1260. years And pag. â—4â— From the time of Constantine vntill these our days even 1260. years the Pope and his Clergy hath possessed the outward visible Church of Christians And their chief Doctors ingeniously acknowledg that their Churches were either so obscure or so opprest that notwithstanding their own serious examinatiâ—â— and diligent search into all histories both sacred and profane they can not find in the space of at least 1300. years as much as a record or Tradition of any on person to beare witness that their faith sense of Scripture or Reformation was preach't by Christ and his Apostles Sebastianus Francus in ep de Abrog Statutis ecclesiast saith Statim post Apostolos c. Presently after the Apostles times all things were turneâ— vpside down c. And that for certain through the work of Anti-christ the externall Church togeather with the faith and the Sacraments vanished away presently after the Apostles departure and that for these 1400. years the Church hath bin no wher externall and visible Peter Martyr so much commended by Calvin and sent for by Cranmer to help to frame the Religion of the Church of England pag. 462. of his work de caelibatu votis saith as for the judgment of the Fathers because our Adversaires the Papists both in this and other controversies are accustomed to appeale to them J do not think it the part of a Christian to appeale from the Scriptures of God to the judgments of men And pag. 476. So long as we go no further then the Councells and Fathers we shall always remain in the same errors This Sophister would faine make Protestants believe that the question is whether the Fathers sense of Scriptures ought to be preferred before the sense of the Protestants them-selves confess that both Councells and Fathers are contrary to their interpretation Whitaker on of the learned'st Protestants that ever writ answering Duraeus and acknowledging the truth of the assertion coms off with this poore evasion l. 7. pag. 478. Jt is sufficient for us to know by conferring the Popish doctrin with Scripture that they do not agree let Histories say what they list So litle do the Ecclesiastical Annals favour Protestancy that never any point therof is mentioned without mentioning also how it began and was comdemned as heresy Now let Protestants examin our Roman Catholick witnesses we do not stop as they must at the last age 1500. we produce in every Century of years the most eminent persons for Sanctity and learning that then lived who not only professed our faith living but also dying as by the Traditions of all Christendom their own writings and the confession of our Adversaries is manifest wherof the Divines of Magdeburg hertofore quoted writ copiously in their Centuries These Fathers and Doctors of the Church in each respective Century delivered the Roman Catholick faith to the next succeeding not as a privat opinion of their own but as the publick pure primitive Apostolick saith which they had received as such from the precedent age confirmed by the vnanimous testimony of their known Catholick immediat Predecessours What exceptions or objections can Protestants pretend against the holy and learned Fathers so impartial Iudges and witnesses They could not be ignorant of what was the publick and vniversal faith or Church in their times and they were men of so great integrity that they would not for any temporal interest conceale the truth in a matter wherof depended eternity They were not angry saith S. Augustin disputing against the Pelagians advers Julian l. 2. prope finem lib. 3. c. 17. lib. 4. c. 12. neither at you or vs what they have found in the Church that they have holden they have taught what they have learn't what they have received from their fore-fathers they have delivered to posterity The most learned Protestants decline the Fathers judgment and testimony for no other reason but because they find them to be Roman Catholicks in their writings so that the question is not whether they by for vs but whether their testimony for vs averring that the Roman Catholick sense of Scripture is the same which Christ and his Apostles deliuered ought to be preferred before the contrary testimony of Luther Calvin Cranmer or of the other Convocations and Parliaments of England of Edward 6. and Queen Elizabeth who prove not their reformed sense of Scripture by ancient tradition but by a new arbitrary interpretation of Scripture And in what Court of Judicature would such an vncertain guess pass for a legal proof Wheras tradition is the only evidence wherby the greatest civil controversies even of regal successions and titles are decided in the Protestants Courts Therfore it ought not to be excluded as superfluous or superstitious from the Church SVBSET III. AS to their exception that the Roman Catholick Church is but a part and ought not to be judge of all other Christians we answer that not by all Christians but by on part were all controversies in the Church decided since the Apostles times and the other part which did not submitt to the judgment of that one in matters of faith and disciplin were censured hereticks That the Judgment and censures in all ages were issued but by on part and this the Roman Catholick party that lived in communion with the Bishop of Rome and the Councells that acknowledged his jurisdiction we prove by the confessed examples of every Century In the first the controversy of the legal ceremonies was determined by S. Peter and the Apostles in a Councell wherin S. Peter presided Act. 15. In the second Century the Christians were divided about celebrating E'aster the controversy was decided by S. Victor Bishop of Rome as S. Peter's successor and because the Churches of Asia would not conform themselves to his sentence he excommunicated them Euseb. l. 5. hist. c. 23. 24. And though S. Irenaeus approved not of S. Victor's severity yet he never questioned his jurisdiction or supremacy or the legality of his censures And because some Christians persisted obstinatly in not conforming to the Pop's Decree of celebrating Easter they were for that obstinacy declared hereticks and as such numbred in Catalogues by S. Epiphanius haeres 50. S. Augustin haeres 26. and by Tertullian de praescript in fine and called Quarto-decimans In the third Century by the Pope Cornelius and his Roman Councell the Novatian heresy was condemned Euseb. ex versione Rufini lib. 6. histor cap. 33. and though there were not as many Bishops in that Roman Councell as at Trent yet the whole Church thought the authority sufficient and legal to declare the Novatians hereticks The same Pope and Stephen his Successour condemned such Christians as thought and taught that they who had bin baptised by hereticks ought to be rebaptised In the forth Century the Arian heresy was condemned by the Councell of Nice wherin were but 318. Bishops whose testimony was thought sufficient and legal against a far greater
by falshood notwithstanding J say there can be no hopes of salvation in such a Church no tollerable excuse for such imposturs yet the writers and writings are cryed vp and still in credit because they maintain that mistaken Reformation wherin Protestant have bin brought vp And though this particular case of Doctor Taylors one of the ablest Protestant Divines now living is sufficient to demonstrat the falshood of all Protestants and Protestancy in general yet for information and proofe that his â—rrors fell not by chance from his pen and that he hath not changed the arguments but is constant to the ancient falsifying Method the only way of all his Predecessours the Protestant Writers I will give particular instances of the most renowned from Luther to Taylor himself that is from the very first to the last But before I set down the particulars of Protestant falsifications I will prove in general that the Roman Catholicks can not be prudently suspected of the like practises and that Protestants are cleerly convicted therof SECT II. That there can be no reason to suspect the sincerity of the Roman Catholick Clergy in matters of Religion and that Protestancy can not be maintained otherwise then by impostures wherof there are such evidences that to give the Protestant Clergy any credit in matters of their Religion is a sufficient cause of damnation SVBSECT I. THE first part of this assertion 〈◊〉 easily proved because that which may prudently induce men to suspect the sincerity of any Clergy in proposing the Mysteries of Christian Religion and the true sense of Scripture is temporal interest viz when by changing and corrupting the ancient 〈◊〉 the Clergy 〈◊〉 obtain honours and conveniences wher of they might despaire if they are raised aboue the meaness or mediocrity of their birth and fortune such were the first Protestant-Bishops and Reformers not one of them that J can learn of was born a Gentleman neither could they expect to be raised to any great employment either in Church or state vnless they had embroyled both and fish't in troubled waters and such also were they who pretenâ—ed to reform the ancient doctrin in former ages If we search into the Ecclesiasticall history we shall find that Hereticks always devised novelties to make them-selves considerable by dividing the Church into schisms and factions according to the vulgar saying Divide impera after that they had bin disapointed of some dignity whervnto they pretended and therfore Saint Augustin lib de Pastoribus cap. 8. doth attribute all heresies to pride Theobutes one of the first hereticks having bin refused a Bishoprick saith Aegisippus began to corrupt and perturbe the Church After him Simon Magus broach't his damnable doctrines because the Apostles would not sell to him the spiritual caracter of Episcopacy Act. 8. Then followed Valentinus of whom Tertullian gives this testimony to those of his Sect Valentinus expected to be a Bishop for his wit and Eloquence but being postponed he broke from the rule of the Church as ambitious and revengefull minds vse to do The same saith St. Epiphanius haeres 42. of Marcion Theodoret of Montanus Novatian Arius and Aerius Socrates of Salbatius Waldensis of Wacleff the same we say of Luther Calvin Cranmer c. But the Roman Catholick Clergy are commonly persons of quality that are not put to the shifts of hereticks that is of inventing new doctrin their birth helps to raise them to the dignity of the Church and none can be made a secular Priest that hath not a patrimony wherwith to subsist Besides it is an acknowledged difference between the two controverted Religions that the Roman Catholick is so ancient that even they who charge it with novelty can not tell when it began and grant that it hath bin at least these 1000. years generaly embraced by the visible Church as the very same which Christ and his Apostles taught the Protestant Reformation on the contrary is so modern that they who brag of it's antiquity can go no further then Luther and Calvin or Cranmer Hence it must be concluded that as in temporal Common-wealths they can not be questioned as Usurpers or suspected as Cheats whose possession and succession is so ancient that no memory occurreth to the contrary and moreover shew publick records and sentences of the Courts of Judicature sign'd with the great seale of the Soveraing in confirmation of their Estates and Titles against divers pretenderâ— in sundry ages 〈◊〉 in the Roman Catholick Church the doctrin and dignity of our Bishops having bin derived 〈…〉 and tradition 〈…〉 the contrary and having bin confirmâ—◠〈…〉 of general Councels yet extant vpon recoâ—d 〈…〉 hereticks and signed with God's great sealâ— Miracles there can be no objection but obstinacy against the truth therof nor no prudent ground to suspect the integrity and sincerity of our Clergy in maintaining as well their doctrin as the revenues which were bestowed vpon them for supporting that doctrin and their Ministery Men who have such vndeniable and publick evidences to shew for the truth of their doctrin and for their right to the temporalities of the Church can not be presâ—â—ed to forge or falsify scripture records Councells or Fathers for maintaining their right or reverences they need no such practises which would rather prejudice then profit their cause To what end should Catholick Bishops forge records of their Consecration when their very Adversaries confess the validity and legality therof to be so authentik that their chief study is how to derive their own Caracter from ours To what purpose should we falsify the ancient Councells and Fathers when all the Protestant writers who have any conscience or knowledge grant they are for us And 〈◊〉 such of them as are vers'd in antiquity will not have their reformation tryed by Fathers and Councells but by Scripture alone Why should we corrupt the letter of Scripture when our Adversaries grant our latin vulgata to be the most true and authentik Translation therof as we have proved heretofore Why should we alter the Roman Catholik sense of Scripture that is as ancient as the letter and delivered to us by the same testimony and tradition as God's true meaning But the protestant Clergy who are but vpstarts by brith and doctrin can not be great in Church or state otherwise then by inventing and promoting new religions and to that end do corrupt the letter and change the sense of Scripture which was delivered to the primitive Church pretending that the true Church of Christ was invisible and that the protestant evidences and miracles perished by reason of the iniquity of the times and the persecution of Popes But let us come to the triall and to particular instances of their false dealing SVBSECT II. Of Edward 6. Protestant and prelatick Clergies frauds falsifications and formes of ordination their hypocrisy incontinency Atheism c And whether it be fit to terme them and others like them Cheats when they are convicted of willfull
