S. Paul with much more before noted as they call him if we coÌ„sider his life and doctrine what it was while he belieued and imbraced the Catholicke faith and compare it with the same what it was after he made his reformation we shall clearly perceaue the fruit and effect of this their new Ghospel for life manners And first for his life before his reuolt he confesseth himselfe and it is confessed by his owne followers that He liued in his Monastery punishing his body with watching fasting prayer That he honoured the Pope of meere conscience That he kept chastity pouerty obedience Whatsoeuer he did he did it with a simple heart of good zeale for the glory of God fearing grieuously the last day and desirous to be saued from the bottome of his heart Which are his owne words But after he inuented his libertine Ghospell he confesseth himselfe and the same is confessed by his followers 1. For lust and sensuality that He esteemed nothing more sweet or louing vpon the earth then the loue of a woman if a man can get it That it was no more in his power to be without a woman then to be a man that the act of the flash is as necessary and more necessary no more to be stayed or omitted then to eat drinke sleepe purge make cleane the nose c. Wherupon he confesseth that I am burned with the great flame of my vntamed flesh I who ought to be feruent in spirit am feruent in the flesh in lust sloth c. Eight dayes are now past wherin I neither write pray nor study being vexed partly with the temptation of the flesh partly with other troubles But saith he it sufficeth me to know the glory of the riches of God and of the lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world from him sinne cannot draw vs although we should commit fornication or kill a thousand times a day Vpon which his lust neither respecting his vow made to God of chastity which made it a sinne to commit any act of carnality nor the Imperiall law which made it losse of ones head nor the shame of the world at which all wondred many were ashamed scandalized nor the calamities of the time in which by the insurrection of the Boores or common people incited by him were killed to the number of one thousand and all Germany was in misery but impatient of staying so much as one night he secretly at night hauing present only Pomeran the Priest Luke the Painter and Apellâ—s the Lawyer without any communication with his friends the yeare 1525. coupled himselfe to one of the Runagate Nunnes enticed out of Nympsen by Leonard Koppen Katherine Borâ— by name a beautifull yonge woman of 26. yeares of age who within few dayes after the mariage as Erasmus sayth was deliuered of a child and so as one fayth of him Luther was yesterday a Monke to day a Bridgroome to morrow a Husband and the next a Father Which was the first fruit and one of the principall motiues of Luthers Reformation But let vs heare his Examen of his owne conscience his confession of himselfe VVhat sayth he haue I done all this day Two houres cacaui too beastly to be englished three houres I eat and fower houres I was idle Againe VVe eat till death we drinke till death we eat and drinke till we be poore and go to hell cacamus ad mortem I sit heere senselesse and stupid in idlenesse praying little mourning nothing at al for the Church And laughing at the folly of S. Hierome Benedict Bernard and Francis who labouring to represse the heat of the flesh by praying fasting afflicting their bodyes he sayth He hath a more easy and ready way so that a wench be not wanting that is to haue a wench alwayes in the house which is the most present remedy for that disease and she as a woman ought to help a friend in that case And least he should be thought to do otherwise theÌ„ he taught his doctrine was according to his practise for he taught That to increase and multiply is not a precept but more then a precept which is not in our power to slippe or omit but more necessary then to eat drinke purge and sleep That the Husband shal say to his wife if thou wilt not come let the maid or another come and if that will not suffice dismisse Vasâ—hi and admit Heâ—ter That As God seuerely prohibited â—o kill not commit adultery so much more did he command to marry For prayer and deuotion he taught That God hath promised to heare our prayers therefore after thou hast prayed once or twice thou must belieue thou art heard and so must pray no more least thou tempt God and abuse his patience in hearing thee And writing to a noble man he affirmes that If we pray often for the same thing we shew little trust in God and so with our incredulous prayer we more more offend God for to aske the same thing often it nothing els but to conceaue that before we were not heard so do pray against the promises of God Therefore we must not vse many words with God but let such short prayers as these suffice Help vs O God Father haue mercy on vs. c. That Papists do foolishly teach men to pray fast and do pennance only say thou that all thou canst do is nothing and this is to prepare the way for God though in the meane tyme thou do nothing but drinke Malmesy and walke vpon Roses and pray not word at all That when thou prayest whether it be standing or kneeling say boldly Lord I aske that thou heare me and I will that thou graunt my request and so it must and shal be and thus pray and no otherwise or els say thou I will neither pray to thee nor haue thee prayed vnto And lastly that No man can say Our Father except he ioyne with it curses and execrations for Our Father is not well sayd without banninges and cursings This was Luthers doctrine and manner of Prayer For other good workes and good life and both for obligation practise of them he taught 1. That only faith doth iustify and only that fayth which includes not not hath annexed Charity That Only fayth is necessary to make vs iust all other thinges being free and neither commanded nor forbidden That Fayth except it be without any the least good workes doth not iustify yea is no fayth 2. For good workes that This shal be a rule for vnderstanding of Scripture that wheresoeuer the Scripture doth commaund to do goods workes it is to be vnderstood to prohibit them That though the Papists bring heapes of Scripture as commending good workes yet I care not for them though they bring more Thou Papist art very
the soules in purgatory or in the way and in danger as the soules of men liuing some are meere intellectuall as God and Angells others more sensuall as beasts others rationable mixed of both as man some alwayes without bodyes as Angels and Diuels others alwayes with bodyes as beastes and birdes others sometymes with body and sometymes without as the soule of man liuing or dead before and after resurrection 3. According to the effect and operation S. Bernard distinguishes six kindes of spirits 1. Diuine of God the spirit is God 2. Angelicall of Angels he hath made spirits his Angells which alwayes worke good 3. Diabolical of the Diuell he sent immissions by euill Angells 4. Carnall of the flesh puffed vp by the sense of the flesh 5. Worldly of the world you haue not receaued the spirit of this world which worke alwayes bad 6. Humane of man the spirit of man which is in man which of all is indifferent and when it is assisted with grace is good when stayned with sinne is bad To which may be added the spirit of truth and of lying the spirit of wisedome and giddines and the spirit of the knowledge of truth and errour of which is spoken before cap. 2. Of which spirits for our purpose these chiefly are to be noted that is the spirit of God of Angells of Diuells and the spirit of the soule of man dead in heauen in hell or in purgatory and of man liuing according to the dictamen either of our naturall reason or of the light of diuine fayth and grace And thus much of the variety and differences of the nature of spirits which are to be discerned Secondly we may note that these seuerall sortes of spirits haue seuerall sortes of operations in man and do seuerall wayes manifest and shew themselues in him and to him for as in the naturall life of man besides the powers vegitatiue and sensitiue by which he liues and moues God and Nature hath prouided certaine more subtile spirits that is the vitall spirits in the hart which passing through the arteries do help to vitall operation as nutrition and augmentation and sensible spirits in the braine which passing through the veines do assist to the sense of feeling touching and the rest so also in the spirituall life of a Christian man besides the permanent guifts of the Holy Ghost and habits of faith hope and charity infused in Baptisme and Pennance togeather with grace God doth communicate also certaine extraordinary helpes and guifts to the soule which as certaine beames of his diuine light and sparkles of his celestiall loue assist and enable it to a higher knowledge of God and good thinges and to a more perfect practise of vertue and perfection and these are diuine illuminations inspirations or visitations and visions which are of two sortes the one meere spirituall and internall the other sensible and externall The first sort of spirituall motions arise immediatly from foure heads 1. From God who illuminating the Vnderstanding with a heauenly light clearely to discerne what is true or false what good or bad inflaming the will with an ardent desire to loue sincerely him and his goodnes and to doe his holy will and commandement and enabling the rest of the faculties with an inuincible fortitude to performe couragiously what is to his greater honour glory doth when or how he pleases and by meanes and in tyme best fitting as prayer meditation reading or such spirituall practises speake instruct and direct the soule by speciall illustrations inspirations and confortations 2. From the good Angell who by good cogitations and motions exciting the dulnesse and drowsinesse conforting the infirmity and weaknes of the soule and conseruing the same from danger of enemies is alwayes ready to assist vs in prayers and good workes and to defend vs from all occasions and temptations 3. FroÌ„ the Spirit of grace which with the light of fayth flame of charity inhabiting in vs doth continually knock at the dore of our heart and in our sleep awakes vs in our sicknesse strengthens vs in our distraction so recollects vs that with alacrity we may proceed in all exercises of piety and with facility ouercome all assaults of our enemy 4. FroÌ„ the Dictamen of reason and light of nature which pricked forward by the synderesis of a good conscience doth as a Preacher continually exhort and moue to a prosecution of good and an auersion from euill and as a Maister doth still direct and instruct vs how to behaue our selues in our combat against the law of sinne and the Angell of Sathan which make continuall opposition against it all which as a vigilant watchman doe still watch at the superiour part of the soule to wit the Memory Will and Vnderstanding eyther by an infused light or by species formed and framed in the phantasie and do inwardly knocke awake admonish and incite our soule to the knowledge of truth the operation of God The other sort of Spirits is sensible and visible by visions and apparitions and these are sometymes Imaginary presenting inwardly to the phantasie and imagination a shew and apparition either of wordes spoken or of persons appearing in their own person or in some other like to theÌ„ or in some figure representing them others sometymes are Visible and corporall seene heard or felt in some corporall body formed and framed of the ayre and assumed moued by a spirit which in them speakes walkes and exercises sensible actions as though it were a true and liuing person both which kindes happened often to the Patriarches and Prophets of old and to many in these later tymes sometims waking sometymes in their sleep and are both of them either by way of Oracles as S. Augustine calles them when some graue person appeares and fortells what is to be done as did Onias and Hieremy to Iudas Machabâ—us or by way of visions when thinges haue the euent indeed as they appeare in shew as happened to S. Peter who saw an Angell wheÌ„ indeed the Angell did free him out of prison or by way of Dreames when apparitions of mysteries are shadowed in figures not vnderstood in sense and signification such as was Pharao his Eares of corne and Nabuchodonozâ—r his Statua All which whether interiour or exteriour though they be properly diuine of God and good Angels of which is frequent mention and examples both in the old and new Testament yet because they are sometymes diabolicall of the Diuell who by suggestions and illusions doth imitate them and sometymes naturall dispositions or diseases of body whose affections and imaginations are not much vnlike to them And because of the later sortes that is visions and apparitions of which is the greatest difficultie examples in scripture and ancient histories for I will forbeare latter tymes are many and authenticall how sometymes God sometymes Angells sometymes Diuells
