sacred and Canonical Let him be accursed So are all by the same decree that wil not acknowledg such unwritten traditions as the Romish Church pretends to have come from Christ and his Apostles for divine and of authority equal with the written word 4 So generally is this opinion received so fully believed in that Church That many of her Sons even whilest they write against us forgetting with whom they have to deal take it as granted That the Scriptures cannot be known to be Gods word but by the Infallible authority of the present Church And from this supposition as from a truth sufficiently known though never proved they labour in the next place to infer That without submission of our faith to the Churches publick spirit we cannot infallibly distinguish the orthodoxal or divine sense of Gods Oracles whether written or unwritten from heretical or human 5 Should we admit written Traditions and the Church withal as absolute Judge to determin which are Apostolical which not little would it boot us to question with them about their meaning For when the point should come to trial we might be sure to have the very words framed to whatsoever sense should be most favourable for justifying Romish practises And even of Gods written Oracles whose words or characters as he in his wisdom hath provided cannot now be altered by an Index Expurgatorius at their pleasure That such a sense as shall be most serviceable for their Turn may as time shall minister occasion be more commodiously gathered the Trent Fathers immediately after the former decree for establishing unwritten Traditions and amplifying the extent of divine written Oracles have in great wisdom authorized the old and vulgar translation of the whole Canon Which though it were not purposely framed to maintain Popery as some of our writers say they have as frivolously as maliciously objected yet certainly as well the escapes and errors of those unskilful or ill-furnished interpreters as the negligence of transcribers or other defects incident to that work from the simplicitie of most ancient the injuries or calamities of insuing times were amongst others as the first heads or petty springs of that raging sloud of impiety which had well nigh drowned the whole Christian world in perdition by continually receiving into its chanel once thus wrought the dregs and filth of every other error under heaven
jointly believe for God speaking either in his written word or by tradition Yet if a man should have asked him why he did or how possibly he could infallibly believe that God did speak all the words either contained in the Bible or in their traditions he must have given either a womans answer because God spake them or this because our holy mother the Church doth say so For elsewhere he plainly avows the Books of Canonical Scripture need not be believed without the Churches proposal whose infallible authority was sufficiently known before one tittle of the New Testament was written and were to be acknowledged though it had never been he plainly confesseth withal that he could not believe the Scriptures taught some principal Articles of faith most firmly believed by him unless the Churches authority did thereto move him against the light of natural reason Now if for the Churches proposal he believe that which otherwise to believe he had no reason at all but rather strong inducements to the contrary as stedfastly as any other truth the Churches infallibility must be the true and only cause both why he believes the mystery proposed and distrusts the natural dictates of his conscience to the contrary In sine he doth not believe there is a Trinity for in that Article is his instance because God hath said it but he believes that God hath said it because his infallible Mother the Church doth teach it This is the misery of miseries that these Apostates should so bewitch the World as to make it think they believe the Church because God speaks by it when it is evident they do not believe God but for the Churches testimony well content to pretend his authority that her own may seem more Soveraign Thus make they their superstitious groundless magical Faith but as a wrench to wrest that principle of nature Whatsoever God saith is true to countenance any villany they can imagin as wil better appear hereafter But first the Reader must be content to be informed that by some of their Tenents the same Divine revelations may be asâ—ented unto by the Habit either of â—heologie or of Faith both which are most certain but herein diâ—ferent That tâ—e former is discursive and resembles science properly so called the later not so but rather like unto that habit or faculty by which we perceive the truth of general Maxims or unto our bodily sight which sees divers visibles all immediately not one after or by another Whilst some of them dispute against the certainty of private spirits their arguments suppose Divine revelations must be believed by the Habit of Theologie which is as a sword to oâ—â—end us Whiles we assault them and urge the unstability of their resolutions they slie unto the non disâ—ursive Habit of faith infused as their best buckler to ward such blows as the Habit of Theologie cannot bear off 6 Not here to dispute either how truly or pertinently they deny â—aith infused to be a discursive habit the Logical Reader need not I hope my adâ—onition to observe that faith or belief whether habitual or actual unlesse discursive cannot possibly be resolved into any preexistent Maxim or principle From which grant this Emolument wil arise unto our cause that the Churches authority cannot be proved by any divine revelation or portion of Scripture seeing it is an Article of Faith and must be believed â—odâ—m intuâ—â—u with that Scripture or part of Gods Word whether written or unwritten that teacheth it as light and colours are perceived by one and the same intuition in the same instant And by this assertion we could not so properly say We beleeue the divine revelation because we believe the Church nor do we see colours because we see the light but We may truly say that the objects of our faith divine revelations are therefore actually credible or worthy of belief because the infallible Church doth illustrate or propose them as the light doth make colours though invisible by night visible by day This similitude of the light and colours is not mine but Sacroboscus's whom in the point in hand I most mention because Doctor Whitakers Objections against their Churches Doctrine as it hath been delivered by Bellarmine and other late Controversers hath enforced him clearly to unfold what Bellarmine Stapleton and Valentian left unexpressed but is implicitely included in all their Writings But ere we come to examine the full inconveniences of their opinions I must request the Reader to observe that as oft as they mention Râ—solution of faith they mean the discursive habit of Theologie For all resolution of Belief or knowledge essentially includes discourse And Bellarmine directly makes Sacroboscus expressely avoucheth the Churches authority the medius terminus or true cause whence determinate conclusions of faith are gathered From which and other equivalent assertions acknowledged by all the Romanists this day living it will appear that Valentian was either very ignorant himself or presumed he had to deal with very ignorant Adversaries when he denied that the last resolution of Catholick faith was into the Churches authority which comes next in place to be examined CAP. XXVIII Discovering either the grosse ignorance or notorious craft of the Jesuite in denying his Faith is finally resolved into the Churches veracity or infallibility That possibly it cannot be resolved into any branch of the First Truth 1 IT were a foolish question as Cajetan saith Valentian hath well observed if one should ask another why he believes the First Truth revealing For the Assent of Faith is finally resolved into the First Truth It may be Cajetan was better minded towards Truth it self first or secondary then this Jesuite was which used his authority to colour his former rotten position That the Churches proposal by their doctrine is not the cause of faith but our former distinction between belief it self and it object often confounded or between Gods Word indefinitely and determinately taken if well observed will evince this last reason to be as foolish as the former assertion was false No man saith he can give any reason besides the infallibility of the Revealer why he beleeves a divine Revelation It is true no man can give nor would any ask why we believe that which we are fully perswaded is a divine Revelation But yet a reason by their positions must be given why we believe either this or that truth any particular or determinate portion of Scripture to be a divine Revelation Wherefore seeing Christian Faith is alwayes of desinite and particular propositions or conclusions and as Bellarmine saith and all the Papists must say these cannot be known but by the Church As her infallible proposal is the true and proper cause why we believe them to be infalliblie true because the onely cause whereby we can believe them to be divine revelations so must it be the essential principle into which our Assent or Belief of any particular or determinate
on Him Accidents have a kind of existence peculiar to themselves yet cannot so properly be said to exist as their subjects on whom they have such double dependance Nor can the Moon so truely say my beauty is my own as may the Sun which lends light and splendor to this his sister as it were upon condition she never use it but in his sight For the same reason That for which we believe another thing is alwaies more truely more really and more properly believed then that which is believed for it if the one belief necessarily depend upon the other Tam in facto esse quam in sieri from the first beginning to the latter end For of beliefs thus mutually affected the one is real and radical the other nominal or at the most by participation only real This consequence is unsound Intellective knowledge depends on sensitive therfore sensitive is of these two the surer The reason is because intellective knowledge depends on sensitive onely in the acquisition not after it is acquired But this inference is most undoubted We believe the conclusion for the premisses therefore we believe the premisses the better because belief of the conclusion absolutely depends upon the premisses during the whole continuance of it This is the great Philosophers Rule and a branch of the former Axiom And some justly question whether in Scholastick proprietie of speech we can truely say there is a belief of the conclusion distinct from the belief of the premisses or rather the belief of the premisses is by extrinsical denomination attributed unto the conclusion This latter opinion at least in many Syllogismes is the truer most necessarily true in all wherein the conclusion is a particular essentially subordinate to an universal of truth unquestionable As be that infallibly believes every man is a reasonable creature infallibly believes Socrates is such Nor can we say there be two distinct beliefs one of the universal another of this particular for he that sayeth All excepteth â—one If Socrates then make one in the Catalogue of men he that formerly knew all knew him to be a reasonable Creature all he had to learn was what was meant by this name Socrates a man or a beast After he knows him to be a man in knowing him to be a reasonable creature he knows no more then he did before in that uniuersal Every man is a reasonable creature The like consequence holds as firm in our present argument He that believes this universal Whatsoever the Church proposeth concerning Scriptures is most true hath no more to learn but onely what particulars the Church proposeth These being known we cannot imagine there should be two distinct Beliefs one of the Churches general infallibilitie another of the particular truths or points of faith contained in the Scripture proposed by it For as in the former case so in this He that from the Churches proposal believes or knowes this particular The Book of Revelations was from God receives no increase of former belief For before he believed all the Church did propose and therefore this particular Because one of all 4 The truth of this Conclusion may again from a main principle of Romish Faith be thus demonstrated Whatsoever unwritten traditions the Church shall propose though yet unheard of or unpossible otherwise to be known then onely by the Churches asseveration all Romanists are bound as certainly to believe as devoutly to embrace as any truths contained in the written word acknowledged by us the Jews and them for divine Now if either from their own experience the joynt consent of sincere antiquitie or testimony of Gods spirit speaking to thâ—m in private or what means soever else possible or imaginable they gave any absolute credence unto the written word or matters containd in it besides that they give unto the Churches general veracitie the Scriptures by addition of this credence were it great or little arising from these grounds peculiâ—r to them must needs be morefirmly believed and embraced then such unwritten traditions as are in themselves suspicious uncapable of other Credit then what they borrow from the Church For in respect of the Churches proposal which is one and the same alike peremptory in both Scriptures and traditions of what kind soever must be equally believed And if such traditions as can have no assurance besides the Churches testimony must be as well believed as Scriptures or Divine truths contained in them the former conclusion is evidently necessary That they neither believe the Scriptures nor the truths contained in them but the Churches proposal of them onely For the least belief of any