that from Christ to the victory of Constantin against Maxentius there are assigned by Eusebius 318. years and yet did not this persecution cease then neither but continued vnder Licinius and other Tyrants for divers years after see then how just these numbers fall out neither more nor less all which being considered I find no one thing so true or credible in all this revelation saith the Author of the three Conversions who confuted Fox his Acts and Monuments as those words of the spirit vnto him saying Thou fool for that this maketh him a fool indeed by revelation What credit Protestants give to Fox his revelations I do not know but sure Iam they give too much to his relations notwithstanding the absurdity of the whole work in composing a Catholick Church of condemned hereticks without subordination or succession and making wicked Malefactors Câ—â—â—st's Martyrs the Protestant Clergy who could not be ignorant of so abominable a deceit cryed vp the book as a most godly and sincere history and by publick authority endeavored to make it authentick placing one in every Parish Church like a fifth Ghospell recommending the reading therof to all persons both in their houses and Congregations All this was don with design to make the Roman Catholick religion odious and to exasperat the generality of the people against the Priests and professors of the same And though judicious Readers may easily discern in perusing the Book the weaknes of the Author and of the cause he vndertakes to maintain yet the vulgar sort are much taken with both and doubt not but that Protestants have as much reason to put Catholiks to death as Catholiks had to punish those mad fellows whom Iohn Fox calls Martyrs and would needs dy rather then recall those blasphemies against God or submit their fond opinions to that sense of Scripture which our Saviour and his Apostles delivered to the Church and had bin derived by the publick Testimony and vndeniable Tradition both of holy Fathers and general Councells from one age to an other vntill this present To the end silly seduced souls may see their mistake and how litle credit Iohn Fox his Protestant Church and Martyrs deserve compared with the Roman-Catholick I will set down his Calendar SVBSECT I. The Foxian Calendar THe number of all his saints are 456. wherof Bishops Martyrs 5. to wit Cranmer Ridley Hooper Farrar and another whom I remember not What litle credit they deserved we have shewed heretofore every one of them changing his religion with the times and their opinions having bin confuted as heresy in vniversities by publick disputations Bishops Confessors 1. Virgin Martyrs none Mayd Martyrs 3. Kings and Queens Martyrs and Confessors 1. who was Edward 6. other men and women Martyrs 393. other men and women Confessors 5â— These were of divers sects and opinions and contrary in many points one to the other as for example Waldesians and Albigensians 13. Lollards and Wickleffians 36. Hussits and Lutherans 78. Zuinglians and Calvinists 268. Anabaptists Puritans and doubtfull of what sect 59. Again of these were husbandmen Weavers sawyers shoomakers Curriers smiths and other such like occupations 282. poore women and spinsters 64. Apostata Monks and Friars 25. Apostata Priests 38. Ministers 10. publick Malefactors and condemned by the lawes for such 19. of age running away from his Master and finding an old English Bible sincerely translated you may be sure lying in 〈◊〉 the Chappell of Burntwood fell to reading therof and therby presently became a Protestant in divers opinions and would needs burn for the same Rawling White is recounted by Fox to have bin an old poore fisherman in Wales and hearing of certain new fresh doctrin to be had out of the Scriptures in English and grieved that himself was not able to read them he put his litle boy to schoole to learn to read which being somewhat instructed in that art he caused him to read Scriptures vnto him and profitted so much therin with in a litle time that the old fisherman began to be a preacher and so leaving his occupation went vp and down Wales with his boy after him bearing the Bible out of which he took vpon him to preach at every town and Tavern therof seeking therby to pervert such as were no wiser then himself nor could he be restrained from this folly vntill the Bishop of Cardiff apprehended him whom afterwards they were forced to burn for that he stood obstinat in his fantasticall opinions which were extravagant and â—â—â—rce agreed with any sect of Protestancy We have seen heretofore how Laurence Sanders the married Priest seing a litle bastard of his was so tenderly affected therunto as in great vehemency of spirit he sayd to the standers by what maâ—â— of my vocation would not dy to make this litle boy legitimat and prove his mother to be no whore And indeed such of the Protestant Clergy as were executed were brought to the stake for the love they had to their wenches and bastards and because they thought it was against their honor to recant It 's remarkable that of some hundreds of Heresiarchs who have since the preaching of the Apostles risen against the doctrin of the Catholick Church not above two or three wherof Berâ—â—garius was one would recall their opinions no marvaile therfore if Cranmer Latimer Ridley c. should be so obstinat These motives and persons I say well considered rational Protestants will find no parity between Foxian and Catholick Martyrs nor any reason to persecute Priests and Papists by their new Statuts because Protestants and sectaries were persecuted by Q. Mary and other temporal Soveraigns according to the ancient Laws of all Christendom They will find a parity between Fox his Martyrs and Fanaticks for the old Protestants were look't vpon in those days when they first began as themselves look now vpon fanatiks and Quakers only with this difference that these may complain of harder measure now received from their prelatick Brethren then prelatick Protestants from papists because prelatiks have nothing against presbitery 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 that their doctrin and conventicles are prohibited by the temâ—â—â—al lâ—â—es of the Land which can not be a competent rule of faith they can not condemn them by any Pâ—â—â—â—stant general Councells ancient Tradition or by the primitive Protestant principles or by any sense of Scripture ever yet held to be Catholick by the visible Church of Christendom wheras Roman Catholicks did and may censure prelatick Protestants by every one of these rules and do demonstraâ—â— that their prelatick reformation is contrary to all the Testimonies and evidences of Christian and Catholick antiquity SVBSECT II. VVillfull falsifications committed by Iohn Fox in his acts and Monuments FOx having searched and inquired after Protestants and their Church and not finding any one person he durst call by that name for the first 1200. years after Christ and that particularly here in England the Roman Catholick Religion as his
be properly applyed to the Saints but not to Gods thoughts To this demand Protestants answer first that the Saints do not heare us and yet they grant that Devills and evill Spirits heare witches Conjurers or Magitians when they are called vpon and shall we think that the evill Spirits are enabled by nature and permitted by God to heare what they are invited to work mischiefâ— and that the Blessed Spirits are deaf and have their power of doing good â—â—strained when we devoutly pray vnto them They tell us we injure Christ by praying to Saints If it be no injury to Christ's merits and mediation to pray vnto holy men vpon 〈◊〉 or to recommend our selves vnto their prayers why should it be an injury to pray to the Saints who are in heaven Jf the Apostles and Martyrs saith St. Hierom against Vigilâ—ntius dwelling in corruptible flesh could pray for others 〈◊〉 they ought to be carefull for themselves how much more afâ—â—â— their Crowns Victories and Triumphs They tell us that according to Esay 63. Abraham knoweth vs not and Jsrael is ignorant of vs we answer with St. Hierom that those holy Fathers knew not the Iewes with the knowledge of approbation or liking because they had abandoned the law of God so our Saviour saith the foolish Virgins were not known nesâ—io vos Doctor Reynolds giveth a reason why we pray to the living and not to the departed Because saith he the living may vnderstand our griefs either by word or message the Saints can have no notice of them Therfore they cannot make particular intercession for us or we use any supplication to them But these two wayes of knowledge are not proper only to the living in this world The Saints of heaven also vnderstand our afflictions by word and sight when being as St. Ambrose and St. Hierom teacheth they may be by incredible swiftness and celerity of motion every where present and converâ—â—â—â— amongst us being as St. Ambrose addeth beholders of our life and actions they see our distress and heare the complaints we make They know our estate by message also and report of others by the report saith Saint Austin of the soules that depart from hence and by report of the Angels God's trusty messengers and our faithfull Guardians who have dayly intercourse between them and vs. Besides the Saints resident in heaven have certain knowledge of our actions and thoughts as far forth as it may be needfull for us and expedient to them according to that of St. Gregory what can they be there ignorant of where they know him that knoweth all things Every Saint nature not being abolished but perfected by grace has a natural desire to know the state of their friends to vnderstand the 〈◊〉 they make vnto them and therfore to fullfill the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 they must have notice of them 〈…〉 in heaven rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner and by 〈◊〉 are not ignorant therof How can we Jmagin 〈…〉 Blessed parents and other relatioâ—â— of sinners can be ignorant of their repentance Therfore St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Austin say that God openeth and revealeth to the Saints 〈◊〉 to his intire friends whatsoever is behoofull for them â—o know And according to this not only the holy Doctors of the Christian Catholick Church but the Iewes did invoke Saints departed Jacob sayd the Angell which hath delivered me from all evills bless these children Gen. 48. Job was councelled to pray to the Saints Call if there be any who will answer thee and turn to some of the Saints Iob. 5. Moyses intreated the patronage of the Patriarchs in these words Remember Abraham Isaac and Israel thy servants The like did Daniel Dan. 3. Take not away thy mercy from us for Abraham thy beloved and Isaac thy Servant and Isâ—â—el thy holy one and King Salomon Remember O Lord David and all his mildness which God himself approved 4. Reg. 19. I will guard this citty for my own sake and for David my Servant's sake St. Gregory Nazianzen implored the helpe of St. Basil St. Ierom of St. Paulâ— St. Gregory Nyssen of St. Theodore St. Austin of St. Cyprian St. Athanasius prayed to our Blessed Lady thus Jncline thy eare to our prayers and forget not thy people O Lady Mistress Queenâ— and Mother of God pray for vs. And St. Austin O Blessed Mary receive our prayers obtain our suits for thou art the special hope of sinners St. Ephrem invocateth her by the name of hope refuge advocate safety and Mediatrix of the world And must we preferr Doctor Abbots and the English Clergyes corruptions before all these evidences of Scriptures and Fathers To conclude this matter J admire how Protestants can Imagin that Cranmer Abbots and their Camerades who conspired to falsifie Scripture or the Ministers that continue to preach their falsifications for true scripture did or do scruple to maintain their pretended Eâ—â—â—â—opal caracter 〈◊〉 the forged Registers which Archbishop 〈◊〉 produced to the Priests in prison of Parker and the 〈◊〉 Protestants Bishops ordination at Lambeth I hope men 〈◊〉 contrive continue and countenance so horrid a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the corrupting of publick Scripture may be presumed 〈…〉 and foist into privat Registers a fictitious consecration therby to enjoy their revenues but as it was never heard of before Archbishop Abbot's time so was it no sooner proâ—â—ced then suspected and contradicted by ancient and consciâ—â—tious persons who lived in London when this Consecration at â—ambeth is pretended to have bin celebrated and yet they never heard a syllable of so rare a novelty notwithstanding their continual inquiry into a matter wherin both Catholicks and Protestants were so much concerned Let this suffice for a tast of those innumerable corruptions and falsifications which yet are continued in the English Bible though reviewed and corrected by King Iames his command and passeth now current in these Kingdomes among Protestants for the word of God wheras it is the word and work of men not only by reason of their false Translations but much more of their vngodly and fond interpretations contrary to the true sense of Scripture delivered by the holy Ghost in the primitive Church and ever since continued by tradition among Catholicks and visible in the writings of the Fathers and General Councells The Prelatick Clergyes design in this new Translation was to keep as J sayd before their authority and the Church Livings which they had vsurped by gaining Credit for their new Episcopacy and ceremonies against puritans or presbiterians and for their Protestant doctrin against the Catholicks but fearing that their corruptions would be observed by both partyes in their epistlâ— dedicatory to King James they desire his Majesties protection for that on the one side we shall be traduced say they by Popish persons at home or abroad who therfore will 〈…〉 Jnstruments to 〈◊〉 God's holy 〈…〉 the people when they desire still to keepe 〈…〉 on the other side we shall be
