doe First their prerogatiues they giue to Peter are blasphemous Secondly their allegations to proue that their Popes succeede as full heires to all Peters prerogatiues are ridiculous Whence it must needes follow that their faith is but a compost of folly blasphemy This pretended perpetuity of tradition or suspitious tale of succession from Peter is the best warrant they haue the Church doth not erre in expounding the places alleadged for her infallability and their beliefe of their infallibility in such expositions the onely security their soules can haue that obeying the former decree of worshipping the consecrate host of cōmunicating vnder one kind they doe not contemptuously disobey Gods principall lawes mangle Christs last Will and Testament vilifie his pretious body and bloud Seeing then they themselues confesse the places brought by vs against their decrees to be diuine and we haue demonstrated that mens beliefe of that infallible authority in making such decrees to bee merely humane the former conclusion is most firme that whilest men obey these decrees against that naturall sense and meaning which the former passages of scripture suggest so plainly to euery mans conscience that the Churches pretended authority set aside none would euer question whether they could admit any restraint they obey men more then God humane lawes more then diuine and much better belieue the traditions of humane fancy of whose forgery for others worldly gaine there bee strong presumptions then the expresse written testimony of the holy spirit in the especiall points of their owne saluation 12 Or if vnto the testimony of Gods spirit recorded in Scriptures wee adde history tradition Councels or former Popes decrees or whatsoeuer possibly may be pretended to proue the present Popes authority it must still bee supposed greater better knowne then all that can be brought for it or against it as will appeare if we apply our argument vsed before That authority is alwayes greater which may trie all others and must bee tried by none but such is the Popes declaration or determination of all points in controuersie whether about the canon or sence of Scriptures ouer those which are brought for it whether about the truth true meaning or authority or vnwrittē traditions whether about the lawfulnes of councels or their authentique interpretations in one word his determinations are monarchical may not be examined as S. Austen or others of the ancient fathers writings may by any law written or vnwritten So Bellarmine suteable to the Trent Councell expresly auoucheth The Fathers were onely Doctors or expositors the Pope is a iudge What then is the difference betweene a Iudge and an expositor To explane as a Iudge there is required authority to explane as a Doctor or expositor onely learning is requisite For a Doctor doth not propose his sentence as necessary to bee followed but onely so farre as reason shal councell vs but a Iudge proposeth his sentence to bee followed of necessity Whereof then will the Pope bee Iudge Of expounding Scriptures these places of Scripture which make for his pretended authority Must his sentence herein of necessity be followed By Bellarmine it must albeit wee see no reason for it either out of Scripture or nature It is for Doctors to bring reasons for their expositions but the Pope needs not except hee will nor may wee exact it of a Iudge So hee addes more expresly We admit not of Bartolus or Baldus glosses as wee doe of Empecours declarations Austine and other Fathers in their Commentaries supply the places of Teachers but the Councell and Popes exercise the function of Iudges whereunto God hath designed them But how shall we know that God hath committed all iudgement vnto them seeing wee haue beene taught by his word that hee hath committed all iudgement vnto his sonne Because all men should honour the sonne as they honour the father We reade not of any other to whom the like authority is giuen by God or his sonne yet of one whose very name shall import the vsurpation of like authority that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christs Vicar generall vnto whom the Sonne as must bee supposed doth deligate the same iudiciary power the Father deligated vnto him 13. But may a Princes declaration in no case be examined by his subiects Yes though in ciuill matters it may so farre as it concernes their consciences as whether it be consonant to Gods word or no whether it make more for the health of their soules to suffer what it inflicts vpon the refusers or to act what it commands To controle contermaund or hinder the execution of it by opposition of violence or contrary ciuill power subiects may not But for any but man to vsurpe such dominion ouer his fellow creatures soules as earthly Princes haue ouer their subiects goods lands or bodies is more then Monarchicall more then tyrannical the very Idea of Antichristianisme And what I would commend vnto the Reader as a point of especiall consideration this assertion of Bellarmine concerning the Popes absolute authoritie directly proues him as was auouched before to be a supreame head or foundation of the selfe same ranke and order with Christ no way inferiour to him in the intensiue perfection but onely in the extent of absolute soueraigntie For greater soueraignty cannot be conceiued then this That no man may examine the truth or equity of commands or consequences immediately deriued from it though immediatly concerning their eternall ioy or miserie No Prince did euer deligate such soueraigne power to his Vice gerent or deputy nor could he vnlesse for the time being at least he did vtterly relinquish his owne supreame authority or admit a full compere in his kingdome Bellarmines distinctions of a primary and secondary foundation of a ministeriall and principall head of the Church may hence he described to be but meere stales set to catch guls Their conceit of the Popes