life pag. 243. is iniurious to Christ as a Redeemer a Lawgiuer a Iudge a Priest makes him ignorant sinfull and damned pag. 247. Fathers how esteemed by S. Augustine pag. 67. Their consent a meane to interprete scripture pag. 126. Their authority how great 12â— Their ancient Practice against Heretikes 227. Alleadged by Fathers and councells ibid. consulted about scripture pag. 138. Freewill takeÌ„ away by Protest doctrine of Predestination pag. â—74 Absurdities following vpon the deniall of Freewill ibid. G GOd by Protestant doctrine made Author of sinne a Sinner only a sinner pag. â—77 A lyer and dissembler pag. 280. A Tyrant more cruell then any Tyrant 284. A Diuell a tempter to sinne and Authour of sin p. â—89 Gods of the PagaÌ„s how many how vicious how begot pag. 220. Men-Gods Women-Gods 2â—1 Gods for euery thing The Gods of the Romans 2â— Passions Beasts Hearbes made Gods pag. 223. Grace generall actuall necessary pag. 30. How Protestants and Catholikes agree differ about Grace pag. 31. And the effects of it pag. 32. Grace gratis and extraordinary pag. 40.378 Not giuen to all 380. Not a signe of Holines pag. 119. H K. HENRY the 8. how often he changed Religion pag. 157. Heresy what it worketh pa. 20.56 Why to be auoyded 48. The origine of it pag. 2.49.61.225 Begon by the priuate Spirit pag. 141. Compared with Idolatry pag. 218. Heretikes how they abuse Scripture 58. How deluded by Sathan 100.102 Examples of auncient Heretikes 10â— Moderne 100.103 How discerned by Fathers by practice of the Rule of Fayth pag. 120.127 By Church practice confuted 1â—5 Deceaued by women pag. 46. S Hierome commeÌ„ded His saying against the priuate Spirit pag. 59. I IVdge as necessary in Fayth as in Lawes How far he is to be obeyed pag. 145.161 What properties are required in a Iudge and what to a Rule of Fayth by which he is to iudge pag. 146. Not the whole body of the Church pa. 147. Not secular Prines 148. Not the lay people 155. Not the Scripture 156. But Bishops and Prelats as is proued by scripture Church-practice are a Iudge pag. 162. L LAy-People not Iudges of Faith pag. 155. Lawes Precepts InstructioÌ„s Exhortations all in vaine according to Protestant doctrine pag. 162. Luther against this priuate Spirit 65. His bad Life Lust Enuy Pride want of deuotion and good workes confessed pag. 339. Lutherans disagreemeÌ„t about Scripture-sense pag. 140. O OBiections for the priuate spirits authority answered pag. 378. Originall sin made to be Concupiscence pag 227. Absurdities that follow vpon Originall sinne remaining pag. 259. That the Church of Christ is a congregation of great sinners pag. 261. That the elect may commit as wel great sinnes as good workes ibid. That in vaine is all mortification and labour to ouercome all Temptations ibid. That great sinners may be perfect men and perfect Protestants pag. 261. That in vaine are al Lawes of Gods Church or CoÌ„mon Welth. p. 6â— All Consultatios exhortations all Caseâ— or care of Conscience vaine ibid. P PAgans saued according to Protestants pag 242. Predestination to damnation a Protestant Principle and the effect of it pag 2â—8 Absurdities that follow of it vz It makes men Atheists pag â—71 Desperatâ— Examples of both pag. â—72 Takes away Freewil in all sort of actions All desert of reward or payne 274. Makes God the Author of sin â—76 A sinner 277. Vide God And is the origine of Atheisme and liberty pag 27â— Priests Pastors of the Church are interpreters of Scripture pag. 117. And the triers of Spirits pag. 1â—7 118 Princes not Iudges of coÌ„trouersies and Fayth pag 148 They are sheep not Pastours proued by Fathers pa. 149. Absurdities that follow vpon making them Iudges of Fayth pag. 153. Protestants want all means of Faith to confute Pagans confirme Catholikes and reduce Heretickes pag. â—5 Want all credible Testimonies to the same pag 17. All Church infallible proposition 19. All pious disposition ibid. All infused Fayth pag. â—0 Obiects Materiall and formall â—1 All reuelation made to the Apostles pag. 23. Protestants relye vpon a motion of the priuate Spirit pag. 25. In what they agree with Catholikes pag. 30. And differ from them about the Spirit in the Name Vniuersality Operation Permanency and effect of it pag. 30. What they belieue of the Spirit pag. 30.31 How they make the Spirit Iudge and trier or Councells pag. 36. Protestants compared with false Prophets pag. 44. With Eliu Iobs friend 47. Protestants Faith Saluation how doubtfull as relying on the priuate Spirit p. 14â— And more doubtfull then Catholikes ibid. Sects and diuisions among them 184 Protectants doctrine in the connexion of their electioÌ„ faith spirit Scripture-sense saluation pag. 205. Their Circle between scipture and spirit pag. 206. Betweene spirit and Fayth pag. 201. Betweene Election scripture-sense 21â— How they make Scripture the sole meanes of Fayth and the spirit the sole meanes to know scripture 2â—7 2â—1 212. Protestants doctrine reduced to 4 heads that is Church-contempt sole Fayth originall sin and Predestination pag. â—26 Their doctrine of the certainty of saluation how contrary to Faith and inferring a Generall saluation of all pag 2â—7 Their doctrine of Fayth what it is and how contradictory 243. Vide Fayth Not grounded vpon scripture 243.245 They are made Iust by sinne 244. Presume vpon Iustice without ground 245. Destroy all hope and charity 246. Teach good life not out of their owne principles 247 Make Christ no redeemer nor Phisitian of soules Vide Christ and pag. 247. c Their doctrine and scripture in how many points contraâ—y pag 280 How it leads to bad life to flouth lust and cruelty pag. 330. Derogates froÌ„ the honour of God of Christs saints Sacraments Grace c. p 350 Protestants Church of what kind of persons it consists 260. Their doctaine of sin and good workes pag 261. The bad life of the Protestant common people confessed in Germany pag. 335. In England 337 Of their Ministers 338. Of their Founders Luther Caluin Swinglius Iacobus Andreas c. pag. 344 Protestant Reformers most of them Friars Priests Breakers of the vowes of Chastity pag. 346 S SEcts and diuisions how many mong Protestants pag. 184. Selfe-opinion and conceite coÌ„demned pag. 50. Sinners perfect ProtestaÌ„ts pag. 261. Good members of their Church p. 261. Spirits diuers and doubtfull not sy to be discerned but by speciall gift pag. 35. By what Rule to be tryed ibid. By vnioÌ„ with the Church not by Scripture pag. 36. By whome to be tryed that is by the Pastors not the people pag. 39. Spirits their variety and diuersity in nature coÌ„dition operation pag. 70. Spirits vitall and naturall pag. 71. Spirituall motions their origine pag. 7â— some spirituall some sensible pag. 73. Spirits of God of Angells of Diuells of soules departed how hard to be discerned pag. 74. Rules to discerne their motions pag. 83. Difficulty to iudge certainly of these Rules pag. 93. In
that he may abide with you for euer And shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed and out of the mouth of thy seeds seed for euer And for what end That he may teach you all thinges That spirit of truth shall teach you all truth Thirdly he armed it with all power and authority To remit or retaine all sinnes to bind or loose whatsoeuer is to be bound or loosed in earth or in heauen to correct punish with the rod of correction To excommunicate and deliuer vp to Sathā And to determine all questions or controuersies as it should seeme good to the Holy Ghost and it Fourthly he established and cōfirmed it As the pillar and foundation of truth that being in it selfe grounded in truth and also grounding others in the same it should stand so firmely that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Fifthly he gaue to it commission and charge to teach all nations and to preach the Ghospell to all creatures Sixtly he gaue vs warrant and security that we might safely heare and obey it He that heareth you heareth me Seauenthly he gaue vs charge and command by precept of obligation that whatsoeuer they shal say to you speaking of the Scribes and Pharisies in Moyses chaire but à fortiori of the Pastours and Prelats in Peters Chaire that doe you Eightly he threats and terrifyes vnder great punishment first of danger and of contempt of himselfe by contemning it He that despiseth you despiseth me Secondly of infidelity and losse of his fauour and grace He that will not heare the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and the Publican Thirdly of hell and damnation for euer He that belieueth not shal be condemned All which doe proue not only an authority and that infallible in the Church to direct and teach vs but also an obligation in vs to obey submit our selues for fayth to the direction and instruction of it And least any should doubt of this Church what it is the holy Ghost explicates the meaning of our Sauiour tells vs that it is Some Apostles some Prophets and other some Euangelists and other some Pastours and Doctours to the consumation of the Saints vnto the worke of the ministery vnto the edifying of the body of Christ vntill we meet all into the vnity of Fayth Which Pastours he will giue vs according to his owne hart who shall feed vs with knowledge doctrine And how shall they feed vs by preaching and proposing to vs the doctrine of fayth for as hearing is a necessary meanes to belieuing How shall they belieue him whome they haue not heard so preaching and proposing what is to be belieued by Church-pastours is necessary to hearing so to belieuing How shall they heare without a Preacher By which is apparently proued the necessity and infallibility of Church authority for a propounding and directing cause in matters of fayth and Religion All which may be confirmed First by authority of holy Fathers among whome I will cyte S. Irenaeus and S. Augustine for the rest Irenaeus that learned Doctour and holy Martyr sayth VVe ought not to seeke among others the truth which we may easily take and receaue from the Church seeing that the Apostles haue most fully layd vp in her all thinges which are of truth that euery man that will may take out of her the drinke of life For which those thinges that are of the Church are with diligence to be loued and the tradition of truth is to be receaued S. Augustine sayth The truth of the Scripture is holden of vs when we do that which pleaseth the vniuersall or whole Church the which is commended by the authority of the Scriptures themselues that because the Holy Scriptures cannot deceaue whosoeuer feareth to be deceaued with the obscurity of this question let him require the iudgement of the Church which without any ambiguity the holy Scripture doth demonstrate In which is affirmed First that all truth is left by the Apostles in the Church not in Scripture only Secondly that the same truth is to be learned and receaued of all by the sayd Church Thirdly that the truth thus receaued is most true and is to be loued and followed of all See more of the Fathers aboue in the first part to whome I add a confirmation out of Luther against himselfe and his followers who sayth that The Church neither can nor ought to teach errours no not in the least thinges since God is the mouth of the Church and as God cannot lye so neither can the Church Secondly by Reason for since of all the rest of the means and rules also of fayth there may be and often is question doubt as for example of the articles which be true which not of reuelation which is reuelation of God which an illusion of the enemy of the motion of the spirit which is of God which of nature which of Sathan of the inclination of the Will which is a pious disposition and which an illuding affectation of tradition which is diuine Apostolicall or Ecclesiasticall which not of Scripture which is true which false of true which is the incorrupted translation which corrupted of the incorrupted trāslation which is the true sense which is false and of the true sense which is to be belieued as fundamentall and necessary which is not to be belieued as fundamentall but only voluntary Of all which since I say there euer hath beene and now is great question contentiō some infallible directing iudge propounding cause is a necessary meane to end these all like controuersies and to settle and resolue vs in the assured certainty of the one or other or els will the contention be euer endlesse and we in our opinions restlesse Among which seeing no other can be assigned but the Church and that God hath giuen so large commission and priuiledge for that end to it as we haue produced it remaines that the Church and Church authority is of all necessary meanes of fayth the most necessary for vs to settle and satisfy vs in the certainty of our diuine fayth And thus much of the order necessity of these six meanes and chiefly of Church-proposition or the Proponent cause How the Protestants want all these six meanes of Fayth SECT III. THE third Consideration is to reflect how that of all these six meanes necessary to diuine fayth the Protestants haue not any one but are defectiue in all These meanes are either External as the credible testimonies which by euidence of reason conuinceth that such a faith is credible and may prudently be belieued and Church proposition which by the credit of authotity assures that the same is true and is to be belieued both which are externall to the person belieuing or Eternall
differ in the extension of it for we affirme this grace to be extended offered and giuen sufficiently though not effectually to all so that all and euery one of reason haue sufficient meanes and ability to know God by Faith and to loue him by Charity so far as is needfull for their saluation They affirme their spirit to be restrayned offered and giuen only to the elect faithfull whome they make all one and that all others neither haue nor can haue it but are by the absolut will and decree of God debarred from it therby made incapable of it 3. We differ in the manner of operation of it for we affirme that grace doth worke or cooperate with vs and we with it so that the grace of God and our Free-will as two concurring causes though Grace the more principall do ioyntly effect and produce euery good worke of Faith Hope or Charity or the rest in vs whereby our good works haue of grace that they are diuine supernaturall and of our selues that they are voluntary and free of both that they are meritorious of more grace present in vs and of glory in heauen to come to vs. They doe attribute so much to the worke of their spirit in them that they take away all cooperation of our free-will in vs wherby they make man as dead without all action or operation to any spirituall and good workes make the spirit soâ—e whole worker of all in man Fourthly We differ in the nature and permanency of this grace or spirit for we acknowledge grace to be an inherent quality permanent guift infused into our soule which doth enlighten enable our vnderstanding to giue assent by faith to the diuine mysteries proposed and inspire our will to be sorrowfull by contrition for our sins committed which guift once infused is not so permanent perpetuall but that the habit of Charity is lost by mortall sinne against Charity the habit of Hope by desperation against hope the habit of faith by infidelity against faith They or many of theÌ„ deny all infused guifts of faith hope charity or the rest admit only a transeunt motion or operatioÌ„ of the spirit which working in man without mans cooperation when what how and in whome it pleaseth is neuer totally or finally lost after it be receaued doth make a man alwayes faythfull and beloued of God and doth giue that vertue to all his workes though neuer so bad that they make them gratefull and acceptable to him so that according to them no worke of a faithfull man though neuer so bad can make any enmity betweene God him God neither imputing it as an offence to him nor man incurring the displeasure of God for it Fiftly We differ in the effect and operation assigned to it for we assigne the function and office for example Of the guift of