Divine Truth added to belief of the Churches proposal which equally concerns written and unwritten verities would dissolve the former equality But that by the Trent Councel may not be dissolved Therefore our adversaries in deed and verity believe no Scriptures nor Divine written Truth but the Churches proposal onely concerning them And Sacrobosous bewrays his readâ—ness to believe the Church as absolutely as my Châ—istian can do God or Christ though no 〈◊〉 of the New-Testament were extant Foâ— â—hat the Church cannot erre was an â—…led by God proposed by the Church â—… by the thâ— faithful before any part of the New â—estament was written Now he that without 〈◊〉 Dâ—ctrines of Jesus Christ would believe the Doctrines of faith as sirmly as with it believes not the Gospel which now he hath but their authorities onely upon which though we had it not he would as absolute rely for all matters of Doctrine supposed to be contained in it 5 Of further to illustrate the truth of our conclusion with this Jesuites former comparison which hath best illustrated the Romish Churches Tenent That Church in respect of the Canon of Scriptures or any part thereof is as the light is to colours As no colour can be seen of us but by the light so by his Doctrine neither the Canon of Scriptures or any part thereof can be known without the Churches testimony Again as removal of light presently makes us lose the sight of colours so doubt or denial of the Churches authority dâ—prives us of all true and stedfast belief concerning Gods Word or any matter contained in it God as they plead hath revealed his will obseurely and unto a distinct or clear apprehension of what is obscurely revealed the visible Churches declaration is no less necessary then light to discernment of colours The Reason is one in both and is this As the actual visibility of colours wholly depends upon the light as well for existence as duration so by Jesuitical Doctrine True belief of Scriptures wholly depends on the visible Churches Declaration as well during the whole continuance as the first producing of it By the same reason as we gather that light in it self is more visible then colours seeing by it alone colours become actually visible so will it necessarily follow that the Churches Declaration that is the Popes priviledge for not
CHAP. III. Of general incitements to search the truth of Scriptures or Christian belief 1 WE may hence clearly see how inexcusable even in the judgement of flesh and blood all men are that either by hearing or reading have any accesse unto the Gospel and do not use the best endeavours of their natural wit if God as yet have touched their hearts with no better grace to search out the truth thereof For seeing in the Scriptures are proposed to every mans choice everlasting life or everlasting death what extream madness is it for men to enter into any course of life or to undertake any matter of moment which may exact their chief imployments before they have diligently looked to the main chance before they have tried the utmost of their wits and others best advise to know the tenour of their own estate We see daily what great pains men of no small account do take in the studie of Alchymie spending their spirits and most of their substance in trying conclusions and searching out the truth of those things for which they have but weak grounds of Philosophie or reason onely the conceit of the good they aim at which is rather possible then probable for them to attain inforceth a kinde of hope and encourageth them to go forward 2 To speak nothing of the good the Scripture promiseth the very conceit of eternal death me thinks should move either the Chymicks which spend much gold only upon hope of getting more or any other man whatsoever to spend all the treasure whatsoever either this their Art or all other could yeeld to secure themselves from such horrible torments as the Scriptures threaten to their Contemners or negligent Hearers And why should not all men then in reason bestow most time and pains in searching the truth of those things which concern their souls estate whose securitie in all reason they should purchase with the highest hopes and utmost aim of all other travails in this life Here then as I said the full height of mans Iniquity and his inexcusable Madness is most plainly discovered that having these two motives which in natural reason do sway all Humane Actions offering themselves to encourage him in searching the Scriptures yet notwithstanding most men bestow less labor in them then in other ordinary Studies First if we compare the good they set before us as a recompence and reward of our travails it is beyond all comparison greater then the scope of any other Trade or Science For here is a double Infinity of solid Good First they promise Joy two wayes Infinite both in Degree and Continuance Secondly they threaten unto their Contemners despisers death torments doubly infinite both in Degree and Continuance Now if the probabilities of the truth of Scriptures were far less than is usually found in other studies or Humane hopes yet could this in Humane reason be no reason why we should labour less in them than in other affairs seeing the incomparable excess of the good they promise doth abundantly recompence this But if the Probability of the truth of Scripture be in natural reason equal to the probabilities which men usually take for their grounds in many greatest attempts then certainly not to bestow as great pains and travail in trying the truth of their promises as in any other Human attempts or affairs doth argue infinite Madness Ask we the Chymick what reason he hath to toil so much in the study of Paracelsus or other intricate Writers of his Faculty the like we may say of any Physitians their answer as you may reade in their writings is this Many Philosophers in former ages have laboured much in this study and have set down good rules of their experiments who as is probable would never have taken such pains upon no ground And verily this tradition or the authority they give to their Writers is their chief motive For I think few of their Ancient Authors have bequeathed to their successors any Gold made by this Art thereby to encourage them If then tradition consent of time or approbation of Authors or relation of experiments be an especial inducement for men to adventure their charge pains and travel in this Faculty as in all other affairs without all controversie the Scriptures in all these motives have an especial Prerogative above all other faculties or sciences albeit humane reason were admitted judge For the Authority of Gods Church is far more general then the consent of any Writers in any one faculty whatsoever The consent of time likewise is greater For no Age since Christs time in these civil parts of the World but by the report of other Writers as well as Christians hath yeelded obedience unto Scriptures as the Word of God Men of most excellent spirits and learning in every Age have addicted their studies unto this truth About the time of our Saviours coming Curious Arts and other civil disciplines did most flourish The Grecians sought after Wisdom and secular Philosophy with the like the Romans after Policy State knowledge and discipline of war all the World almost above others those places wherein Christianity was first planted was then set upon Curious Arts yet we see how the study and search of Scriptures in short time did prove as Aarons Rod amongst the Magitians Serpents It hath devoured all and brought them to acknowledge Allegiance unto it using the help of best secular Arts as it were Nutriment for the growth of Christianity and expelling the rest as Excrements out of the Church Nor can the Atheist name any Age wherein the Heathen had an Oliver to oppugn our profession but we had a Rowland to defend it If they had a Porphyrie or Celsus to oppose Philosophy against it we had an Origen a Man by their own confession of the most rare wit and hope for Philosophy then living to forsake Philosophy and follow Christianity It was not despair which made him and many other excellent Scholars Christians but the sure hope which they found in this profession made them contemn all other hopes and cleave to it with their hearts and souls albeit their souls should for so doing be violently separated from their bodies This trial I am perswaded few of their greatest Philosophers would have endured but they had the Potentates of the World as readie to applaud them as to disgrace the Christians and yet the Christians multiplyed as the Israelites did by oppression in Egypt How resolute they were if we may not be believed bearing witness of our own profession let Pliny testifie in whose judgement Constancie and Resolution was the onely crime in our Profession deserving punishment And for this cause he took want of resolution in such as had been accused before him under the name of Christians as a sufficient Argument that they were not Christians in deed or heart For such as he had been enformed could not be inforced to any such idolatrous practise as he perswaded these men unto
of Scriptures unto some and Facility and Perspicuity unto others of like Profession cannot justly impeach them of greater Obscurity then befits the infallible rule as wel of theirs as of all other mens Faith in their several Vocations For as mens Callings are divers and Gods Gifts to men in their divers Callings in nature and qualitie different so likewise is the Measure of his like gifts to men in the same calling not one and the same To some he gives more Knowledge to others lesse yet all he commands not to presume above that which is Written and every man to limit his desires of knowing that which is Written by the distinct Measure of Gods Gifts in himself not to affect or presume of such skil as they have unto whom God hath given a greater Talent And besides this that the Scripture is the inexhaustible store-house â—hence all men have their several Measures of Divine Knowledge as wel he that hath most as he that hath least even in this again it is a perfect rule that it commands all sapere idque ad sobrietatem to be wise according to that Measure of Knowledge which God hath given them and not to seek to know at least not to say why should I not know as much as any other of any Profession For this were Pride and Arrogancie the fatal enemies of all true Christian Knowledge if so his Gifts be lesse then others And for the avoidance of these main Obstacles of Christian Knowledge or true Interpretation of Scriptures the Scripture hath commanded every man to think better of others than of himself and not to be wise in his own conceit 12 From the former General will follow this Particular Albeit some Parts of Scripture be very obscure unto some the same perspicuous unto other Ministers or Preachers of the Word yet may the whole Canon be the infallible Rule of Faith unto both according to the diverse Measure of their Gifts rightly and unpartially taken If the one either fail in the Exposition of sundrie Places which the other rightly expounds or cannot apprehend so much in them as the other doth he is in Sobriety of Spirit bound to acknowledge his own Infirmitie and content himself with that knowledge which is contained within the Measure of Gods Gifts bestowed upon himself and this again he is to take by the same Rule So that the Scriptures are a perfect Rule to both to all for Direction in the search of Divine Knowledge for limitation of mens desires whiles they seek it or Conceit of what they have gotten That they do not so thorowly instruct or furnish some as others though all men of God for exact performance of their Ministerial function can be no argument of their Insufficiencie to make all such in their Place and Order competently Wise unto Salvation more than it would be to prove Eâ—clides Elements or other more absolute Mathematical Work an insufficient and imperfect Rule for instructing Surveyours or other Practical Mathematicians whose skill lies onely in measuring Triangles Circles or other plain or solid Bodies because containing many Questions of higher Nature and greater Difficultie as of the Circles Quadrature of Lines or Numbers Surd or Asymmetral well befitting the exercise of speculatorie learned Mathematical Wits CAP. XIII The true state of the Question about the Scriptures Obscurity or Perspicuity unto what Men and for what Causes they are Obscure 1 THe Question then must be Whether the Scriptures be an absolute Rule of Christian Faith and Manners to every Man in his Vocation and Order according to the Measure of Gods Gifts bestowed upon him We affirm It is such to all None are so cunning none so excellent or expert in Divine Mysteries but must take it for a Rule beyond whose Bounds they may not passe from which they daily may learn more none so sillie but may thence learn enough for their Salvation so they will be Ruled by it And yet even of those Points which are perspicuously set down to the diverse Capacities of Men in the same or several Professions the Question is not Whether any can fully comprehend their intire Meaning Certain it is In this life they cannot But neither will our Adversaries I hope avouch that the infallible Authoritie of their Church can make us so comprehend the full meaning of Mysteries contained either in Scriptures or her pretended unwritten Traditions Of Scriptures the best learned Christian may say wth the Heathen Socrates Hoc unum scio me nihil scire I know this one thing that I know nothing Nothing as I should or as fully as I then shall when I shall know as I am known for in this life we know but in part and we propâ—… in part 2 Lastly even in respect of Places though containing Points of Salvation onely thus imperfectly known though as perspicuous and clear as can be required the Rule of Faith should be the Question is not whether they be very Obscure and Difficult unto some or unto the Major part of Mankind if we consider them as they are or may be not as they should or might be that is if we consider them as disobedient to the Truth known or carelesse to amend their lives by this light of Scripture For unto all such as hate it this very light it self proves an occasion of falling Nor could any thing be more plainly or perspicuously set down in any other Rule of Faith imaginable than this very Point we now handle is in Scriptures to wit that such Parts of them as contain matters necessary to Salvation are most easie to some most hard to others And albeit they might through the Iniquity of Mankind prove difficult to all or impossible to be understood of most now living living as for the most part we do yet were this Difficultie or Impossibilitie of understanding them aright upon these Suppositions no hindrance at all why they should not be a complete Rule of Faith to all no just reason for admitting any infallible Authority besides theirs 3 For of such as admit any Authority equivalent to theirs it must be further demanded whether the Infallibilitie of it can take away that Blindnesse of heart which by Gods just Judgement lights upon all such as detain the knowledge of God or his sacred Word in Unrighteousnesse If for their sins God punish them with this spiritual darknesse in discerning his Will revealed in his written Word no other infallible Authority as we suppose can take away those scales from their eyes which hinder their sight in the means of their Salvation If men have been called to this Light and prefer Darknesse before it either they must receive sight and direction from it again or continue still in ignorance and the shadow of death but doth God look up all or most mens eyes in such darknesse No for this blindnesse by our Doctrine befals onely such as have deserved it by the forementioned sins which once removed by Repentance the
