this charge doth not so much as imply the appointing of an office because feeding is many times enioyned where there is no singular office ordained but the executing of an office commanded which had before been appointed So the Apostle Peter 1. Peter 5. 2. chargeth th 〈…〉 were already 1 Pet. 5. 2. Ministers to feed the flicke of God And the Apostle Paul Acts 20. 28. giues the like charge to the Elders or Ministers of Act. 10. 28. Ephesus Take heed to your selues and to all the flocke to feed the Church of God And this Dr. Reynolds well obserued Dr. Reynolds against â—art Chap. 3. diuis 2. and vrged against Hart You say true wee might therefore with good reason refuse this proposition till it be proued But I will deale more kindly with Bellarmine and shew that Luther truely affirmed there was no new office erected by those words but the execution of one formerly appointed enioyned If this feeding be the teaching for which all the Apostles had commission Mark 16 15. Goe ye into all the world and Mark 16. 15. preach the Gospell to euery creature Iohn 20. 23. Whose sinnes soeuer ye remit they are remitted to them then is it not the erecting of a new office for this was at our Sauiours third appearing to his Disciples Iohn 20. 13. that at his first Ioh. 20. Ioh. 20. 19. Bellarm. de pont Rom. lib. 1. cap. 12. Sect. Dices c. 19. 20. when as Bellarmine affirmeth they had power giuen them both of iudisdiction to gouerne and of order to execute their sacrificing Priesthood And it had beene a thing not beseeming our Sauiours wisdome to giue a new Commission when there was no need nor occasion of so doing Yea to say the truth it had beene altogether in vaine because the former being as sufficient and in force there could be no place for this later But this feeding Ioh. 21. 15. is the teaching for which they had commission Mark. 16. 15. Ioh. 20. 23. For wee finde no other kinde of feeding but this one practised by the Apostles in the new Testament namely feeding by way of reuealing This appeareth touching the Scriptures Bellarm. de Coâ—cil authorit lib 2. cap. 12. Sect. Obseruandum c. and Sect. Diâ—untur Counc Trent Sess 4 decretde Canon scripturatum 2. Tim. 4. 15. The Scriptures were giuen by inspiration 2. Pet. 1. 21. Holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost as Bellarmine also confesseth The Scripture is the word of God immediatly reuealed The holy writers had immediate reuelation and writ the words of God As for traditions which the church of Rome makes a second part of the diuine testimony or word of God by their owne confession they are also by reuelation for so saith the Councell of Trent Traditions were either receiued by the Apostles from the mouth of our Sauiour or deliuered by themselues the holy Ghost enditing them Indeed this feeding Ioh. 21. 15. is nothing else but an exhortation or charge for the performance of that duty which was enioyned in that Commission Mark 16. 15. That it was such an exhortation the manner of deliuering the words sheweth which is by repeating the same thing three seuerall times For this course is very fit to make an impression of a duty commanded no way beseeming the giuing of a Commission Besides it answereth to Peters denying of his Master thrice as Cyril noteth in Ioh. Because Cyril supra Ioh. lib. 12. cap. 64. he denied him thrice at his passion therefore there is a threefold confession of loue required of him A threefold confession saith S. Austin answereth to a threefold negation that the tongue may Aug. Tract in Ioh. 123. expresse as much loue as it did feare Adde hereunto that our Lord calls for the performance of this duty as a proofe of Peters loue to him wherein hee had failed more then the rest because he had made more protestation of it then the rest For thus lies the reason If thou loue me as thou hast professed thou doest shew thy loue by the performing of the duty of feeding But what proofe had it beene of Peters loue to our Sauiour to become the visible Monarch of the whole Church Well might the giuing of such an office argue our Sauiours loue to Peter but the taking it vpon him could not testifie any great loue of his to our Sauiour For who would haue refused such an offer The burthen of teaching was laid vpon the other Apostles as well as vpon him the honour of the Supremacy if this were true was appropriated to him yea the rest of the Apostles who before were equall to him were now made inferiour and subiect to him Lastly in giuing a commission the authority of him that giues is ordinarily expressed alwaies implyed Mat. 28. 18 19. All power is giuen to me in heauen and earth Goe therefore and teach all nations Ioh. 20. 