copartnership with Christ is much better resembled and more truly expressed by the Poets imaginations of Iupiter and Augustus Caesars fraternity Diuisum imperium cum Iove Caesar habet Ioue and Caesar are Kings and Gods But Ioue of heauen that 's the onely ods That Christ should retaine the title of the supreame head ouer the Church militant and the realitie of supremacie ouer the Church triumphant ouer aduersaries are not offended Because there is small hope of raising any new tribute from the Angels and Saints in heauen to the Romish churches vse and as little feare that Christ should take any secular commodity from it which aunciently it hath enioyed 14. But though it were true that we were absolutely bound to obey an absolute Monarchie of whose right none doubts yet may we examine whether euery Potentate that challengeth Monarchicall iurisdiction ouer others or giues forth such insolent edicts in ciuill matters as the Pope doth in spirituall do not goe beyond his authority in these particulars albeit his lawfull prerogatiues in respect of others be
recordes and declarations written or vnwritten to be most authentique they cannot be certaine whether euer there had beene such an Emperour as they plead succession from or at least how farre his Dominions extended or where they lay This manner of plea in secular controuersies would be a meane to defeate him that made it For albeit the Christian World did acknowledge there had beene such an Emperour and that many parts of Europe of right belonged vnto his lawfull heire Yet if it were otherwise vnknowne what parts these were or who this heire should bee no Iudge would be so mad as finally to determine of eyther vpon such motiues Or if the Plaintiffe could by such courses as the World knowes oft preuaile in iudgement or other gracious respects effect his purpose hee were worse then madde that could thinke the finall resolution of his right were into the Emperours last will and testament which by his owne confession no man knowes besides himselfe and not rather into his owne presumed fidelitie or the Iudges apparant partialitie So in this controuersie whatsoeuer the Pope may pretend from Christ all in the end comes to his owne authority which wee may safely beleeue herein to bee most infallible that it will neuer prooue partiall against it selfe or define ought to his Holinesse disaduantage 10 Here againe it shall not be amisse to admonish yonger Students of another gull which the Iesuite would put vpon vs to make their Churches doctrine seeme lesse abominable in this point lest you should thinke they did aequalize the authority of the Church with diuine reuelations Valentian would perswade you it were no part of the formall obiect of faith It is true indeed that the Churches authority by their doctrine is not comprehended in the obiect of belieefe whilest it onely proposeth other Articles to bee beleeued No more is the Sunne comprehended vnder the obiects of our actuall sight whilest we behold colours or other visibles by the vertue of it But yet as it could not make colours or other things become more visible vnto vs vnlesse it selfe were the first and principall visible that is vnlesse it might bee seene more clearely then those things which wee see by it so wee would direct our sight vnto it so would it bee impossible the Churches infallible proposal could make a Romane Catholikes beliefe of Scriptures or their orthodoxal sense the stronger vnlesse it were the first and principall credible or primary obiect of his beliefe or that which must bee most clearely most certainely and most sted fastly belieued so as all other Articles besides must be belieued by the beliefe or credibility of it This is most euident out of Sacroboscus and Bellarmines resolution or explication of that point how the Churches proposall confirmes a Roman Catholiques beliefe To giue this doctrine of their Churches infallibility the right title according to the truth it is not an Article of Catholike beleefe but a Catholike Axiome of Antichristian vnbeliefe which from the necessary consequences of their assertions more strictly to be examined will easily appeare CHAP. IIII. What maner of causall dependance Romish beleefe hath on the Church that the Romanist truly and properly beleeues the Church onely not God or his word 1 THe 2. main assertions of our aduersaries whence our intended conclusion must be proued are these often mentioned heretofore First that wee cannot be infallibly perswaded of the truth of Scriptures but by the Churches proposall Secondly that without the same wee cannot bee infallibly perswaded of the true sense or meaning of these scriptures which that Church and we both belieue to be Gods word How wee should know the Scriptures to be Gods word is a probleme in Diuinity which in their iudgement cannot be assoiled without admission of Traditions or diuine vnwritten verities of whose extent and meaning the Church must be infallible Iudge It is necessary to saluation saith Bellarmine that wee know there bee some bookes diuine which questionlesse cannot by any meanes be knowne by Scriptures For albeit the Scriptures say that the Books of the Prophets or Apostles are diuine yet this I shall not certainely belieue vnlesse I first belieue that Scripture which saith thus is diuine For so wee may read euery where in Mahomets Alcoran that the Alcoran it selfe was sent from heauen but wee belieue it not Therefore this necessary point that some Scripture is diuine cannot sufficiently be gathered out of Scriptures alone Consequently seeing faith must rely vpon Gods word vnlesse wee haue God word vnwritten we can haue no faith His meaning is wee cannot know the Scriptures to be diuine but by Traditions and what Traditions are diuine what not wee cannot know but by the present visible Church as was expresly taught by the same Author before And the finall resolution of our belieuing what God hath said or not