of Canonical Scripture May private Spirits discern their true Sence in matters of Faith as clearly as if they were a Light indeed to thee Oh no you quite mistake his meaning in making such Collections Let Valentian explicate himself in the end of this fourth Paragraph 8 After the Church hath once gathered any Opinion out of Scriptures and thereupon opposeth the Scripture thus understood by it according to the Apostolical Tradition unto contrary Errours It is extream Impiety and wickedness to desire any more either concerning the Authority or Interpretation of that parcel of Scripture under what Pretence soever of Difficulty Obscurity or the like To that Scripture I pray mark his words wel which is commended and expounded unto us by the Authority of the Church that Scripture now ea jam even for this Reason hoc ipso is most Authentick and shines most splendently mojt clearly like a Light videlicet as we have formerly expounded put upon a Candlestick Nay in good sooth just like a Candlestick put upon a Light or Candle For in this Countrey wherein we live we see the Candlestick by vertue of the Light not the Light by means or vertue of the Candlestick And yet if your Church be the Candlestick as you suppose and the Scripture the Light as you expresly acknowledge we must by your Doctrine discern the Light of Scriptures only by the Commendation Explication or Illumination of your Church the Candlestick And this Illumination is only her bare Asseveration for Scriptures she seldom expounds but only by Negatives or Anathemas The best Correction that can be made of this untoward crooked unwieldly Similitude would be this whereas this Doctor supposeth the Pope to be the Church and saith further necesse est ut lumen illud si dei quod in divinis literis splendet praeser at Ecclesia Let him put lucem for lumen and so the Pope being by his Assertion the Church may be truly called Lucifer And then as when Cloth shrinks in the wetting men shape their Garments accordingly making sometimes a Jerkin of that which was intended for a Jacket so out of this unhandsome ill-spun similitude which was marred in the making we may frame a shorter which wil hold exceeding wel on this fashion Even as Satan being the Prince of Darknesse doth to mens seeming transform him self into an Angel of Light Just so doth the Roman Lucifer being by Valentians Confession but the Candlestick labour to transform him self into the Light it self and would be taken for such a Light or Candle as should make the very Light of Heaven it self Gods Word to shine most splendently and clearly by the glorious Beams of his Majestical Infallibility once cast upon it For otherwise unlesse the Supernatural Glory of his Infallibility do infuse Light or adde fresh Lustre to this Light or Lantern of Truth the Candlestick naturally gives no increase of perspicuity to the Light or Candle Which wil shine as clear in a private Mans hands so he wil take the pains to hold it as in a Publick Candlestick But that which I would have the serious Reader to observe especially is this Speech of his Scripture as once commended unto us or expounded by the Churches Authority becomes thereby most Authentick and shines most clearly and most splendently For this same Doctor if a Doctor may be said the same affirming and denying the same in the beginning of that Dispute would gladly shuffle so as he should not be taken with that Trick which wil discredit their Cause for ever and descry their villanous Blasphemy in this Doctrine of their Churches Authority There he would perswade us that he doth not allow of this Speech I believe this or that to be a Divine Revelation because the Church doth tell me so or of this the Church is the Cause why I believe the Divine Revelations whereas this Speech of his Quae Scriptura per Authoritatem doth infer the Authority of the Church to be the very principal and immediate Cause of our Assent unto Scriptures 9 Secondly I would have the sober Christian Reader to observe what an unhallowed and unchristian Conceit it is to admit the Scriptures for a Lantern and yet to affirm that Christians cannot behold the Light therein contained but only as the Church of Rome doth hold it out what is this else but to call the People from the marvailous Light of the Gospel unto the fearful Lightnings of the Law And to make the Pope that Mediator which the People implicitely did request when they desired that Moses might speak to them not God If we be in Christ then are we not called into Mount Sinai to burning Fire Blindnesse Darknesse and Tempests this Light of the Gospel is not environed with a fearful Cloud or Smoak threatning Destruction if we should go up into the Mount to hear the Lord himself speak we have an Advocate with the Father and need not look for a Moses to go up for us while we stand trembling a far off For as our Apostle tels us Heb. 12. 22. We are come unto the Mount Sion and to the City of the living God the celestial Jerusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the congregation of the first-born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just and perfect men and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Testament and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel What is the Consequence or Effect of this our Calling Our Apostle makes this Inference verse 25. See therefore that ye despise not him that speaketh Whom did he mean The Pope or Cardinals But they would be but of like Authority as Moses was but he that Speaketh untous is of far greater For so our Apostle collects See that ye despise nâ—t him that speaketh for if they escape not which refused him that spake on Earth much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him which speaketh from Heaven The Israelites I suppose had despised Moses if they had admitted any other infallible Teacher besides him whilest he was alive or believed any other as wel as his Writings after his death but only so far forth as they could discern their Words to be consonant unto his If Moses Writings were to these Jews a plain Rule of Faith then much more must Christs Word registred by his Apostles and Evangelists by the Rule of Faith unto us That Moses Doctrine was their Rule of Faith a Rule most plain and easie these places following abundantly testifie CAP. XVII That the Mosaical Writings were a most perfect Rule plain and easie to the Ancient Israelites 1 SO perfect Directions had Moses left for Posterities perpetual instruction that a great Prophet in later Ages desirous to bring Gods people into the right Paths which their Fathers had forsaken and for this purpose professing to impart to them whatsoever he had
anus Christiana quae non sciat Christum natum incarnatum fuisse Saint Pauls Cospel was sufficiently known in this mans Sense of his words because there is neither Christian childe nor old wife but knows that Christ was incarnate and born Too many I fear of his and his fellows catechizing know Christ no otherwise then old Wives or little Children know ordinary matters or Stories past that is only by old Wives Tales lying Legends or Tradition And on this fashion and better did the Jews Know Moses and Believed on him yet did they neither Know Him nor his Doctrine as they should have done nor in such a Sense as the Scripture useth this word Knowledge Such as he would have us content our selves withall is rather blindnesse then Knowledg and makes a man never a whit the better Christian but a greater Hypocrite 2 Let Bellarmines Answer stand thus far for true that the Knowing of Christ and Belief of the Gospel are manifest to all that are not given over to Jewish Blindnesse And what it is to Know Christ or believe the Gospel in Saint Pauls Phrase by Gods assistance we shall further explicate in the Articles following To Know Christ was all Saint Paul desired because it contained all Knowledge of Scriptures and whether Saint Paul did not desire to Know Scriptures or whether he had not his Desire herein 〈◊〉 Christian Consciences judge 3 And because I must conclude this Point as I promised with this Testimony of Saint Paul Beloved Christian whosoever thou art that shalt read these Meditations ask Counsel of thine own Heart Consult with thy Conscience consider well and give Sentence betwixt me and this Romish Doctor what kind of Knowledge Saint Paul here meant whether an Implicite or Hear 〈◊〉 Knowledge of Christ and his Kingdom in grosse or an expresse distinct true Knowledge raised from Moses and the Prophets consonancy with the Gospel of Scriptures necessary to Mens Salvation in their several Courses of life I 〈◊〉 not wrong thy Judgement so much as to seek Arguments or Authorities of Expositors for thy information in this plain undoubted caâ—e It shall sussice to rehearse the Words of that Law about whose Sence we now contend and by which we must be tried from the twelfth verse of the third to the sixth verse of the fourth Chapter of the second to the Corinthians 4 Seeing then we have such trust we use great Boldnesse of Speech and we are not as Moses which put a Veil upon his face that the Children of Israel should not look unto the end of that which should be abolished Therefore their minds are hardened For until this day remaineth the same Covering untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament Yet was the Old Testament the only Scripture in those times easie to be understood but for this Veil And this Veil as the Apostle adds verse the fourteenth put away these Scriptures then which were so difficult to the Jew are Easie to all that are in Christ by whose death the Veil was rent and that Light which shone on Moses face as the Sun upon the Eastern skie in the dawning was fully manifested to the Inhabitants of the earth since the Sun of righteousnesse did appear For the publishing of the Gospel is the putting away of the former Veil But for the Jewes even until this day saith the Apostle When Moses is read the Veil is laid over their hearts Neverthelesse when their hearts shall be turned unto the Lord the Veil shall be taken away For this Doctrine of Saint Paul as often hath been said was in their Hearts and in their mouthes Deut. 30. 14. The Apostle concludes Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty Liberty indeed in respect of that Servitude which was under the Law then they were Servants because they knew not their Masters will John 15. 15. but since the Ministry of the New Testament We all behold as in a Mirrour the Glory of the Lord with open face Verse 18. Out of our Apostles discourse this is most evident that it was the Glory of his Ministry and Evidence of Doctrine which made him so consident in the execution of this Function God saith he hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. And this compared with the Ministry of the Old did far exceed it in Glory and Perspicuity as he proves from the sixth verse to the eighteenth 5 The judicious Reader though not admonished would of his own accord observe how the Apostle takes Clearnesse and Perspicuity as an Adjunct of the New Testament's Glory the Jesuites quite contrary would make the Scriptures Dignity and Majesty Mother of Difficulty and Obscurity But because it was so much more glorious and perspicuous then the Ministery of the Old Testament was The Apostle infers 2 Cor. 4. 1 2. Therefore seeing we have this Ministery of the New Testament so glorious and perspiâ—uous as we have received mercy we faint not but have cast off the cloak of shame and walk not in craftinesse neither handle we the Word of God deceitfully for why should any when it will approve it self but in declaration of the Truth approve our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God What Proof could he make to their Consciences but only from the Evidence of that Truth which he taught and his Sincerity in teaching it These two would bind all such as made any conscience of their wayes to admit his Doctrine Whence he infers in the very next words verse 3. If then our Gospel be bid c. Briefly refuting all the Romanists Objections in this Argument before they were conceived punctim even to an hairs breadth For this would have been their common place had they lived in Saint Pauls time You may boast and say your Doctrine of the New Testament is evident and manifest but what wise man will believe you when a great many as good Schollers as your self think the contrary most true Unto this Objection of the Jews then of the Jesuites now of Satan both now and then and alwayes frequent in the mouth of Hell our Apostle answers directly as from his Doctrine we have done all the Jesuites Arguments If the Gospel be hid as indeed to some too many it is Yet it is hid only to them that perish whose Minds the God of this World hath blinded that the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the Image of God should not shine unto them 6 The Gospel then did shine yet not to Blinded eyes to whom then only to such as were indued with the Spirit of Liberty seeing the New Testament as he said was the Ministry of the Spirit of which these Jews were not partakers because they followed the Letter or Outside of the Law and had Moses Writings as children Lessons they understand not at their Tongues end not in their Hearts SECT