21 22 23. As my father sent me so send I you receiue the holy Ghost whose sins c. But here although as they say it is the onely place that speaks of this commission there is no authority either expressed or implyed onely as Cyrill saith It was a duty of loue to feed as it had beene formerly a proofe of feare to deny What else then can this Feeding be but the teaching which was enioyned all the Apostles at our Sauiours first appearing to them Whereupon I may safely conclude that the word neither necessarily nor in any likelihood of reason importeth the erection of any new office in the Church Let vs now proceed to debate the second point yet with this memorandum that although it be neuer so plainly proued yet Bellarmines proposition of a new office appointed Ioh. 21. 15. is false because the first point contained in it of a singular office here ordained is neither true nor likely The thing now to be discussed is this Feeding Christs sheepe Ioh. 21. 15. is teaching This sentence is plainly deliuered by Bellarmine in that proposition as he that looks vpon it cannot choose but see and proued also by two reasons the former that Reasonable sheepe are fed by teaching the latter that The Lord saith by Ieremy I will giue you Pastors according to my heart which Ier. 3. 15. shall feed you with knowledge and vnderstanding But these proofes might haue been spared for we acknowledge that Feeding is Teaching But for the fuller discussing of this matter wee must remember that Bellarmine as we saw chap. 4. numb 9. telleth vs Teaching is double by reuealing or propounding things reuealed Wee say that the teaching here spoken of is by reuelation not by propounding matters already reuealed as they would haue it But if they will haue vs yeeld to it they must proue it and not take it for granted as Bellarmine doth For without it be proued as I signified chap. 6. numb 6. his proposition cannot be true It is therfore
contenteth not himself with this kind of teaching but will haue the teaching here spoken of to be a difiâ—itiue sentence declaring and determining what is reuealed and what the sense and meaning of it is as I shewed chapter 4. numb 7. To this must his proofes be applyed which lie thus If feeding Iohn 21. 15. be not teaching by way of determing what is reueâ—led and what the meaning of it is Then we must vnderstand it of preaching or writing commentaries How shall the consequence of this proposition bee made good since this feeding may at the least as reasonably be vnderstood of reuealing the sacred mysteries yea this interpretatioÌ„ is more reasonable because the words were spoken to him whose office it was to reueale those mysteries by vertue of his Apostolicall commission as I shewed numb 4. yea they are the very same in sense and meaning with those that are vsed in the commission Goe teach all Nations Mark 16. 16. and Iohn 20. 23. as was declared c. 4. n. 4. But admit a man should say it is meant of preaching or writing how doth Bellarmine refute him By telling vs that if we so take it wee must condemne many Popes that haue written nothing at all As if that were any inconuenience to vs although to say the truth most of the Popes that haue written might haue had as much thanke to spare their labors as to write as they haue done Well say we vnderstand it of preaching That may not be neither saith Bellarmine Why so because the Pope cannot preach to all no not diuers Popes to any at all For as their owne Histories confesse some of them did not so much as vnderstand their Grammar But what if the Pope cannot no more could any of the Apostles nor Peter preach to all yet had they authority to preach to all as occasion might happen and were not restrained to this or that congregation diocesse prouince nation or Country and in that respect were vniuersall Pastors of the whole Church yea euery one of them CHAP. VIII Of the Assumption of Bellarmines syllâ—gisme c. 3. n. 5. HItherto I haue shewed what little shew of reason there is for that interpretation of Iohn 21. 15. whereon the strength of Bellarmines conclusion principally dependeth I will now set my selfe to the sifting of the assumption or second part of his syllogisme which is To Peter and his successors that feeding Iohn 21. 15. is committed As the proposition so the assumption also containeth foure seuerall points distinctly to be considered that 1 Those words Iohn 21. are spoken to Peter 2 The office of seeding is committed to Peter 3 Peter hath his successours 4 The office of seeding is committed to Peters successors The first of these foure â—entences or points is rather supposed then expressed in the assumption but it is plainly deliuered by Bellarmin It is said to Peter only Feed my sheepe Bel de Rom. Poâ— l c. 14. Sect. Hactenâ— Who denyeth this if it be â—ightly vnder The speech was directed immediately to Peter with whom our Lord then talked but not so to Peter as if the duty to which he is exhorted belonged to none but to Institut lib. 4. cap. 6. n. 4. him Therefore Calvin truely saith that as Peter receiued mandemâ—m of 〈◊〉 Iohn 21. 15. so all other ministers are exhorted to feed the sheepe 1. Pet. 5. 