said must bee the Churches authority To this collection Sacroboseus thus farre accords Some Catholiques reiected diuers Canonicall Books without any danger and if they had wanted the Churches proposall for others as well as them they might without sinne haue doubted of the whole Canon This he thinks consonant to that of Saint Austin I would not belieue the Gospell vnlesse the Churches authority did thereto moue me He addes that we of reformed Churches making the visible Churches authority in defining points of faith vnsufficient might disclaime all without any greater sinne or danger to our soules then wee incurre by disobeying some parts of Scripture to wit the Apocryphall books canonized by the Romish church The Reader I hope obserues by these passages How Bellarmine ascribes that to Tradition which is peculiar to Gods prouidence Sacroboscus that to blind beliefe which belongs vnto the holy Spirit working faith vnto the former points by the ordinary obseruation of Gods prouidence and experiments answerable to the rules of Scriptures 2 Consequently to the Trent Councels decree concerning the second assertion Bellarmine thus collects It is necessary not onely to bee able to read Scriptures but to vnderstand them but the Scripture is often so ambiguous and intricate that it cannot bee vnderstood without the exposition of some that cannot erre therefore it alone is not sufficient Examples there be many For the equality of the diuine persons the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne as from one ioint originall Originall sinne Christes descension into Hell nd many like may indeed be deduced out of scriptures but not so plainely as to end controuersies with contentious spirits if we should produce onely testimonies of Scriptures And wee are to note there bee two things in Scripture the Characters or the written words and the sense included in them The Character is as the sheath but the sense is the very sword of the spirite Of the first of these two all are partakers for whosoeuer knowes the Character may reade the Scripture but of the sense all men are not capable nor can wee in
many places bee certaine of it vnlesse Tradition be assistant It is an offer worth the taking that here he makes That the sense of Scriptures is the sword of the spirit This is as much as wee contend that the sense of the Scripture is the Scripture Whence the inference is immediately necessary That if the Romish Church binde vs to belieue or absolutely practise ought contrary to the true sense and meaning of Scriptures with the like deuotion we doe Gods expresse vndoubted commandements she preferres her owne authority aboue Gods word and makes vs acknowledge that allegiance vnto her which we owe vnto the spirit For suppose wee had as yet no full assurance of the spirit for the contradictory sense to that giuen by the Church we were in christian duty to expect Gods prouidence and inuoke the spirits assistance for manifestation of the truth from all possibility wherof wee desperately exclude our selues if wee belieue one mans testimony of the spirit as absolutely irreuoucably as we would do the manifest immediate testimony of the spirit yet Sacroboscus acknowledgeth hee beliues the mystery of the Trinity as it is taught by their Church onely for the Churches authority and yet this hee beleeues as absolutely as hee doth yea as hee could belieue any other diuine Reuelation though extraordinarily made vnto himselfe 3 In both parts of beliefe aboue mentioned the causall dependance of our faith vpon the Churches proposals may be imagined three wayes eyther whilest it is in planting or after it is planted or from the first beginning of it to it full growth or from it first entrance into our hearts vntill our departure out of this world How farre and in what sort the Ministery of men in the Church is auaileable for planting faith hath been declared heretofore Eyther for the planting or supporting it the skill or authority of the teachers reaches no further then to quicken or strengthen our internal taste or apprehension of the diuine truth reuealed in Scriptures or to raise or tune our spirites as Musicke did Elishahs the better to perceiue the efficacy of Gods spirit imprinting the stampe of those diuine Reuelations in our hearts whose Characters are in our braines The present Churches proposals in respect of our beliefe is but as the Samaritan womans report was vnto the men of Sichars Many sayth the Euangelist belieued in him for the saying of the woman which testified he hath told mee all things that euer I did But this beliefe was as none in respect of that which they conceiue immediately from his owne words For they saide vnto the woman Now wee belieue not because of thy saying for we haue heard him our selues and know that this is indeede the Christ. The eare sayeth Iob tryeth the words as the mouth tasteth meates Consonant hereto is our Churches doctrine that as our bodily mouthes taste and trie meates immediately without interposition of any other mans sense or iudgement of them so must the eares of our soules trie and discerne diuine truthes without relying on other mens proposals or reports of their rellish No externall meanes whatsoeuer can in eyther case haue any vse but onely eyther for working a right disposition in the Organ whereby triall is made or by occasioning the exercise of the faculty rightly disposed How essentially faith by our aduersaries doctrine dependes vpon the churches authority is euident out of the former discourses that this dependance is perpetuall is as manifest in that they make it the iudge and rule of faith such an indefectible rule and so authentique a Iudge as in all points must be followed and may not be so far examined eyther by Gods written law or rules of nature whether it contradict not it selfe or them 4 It remaines we examine the particular maner of this dependance or what the Churches infallibility