because he condemned Athanasius whome he knew to be persecuted for the true saith But Athanasius cotradicts Bellarm. who hued at the same time banished for the same cause who saith that Liberius after he had liued two yeares in hanishment relented and by the treatning of death was brought to subscribe namely to the Arrtan heresie But to adde no more testimonie I would knowe of Bellarmine if Liberius were not an herticke how Foelix the second could be Pope and the Church honour him and worihip him as Pope euen while Liberius was aline and the Romane Cleargie chose him Pope as he consesseth The fourth shal be Foelix Liberius his successor an Arrian also as Ierom writeth For him whereas Hierom saith he was an ArriaÌ„ wheÌ„ he was chosen Pope Bellarmine saith that that word Arrian was thrust into the text or if not so that he was an Arrian onely when he was not true Pope being chosen before by the Arrian Bishops and not by the Romane Cleargie Because faith he Liberius was not yet depriued but some two yeares after when as Liberius fel into his heresie the Roman Cleargie deposed him chose the other not that Bellarmine alloweth the Cleargie in that action howsoeuer he defends that he was no heretike As for Felix Bellarmine confesseth that he communicated with the Arrians that they chose him Bishop which is a great argument that he was an Arrian And if he was not then right and true Bishop then was the Church of Rome not onely without her owne Bishop he being sent into banishment but without any Bishop at all and that for two yeares space which how it will aduantage them to grant let them looke to it The fist Siricius who held that matrimonie was vncleannesse and pollution of the flesh which God had made honorable Touching whom Bellarmine saith that Caluine after his manner impudently lyeth for that Siricius spake not of lawfull mariage but vnlawfull coniunction But he that giues the lie hath more right to keepe it to himselfe and in this very thing for whosoeuer shall read his Epistle the 5. and 7. chapters shall find no such thing for he commandeth single life to priests and calleth their mariage pollution and wickedly for his purpose which is that Caluine reprooueth abuseth the words of S. Paul saying Sirius in Epist ad Hispan cap. 5. 7. And they who are in the flesh witnesse the elect vessell cannot please God but you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be the spirit of God dwell in you And where can the spirit of God dwell but as we read in holy bodies Doth not this apparantly shew that he accounted marriage vncleannesse and pollution In the sixt place Vigilius who cursed them that held that Christ had two natures Which Bellarmine cannot deny but plainly confesseth that he writ such an impious Epistle vnworthy the name of a Christian wherein he condemned all who affirmed Christ to haue two natures But saith he he did not defend any thing publikely neither was an heretike in hart but secretly in a priuate Epistle which he did for desire of authoritie Againe that he did was then when he was not truly and lawfully Bishop for Syluerius was yet liuing who was Pope though in banishment To the first I aunswere Whether it was publiquelie or priuately it is not to the matter he did it and heresie priuate I hope is heresie whether it was in the heart or no that was knowne to God and wee may iudge truly of his heart by his writings If these shifts would scrue no body should euer be knowne or determined to be an heretike To the second I answere that Liberatus his words Liberat. in brcuia cap. 22. in the end of the chap. are these Vigilius writting these things closely to the heritikes permansit sedens did still keepe his seate namely after the death of Syluerius who dyed as Sigebertus writeth the same yeare he was banished 7 Honorius the first who denied that Christ had two wils two operations as Melchior Canus and diuers other Popes and councells haue written Bellarmine would gladly answere that those epistles of Honorius were fained falsely imputed to him but that hee will not greatly stand too but tells vs in the second place that Honourius did holde no such thing in those Epistles but onely forbids the vsing of the words of one or two wils and operations And being pressed with it that in those Epistles he hath these very words Vnam voluntatem fatemur domini Wee confesse one will of the Lord hee answereth that hee speaketh there of his humaine nature onely and would say that in the man Christ there were not 2. contrary willes one of the flesh another of the spirit but one onely of the spirit I aunswere that whatsoeuer he would haue said it 's apparant what hee did say it may be Bellarmine would hee had said thus but the wordes are plaine and not to vs onely who may be thought partiall but to 3. Synodes as Bellarmine confesseth and to 2. or 3. Popes Now Iudge whether it be equall that we should beleeue Bellarm. before so many Fathers and such authoritie as if he had better vnderstood him then all they did August cont Iul. Pelag. lib. 1. cap. 2. alâ—â—â— 8 So Innocent the first holding that Baptisme and the Eucharist was necessary for children to saluation as Augustine writeth the latter whereof was consuted by the councell of Trent 5. Session vnder Pius 4. whom Bellarmine seekes to defend from other errours and heresies and not from these passing them ouer in silence and so we take him