2. and by so saying hee granteth that those words were spoken to Peter but hee telleth the Papists withall that if they will proue that they auouch they must shew that whosoeuer are commanded â—o feed Christs sâ—eepe to them the power ouer the whole Church is committed In which words he denieth the consequence of the proposition which he doth not expresse but acknowledgeth the assumption contained in those words To Peter Bellar. de Rom. ponl lib. 1. c. 14. Sect. Sed coâ—tra onely Christ said feed my sheepe By which it is manifest that Bellarmine doth Caluin great wrong in charging him with the denying that those words Iohn 21. are spoken to Peter onely and spendeth his time and strength in vaine to proue by seuen arguments against Caluin that which Caluin neuer denyed But Bellarmines meaning is that the words are so spoken to Peter that the thing signified by them belongeth not to the rest of the Apostles And in this sense we say it is false that those words were spoken to Peter onely If Bellarmine can not proue them true in this sense as I am sure he cannot his argument is nothing worth For how shall that proue for Peter and his successors against the rest of the Apostles which was spoken to them as well as to him yet it is not to be wondred at that Bellarmin goeth not about to proue it in that sense For indeed there is no shew or colour of proofe for it because the Word of God no where maketh any distinction betwixt this feeding Iohn 21. 15. and that teaching Mat. 16. 16. Iohn 20. 21. which was enioyned Peter and the rest of the Apostles equally and alike as Bellarmine De Rom. Pont. lib. 1. c. 12. Sect. â—ices confesseth The keyes were giuen Iohn 20. and 21. For when our Lord said Iohn 20. 19. Peace be vnto you as my Father sent me so send I you then hee gaue them the power or key of iurisdiction For by those words hee made them as it were Legates and Gouernors of the Church in his name But in the words following Receiue ye the holy Ghost whose sinnes yee remit c. he gaue them the power of order And thus much of the first proposition of the foure The second followeth namely The office of feeding Ioh. 21. is committed to Peter This is affirmed in plaine words and must bee vnderstood of Peter alone not of him and the other Apostles For that will not serue Bellarmines turne because it proues nothing for the Popes power or against that wee defend Besides Bellarmine striues here for an office proper to Peter because he cals it a singular office But how can that be proper to Peter which is cominon to the rest of the Apostles with him This also we deny as Caluin did long since In this word Institut lib. 4. cap. 6. n. 4. feed saith he nothing is giuen to Peter more then to the other Bellarmine should haue proued that this conueyeth a proper office to the Pope and not haue taken that for granted which he knoweth we alwayes deny But hee doth not so much as offer to make any proofe of it either de verbo Lib. 3. cap. 5. Lib. 1. cap. 14. Dei or de Roman Pontif. in both which places he professedly disputeth the point Indeed in the latter place hee proueth that the words Feed my sheepe were spoken to Peter only But what is that to proue that feeding Iohn 21. is committed to Peter onely Some man perhaps will imagine that the latter dependeth vpon the former but he wil quickly change his
Church a man doth encrease in the iustice which he receiued by the grace of Christ and is more iustified cap. 10. 12 The iust in some actions doe not sin venially cap. 11. 13 By euery mortall sinne a man falleth away from the grace of iustification which he had receiued cap. 14 15. and can 23. 14 By the Sacrament of poenance the grace of iustification which was lost is recouered cap. 14. 15 The good workes of a man that is iustified are his merits can 32. 16 The iust truely deserue euerlasting life by works wrought in God cap. 16. and can 32. 17 vnlesse a man faithfully and firmely beleeue the Catholick doctrine of the Council of Trent touching iustification he cannot be saued cap. 16. Sect. Post hanc 18 Some that are not predestinate receiue the grace of iustification can 17. 19 The Sacraments of the new Testament are neither more nor fewer then 7 to wit 1 Baptisme 2 Confirmation 3 The Lords Supper 4 Poenance 5 Extreame Vnction 6 Ordination 7 Matrimony and euery one of these is truely and properly a sacrament sess 7. de sacram in genere can 1. 20 Baptisme Confirmation and Ordination imprint in the soule a character that cannot be blotted out can 9. 21 The sacraments of the new Testament containe the thing they signifie and bestow it vpon them that hinder it not can 6. And vpon all as much as is required on Gods part can 7. And that by the worke wrought can 8. 22 After the consecration of the bread and wine in the Lords Supper our Lord Iesus Christ true God and man is contained truely really and substantially vnder the shewes of those sensible things sess 13. de sacram Eucharist cap. 1. 