faith to be the eleuation enabling of our Vnderstanding to giue assent to what is reuealed by God deliuered in scripture or tradition and proposed by Church authority Of the guift of hope to be the inflammation of the soule to loue God as our chiefest end to desire him as our greatest Good to hope for him as our good absent and to delight in him as our good present Of the guift of charity or grace to be the forgiuenes of our sinnes the sanctification of our soule adoption to be the sonnes of God title and right to the kingdome of heauen and a valew dignity of merit to our good workes They assigne to their priuate spirit a double effect the one of proposing the obiect the other of working in the subiect In respect of the obiect it proposeth to them what they are to belieue and why they are to beleeue it and how they are to know both In respect of the subiect it workes in them say they a firme and infallible assurance of all the former thinges belieued so that they stand sure and certaine not only of the Scripture the sense of it and of their doctrine and verity of it but also of their spirit that it is of the Lord and of their saluation that it is as due to them as it is to vse Caluins owne words due to Christ and that they can no more loose heauen then can Christ nor be no more damned then can Christ In which they attribute to their priuate spirit all the reason of credibility exteriour and all the operation interiour both in the will and vnderstanding which they haue of the certainty of all their faith and saluation By all which is apparent that as they made it the sole ground foundation which is in the former part at large proued on which their faith is built so they make it the sole meanes as is here proued and the totall cause materiall formall finall and efficient both exteriourly reuealing proposing and persuading and interiourly working or rather deluding them in the obstinacy rather then certainty of their supposed faith And this priuate spirit and this effect of it is that which they rest vpon and that which in this second Part we intend by the assistance of Gods grace to confute and disproue THE PRIVATE SPIRITS INTERPRETATION OF HOLY SCRIPTVRE Deciding of controuersies iudging of mysteries of Fayth coÌ„futed by holy Scripture CHAP. II. Out of 1. S. Iohn 4. 1. S. Paul 1. Tim. 4.11 Act. 20.30 2. S. Pet. 2. describing this Spirit SECT I. THE holy Ghost in holy Writ borh foreseeing and also forshewing to vs the abuse of this priuate spirit the better to forewarne vs of it to arme vs against it doth not only in generall as it doth many other abuses but euen in particuler and as it were on set purpose both plainely decipher and describe it also fully confute and condemne it Out of it therefore we will draw our first arguments of confutation and by it conuince of falsity this deceitfull and deceauing spirit And first to begin with the new Testament for the more full instruction of our selues and the plainer confutation of this spirit I will for one proofe conioine in one argument the testimonies of the chiefest Apostles that is of S. Iohn S. Peter and S. Paul First S. Iohn 1. epist chap. 4 v. 1. doth plainely giue admonitions against this spirit 1 Belieue not euery spirit 2 but try the spirits if they be of God Secondly both S. Iohn and S. Paul doe giue the reasons why we should not belieue but try these spirits S. Iohn v. 2. Because many false spirits are gone out into the world S. Paul 1. Tim. 4.11 Because in the last tymes certaine shall depart from the fayth attending to spirits of errour and doctrine of Diuells Againe 2. Cor. 11.14 For that Satan himselfe doth transfigure himselfe into an Angell of light that is doth make shew of workes of piety iustice and deuotion thereby to allure men by opinioÌ„
necessity of grace against Iulian the Pelagian he speaketh of the Fathers in this manner These Fathers I haue cyted no more least it should be too tedious to read them yet such as are not so light that you may scorne to weigh thē yea so great that you may groane vnder the burthen of them These are they whose so great consent ought to moue you and who are not a conspiracy as you call them of ill tongued men but who flourished in the Catholike Church are sound in doctrine and armed with spirituall weapons who fought stoutly against heretickes and haue passed ouer their labours and slept in the bosome of peace VVho hauing liued holily and ouercome the errours of their tyme and departed gloriously out of this world before you came into it These though they were not then present when this Controuersie began and is now on foot so could not by word of mouth giue a definitiue sentence yet when they wrote and sayd these thinges they were then such as had not any either friendship or falling out with you or vs. They were angry neither at you nor vs had compassion of neither What they found in the Church they kept what they learned they teached what they receaued from their Fathers they deliuered to their children You and we did not plead before these Iudges and yet they decyded our cause neither you nor we were knowne to them and yet we do produce their verdict for vs against you we did not about this matter contend with you and yet they pronounce vs victors That which they belieue we belieue what they teach we teach what they preach we preach yield to them and yield to vs consent with them and consent with vs if you will not by them be a friend to vs yet be not for vs an enemy to them which yet you must be if you remaine in this errour therfore leaue it and leane to them Can Pelagius and Celestius Luther and Caluin so farre preuaile with you that for them you dare forsake so many and so great ancient Doctours and defenders of the Catholike fayth ouer all the world Hath tyme made such a confusion of great and small matters Is darkenes so become light and light darkenes that Pelagius Celestius Iulianus c. do see and Hilary Gregory Nazianzen Ambrose c. are blind VVere it not better to yield to them who are better and stronger and to maister your owne presumption then to insist vpon your owne animosity and conceit which you desire should preuaile because it is your owne VVere it not better to yield to these Christian Doctours or rather to Christ in them and to restore your selfe to them from whome you are departed How gratefull would these be to you if you did belieue the Catholike fayth and how terrible must they needes be against you when you oppugne the same Catholike Fayth which they sucked from the teat which they eate with their meate which for milke and meate they gaue to little ones and great ones which they plainely and stoutly defended against their enemies euen you not then borne By such planters waterers builders Pastours nurses the Holy Church increased therefore stood amazed at the prophane termes of your nouelty and as the head of a serpent abhorred troad vnder foot bruised and kickt away your new opinions which did lurke and crawle to deceaue the virginity of the Catholike Church and corrupt the chastity of it which it hath in Christ as did the Serpent seduce Eue. The Fayth of these is to be defended against you as is the Ghospell against wicked and professed enemies of Christ euen that Catholike and Christian fayth which as it was first deliuered in Scriptures so by these Fathers it hath beene hitherto kept and defended and shall by Gods grace euer be kept and defended Thus S. Augustine against the Pelagians their new doctrine for the Fathers and thus we against the Protestantes and their priuate spirit and new doctrine for the same And this may suffice for the testimonies of Fathers THE PRIVATE SPIRITS INTERPRETATION OF HOLY SCRIPTVRE Deciding of Controuersies and iudging of matters of Fayth Confuted by Reasons drawne from the difficulty of discerning of Spirits CHAP. IIII. Of the diuersity of Spirits SECT I. IN the former Chapters we haue confuted the Protestāt priuate spirit by authorityes of holy Scripture and by testimonies of ancient Fathers it remaines that we doe the like by euidence of reason and in this Chapter by reasons drawne frō the difficulty of discerning of spirits of which if the priuate spirit be not able to discerne and iudge which be good or bad which true or false much lesse is it able to discerne iudge the motions and effects of them that is which Scripture the sense of it is true or false which fayth and doctrine is good or bad For the better vnderstanding of which difficulty of discerning of Spirits we may note first how many sortes of varieties and distinctions of spirits there be 1. According to the nature and property of spirits S. Gregory distinguishes them thus Some are without mixture of body some with mixture Spirits without mixture are either increate as God the Father a spirit God the Sonne a spirit God the Holy Ghost a spirit all one God al one spirit good without quality great without quantity euery where without place alwayes without tyme doing all without action mouing al without motion containing all and contained in nothing and present in all by his essence power and presence and yet aboue all or els create which are either happy in glory as the Angells in heauen which are as administring spirits for vs or els damned in hell as the Diuels who as roaring Lyons seeke to deuoure vs both which doe differ either in specie or kind or at the least in degrees of power and greatnes some being in the highest some in the midle some in the lowest Hierarchy euery Hierarchy hauing his order and euery order his particuler Angels and Diuels belonging to it Spirits mixt with bodies flesh are either such as are mixed with flesh and dye with it as the sensuall soule of birds and beastes or such as are mixt with flesh but dye not with it as the reasonable soule of man which is a meane betweene Angells to whome he is inferiour and beastes to whome he is superiour communicating with the one in the immortality of soule with the other in mortality of flesh 2. According to their estate and condition these spirits are some good as God Angels Saints others bad as Diuels men wicked aliue or damned in hell others indifferēt as the natural spirit of man and sensuall of beastes some are blessed in heauen as Angells and Saints others damned in hell as Diuels and the damned soules others in the way and out of danger as
Seuerus to Heliogabalus of Castor Pollux in the Latine Warre of the Ghost at Athens related by Pliny to be leane faced long haired and handes and feet chained To omit I say these Infidels we haue of Christians the examples of Theodoret the Arrian King carryed betweene Iohn the Pope and Symachus the Senatour both whome he had killed into Vulcans forge of Chilpericus the wicked King of France seen by Guntran the King carried between three Bishops into a hoat caldron of a Bishop of Ancona seen by Elias an Hermit standing before Gods Tribunal and caryed to hell of a Nunne in S. Laurence Church cut in peeces before the altar of * Eubronius an Apostata appearing to one whome he had vsed cruelly and carryed into hell-fire And so many more too pittifull to be remembred Seauenthly for the apparitions of the soules in heauen we haue the examples first of our Sauiour to S. Paul in his way to Damascus to S. Peter flying from Rome and saying he went to Rome to be crucifyed againe to Carpus Bishop of Crete with multitudes of Angells reprehending him for too seuerly punishing a lapsed Brother to Peter Bishop of Alexandria complayning that Arrius had torne his coate to S. Martin in the halfe coate which the day before he had giuen for his sake to one naked next of our Blessed Lady I recount only those which are ancient to S. Iames in Spaine at Saragossa for erecting there a Chapell now in great veneration to S. Gregory Thaumaturgus in a glorious shape to Musa a Virgin in S. Gregory his dialogues for the amendement of her life to S. Iohn Damascen restoring his hand cut off for defending Images to S. Cyrill admonishing him to be friends with S. Chrysostome to Narses in all his battailes against Totila to Cyriacus an Abbot for the burning of Nestorius writings to the Architect of Constantine the Great building a Church to the Sonne of a Iew cast into an heat Ouen by his Father for receauing the Blessed Sacrament among Christians to Pope Liberius and Patricius about building S. Maria ad Niues to Rupertus an Abbot giuing him a quicke wit and vnderstanding of Scripture All which are of our B. Lady Of other Saints we haue the apparitions of S. Peter and Paul to Constantine and curing his leprosie of S. Philip S. Iohn Euangelist to Gregory Thaumaturgus shewing a worke of piety to be done of the Apostles at Constantinople in thāks of Iustinian building them a Church of S. Iames to Charles the Great helping him to recouer Galicia from the Sarazens and to Rainerus and Alphonsus Kinges of Spaine against the Moores also of Saint Agnes to Constantine the Great his daughter Geruasius and Protasius to S. Ambrose Potamiena Origens scholler to the torturer foreshewing his martyrdome Felix Nolanus defēding his Citty Nola Thoodore Martyr admonishing Euxouius to auoid meates sacrificed to Idols Cosmas Damian curing Iustinian sore sicke Peter and Paul terrifying Attila from sacking of Rome to omit what is related in this kind by S. Basill of Mamant by S. Nazianzen of his brother Caesarius by S. Hierome of Paula by S. Paulinus of S. Ambrose by Euodius of S. Steuen by Prudentius of Fructuosus and his company by Lucianus of Gamaliel by Palladius of Colluthus by Theodoret of S. Iohn Baptist by S. Athanasius of S. Ammon And who desires to see more may read in Delrio the like apparitions in euery age of christ how some appeared as our Sauiour and Valeria in the first How Potamiena and others in the second How our Blessed Lady S. Iohn S. Cyprian and diuers African Martyrs in the third How our B. Sauiour our B. Lady S. Peter P. Paul S. Agnes S. Agatha Spiridion Artemius Caesarius Triphillus two Bishops and others in the fourth age How S. Iohn Baptist S. Martin S. Geruase and Protase S. Ambrose S. Eulalia S. Fructuosus S. Felix in the fifth age How our B. Lady S. Iohn S. Peter and Paul S. Bartholomaeus S. Steuen S. Eutichius S. Tetricus S. Iohn Silentiarius in the sixth age How our B. Lady S. Iuuenall S. Eleutherius S. Leocadia in the seauenth age and so downeward in all ages vntill this present tyme or neere All which being not only ancient for the tyme as being within the first 600. years but also made credible by the sanctity of them who did appeare by the grant of them to whome they did appeare and