for consenting to our accusation of him for that he held such things Bellarmine could not be ignorant seeing Augustine speaketh of them in many places 9 Behold Stephen the 6. abolishing all the Acts of Formosus his predecessor and decreeing that the Sacrament depended vpon the vertue of the Prtest 10 After him commeth Iohn the ninth who disannulled all the Acts of Stephen and established whatsoeuer Formosus had done In the 11. place Sergins the third disannulled whatsoeuer Formosus and Iohn had done and re-established the Acts of Stephen It may well be that all these may be in an errour but sure it is they all could not be in the truth For the defence or excuse of these three hee saith that touching Formosus the question was whether Formosus was true and lawfull Pope Stephen thought bee was not Iohn the ninth after round the contrarie and condemned the Acts of Stephen As if the holy Ghost did erre more in iudging of a fact then in iudging of the right he is God and knoweth all things They say the spirit of God is giuen to their Church and as it were tyed to their Councels being ouer them to lead them into all truth But to condemne him that was not to be condemned is farre from the truth and cannot come from the spirit of God But he saith
Iohn sound out that which Stephen did not that Formosus was a true Pope by what meanes did hee finde it sure by the spirit of God and could the spirit finde it out in the councell of Raucnna vnder Iohn the ninth and not finde it in the councell of Rome vnder Stephen the 6 Nay not only not find it out but iudge the contrary Are then the iudgements of the spirit of God contrary one to another But graunt Iohn did finde out things thus was this then the decree of the holy Ghost By what spirit then did Sergius the third succeeding Iohn condemne Formosus againe and abrogate all his acts and take him the second time out of the graue and cut off his head and cast his boly into Tyber which being found by fishermen was brought into the cathedral Churche at Rome where the Images did worship him beleeue it if you will What probabilitie and truth is like to be in these excuses you may easily coniecture To make vp the dozen See Iohn 22. called as some say the 21. who if he denied not the immortalitie of the soule as Caluine affirmes and Bellarmine denies yet held he that the soules departed neuer came into the presence of God till the resurrectio of the body Which errour the Vniuersitie of Paris opposing by the helpe of Philip King of France they made him recant with the sound of a Trumpet for feare of loosing his Popedome as Iohn Gerson affirmes in his Sermon of Easter Bellarmine excuseth him that though he held such an opinion yet he might do it without danger of heresie for the Church had not yet defined it to be an errour a very sriuolous excuse For it there had not bene before any definition of the Church which he falsely affirmeth yet had we the difinition of the Lord in the Scripture which he hath appointed to be the rule of faith to his Church and not the Church to be a rule to others She may declare something to be an heresie but her determination cannot make it an heresie and if she had neuer defined it to be an heresie yet had it beene an errour and hee had therein manifestly erred who either then or now shall holde it 13 To giue you the aduantage see Iohn the 23. who denied both Eternall life and the resurection of the body Concerning whom First the Iesuite saith it is vncertaine whether he were true Pope because there was at that time two Popes more Gregorie the 12 and Benedict the 13. each cursing other so that if he erred it is nothing to the erring of the Pope because it was not knowne who was Pope Obserue a monstrous body with three heads or a body with no head but his excuse is but a shift for Platina who maketh him Iohn the 24. affirmeth that he was created Pope at Bononia with the consent of all Platina in Iohn 24. but secondly he answereth that at the councell of Constance 53. Articles were put vp against him and prooued by substantiall witnesses and those were all for matter of manners but as for this and some other Articles of faith they were prooued by no witnesses therefore saith he it is probable that by reason of his vitious life the opinion of the people was that he thought there was neither life euerlasting nor the resurection of the body So by excusing of him from errour he hath stemed him and made him stinke in the nosthrils of all honest men And if the head was so bad all the body was worse But the councell obiecting it to him and hee not cleering himselfe of it nay his life gaue testimonie of it why should we beleeue Bellarmine before all the Fathers of that councel But leauing these things I hasten towards an end and come to apply this for our more particular benefite This then may teach euery man Vse 2 seeing things stand thus to labour for the knowledge of the word and the mysteries of Saluation that hauing the rule of truth he may be able to iudge of all falsehood and errour and may not be caried away with the errour of one or many be they neuer so great or learned Certaine it is that because they know but in part they may erre though they be neuer so learned and erre often times they do because they are not wholly sanctified It is certaine that the greatest part of a visible Church is euer vnsanctified and the best part that is sanctified