and truly religious Writers in the best and flourishing ages of the Church have been as Copious and Industrious in citing Authorities of Scriptures for their Opinions as Hereticks this Argument proves nothing against us why we may not be Orthodoxes and true Catholicks as well as Hereticks That this hath been the practise of Hereticks we acknowledge and having received this their Blow we can return their own weapons upon them with greater probabilitie of better speed 2 It hath been the practise of sundry Hereticks never of any Orthodox to refuse their triall by Scripture and flee unto Traditions It hath been the continual practise of most monstrous and blasphemous Impostors of false Messiahs and such as oppose themselves against Christ of Mahomet and such like to plead the infallible Assistance of the Holy Ghost and a Supream Authority over others without subjection to any triall either by Scripture or other Means If most of them have failed in getting so many stedfast followers as the Pope now hath and for many yeers hath had it is most likely this was either because their Heresies were more open and more easie to be descried or they lesse cunning in countenancing them by Scriptures Antiquitie or other plausible showes of Custom Tradition or the like For we all know that Antichrists greatnesse must grow by the multitude of his resolute followers that God shall send them be they never so many strong delusions that they should beleeve lies that his coming is by the working of Satham who can urge Scripture as cunningly to maintain Falshood as any Heretick and by all power and signes and lying wonders So that it will be hard to discover or prevent his coming unlesse men be very cunning and expert in these Scriptures the Rule of Truth the onely Light whereby all falshood must be discovered 3 That they may once for all know how little we fear their force we will set our Bodies so as they shall not misse them and prepare our selves to take the full strength and Dint of all their strokes The Hereticks of old time say they have urged Scriptures for their Doctrine vehemently and copiously we will give them better hold and help them to presse this Point a little harder They did urge Scriptures most cunningly most subtilly and hereby deceived many yea almost staggered the very Elect. What if they did so would Pharaohs Enchanters have obstupisied most of the Israelite beside Moses and Aaron but did their cunning jugling prejudice the truth of Moses Miracles or did he neglect to manifest the Power of God for fear lest he should be censured for such a one as they were onely more cuning in his Craft Their wicked cunning served as a foyl so to set forth his heavenly skill as the Enchanters themselves could not but see the Finger of God in his working herein more ingenuous then the modern Jesuites who in so clear a Point as this we now dispute after so many foyls as they have taken will not acknowledge the force of that Scripture in themselves Magnaest veritas praevalet The Reason is because they will not come into the open Court to trie their Skill before unpartiall Judges 4 The Devil we all know did urge the Scripture to our Saviour with great skill and dexterity Had he been the onely follower or first founder of this practise or the first of all we had read of we should have been untill we had found some better example and warrant for it as much afraid to have imitated him herein as that scrupulous Monk was to wear his Hood because he thought the Devil had been the first that ever had worn one being usually painted in that habit when he came to tempt our Saviour Christ and that Story he thought in all likelie-hood to be as Ancient as the first Hood But with what Weapon did our Saviour vanquish Sathan that had set upon him with Scripture did he charge him sub poena anathematis to be silent or did he crave the Churches peace under pain of greater penalties or did he appeal unto the infallible Authority or Supream Tribunal of the Jewish Church did he except against him for using an unlawful Heretical weaponâ— can you deny that he foyled him with these very weapons wherewith we now contend that all Hereticks Sathans followers are to be assaulted and repulsed ere they can be lawfully foyled and quite overthrown And here I would beseech all sâ—ber-minded Christians even as they love our Saviour Christ â—he chief Captain of the Lords Host the Authour and finisher of our Faith and as they hate Sathan himself the Head and Prince of all Gods Christs and our enemies to consider these subsequent Reasons well and weigh'd is Instance in the quiet calm and setled motions of their hearts 5 If Sathan can thus teach Hereticks and other his like wicked Instruments such great skill and cunning in Scriptures as they can thereby countenance Errours and deceive others with a shew of Godlinesse why should we not hold it as a principall Article of our Faith that Christ Jesus is able to instruct his chosen Immediately in the true Sense and Meaning of the same Scriptures so as they may hereby grow skilful enough to retain such as love the Truth in the knowledge of Truth and defend themselves and others against the oppositions of Hereticks although they bring their Arguments out of Scripture For First we know and believe that Christ is stronger then Sathan for he hath bound that strong man Secondly that he is better skilled in Scripture for after his first enterance into his Prophetical or Sacerdotal Function he put him hereby to flight and at his Passion ‖ threw him out of his hold Sathans strength since that time hath been lesse and Christs Power greater so that in his strength we may be stronger then all Sathans followers Thirdly we know that the Scripture is in it self much more favourable unto Truth then unto Falshood and caeteris paribus far more apt to confirm true Religion and instruct in Points of Faith then to establish Heresie or fill the World with Errours onely the sons of Darknesse have been wiser in their generation then such as should be or in some measure are the sons of Light And if Hereticks may seem to have had the better sometimes of the Orthodox in trying Controversies by Scripture this doubtlesse was for no other reason but onely this Their alacritie and industrie in searching Scriptures for maintenance of Errours was greater then the others for establishment and confirmation of the Truth otherwise as we said before the Truth is more consonant to the puritie and integrity of Sacred Writ then any Falshood though never so fair in shew can be And Christ Jesus is more powerful and more skilfull more able and more willing to assist and strengthen such as follow him then Sathan is to enable his wicked Instruments Seeing then by these Scriptures he hath crushed
These Hereticks some of you I imagin would say albeit they might pretend Scriptures for the Rule of Faith yet would not be ruled by Scriptures when they were evidently brought against them For your evidence of Scripture to prove these Points there mentioned we know them well enough for some of them you professe Tradition only CAP. XXII That our Adversaries Objections do not so much infringe as their Practise confirms the Sufficiency of Scriptures for composing the greatest Controversies in Religion 1 BUt suppose many Hereticks your selves for example will not submit their minds unto the Evidence of Scripture what Remedy who can help it Their Condemnation is just and Vengeance is Gods he will repay Man it behooveth to see evidently that they contemn or abuse Scripture before he adventure to iinflict Punishment upon them for it lest otherwise he become an intruder into the Almighties Tribunal But if the Evidence of Scripture will not what else shall recall such from Errour 2 Besides the former general Allegations let us see what more can be said why the Scriptures may not be the most effectual and infallible Rule that can be imagined to guide men in the way of Truth The Authority saith Valentian ordained by God for determining all Questions of Faith is without all question most apt to discern and prevent all Errours contrary to Faith Why may not the Authority of Scripture be accounted such The Scripture saith be is so framed yet was it God that framed it as Experience may also teach us that of it self alone it is so far from being a fit Rule for avoiding all Errours that by the secret judgement of God it is a stumbling Block and as a Snare to the feet of the unwise so that such as will rely upon it alone may soon trip or trâ—â—â— awry 3 The Reader must lay the Blame where it is due if these indefatigable mouthes of blasphemies reiterating the like absurd Impieties so oft enforce me often to oppose the same or like Answers to them Such an Occasion as Gods Creatures were of Idolatry the Scriptures we grant may be of Heresie For of Gods good Creatures wherewith the idolatrous Heathen polluted themselves the wise man speaks in that place whereto Valentian alludes And such an Occasion should this infallible Way of the Romish Church pretended for avoiding be of breeding Heresies were it any of Gods Wayes of which the wise son of Syrach saith indefinitely They are stumbling Blocks to the wicked so was the Way of Life the Gospel it self even whilest proposed and avouched by S. Peter and S. Paul The Question then must be For what Cause the Scriptures are a Snare to some mens feet because they admit and embrace them for their Rule of Life If thus either Valentians Ghost or any Jesuite now alive dare avouch I say no more then the Archangel said to Satan The Lord rebuke thee Only unto the unwise and wilfully wicked because Such the Mediator and Saviour of the world Salus ipsa Salvation it Self was a Stone of offence and unto all such not Scripture nor any of Gods Wayes serves as a Rule to save but to condemn them 4 This is the Article then upon which the Jesuite must once again be examined whether unto such as are by Gods just Judgements decreed to Destruction and given over by his Holy Spirit to believe Lies and follow lying Traditions or Fables of mans invention the Popes infallible Authority can be a Rule of Life or saving Faith If it can then we will grant it to be a more infallible Rule then Scripture because able to controul Gods immutable Decree if it cannot as none without open and presumptuous Blasphemy will say it can then is it no more effectual for to reclaim men from Errours then the Scriptures are nor doth it any wayes supply their want If they will not believe Moses and the Prophets saith our Saviour neither will they be perswaded though one were raised from the dead why So Because God hath decreed this Word as the onely Means of Salvation to such as have been partakers of it and such as refuse this are given over by his Spirit to the Stubbornnesse of their own hearts shall then the Popes Infallibility make such believe By what Means Are his words more effectual then the Words of Life Are his Buls able to withstand the Decrees of the Almighty Or are his Curses to the disobedient more terrible then the everlasting Woes pronounced by our Saviour Christ and his Prophets more piercing then the Relation of Hell-pains by a messenger from the dead By your Churches continual Practise I should guesse this would be your reply for there is no other left that the Pope can constrain men to subscribe to his Decrees by Fire and Sword This might command their Hands or Tongues but not their Minds For the Jesuites would teach such as feared the smart of their fleshly members to cosen their Conscience for saving their Bodies with this distinction Juravi linguâ mentem injuratam gero And if fire and sword be the best Weapons of spiritual Warfare or unrelenting Persecutions the ensigns of infallible Authority then the greater Tyrants may be alwayes the more infallible Teachers But these Weapons by your best writers consent ye may not use against any but such as are already admitted into Christs Fold Quae foris sunt judicabit Deus Such as are without God will judge The Pope may such as are within in what manner for what Cause he please not liable to any account whether in so doing he do right or wrong Let the fruits of our Practise then witnesse whether what is by you objected to us for using our Saviours language may not by fit Analogie be verified of your selves in this point whether We or Ye be the men of whom our Saviour gave the world warning when he told Of false Prophets outwardly appearing in sheeps clothing being inwardly ravening Wolves Unto such as are by us won to the Gospel we grant that Christian Liberty after which before their Conversion we promised Your Factors abroad as in the Indies or Japan appear to men in sheeps cloathing making fair promises of the glorious Gospel of Christ and the Liberty of the Son of God but inwardly as in Italy Spain or generally within your own Folds are ravening Wolves Or to sit you with an Emblem essentially parallel to your nature and custome ye are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inversi Men abroad and Wolves at your own home For whiles you seek to convert an Alien you magnifie the Doctrine of the Gospel your speech is fair your whistle pleasant and your feeding sweet and good if ye mention the Popes Authority it is moderately and urged in that stile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peter feed my lambs but when ye have once drawn these lambs within your hurdles ye change your note and turn into your proper shape then you cry with