confess a fault in the maintenance wherof their fortunes are concerned and by consequence how accomptable the protestant layty is to God for not mistrusting and examining the truth and sincerity of their own Clergy being so indigent and so interessed persons and so confidently charged and so frequently caught with falshoods what fraud can be more visible then to make men believe that so infamous and dissolute persons as Luther Zuinglius Calvin Cranmer and Beza c. were Saints sent by God to restore his Church vnto it's primitive doctrin and spirit or that they and all protestants do agree in all matters of faith against Papists Their dissentions vices and wickedness are so manifest that they can not be denyed without impudency and without giving the lye to the whole world and contradicting their own writings And yet the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and his Junta of Divines would face down Mr. Walsingham that there was no such matter and because the poore man humbly petitioned to have the matter decided by comparing their own books which were in the next roome with his notes he was censured and called a foolish bold Knave impudent fellow sâ—â—cy Companion c. and threatned with prison and pillary And for that they durst not betray the weakness of their cause by so publick and violent proceedings against a known protestant who desired to continue one of themselves if protestancy did not prove to be a mistake of Christianity the Arch-bishop to be shut of him sent him to the Commissary of St. Albans to be resolved forsooth whether Luther acknowledged in his Books that he began the protestant Reformation and impugned the Mass adoration of the Sacrament Invocation of Saints c. moved therunto by the devill 's arguments in a real conference between himself and sathan as if this passage and others of Luther's and Calvin's works were not to be found in London or in his Graces Library at Lambeth as well as at St. Albans And after that by his own importunity Mr. Walsingham had obtained of Doctor Covell to shew him Luther's book wherin he acknowledged this conference and conviction of the Devill 's arguments that the Doctor should interrupt him and divert the whole discourse with a rush you see I have this book and many such like 3. Reflexion By what particular indirect means cavills and Calumnies the Arch-bishop himself endeavored to maintain the protestant Religion and discredit the Catholick delivering to Mr. Walsingham Mr. Bell's libell against the Iesuits as an invincible fortress against the Roman faith and his other book full of corruptions and falsifications as a very sincere and solid piece which falsifications being shewed to them all sitting in their Junta and Iudgment about that affaire the Arch-bishop durst not send into his study for the Fathers works that were affirmed by Mr. Walsingham to have bin corrupted by Bell and Calvin c. His Lordship 's confessed practise also of burning Catholick Books argues the weaknes of the protestant cause and proves how much they are afraid their own false dealing and the impiety of their principles should be discovered 4. Reflexion That Mr. Walsingham's case hath bin and is revived and practised now every day when any conscientious protestant begins to doubt of the safety and sincerity of his Religion The protestant Clergy tells him that he is in a sure way of salvation and yet this assertion is against one of their articles of faith to wit that which acknowledgeth their Church is fallible in proposing Christ's doctrin and the true sense of Scripture and by consequence for all they know themselves may be in damnable errors Then they tell him the Papists are Jdolaters worship Anti-Christ c. that our Books of Controversyes are full of lyes and fables and to make good these their impostures they not only corrupt our Authors but translate into English all infamous libells though they treat not of controversies as the Jansenists Letters Palafox his relations and for the renegat Fr. Paulo his history of the Councell of Trent they swear it is the most exact and sincere work of this age wheras Cardinal Palavicino in his answer to the same and in the very begining hath set down 300. of Fr Paulo's vntruths in matter of fact so palpable that they seem inexcusable in him and render others guilty of vnpardonable rashness and obstinacy who credit so mistaken or malicious an Author and preferr his bare word before the vnanimous Testimony of all Christendom that hath accepted the definitions of the Councell as Catholick truths which they would never have don had they bin such as Fr Paulâ— describes Js it likely that the Bishops Embassadors and Prelats of so different nations and subjects to Princes of so contrary Interests who were present at the Councill and recommended to their flocks and friends the decrees of Trent as sacred would conspire to cheat and damne their Souveraigns relations and neighbors Or that they knew not better how matters went in the Councill or were not more impartial in relating them then one Apostâ—ta Friar or those persons from whom he pretends to have received his papers and intelligence with such pittifull frauds and fashoods are many poor protestant soules deluded and seduced into eternal damnation which they deserve for believing their own Clergy without any further examination of the scruples and doubts which common sense and natural reason doth raise in every one of them that converseth with Roman Catholicks or observeth the incoherency and inconstancy of protestancy together with it's singularity and pride of Spirit contemning the primitive true sense of Scripture declared by vniversal Tradition and the vnanimous consent of all orthodox Fathers and Councills Perditio tua ex te Jsrael 5. Reflexion One of my Lord of Canterburyes reasons to Mr. Walsingham against crediting the Popish book was do you not know when two men go to law together one will speak the worst he can by the other And though this ought not to be practised in law suites much less in controversies of Religion yet seeing my Lord would have protestants read our books with that prejudice reason doth dictat that theirs ought not to be read without caution especially Seeing every protestant â—eader makes himself supreme Judge of Controversies of Religion and no Judge ought to give sentence before both sides be heard Suppose therfore that the protestant and Catholick Clergy are engaged not only in a dispute of Religion but in a suit of Law to wit whether the revenues of the Church of the three Kingdoms belong of right rather to the present possessors then to the ancient proprietors neither party say you ought to be Iudge in his own cause who then must decide the business The Layty Content let my Lord Chancellor of England notwithstanding his known Jnclination to favor and promote protesâ—â—â—cy be named head of a Committee for examining and deciding the question Let it be tryed in publik Court which
his religious habit though he had left the Monastery sayd Mass and was much tormented in his Conscience for running so desperat a cours as to appeale from the authority of Popes Fathers Councels and Church upon a punctilio of his mistaken honour How often saith he did my trembling hart beat with in me and reprehending me object against me that must strong argument Art thou only wise do so many worlds err were so many ages ignorant what if thou errest and drawest so many into error to be damned with thee eternally c. And again Dost thou O sole man and of no accounpt take upon thee so great matters What if thou being but one offendest Jf God permitt such so many and all to erre why may he not permit thee to erre Hitherto apartaine those arguments the Church the Church the Fathers the Fathers the Councels the Customs the Multituds and greatness of wise men whom do not these clouds and doutes yea these seas of examples ouerwhelm Being thus tormented and tossed between his passion of pride and a perplexity of mind himself relates at larg tom 7. Wittemb edit an 1558. lib. 1. de Missa angu how vpon a certain tyme he was sudainly awaked about midnight and how sathan began his disputation with him saying Harken right learned Doctor Luther Thou knowest thou hast celebrated priuat Mass by the space of 15. years almost euery day what if such Masses were horrible Idolaty c. The deuill speaking thus to me I burst forth all into a sweat and my heart began to tremble and leap voce forti gravi utitur the deuill had a graue and strong voice c. And then I learned how it came to pass that somtyms early in the morning men were found dead in their beds To the Deuill I answered I am an anoynted Priest receaued consecration from a Bishop and did all things by order of my Superiors In these streights and agony I would fain vanquish the Devill with the armes of Popery and did object the intention and faith of the Church c. But Sathan with greater force and vehemency did pursue Go to shew where it is writen teaching Luther to appeale to Scripture alone that a wicked and incredulous man can assist at the Altar of Christ and consecrate in the Churches faith c. If men have taught it without the express word of God it is altogether vntrue But in this sort are you acustomed to do all things in the dark under the name of the Church and so set to sale your owne abominations for Ecclesiastical doctrin c. After this disputation Luther was so well acquainted with the Devill that him self saith tom 2. Germ. Jen. fol. 77. Believe me J know the Devill very weell for now and then he walketh with me in my Chamber When I am among company he doth not trouble me but when he catcheth me alone then he teacheth me my manners And in Conc. Dom. Reminiscere fol. 19. apud Cochlaeum J am troughly acquainted with the Deuill for I haue eaten a bushell of salt in his company Yea confesseth in Colloq Germ. fol. 275.281 that the Devill was his Bed-fellow and lay with him more frequently and â—loser to him then his beloved Kate the Nun. And in litteris ad Electorem Saxoniae he saith The Devill doth so run to and fro trough my brain that J can neither write nor read And in Colloq Germ. fol. 283. brags thus J have a couple of rare Devills who attend and wait vpon me most diligently they are no petty Fiends but great Devills yea great Doctors of Divinity among the rest of the Devills One of these two great Doctors of Divinity continued his disputation thus against Luther Now I urge this that thou didst not consecrat in thy Mass but didst offer and adore only bread and wine and proposedst the same to be adored by others c. The institution of Christ is that other Christians may communicat in the Sacrament but thou art anointed not to distribute the Sacrament but to sacrifice and against Christs institution thou hast vsed the Mass for a Sacrifice c. And that which Christ did ordain for eating and drinking for the whole Church and to be given by the Priest to other Communicants c. of this thou dost make a propitiatory Sacrifice O! abomination aboue all abomination And after that Zealous and learned Devill had thus exclaimed and argued against the Sacrifice of the Mass the authority of the Church Transubstantiation and adoring of the B. Sacrament he reasons also against the intercession and prayer to Saints his words are set down by Luther in the same place thus We Spirits being rejected do not confide in Christs mercy neither do we look upon him as a Mediator or Savior but feare him as a cruell Judg such was thine and all other Papists faith c. Therfore ye did shun from Christ as a cruell Judg to Mary and the Saints and they were Mediators betvveen you and Christ so is Christ deprived of that glory In this disputation the Devill had so good success that Luther was convinced and resolued to become a Protestant and to preach and print not only against the Mass and the other particulars mentioned in his Disputation but upon these words of the Devill So is Christ deprived of glory did Luther ground his opinions against the necessity of good works in favor of Iustification by only faith against merit satisfaction Purgatory c. and maintained these his Diabolical opinions with so great obstinacy and so litle respect to Scripture Church Councells Fathers Princes and Prelats that such parts of Scripture as did not favor the Devills argument he either rejected them as apocrijphal or altered the words and sence in his Translations and Comments against all exemplars and copies either in Greek Hebrew or Latin And all Princes and Prelats that contradicted his errors he vilified in so virulent and villanous terms that none but a soule directed by the Devil could resolve to print them His Bull against all Bishops is full of most vile stuffe as also against the Duke of Brunzuick the Elector of Mentz c. In so much that his owne Scholler Sleidan acknowledgeth his manner of writing to be unworthy Base Scurilous c. In his Book and answer against K. Henry 8. he calls him an envious mad foole babling with much spittle in his mouth more furious then madness it self more doltish then folly it self indued with an impudent and vvhorish face without any one veine of princely bloud in his body a lying sophist a damnable rotten vvorme a Basilisk and progeny of an Adder a lying scurill couered with the title of a King a clounish wit a doltish head most wicked foolish and impudent Henry All this he says tom 2. Wittenberg fol. 333.334.335 fol. 338.334 he saith The King doth not only lye like a most vaine scurre but passeth a most wicked knave
reasonable subjection Therfore besids many other works in the yeare 1520. Luther writ a book called Praeludium captivitatis Babilonicae wherin he maintayned that Christians are not subject to human Lawes at least in foro Conscintiae Christ hauing made them all equall by the Gospell but that the Pope Prelates and Princes had tyranically usurped a Iurisdiction ouer them and kept them for many years in gross ignorance and wors then in a Babylonian captivity therfore that God had sent him to reforme these abuses and restore vnto all oppressed people the Christian liberty which they had received in Baptisme and by his reformation they might enjoy so fully as to judg and govern all omnia judicemus regamus Then he published his doctrin of justification by only faith so resolutly that he doubted not to preach though mens words be the greatest blasphemies and their works the most damnable villâ—nies If they haue as much confidence to belieue without doubt as impudence to act without scruple they may be sure that God hath receiued them into his fauor and cannot be damned unless they doubt of their saluation This abominable presumption Luther grounded upon the infinitness of Christs merits as if forsooth our Sauiour had suffered to the end we might not only be happy in heauen but by his passion hah waranted our wickedness upon earth grossly mistaking and confounding the sufficiency of Christs merits with the sufficiency of their application none can deny but that the least drop of our Sauiours Bloud is sufficient to redeeme millions of worlds because it is of infinite value but all Catholicks euer held that though his Bloud and merits be infinitly sufficient in themselues yet are they not sufficiently applyed to sinners unless they concurr to their own reconciliation and justification not only by faith but by good works Sacraments and other meanes which God hath appointed for that purpose Yet Luther pretended that faith alone is a sufficient application of Christs merits and that men needed not mortify their bodys nor endeavour to secure their salvation by good works thinking it a diminution of our Redeemers glory and a disrespect to his person that with our free will we should cooperat with his passion and help our selues and vpon this ground do Protestants raise all their batteries against Indulgences Purgatory Pilgrimages praying to Saints Confession of sins Penance Satisfaction Merit austerity of Monastical life Works of supererogation c. A reformation so indulgent to liberty and sensuality