if he neglect to heare thee but if he neglect to heare the Church let him be vnto thee as a Heathen man and a Publican But it were a very hard case to be condemned for a Heathen for not telling or hearing a Church which hath so closely layne hid that no man could heare see feele or vnderstand it for a thousand yeares 2. Cor. 4.3 But if our Ghospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost Loe the censure of S. Paul vpon all such as affirme that the Church or her Ghospell can be hid Isa 2.2 And it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountaine of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountaynes and shall be exalted aboue the hilles and all nations shall flow vnto it In hundred of places do the Prophecies make mētiō of this Kingdome of Christ as Dan. 7.14 Mich. 4.7 c. which should be all in vaine if this his kingdome could be inuisible for a prophecy must be of things which may be seene and perceiued by our senses otherwise euery man might be a Prophet and fortell of thinges to come which if they should not come to passe he might answere that they had come to passe in very deed as he had prophecied but that they were inuisible to the world Loe the visible absurdities of this inuisible Church See more Psal 27.8 Rom. 10.14 1. Cor. 11.19 Psalm 19.3.4 Isa 60.20 Acts. 20.28 Isa 61.9 ¶ The Fathers commonly affirme the same Origen hom 30. in Matt. The Church is full of light euen from the east to the west S. Chrysostom hom 4. in 6. of Isa It is easier for the sunne to be extinguished then the Church to be darkned S. Aug. tract in Ioan. calleth those blind that do not see so great a mountaine Also S. Cyp. de vnitate Ecclesiae They maintayne IX That the Church was not alwayes to remaine Catholique or Vniuersall and that the Church of Rome is not such a Church COntrary to the expresse wordes of their owne Bible Psalm 2.8 Aske of me and I shall giue thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the vttermost parts of the earth for thy possession And Luc. 1.33 He shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome there shal be no end But none of these promises haue beene any where els so much verified as in the Church of Rome therfore both the church hath bene alwayes vniuersall and the Church of Rome only such a Church Colos 1.3 c. We giue thankes to God for you c. since we heard your faith c. for the hope which is laid vp for you in heauen wherof yee heard before in the word of the truth of the ghospell which is come vnto you as it is in al the world and bringeth forth fruit as is doth also in you since the day you heard of it and knewe the grace of God in truth But no Faith or Ghospell hath or is so dilated in all the world nor hath fructified and growne for so we read as the faith of the Roman Church hath done as appeareth more plainely by this which followeth Rom. 1.8 First I thanke my God through Iesus-Christ for you all that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world Where in expresse termes S. Paul calleth the fayth of the whole world or Catholique Faith the faith of the Romans that is of the Church of Rome Therefore the Church of Rome and no other is truly and indeed such a church See more Colos 1.23 Gen. 22.18 Mat 24.46 Acts 1.8 Dan. 2.35 Luc. 24.47 Psal 46.9 Psal 72.8 we 7◠Marc. 6.20 Ezech. 13.3 Math. 28.19 Actes 1.8 All which places are to be vnderstood not that the whole world should be Catholique at one and the same tyme but that the whole should be conuerted to Christ at sundry times and that it should comprehend a greater part of the world then any Sect of heretikes should euer do and this is the true sense of being Catholike or Vniuersall ¶ And to follow still our former Rule heare the Fathers that affirme the same S. Cypr. ep 57. writing to Cornelius Pope of Rome sayth Whilst with you there is one mind and one voyce the whole Church is confessed to be the Roman Church S. Aug. de vnitat Eccles cap. 4. sayth Who so dissent from the body of Christ which is the Church that they do not communicate with all the whole corps of Christendome certayne it is that they are not in the Catholike Church S. Hierome in his Apologie against Ruffinus and in other places saith that it is all one to say the Roman Fayth and the Catholike Fayth Agayne S. Aug. vpon the Psal 45. we 44. but much more excellently in ep 161. ad Honorat The place beginneth Dignare ergo rescribere nobis As also cont lit Petil. l. 2. cap. 16. The Reformers hold X. That the Churches Vnity is not necessary in all points of faith COntrary to the expres wordes of their owne Bible Ephes 4.5 One Lord one Faith one Baptisme Therfore Vnity is necessary in all points of faith The reason is for that the Church being a Congregation of the faithfull one Faith is necessary to make one Church but our Aduersaries differ in matters of faith therfore they haue not the Vnity requisit to one Church Iames 2.10 Whosoeuer shall keepe the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all And euen so is it in our faith for who so denieth one article denieth all Acts 4.32 And the multitude of them that belieued were of one hart and of one soule And againe 1. Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you Brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus-Christ that yee all speake the same thing and that there be no diuisions among you but that yee be perfectly ioyned together in the same mind and in the same iudgement But our aduersaries will needs ioyne with vs in vnity of the Church yea and with others also who differ from them in matters of faith But this as you see cannot be See more Ierem. 32.29 Can. 2.6 Psal 67.7 Mat. 12.25 Marc. 3.24 Luc. 11.17 Mat. 18.19 Ephes 2.14.15.16.18.22 Ephes 5.27 Philip. 3.16 Philip. 1.26.27 Galat 59. 1.8 Colos 3.15 Iohn 17.11.2 Cor. 13.11 Psal 121.3 ¶ And lastly to checke by our common Rule the breakers of this Vnity and Rule S. Aug. cited by the Manuduc p. 134. saith In Cathedra vnitatis posuit Deus doctrinam veritatis In the chaire of Vnity God hath placed the doctrine of verity As also cont ep Par. l. 3. cap. 5. The place beginneth Qui non vult sedere S. Cyprian lib de vnitate Eccles num 3. saith This vnity of the Church he that holdeth not doth he thinke he holdeth the faith S. Hilary lib. ad Constantium Augustum and many others XI That S. Peter was not ordained by Christ the first Head or Chiefe amongst the Apostles and that amongst the
THE TOVCH-STONE of the Reformed Ghospell Wherin sundry chiefe Heads and Tenets of the Protestants Doctrine obiected by them commonly against the Catholicks are briefly refuted BY The expresse Texts of the Protestants owne Bible set forth and approued by the Church of England With the ancient Fathers Iudgments thereon in confirmation of the Catholike Doctrine The fourth Edition augmented Out of thy owne mouth will I Iudge thee Luc. 19.22 Permissu Superiorum 1634. TO THE CATHOLIQVE READER HEALTH AND ENCOVRAGEMENT in his Holy Fayth COurteous Reader before thou peruse this litle Booke I would intreate thee to reade these ensuing points very necessary to serue thy selfe of with fruit and profit 1. The first point is that in the Textes of Scriptures alledged throghout this Treatise it is not specified out of which English Bible the said passages are extracted for as much as this were ouer troublesome vnto thee sith England hath set forth within these few yeares past a great number of seuerall sorts of Bibles much differing one from another So that our Aduersaries to whome I wish from very hart as I do to thee that this litle Booke may prooue profitable haue not all one sort of Bibles themselues Notwithstanding know for certaine that they are all faithfully taken forth of the Bibles in quarto octauo printed at London by Robert Barker anno 1615. So as if by chance any one shall shew thee some other Bible wherein they be not set downe word for word as heere thou findest yet rest assured and out of doubt that thou shalt find them so written faithfully cited out of the foresaid Edition of Robert Barker set forth by his Maiesties speciall Commandement 2. The second point is That thou admire the spleÌ„dor of Truth the which is such and so passing bright that notwithstanding our Aduersaries mayne and serious endeauours to obscure the same by so many varieties of TranslatioÌ„s by such a number of grosse corruptions and falsifications yet neuertheles their condemnation is so expressely set downe in this their owne Bible and is so cleere to all the world that nothing els is needfull heerto but that thou know to reade and haue thine eyes to behold the same at the opening of this their Booke This cannot choose but be an exceeding comfort vnto Catholikes agaynst their Aduersaries concerning the vprightnes of their cause to offer to be tryed and to confound them by their owne Bible the Translation whereof notwithstanding doth in a number of places and particularly in many of those that are in question swarue and differ notoriously from the authenticall Latin and to the incredible disparagement darkning and obscuring of the Catholique cause Neuer did yet nor I presume dare our Aduersaries offer to giue the like aduantage vnto vs as to stand to be tried by our Translations and that in aboue fifty maine Heads and Points of Doctrine that are this day in controuersy between vs. 3. The third point is That when thou shalt vrge or alleadge any passage in fauour of thine owne faith and doctrine if any one returne their charge be it by way of recrimination and blaming of the Roman Church or by alleadging some obscure texts and those ill vnderstoode to counterpoyze such as are brought by thee do thou shew them amiably that this is not to proceed in due order nor to deale with thee as they ought in oposing a passage darke obscure