Peoples distraction in following some one false Prophet some another fewest of all the true Prophets most their High-Priests and men in Authority might exempt any from acknowledgement of such Prophesies as in the issue proved Divine for the Rule of their Belief If that People either upon the Variety of Opinions or the Authority of the Priests or others might reject the Word of God either preached unto them by the Prophets or read by others or appeal from It to any visible company of men on whose decrees they might safely rely then may the Romanists with some probability teach men to rely upon the decrees of their Church for their infallible Rule not upon Scriptures only But if the People of those times were bound to rely upon MOSES Law and the Prophets Writings against all the World besides albeit joyntly conspiring to teach them otherwise though with Glozes and pretences of Moses Authority then much more must these Writings be of like Authority unto us And all the Mimical Objections which the Jesuites can frame to this or like purpose If the Scripture be the Rule of Faith and must be discerned by private Spirits how comes it to passe that Calvin expounds it one way Luther another Zwinglius a third and yet all think they have the Spirit are the very same in effect with the false Prophet Zedekiah's Exception against Michaiah When went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee 5 Zeclekiah had four hundred more of his opinion and this People had been very dull if conscious of their own factious greatnesse they could not have pleaded all the Papists Arguments against Michaiah all that can be drawn from the Universality or Authority of the Church All which have meer ignorance or incogitancy of a Divine Providence for their Root but branch themselves in their after-grouth into positive Atheism and contradictious Infidelity First their Authors the Priests and Jesuites erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God able to lead men unto Life by this written Way though narrow and private yet straight and plain Afterwards as if they were Satans sworn Takers or authorized Purveyoâ—â—s to furnish Hell with guests observing some who rather idly wish or loosly profer then seriously purpose or earnestly strive to enter in at the streight Gate either sail in their first Adventures or finally miscarry they watch hence all opportunities of haling Passengers to their broad beaten Catholick Way which almost all heretofore have gone as they brag wherein a blind man so he will follow his Guide cannot easily trip so I think until both come at the very Pit-brink of Destruction whereunto it tends directly and infallibly But is this your Catholick Way more plain or better beaten then rebellious Israels or Judahs was Could not these also whilest backed by their blinded Guides have mockt at private Spirits and bestowed Titles upon Gods true Servants because in number fewest and most opposite to their Prelates as foul and odious as Sectaries Schismaticks or Hereticks Or did these willingly and wittingly go astray as knowing their wayes to be the wayes of death Therefore my people is gone into captivity saith the Lord because they had no knowledg Ignorance the Nurse of your Devotion was the true Mother of their Superstition and Idolatry yet was this want of Knowledge which thus proved the fertile Seed of all their insuing Misery the native Fruit of their former Negligence in not practising the known Precepts of Moses Law And because increase of Ignorance in Gods Word did breed in them a greater delight of hearing Lies and pleasant things then the Truth he gave them their Lust as he had done their Forefathers Quails in his displeasure Son of man saith the Lord unto his Prophet these men have set up their Idols in their heart and put the stumbling Block of their Iniquity before their face should I being required answer them Therefore say unto them Thus saith the Lord God Every man of the House of Israel that setteth up his 〈◊〉 in his heart and putteth the stumbling Block of his Iniquity before his face and cometh to the Prophet I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his Idols That I may take the House of Israel in their own heart because they are all departed from me through their Idols 6 This evidently proves that unlesse the Moral Law be duly practised and those stumbling Blocks which the wicked set before their faces removed to seek after such a facile inerrable Rule as the Papists have framed for direction in points of Faith is to solicit a snare for their own Souls as no doubt God gave the Romans for their distast of his Word and that longing after Genulism before mentioned this broken Reed whereon to this day they rely as he had done the Israelites a King in his wrath And though in every Age since the Goths and Vandals over-ran the Empire God hath raised up some poor Michaiah to withstand their state-Prelates Yet those lying Spirits which possessed Ahabs Prophets have ever born greatest sway in that Church seducing Princes and People as they had done Ahab by multitude of Voices to their own Destruction That the Romanists can produce men of great fame and note through many Generations for their defence in some one point or other it skils not much For as God in times past suffered Prophets or Dreamers to take opportunity from their strange Predictions of inticing his people to Idolatry forbidden by his written Law so in every Age his Providence permits men of excellent Gifts and great skill in Scriptures to have yea to seek to establish their plansible Errours under pretences of Revelations secret Assistance or abundant measure of his Spirit that by this means he may try our Fidelity in searching Scriptures and Diligence in trying Spirits as he did the Israelites by such presumptions of Divine Prophesies or Visions And if amongst this great Variety of Opinions I might deliver mine as freely as I willingly submit it to each sober Prophets Censure much more to the Correction of my lawful Superiours I should for ought I yet see to the contrary avouch first that no Christian in any Age but is oft put upon his Trial Whether he love God or the great Ones of this world more Whether he will Confesse or Deny Christ before men Secondly That during these dayes of Peace and Security which we now enjoy our Acquital or Condemnation in both the Two former main Interrogatories stands especially upon our abandoning or abetting their Errours in some points of Danger whose Worth in others we justly admire So much addicted are we for the most part to such mens persons as have been Gods Instruments for our good that upon often experience of those wholesome Medicines wherewith their shops are plentifully furnished we swallow down whatsoever there we find when as perhaps the disease they had to deal with or some other
Believe their Infallibilitie most infallibly it could be no Rule of Faith but might be rejected till we see it evidently proved whereas they contend it should be the Rule of Faith unto all and by their own confession a main Article of their Creed but according to their Positions as we shall hereafter prove the onely Article of Christian Faith How destitute these their Assertions are of all Grounds of Reason or Rules of Nature hath been made evident There remain onely Two Pillars possibly imaginable for supporting this pretended Infallibilitie Tradition and Scripture Against Tradition all the Arguments they can heap against the Certainty of Scriptures stand good as shall hereafter God willing be shewed That no Argument can be drawn from Scripture to their succour albeit the later Jesuites have earnestly sought to scrape a many for better then Scrapings are not the very best they bring we are now to prove 7 That our Belief of Scriptures Truth and their true Sense by what Means soever we attain thereto must be infallible Both agree The Means that must infalliblie ascertain or prove their Divine Truth and true Meaning unto us say our Adversaries is the Churches Infallibilitie which likewise must be infallibly Beleeved otherwise it could not be the Rule of Faith or Belief infallible It shall suffice here once for all to admonish the Reader That as often as we mention Belief of Scriptures or the Churches infallibility in this Dispute we mean not any kind of Belief but that only which is infallible so likewise whiles we mention the Means or Proofs of either we understand onely Means or Proofs infallible whereon Faith may immediately relie as upon a Rule most sure and certain In all these we demand nothing but what our Adversaries most willingly grant From their grant we argue thus 8 If either the Scriptures can thus ascertain or prove the Churches Infalibilitie or It the infallible Truth of Scriptures to our Souls we must of necessity either Believe the one of these before the other The Churches Infalibility before Scriptures or Scriptures before It or both together without all prioritie of Belief or praeexistent knowledge of the one whence the Belief or knowledge of the other must spring The members of the Division are in the Proposal actually two but in the Disquisition will prove three To begin with the first 9 If they say we must believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God before we 〈◊〉 believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their Church they overthrow their own and est ablish 〈◊〉 Postions For thus they make the Scripture a Rule of our Faith at the least In this one Article of the Catholick Churches Infallibilitie which by this Assertion we may and ought infallibly to believe because the Scriptures which we first infallibly believe do teach and prove it Hence private men should be taught by the Holy Ghost first to believe the Truth of Scriptures and for it the Churches Infallibilitie Wherefore the Scripture must be the immediate Rule of their Belief in the Article of the Churches Infallibility which to them is the generall Rule of Faith and so by consequence the Scriptures which to us are onely the Rule of Earth must be more then so to them even the Rule of their Rule of Faith But if the Scriptures may be the immediate and insallible Rule of their Belief in this one Article of the Churches Infallibility what reason possibly can be imagined why they should not be the infallible and immediate Rule of their Faith in all other parts or Articles of their Creed For I call Heaven and Earth Men and Angels to witnesse bâ—…xt ours and the Romish Church whether the Articles of Christs Incarnation his Death his Passion his Burial his Resurrection his Aseension his Intercession for us the Resurrection of the dead and Life everlasting c. be not to any mans Capacitie in the World much more plainly set down in sundry places of Scripture then the Infallibilitie of the present Romish Church in these words Peter feed my sheep Peter to thee 〈◊〉 give the â—…s of Heaven Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and us or in any place her sonnes can challenge for it Wherefore if the Holy Ghost teach us this Article of the Churches Infallibilitie immediately without the Churches infallible Authoritie which as we now suppose must be proved from the Scriptures first infallibly Believed then questionlesse he may and will immediately teach us the other Articles of our Creed and whatsoever necessary to Salvation which are more plainly and perspicuously set down in Scriptures without the help or assistance of the Churches infallible Authority which it is supposed to teach by places more doubtfull 10 Or if our Adversaries will hold it no Absurdity to say that the Holy Ghost may teach us the true Sense and Meaning of the fore-mentioned places of Scripture which seem to make for the Infallibility of the Romish Church as Petre pasce oves c. immediately without the help or assistance of the Churches Infallibilitie which is here the lesson supposed to be taught and refers all other Points of Faith or matters of Doctrine unto the Churches teaching immediately they are bound in Reason to shew a Scripture for this Assertion And besides they must perforce make the same comparison betwixt the Holy Ghosts immediate teaching and the Church or Popes immediat teaching which our Saviour Christ made between the Holy Ghosts extraordinary teaching which was to ensue his Glorification and his own immediate teaching before his Passion and as soon as the Holy Ghost hath once taught us the Meaning of these places which make for the Churches Infallibilitie that may be applied unto him in respect of the Popes Supereminencie in teaching which our Saviour Christ spake of himself and his own personall Instructions in the dayes of his Humility in respect of that 〈◊〉 â—ed Comforters Illuminations to be bestowed in abundant measure upon his Apostles immediately upon his Ascention For thus by their Assertions that Holy Comforter after that Lesson once taught Tues Petrâ—… should take his leave of faithfull hearts in the same termes our Saviour there did of his Disciples I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away For if I go not away the Comforter that Infallible Teacher on whose Authority your Souls must rest will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you and again I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot hear â—oem now howâ—eit when He is come that hath the Spirit of Truth your infallible Teacher whose Tongue while he speaks ex Cathedra I must attend he will lead you unto all Truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear be shall speak he shall glorifie me for he shall receive of me and shew it unto you These words I say might be