doth or can performe eyther to him that belieues or to the obiect of his beleefe whēce a Romane Catholikes faith should become more firme or certaine then another mans It must enlighten eyther his soule that it may see or diuine reuelations that they may be seene more clearely otherwise he can exceed others onely in blinde beleefe The cunningest Sophister in that schoole strictly examined vpon these points will bewray that monstrous blasphemy which some shallow braines haue hitherto hoped to couer Wee haue the same Scriptures they haue and peruse them in all the languages they doe What is it then can hinder eyther them from manifesting or vs from discerning their Truth or true meaning manifested Doe we want the Churches proposall we demand how their present Church it selfe can better discerne them then ours may what testimonie of antiquity haue they which we haue not But it may be we want spectacles to read them our Church hath but the eyes of priuate men which cannot see without a publike light Their Churches eyes are Cat-like able so to illustrate the obiects of Christian faith as to make them cleare and perspicuous to it selfe though darke and inuisible vnto vs. Suppose they could Yet Cats-eyes benefit not by-standers a whit for seeing colours in darknes albeit able themselues to see them without any other light then their owne The visible Church saith the Iesuite is able to discerne all diuine truth by her infallible publique spirit How knowes he this certainly without an infallible publique spirit perhaps as men see Cats-eyes shine in the darke when their owne doe not Let him beleeue so But what doth this beleefe aduantage him or other priuate spirits for the cleare distinct or perfect sight of what the Church proposeth Doth the proposall make diuine Truthes more perspicuous in themselues Why then are they not alike perspicuous to all that heare reade or know the Churches testimonie of them Sacroboscus hath said al that possibly can be said on their behalfe in this difficultie The Sectaries albeit they should vse the authoritie of the true Church yet cannot haue any true beleefe of the truth reuealed If the vse of it be as free to them as to Catholikes what debarres them from this benefit They doe not acknowledge the sufficiencie of the Churches proposall And as a necessary proofe or medium is not sufficient to the attayning of science vnlesse a man vse and acknowledge it formally as necessary so for establishing true faith it sufficeth not that the Church sufficiently proposeth the points to be beleeued or auoweth them by that infallible authoritie wherewith Christ hath enabled her to declare both what bookes containe Doctrines Diuine and what is the true sense of places controuersed in them but it is further necessary that wee formally vse this proposall as sufficient and embrace it as infallible 5 The reason then why a Romane Catholique rightly beleeues the Truth or true meaning of Scriptures when a Protestant that knowes the Churches testimonie as well as he in both points vncertaine is because the Catholique infallibly beleeues the Churches authority to bee
this Apostasie of the Iesuites is the most abhominable and contumelious against the blessed Trinitie pag. 300. THE TRIPLICITIE OF ROMISH BLASPHEMIE OR THE THREE DEGREES OF ANTICHRISTS EXALTATION Against all that is called GOD. THE THIRD BOOKE SECT I. Contayning the assertions of the Romish Church whence her threefold blasphemie springs HAuing in the former dispute clearly acquitted as well Gods word from breeding as our Church from nursing contentions schismes and heresies wee may in this by course of common equitie more freely accuse their iniurious calumniators And because our purpose is not to charge them with forgerie of any particular though grossest heresies or blasphemies though most hideous but for erecting an intire frame capacioâ—s of all villanies imaginable farre surpassing the hugest mathematicall forme humane fancie could haue conceiued of such matters but only from inspection of this reall and materiall patterne which by degrees insensible hath growne vp with the mysterie of iniquitie as the barke doth with the tree such inconsiderate passionate speeches as heat of contention in personall quarrells hath exstracted from some one or few of their priuate Writers shall not be produced to giue euidence against the Church their Mother whose triall shall be as farre as may be by her Peeres either by her owne publike determinations in this controuersie or ioynt consent of her authorized best approued Advocates in opening the title or vnfolding the contents of that prerogatiue which they challenge for her 2 Our accusations are grounded vpon their Positions before set downe when wee explicated the differences betwixt vs. The position in briefe is this That the infallible authoritie of the present Church is the most sure most safe vndoubted rule in all doubts or controuersies of faith or in all points concerning the Oracles of God by which we may certainely know both without which wee cannot possibly know either which are the Oracles of God which not or what is the true sense and meaning of such as are receiued for his Oracles whether written or vnwritten 3 The extent of diuine Oracles or number of Canonicall bookes hath beene as our Aduersaries pretend very questionable amongst the ancient though such of the Fathers as for their skill in antiquitie were in all vnpartiall iudgements most competent Iudges in this cause were altogether for vs against the Romanists and such as were for their opinion were but for it vpon an error as thinking the Iewes had acknowledged all those bookes of the old Testament for Canonicall Scripture which the Churches wherin they liued receiued for such or that the Christian Church did acknowledge all for Canonical which they allowed to be publikely read Safe it was our aduersaries cannot denie for the Ancient to dissent one from