could not want Proselits and in a short tyme appeared the effects therof the Peasants of Germany rebelled against their Princes and Lords in defence of that Euangelical liberty which Luther had preached and in the space of one summer were on both sides a hundred thousand men slain Some Princes to make themselues considerable by heading the multituds which ran to Luther professed his Religion and protected his person and he layd for the foundation of his reformation the ensuing principles SVBSECT I. The fundamentall principles of Protestancy THe first principle and foundation of Luthers and of all Protestant reformations is a supposition that the whole visible Church fell from that primitiue pure doctrin and true meaning of Scripture which Christ our Sauior and the Apostles had planted and the first Christians had professed All râ—formed Churches do and must agree in this supposition the very name of a Doctrinal reformation implies a change and decay of doctrin though they disagree in the tyme and other circumstances of the change Untill Luther had conferred with the Devill he durst not vent this principle he appealed indeed from the Pope to a generall Councell and from a generall Councell when he perceiued one was summon'd to the Church diffusiue but after his conference with Satan he ventured to say Lay aside all the armes of orthodox antiquity Schooles of Diuinity authority of Councells and Popes consent of so many ages and all Christian People we receiue nothing but Scripture yet so that we must haue the certain authority to interpret the same Our interpretation is the sence of the holy Ghost that which others bring though they bee great though many proceedeth from the spirit of Sathan and from a distracted mind The reasons why Luther and all Protestants run this desperat course is because hauing examined and found that orthodox antiquity was Roman Catholik and not one Church parish or person ever Protestant before 1517. they are inforced to maintain by mis-interpreting Scripture that the whole visible Church erred and that God sent them to reform it The second principle of Protestancy is to admit of no rule of faith but only Scripture of no other infallible Judg of the letter or sence of Scripture or of any controversies in Religion but every particular Church and person interpreting Scripture according to their best endeavors and discretion This is expressly declared in the last mentioned words of Luther and inculcated by the Devill to him in his Conference and though few are willing to speake the same words yet is there not one Protestant in the world that doth not practise the very same doctrin and defend it when the matter is argued It necessarily followeth from the first principle Because if the whole visible Church fell from the pure faith and from Gods meaning of Scripture the belief tradition and testimony of that visible Church Councell and Fathers can be no true rule of faith nor themselves fit Iudges of Religion or of the sense of Scripture Therfore every privat Protestant must be his own Guide and Iudg in matters of saluation and Scripture For though Luther Calvin or any Protestant Congregation should pretend that their sense and interpretation of Scripture is that of the holy Ghost and the interpretation of others Diabolical yet no privat Protestant doth look even upon their own reformers or Churches as infallible in this or in any other particular but in as much as he Iudges it agreeth with Scripture and therfore every one that supposeth the fall of the Roman Catholik and visible Church and the fallibility of the Reformers and reformations as all Protestants do will deny that him-self hath any obligation to submit his Iudgment in controversies of Religion to any interpretation of Scripture or decision of doctrin besids his owne and so becoms his owne Guide and his owne Iudg of controversies and makes his owne interpretation of Scripture his only rule of faith The third principle of Protestancy is that men are justified by only faith and that he who hath once justifying faith can neither loose it nor be damned This tenet is cleerly professed as the doctrin of all Protestant Churches in the Catholik doctrin of the Church of England art 11. pag. 5â— seqq And pag. 54. The Papists are declared heretiks for holding that men are to remain doubtfull whether they shall be saved or not From these principles flow that infinit variety of Protestant Religions
every day rather loose then gain ground and the generality of these Nations can not be wrought vpon either by fair or foul means to thinck wel of that Religion or to submit their Judgments and consciences to the direction of the Bishops and Prelatick ministery The reasons are obvious to such as are not obstinat 1. The incredibility of their pretented spiritual caracter and jurisdiction 2. The incoherency of their doctrin with the fundamental principles of Protestancy Their Episcopal caracter and jurisdiction is as incredible as King Henry 8. spiritual supremacy Queen Elizabeths legitimacy and the validity and solemnity of their first Bishops consecrations They have indeed of late endeavored to excuse the latness of their Masonian Registers discovery and to cleere them from the suspitions of forgery but so faintly and fraudulently that their vindication though pen'd and published by on of the ablest Prelats of their Church hath furnished their adversaries with so many new demonstrations against their Caracter that in steed of a reply the Protestant Bishops have resolued vpon a submission to the evidence of our arguments and changed the controverted and essential part of their forms of Ordination As they endeavored of late to vindicat their Registers from forgery so they long since explained the Queens supremacy but so contrary to the known laws of the land and cleer words of their Oaths both of supremacy and Episcopal homage that neither can bear their fond interpretations and if they could the Bishops would have nothing to shew for their pretended spiritual function and jurisdiction it being manifest they cannot deduce either of them by succession from any Apostolick Church or orthodox Councel and therfor must content them-selves with what they can buy from a lay soveraign and temporal Statuts or acknowledg the truth and confess ingeniously they are but lay-men and have no lawful authority to take vpon them a spiritual function and jurisdiction seing they have no Catholick Predecessours and degenerat from the first Protestant Reformers and are ashamed to claim with Presbiterians and Fanaticks the extravagancy of a privat spirit and extraordinary vocation The incoherency also of the Prelatick doctrin maks these nations averse from the Prelatick Church and Clergy â—n the 39. Articles of Religion they declare with Luther and the first Reformers that no visible sign or ceremony and by consequence no such thing as imposition of Episcopal hands was instituted by Christ or is the necessary matter of a Priest's and Bishop's ordination and yet now of late that visible sign and ceremony is held by them-selves to be so essential that without the same no caracter of Priesthood or Episcopacy is thought to be given to the party ordained and therfor they reordain such Presbiterian Ministers as did neglect or contemn imposition of Episcopal hands 2. They maintain in the same 39. Articles that the Roman Catholick Church hath falen into damnable errors and acknowledg that only such a fal can justify the Protestants separation or excuse them from sin and schism And yet when they are pressed with a consequence that necessarily follows out of this supposition to wit that if the Roman and visible Church had so erred Protestants can have no Christian faith nor certainty of the Scriptur's being God's word or of the Trinity and Incarnation c. which they received and retain vpon the sole Testimony of the Roman Catholick Church having in their own 39. Articles declared the Greeck Church Heretical for the doctrin of the Holy Ghost's procession and therfor it 's testimony even in other Articles is invalid and it's concurrence in those other Articles with the Roman Church is vnsignificant And yet they again contradict them-selves and confess that the Roman Catholick Church is infalible in all articles necessary for saluation 3. The same inconstancy and incoherency they shew in denying that doctrinal Traditions are the word of God or that Tradition it self is a sufficient ground of Divine belief and yet when they are demanded to shew a proof by cleer Scripture of the distinction between single Priesthood and Episcopacy v.g. then they maintain that traditional doctrin is God's word and the testimony of the Roman visisible Church a sufficient evidence therof Their wavering and inconsequent way of proceeding doth manifest to the world that as wel in this as in other particulars of Christian Religion nay even in declaring which are necessary or not necessary points of faith the Prelatick Clergy hath a greater regard to their own conveniency then to God's veracity and to the revenues of â—he Church then to the saluation of souls Otherwise why should they take our Roman Catholick word for Episcopacy and not for the Pop's supremacy for the letter but not for the sence of Scripture for not rebaptising or for receiving relaps'd penitents more then for Purgatory or Transubstantiation or for keeping Sonday and not praying to Saints c. Seeing all these doctrins are equaly proposed to them as Catholick truths by the sole credible testimony and tradition of our one and the same Roman Catholick Church the testimony of the Greeck and all other Churches as hath bin sayd being rendred invalid by the hereticks wherwhith Protestants confess they are infected Some are of opinion that if the more modern Prelaticks had not forsaken their ould way of being ordained Bishops by the Queens letters patents or by some such publick testimony and superficial ceremony of their Congregations without troubling them-selves with the doctrin of the inward caracter given by imposition of Episcopal hands so contrary to the principles of the reformation a broad and to the 23. and 25. of their own 39. Articles at home they had not bin so hard put to it by their Presbiterian Brethrens arguments who stick to the Tenets and Rules of pure and primitive Protestancy detesting those formalities and dregs of Popery which Prelaticks of late have so much affected in ordaining of Ministers Mr. Hooker Dr. Couel and some other Prelaticks in their writings towards the end of Queen Elizabeths reign began to inculcat the doctrin of making Ordination a spiritual caracter imprinted in the soul by imposition of Episcopal hands and not a bare formality of the secular Magistrat's election by some outward ceremony or letters patents as all English Protestants had believed and practised vntil Hooker and Couel broacht this among their other Popish novelties and therfor were publickly blamed and complained of by Prelatick Writers and particularly by Dr. Willet in his worck vpon the 112. Psalm printed 1603. and dedicated to the Queens Majesty page 91. he saith From this fountain have sprung forth these and such other whirlpoints and bubles of new doctrine and amongst others he sets down as a novelty in the Church of England this That there is in ordination given an indelible caracter and then addeth Thus have some bin bould to teach and write who as some Schismaticks the Puritans have disturbed the peace of the Church one
by faith in Christ not by good works which they in no wise did affect We Catholicks do not pretend to have no evill-livers in our Church but this we may say with truth and I hope without offence that the difference between Protestant and Catholick â—â—â—ll-livers is that when Protestants sin they do nothing but what they are encouraged vnto by their justifying faith and the other principles of their Religion but when Catholicks sin they go against the known Tenets of their faith and profession Even our Pardons and Jndulgences how-ever so plenary are so far from encouraging vs to a continuance or relapse of sinning that they involue as a precedent and necessary condition a serious and sincere repentance of our former offences and afirm purpose and resolution of never returning to the like crimes and after all is don we pretend to no such vndoubted certainty of being pardon'd either by confession or Indulgences because we are not certain whether we do al as we ought as Protestants presume to have of their justification and saluation by only faith The nature of this justifying faith and of other Protestant principles considered We Catholicks have reason to thanck God that the prudence â—f the Prince and moderation of his Ministers is so extraordinary that it keeps the indiscreed zeal of a multitude so strangly principl'd if not as much with in the limits of Christianity and civility towards their fellow subjects as were to be wished yet so that the execution of the sanguinary and penal statuts is not altogeather so distructive as the Presbiterians and others endeavor Untill the generality of these Nations reflect vpon the impiety of the first Reformers and vpon their own mistakes in preferring the mad fancies of a few dissolute Friars concerning the nature of Christian faith before the constant Testimony and doctrin of the whole visible Church we cannot expect that they who govern so mistaken a multitude can make justice the rule of the publick Decrees which depend of the concurrence and acceptance of men whose greatest care is to promote Protestancy and persecute Popery SECT IX Protestants mistaken in the consistency of Christian faith humility Charity peace either in Church or state with their making Scripture as interpreted by privat persons or fallible Synods or fancied general Councells composed of all discenting Christian Churches the rule of faith and Iudg of Controversies in Religion How every Protestant is a Pope and how much also they are overseen in making the 39. Articles or the oath of Supremacy a distinctive sign of Loyalty to our Protestant Kings LVther Zuinglius Calvin Cranmer and all others that pretended to reform the doctrin of the Church of Rome seing they could not prove their new Religions or Reformations by testimonies from antiquity or by probability of Reason were inforc't to imitat the example of all Heretiks who as S. Austin says l. 1. de Trin. c. 3. endeavour to defend their falls and deceitfull opinions out of the Scriptures If on shall ask any Heretick saith that ancient Father Vincentius lyr l. 1. cons. Haer. c. 35. from whence do you prove from