to confund another that is most cleare and euident For example when we set before their eies these few words as cleare as the Sunne at Noone day Take eate this is my body this is my bloud which shall be shed for you c. Marc. 14.25 they will straight suppose to haue found another important place yea and to haue giuen vnto vs the ouerthrow if they presently do reply that our Sauiour saith in S. Iohn 6.63 The flesh profiteth nothing the wordes that I speake vnto you they are spirit and they are life a passage far more obscure then that which is in question which affirmeth nothing lesse then that which they pretend to prooue therby For how absurd were it to say that the flesh of Christ profiteth nothing And if as they themselues say we must interpret one passage by another then doubtles it is better to explicate an obscure one by one that is clere then one that is cleere by a passage obscure and that one text giue place to many rather then many giue place to one 4. The fourth point is That if they shall reiect any of the passages which thou producest pretending the same to be Apocriphall know that to preuent this obiection no such Scriptures as they cal Apocriphall are here produced alone but that allwayes there goe accompanied with them others that be Canonicall euen by their owne confession and so far forth as Apocriphall Scriptures shall and do agree with Canonicall they themselues by their owne Rule are bound to receiue them Which will also stop their mouth in their common pretence of Conference of places for rarely hast thou heere lesse then three or foure seuerall passages cited at large besides references for the proofe of euery seuerall point All our Aduersaries put togeather being neuer able in their defence to do the like that is to produce so many in number so expresse and cleere and for so great a number of Controuersies as are heere disputed and couched in so litle a Treatise 5. The fift point is that if they shall contend with thee not about the wordes themselues as being cleere but about the sense and meaning of them for such places I say as may be subiect to this cauill thou shalt forthwith haue recourse vnto that which the Scriptures call The Rule of Faith to wit vnto the euer-constant and vniforme IudgemeÌ„t of the Church and Ancient Fathers who in euery age since Christ haue vnderstood the points in question in that sense which Catholiques do An example wherof thou maist lay downe before them out of that learned Treatise intituled The Summary of Controuersies debating the question of the Blessed Sacrament Which thou hauing done bid them do the like and thou wilt yield vnto them a thing which they can neuer do in their defence So as no man of reason will reiect this Rule grounded so cleerly in holy Scripture and preferre the priuate interpretation of some silly Cobler before S. Chrysostome of a Baker before S. Basill of some Tinker before Tertullian or of any Nouellist whatsoeuer before the iudgement of the Church and the whole streame of ancient Fathers This point therfore being â—â— important shall be the first which I will fortify and proue by the word of God in this present Treatise I meane this Rule and therfore in no wise forget allwayes to inuolue thine Aduersary within this Rule as often as he shall become so vnruly and thou shalt be sure to get the victory 6. The sixt last point is That I heere protest in
by S. Aug. haeres 53. Mat. 17.21 Howbeit this kind of deuills goeth not out but by prayer and fasting Loe the great force of prayer and fasting able to expell the very deuill Therfore it causeth great spirituall good See more Ioel. 2.12 Mat. 6.16 Mat. 9.15.29 Toby 12.8 Luc. 2.37 Act. 14.22 2. Cor. 11.27 2. Cor. 6.5 Numb 30.14 1. Tim. 4.3 ¶ And the Fathers S. Ignat. ad Philip. S. Basil orat de Ieiunio S. Chrysost orat in sanct Lauacrum hom 1. in Gen. S. Amb. ser 4. S. Hier. in cap. 18. Isa and many others XLVI That Iesus-Christ descended not into hell nor deliuered thence the soules of the Fathers COntrary to the expresse words of their owne Bible 1. Ephes 4.8 When he ascended vpon high he led Captiuity captiue in their margent or a multitude of captiues and gaue gifts vnto men Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth These freed Captiues to be the soules of the glorified no man in his right wits will say Nor the soules of the damned for so the deuils should be brought againe into heauen therefore they were the soules of the Fathers which Christ deliuered out of Limbus Actes 2.27 Because thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption These very wordes S. Aug. applieth to the proofe of a third place and saith Who but an Infided will deny Christ to haue descended into Hell Epist 99. ad Euod 1. Pet. 3.18.19 Being put to death in the flesh but quickned by the spirit by which also he went and preached vnto the spirits in prison Now to vnderstand by the word