an other in this question or to suspend their assent till new probabilities might sway them one way or other No reasons haue beene produced since sufficient to moue any ingenious mind vnto more peremptorie resolutions yet doth the Councell of Trent binde all to an absolute acknowledgement of those Bookes for Canonicall which by their owne confession were reiected by S. Hierome and other Fathers If any shall not receiue the whole Bookes with all their parts vsually read in the Church and as they are extent in the old vulgar for sacred and Canonicall let him be accuâ—sed So are all by the same decree that will not acknowledge such vnwritten traditions as the Romish Church pretends to haue come from Christ and his Apostles for diuine and of authoritie equall with the written word 4 So generally is this opinion receiued so fully beleeued in that Church That many of her Sonnes euen whilest they write against vs forgetting with whom they haue to deale take it as granted That the Scriptures cannot be known to be Gods word but by the infallible authoritie of the present Church And from this supposition as from a truth sufficiently knowne though neuer proued they labour in the next place to inferre That without submission of our faith to the Churches publike spirit wee cannot infallibly distinguish the orthodoxall or diuine sense of Gods Oracles whether written or vnwritten from hereticall or humane 5 Should we admit vnwritten Traditions and the Church withall as absolute Iudge to determine which were Apostolicall which not little would it boote vs to question with them about their meaning For when the point should come to triall wee might be sure to haue the very words framed to whatsoeuer sense should bee most fauourable for iustifying Romish practises And euen of Gods written Oracles whose words or characters as hee in his wisedome hath prouided cannot now be altered by an Index Expurgatorius at their pleasure That such a sense as shall bee most seruiceable for their turne may as time shall minister occasion bee more commodiously gathered the Trent Fathers immediately after the former decree for establishing vnwritten Traditions and amplifying the extent of diuine written Oracles haue in great wisedome authorized the old and vulgar translation of the whole Canon Which though it were not purposely framed to maintayne Poperie as some of our writers say they haue as friuolously as maliciously obiected yet certainely aswell the escapes and errors of those vnskilfull or ill-furnished interpretors as the negligence of transcribers or other defects incident to that worke from the simplicitie of most ancient the iniuries or calamities of insuing times were amongst others as the first heads or pettie springs of that raging floud of impietie which had well nigh drowned the whole Christian world in perdition by continually receiuing into it channell once thus wrought the dregs and filth of euery other error vnder heauen with the corrupt remainder of former heresies for these thousand yeares and more And vnto many grosse errors in Romish religion which this imperfect translation did not first occasion it yet affords that countenance which the pure Fountaines of the Greeke and Hebrew doe not but rather would scoure and wipe away were they current in that Church Finally though it yeld not nutriment to enlarge or feed yet it serues as a cloake to hide or couer most parts of the great mysterie of iniquitie 6 Yet besides the fauourable construction that may be made for that religion out of the plaine and literall sense of this erroneous translation the Church will bee absolute Iudge of all controuersies concerning the right interpretation thereof So as not what our consciences vpon diligent search and iust examination shall witnesse to vs but what the Church shall declare to them must be absolutely acknowledged for the true intent and meaning of Gods word as it is rendred by the vulgar interpretor To this purpose is the very next decree 7 Moreouer for brideling petulant dispositions it is decreed That no man in confidence of his owne wisdome or skill in matters of faith and manners making for the edification of Christian doctrine shall dare to interpret Scriptures wresting them to his
elsewhere vpon carelesnesse rather then any intention of harme as I am perswaded by the Latine sacramentum Whether vpon set purpose of some more learned in that Councell presuming to gull the simple and illitterate by their cunning as Chemnitius probably thinkes or whether the mysterie of iniquitie as is more probable wrought vnawares in the braines of the ignorant which were the maior part and as some haue related did ouersway the learned vncapable of such impudency as should giue countenance to this ignominious decree partly from the equiuocation of the Latine dispensatores partly from the synominall signification which the vulgar hath made of mysterium and sacramentum the beetle-heads haue hammered out an interpretation of Saint Pauls words before cited so scurrilously contrarie to his meaning that the blacke Dogge which is said to haue appeared vnto Cardinall Crescentius might hee haue spoken in the Councell could scarce haue vttered it without blushing For the Apostle meant such dispensatores or Stewards as our Sauiour speakes of in the foure and twentieth of Saint Matthew such as should giue their fellow seruants their inst portions without purloyning such as daily expected their Masters returne to cal them vnto a strict account of their stewardship For so it is expressely added Moreouer or as much as belongs vnto our office it is required of Stewards that they be all sound faithfull Not to dispute of the Churches authoritie in disposing of Sacraments nor to exagitate the impietie of this decree be the one for the present supposed as great the other as little as they list to make it onely this I would demaund of any that is so himselfe whether he can imagine