whence do you teach that I ought to forsake the vniuersal and ancient faith of the Catholik Church Presently he answereth scriptum est It is written and forthwith he prepareth a thousand testimonies a thousand examples a thousand authorities from the law from the Apostles from the Prophets This shift is so ordinary and notorious that Luther him-self postill Wittemberg in 2. con 8. Dom. post Trin. fol. 118. Dom. post Trin. fol. 118. affirmeth the sacred Scripture is the book of Heretiks because Heretiks are accustomed to appeale to that book neither did there arise at any time any heresy so pestiferous and so foolish which did not endeavor to hide it self under the vaile of Scripture And yet Luther Calvin Cranmer c. finding nothing to say for them-selves either in History or Fathers and seing Tradition so cleerly bent against them that they could not name as much as on Parish or person which ever professed their protestant doctrines they appeal'd from the word of God proposed by the visible and Catholick Church and Counâ—â—ls to their own Canon and Translations of Scripture and from that sense of Scripture which the Church and Councells had follow'd for 1500. years to that which their own privat spirit temporal interest or fallacious reason diâ—â—â—ted to them-selves and so did others that followed their examples making every privat Protestant or at least every reforâ—â—d Congregation Judg of Scripture Church Councells and Fathers In so much that Luther tom 2. Wittemberg cap. de Sacram. fol. 375. setteth down this rule for all Protestants to be directed 〈◊〉 The Governors of Churches and Pastors of Christ's sheep 〈◊〉 indeed power to teach but the sheep must judge whâ—â—â—er they propose the voice of Christ 〈◊〉 of strangers c. Wherfore let Popes Bishops Councells c. decree order enact what they please we shal not hinder but we who are Christ's sheep and heare his voice will judge whether they propose things true and agreable to the voice of our Pastor and they must yeeld to us and subscribe and obey our sentence and censure Calvin though contrary to Luthâ—â— in many other things yet in this doth agree as being the ground wherupon all protestant Reformations must rely in his lib. 4. Institut cap. 9. § 8. he says The definitions of Councels must be examined by Scripture and Scripture interpreted by his rules and Spirit The same is maintained by the Church of England as appears in the defence of the 39. Articles printed by authority 1633. wherin it is sayd pag. 103. Authority is given to the Church and to every member of sound judgment in the same to judg controversies of faith c. And this is not the privat opinion of our Church but also the judgment of our godly brethren in foreign Nations And by Mr. Bilson Bishop of Winchester in his true difference c. part 2. pag. 353. The people must be Discerners and Judges of that which is taught How inconsistent this doctrin is with Christian faith is evident by the pretended fallibility and fall of the visible Church which all Protestants do suppose and must maintain to make good the necessity and lawfullness of their own interpretations and Reformations For if the Roman Catholik and ever Visible Church may and from time to time hath erred as the Church of England declares in the 39. Articles no reformed Congregations whether Lutheran Presbiterian or Prelatick can have infallible certainty but that them-selves have fallen into as great errors as those which they have pretended to reform in the Roman Church And if they have not infallible certainty of the truth of their reformed doctrin they can not pretend to Christianity of faith that involves an assurance of truth which assurance is impossible if that the Church can be mistaken in it's proposall So that Christianity of faith including
protestant principles to the discovery of the frauds and â—â—â—â—â—fications wherwith the prâ—â—atick Clergy doth disguise them and divert their flocks from reflecting vpon those sad effects which they have wrought and must work wheresoever they are 〈◊〉 the Religion of the staâ—e A TREATISE OF RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT THE THIRD PART Containing a plain discovery of the Protestant Clergies frauds and falsifications wherby alone their doctrin is supported and made credible The conscience and conveniency of restoring or tolerating the Roman Catholick Religion demonstrated SECT I. That either the learned Protestant or Roman Catholick Clergy are Cheats and how every illiterat protestant may easily discern by wich of the two Clergieâ— he is cheated and therfore is obliged vnder pain of damnation to examin so neer a concern and to renounce the doctrin and communion of that Church wherin he is cheated of the true Church being so conspicuous and manifest by such eminent and visible marks Christ might well forbid the faithfull to communicat with Hereticks and Schismaticks for that their conventicles 〈◊〉 never be mistaken for the whole or even a part of the Catholick Church vnless men â—ill be so simple as to take their â—are word when they say Hic est Christus aut illic wheras if it were possible for learned men to be innocently mistaken Christ's command had not bin obligatory for in such â— case we were not bound to believe that Christ is rather in one Church then other seing each Church had reason sufficient to excuse learned parties from schism and â—â—resy But it being impossible that God should command vs to believe on Congregation of Christians and not believe others that pretend also to be the true Church of Christ without confirming the testimony and doctrin of that one Congregation which he bids vs believe and preferr before the rest with such cleer signes of the truth and so evident marks of Divine authority that the others compared therwith can have no probability two things must be granted 1. that the Catholiâ—â— Church of Christ cannot be composed of all or any dissenting Congregations 2. That the one only Congregation which is the true and Catholick Church can never be so eclipsed but that it must appeare much more eminent in sanctity miracles conversion of Nations and much more credible in it's testimonies then any other Wherfore we conclude that either the learned protestant clergy or the catholick must be cheats seing that notwithstanding the evident and eminent signes and marks of God's Church can not be found in both or in any two Congregations dissenting in their doctrin and rule of faith yet each of them make their illiterat flocks believe that their own is the true Church of God whervpon the signes and seales of his authority and veracity do cleerly shine No human art or industry if not born-out with more then ordinary and notorious impudencie can pretend to discredit or darken the spendor of true Miracles Sanctity Successiâ—â— become Masters of the Comerce as shall be proved I hope these considerations will invite and incite them to examin which of both the Clergies the Roman Catholick that petitions for â—r the Prelatick Protestant that opposeth liberty of conscience are the cheats And that they may find it out withouâ— much trouble I have thought sit to lett them know there is not any one controversy between them and vs which hath not bin handled in English and argued to the full on both sides now the summe of our disputes being this whether the primitive Church was Roman Catholick or rather Protestant in the controverted points as Praying to Saints Transsubstantiation Purgatory worship of Images the Canonicall letter and sense of Scripturâ— c. To decide the Controversy each side quotes the words of Scripture Councells and Fathers because the true doctrine hath bin preserved and recorded in these writings Let him therfore that doubts of the sense of the Text and of the sincerity of him that quotes it compare the Authors words with the 〈…〉 he will infallibly find out who is the Cheat. For he that doth corrupt the words or change the sense of Scripâ—â—re Councells and Fathers doth not stick to the doctrin of the primitive Church And because I have spent some time both before and after my conversion to the Catholick faith in examining the falsifications and frauds of Protestants and their objections against Papists in the same kind I may speak with more assurance then others who have not so much experience and do protest that I never thought it possible before I found it was so de facto that men pretending not only to the name of reformed Christianity but to the Reality and Sanctity of an Episcopal caracter and charge of soules could be so vnconsiderable vnworthy and vncharitable in matters of eternity as I have â—ound the Protestant writers and in particular the prelaticks of the Church of England Let any who desires to satisfie his conscience or curiosity pervse and compare either the books of Jevel and Harding or of Bishop Morton and Father Pesons the nature or essence of a body Or whether quantity be a thing distinct from that which we call a corporeal substance SVBSECT I. VVith what impudency and hipocrisy Bishop Ievell and other prelatick writers began to maintain the Protestancy of the Church of England And how they were blamed for appealing to antiquity by some of their own Brethren TO manifest the impudency and hypocrisy wherwith Prelatick Protestancy was broach't and imposed vpon the layty in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign I will begin with Bishop Jevell's famous challenge and his Seconds that offered to maintain the primitive antiquity of Protestancy and the novelty of Popery His words are As I sayd before I say again I am content to yeeld and subscribe if any of our learned Adversaries or if all the learned men that be alive be able to bring one sufficient sentence out of any one Catholick Doctor or Father or out of any old Generall Councell c. for the space of 600. years after Christ c Protesting also that he affirmeth thus much not as carried away with the heat of zeale but as moved with the simple truth least any of you should happily be deceived and think there is more weight on the other side then in conclusion will be found c. And then he brake into this vehement Apostrophe O mercifull God! who could think that there could be so much wilfulness in the heart of man Then exclaimes O Gregory O Austin O Hierom O Chrysostom O Leo O Dionise O Anaclâ—tus O Calixtus O Paul O Christ Jf we be 〈◊〉 acknowledged the impossibility of defending the Protestant Religion by Tradition or by any monuments oâ— examples from antiquity or by the sayings of Fathers and Councells Insomuch that Archbishop Whitgift in his defence against the reply of Cartwright pag. 472. 473. doth not stick to say that almost all the Bishops and learned Writers of
of England Of his design to reform the principles and liberty of Protestancy intending therby to render it less dangerous to lawfull Soveraigns and Monarchy How K. Charles 1. pursued his Fathers design but his sufferings and death demonstrat the impossibility of confining the Protestant liberty within the rules of Government or reason By the fundamental principles of Protestancy every particular person is a Supreme Iudge in spiritual affairs and may more easely apply and abuse that prerogative to the prejudice of his Soveraign then the Pope can his papal Supremacy Therfore it s a great providence of God when any Protestant King of England escapes to be judged and deposed by his Subjects THE SECOND PART OF the vnreasonableness of Protestancy and of the inconsistency of the principles of Protestancy with Christian piety and peaceable government SECT I. THe vnreasonableness and inconsistency of Protestancy with Christian piety or policy proved by the very fundamental principle of all Protestant reformations which principle is a supposition of the fallibility and fall of the visible Catholick Church from the pure and primitive doctrin of Christ to damnable errors and notorious superstition Such a change is demonstrated both incredible and impossible SECT II. THe Protestants proof of such a change is their pretended cleerness of Scripture It is demonstrated that their Sense of Scripture is not clear in any texts controverted between Catholicks and Protestants That the principles of Protestancy incline to vice the Catholick principles to vertue proved in many particulars The invisibility of the Church a ridiculous comment SECT III. THe Protestant letter and Sense of Scripture is not the word of God Doctor Cossins his Scholastical History of the English Canon of Scripture confuted as also his exceptions against the authority of the Roman Catholick Canon The Lutheran Churches of Germany agree not with the English Canon of Scripture SVBSECT I. DOctor Cossins now Bp. of Duresme his exceptions against the Councel of Trent answered The legality of a Councel as well as of a Parliament may stand with the absence of many members if they were summoned and expected The absurdity of Protestant writers excepting against the want of Bishops in the Councel of Trent wheras themselves made new Religions and reformations by a Single voice of Luther Zuinglius Calvin c. and in England by the vote of the major part of twelve persons named by the Parliament to determin matters of faith and Sacraments seaven men were thought sufficient to do the work and cast the Roman Catholick Religion Protestant Bishops can no more pretend to sit and define in a general Councel then proclaimed rebells can pretend to vote in a lawful Parliament It s as reasonable the Bishop and Church of Rome should condemn hereticks and judge all controversies of faith as it is that a King and Parliament condemn rebells and judge suites in law A new definition of Pope or Councel is no new article of faith it is only a declaration of our obligation to believe that which formerly had bin revealed but not sufficiently proposed Doctor Cossins his egregious falsification of Belarmin his wresting words of St. Austin and St. Hierom. SECT IV. THe Protestant translations of Scripture are fraudulent and fals no certainty of Christian faith can be built vpon them Protestants admit no Coppy or translation to be authentick to the end they may be at liberty to reject what they do not fancy of the letter of Scripture as well as of the sense The vulgar Latin is authentick Scripture How corrupt are all English Bibles How in K. Edward 6. his reign Cranmer and the first Apostles of English Protestancy changed the very text of Christs words This is my body three several times Protestants make the Apostles fallible in doctrin even after receiving the holy Ghost and by consequence must hold their writings or Scripture to