by the authority of them who belieued and related that they did thus appeare may in prudence and piety be credited and cannot without leuity and temerity be condemned or reiected And thus much of the variety of spirits and the certainty of their apparitions It remaynes that we shew the difficulty in discerning these spirits and the apparitions of them and by the same conuince the insufficiency inhability of Priuate Spirit to discerne good spirits from bad reuelations frō illusions and true fayth doctrine from false erroneous Of the difficulty to discerne these Spirits SECT II. THE first difficulty of discerning thes spirits ariseth vpō the difficulties which are in particular about these seuerall sortes of spirits the apparitions visible made by them And first of the spirit of God great difficulty hath anciently beene made whether God did appeare in his owne proper body or in one assumed that is whether he had such a body or such partes of a body as appeared in shew and are by scripture attributed to him that is whether he had head eyes hands feet and the rest of the partes of a body or not Also as yet great difficulty is made supposing as it is most certaine that he is a meere spirit whether God himselfe did appeare in assumed bodies or some Angell in his place representing his person if himselfe should haue appeared whether the Father the Sonne or the holy Ghost And if the holy Ghost whether he assumed that flesh of a Doue or of Tongues for example in which he appeared In the like manner as the second person assumed the nature of man and of this Doue thus assumed whether it may be adored and prayed vnto as God and the holy Ghost which assumes it Of the spirits of Angels great difficulties are made of their nature whether it be corporall or meere spirituall if spiritual whether all be of the same or of diuers species or kinds whether all be incorruptible by nature or by grace whether made before or with the world how they can know God and things on earth how they know things to come or contingent and how they can vnderstand one another how by what vertue they moue themselues and other things how they are distinguished in orders and Hierarchies how they haue and performe the custody of men Concerning their assumed bodies it
is doubtfull difficult whether they informe them or assist only in them how and of what matter they doe make and frame them how and what operation or motion they exercise in them whether any vitall or externall operations as of eating or drinking or any sensual or external as of hearing or seeing or any internall as of passion or affection or any intellectual as of discoursing and discussing of sinning and meriting how they illuminate one another the higher the lower how they present visions and cogitations to men whether to their phantasie only by the phantasie to the soule or imediately to the superiour part of the soule also Of the Diuels great difficulties be made how they fell frō grace by what sinne of pride or enuy into what place of hell only or the aire earth also in what number more then the blessed or fewer how they are tormented with materiall fire and how they carry their tormēts with them while they torment others and yet the fire torments not those others in whome they are how they enter possesse and torment men in what number by whole legions in what manner with such instruments of tortures how they frame and assume bodies whether of dead men of beastes and the like or made of the ayre how they can abuse women and beget children how they cause thunders lightenings stormes how they tempt men oppose the Angels hate God and all good how they are deuided into orders Hierarchies how a subordination and confusion stands among them with many such like Of the soules departed are many difficulties as whether in person Samuel himselfe or a Diuell for him appeared before Saul whether Moyses from Limbo and Elias from Paradise before Christ whether their apparitions be internall only to the phantasie and imagination or externall corporally to the senses also If internal whether the soules can or Angels for them do produce these phantasies If externall whether their apparitions be personal in their own presence or representable by Angells for them If personall in their owne presence whether the soules in Purgatory ōly or those in heauen and hell also do in presence personally appeare If all of them whether present in their own bodies in which they liued or in others by them assumed If in assumed and made bodies whether made by themselues or by Angels for them If in bodyes made by Angells whether they can informe and giue life or els inhabite giue only motion to them If only motion what quantity they can moue greater then their owne body was or lesse to what distance further off or neerer By what vertue naturall or superadded they can moue them What operation they can exercise in them whether naturall of working mouing or vitall also of eating and sleeping or sensual also of delectation or auersion and which is most intellectuall of reasoning speaking If they vse reason whether they know what is done on earth how they know it by reuelation from God or by relation from Angells or by Species or formes of their owne retayned of old or acquired anew Whether they vnderstand where they are and what they doe Whether they in Purgatory can by prayer and satisfaction be freed Whether they who are in heauen or hell can increase their ioyes or paines With many more such like Of all which if one should aske any ones priuate spirit or the diuers spirits of diuers ones and seeke for a certaine resolution of them what answere would their spirit affoard Or what agreement would be among them or their answers or what certainty can be builded vpon any of them Surely such is the difficulty in all these and many more doubts that let any one spirit of one man or many spirits of many men resolue them the hearer shall find such opposition in their resolution and so great difficulty in discerning which of these is a good spirit which a bad which vision is imaginary which corporall which effect is of God which of the Diuell which is to be belieued and followed which to be forsaken and abhorred that he shall find himselfe more doubtfull then before and deeper plunged in difficultyes the further he proceeds in inquiries And thus much of the first reason of difficulty to discerne the difference of spirits Of the difficulty and vncertainty of the rules of discerning Spirits SECT III. THE second difficulty of discerning these spirits ariseth vpon the variety and multiplicity of the rules meanes which on the one side men holy learned experienced after much practise of deuotion great labour of study long experience of tyme either by illumination frō God or by diligence industry or by subtility of obseruation haue made obserued and in large Treatises left to posterity for the discerning of these Spirits And which on the other side are so vncertaine and doubtfull that what by the infirmity of man to discerne them what by subtilty of the euill spirit to deceaue in them few can with any certainty and infallibility rely and depend vpon them First therefore for my owne and the Readers instruction I will set downe the rules out of diuers and large treatises collected which vsually are giuen for discerning these spirits and next shew the grounds and reasons of the vncertainty and fallibility of them and out of both inferre the insufficiency and inability of euery mans priuate spirit to make an infallible estimate and iudgment of them and therby to rely for himselfe and his estate of saluation vpon this his spirit and the opinion of it SVBDIV. I. Rules to discerne which are good spirits and which are bad AND first for the meanes signes or rules of discerning these spirits good or bad though there be no great difficulty or vncertainty in discerning spirits which are euill as the spirit of the Diuell and his instruments the flesh and the world for that the good spirit of God of an Angell or of grace cannot suggest those wicked cogitations nor performe those vnlawfull actions which the bad spirits both can and do as for example they can neither lye deceaue blaspheme nor persuade heresy infidelity periury and sacrilege nor commit vncleanesse and lewdnesse by way of Incubi or Succubi nor obey Inchaunters Magicians Witches for wicked vses nor worke and leaue in good soules doubts troubles and despaire of God saluation neither vse they to appeare in horrible and deformed shapes of beasts and monsters All which and such like are proper to the bad spirit sufficient rules signes to discerne him by these fruits and effects Yet because the bad spirit the Diuell both can and doth often counterfeit and in shew performe the same exteriour actions which the good spirit doth as by examples shall afterward be shewed therefore I will propose only the Rules and signes which are giuen for the discerning of the good spirits of which is the most difficulty and vncertainty and
of their motions illuminations and inspirations First therfore for the discerning of the good spirits vnder which title I include all sortes of motions which come imediatly either from God or from Angels or from grace the difference of which doth not much import since they are all good and of God mediatly or immediatly the rules and signes to discerne them are taken some from the obiect matter which is proposed some from the manner circūstances how it is proposed some from the fruits and effects which it worketh The rules and markes drawne from the obiect matter are First that the good spirit inspires moues only to verity and true faith not to falsity and heresy nor to any thing which is contrary to the grounds rules of true faith And so whasoeuer is contrary to faith and the grounds of it as scripture tradition Church Councels consent of Fathers is not from the good but the bad spirit Secondly that it moues only to matter of piety and sanctity and to nothing contrary to good life and manners or to the law of God or naturall reason Therefore what is sinne impiety by commission or omission against reason or grace is from the bad not the good spirit Whereuppon it follws that as the Prophet saith the spirit of God is Corne and Fire a Hammer because it nourisheth strengthneth with verity vertue as Food it enlightneth enflameth with illuminations and inflāmations as Fire and beateth mollifieth with contrition mortification as a Hammer but the spirit of Sathan is as a Dreame and Chaffe because it followes things apparent not true things vaine and not solide things that tend to ill not to good Wherfore when it proposes things either true or good it is neither to be belieued in the one nor followed in the other because in the end and application it doth deceaue and brings danger in both Thirdly that it moues sometimes to these verities and vertues as to know loue and follow God in generall only leauing the application and particulers to the direction of others for the matter the manner the tyme the place or the like as it did S. Paul to be a Christian leauing him to Ananias to be instructed what he should belieue and do And Iephta to make a vow according to the Prophet Isay who yet by his owne spirit as faith S. Ambrose choosing the particuler erred and did amisse Fourthly that when it moues in particuler to extraordinary works as for example of pennance fasting as it did S. Antony Simeon Stelites S. Katherine of Siena to fast many weekes and monthes or of obedience as it did Abraham to offer in sacrifice his sonne and others to walke on the water set vpon Lyons or the like or of martyrdome as it did some Virgins and Martyrs to cast themselues into the water or fire to preuent tentation or confound the Tyrants al which it did for the fuller triall of the persons the greater honour of God or more edification of others When I say God moues or inspires to these extraordinary workes then ordinarily he doth it with that sense of certainty that he leaues no doubt of it in the soule with that vehemency of motion that the soule presently proceeds to execution with that subtility of attention that in the operation the soule can hardly attend to any thing els but that which is good and of God The rules and markes drawne from the manner of proceeding of the spirit are First That when the spirit doth worke any good motion immediately in the superiour part of the soule as in the Vnderstanding reuelations and illuminations of truth In the wil inspirations and inflammations and ardent desires of good In the Memory attention and adhesion to God in the same manner as it doth the habits of faith hope charity and the rest all without any mediatiō or ministery of any species in the outward senses or of phantasies in the interiour imaginatiō to which the power of the bad spirit is limited that then it is the spirit of God which somtimes enters in knocking at the dore of the soule by holy vocations and admonitions to call it from sinne to grace frō vice to vertue somtimes hauing got entrance doth worke labour in the soule either inlightening the darkenesse or inflaming the coldnesse or moistening the drynesse or righting the crookednesse or mollifying the hardenesse or awaking the drowsinesse or curing the sicknesse reuiuing the senslesnes which it finds in the same Somtims it proceeds so far as now to infuse a copious light of knowledge reuealing secret senses of scripture deep mysteries of faith high points of contemplation now to instill a pleasant dew of consolations and comforts in spituall practise and of content and sweetnes in enduring afflictions now to perfume it with a fragrant odour either of the incense of Deuotion or of the myrrhe of Mortification or of the sweet sent of all heroicall vertues and perfections wherewith the soule is rapt as it were out of the sense of bodily feeling vp to a glimpse to a taste to a sweetnes to an vnion with God so farre that it is no more where it liues but where it loues now wholy absorpt rauished and inflamed and transformed into God and God into it All which are a signe of the spirit of God Secondly that the spirit of God thus setled in the soule doth as it were with two eyes looke out abroad into all things That is with the one of pure intention which seeks not our owne honour profit pleasure and content in any thing but God and his honour glory and praise in all our words actions visitations consolations or desolations The other of discretion which proceeds in measure not going further in any practise then our ability will extend In weight valewing things of necessity before things voluntary of iustice before charity of obligation before supererogation In degree first mouing then walking then running and lastly flying and that by step to step from the botome to the top imbracing first the feet next the knees then the hands so to the face and presence of our Sauiour In order contenting our selues with wayes ordinary plaine facill vsuall and commodious to our selues others not aspiring to works effects extraordinary high prodigious miraculous beyond reach of our reason and without benefit to any And in all it perseuers proceeds with vigilancy and diligence without stop interruption or retiring in the course of vertue and perfection The rules and signes drawne from the effects and operations of this Spirit are That the spirit of God for the most part hath and doth cause such a spirituall sauour and taste in the soule where it is that as a man is knowne by his voice and visage as hony is discerned by the taste sweetnes So the motions illustrations and the voice