any men sober or in their right mindes would not assoone haue vrged that text The foole hath said in his heart there is no God for establishing Atheisme or Saint Peters checke vnto Simon Magus to prooue Simonie lawfull as deriue the Churches authoritie for detayning the least part of the word of life much lesse the cup of saluation from these wordes Let a man so thinke of vs as of the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of God What secrets of the Gospell before hid but now to be published to all the World of which the same Apostle elsewhere had said Anccessitie is laid vpon me and wee vnto mee if I preach it not Of the vse or necessitie of the Lords cup not a word in this place not a syllable for the Lord had sent him not to administer this Sacrament but to preach the Gospell of which the Doctrine of the Lords Supper was a part indeed but where expressely and directly he deliuers that doth hee intimate by any circumstance that either it had beene was or might bee otherwise administred then according to the patterne prescribed by our Sauiour at the first institution Rather his often repetition of these coniunctiues This bread and this cuppe eating and drinking the bodie and bloud c. Argue he neuer thought the one should be receiued without the other that this prohibition of the cup was a particular branch of the Mysterie of iniquitie not to breake out till latter ages hid from his eyes that had seene the Mysterie it selfe begin to worke As often as yee shall eat this bread saith the Apostle and drinke this cup yee shew the Lords death till hee come Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cuppe of the Lord vnworthily shall bee guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because hee discerneth not the Lords bodie Yet vnto the Trent Councell Saint Paul in the former place where hee had no such occasion as not speaking one word either of the Doctrine necessitie or vse of the Sacraments seemes to intimate and that not obscurely the Churches authoritie in dispensing them as the Trent Fathers haue done What then might euery Minister of Christ euerie distributer of Gods secrets haue vsed the like authoritie before the Church representatiue did at least by tacite consent approue the practise This place doubtlesse proues either altogether nothing or thus much for the Apostles wordes are indefinite for their litterall sence equally appliable to euerie faithfull Minister or priuate dispenser of such secrets not appropriate to the intire publique bodie Ecclesiastique or the capitall or Cardinall partes thereof Of the Corinthians to whom he wrote one said I am Pauls another I am Apollos the third I am of Cephas all boasting in the personal excellencies of their first Parents in Christ as the Papists now doe in Saint Peters and his successours Catholique Primacie To asswage these carnall humours in his children their Father that great Doctour of the Gentiles seekes more in this then in any other place of all his Epistles to debase himselfe and diminish others high esteeme either of his owne worth or of his calling Who is Paul then and who is Apollos but the Ministers by whom ye beleeued and as the Lord gaue to euerie man I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the increase So then neither is he that planteth any thing neither hee that watereth but God that giueth the encrease And he that planteth and hee that watereth are one and euery man shall receiue his wages according to his labour For wee together are Gods labourers ye are Gods husbandrie and Gods building And after a serious incitement of master builders to fidelitie with the like admonition to Gods husbandrie or building not to reioyce in men he concludes as he had begun Let euery man esteeme vs such as I haue said Ministers of Christ and disposers of the mysteries of God Of whom were they so to esteeme Of Saint Paul himselfe and euery faithfull Minister Doth he then intimate here any such prerogatiue aboue the meanest of his brethren as the Romish Cleargie vsurpes ouer the whole Christian World any authoritie to prohibit either the dispensors of Gods mysteries from administring or men so carnally minded as were these to whom he wrote from communicating Christs bloud aswell as his bodie So the Trent Fathers thinke and as if for their wilfull deniall of the Lords cup vnto the people the Lord had giuen them the cup of giddinesse to cast them into a Babilonish slumber whilest they consulted about this decree and their Scribes through retchlessenesse had written what their rauing Masters in their sickly or drunken dreames had vttered wee finde in the same Decree another place of Saint Paul immediately annexed though as disproportionable to the former as it is placed in their discourse as a mans head to an horses necke both as vnsutable to their intended conclusion as a super addition of finnes or feathers would be to such a monstrous Hippocentaurique combination The place is Saint Pauls conclusion of that discourse
continuall faithfulnesse in that seruice whereunto they knew him appointed Albeit after all the mighty workes before-mentioned wrought in their presence they had beene bound thereunto the meanest handmaid in that multitude had infallible pledges plenty of his extraordinary calling lockt vp in her own vnerring senses But from the strange yet frequent manifestation of Moses power and fauour with God so great as none besides the great Prophet whom hee prefigured might challenge the like the Lord in his all â—acing wisdome tooke fiâ—te occasion to allure his people unto strict obseruance of what he afterwards solemnly enacted as also in theâ— to forwarne all future generations without expresse warrant of his word not absolutely to belieue any gouernour whomsoeuer in all though of â—ried skill and fidelity in many principal points of his seruice That passage of Scripture wherin the manner of this peoples stipulation is registred