be fallible SVBSECT I. MAny particular instances of Protestant corruptions in the English Bibles to asert the Protestant and prelatick doctrin of the Church of England Against images Against Ordination by imposition of hands Against the single life of Priests Against the Sacrifice of Masse Against vowes of chastity To favor the Kings Supremacy How fondly these corruptions are excused by Whitaker and how absurdly Scripture is made speak according to the Protestant translations What small hopes there are that a Clergie which corrupts Scripture or continueth and countenanceth corruptions of Scripture will repent or recant their errors and how little reason the Protestant layty hath to rely vpon their Clergys sincerity or vpon their English Scripture SECT V. THe Protestant interpretation is not the true Sense of Scripture The principal part of Gods word is the sense he delivered to the Church together with the letter It s against reason to believe that the Church would be more carefull of preserving the letter then of preserving the sense of Scripture and therfore Protestants are vnexcusable for taking the letter from the Roman Church and rejecting the sense The holy Fathers bid us receive the Sense of Scripture as well as the letter from the Church An infallible mark of heresy to do the contrary It is at least 16. to one that the Roman Catholick Sense of Scripture is true and the Protestant fals SECT VI. NO Protestant Church hath a true Ministery Miracles Succession of doctrin or Sanctity of life Their extraordinary vocation is ridiculous and incredible it being impossible that God should send Ministers to contradict doctrin confirmed with so many signs of his own authority and approbation as the Roman Catholick is God never sent such vitious men as the Protestant reformers were to reform his Church either in the old or new Testament If the Protestant doctrin had bin true God would have wrought miracles to confirm it for the conversion of the seduced Papists as Protestants confess he doth for the conversion of the Jndians Iaponians and China What wicked men were Luther Zuinglius Calvin Beza Cranmer and the rest of his Camerades that framed the Religion and Liturgy of the Church of England and how little credit in matters of faith deserves the Parliament that confirmed the same Calvins miracle at Geneva foretold by Tertullian SECT VII THe conversion of pagan Kings and Kingdoms to Christianity foretold in Scripture is a more cleer sign of the true Church then any other miracles and not to be found in any other Church but in the Roman Catholick acknowledged by learned protestants Of Barlows three-score invisible Queens converted by protestants No greater an absurdity then their invisible Church The vain endeavors of Calvin and other protestants to convert Heathen nations Bezas despair of Success in that Ministery and his advice to protestants to leave that labor to the Jesuits and rather busy themselves at home Tertullians saying that its a sign of hereticks to pervert Christians not convert pagans may be properly applyed to Protestants Their success in propagating their new Ghospel no
so zealous as every Protestant is in ours If any Protestants lived then why did not they speack or write were they all Temporisers and Turn-coats or were they all so blind dumb deaf and dull that not one of them could see heare reprehend or observe practises and ceremonies so erronious obvious and offensive The Protestant evasion or answer to this evident Demonstration is both frivolous and fallacious Their chief Doctors acknowledg they can not tell by whom nor at what time the Popish errors were broacht and say that errors in Religion may creep as insensibly into the Church as a building may decay or white haires grow in man's head as if forsooth all and every Christian of the world and particularly the Pastors and Prelats of the Church were as much concern'd in the observation of every gray hair and head or in the preservation of every building from decay as they are in observing and preserving the purity and integrity of every article of faith and in opposing the least novelty contrary to the same Besids the outward profession and propagation of those points of Popery that Protestants suppose to have crept insensibly into the Church could neither be concealed nor confounded with the contradictory principles and practises of Protestancy as a white hair may be easily confounded and concealed with others that cover or come neer it in colour Moreover the chang from youth and stately buildings into gray hairs and ruinous edifices is wrought insensibly by the hand of time without any perceptible concurrence of any other cause Time wears out and consumeth structure strength youth and beauty whether men gaze or not gaze vpon such gay objects but the planting preaching or inculcating of new doctrin and new ceremonies of Religion are of a quite contrary nature they have not such dependency of time alone they must be effects of attention and observation of discourses and disputs of Sermons and Catechisms they must be also professed and practised in the view of the world Time without these and the like notorious practises and observations can not alter Christian Religion nor induce a contrary superstition Lastly Granted there were no fallacy in the similitude nor disparity in the Comparison the examples are better retorted against Protestancy then applied to Popery for though haires may begin to grow white and buildings to decay without any great notice taken of their chang yet when either coms to the height or even to the mediocrity of their chang that chang is observ'd by as many as have eyes to see and is not only observed but resented and remedied according to their power by them who are most concerned in such decays and defects If then a white head is so easily discern'd from black and a ruin'd edifice from a new Palace and a decay'd face from a beauty by all kind of people that make use of their senses and if so much industry is used by them who are most sensible of those imperfections to hinder their further progress or appearance how is it possible that all or any orthodox Christians being so greatly and particularly concern'd in the purity and truth of their Religion and in the observation of it's rites and Ceremonies could be for many ages so stupid as not to distinguish it's doctrin and profession from the quite contrary or so carless in applying remedies against the grouth and continuance of errors both damnable and discernable Is it not more probable and possible that Martin Luther a man so impious proud and passionat that him-self acknowledgeth he did retain Idolatry in the Church at Wittenbergh to vex his Scholler Carolostadius should to disgrace the Pope and Papists his enemies be seduc'd by his confessed disputation and submission in his diabolical doctrin then that the whole visible Church Fathers and Councels before Luther for at least 1000. years should not only forsake Christ's doctrin but mistake the true sence of Scripture now pretended to be so cleer and manifest to every Protestant That all the world did conspire and concurr to such an apostasy is not credible That they who did not concurr should sit quiet and conive is as vnlikly If no Pastor nor Prelat had the courage to oppose Idolatry and superstition sure some one or other would have had the curiosity to describe the occasion beginning and progress of so great and remarkable a change and would mention if not condemn the stupidity of the whole Church in not opposing doctrin so inconscionable and vnreasonable And yet ther is no Tradition therof nor a syllable in any history sacred or profane of this supposed change in any on point of Popery nor so much as the least sign therof in any monument of antiquity SECT II. The Protestants evasion of the cleerness of Scripture against our Roman doctrin as also of the invisibility of their own Church confuted and the incredibility of the supposed change and Apostasy proved by the difference of the Roman Catholick and Protestant principles THE second evasion of Protestant Writers is that they are not bound to inquire when or wher our Popish errors crept into the Church or became so vniversal but think it sufficient to prove by Scripture that Popery is not Christ's doctrin This shift is no less absurd then the former because they suppose for granted what is denyed and the subject to our disputes The controversy between Protestants and Catholicks is whether the Roman Tenets be contrary to Scripture Protestants say they are and prove it because forsooth Scripture is contrary to the Roman Tenets We deny it and they prove it only by pretending that the letter and sense of Scripture is evident for the Protestant doctrin and by consequence they must say that all Papists for the space of 1500. or at least 1000. years have bin either so witless as not to vnderstand what is evident or so wicked as to contradict evidence and the cleerness of God's written-word and meaning Let any Protestant who hath so much sense as to vnderstand that nothing but the obscurity of Scripture can make it the subject of disputs and occasion diversity of opinions among so honest and learned Christians be judg whether the controversies between us and Lutherans Presbiterians and Prelaticks c. be not a demonstration that the true sense of Scripture is not cleer and evident in the controverted Texts And if the dissent and dissentions amongst honest men and learned Scripturists be an vndeniable proof and evidence of Scriptur's obscurity whether it be not great obstinacy in Protestants to maintain that Popery is evidently condemned in Scripture and that so many thousands of honest and learned Papists could not or would not discover what is cleer to every illiterat Protestant or if they did would not embrace that truth to which their judgments and God's cleer word did direct them Until the year 1517. no man euer pretended the cleerness of Scripture for Protestancy at that time Martin Lather seeing all
anxiety which I attribute more to Religion then ignorance See also Pelicanus a learned Protestant writer his great prayses of the Translation of the Psalmes in the vulgar Latin edition in praef in Psalterium an 1584. See also Doctor Covell acknowledging in his answer to Burges pag. 94. The antiquity of the vulgar translation to be so great that it was used in the Church a thousand three hundred years agone and concluding pag. 91. That the most approved Translation authorised by the Church of England is that which cometh neerest to the vulgar and is commonly called the Bishops Bible And Doctor Whitaker in his answer to Mr. Reynolds pag. 141. was pleased to moderat his former rayling against our vulgar Translation revewed by St. Hierom at the request of St. Damasus Bishop of Rome saying St. Hierom J reverence Damasus I commend and the work I confess to be Godly and profitable to the Church The reason that moved the Protestants not to accept or acquiesce in our vulgar Latin Translation so much commended by them-selves and the ancient Fathers is because they would have as much liberty to reject the true letter as the true sence of Scripture their new doctrins being condemned by both For had they granted that any one ancient Translation is authentik how could Luther have had the impudence to thrust into the Text the word alone to assert his justification by only faith Rom. 3.28 or how could he omitt 2. Petr. 1. where it is sayd wherfore brethren labour the more that by good works you may make sure your vocation this particle by good works How could Zuinglius have translated for this is my body this signifies my Body to maintain his figurative signification of the words and cry down Christ's real presence in the B. Sacrament And so of all other Protestants Translations wherof every one hath words added and omitted in the Text which cannot be justified or excused by any ancient copy of Scripture extant in any language whatsoever No mervaile therfore if the Lutherans reject the Calvinists Translation and the Calvinists that of Lutherans the TransTranslation Translation of the Divines of Basile is reproved by Beza who says respon ad defens Cast. that it is in many places wicked and altogeather differing from the mind of the holy Ghost And Molinaeus in Testam part 20.30 c. saith of Beza that in his Translation he actualy changed the Text and of Calvin in Translation Testam nov fol. 110. That he maketh the Text of the Ghospel to leap up and down and that he vseth violence to the letter of the Ghospel and besids this addeth to the Text. As for the English Translation we have King James his true censure in the sume of the conference before his Majesty pag. 46. that he could never yet see a Bible well translated into English His Royall judgment is confirmed by Mr. Carlile of Christ's dessent into Hell pag. 116. where he says of the English Translators that they have depraved the sence obscured the truth and deceived the ignorant that in many places they do detort the Scripturs from the right sence c. The Ministers of Lincoln Diocess in their abridgment of a book delivered to his Majesty the first of December pag. 11. seq say that the English Translation taketh away from the Text addeth to the text and that somtyms to the changing or obscuring of the meaning of the Holy Ghost Also Mr. Burgâ—s in his Apology sect 6. saiâ—h how shal I approve vnder my hand a translation which hath many omissions many additions being somtyms sensless somtyms contrary Other precise and learned Protestants in a Treatise intituled A petition directed to his most excellent Majesty c. pag. 76. say Our Translation of the Psalmes comprised in our book of common prayer doth in addition subtraction and alteration differ from the truth of the Hebrew in 200. places at least And make this the ground of their scruple to make vse of the common prayer And these corruptions are so vndenyable that Dr. Whitaker hath nothing to answer to Dr. Reynolds pag. 255. who objected them against the Church of England but these words What Mr. Carlile with some others hath writen against some places translated in our Bibles maketh nothing to the purpose I have not sayd otherwise but that some things may be amended These corruptions in the English Protestant Bibles are so many and so notorious that Doctor Gregory Martin composed a whole book of them and therin discovers the frauds wherby the Translators pretend to excuse them somtyms they recurred to the Hebrew Text and when that spoke against their new doctrin and translation then to the Greeck when that favoured them not to some copy acknowledged by them-selves to be corrupted and of no credit and when that no copy at all could be found out to cloke their corruptions the book or Chapter of Scripture that contradicts them is declared Apocryphal and when that cannot be made probable they fall down right upon the Prophets and Apostles that writ them and say they might and did err even after the comming of the holy Ghost This is not only Luther's shift all Protestants follow their first reformer in this point having the same necessity imposed vpon them by their own reformations and translations so contrary to the known letter of Scripture Luther being told by Zuinglius tom 2. ad Luther l. de Sacram. pag. 412. seq Thou dost corrupt the word of God thou art seen to be a manifest and common corrupter and perverter of the holy Scriptures how much are we ashamed of thee who have hitherto esteemed thee beyond all measure and now prove thee to be such a man Luther knowing all this to be true had no way left to defend his impiety but by impudency preferring him-self and his own Spirit before that of them who writ the holy Scriptures therfore tom 5. Wittemberg an 1554. fol. 290. in ep ad Galat. cap. 1. after the English Translation fol. 33. 34 he saith Be it that the Church Austin and other Doctors also Peter Paul yea an Angel from heaven teach otherwise yet is my doctrin such as setteth forth God's only glory c. Peter the chief of the Apostles did live and teach extra verbum Dei besides the word of God and against St. James his mentioning the Sacrament of Extreme Unction de Capti Babyl cap. de extrem vnct in tom 2. Wittemberg fol. 86. But though this were the epistle of James I would answer that it is not lawful for an Apostle by his authority to institute a Sacrament this apertaineth to Christ alone As though thas blessed Apostle would publish a Sacrament without warant from Christ. See also what he says of Moyses his writings tom 3. Wittemberg in Psalm 45. fol. 432. 422. tom 3. Germ. fol. 40.41 in Colloq mensal Germ. fol. 152. 153. The Century Writers of Magdeburg follow this doctrin of Luther