prison heauen there is no sense sith it is called the seate of God and not the prison of God To vnderstand it of the wicked Caluin himselfe opposeth this opinion and maintayneth that S. Peter speaketh of the good which were knowne from the dayes of Noe. Adde heerto that this doctrine destroyeth an article of our Creed Therefore Christ descended into hell Heb. 11.38.39.40 And these all hauing obtained a good testimony through faith receiued not the promise to wit of Heauen God hauing prouided some better thing for vs that they without vs should not be made perfect to wit in their perfect complete glory Whence it followeth necessarily that they must needes grant another place distinct as well from the Heauen of the saued as from the Hell of the damned wherin these holy soules were detayned Mat. 12.40 For as Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the Sonne of man be three dayes three nights in the hart of the earth But how I pray is this Figure fulfilled if Christ were not as many dayes and nightes in the heart of the earth as Ionas was who was not in the whales belly in body only but also in soule Whence it followeth that either Christs holy soule was three dayes and three nights in the hart of the earth as well as his body or that this place of Scripture is either false or vnfulfilled But this were most absurd to say Mat. 27.52.53 And the graues were opend and many bodies of Saints which slept arose and came out of the graues after his resurrection and went into the holy Citty and appeared vnto many Vnderstood by S. Ignatius Bishop of Antioch of Limbus Patrum writing to the Cittizens of Trallis thus Many arose with our Lord for the Scripture saith that many of the bodies that slept arose with our Lord. He descended alone but returned with a multitude Zachary 9.11 As for thee also by the bloud of thy Couenant I haue sent we read let forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherin is no water Both S. Hierome and S. Cyril vnderstand this pit to be meant of Limbus Patrum And with very great reason for how absurd were it to say that the damned haue their share in the bloud of the Couenant Or that they are let forth of their infernall pit Or that they may be said to be thy prisoners that is Christs but rather the prisoners of the diuell Yea where I pray to speake properly hath Christ had any prisoners at all which he hath let forth if not out of this place Therfore either Christ let forth prisoners our of Limbus Patrum or this place likewise as the former is either false or not yet fulfilled Like vnto this is that of 1. Samuel 2.6 The Lord killeth and maketh aliue he bringeth downe to the graue we read hell and bringeth vp we read back againe Loe how plaine and conforme the faith of that old Church was is to this of ours bringeth downe to hell and bringeth backe againe which hardly in any cleare sense can be auerred if Limbus Patrum be denyed As for the word Graue which they erroneously haue added insteed of Hell to diminish the force of so plaine a place why do they not aswell foist the same into their Creed insteed of Hell as heere they haue done and say Was crucified dead and buried he descended into the graue How absurd this is who doth not see See more Osee 6.3 Psal 16.10.2 Pet. 3.19 Zach. 9.11 Rō 10.6 Eccles 24.45 Ps 23.7 Genes 37.35 ¶ See also the Fathers that affirme the same S. Hier. in 4. ad Ephes S. Greg. lib. 13. Moral cap. 20. S. Aug. in Psal 37. v. 1. The place beginneth Futurū est enim XLVII That there is no Purgatory fire or other prison wher in sinnes may be satisfied for after this life COntrary to the expresse wordes of their owne Bible 1. Cor. 3.13.15 The fire shall try euery mans worke of what sort it is If any mans worke shal be burnt he shall suffer losse but he himselfe shall be saued yet so as by fire S. Augustine writing vpon the 37. Psalme and drawing these very wordes of the Apostle into his discourse sayth Because it is said he himselfe shall be safe that fire is therfore contemned Yea verily though safe by fire yet that fire shall be more grieuous then whatsoeuer a man can suffer in this life Thus he Therfore there is a Purgatory fire wherein sinnes may be satisfied for after his life Iohn 11.22 But I know that euen now whatsoeuer thou wilt aske of God God will giue it thee S. Martha the sister of S. Mary Magdalen belieued that our Lord whom then she held only for a holy man or Prophet and not for the Sonne of God could obtaine of God something profitable to her brother Lazarus who was deceased For hauing said Lord if thou hadst bene heere my brother had not bene dead she presently added But I know that euen now whatsoeuer thou wilt aske of God God will giue it thee Which speach she could neuer haue vsed in any good sense if she had not learned this doctrine of the Sinagogue who offered sacrifices almes and prayers for the departed and vnles she had