and speach of God are discerned and knowne by a certaine proper diuine and spirituall taste and sweetnes which men accustomed to them and practised in them can by a supernaturall instinct of grace as a child doth his mother by a naturall instinct of nature better discerne in thēselues then expresse to others and fullier satisfy and content themselues with them then giue any reason of them saying with the Prophet Dauid that they taste and see that our Lord is sweet with the Apostle that they aboūd in knowledge and all vnderstanding approuing the better things yet they know not with the Euangelist whence it cometh or whither it goeth why it is caused or how long it remaines but only they tast and feele it and so rest satisfied in it Thirdly that the spirit of God doth worke in the heart a true and solid humility whose acts and effects are 1. To feare refuse or at the least vnwillingly accept these extraordinary visitations being offered preferring the ignominy of mount Caluary before the glory of mount Thabor 2. To conceale and hide not relate and speake of these gifts being receaued but discouering them only in confession for counsell and that lesse willingly then sinnes 3. To desire to be contēned in matters not only honorable of the world but spiritual as to be reputed wicked by persons not wicked but good so long as no scandall is thereby likely to ensue 4. To wonder that so worthy guifts should be in so vnworthy a person that God should bestow so much good vpon one so bad 5. To feele rather a shame and confusion for the deformity of sinne then a ioy contēt in the dignity of the gift 6. Not to desire these great and extraordinary visitations but more ordinary acts of loue purity and humility 7. Not to esteeme of ones selfe better for them but to account others more holy without them 8. Not to presume vpon any security or fauour for hauing them but rather to feare greater obligation vnworthinesse and ingratitude for not well vsing them Fourthly that the spirit of God doth worke a perfect obedience first of the will against selfe loue secondly of the vnderstanding against selfe conceit both of them first to the will of God to runne the way of his commandements secondly to the will of man that is superiour vnder God to be ruled by him Thus did the holy Hermites accept it as a signe of Gods spirit in Simeon Stelites when being commanded to come to them and giue an account of his austere life he presently obeyed and prepared to descend from his rocke to them Fifthly that the spirit of God doth worke vpon this resignation a true mortification First exteriour of the body to tame the pride of the flesh Next and chiefly interiour of the mind to asswage the rage of passion and affection both for that end to attaine to purity not only of mind but also of body because visions and apparitions much more motions and inspirations though they come saith one in the likenesse of Saints of our Lady or of Christ are alwayes suspitious if they bring impurity of sensuall motions Sixthly that the good spirit of God doth bring with it peace and tranquillity ioy and gladnesse comfort and consolation of the mind expelling feare bridling passions supressing affections and subiecting all manner of perturbations to reason and grace And though it cause some terrour desolation or perturbation yet it is at the first entrance when it begins and that in sinners in whom it finds resistance whom yet in the end it leaues in comfort and consolation And though it be short and for the most not of long continuance yet it is not only frequent often coming and often going and alwayes leauing a good relish after it but also effectual in euery one according to his state as in an incipient in the purgatiue way rooting out vices in a proficient in the illuminatiue way planting of vertues in a perfect man in the perfect way exercising perfection of action and contemplation And these and such like be the rules and signes they giue to discerne good spirits SVBDIV. 2. Difference betweene good and bad Spirits THE same holy men the better to distinguish these spirits giue also certaine distinctiue signes by which comparing the effects of the good and bad spirits togeather the difference betweene them may the better be discerned And first for exteriour visions apparitions shapes or shewes of good and bad spirits they assigne differēce First in forme that good spirits appeare alwayes in the shape of man and that comely and beautifull the bad spirit in the shape often of beasts and monsters and these vgly and deformed 2. In matter that the good spirit persuads alwayes to verity vertue but the bad spirit alwayes to falshood and wickednes eyther in the beginning or end 3. In workes that the good do help and assist vs in doubts or infirmityes the bad do reuenge and punish our defects or iniquities 4. In place that the good appeare in places holy in which piety is practised the bad in places prophane where wickednes is cōmitted 5. In tyme that good appeare ordinarily in the light as Angels of light but the bad in darkenesse as Angels of darknesse 6. For persons that the good appeare to good men to encourage them in goodnesse the bad to bad men to draw them to more badnesse 7. For holy thinges that good do affect and desire but the bad do fly abhorre thinges holy and consecrated as the presence of the Blessed Sacrament of Reliques Agnus deies holy-Water the signe of the Crosse the name of Iesus the inuocation of Saints with many other of which examples are copious and certaine in diuers good Authours Secondly for the internall motions of the good and bad spirit they assigne these kindes of differences That the good spirit obserues an order and conueniency of age and state in persons of tymes and seasons in affaires communicating wisedome grace and guifts agreable 1. To the state of persons Religious or secular 2. To the dispositions of yeares for those which are young or old 3. To the conueniences of tymes ioyful or sorrowfull reducing by degrees and meanes in order and season all sortes of persons from great sinne to great perfection The bad spirit obserues no such order but confusedly and vpon the sodaine seemes to eleuate to high thoughts wonderous actions which are nether ordinary nor profitable for the presēt makes shew to exalt on the suddaine from the deepest of sin to the highest step of perfection thereby to exalt them to pride and selfe-conceit and to feed them with nouelty and curiosity That the good spirit desires nothing in particuler for it selfe and owne profit or delight nothing with importunity and impatience but all with resignation to the will of
be discerned but by him that is spirituall and inwardly enlightned Ludouicus Puentes also a maister in spirituall wayes sayth That it seemes often an inspiration of God which is an impulsion of Sathan and it often carryes a shew of spirituall loue which is indeed false and carnall loue And thus it remaines conuinced by reasons drawne from the verity and similitude of spirits by the subtilty and craft of Sathan who so often and many wayes transfigures himselfe into an Angell by the infirmity of mans vnderstanding so vnable to penetrate them and by authority of Scripture and testimony of holy men so experienced in this science that the art of discerning of spirits is most hard and difficult in it selfe and aboue the reach and capacity of euery priuate mans ability Out of all which it doth follow First that visions and apparitions are often tymes doubtfull and dangerous and so rather to be feared whether they be true or false and to what end they do tend then to be desired or esteemed as signes of holynesse and perfection For as the guifts gratis giuen Prophesy Curing of diseases and Dispossessing of Diuells c. are giuen sometymes to persons lesse perfect in vertue if not vicious in life and vnbelieuers for fayth witnesse the prophesyes of the Sybils being Gentils of Christ Of Baalam a sorcerer of the starre of Iacob Of Caiphas most wicked of Christ dying for all Of Saul a reprobate who had the spirit and was among the Prophets All which had the gift of prophesy Witnesse also the sonnes of the Pharisies who cast out Diuels the seauen sonnes of Sceua with the exorcists of the Iewes who dispossessed many of Diuels so also these visions and apparitions are neither so proper to holy men but that often they are communicated to bad and wicked nor yet so certaine that they are alwayes of God or good Angells but that they often proceed from Satan and as the visions of those spirits so also the guift of discerning the same is neyther so proper omni and soli to all and only the good and faythfull but that it is sometymes giuen to them who are lesse holy and more wicked of life Whereupon holy and wise learned men as S. Augustine S. Bonauenture and Gerson aduise and persuade that not only such visions and apparitions are to be feared yea auoided and not desired but also ordinary persons who haue them and make shew or ostentation of them are not to be applauded or admired for them as pious but seuerely to be reprehended suspected as proud and dangerous who are not content to tread the high way and beaten path to perfection but will seeke out new by-wayes and walke in wonders aboue thēselues Also many holy persons who haue beene extraordinarily visited from God with them haue alwayes with that warinesse accepted of them that they did vse great diligence to examine them before they would confide in thē Thus Iacob secretly and diligently considered the visions of Ioseph his sonne related to him Iosue doubted therupon examined the Angell who did appeare to him like an armed man whether he was of their side or of the aduersaries Samuel heard our Lord when he called him in the night Samuel Samuel but did not answere till he rose and went to Heli the high Priest to know what he should do Elias seriously deliberated whether our Lord did appeare in the whirle wind or in the commotion or in the fire or in the soft whispering wind And our B. Lady cogitabat did muse or study that is maturely and long sayth Euthymius consider what kind of salutation that was whether of God or the Diuell And the like did the Bishop of Cyprus at the apparition of S. Barnaby And S. Ambrose at the inuētion of Geruasius and Protasius And other holy Saints in all such like occasions fearing alwayes illusions of Sathan insteed of apparitions of Angells Secondly It doth follow that it is necessary to auoid all these and such like dangers to haue euery one a spirituall directour and Maister on whome as better experienced by practise more illuminated by God in his place functiō he may more securely rely then vpon his owne spirit or iudgment For as the wayes in which men walke are many the right way to heauen not easy to be found as in the way being found there are many either pits to fall in or theeues to robbe and spoile vs as the science we are to learne is very heard and intricate to which our natural wit cannot attaine and the diseases infirmities of our body are many great for which we are vnable to trauell so long and laborious a iourney So haue we need great need of a guide to lead vs in a way so vncertaine and dangerous of a Maister to instruct vs in a trade so hard and vnknowne and of a Phisitian to cure vs of so many infirmities and diseases And as no man hath power to absolue himselfe of his sinnes as no man is made Iudge in his owne cause as no man is permitted to minister phisicke to his owne body so God hath ordained that no man shal be instructer directour of his owne soule nor conductour of himselfe in his way to life but stil depend vpon others to direct and instruct him in the same For thus our Sauiour first himselfe for example would sit hearing and asking among the Doctours as though he were a scholler For this cause he sent his vessel of election S. Paul to be instructed by Ananias and would not immediatly himselfe direct him what to doe For this God would not instruct Moyses in the mountaine himselfe but sent him to Iethro a gentill by him to receaue direction how to gouerne his people For this S. Augustine being old refused not to be instructed by his Companions yet yong And thus we read that some who haue had familiar conuersations with Angels were yet permitted by them to hould some errours in doctrine till they humbled themselues to others and by them were instructed For which it is a generall rule that he who will not be a disciple to another shal be a maister of errour and that he who makes himselfe maister to himself puts himselfe to be scholler to a foole All which if it be true in morall sciences mysteries of faith most true it is in discerning of these spirits in which the difficulty is greater the dāger of errour no lesse 3. To conclude it doth follow that since there is such variety of spirits some good as of God of Angels and of Saints and some bad as of diuels of the damned of the flesh and of the world Sith there be so diuers kinds of motions apparitions of these spirits some intellectuall some imaginary some sensible and visible Sith there are so great difficulties to be resolued about these seuerall