then by the Churches which they planted Protestants contemn all these rules and because there was never any Church in the world which professed the same faith that any of their Reformers preach't or them-selves now profess they are necessitated to except against all Testimonies of ancient Fathers and Councels and against the continual and common consent of all Christian Churches concerning the proper sense of Scripture delivered to the primitive Christians and will be judg'd therin by none but by them-selves and by their own fancy of Scripture They all follow this rule of Luther the first Reformer which he layd as the foundation of all Protestant Reformations The Governours of Churches and Pastors of Christ's sheep have indeed power to teach but the sheep must judg whether they propose the voice of Christ or of strangers c. Whefore let Popes Bishops Councels c. decree order enact what they please we shall not hinder but we who are Christ's sheep and heare his voice will judg whether they propose things true and agreable to the voice of our Pastor and they must yeeld to us and subscribe and obey to our sentence and censure Luther tom 2. Wittemb cap. de Sacra Script fol. 375. And because B. p Jewel in his challenge thinking that none durst answer or accept it appeal'd to the holy Fathers of the first ages and was thervpon immediatly convicted of hypocrisy and impostures he was grievously reprehended by his own Prelatick brethren as injurious to him-self and as one who had given the Papists too large a scope and after a manner spoyl'd him-self and the Church see Doctor Humfrey in Iewel 's life edit Londin pag. 212. and the same also in Fulk's retentive against Bristow pag. 55. Ever since that foile the Prelatiks have bin more wary and one of their greatest Champions Bilson Bishop of Winchester in his true difference between Christian subjection c. part 2. pag. 353. saith in plain termes The people must be discerners and Judges of that which is taught How contrary to Luther's Reformation was the doctrin of the primitive Church and Fathers we may judg by these words of Gregory Nazianzen in the oration wherin he excuseth him-self for having bin long absent from his flock and not exercised his function Vos Oves nolite pascere Pastores neque super terminos eorum elevamini satis enim est vobis si recte pascimini nolite judicare iudices nec legem feratis legis-latoribus c. Now let any man who hath common sense be Judg whether it be in the least degree probable that not only the illiterat Protestants but even their greatest Doctors and their first Apostles Luther Calvin Cranmer c. should know better the true sense of Scripture that was delivered to the first age then they to whom those of that age told what they were taught by Christ and his Apostles or then the second which told the third what they were taught by the first and so from generation vntill Luther and Calvins tyme. That every age gave this favorable testimony to the subsequent of the sense of Scripture which it delivered can not be denyed otherwise none would have received their sense of Scripture or their doctrin as Divine whether they were sincere in delivering their testimony is the question And because none questions it but Luther Calvin c. and their followers vntill we see be ter evidence and a more cleere cause of their reformed principle and knowledg of the visible Churches apostasy then their privat spirit or Luther and Calvins new and extravagant interpretations of Scripture we dare not condemn the whole ancient visible and Catholick Church nor concurr with it's declared enemies in so rash a judgment as to affirm that the Church betrayed it's trust and posterity which rash judgment is the ground of the Protestant Reformations S. Athanasius in lib. de Decretis Nicen. Synod contra Euseb. Ecce nos quidem ex Patribus ad Patres per manus traditam fuisse hanc sententiam demonstravimus vos autem O novi Judaei Caiphae filii quos tandem nominum vestrorum potestis ostendere progenitores S. Gregor Nazian ep 2. ab Chelid Absconditam post Christum sapientiam nobis annunciant rem lacrymis dignam si enim triginta his annis fides originem habuit cum quadringenti now 1600. fere anni ab eo tempore fluxerint quo Christus palam conspectus est inane tanto tempore fuit Evangelium inanis etiam fides nostra Martyres quidem frustra martyrium subierunt frustra etiam tales tantique Antistites populo praefuerunt St. August de vtilit credendi cap. 14. saith to the Manichees what we may to the Protestant Reformers Vos autem tam pauci estis tam turbulenti tam novi nemini dubium est quoniam nihil dignum autoritate proferetis Seing therfore the Roman Catholick sense of Scripture hath for the space of 1600. years bin delivered by the visible Christian Church from age to age as the true meaning of God's word and that the Protestant sense of Scripture was never accepted of by any but condemned Hereticks and even in this last age was delivered but by a few turbulent and disagreeing persons and obnoxious â—o many exceptions much diminishing the credibility of their testimony it is at least 16. to one not only in the number but also in the quality of the witnesses that the Roman Catholick sense of Scripture is true and the Protestant false and by consequence the Protestants have no Scripture to maintain the doctrin wherin they differ from Roman Catholicks SECT VI. Protestants mistaken in the Ministery and Mission of their Clergy in the Miracles of their Church in the holiness and honesty of their Reformers ALbeit God was able to call justify and confirm the elect without any mediat means yet as Protestants confess he was pleased not to accomplish the same otherwise then in and by the ministery of his Church Therfore S. Paul tells vs Ephes. 4.11.12.13 that Christ hath placed in his Church Pastors and Doctors to continue to the consummation of Saints till we all meet in the vnity of faith The chief of these Pastors and Doctors are the Bishops vnto whom as the same Apostle testifieth it belongeth to govern God's Church Act. c. 2â— These Bishops must succeed not only in Doctrin but in caracter to the Apostles which caracter is the ordinary ministery or vocation discern'd and received by imposition of Episcopal hands 1. Tim. 4. But because Luther was only a single Priest and Calvin as most say not so much as a Priest and that both despaired of Episcopal and Priestly succession they resolv'd to remedy that want by saying that the caracter of Priests and Bishops was not distinct from that of Baptism and wheras Luther's ordination or ordinary vocation in the Roman Catholick Church was to preach the doctrin which he had receiv'd from that Church and not his new
of their Religion which was to recurr to the letter of Scripture conâ—â—â—ning the true sense therof delivered by 〈…〉 and practise of the Catholick Church doctrin 〈…〉 primiâ—â—ve Fathers and General Coâ—â—cells but these vpstarts knowing their new fancies 〈…〉 agreable therunto Insteed of the ancient faith of Christendom they resolved to maiâ—â—ain 〈◊〉 condemned heresies following in this manner of proceeding their first Apostles Luther Calvin c. who would admit of nothing but the 〈◊〉 of Scripture interpreted by themselves after an 〈…〉 manner We will instance 〈◊〉 three Doctor Wiâ—aker Arch-bishop VVhitgift and Doctor Fulk omitting many others Doctor VVhitaker in his answer to Doctor Sanders demonstrations pag. 21. saith we repose no such confidence in the Fathers writings that we take any certain proof of Religion from them because we place all our faith and Religion not in human but in divine authority if therfore you bring vs what some Father hath taught or what the Fathers vniversaly all together have delivered the same except it be approved by Testimony of Scriptures it availeth nothing it convinceth nothing For the Fathers are such witnesses as they have also need of the Scriptures to be their witnesses if deceived by error c. And Yet this same Whitaker vndertook to maintain Bishop Jewell's Challenge by Fathers and Councells Archbishop Whitgift was no less but rather more injurious for in his defence of the Prelatick Church against the Puritan Cartwright pag. 402. 473. he is not ashamed to say that all the learned Bishops and learned writers of the Greek and latin Church for the most part where spotted with the doctrin of free will Invocation of Saints c. And thence inferrs that in no age since the Apostles time any company of Bishops held so perfect and sound doctrin in all points as himself and his fellow Bishops of England To what impiety and impudency are men driven by defending heretical novelties Doctor Bristow alleadgeth the Testimonies of S. Epiphanius S. Hierom and S. Austin condemning the heresies of Aerius Iovinian and Vigilantius against fasting days commanded by the Church prayer for the dead prayer to Saints against the honoring of their Reliques against preferring Virginity before Matrimony c. Doctor Fulk answereth that Epiphanius and Augustin were deceived in recording those for Heresies which are not and that Hierom rather raild then reasoned and that Vigilantius was a good man and his opinions sound 〈◊〉 Chrysostom is alledged for the Mass saying the Apostles â—â—creed that in the Sacrifice of the Altar there should be made prayers for the departed Fulk answereth where he saith it was decreed by the Apostles he must pardon us for crediting him because he cannot shew it us out of the Acts and writings of the Apostles And divers other Fathers being quoted to confirm St. Chrysoâ—â—â—m's testimony Fulk says who is witness that this is the Tradition of the Apostles you will say Tertullian Cyprian Austin Hierom and a great many more But I would learn why the Lord would not have this set forth by Mathew Mark Luke or Paul why they were not chosen scribes hereof rather then Tertullian Cyprian Hierom Austin and others such as you name This desperat shift of slighting the ancient Fathers Testimony was the ordinary way of answering Catholick Books for many years but some of the Protestant Writers observing how the wise and well meaning persons of their own Religion were not satisfied therewith and that there could no reason be given why any Christian should rather believe a Luther Zuinglius Calvin Beza Peter Martyr Thomas Cranmer Chark Fulk Whitaker or VVhitgift then a Cyprian a Tertullian Basil Hierom Chrysostom an Ambrose or an Austin especially in a matter of fact such as our controversies are to wit whether the Apostles and the true Church taught this or that sense of Scripture and doctrin seeing these holy and leaâ—â—ed Fathers lived in the primitive times and more then 12. or 13. hundred years neerer to the Apostles then the aforesayd Protestant Doctors and by consequence might be more easily and exactly informed Some of the Protestant Writers I say observing how much their cause was prejudiced by this conteâ—â—â—â— of antiquity and Fathers resolved 〈◊〉 more to try Iewell 's Method and see whether their impudency in falsifying might have better success then his either for want of courage and means in Catholicks to manifest their corruptions or for the hopes they had to discredit our Testimony and suppress such 〈◊〉 as we should venture to print and publish against themselves and the states Religion which they maintained But no sooner came any Protestant Book to sight but by God's assistance it was answered with all possible speed and it's falsifications discovered and some of our Catholick writers made it their business to manifest the frauds and four beries of Protestant Controversorâ— one of ours say's To declare that this spirit of fals dealing ioyned with necessity and misery of their bad cause is common not only vnto him Morton but vnto many of his brethren and must needs be vnto all them whensoever they take pen in hand to defend the same for that one ly cannot be defended without an other therfore I do produce ten several witnesses two of them called Bishops M. r Iewell and M. r Horn five inferior Ministers M. r Iohn Fox M. r Calfeild M. r Hanmer M. r Chark and M. r Perkins and might have named five times more three lay men also and Knights that have written against us Sir Francis Hastings S. r Philip Mornay and S. r Edward Cook alledging not one but sundry examples out of each of their works and might inlarge myself to a volume in that argument if I would say what I have found in their and their Brethrens works in this kind c. Any man who desires to be rightly informed in this important matter of the Protestant Clergys true or fals dealing in religion may peruse and conferr the Books on both sides I will not detain my Reader longer with Q. Elizabeths Writers being to treat of the same again when we answer the like objections of Protestants against Catholick Writers yet J can not omit to let him see in one person the hypocrisy of many in one I say that professeth as commonly they all do so much sincerity in treating of Controversies as might seem to excuse the necessity of any further inquiry if his fourberies had not bin manifested to the world not only by his accusers but by his own answers so weake and impertinent they are that they conclude nothing but his obstinacy in â—â—thering to his former errors though he be evidently convicted of being an Impostor The writer I speak of is VVillet who as you have seen heretofore makes this protestation I take God to witness before whom I must render account c. that the same faith and religion which I defend is taught in the more substantial points by those Histories
