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A13236 Monsig[neu]r fate voi. Or A discovery of the Dalmatian apostata M. Antonius de Dominis, and his bookes. By C.A. to his friend P.R. student of the lawes in the Middle Temple. Sweet, John, 1570-1632. 1617 (1617) STC 23529; ESTC S107581 174,125 319

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tymes their own bloud their friends and nearest kynred to whome in vertue piety they were not comparable against whome no other cryme could be proued but the ancient religion of Christendome commonly either iustified or not condemned euen in the consciences of those that apprehended them prosecuted and executed the former lawes vpon them and if we might shew vnto them how by this means they haue crucifyed our Sauiour not once or twise but againe and againe for so many yeares togeather in his holy members I cannot but thinke that representing these things vnto them in vertue of that Word which deuideth betweene the soule the spirit the ioints and the marrow awaking in them the guilt of their owne consciences and the feare of Gods iugments we should inforce them to knock their breasts with the Iewes conuerted at the Sermon of S. Peter and to cry out vnto vs with teares of repentance Act. 2.17 Quid faciemus viri fratres men and brethren what shal we do SECTION XVI The absurd and pernicious grounds of the Bishops 10. Bookes and his Christian Commonwealth are further discouered and confuted AND now to returne to our Bishop I thinke by this tyme you perceiue that albeit this little booke of his be great bellyed like the Father yet his other ten bookes conceaued therin are but like so many bladders full of wind which if euer they come forth are like to shame not only himselfe but you also Not only because the former proofes of the Popes Supremacy are in themselues vnanswerable especially admitting as he doth the authority of the Councells Canons and Fathers of the Church but also in respect of that most absurd and most pernicious Position which he maketh the argument of his fifth booke and is indeed the very foundation of his Christian Commonwealth and the mayne ground of his Diuinity wherein he professeth to hold that there is no Iurisdiction in the Church of Christ Iurisdictionem omnem ab Ecclesia procul reijcio all Iurisdiction sayth he I cast far away from the Church that is to say all power and authority to commaund or to make spiritual lawes or to impose any punishment for the transgression of them A miserable deuise no lesse furious then dangerous and no more repugnant to the Popes Supremacy then directly contrary to the Councells Fathers and to the practise of the Primitiue Church in making lawes Canons and imposing censures vpon transgressours directly contrary as well to the institution of Christ in the authority which he gaue to S. Peter as you haue seene as also to the doctrine and proceeding of the Apostles themselues wherof no man that can read the Scriptures should be ignorant Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers sayth S. Paul for there is no power Rom. 13.1 but of God c. Therefore he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist purchase to themselues damnation Rom. 13.5 And a little after Therefore be yee subiect of necessity not only for auoyding wrath but also for Conscience sake Out of which place we may argue thus The Church hath receiued power and authority from God and therefore they that resist the same resist and disobey the ordinance of God and purchast to themselues damnation That the Church hath receiued power and authority to gouerne from Almighty God is to too manifest for so all the Fathers expound the words of our Sauiour to S. Peter Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind c. and to the Apostles Matt. 16.19 Matt. 18.18 whatsoeuer you shall bind c. And that binding signifieth the imposing of some law or commaundment we find in the 23. Matt. 23.4 of S. Matthew They bind sayth our Sauiour burdens heauy and importable vpon the shoulders of men but they with their finger will not moue them and in the same manner the Fathers expound those other words Ioan. 21.11.16.17 feed my sheep of the gouernment of Christs sheep as you haue heard And our Sauiour signifying how much we are bound in conscience to obey our Prelates sayd vnto them Luc. 1● 16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And againe as my Father sent me Ioā 20.21 so send I you and he that will not heare the Church let him be to thee as an heathen and Publican Act. 16.4 According whereunto it is sayd of S. Paul S. Timothy that passing through the Gittyes they deliuered vnto them to keep the precept of the Apostles and of the Elders 1. Thes 2.23 And to the Thessalonians he sayth You know what commaundments I haue giuen vnto you he that despiseth them despiseth not man but God that gaue his holy spirit vnto vs and if any do not obey our word note him by an epistle 1. Tim. 5. and do not accompany with him that he may be confounded So he writeth to Timothy not to receiue my accusation against a Priest vnder 2. or 3. witnesses And to the Corinthians the weapons of our warrefare sayth he are not carnall but mighty to God 1. Cor. 10.7 vnto the destruction of munitions destroying Councells and all loftynes extolling it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuity all vnderstanding vnto the obedience of Christ Act. 15.20 and hauing in a readynesse to reuenge all disobedience c. And in the first Coūcell the Church of Hierusalem made this Decree It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and to vs not to impose any other burthen vpon you but only these necessary things to abstayne from meats offered to Idolls from strangled meats from bloud Can. Apost Can. 62. and fornication And the punishment of those that did eate bloud or strangled meat afterward was so great in the Primitiue Church as that Clarks were deposed and lay men were excommunicated for the same Neither is this most pestilent assertion of the Bishop contrary to Scripture alone and to the Fathers and Councells as hath been shewed but also to the practise and doctrine of the Church of England For I would aske this wild Bishop whether the authority the English Bishops in their spirituall Courts be from God or no If it be then according to S. Paul all men are bound to obey them in that which is iust vpon paine of damnation If it be not then it is no small vsurpation in them to take vpon them such authority whereof the Bishop should do well to admonish them as his friends before he go about to reforme the Catholike Bishops whome he supposeth to be his enemyes In conclusion the necessity of Iurisdiction is so euident in it selfe and the institution thereof so palpable in Scripture that the Puritans themselues who deny the same to Bishops are inforced notwithstanding to challenge so much to themselues as may suffice to excommunicate all those who are obstinatly disobedient in their Congregations And therefore I thinke there is