Syllogismâ—… wherein a Proposition of Faith is Concluded can be but Conjectural 5 The proposed inconvenience we may drive from this difficulty How the Papists themselves can attain to the infallible belief of the Churches infallible authority The Church they think hath a publick spirit and publick spirits they know are infallible hence they may perswade themselves the Church is infallible only upon the same terms they believe it hath a publick spirit if their belief of this later be but conjectural their assent unto the former can be no better Seeing then they must of necessity grant for this is the principal mark they aim at that all must infallibly believe the Church hath a publick spirit the difficulty removes to this point how this infallible perswasion is or may be wrought in them Either it must be grounded upon Scriptures or not avouched unto them and wrought in their hearts it must be either by a publick or private spirit Let us examin all the parts of this division 6 First if private mens infallible perswasion of the Churches publick or Authentick spirit be not grounded upon Scriptures acknowledged by us and them the Churches Authority without all controversie is much greater then the authority of Scriptures if it by this assertion can be any and the Churches not all in all For unto that which men cannot know whether it be true or false they cannot be bound to yield absolute or immediate obedience unto that authority which they absolutely believe as infallible they are bound to yield infallible assent and absolute obedience directly in it self and for it self But by this supposition men cannot know Scriptures infallibly without the Churches authority and yet they must infallibly believe the Churches authority without Scriptures The Scriptures authority therefore is either lesse then the Churches or none at all 7 But be it supposed that private mens infallible Belief of the Churches publick spirit is grounded upon Scriptures acknowledged by us and urged by them to this purpose as upon these it seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and us I have prayed for thee thy faith should not fail The question whereunto we demand an answer is whether this infallible Belief of the Churches authority grounded upon these places must be wrought in mens hearts by a private or publick spirit If by a private spirit only Bellarmin believed the Churches publick spirit or those Scriptures truth or true meaning whereon he grounds it He and all other Papists such as he was when he delivered this Doctrine neither Bishops nor Cardinals are subject to the same inconveniences which he hath condemned us for as Hereticks For all private spirits by his positions are abnoxious to errour unsufficient to plant any infallible perswasion in matters of faith yet such is this article of the Churches Authentick spirit of which unlesse men be so perswaded infallibly perswaded they cannot be of the minor proposition in any Syllogism wherein a point of faith is concluded and uncertain of the minor they cannot be certain of the conclusion which as Bellarmin rightly observes alwayes follows the weaker part The infallible conclusion therefore of Bellarmin's resolution is unlesse private men may have publick spirits to warrant the truth of Scriptures and the Churches infallibility thereon grounded they cannot truely believe any conclusion of faith It remains then we inquire what inconvenience wil follow if they admit private men to be partakers of publick spirits 8 Diversity of such spirits they acknowledge not If therefore private mens Infallible Assent unto the truth or true sense of those particular Scriptures whence they seek to prove their Churches Infallibility must be planted by a publick spirit planted it must be by the same spirit which guides and guiding makes the Church and Pope authentick and infallible both in their proposal of Scriptures and declaration of Scriptures sence Seeing this spirit is one and the same if it can make the Church or Pope infallible in all why may it not make all private men by this supposition partakers of it alike infallible at the least in the right understanding of those places which warrant the Churches Infallibility or publick spirit For our adversaries I hope wil easily grant that the Churches publick and Authentick spirit must be most infallibly Believed because so expresly taught in those Scriptures cited by Bellarmin to this purpose If this publick or Authentick spirit can work such infallible apprehension of those places true meaning in private hearts why not in all others as necessary for them to know that is in all necessary to salvation And if thus it do why are we bound to believe the Pope more then the Pope us we being partakers of a publick and infallible spirit as wel as he 9 Or if they hold it no absurdâ—ty to say we must believe two or three places It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and us Peter feed my sheep by a publick and authentick spirit teaching us from these to rely upon the Pope in all other parts of Gods Word because as it must be supposed we have but a private spirit for their assurance by this supposition the Popes authority in respect of us must have the same excesse of superiority unto Scriptures that a publick spirit hath unto a private or the Pope who believeth all Scriptures by a publick spirit hath unto a private man This publick spirit whereof they vaunt is the same which did inspire the Scriptures to Atoses the Prophets and Apostles and must by this position be the Pope or Churches immediate Agent for establishing this inviolable league of absolute allegeance with mens souls unto them but of none so absolute to their Creator and Redeemer and the rest of whose written laws and eternal decrees must be communicated unto them by a private spirit and subscribed unto with this condition If the Pope shal witnesse them to be his laws or to have this or that meaning 10 Nor can our adversaries deny the truth of this subsequent collection If it were possible for the Pope in matters controversed to teach contrary to Gods Word we were bound to follow him For they themselves argue thus If the Pope could erre in matters of Faith Faith might perish from the Earth all Christians bound to erre because bound to obey him This proves that our Assent to any Scriptures besides those which teach the Popes authority cannot in it self be perfect and absolute but subject to this condition if the Pope be infallible And even of those places which as they pretend witnesse him to be such there yet remains a further difficulty These the Pope believes not because they are confirmed to him by his predecessor but directly and immediately by his publick spirit But may private men believe them so too No. For these especially and the Churches infallibility contained in them are by all our adversaries consent propositions of Faith in respect of us and need by their doctrine the proposal or
greatnesse of authority is alwayes measured by the manner of obedience due unto it The Minor is as evident from the former reason Our obedience is more absolute and strict unto that authority from which in no case we may appeal then unto that from which we may in many safely appeal but by the Romish Churches doctrine there lies alwayes an appeal from that sence and meaning of Scriptures which Gods spirit and our own conscience gives us unto the Churches authority none from the Churches authority or meaning unto the Scriptures or our own consciences 7 Our Saviour Christ bids us search the Scriptures S. Paul try all retain that which is good S. John try the Spirits whether they be of God or no Suppose a Minister of our Church should charge a Romanist upon his allegiance to our Saviour Christ and that obedience which he owes unto Gods Word to search Scriptures trie Spirits and examin Doctrines for the râ—tifying of his faith he wil not acknowledge this to be a Commandment of Scripture or at least not to be understood in such a sence as may bind him to this practise What follows if our Clergie charge him to admit it he appeals unto the Church And as in Schools simus and nasus simus is all one so in their language is the Church and the Church of Rome This Church tels him he may not take upon him to trie of what spirit the Pope is nor examin his determinations decisions or interpretations of any Scripture by other known places of Scripture or the analogie of faith acknowledged by all Unto this decree or sentence of the Church although he have it but at the second hand or after it have passed through as many Priests and Jesuites mouthes as are Post Towns from London to Edenburgh he yields absolute obedience without acknowledgement of farther appeal either unto Scriptures or other authority whatsoever further manifestation of Gods wil he expects none Let all the reformed Churches in the World or all the Christian World besides exhort threaten or adjure him as he tenders the good of his own soul as he wil answer his Redeemer in that dreadful day of final Judgement to examin the Church or Popes decrees by Gods written Laws his answer is he may not he cannot do it without open disobedience to the Church which to disobey is damnation of soul and body But O fools and slow of heart to believe and obey from the heart that doctrine whereunto ye were delivered Know ye not that to whomsoever ye give your selves as servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be the man of sin unto death or obedience unto righteousnesse Of all Mankind are onely Roman Catholicks not bought with a price that they may thus alienate their souls from Christ and become servants of men that they may consecrate themselves by solemn vow to the perpetual slavery of most wicked and sinful men even monsters of Mankind CAP. V. That in obeying the Romish Churches decrees we do not obey Gods Word as well as Them but Them alone in contempt of Gods principal Laws 1 BUt the simple I know are born in hand by the more subtile sort of this generation That thus obeying sinful men they obey Christ who hath injoyned them this obedience unto such That thus believing that sence of Scripture which the Church their mother tenders unto them they do not believe her better then Scriptures because these two Beliefs are not opposite but subordinate that they prefer not her decrees before Christs written Laws but her interpretation of them before all private Expositions This is the only City of refuge left them wherein prosecuted by the former arguments they can hope for any succour but most of whose gates already have been all shortly shall be shut upon them 2 That they neither believe nor obey Gods Word whilest they absolutely believe and obey the Church without appeal is evident in that this Church usually binds men not unto Positive points of Religion gathered so much as from any pretended sence of Scripture expounded by it but to believe bare Negatives as that this or that place of Scripture either brought by their adversaries or conceived by such amongst themselves as desire the knowledge of truth and right information of conscience have no such meaning as the Spirit of God not flesh and bloud as far as they can judge of their own thoughts hath revealed unto them 3 But the Spirit may deceive private men or at least they may deceive themselves in their trial of Spirits They may indeed and so may men in publick place more grievously erre in peremptory judging private men because obnoxious to errour in the general erroneous in this particular wherein they ground their opinions upon Gods Word plentiful to evince it at least very probable reasons they bring many and strong whereunto no reasonable answer is brought by their adversaries whose usual course is to presse them only with the Churches authority which appears to be of far greater weight then Gods word unto all such as yield obedience to her negative decrees without any evidence or probability either of Scripture or natural reason to set against that sence and meaning of Gods Laws whereunto strength of arguments unrefuted and probable pledges of Gods Spirit undisproved have long tied their souls Do we obey God or believe his word whilst we yield obedience to the Church in such Commandments as to our consciences upon unpartial examination seem condemned ere made by the very fundamental Laws of Religion and all this oft-times without any shew or pretence of Scripture to warrant us that we do not disobey God in obeying them 4 But doth the Romish exact absolute obedience in such points as if it were possible they could be false may endanger the very foundation of true Religion without evident demonstration that their daily practise neither doth nor can endanger it Yes For what can more concern the main foundation which Christians Jews and Mahumetans most firmly hold then those precepts in number many all plainly and peremptorily forbidding us to worship any Gods but One or any thing in the Heaven or Earth but Him only The Romanists themselves grant that cultu latriae God alone is to beadored that so to adore any other is Idolatry and Idolatry by their confession a most grievous sin O how much better were it for them to hold it none or Gods Word forbidding it of no authority then so lightly to adventure the hourly practise of it in contempt of such fearful threatnings as they themselves out of Gods Laws pronounce against it upon such broken distoynted surmises as are the best they can pretend for their warrant 5 To believe Christs flesh and bloud should be there present where it canot be seen or felt yea where we see and feel another body as perfectly as we can do ought is to reason without warrant of Scripture but a