is but sanctified in part and so subiect to partialitie and errour and may both erre and defend errour against their knowledge some violent temptation of pride pleasure or profit carrying them therto Seeing none are now gouerned by the infallible guidance of the spirit of God then had men need of knowledge that they may be able to trie the doctrines that are deliuered It is a certaine truth and not to be denyed because stories of all times do manifestly prooue it that errour and herefie haue oftentimes so much preuailed that they who haue holden and possessed the places of office and dignitie in the Church of God either for feare slatterie hope of gaine and honour or misled by their owne ignorance and simplicitie or fallen into some errour giuen ouer of God haue departed from the soundnes of Faith so that the sinceritie of religion was vpholden and the truth defended and maintained only by some fewe that were molested persecuted tra luced as turbulent and seditious persons and enimies to the common peace of the Christian world This were easie to be shewed in the times of Christ and of the immediate successors the Apostles This was manifest in the times of Athanasius when in the councel of Sâ—leuciâ— and Arminium the Nicene Faith was condemned and all the B B. of the whole world sell from the soundnes of the Faith saue Athanasius and a sewe confessors that were banished with him So as Ierom writes against the Luciserians saying Ingemuit totus orbis miratus est se faclum esse drianum The whole world groned and is amazed to see how she was become an Arrian So Hillarius against Auxentius Bishop of Millan complaineth that the Arrian faction had confounded all and therefore admonished men to take heed how they were led by any outward appearance or glorious shewes Now as there is no new thing vnder the heauens but that that is now hath bene before so there is no old thing but it may be renewed and such times may befall the Church againe Therefore it is the wisedome of euery man that is not carelesse which end goeth forward 1. Ioh. 4.1 and retchlesse of his soules health to labour for knowledge that he may be able as S. Iohn saith to trie the Spirits for many false prophets are gone out into the world If any man will say how shall not we erre when so many great learued men haue erred and may erre The answere is as Salmon saith Pro. 28.11 The rich man is wise in his owne conceit but the poore that hath vnderstanding can trie him So oftentimes meaner men may found the depth and see more then great schollers especially seeing that he that was truth hath said it God reucaleth that to suckelings and babes Math. 11.25 that he hideth from wise and prudent Let vs then account of that doctrine of poperie as damnable which commendeth an Implicit faith and be suspicious of those who thinke it is not good for men to haue knowledge as if they meaÌ„t either to make a pray vpon them or to broach some grosse errours and therefore deale with them as Chrysostome saith Theeues do First put out the candle and then fall a spoyling and as deceitfull Marchants that would vtter their wares by obscure and deceitfull lights And let vs againe labour for knowledge that we may be able to trie the spirits not be deceiued by any seducers especially when it will not goe for currant before God that we haue beene so taught and misled by our guides for if the blind lead the blind they shall both fall into the ditch and bee deuoured together Which that we may escape let vs follow men though they be Apostles no further then they follow Christ And that we may be able to discerne others steppes whether they tread right or no Let vs imbrace the Apostles exhortation or commaund Cot. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell plentifully in vs. By which we may be preserued from error being the speciall antidote against this poyson yea and abyding in it we shall walke in the truth 1. Thess 5.23 and in the end be saued by the truth Now the God of peace and truth sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and bodie may be kept blamelesse vnto the Comming of our Lord Iesus Christ FINIS LONDON Printed by T. C. For Edmond Weauer and William Welby 1609.
neither had sent the holy ghost The to say nothing touching certain of the Church those in like lihood not a sewe who erred concerning the calling of the Gentiles so that Peter was faine to make an Apologie for his going to Cornelius Acts 11 Let vs come to Peter the head of the Church Acts. 10.14 he was ignorant that by Christ the ceremoniall lawe was abolished I haue eaten nothing that is vncleane or polluted yea himselfe was ignorant of the calling of the Gentiles doubt not but goe therefore hee was ignorant before and verse 33.34 Of a truth now I know there is no respect of persons with God And as he erred in faith so also in manners Gelat 2.14 Paul reprooued him before all men that being a Iewe be walked as the Gentiles and not like the Iewes and yet compelled the Gentiles to dee like the Iewes Is it not then manifest they may erre and haue erred but see this confirmed Reason 1 First because the best knoweth but in part though their knowledge be neuer so great yet is it but imperfect for the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 3.9 Wee know in part and wee prophecie in part and the common speech is Maexima pars eorum quae sciâ—â—us est minima pars eorum