well deserues an exact 〈◊〉 of all especially of these circumstances How the Lord by rehearsall of his mighty workes forepassed extorts their promise to doe whatsoeuer should by Moses be commanded them yet will not accept it offered vntill hee haue made them eare-witnesses of his familiarity and communication with him First out of the Mount he called Moses vnto him to deliuer this solemn message vnto the house of Iacob Yee haue seene what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you vpon Eagles wings and haue brought you vnto mee Now therefore if you will heare my voice indeed and keepe my couenant then yee shall bee my chiefe â—easure aboue all people though all the earth be mine After Moses had reported vnto God this answere freely vttered with ioint consent of all the people solemnly assembled before their Elders All that the Lord commanded we will doe was the whole businesse betwixt God and them fully transacted by this Agent in their absence No hee is sent backe to sanctifie the people that they might expect Gods glorious appearance in Mount Sinai to ratifie what he had said vpon the returne of their answere Loâ— I come vnto thee in a thicke cloud that the people may heare whilst I talke with thee and that they may also belieue thee for euer They did not belieue that God had reuealed his word to Moses for the wonders hee had wrought but rather that his wonders were from God because they heard God speake to him yea to themselues For their principall and fundamentall lawes were vttered by God himselfe in their hearing as Moses expresseth These words to wit the Decalogue the Lord spake vnto all your multitude in the mount out of the midst of the fire the cloud and the darkenesse with a great voice and added no more And lest the words which they had heard might soone bee smoothered in fleshly hearts or quickly slide out of their brittle memories the Lord wrote them in two Tables of stone and at their â—ranscription not Moses onely but Aaron Nadab and Abihu with the seuenty Elders of Israel are made spectators of the diuine glory rauished with the sweetnesse of his presence They saw saieth the Text the God of Israel and vnder his feet as it were a worke of a Saphire stone and as the very heauen when it is cleare And vpon the Nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand also they saw God and did eate and drinke After these Tables through Moses anger at the peoples folly and impiety were broken God writes the same words againe and renewes his Couenant before all the people promising vndoubted experience of his diuine assistance 8 Doth Moses after all this call fire from heauen vpon all such as distrust his words Aaron and Miriam openly derogate from his authority which the Lord confirmes againe viua voce descending in the pillar of the cloud conuenting these detractors in the dore of the Tabernacle Wherefore were you not afraid to speake against my seruant euen against Moses Thus the Lord was very angry and departed leauing his marke vpon Miriam cured of her leprosie by Moses instant prayers No maruell if Korah Dathan and Abirams iudgements were so grieuous when their sinne against Moses after so many documents of his high calling could not but bee wilfull as their perseuerance in it after so many admonitions to desist most malitious and obstinate Yet was Moses further countenanced by the appearance of Gods glory vnto all the congregation and his authority further ratified by the strange and fearefull end of these chief malefactors foretold by him and by fire issuing from the Lord to consume their confederates in offering incense vngratefull to their God Tantae molis erat Iudaeam condere gentem So long and great a worke it was to edifie Israel in true faith but without any like miracle or prediction such as neuer saw him neuer heard good of him must belieue the Pope as well as Israel did their Law-giuer that could make the sea to grant him passage the cloudes send bread the windes bring flesh and the hard rocke yeeld drink sufficient for him and all his mighty hoast that could thus call the heauens as witnesses to condemne appoint the earth as executioner of his iudgements vpon the obstinate and rebellious yet after all this hee inflicts no such punishments vpon the doubtfull in faith as the Romish Church doth but rather as is euident out of the places before alleadged confirmes them by commemoration of these late cited and like experiments making Gods fauours past the surest pledges of his assistance in greatest difficulties that could beset them To conclude this people belieued Moses for Gods testimony of him wee may not belieue Gods word without the Popes testimony of it Hee must bee to God as Aaron was to Moses his mouth whereby hee onely speakes distinctly or intelligibly to his people CHAP. VII That the Churches authority was no part of the rule of faith vnto the people after Moses death That by experiments answerable to his precepts and predictions the faithfull without relying vpon the Priests infallible proposals were as certaine both of the diuine truth and true meaning of the law as their forefathers had beene that liued with Moses and saw his miracles 1 TO proceed vnto the ages following Moses How did they know Moses law either indeed to bee Gods word or the true sence and meaning of it being indefinitely knowne for such By tradition Yes By tradition onely No But how at all by tradition As by a ioint part of that rule on which they were finally to relie Rather it was a meane to bring them vnto the due consideration or right application of the written rule which Moses had left them So hard were their hearts with whom this great Law-giuer had first to deale that faith could not take roote in them vnlesse first wrought and subacted by extraordinary signes and wonders but once thus created in them