as an infallible prophet of things past which cannot approve himself a true foreteller of things to come were to invert Gods ordinance and mock his word For it hath been a perpetual law of God that no man should ever be believed more then man or by any faith more then humane though in matters present whereof he might have been an eye witness unless he shewed his participation of the divine spirit by infallible prediction of things to come or evidency of miracles fully answering to the prediction of Gods word already written as shall be shewed at large in the next Section 11 If we put together the first elements of Romish faith as they have been sounded apart they make no such compound as the simple and ignorant Papists who in policy are taught to read this lesson as little children untaught wil by guessing at the whole in grosse without spelling the parts believe they do First their prerogatives they give to Peter are blasphemous Secondly their allegations to prove that their Popes succeed as full heirs to all Peters prerogatives are ridiculous Whence it must needs follow that their faith is but a compost of folly and blasphemy This pretended perpetuity of tradition or suspitious tale of succession from Peter is the best warrant they have that the Church doth not erre in expounding the places alledged for her infallibility and their belief of their infallibility in such expositions the only security their souls can have that obeying the former decree of worshipping the consecrate Host of communicating under one kind they do not contemptuously disobey Gods principal laws mangle Christs last Wil and Testament vilifie his pretious body and bloud Seeing then they themselves confesse the places brought by us against their decrees to be divine and we have demonstrated that mens belief of that infallible authority in making such decrees to be meerly humane the former Conclusion is most firm that whilest men obey these decrees against that natural sense and meaning which the former passages of Scripture suggest so plainly to every mans conscience that the Churches pretended authority set aside none would ever question whether they could admit any restraint they obey men more then God humane laws more then divine and much better believe the traditions of humane Fancy of whose forgery for others worldly gain there be strong presumptions then the expresse written testimony of the holy spirit in the especial points of their own salvation 12 Or if unto the testimony of Gods spirit recorded in Scriptures we adde history tradition Councels or former Popes decrees or whatsoever possibly may be pretended to prove the present Popes authority it must stil be supposed greater and better known then all that can be brought for it or against it as wil appear if we apply our argument used before That authority is alwayes greater which may trie all others and must be tried by none but such is the Popes declaration or determination of all points in controversie whether about the Canon or sence of Scriptures over those which are brought for it whether about the truth true meaning or authority of unwritten traditions whether about the lawfulnesse of Councels or their Authentick interpretations in one word his determinations are Monarchical and may not be examined as S. Austin or others of the ancient Fathers writings may by any law written or unwritten So Bellarmin sutable to the Trent Councel expresly avoucheth The Fathers were only Doctors or expositors the Pope is a Judge What then is the difference betwen a Judge and an expositor To explain as a Judge there is required authority to explain as a Doctor or expositor only learning is requisite For a Doctor doth not propose his sentence as necessary to be followed but only so far as reason shall counsel us but a Judge proposeth his sentence to be followed of necessity Whereof then wil the Pope be Judge Of expounding Scriptures these places of Scripture which make for his pretended authority Must his sentence herein of necessity be followed By Bellarmin it must albeit we see no reason for it either out of Scripture or nature It is for Doctors to bring reasons for their expositions but the Pope neehs not except he wil nor may we exact it of a Judge So he adds more expresly We admit not of Bartolus or Baldus glosses as we do of Emperours declarations Austin and other Fathers in their Commentaries suppy the places of Teachers but the Councel and Popes exercise the function of Judges whereunto God hath designed them But how shal we know that God hath committed all judgement unto them seeing we have been taught by his word that he hath committed all judgement unto his son Because all men should honour the son as they honour the father We read not of any other to whom the like authority is given by God or his son yet of one whose very name shal import the usurpation of like authority that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christs Vicar general unto whom the Son as must be supposed doth delegate the same judiciary power the Father delegated unto him 13 But may a Princes declaration in no case be examined by his subjects Yes though in civil matters it may so far as it concerns their conscienqes as whether it be consonant to Gods word or no whether it make more for the health of their souls to suffer what it inflicts upon the refusers or to act what it commands To controle countermand or hinder the execution of it by opposition of violence or contrary civil power subjects may not But for any but man to usurp such dominion over his fellow creatures souls as earthly Princes have over their subjects goods lands or bodies is more then Monarchical more then tyrannical the very Idea of Antichristianism And what I would commend unto the Reader as a point of especial consideration This assertion of Bellarmin concerning the Popes absolute authority directly proves him as was avouched before to be a supream head or foundation of the self same rank and order with Christ no way inferiour to him in the intensive perfection but only in the extent of absolute soveraignty For greater soveraignty cannot be conceived then this That no man may examin the truth or equity of commands or consequences immediately derived from it though immediately concerning their eternal joy or misery No Prince did ever delegate such soveraign power to his Vice-gerent or deputy nor could he unlesse for the time being at least he did utterly relinquish his own supream authority or admit a ful compeer in his kingdom Bellarmins distinctions of a primary and secondary foundation of a ministerial and principal head of the Church may hence be described to be but meer stales set to catch guls Their conceit of the Popes copartnership with Christ is much better resembled and more truly expressed by the Poets imaginations of Jupiter and Augustus Caesars fraternity Divisum imperium cum
punishment 427 Spirit of God not to be known but by his fruits 150 Betwixt the Spirit of God and that of the Papacy the opposition is Diametral 449 c Christ would not suffer unclean spirits to publish the Gospel 354 Spirit of Antichrist 355 Spirits see Triall Proper sorcery in Jesuiticall doctrine 502 Sodom Straboes report of it 50. Circumference sixty furlongs Thirteen populous cities in that soyl destroyed by earthquake sayes he ib. Lots sons in law their wives Lots other daughters probably all destroyed in Sodom 49 Salt-sea might season the Atheist 50 Scriptures truth hath greater and surer tradition then any other Writings 10 Incitement to search the script 9 Madness not to search the script 9 Scripture miracles proved true 11 Script divine truth proved by its prevailing without outward help 11 Script confirmed by the solid marks of Historical truth 13 ad 17 Script divine truth proved by harmony of sacred Writers 17. script divine truth proved from its drift and scope 17 Script Authority proved from the vehemency and sincerity of spirituall affections 19 ad 25 Script truth proved by Poeticall fables 27 ad 30 Some scripture relations confirmed by the apparition of Heathen gods 34 ad 37 Scripture truths transformed into Poeticall fables 46 ad 57. scriptures relation of the Suns standing still misapplied to Atreus 48 Scripture relation of the fiery serpents changed into Cadmus his Dragon ib. Scripture relation of Sodom and Gomorâ—ha proved true by reason and sense 50 Scripture genealogies agree with the names of Nations 52. scriptures relations of the first inhabited parts how proved 53 Scriptures truth proved by Gods proceeding with the Iews 61 ad 90 Scriptures proved by the Iews desolation 137 Scriptures truth how to be confirmed by experiments in our selves 140 ad 145 Scriptures how to be read and heard 142 Many good qualifications required in Readers of scriptures that they may understand them 210 to 219 223 to 229 233 c. 248 256 258 c 261 264 270 Scriptures why so ineffectual in their Readers and Hearers 142 script ineffectivenesse in some no derogation to their power 142. script truth confirmed by the consent of Papists Protestants Jews 146. scripture truth to be known by practise 150. scriptures how unreasonably neglected and distrusted ib. script writ by Moses a perfect rule to the Israelites 229 to 233 255 263 Agreements and Differences betwixt Papist and Protestant about script 163 Obscurity pretended by Papists hinders not script from being that Rule 201 How Protestants grant ' script obscure 201 to 206 Unto what men and for what causes scriptures be obscure 206 to 210 Roâ—ish objections against perspicuity of script flye at God and the Pen-men of holy Writ as much as us 219 220 to 222 S. John and other Evangelists intended plainnesse 220. Pretences of Obscurity are vapours of fleshly corruption 223 233. Bellarmins darkning Lucerna 223 224 225 211. and Valentians 225 m. 226 c. yet this qualified 234. m. He sets a Candlestick upon the light 228 Papists sometimes made the holy Bible the holy Mount that might not be touched 229 m. But now may 257 upon condition m. ib. The Devil made the Jews depart from God by perswading them that Gods Law was too Obscure 230 What Protestants mean by scripture is the Rule of Faith 198 206 268 282 283. See Faith Scripture a rule of Faith even to the unlearned 199 Two Romish objections against scripture being Rule of Faith 155. The former answered 156 c Their other objections Hereticks urge scripture The Learned differ about sence of scripture private spirits uncertain answered 235 c Prove aut nihil aut nimium 266 c conclude against all science as much as against us 266 c See Hereticks Devil and Hereticks cunning in scripture Christ â—…inger and more ready to help 241 Scripture a slumbling block and snare to the unwise so Valent. 248 256. m Difficulty of scripture is the Jews vail so Valent. 209 252 Sufficiency of scripture 254 to 260. sine schola Simonis 259. m Christ submits his doctrine to scripture 255 Scriptures teach the remedy for the danger in reading scriptures 259 c The Objection Protestants permit all to use scripture and to take what sence they please ergo they have no means to end Controversies answered and retorted 271 Script must be understood by the same spirit by which they were written Bell. confesses this 286 Scripture supreme judge of Controversies in what sence 302. Councell of Trents Decree about interpreting scriptures 311 Scripture hath a Ruled Case for the successe of all State Business on foot in the World 144 About the Canon of scripture 146 T TAcitus his spleen against the Iews 70 c Against Christians 114 Tacitus objections against the Iews confuted 70 to 72. Tacitus a Tatler 76 Talmud seems to justifie the condemnation of Christ 396 Iesuites Tempt God 497 Templum Domini Templum Domini the Church the Church 374 422 508 Under the second temple no Bood added to the Canon Providence in it 59 Second Temple see Urim When the Temple was fired Titus kills the priests saying No need of them that being burnt 91 Tithes why so unwillingly payed 144 Titus dying expostulates with God 85 Tiberïus calls a Council about Pan 31 Ten Kings give power to the Beast 505 The word therefore imports not alwayes a cause of the thing but of our instruction to be taken from it 130 131 Testimony of Jesus spirit of prophesie 366 398 Testimony of Iews and papists usefull about Canon of scripture 146 147 c Thamous Egyptian 31 Thunder thought the Pythagoreans made to terrifie them in Hell 54 Turk partner with Ishmael in Circumcision A proselyt of Istmael Heir adopted to that promise Gen. 17. 20. 110 Turk signifies a wild man 110. Turks mad Historians Make Job and Alexander the Great Officers to Solomon 46 47. Under Turks and Saracens Christians suffer as Jews did under Greeks and Asiaticks 110 Tradition of parents how good for children 411 Traditions by Trent decree equal'd to script 487 Trajan in an earthquake drawn out at a window by miracle 96. Trajan shot in the shoulder 108 Trajans Army plagued with storms and flies 108 Traian pursues the Jews Enacts that if a Jew though driven by tempest set foot in Cyprus he is condemned ipso facto 111 Transubstantiation 328 Translation vulgar partly Lucians partly S Jeroms partly Theodotions the Heretick partly anothers may have scribe sâ—ps in it sayes Bellarm. yet no errata in iis quae ad Fidem mores pertinent 300 Forerius his defence and dealing for the vulgar translation 301 Trent decree for the vulgar translation 311 Tryall of spirits 150 c. 265 354 Christians in every Age tryed in tryall of spirits and in their love to God 265 Ignat. Loyola's way of tryall of spirits 151 Tryall of prophesies 434 c S Thomas Moors Jest 192 Ren. Tudelensis his visi ing and relation of the Jews his Countrey-mens