is the externall litterall sense of the words sometimes doth kill cause errour but the spirit that is the true sense which the holy Ghost intended doth quicken auaileth to saluation But that neither the letter nor the spirit can be a competēt iudge of controuersies is proued 7. Not the letter because the letter or the words in the bare literall sense are occasion of errour and heresy for so they were to the Iewes who in reading of Moyses the Law had the veile set ouer their eyes and vnderstood not Christ contained and signified in the Ceremonies of the law And so it hath beene to all Heretickes who forsaking the sense intended by the holy Ghost proposed by the Church and following the letter expounded by their owne spirit haue falsly vnderstood the scripture grosly fallen into errours Thus the letter deceaued Sabellius who expounding that of S. Iohn I and the father am one of vnity of persons not of substance falsly defended in the deity to be not three but only one person which had three names offices or properties of the father the sonne the holy Ghost creating redeeming and sanctifying mankind as the Patripassiās defended the Father to haue suffered on the Crosse as one and the same person with the sonne Thus the letter deceaued the Arrians who expounding that of S. Iohn The father is greater then I of Christ absolutly and completely as whole Christ not as man according to his humanity did thereupon deny Christ to be God equall to the Father Thus it deceaued the Macedonians who expounding that of S. Paul The spirit searcheth all things euen the profoundites of God concluded not as they ought that the spirit pierceth cōprehendeth all things as God but thus that he who searches doubts who doubts is ignorant who is ignorant is not God and so the holy Ghost who searches all is not God Thus it deceaued the Manichees who held the old Testamēt to be cōtrary to the new because for instance the old said that God created all things That God ceased frō labour the seuenth day That Man was created according to the Image of God And the new said the contrary that the Word created all things That God worketh vntill now And that you are of your father the diuell Not conceauing according to the spirit and true sense that God created all things by the word as by an Idaea that God rested from his worke of creation and yet worketh by conseruation that man was created to the Image of God by nature and of the diuell by malice Thus the Pelagians denying originall sinne to haue descended from Adam to vs literally interpreted that of Ezechiel The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father not only of sonnes who are not partakers but also of sonnes who are partakers of the iniquity of the father as all are of Adams sinne in whome all sinned and who receaued as head the promise of keeping or losing paradise by precept of for bearing or eating the apple for himselfe and his posterity after him Thus it deceaued others who applying literally that of S. Iohn The flesh profiteth nothing some in the Apostles time to the resurrection of the flesh others of late to the reall presence in the B. Sacrament the one therupon denyed the resurrection of all bodies the other the reall presence of Christs body both vpon one ground not distinguishing the spirituall from the carnall manner of one and the same body By which they might as well inferre that the flesh of Christ by his incarnation and passion profiteth no more then according to them it doth by his resurrection and manducation By which proofe of authority and examples it is apparent that the external letter of scripture cannot be iudge of controuersies That the internall sense of Scripture cannot be iudge is likwise proued because this true sense intended by the holy Ghost is often obscure hard and vncertaine as is certaine and before proued This obscurity breeds controuersies as experience dayly teaches and that these controuersies cannot be ended iudged by scripture-sense is proued 1. Because scripture-sense is the thing in question contention therfore is the thing to be iudged and decided not the iudge who is to giue iudgment and resolue the parties contending in iudgmēt As for example a question is about the sense of those words of the Gospel this is my body of those of the Creed He descended into hell Catholikes vnderstand them as the words import of the reall presence and of the locall descension both of Christs body Protestants expound them of a figuratiue presence by remembrāce of him in the sacrament and of an infernall suffering of hel-paines in his soule vpon the Crosse Now of these senses which is true which false the sense of the words cannot iudge betweene Catholicks and Protestants but some other iudge is necessary to confirme the one and confound the other so to end the controuersy 2. Because many places of scripture are so hard and obscure as the true sense of them cannot be truly discerned but by Church practise and tradition as for example whether those words of S. Mathew Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost do proue a necessity of the vocall pronuntiation of these wordes for the forme of baptisme as all Protestants with vs do grant or require no more but a mentall intention it sufficing only to baptize in the name of Iesus as Act. 8.26 doth insinuate Whether those of S. Iohn Except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of God inferre a necessity of water for the matter of baptisme as the Lutherans with vs grant and the words import or that the water and the holy Ghost be all one as Caluin expounds Also why the Protestants should not inferre as well a precept and necessity of a sacrament of washing of feet out of those words of our Sauiour And you ought to wash one anothers feet after the example of Christ who did and commanded it as they do out of those of S. Mathew Eat yee drinke yee inferre a necessity of receauing vnder both kinds because our Sauiour did commanded the like Now these and such like require a Iudge to iudge of the sense and reason of them cannot themselues iudge and decide themselues to vs. By which is euident that neither the letter nor the sense of scripture can be a competent iudge of all controuersies of faith and scripture Lastly the same is proued by the analogy of a temporal Iudge in causes ciuill with an Ecclesiasticall Iudge in causes spirituall for as Controuersies aryse in ciuill causes the common-wealth so do they arise also in matters spirituall and
Tette of Kings it cannot conuert the multitude of Iles bring in the riches of the Gentills preach pennance and remission of sinnes from Hierusalem to the vttermost of the earth from North to South from Sabaoth to Sabaoth from the ends of the earth All which yet as they were promised to holy Church so are they performed in it and by the spirit of God in it Seauenthly this spirit wanteth all warrant and Commission from God either expressed in holy Scripture or mentioned in the Creed of the Apostles or deliuered by any Tradition or defined by any Councell or contained in any rule of Fayth or deduced out of any principle of Religion or confirmed by any practise of antiquity that all men must rely on it be ruled by it and be obedient to it for the certainty of their Fayth and Religion we find no preheminence or prerogatiue attributed to it that it is either the Kingdome the Citty the Inheritance the House the Temple the Spouse or the body of Christ which yet the Church of God by his spirit in it hath We read of no authority it hath either to bind or loose sinnes or to offer sacrifice or to minister Sacraments or to instruct in all Truth to teach all Nations or to punish offenders with the Rodde of correction of censure of excommunication giuing vp to Sathan which yet the Church of God by his spirit hath We haue no expresse warrant or commaund to do what it shall say to vs do to heare and obey it as Christ himselfe and that vnder paine of despising Christ of being an Ethnicke and Publican and of damnation All which yet we haue of the Church of Christ and of the spirit of God dwelling in it and directing it All which properties and conditions since they ought to be in a rule iudge of faith as is before shewed and are all and euery one wanting in this Protestant priuate spirit as is heere manifest it remaines euident that for these reasons it cannot be a sufficient or competent Iudge of all controuersies of Fayth and Religion THE PROTESTANT PRIVATE SPIRITS AVTHORITY To iudge of Controuersies of Fayth confuted by Reasons drawne from the nature and certainty of Fayth CHAP. VII The properties of Fayth with the priuate Spirits manner of proceeding SECT I. THIS priuate spirits authority to expound Scripture and to resolue questions of Fayth we haue confuted by reasons drawne from the nature of an infallible both Interpreter of Scripture and Iudge of fayth It remaines that we coÌ„fute the same by reasons drawne froÌ„ the nature and infallible certainty of Fayth of which this spirit is assigned by the ProtestaÌ„ts to be a principall if not a sole and whole meanes or instrument to cause it For which we may note that the Protestants doe 1. ground their saluation vpon only fayth which say they doth only iustify 2. They ground this their fayth vpon only Scripture which according to theÌ„ containes al things necessary to be belieued 3. They ground this their Scripture and the sense of it only vpon the priuate spirit by which alone excluding all authority of Tradition Church-Councells or Fathers they expound the Scripture so that the priuate spirit is to them the principall or sole ground of their sense of Scripture their Scripture-sense the principal or sole ground of their fayth this their fayth the principal or sole ground of their saluation What certainty therefore they haue of Scripture Fayth or Saluation dependes vpon the certainty they haue of this their spirit which if it faile and proue not to be true and of God but deceitfull and of Sathan then failes with it the truth of their sense of Scripture the truth of their Fayth and Religion and the truth of their hope or certainty of saluation Whereupon it followes 1. That they can haue no more certainty of their fayth and saluation then they haue of this their spirit which is the ground of their fayth and saluation 2. That what conditions or properties are required to certainty of Fayth the same are required in this spirit which is to them the prime mayne in effect the sole meanes or grounds of faith 3. That if we demonstrate that the properties and conditions which are necessary to fayth are wanting in this priuate spirit then we conuince that this priuate spirit cannot be either a sufficient ground wheron to build faith or a competent Iudge wherby to determine controuersies of Fayth Which being supposed let vs examine these properties of faith what and how many they be and applying them to the priuat spirit shew that they are all euery one wanting in it 1. Therfore this diuine and supernaturall faith as it is necessary to saluation for according to S. Paul Without faith it is impossible to please God And according to S. Augustine It is certaine that none can come to true happinesse except he please God and hat none can please God but by faith for faith is the foundation of all good things faith is the beginning of mans saluation without faith none can come to the fellowship of the children of God because without it neither in this world doth any man obtaine the grace of iustification nether in the next shal he possesse eternall life so also it must necessarily haue these properties or conditions that is it must be one certaine entire and Catholike faith manifested by diuine reuelation diâ—ulged by Apostolicall mission and preaching confirmed by miraculous operations and made credible by conuincing testimonies of credibility All which as they are peculiar to true faith either connexed to it or concurring with it so are they all wanting to this priuate spirit and haue no affinity or similitude with it as in particuler shal be shewed The priuate spirit cannot be a meane of vnity in Fayth SECT II. THEREFORE Fayth is one witnes S. Paul One Lord one Baptisme one Fayth witnes S. Leo Except it be one it is not Fayth Witnes Irenaeus All belieuing in one and like manner all points all teaching deliuering in one and the same manner all thinges and all hauing one soule and one hart which though it differ in language yet is the same in tradition One I say in all persons both in the materiall obiect because the same articles of Fayth are belieued by all and also in the formall obiect because for the same motiue and in the same manner they are belieued by all in all places tymes Which one fayth as one soule in many partes of the body doth make one Church in all the partes of the world But that this priuate spirit neither is nor can be one in all who claime and challeng it as neither inclining and mouing them all to belieue either one and the same thing or in one and the same manner or for one and