cum pecuniae onere produxit in forum quasi pro sponsoribus praesens pignus Macrob. Saturn l. 1. c. 6. Why Peter was called Cephas Math 16. v. 13. 14. 15. c. Iohn 1. v. 49. a PronomeÌ„ hanc non potest referri ad Christum Petram sed ad Petram Petram debet enim referri ad aliquod proximum non ad remoâ—um proxime ante dictum fuerat non Christo sed Petra tu es Cephas id est Petra deiâ—de licet Christus dici pâ—sset Petra tamen hoc in loco non est vocatus petra à Petro confitente sed Christus filius Dei viui debet autem referri Hanc cum qui nominatus est Petra non ad cum qui non est appellatus hoc nomine Bellar. lib. 1. de Rom. Pont. cap. 10. Vide Deut. 32. Ps 18. â—s 19. vlt. Tu vero considera verborum Prophetae amplitudinem poteratâ—d cere Miâ—tam vobis Messiam seâ— voluit tam insigne beneficium verbis insignibus Metaphoricis explicare Est autem transtatio sumpta ab â—icantibus quae verborum amplitudine minuit rei magnificentiam maiestatem Plinius in 28. Isaâ—e ver 16. See the latter Annotation out of Bellarmine aâ— the 25. §. of this Chapter and Malâ—onat in Matthei 21. ver 42. * Omnes quos â—egi praeter Hilarium existimant sensum esse sore vt diaboli potentia Ecclesiam quidem exerceat vunquam vero apprimat Sed non solent portae vincere sed resistere itaque non potuâ—t offendendendi vis per portas significari sensus igitur nisi fallor est fore vt Ecclesia super Petram à Christo fundatae omnem diaboli potentiam expugnet ita vt nulla arte nullis viribus possit resistere Hoc enim multo maius est verbis magis consentaneum Portas enim inferi non praeualituras aduersus Ecclesiam phrasis Hebraica est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non poterunt ad versus illam id est non poterunt illi resistere * Vid. Maldonatum in versum 42. cap. 21. Math. Bellar. lib. v. de Pont. Rom. cap. 17. d Psal 18. v. 31. v. 46. e Psal 19. v. 14. * Isa 28. v. 16. Vide Forerium in hunc locum * The word in the Originall signifieth to make haste therefore any kind of haste according to the difference of the matter or obiect in this place aequiualent to the latine proripiat a word signifying haste but haste caused by shame or feare of mens presence from which the party ashamed seeks with coÌ„fused speed to hide himselfe Et cum damareÌ„ quo nunc se proripit ille Tityre coge pecus tu post carecta latebas This is true of faith which the Apostle saith of loue 1. Ioh. 4. v. 17. Herein is loue perfect in vs that we should haue boldnes in the day of iudgement for as he is euen so are we in this world Vid. Luc. 21. v. 25. 26. of the confused state of the wicked * Rom. 10. v. 9. a Rom. 10. v. 11. * Math. 16. 23. a Psal 118. v. 23 * Acts 4. v. 10. Math. 21. * Ver. 40. * Ver. 41. * Ver. 42. c. 1. Pet. 2. 7. 8. 1. Iohn 4 v. 1. Vide Tyram in hunc locum * Psal 50. v. 16 Psal 50. v. 25. * No man hath seene God at anytime If we loue one another God dwelleth in vs his loue is perfect in vs. Hereby know wee that wee dwell in him and he in vs because hee hath giuen vs of his spirit And we haue seen and doe testifie that the Father sent the sonne to bee the Sauiour of the world Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God in him dwelleth God and he in God Vide cap. 2. ver 16. Iohan. In what sense the Papist deny Christ to be come in the flesh * 1. Cor. 3. v. 11 * Eph. 2. 20. Nor doth that place Reu. 21. ver 14. proue any more then that by the Apostles ministery the Church was erected * Dicuntur fundamenta omnes Apostoli ratione gubernationis Omnes enim suerunt capita rectores pastores Ecclesiae vniuersae sed non eodem modo quo Petrus Illi enim habuerunt summam atque amplissi nam potestatem vt Apostoli seu legati Petrus autem vt Pastor ordinarius Deinde ita habuerunt plenitudinem potestatis vt tame Peteus esset caput eorum ab illo penderent non é contrario Bellar. lib. 1 de Rom. Pont. c. 12. * Cephas Syriace significat â—etraÌ„ vt nos supra docuimus Hieronymus test â—tue in cap. 2. Epistolae ad Galat. Graeâ—d autent significat caput vt lib. 2. conâ—ra Paâ—menianum annotauiâ— Optatus de demum vnum est ex celeberinis Christi nominibus Nihil enim frequentius in Scripturis Christâ—s appellitur qùam Petra Christus ergo cum solo Petro suum ipsius nomen communicans nomea illud quo ipse significutur vt 〈◊〉 caput Ecclesiae vniuersae quid aliud indicare voluit quam se faccre Petrum fundamentum caput Ecclesiae 〈◊〉 Ibidem cap. 17. a Heb. 8. v. 13. * The differeÌ„ce betweene Christ and the Pope much lesse by the Papists opininion then betweene the Pope and other Bishops * Nâ—s non negamus imo defendimus contra negantes verbuÌ„ Dei ministratum per Apostolos Prophetas esse primum fundamentum nostrae fidâ—i Ideo enim credimus quidquid credimus quia Deum â—d per Apostoles Prophetas reuelauit sed addimus praeter hoc fundamentum primum requiri aliud fundameÌ„tum secundarium id est Ecclesiae testificationem Neque enim seimus certò quid Deus reuelauerit inisi ex testimo monio Ecclesiae propterea sicut legimus Christum esse lapidem fundamentalem fundamentum primum Ecclesiae ita legimus Matth. 16. de Petro super hanc Petram aedisâ—abo Ecclesiam meam Itaque sides nostra adheret Christo primae veritati reueclanti mysteria fundamento primario adhaeret etiam Petro id est Pontifici praeponenti explicanti haec mysteria vt fundamento secundario Bellar. de Verbi Dei Interpret cap. 10. Respons ad 13. * Of all Peters prerogatiues those most vrged by the Romanists as alike appertaining to his successors are most personal * Vide Bellar. lib. 2. de Romano Pontif. cap. 12. Parag. vltitimo and the annotation §. 21. * The Papâ—sts either admit many foundations or build all the Apostles beside S. Peter vpon their moderne Popes v. cap. 8. §. 13. * The Papists conceiue of Christ but as of another Romulus * Daniel 2. v. 44. * 2. Thes 2. cap. 8. ver * The Pope successor vnto the checke not to the promise giueÌ„ by Christ to Saint Peter * Math. 16. v. 22. c. * Bellarmâ—ne apphes all that is spoken in Peters commeÌ„ dacions vnto-his successors whom he will not haue sharers in his reproofes Ea quae