at least which this Counterfeit exacts to be Believed as true to wit that he himself is a man of excellent parts and one that wil use Fidelity as wel in his Doings as Sayings and in a word one whose proposal in matters of State or War is as infallible as the Popes in matters of Faith Yet notwithstanding that this Counterfeits Proposal or Asseveration which must be Believed from the Princes commendation of him which must be believed again from his Proposal Non habent unum idem objectum sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have not one and the same Object yet is the former resolution â—… and so is Valentians resolution of his Catholick Faith most ridiculously impious For what other issue of such dissolute resolutions can be expected but that men who know no better should hereby be driven to suspect the Scriptures for Counterfeit and the Catholick Church if the Roman were only the Catholick Church of villanous Forgery at the least in those places of Scripture which she pretends for Proof of her own Infallibilitie 19 As for Valentians later Exception why his Resolution should not be Circular it is more ridiculous then the former most ridiculously false to omit other points in this one that he dare deny the Churches proposal by their Doctrine to be the Cause why we Believe the Divine Revelation or rather that these Scriptures which we have are Divine Revelations For by their Positions we cannot assure our selves that the Scriptures are the Word of God by any other cause or reason besides the Churches Authoritie and therefore by their Doctrine the infallible Authoritie of their Church is the only Cause why we Believe this Sacred Canon of Scriptures which we enjoy to be Divine Revelations although it be no Cause by their Doctrine why we Believe that in general Divine Revelations are true For this is a dictate of Nature not controversed betwixt us and them or betwixt any who acknowledge a Divine Power And Valentian himself directly implies that which he impudently denies in the self-same period For he granteth that Propositio Ecclesiae est ratio credendi divinam revelationem ratio eredendi the Reason or Rule of Believing must needs include in it a precedent Cause of Belief it cannot be only a Condition annexed thereto but of this point God willing hereafter 20 Sacroboscus who hath followed Bellarmines and Valentians foot-steps as faithfully as any â—rish Foot-man could his Master though sometimes taking a more compendious and smoother way likely to entice pedestria ingenia wits either by nature dull or novices in Arts and smatterers in School-learning to follow him sooner then those great ones hath taken upon him to answer to this Circle in effect as Valentian doth save only that he hath put more Tricks of Art upon it either to confound the judicious or deceive the sample Reader Which here we shal not need to examin because we purpose to unrid his mystical Evasions in the next Dispute In the end of his tract in defence of Bellarmin he frames his Objection against both Valentian and his own Resolution Whether in Believing the Church by Scriptures and Scriptures By the Church the Belief of the one must in nature if not in time go before the other He thinks it not necessary that the one should be before the other Nam actus fidei fertur in suum objectum modo simplici ut visus in suum And therefore as we see colours per species visibiles by the visible shapes or resemblances which flow from them not by seeing the visible shape before the colours so do we Believe the Scriptures by the Church albe it we do not expresly and formally Believe the Church before we believe the Scriptures Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo In the former part of this his discourse the Visible Church was unto Scriptures as the Light was unto Colours now it is unto Scriptures as visible Shapes are unto Colours What then Do we not see visible shapes before Colours nor Colours before them no. For we see no visible shapes at all but by them Colours only are brought into our sight and we cannot see one before the other if the one we see not at all And in like sense it were true that we should not Believe the Church before Scriptures not Scriptures before we Believe the Church if we were not bound to Believe the one at all But if we see one thing by another which we likewise see we must needs see that first by which we see the other and so if either we Believe the Scriptures by Believing the Church or Believe the Church by believing Scriptures we must of necessitie Believe the one before the other For that by which we Believe a thing is the Means of Belief and the Means of Belief must needs in nature and order go before Belief it self And if the Church be the Means of believing only in as much as we believe it or to speak more distinctly if the believing the Church be the very Meanes of believing the Scriptures then must we needs believe the Church before we believe the Scriptures If our Adversaries affirm that their Church is the only infallible Means of believing Scriptures in any other sort then by believing it let them in the name of God assign by what Means they wil she can make us believe the Scriptures we shal not much contend so they wil not bind us to believe this their Churches Decisions Sacroboscus his comparison of the Visible Church and visible Shapes we admit thus far for good that as unlesse there were such visible Shapes no Colours could be seen so likewise unlesse God had some Visible Church on earth men ordinarily could not see the Light of the Gospel For it is not ordinarily communicated to any but by the Ministery of others but being communicated we believe it in it self and for it self not by believing others as we see Colours in themselves and for themselves not by seeing the visible Shapes by which they are presented or communicated unto our eyes But whether there be any Propriety between the belief of these two Church and Scriptures according to our Adversaries Doctrine or whether the belief of the one be the cause of the Belief of the other or in what sort the cause and what Inconveniences wil follow thereon we shal dispute hereafter 21 Let them in the mean time illustrate the Manner how we believe Scriptures by the Church as they please Let it have the same proportion to Scriptures which the Light or visible Shapes have unto Colours they themselves make the belief of Scriptures most uncertain and for this reason seek to establish the Infallibility of their Church for to assure us of the Truth of Scriptures We demand how â—… of their Churches Infallibility can possibly be proved By Reason that is impossible as you heard before By Tradition of whom of such as may erre that is
that here he maks That the sence of Scriptures is the sword of the spirit This is as much as we contend that the sence of the Scripture is the Scripture Whence the inference is immediately necessary That if the Romish Church bind us to believe or absolutely practise ought contrary to the true sence and meaning of Scriptures with the like devotion we do Gods expresse undoubted commandements she prefers her own authority above Gods Word and makes us acknowledge that allegiance unto her which we owe unto the spirit For suppose we had as yet no full assurance of the spirit for the contradictory sence to that given by the Church we were in Christian duty to expect Gods providence and invoke the spirits assistance for manifestation of the truth from all possibility whereof we desperately exclude our selves if we believe one mans testimony of the spirit as absolutely and irrevocably as we would do the manifest immediate testimony of the spirit yet Sacroboscus acknowledgeth he believes the mysterie of the Trinity as it is taught by their Church onely for the Churches authority and yet this he believes as absolutely as he doth yea as he could believe any other divine Revelation though extraordinarily made unto himself 3 In both parts of Belief above mentioned the causal dependance of our faith upon the Churches proposals may be imagined three wayes either whilest it is in planting or after it is planted or from the first beginning of it to it full groweth or from it first entrance into our hearts untill our departure out of this world How far and in what sort the Ministery of men in the Church is available for planting faith hath been declared heretofore Either for the planting or supporting it the skill or authority of the teacher reaches no further then to quicken or strengthen our internal tast or apprehension of the divine truth revealed in Scriptures or to raise or tune our spirits as Musick did Elishahs the better to perceive the efficacy of Gods spirit imprinting the stamp of those divine Revelations in our Hearts whose Characters are in our Brains The present Churches proposals in respect of our Belief is but as the Samaritan womans report was unto the men of Sichar Many saith the Evangelist believed in him for the saying of the woman which testified he hath told me all things that ever I did But this Beliefe was as none in respect of that which they conceive immediately from his own words For they said unto the woman Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed The Christ. The 〈◊〉 saith Job trieth the words as the mouth tasteth meats Consonant hereto is our Churches doctrine that as our bodily mouthes taste and trie meats immediately without interposition of any other mans sense or jugement of them so must the ears of our souls trie and discern divine truths without relying on other mens proposals or reports of their rellish No external means whatsoever can in either case have any use but only either for working a right disposition in the Organ whereby trial is made or by occasioning the exercise of the faculty rightly disposed How essentially faith by our adversaries doctrine depends upon the Churches authority is evident out of the former discourses that this dependance is perpetual is as manifest in that they make it the judge and rule of faith such an indefectible rule and so authentick a Judge as in all points must be followed and may not be so far examined either by Gods written law or rules of nature whether it contradict not it self or them 4 It remains we examin the particular manner of this dependance or what the Churches infallibility doth or can perform either to him that believes or to the object of his belief whence a Roman Catholicks faith should become more firm or certain then other mans It must enlighten either his soul that it may see or divine revelations that they may be seen more clearly otherwise he can exceed others only in blind Belief The cunningest Sophister in that school strictly examined upon these points wil bewray that monstrous Blasphemy which some shallow brains have hitherto hoped to cover We have the same Scriptures they have and peruse them in all the languages they do What is it then can hinder either them from manifesting or us from discerning their Truth or true meaning manifested Do we want the Churches proposal we demand how their present Church it self can better discern them then ours may what testimony of antiquity have they which we have not But it may be we want spectacles to read them our Church hath but the eyes of private men which cannot see without a publick light Their Churches eyes are Cat-like able so to illustrate the objects of Christian faith as to make them clear and perspicuous to it self though dark and invisible unto us Suppose they could Yet Cats-eyes benefit not by-standers a whit for seeing colours in darkness albeit able themselves to see them without any other light then their own The visible Church saith the Jesuite is able to discern all divine truth by her infallible publick spirit How knows he this certainly without an infallible publick spirit perhaps as men see Cats-eyes shine in the dark when their own do not Let him believe so But what doth this belief advantage him or other private spirits for the clear distinct or perfect sight of what the Church proposeth Doth the proposal make divine Truths more perspicuous in themselves Why then are they not alike perspicuous to all that hear read or know the Churches testimonie of them Sacroboscus hath said all that possibly can be said on their behalf in this difficultie The Sectaries albeit they should use the authoritie of the true Church yet cannot have any true belief of the truth revealed If the use of it be as free to them as to Catholicks what debars them from this benefit They do not acknowledge the sufficiencie of the Churches proposal And as a necessary proof or medium is not sufficient to the attaining of science unless a man use and acknowledge it formally as necessary so for establishing true faith it sufficeth not that the Church sufficiently proposeth the points to be believed or avoweth them by that infallible authority wherewith Christ hath enabled her to declare both what books contain Doctrines Divine and what is the true sense of places controversed in them but it is further necessary that we formally use this proposal as sufficient and embrace it as infallible 5 The reason then why a Roman Catholick rightly believes the Truth or true meaning of Scriptures when a Protestant that knows the Churches testimonie as well as he rests in both points uncertain is because the Catholick infallibly believes the Churches authority to be infallible whereof the Protestant otherwise perswaded reaps no benefit by it but continues still in darkness