vnder it if they contemne it This is that great benefit which S. Augustine in his booke de vtilitate Credends acknowledgeth that the world in these latter tymes hath receiued of Almighty God who of his infinit goodnes hath prouided that the Catholike Faith being so austere to the eye of flesh and bloud so much aboue reason and so contrary as it is to our corrupted nature should be recommended vnto vs as it were by the generall consent and common beliefe of all people This saith S. Augustine the diuine prouydence hath brought to passe by the predictions of the Prophets by the humanity and doctrine of Christ by the trauells of the Apostles Aug. de vtil Cred. cap. 7. by the contumelyes crosses bloud and death of Martyrs by the laudable life of Saints and in all these things by such myracles as were fit for matters and vertues so great as these according as the oportunity of times required Wherefore seing the assistance of God to be so great and so great the fruite and benefit thereof shall we doubt to cast our selues into the lap of his Church Considering that now euen by the confession of mankind it selfe she hath receaued the prohemynence of all authority from the Apostolike seat by succession of Bishops the Heretikes in the meane tyme hauing barked about her all in vayne partly by the iudgment of the people themselues partly by the grauity of Councells and partly by the Maiesty of miracles hauing been all condemned To which Church not to grant the highest degree of authority is either extreme impiety or precipitate arrogancy For if our soules haue no certayne way to attayne true wisedome and saluation but where fayth beliefe prepareth and adorneth our reason what is it els to resist authority indued or est abbshed with so great labour but to be vngratefull to this help and assistance of Almighty God Thus far S. Augustine of the notable benefit that our faith hath receiued from the Common consent of so many Nations therein which he calleth the confession of mankind and of the wonderfull meanes which God hath vsed for the procurement of this vniuersall testimony vnto the truth thereof For albeit when the Apostles began first to preach all rules and principles of humayne wisedome were inforced to giue place vnto that diuine authority wherewith they were sent to their gifts of Tongues to the myracles they wrought to the power of that spirit which spake by them and to the splendour of those celestiall vertues which proceded from them yet since that time the sweetnes of Gods prouidence hath so ordayned that both these authorityes Humayne and Diuine the wisedome of God and the wisedome that naturally directeth worldly men should be ioyned togeather to the end that all mens wills might be drawne more easily gently and connaturally to imbrace the doctrine of Christ And that all vnderstandings great or small might either be conuinced or conuicted by it The voice of the most the testimony of those that are true and honest and the iudgment example and practise of the wisest being the best part of that light of nature which God hath lent vs for the direction of our liues his infinit goodnes and perfect iustice could neuer haue permitted this authority of the Catholike Church to haue grown● to this vnmeasurable greatnes nor could haue made it so inuincibly victorious against all those that haue opposed themselues vnto it confirming the same with so many Prophesies of Scripture and promises of his owne and not only with the ostension of miracles and heroycall constancy of innumerable Martyrs but also with the glory and splendour of so many other benedictions of excellent learning diuine wisedome admirable vnity piety and perfection of vertue as hath been shewed vnlesse it had been so ordayned by him for the recommendation and preseruation of that Truth which himselfe descended from heauen to teach the world and to dye the death of the Crosse for the eternall memory and fructification of it For if in any thing we should be deceiued by the power and greatnes of his authority we might well say it was no fault of ours but rather as S. Augustine affirmeth it were either extreme impiety or precipitate arrogancy Not to be so deceiued what need there any other reuelations or miracles as S. Augustine also obserueth in a case so cleere as this If so many Nations haue been conuerted to the obedience of this supernaturall faith and for so many ages haue been preserued in vnity therby without signes and miracles this it selfe is a most sufficient apparent and perpetuall miracle for the testimony of the truth thereof SECTION XXVI The same Authority and the grounds of Christian Fayth are further declared AS the obiect of reason doth farre exceed the knowledge of our senses so the truth of things supernaturall and diuine do no lesse surmount the light of reason And therfore the end of man and the meanes to attaine vnto it being both of them supernaturall diuine as it was necessary that God should reueale and deliuer the knowledge thereof to his Prophets and Apostles obliging all men to beleeue them so it was also expedient that there should be some certayne meanes ordained and established by Almighty God wherby we might infallibly know what it was that was so reuealed vnto them For otherwise if there be not such supernaturall and certaine help to attaine the knowledge of those Diuine Misteryes which do so much exceed the power and faculty of human vnderstanding to perswade our selues that we shall be able to arriue to any certaine knowledge of them by any human diligence or naturall endeauour alone were as wise a matter as for a man to go about to read in the darke or for him that hath no eyes to iudge of colours Nay it were much more ridiculous For such a kind of darke reading or blind iudgment might be practised or aduentured for some little wager or to make men pastyme but Christians that make their beliefe the rule of their life and death laying not only their fortunes but also their soules vpon it vnles they haue some Diuine help and infallible assistance of the spirit of God to know those things which they beleeue to haue beene reuealed to the Apostles and can no way be discerned by human reason they can neuer be excused from meer madnes and ridiculous folly Vpon what grounds the Catholiks beleeue the doctrine and preaching of the Apostles which is the Ghospell and the obiect of their fayth to haue beene reuealed from the mouth of God and that the Church is perpetually infallibly assisted by God himself in the preseruation of the foresayd doctrine from all stayne or touch of errours hath beene shewed already Almighty God hauing so magnified and fortifyed the authority of his Church as if the will of man be not too much peruerted it is impossible for his vnderstanding to resist it And therefore as S. Augustine sayd