23 The holy Eucharist is to be reserued in the Chancell and caried honorably to the sicke cap. 6. 24 The tenth Commandement Thou shalt not couet is rent in sunder and made two by the Council of Trent sess 14. de poenitentia cap. 5. and can 7. 25 The time of Lent is holy and most acceptable sess 14. de poenitentia cap. 5. 26 No man that knowes himselfe to be guilty of mortall sinne how contrite soeuer he seeme to himselfe to be may come to the holy Eucharist without sacrament all confession going before d. sess 13. cap. 7. and can 11. that is Vntill hee haue confessed all and euery one of his mortall sinnes and also those circumstances which change the kind of the sinne sess 14. de sacram poenitentia c. 5. And that to a Priest in secret can 6. 7. 27 Power or authority was giuen to the Apostles and their lawfull successors to remit and retaine sinnes for the reconciling of such of the faithfull as fall after Baptisme sess 14. de sacram ent poenitentiae cap. 1. 28 It is vtterly false and differing from the word of God to say that the Lord God neuer remitteth the fault but with all he pardoneth the whole punishment d. sess 14. de poeâ—it cap. 8. can 12. sess 6. de iustif cap. 14. can 30. 29 Neither the Layâ—y nor any Clergy man that doth not consecrate is bound by any Commandement of God to receiue vnder both kinds sess 21. de sacram sub utraque specie cap. 1. 30 The Church hath decreed it for law that all the Laity and the Clergy that doe not consecrate should receiue vnder one kind onely d. sess cap. 5. 31 We may make satisfaction to God through Iesus Christ by temporall afflictions layed on vs by God and borne patiently by vs. sess 14 de sacram poenitent cap. 9. can 13. 32 The Priesthood was not to bee abolished by the death of Christ sess 22. de sacrif missae cap. 1. 33 Our Sauiour Christ by these words This doe in remembrance of me charged his Apostles and their successours to offer his body and blood vnder the signes of bread and wine d. cap. 1. 34 Water is to be mingled with wine in the Chalice that is to be offered d. sess cap. 7. 35 The names of Subdeacons Acolytes Exorcists Lectors and Doore-keepers and the proper office of euery one of these hath beene euer since the beginning of the Church sess 23. de sacram oâ—dinis cap. 2. and de reformat cap. 28. 36 Matrimony contracted not consummated is dissolued by the solemne profession of religion by either party sess 24. de sacram Matrimon can 6. 37 There is a Purgatory sess 25. decret de purgat 38 The soules which raigne with Christ do offer vp their praiers to God for men sess 25. decret de innocatione sanctorum 39 It is good profitable humbly to call vpon the saints forenamed and to fly to their prayer helpe and furtherance for the obtaining of benefits or blessings from God by his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. d. decret de inuocat 40 Veneration and honor are due to the reliques of the Saints Sess 25. decret de inuocat venerat reliq sanctorum 41 The Images of Saints and other sacred monuments are not honored without profit c. The memories or monuments of the Saints are not frequented in vaine for the obtaining of their helpe d decret de venerat 42 The Images of Christ and the Virgin Mary and other Saints are to be had and retained especially in Churches and due honor and veneration is to be giuen them d. sess 25. de sacris Imaginum 43 The power of granting indulgences was committed by Christ to the Church and the vse of them is helpfull to Christian people d. sess 25. decret de indulgent CHAP. XII That many Articles of the faith of the Church of Rome are false and erroneous VPon the 43 propositions set downe out of the Councill of Trent in the former chapter I thus argue to proue the faith of the Church of Rome erroneous The aforesaid Articles or propositions are false and erroneous The aforesaid Articles or propositions are articles of the faith of the Church of Rome Therefore some of the Articles or propositions of the faith of the Church of Rome are false and erroneous Touching these propositions that they are articles of the saith of the Church of Rome it is euident because we finde them in the Council of Trent propounded to be beleeued of all Christians Are these all will some man say wherein we dissent from them and which we reiect as erroneous No there are many other and some of them of no small moment But I hold these onely needfull to be debated because the other so depend vpon these that if these bee false none of them can be true For example It is said article 36. that there is a purgatory if this cannot be proued then it is false that the Saints in Purgatery are holpen by the suffrages of the faithfull or sacrifice of the altar which yet is deliuered as an article of faith in that decree Againe it is affirmed article 32. that Christ appointed his Apostles and their successors to offer his body and blood