and other Saints of the old Testament to which Morton answereth nothing Lastly he thinks to excuse Calvin and free him from the Manichees heresy by saying that Belarmin himself confesseth he granted free will to man in his first Creation though he lost it by sin as if it were not also the Manichees heresy to deny free will to man after the fall of Adam How Bp. Morton answers to Belarmin's imputation of Arianism vnto Protestants BElarmin quotes St. Epiphanius and St. Austin charging the Arians not only with the heresy of denying the son to be equal with the Father but also with denying vnwritten Traditions to be the word of God and sayes that all the sectaries or Protestants of our times teach the second error though not the first at least so cleerly The honest Bishop Morton acknowledgeth the second because he sayes nothing to the charge and cavills about the first quoting an other Book and Chapter of Belarmin wherin he chargeth Bullinger But as for rejecting vnwritten Traditions Morton seems to be well pleased with the charge and rest contented therin not only with the sense of the Arians but of Nestorius Dioscorus and Eutiches whom Belarmin couples with Protestants both for contemning doctrin delivered by Tradition and for their sacrileges against the Sacraments Altars Priests Monks Votaries c. saying that Protestants do commit the very same villanies against these sacred things and persons that Dâ—natists and all those other heretiks had exercised To all which Morton answereth with silence How Morton falsifyeth and abuseth Belarmin who imputes the denyal of Christ's real Presence in the Sacrament to Protestants IMmediatly after the Apostles St. Ignatius the Martyr sayes that the Simonian and Menandrian heretiks did not admit Eucharistias oblaciones for that they did not confess the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Iesus Christ which sentence saith Belarmin is quoted by Theodoret in 3. Dialog out of St. Ignatius his Epistle to the Christians of Smirna where notwithstanding it is not now found Belarmin is of opinion that these ancient heretiks denyed the real presence rather as a consequence drawen from their denyal of the Incarnation then as doubting of the signification or efficacy of Christ's words and that they differed in this from Protestants that these deny Christ's flesh to be in the Sacrament though they acknowledge he had true flesh but the ancient heretiks deny Christ's flesh to be in the Sacrament because he had no flesh And here Morton pretends that Belarmin contradicts himself and withall abuseth Calvin who as Morton sayth doth grant the real presence nay that Belarmin confesseth he grants the same But Morton corrupteth and abuseth Belarmin both in the allegation and Translation In steed of Belarmin's words by vs here cited he puts in only these as Belarmin's which sentence is 〈◊〉 by Theodoret in 3. Dialog but is not now to be found in Theodoâ—â—â— Making the Reader believe by falsifying Belarmin That the Testimony of Theodoret was not to be found in Theodoret and â—herfore he left out the mention of St. Ignatius his Epistle 〈…〉 wheras the Testimony is in Theodoret now 〈◊〉 both in Greek and Latin though it be not in St. Ignaâ—â—â—â— his Epistle As for Belarmins contradicting himself in saying that Calvin doth admit and deny the real presence it is no contradiction of Belarmins but a true assertion of Calvin's Contradictionâ— For both Belarmin and Valentia convince him of most evidâ—â—â— and palpable contradictions in this matter he seeking to say something different not only from Luther but also from 〈◊〉 and Zuinglius therby to make a sect of his own but yet not finding wherin to subsist or be permanent speaks non-seâ—â—â— and Contradictions for proof wherof Belarmin doth set down seven several propositions of his about this matter each one of them different from the other and some of them so contradictory as by no possible means they may be reconciled or stand together As first That the flesh of Christ is only 〈◊〉 heaven and that in so certain and determinat a place as it 〈◊〉 as distant from the bread as the highest heaven is from the earth and then this notwithstanding he saith that in the supper the true body of Christ is exhibited vnto the faithfull and not only a sign Yea that the very substance of Christs Body is given 〈◊〉 to that again he saith that notwithstanding the distance betwâ—â—â— the Body of Christ and the Sacramental signes yet are they joyâ—â—d together by so miraculous and inexplicable means as neither tongue nor pen can explicat the same and then further That we must not beleive that this conjunction is by any real coming down of Christs Body vnto us but by a certain Substantial force derived from his flesh by his Spirit Where he seemeth to say that the conjunction is made not in the substance but in some essential quality And so in the fifth place more cleerly he saith that it is made by apprehension of faith only wherby he contradicteth all that he sayd before of real and substantial conjunction And in the sixth place he confirmeth more the same by saying that wicked mâ—n receive not the Body at all quia Corpus Christi solo ore fidei accipitur for that the Body of Christ is only received by the mouth of faith And in the seventh and last place he concludeth that this Sacrament doth not give the Body of Christ or faith vnto any that hath it not already but only 〈◊〉 testifie and confirm that now it is there and is but a sign or seale to vse his words of that which is there already And this being the variety aÌ„d vanity of Calvin in this matter it proveth not contradiction in Belarmin but in Calvin himself whose inconstancy and contradictions all they who â—â—plain the belief of the Church of England imitat in this 〈◊〉 as every one may see in primat Vsher Bishop 〈◊〉 in his Treatise of Transubstantiation and others And now to conclude this matter we may ask Protestants as the Emperor Theodosius did 〈◊〉 Reformers and Innovators of his time whether they believed the ancient Fathers held the true doctrin of Christ and his Apostles and they answering affirmatively he replyed Examinemus ergo doctrinam vestram ad illorum scripta Let us examin your doctrin by their writings Let us Judge that to be heresy which they placed in the Catalogue of heresies and if so Protestants must not blame us when we call them hereticks for maintaining Justification by only faith with the Simonians and Eâ—nomians God to be the Author of sin with the Florinians that women may be and are Priests and Popes with the Pâ—putians that concupiscence is a sin with Proclus 1 that the true Church was invisible with the Donatists that men must not fast the Lent pray nor offer sacrifice for the Dead with the Aerians That Saints ought not to be prayed vnto themselves nor
the Protestant Clergy abuse the layty and illiterat people making 〈◊〉 believe that in all ages there hath bin a Church teaching and professing the Protestant doctrin and because some of the hereticks to 〈◊〉 â—â—ckleffians Hussits 〈◊〉 Lollards whom he names Martyrs and witnesses of his Evangelical truth were condemned not 〈◊〉 by the Church but by Acts of Parliaâ—â—nt he tellâ—â—h you that though the statuâ—s 〈…〉 persons preaching divers sermons 〈◊〉 herelies 〈◊〉 doctrin and 〈◊〉 errors to the blemish of Christian faith c yet notwithstanding whosoever readeth histories and the 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 see these to be no false teachers 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 c. and to have taught no other 〈…〉 then now 〈…〉 their own preachers in 〈…〉 And 〈…〉 Sr John 〈…〉 is produced by Fox as a witness for the Protestant 〈◊〉 and a chief member of that Church and he in his professiâ—◠〈◊〉 faith said 〈…〉 Church I believe to be divided into three sorts or companâ—â—◠〈…〉 now in heaven c. the second sort are in 〈…〉 of God and a full deliveraâ—â—e of paine The 〈…〉 earth c. Iohn Fox to this speech of Purgatory addeth 〈◊〉 parenthesis of his own as if it had bin part of Oldcastles profession of faith if any such 〈…〉 Scriptures fearing his Reader might take notice how Sr. 〈…〉 was no Protestant And such frauds he vseth in most other occasions as you may see in the three Converâ—â—â—ns of England writ to confute his acts and Monuments and from whence we have borrowed most of what hath bin sayd concerning Fox and his Martyrs Now we will treat of others no less fals and deceitfull in maintaining the Protestant Religion SVBSECT III. Doctor Chark's falsification of St. Austin and how he excuseth Luther's doctrin of the lawfulness of adultery and incest DOctor Chark was so great a pillar of protestancy in Q. Elizabeths days that he was thought the fittest man to dispute against learned Campian in the Tower but 〈◊〉 behaved himself in that occasion very insolently ignoâ—â—â—â— and vncharitably he writ a â—ook in answer to the 〈◊〉 which was published of himself Luther Calvin Beza 〈◊〉 â—any other falsifications of Mr. Chark to defend 〈◊〉 Protesâ—â—nt doctrin his adversary objects pag. 122 â— that 〈…〉 St. Augustin's Text about the doctrin of conâ—â—â—scence where the Censure had alleadged besides the Testiâ—â—ny of many other Fathers one most plain out of that great 〈◊〉 saying concupiscence is not sin in the regenerate if consent 〈◊〉 yeelded vnto her for accomplishment of vnlawfull works Mr. 〈◊〉 alleadgeth another authority out of St. Austin in the same 〈◊〉 that doth as he says expound his meaning for thus 〈◊〉 writeth Augustin's place is expounded by himself afterward saying concupiscence is not so forgiven in baptism that it is not sin 〈◊〉 that it is not imputed as sin where the word sin in the first place is put in by Mr. Chark for that St. Austin's words are Dâ—â—itti Concupiscentiam carnis in Baptismo non ut non sit sed ut in peccatum non imputetur quamvis reatu suo jam soluto manet 〈◊〉 Concupiscence is forgiven in Baptisme not so that it is not or remain not in the regenerat but that it be not imputed as SVBSECT IV. Falsifications of Cranmer and Peter Martyr against Transubstantiation and the Sacrifice of the Mass c. AFter that Cranmer had bin publikly convinced both by Scripture and Fathers 〈◊〉 his disputation at Oxford â—s will appeare to any that will read even his friend 〈◊〉 concerning that subject the Catholick disputants objeâ—â—ed falsifications and corruptions of his in the Books which 〈◊〉 had composed against the real presence one was that wheras 〈◊〉 Martyr who flourished in the beginning of the second 〈◊〉 answering to them who sayd the Christians adored bread 〈◊〉 we do not take this for common bread and drink but like as â—â—sus Christ our Saviour Incarnat by the word of God had flesh and 〈…〉 Salvation even so we be taught the food where-with our 〈◊〉 and blood is nourished by alteration when it is consecrated by the 〈◊〉 of his prayer instituted by him to be the flesh and blood of the same Jesus Incarnat Cranmer thus translated the words of that ancient Father Bread water and wine are not to be taken as other 〈◊〉 and drinks be but they be ordained purposly to give thanks to 〈◊〉 and therfore be called Eucharistia and be called the Body and blood of Christ and that it is lawfull for none to eat and drink of them but that profess Christ and live according to the same and yet that meat and drink is changed into our flesh and Blood and nourisheth our bodys After Cranmer's confessing that the former Catholicks Translation was the right he excuseth his villany saying he did not translate Justin word by word wheras he set down all as Justin's words but only gave the meaning let any Protestant be Iudge whether he gave Iustin's meaning You have corrupted Emissenus saith Doctor Weston to Cranmer for insteed of cibis satiâ—ndus that is to be filled hath pro omni paena for all pain your Book omitteth many things there Thus you see Brethren saith Doctor Weston the truth stedfast and invincible you see also the craft and deceit of hereticks And thus concludeth Fox himself the disputation with Cranmer Doctor Chedley did also object to Cranmer his corruption of St. Hillaries words putting in vero sub Mysterio for verè sub mysterio by which the whole sense was altered because verè sub mysterio sheweth that we do truly receive in the mystery of the Sacrament Christ's flesh and blood and vero sub mysterio proves only the reality or verity of a Sacrament or a mystery not of the body and blood of Christ. To this after many excuses Cranmer answered that the change of one letter for an other was but â— small matter But Weston told that Pastor was a Bishop and â—â—stor a Baker and yet there was but one letters change As for Peter Martyr's falsifications they appear sufficiently 〈◊〉 the places themselâ—â—â— which Fox alleadgeth for him out of 〈◊〉 or twelve Fathers in his disputations at Oxford an 1549. wherof the reader will scarce find one truly cited in all respects but that either the words next going before or immediatly following making wholy against Protestants are purâ—â—sely left out and others put in or mistranslated as hath bin evidently demonstrated part 3. c. 19. 20. 21. of the â—â—eatise of the three conversions of England and therfore we â—â—â—â—eare what every one may see in a Book no less obvious then profitable SECT VI. How some Protestant 〈◊〉 in Q. Elizabeths time seing their fellowes were proved Falsifiers waved the Testimonies of the ancient Fathers and 〈◊〉 the others continued their former course of falsifying both Fathers and Councells THE discovery of Iewell 's 〈◊〉 other mens falsificatiâ—â—â— made some Protestant writers more wary and take an other course for defence