of Christs body receaued only by the faythfull Elect. With many such like which hang vpon the former principle The third and next borne impe of this spirit is the doctrine of Originall sinne which against the Pelagians Luther admitting did yet against the Catholike Church maintaine to be naturall Concupiscence which in the state of corrupt nature remaining in man is very Originall sinne it selfe This Originall sinne say they doth corrupt and infect the whole man and all and euery action in man proceeding from it with sinne doth cause that a man in all euen in his best actions doth sinne and can do nothing but sinne and so can neither merit by any good worke nor satisfy for any sinne doth hinder all internall grace and iustification which should abolish sinne doth take away all ability of free-will all possibility of keeping the Commandements or so much as any one of them all obligation to performe any precept of the loue of God or man morall or diuine and so all endeauour and labour to do pennance to seeke perfection to take vp the crosse of Christ and mortify our passions and follow him as being needlesse fruitlesse and impossible by the infection of this concupiscence which they make to be originall sinne The last and youngest bastard-brood of this spirit is the doctrine of predestination of which though Luther layd the egge yet because Caluin did hatch the brood maintaine aboue any other before him it is imputed to him as the first hatcher of it and as his bastard is by many Lutherans and Arminians reiected The doctrine of which is this that God out of his absolute and irrespectiue will as he predestinated ordained and created some to saluation so by the same will he like wise predestinated ordained and created others to damnation the one because it was his will that they should be saued the other meerely because it was his will without any fault sinne or demerit in them foreseene that they should be damned To which damnation that he might bring them he did for that end create them and ordained that first Adam then all his posterity should sinne that for this sinne he might execute his sentence of damnation for which end he did cause Sathan to tempt them to sinne to moue and force them to sinne yea did himselfe take from them all liberty not to sinne and worke in them immediatly by his operation all their sinne and obdurate them in that sinne and for that end that they should haue no remedy or help against sinne he denyed them the benefit of the death of Christ and his merits the benefit of vocation to grace of sufficiency of grace of iustification by grace or of glorification by the meanes of grace to all those whome he had thus appointed to damnation and to sinne On the contrary to them whome he had ordained to be saued he ordayned likewise the death Passion of Christ as a meane for that end to them only and by it gaue effectuall vocation sanctification and glorification to them only and of these only who are his only children he maks his Church To these only let them do what they will he imputes no sinne but couers all their sinnes with the cloake of the iustice of Christ accounts them iust and notwithstanding all their sinnes loues them as his children esteemes them as his darlinges and enthrones them as heires in his Kingdome of heauen among his Saints and Angels All which and such like opinions in number infinit and in impiety horrible as so many swarmes of locusts and gnates engendred out of the corruption of all good christianity and conceaued in the wombe of double Apostacy and sacriledge between a Frier and a Nunne by the heat and smoke of this fiery spirit of frensy haue as so many clouds shaddowed the light of true Fayth as so many Foxes deuoured the Lambes of Christs sheepfould as so many rootes of ill weedes ouergrowne and choaked the haruest of Christs fields and as so many vipers poysoned the soules of an infinit number of Christians Whereby is left nothing but ruine and vastation of all ancient monuments of piety nothing but horrour and confusion in all discipline and orders of Religion nothing but impiety and desolation of all Fayth and beliefe in many flourishing kingdomes of Christianity Of which as any one in former ages would haue sufficed as a plague to haue infected any Country with heresy so al of them compiled in one bundell can bring no lesse then a general mortality of all goodnes in so many Countrys infected by thē Of absurdities which follow vpon the first head of contempt of all Church-authority and relying vpon the priuate spirit SECT II. BVT let vs proceed and consider in particuler what fruits and consequences and what absurdities contrary to all reason honesty and piety do flow and follow out of these principles positions And first to begin with their first principle and the issue following from it which is their contempt of Church-authority their condemning the Roman Church as Antichristian and theit bold affirming the true Church of Christ for so many ages to haue decayed perished and to haue beene inuisible not knowne wholy ouerwhelmed with errours of superstition idolatry Antichristianity 1. It followes that for so many ages that is 8.10.12 or 14. as before was neither true Church or congregation neither lawfull Pastours and Preachers neither right Sacramēts or Sacrifice neither any diuine seruice or worship of God among any visible company of people in any part of the Christian world 2. It followes that in all those ages all the Fathers and Doctours all the Bishops Prelates all the Confessours Virgins and Martyrs and all the Councels generall or prouinciall that all the foure Doctours of the Latin Church and the rest with them al the Doctours of the East Church all the learned among thē all ancient Bishops of the Primitiue church al the Cleargy vnder them all the foure first generall Councels and the other twelue after them with the prouinciall Councels confirmed by them the Bishops and Confessours in them that all the Holy Virgins Confessours and Martyrs in tyme of most of the ten persecutions and of the Arian and image-breaking Emperours that all the Emperours of Rome Constantinople or Germany of the East or West all the Kinges of Italy Spaine France England Scotland Swethland Denmarke or Poland all and euery one who before Luther were Christians and professed the christian Religion that all these with the people who professed the same Christianity with them vnder them were all seduced by a false fayth and false Christianity and all liued and dyed in the seruice not of Christ but Antichrist Into what heart of any Christian can it enter that for so many ages no Doctour with his penne no Prelate out of the pulpit no Cōfessour in prison no Martyr at his death no Councell by
which the damned do suffer tasted felt and suffered the true paines or dolours of hell the infernall paines and sorrowes of hell was in the middest of the torments of hell suffered the paine of hell the same paine and punishment with the damned the horrible torments of a damned man the eternall paines for the time the execrable death the second death which is the death of the soule the separation from God felt tasted and endured the eternall death the anguish of hell the torments in hell after death both in his body and soule All which are the very summe and abridgement without adding or agrauating of any one word of the more ample speaches and sentences of the most famous Protestant Doctours and maisters as Luther Melancthon Illyricus Reineccius Lobecius Hutterus Vrsinus Paraeus in Germany of Caluin Beza Daneus in Geneua of Tilenus Piscator Molinaeus Polanus in France of Vorstius Homius in the Low-countries and of Whitaker Perkins and Parkes in England and may be seene at large in the learned Collation of the Right reuerend Bishop D. Smith If I say we adde all these execrable horrible and blasphemous assertions against the eternal Maiesty goodnesse of the sonne of God and compare them with the infallible certainty and assurance which they make euery one of their owne predestination iustification and glorification of which by faith they make themselues so certaine as if Christ had beene present and said they shal be saued so sure as they are sure that there is a God or that Christ is saued which are likewise at large in the same Author faithfully collected If I say we adde all this impiety blasphemy and infidelity which is vented and inuented by this priuate spirit and both practised preached and printed by the chief professors of the same and so diuulged to the vew of the whole world to be belieued and professed of all as the word and the pure word of God as the honour and greatest honour of God Iesus Christ I see not what greater hypocrisy dissimulation what deeper blasphemy and abomination can be vttered or by what meanes a readier or broader way to the subuersion of all Christianity and piety and the erection of all Atheisme Barbarisme can be made and prepared And thus much of the absurdities which ensue vpon the priuate spirits doctrine of sole speciall and certaine iustifying faith the consequēt points of doctrine depending vpon it Absurdities which follow vpon the third head that is of Concupiscence being originall sinne SECT IIII. OVT of the third principle or progeny of this priuate spirit and the doctrine hanging vpon it which is that originall sinne which they make to be Concupiscence doth remaine in the regenerate and iust is not remitted or abolished by Baptisme but only not imputed and couered by faith doth corrupt the whole man all his actions internall and externall doth staine with sinne all good works euen the best of the best men doth strike dead all freewill liberty to do well doth strangle all inherent iustice and sanctification doth stope all merit satisfaction and pennance and doth set a stay to all possibility of keeping the cōmandements with such other like now paradoxes ensuing vpon it out of this I say it followes first That the whole Protestant Church and their spouse of Christ which consists only of such elect and regenerat persons as these is if we may so tearme it a kingdome a Citty a temple a house a spouse a body of Christ by which termes the true Church of Christ is stiled consisting of subiects Citizens seruants persons and members who in euery action euery good worke euen in the best worke of the best of them do sinne nothing but sinne and cannot but commit sinne and that mortally all whose thoughts words and deeds are sinnes mortall sins damnable sinnes and they by these sinnes are vncleane polluted vniust and full of malice in the sight of God who are not able to obserue keepe or performe any one much lesse all the commandements of God as impossible and not obliging vpon any condition to saluation who are idolaters blasphemers forswearers breakers of the sabboth adulterers murtherers theeues false witnesses either in externall action or in internall desire in which they must needs breake euery commandement who cannot by any one act once in all their life belieue feare praise or loue God as they ought who haue no inward grace vertue or iustice inherent and infused in their soules but all sinne deformity pollution rebellion and contumacy against God and his commandements which are also the very words of the foresaid Protestants cited by the foresaid authour who are as pointed faces of themselues deformed and only by colours made to shew faire as sepulchers of dead men outwardly whited but within dead bodies As wolues couered with the woll of sheep but inwardly rauenous As foolish virgins who haue no oyle in their owne lampes but thinke that others oyle shall suffice them As bodies stemed and stinking with corruption of rottenesse leprosy and ordure and only couered with faire cloathes made of the silke of Christs iustice Such are all elect iust regenerate and holy Protestants of such consists their congregations Church and with such is filled their kingdome of heauen by such are Catholiks condemned and persecuted heere in England Secondly it followes that any faythfull iust and regenerate Protestant may in respect of any pitt of damnation as well commit theft murder adultery periury idolatry sacriledge incest and all enormous vices as exercise himselfe in abstinence continency iustice almes-deeds or as read the Bible heare a sermon receaue the Communion say his prayers belieue loue or prayse God and the like For as both the one and the other proceed from originall sinne are infected thereby with the staine of sinnes and that mortall deseruing eternall damnation so are neither the one nor the other kind imputed to him for sinnes nor are punished with damnation as sinnes As both the one and the other are damnable in the reprobate and he for both shall be punished in hell so neither the one nor the other are imputed to the elect nor he for either can be hindred from heauē As in both the elect and reprobate workes are not distinguished by the obiect but by the person being all mortall sinnes in themselues so in the reprobate all are mortall in the elect all veniall all pardoned none imputed none punished And as the good workes in the elect do not merit any reward of glory nor satisfy for any punishment of sinne so the bad workes in the same elect shall not receaue any infliction of punishment neither depriue him of any benefit of iustification both therefore the good the bad are in themselues great sinnes as proceeding from concupiscence which is sinne and as violating the law but both are by fayth not imputed both by the iustice of Christ couered
by a fayth by which only they who belieue truly and liue piously or repent and amend faithfully can be iustified and saued Sixthly the Protestant is made iust by a speciall fayth which is false as belieuing many pointes for true which yet are contrary one to another which is contradictory as houlding positions contradicting one another which is sinneful as being a sinne and that mortall as all their good works are which is presumptuous presuming without grace to be made holy without merit to attaine a reward without mās owne labour and concurrence to be crowned with the glory of heauen which is iniurious to hope which it destroies by certainty to charity which it maks impossible to do good workes all which it turnes into sinnes and that mortall The Catholikes are iustifyed by a fayth which admits none of the former absurdities but is true humble vniforme pious and a foundation for hope charity and good life Seauenthly the Protestant is iustifyed by a fayth which derogates from the redemption of Christ making it neither vniuersall for all nor perfect for any nor able to cure one mā but is only an apprehension of iustice only a couer for sinne only a conceit that a man is iust when he is assured he is vniust which makes Christ neither vpright lawyer for that he makes lawes impossible to be kept nor iust Iudge for that he giues neither reward or punishment according to deedes and deserts nor perpetuall Priest for that he offers no sacrifice at all or but only that one of the Crosse which makes Christ ignorant getting by degrees knowledge as other men impotent not able to satisfy sinne but with suffering all the paines euen those of hell due to sinne inconsiderate as making prayers vowes vnaduised and not premeditated sinnefull in staggering between praysing and blaspheming God betweene hope and feare of saluation doubting and despairing of his owne saluation and lastly damned in hell and suffering all the paines therein which any damned do The Catholike is iustifyed by a fayth which makes Christ a perfect Redeemer of his part of all men from all sinnes from all both guilte and paine of sinne a iust law giuer in his lawes which are easy and in his iudgments which are according to euery mans workes a potent Sauiour who by one action of his diuine person is able to satisfy for all sinne a person alwayes perfect in all knowledge alwayes immaculate without any the least spot of sinne and alwayes blessed and glorified with the vision and fruition of God euen from his conception And thus much a Protestant and Catholike differ in the points of a iustifying fayth Looke further yet into the soule and persons of the one and the other 8. A iust Protestant hath originall sinne remayning in him a iust Catholike hath it taken away from him 9. The one is inwardly infected corrupted and rotten in sinne the other is inwardly pure sound beautifull adorned with grace 10. The one hath all his actions