quae ignoranuts The greatest part of those things we know is the least part of those things we yet are ignorat of Now ignorance is the mother of errour saith Bernard seeing al men theÌ„ are in partignoraÌ„t they may erre theÌ„ the Priest may erre in part Reason 2 Secondly because euery man is but in part sanctified and hath the remnants of the olde man remaining in him euen Paul who had so farre proceeded in sanctification as that hee was not inseriour to the very chiese Apostles 2. Cor. 11.5 had yet the remnants of the old man Now then it is no more I that doe it Rom. 7.17.24 but the sinne that dwelleth in me O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Therefore they may partlie striue against their owne iudgment and be drawne by temptation to defende an errour against conscience for howsoeuer errour in iudgement commeth from ignorance yet errour in act as in teaching defending and maintaing of some vntruth is ioyned often with knowledge and ariseth not out of ignorance but out of want of grace and sanctification Reason 3 Thirdly because that promise of the incessant assistaÌ„ce infallible guidaÌ„ce of the spirit was neuer made to any saue to the Apostles because they were to plant Churches where were neuer any before and being in a new sorme of gouernment of the Church which was neuer vsed nor heard of before therefore to them it was promised Iohn 14.26 He shall teach yâ—â— all things and bring all things to your remembrance and againe Iohn 16.13 Hee shall lead you into all truth By which is meant not an absolute illumination of all truth for that the Apostle had denied before 1. Cor. 13.9 Wee know in part But an infallible suggestion of the truth as occasion was offered And that this was promised onely to theÌ„ I proue because of that Ioh. 16.13 And he shall shew you all things to come which neuer any Pope or Patriarch durst challenge and therefore seeing they are both in one graunt and that this will not passe by vertue of that promise then why the other seeing they are both in one and the same promise Now this being so certaine a truth Vse 1 it will first euince the doctrine of poperie of errour which teacheth that the Church cannot erre nor a councell which is the representatiue Church for when all Ministers or the greater part may fall into grosse errours and things in a councell are caried by the most voyces shall we thinke they may not then erre for suppose a councell be collected of them is it not likely they will be the same in the councell when they meete together that they are seuered alone for Coelum non animum mutat c. They may well change the heauens and their places but not their minds and affections But to instance in some see a councel erring 1. Kings 22 400. false prophets with one consent aduising king Ahab flat against the minde of God and the word of the Lord by the prophet Michaiah But happely Bellarmine will say they were a councell of prophets not priests gathered by the King not by the high priest See therefore councels of priests gathered by the high priest and yet erring Iohn 9.22 In Iohn we haue a councell which met and decreed to excommunicate whosoeuer professed Christ did they not erre And in Marke there is a couÌ„cell which condemned Christ of blasphemie Mark 14.64 and that he ought to die for it Thinke you they were in the truth or in impious errour But Bellarmine will say that a councell of priests could not erre before Christs comming but he being come they might erre but for what reason must it not be because they were not priests and their high priest no high priest seeing Christ was now come But this is false for the priesthood of Aaron was not abolished till Christ offered vp his sacrifice and so had established an cuerlasting priesthood yea further the argument of the Rhemists which is common to them and other popish writers how should it hold good when Iohn 11.49.50 because Caiaphas spake the truth they would prone the Pope could not erre be he neuer so wicked for if he were not a high priest then there would be no consequent in this argument But he was the high priest and they all priests and yet they erred and so a councell may erre But more ingeniously dealeth Hosius Canus Hosius in lib. 2. Corara Brentium Prolegom Canus lib. 5. cap. vlt. in respons ad Secund. argum In action 16. who affirme directly that that councell did pronounce a right sentence and that the spirit of God was with them and that it neuer left the councell of priests till Christ had offered vp his bloudie sacrifice yet that councell condemned Christ of blasphemie and is not this the mouth of blasphemie that dare speake such things But see other councels the councell of Calcedon not demed to be a lawfull councell equalled the Biship of Constantinople with the B B. of Rome in authoritie honour and other priuiledges saue onely in precedence Canon 19. de baeret rebaptiz I hope they will say this councell erred The first councell of Necce established rebaptization of those heritiques who sollowed Samesatenus The second councell of Neece Action 5. established worshipping of Images decreed that Angells had bodies and that the soules of men were corporal If a councell cannot erre August de baptism CoÌ„tra Donatist lib. 2. Cap. 3. why did Augustine appeale from the Affrican councel where Cyprian was present to the Scriptures Affirming that we may not doubt of the Scriptures but