stained polluted and made damnable by the infection of his original sinne the other hath many of his actions gracious liuely and made meritorious by grace 11. The one in all his actions euen the best doth offend and displease God the other in all his actions which are not bad doth honour please God 12. The one by his good actions deserues nothing but eternall damnation the other by his good deedes deserues eternall saluation 13. The one is iust only before man and by God esteemed iust though he be internally and indeed vniust the other is iust before God and internally and really indeed iust 14. The one hath no deformity or guilt of sinne washed cured or taken away but only not imputed the other hath all guilt washed cleansed abolished by inherent iustice grace 15. The one hath neither power nor liberty to do any good worke the other assisted by grace hath free-to do good 16. The one cannot performe any one commandement the other by grace can performe them all 17. The one cannot resist but yield to euery motion of concupiscence the other can and doth by grace resist ill motions 18. The one cannot loue God praise him feare or honour him in any action the other can do it by Gods grace in all his actions 19. The one cannot increase in iustice or grace but is as iust at the first instant of his iustification as euer the other can and doth become more iust patient humble and charitable 20. The one may commit any sinne though of murder adultery blasphemy heresy or idolatry and yet remaine iust and not loose his iustice nor the fauour of God the other may and must auoid all the same or the like sinnes least he loose grace and be damned 21. The one let him do what he will is sure he shal be saued and cannot by any sinne be damned except Christ be damned the other with feare and trembling doth labour to make his election and saluation by good works sure 22. The one needs to make no conscience of breaking any law of God or man because neither oblige in conscience and both are impossible to be performed the other thinks himselfe tyed in conscience to performe both 23. The one though he sinne needs no more but only by faith to assure himselfe his sinne is couered by the iustice of Christ and not imputed to him the other if he sinne must haue hope charity contrition confession and satisfaction penance and purpose of amendment to sinne no more 24. The one laies all the burthen of his sinnes vpon Christ and his satisfaction and himselfe rests idle and secure the other by the vertue of the same merit of Christ labours with all austerity to satisfy himselfe as far as by grace he can and to do his endeauour to pacify God Now whether of these two estates the former of the Protestant or the later of the Catholick be more honourable to God more agreable to piety more worthy to be esteeme in themselues and so more to be preferred by man let the indifferent Reader iudge and make choice Of absurdities which follow vpon the fourth head that is of absolute predestination to damnation SECT V. SVBDIV. 1. Protestants doctrine of Predestination makes men desperate and Atheists OVT of the fourth principle or daughter of his priuate spirit and the issue or consequences ensuing therupon which are that God hath decreed and ordained and that without any foresight or respect to any sinne originall of Adam or actuall of man that those who are damned should be damned only because it was his will and pleasure and for that end did likewise ordaine that they should sinne did by his will and decree excite and compell them to sinne by his motion did effect and worke in them that sinne and obdurate and harden them in sinne necessitate them without free-will to sinne command the diuell to solicit them to sinne both the diuell and other wicked
persons and the sinners themselues being only as instruments to effect this sinne himselfe only being the chiefe worker of sinne wherby man hath no power but to sinne no meanes of Christs merits to helpe him out of sinne no benefit of vocation faith or grace possible to cure his sinne and so vpon necessity do what he will he must sinne be damned and go to hell for his sins Out of this doctrine which in expresse wordes is Caluins his fellowes follow many absurdityes both in respect of man who sins and is damned also in respect of God who makes him sinne damnes him In regard of man two absurdities follow the one whereby some are made meere polititians and of no Religion at all but libertines of any another wherby others are made desperate without any hope or care of saluation by any meanes in any Religion at all The first absurdity of Politicians is this God from all eternity hath appointed and determined of vs without any respect of vs or our workes whether we shal be saued or damned If we shall be saued he will saue vs if damned he will damne vs both which as he hath decreed without vs so both he will effect without vs. Infallibly therfore as God hath decreed without vs so shal we be saued or damned do what we can What therefore haue we to do with eternity of saluation or damnation VVhat with fayth or Christ the meanes thereunto but leaue that to God and his ordination let vs follow our temporall commodities and imbrace our sensuall pleasures which are in our power let vs cast off all consideration of heauen or hell and leaue that to God as he ordained disposed and reserued to his owne will and power Thus may they reason that consequently out of the former principle and thus haue both Libertins Politicians reasoned and thereupon inferred that with Catholikes they may be a Catholike with Lutherans a Lutheran with Caluinists a Caluinist with Iewes a Iew with Turkes a Turke and so with any may be of any Religion Vpon this ground sprung Atheisme which acknowledges neither any God nor any religion Paganisme which worships many Gods and is of any Religion Samaritans who made a religion mixt of Iewes Gentills Turcisme which obserues a Religion mixt of Iewes Gentills and Christians Libertines in S. Augustines tyme who made no important difference betweene the Religion of Catholikes and Donatists and many both Libertins and Politicians in this tyme who admit saluation in any Religion and profession and thereby inferre and practise a contempt of all piety and religion a liberty of all sinne and dissolution of life and a carelesnesse of heauen all heauenly cogitations All which as fruit of one tree do by necessary sequell follow out of this doctrine of predestination which the priuate spirit inuented Caluin diuulged Machiauell confirmed and the Diuell by all liberty of sinne and rebellion hath increased and propagated The second absurdity which is of men made desperate by this doctrine which is the mother of desperation is this reason and consequence by which they infer thus I am either predestinate or reprobate if predestinate it auails nothing to liue wel or ill because necessarily I shal be saued if reprobate it auailes as litle to liue well or ill because certainly I must be damned necessarily therefore liue I well or ill I must be saued or damned VVhat therefore need I care or do but enioy my lust and liberty sith neither good life can hinder hell or help to heauen if I be reprobate nor bad life hinder heauen or further hell if I be elect if therefore I be reprobate necessarily shall I be damned what hope therefore can I haue of saluation Thus out of this ground did a Religious man of S. Augustines Monastery in his tyme reason by the force therof foorsooke his Cloister returned to the world liued wickedly and dyed desperatly Out of the same motiue did Lewis a Lands-graue in Caesarius tyme liue wickedly and reason thus desperatly If I be predestinate no sinnes can barre me of Heauen if reprobate no good workes can help me to heauen if I be appointed at a certaine day to dy I can neither by good life make longer my life nor by bad life preuent my death And he was in danger to haue dyed thus if a wise Phisitian had not in his sicknesse by this reason cured his soule If your day be come certainly you must dye if not you need not my help Vpon which the Landsgraue yet pressing him for help of phisicke he further inferred If you can preserue your life by phisicke though your day be appointed why can you not saue your soule by Contrition though your end be predestinate By which reason the Landsgraue saw his errour and was brought to Contrition and confession and that perhaps with better successe then if he had answered as a Diuine might and should thus That if you be predestinate to saluation by meanes appointed by God then certainly you shall be saued if you vse and apply those meanes as by Gods grace you may and if you be reprobate and appointed to be damned it is for your sins freely committed then certainly you shal be damned if you commit these sinnes which you may auoid if you will By which solution as a iust man cannot presume so a sinner needes not despaire but both with feâ—re and trembling ought to worke their saluation howsoeuer by God they be predestinate Thirdly It followes because a man is thus by the decree and hand of God necessitated to do what God hath by his immutable and ineuitable will determined and appointed that he hâ—th no freedome of will freedome I say not of grace as iust by which he is freed from the seruitude of all sin nor of glory as blessed by which he is freed from the miseries of this life both which are in the next not in this life but no freedome of nature by which his wil hauing al things prerequired to do may yet freely do or not do No freedome either in things naturall as to speake or to be silent to walke or stand or in things morall as to giue or not giue almes or in things supernaturall as by grace to loue God or not loue him to sinne or not sinne against God No freedome either of contradictioÌ„ or quoad exercitium by which he may do or not do any action as to moue or not moue or of contrariety and quoad specificationem by which he may prosecute any obiect good as to loue his neighbour or bad as to hate him It followes I say that a man hath no freedome or liberty either of contradiction or of contrariety either in things naturall morall or supernaturall And as man hath no freewill at all in any action which both followes from their positions and they grant so it followes that in vaine is all labour in man either to
God a Diuell LASTLY that this Protestant doctrine doth transforme God into a Diuell and so doth depriue him of his only and all goodnes and therby transpose him into the greatest and vilest euill that can be shall by these ensuing reasons appeare 1. It is the office or property of Satan to â—empt man to sinne yea as an aduersary to lay traps to ensnare man in sinne for which in greeke he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a tempter or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an entrapper or calumniator and in hebrew Sathan an aduersary and so he is called tempter is said to tempt vs and to temp the hart to lye to the holy ghost But this is more proper to God according to this Protestant doctrine then to the Diuell 1. Because God doth not only tempt and moue a man to sinne but which is more doth will ordaine and predestinate a man to sinne and to al the sinnes which are committed 2. Because God is not only our aduersary to oppose vs but so potently doth oppose vs in so weighty a matter as our greatest good that he directly excludes most from all felicity depriues most of all benefit of it debarres most from all meanes to attaine it entraps most in all the snares which may hinder their progresse vnto it the Diuell is but only his instrument to worke that which he wils and execute that which he before had designed against vs therefore God is more our tempter and aduersary then is the Diuell Secondly The office and property of the Diuell is to sow tares or ill weeds of sinne in the field of our hearts to choake vp all the corne of grace and goodnes the enemy comes and sowes tares But God doth this according to this doctrine more then the Diuell 1. Because God doth worke inwardly in the hearts of sinners doth excecate and obdurate the minds of men doth strike them with a spirit of errour giddinesse and madnesse and that not by permission but operation as Caluin in particuler affirmes 2. Because God doth will command and worke in vs all the sinnes which are wrought as the principall cause and mouer the Diuell being only as the instrument and that not free but forced not mouing but moued and not able to do otherwise then by God he is both commanded and compelled as before therfore the chiefe and principall sower of ill seeds and weeds of sinne is God not the Diuell Thirdly The office and property of the Diuell is to be authour of all sinnes in generall sinne is of the Diuell and of lying in particuler who speakes lies of himselfe and is a lier the Father of lies But this is more proper to God then the Diuell according to this doctrine 1. Because the Diuell did only in Adam by tempting him to eat the forbidden fruit remoue an impediment which did hinder ill to wit originall iustice by which the inferiour part was kept in order without rebellion to the superiour but God did by his will saith Caluin ordaine and decree the fall of Adam the ruine of all his posterity the miserable condition into which we are all fallen Therfore God was more properly the authour of Adams fal then the Diuel 2. Because the Diuell doth only tempt to sinne indirectly medially that is either obiectiuè proposing sinfull obiects to the phantasy that the will may consent and delight in them or dispositiuè by altering tempering the organs of the senses that the appetites may with more facility incline vnto them leauing alwayes a freedome of the will to dissent or assent but God according to Caluin doth not only by his ineuitable immutable decree and ordinance will and commaÌ„d the same but also by his immediate effectual irresistable concourse operation to euery actioÌ„ of sin so works the act of sinne in man that he leaues in man neither any operation at all God working all nor any liberty or freedome God necessitating all who is thereby not only the permitter but the authour of all sinnes the authour as well of the adultery of Dauid the treachery of Iudas the hardnesse of Pharao the cruelty of Achab the incest of Absalom the reproach of Semei the idolatry of the ten Tribes of the Chaldean destruction of Iudea of the Iewes and Pilates condemning of Christ as he is of the conuersion of S. Paul Therefore God is more and truely the immediate worker of sinnes and lyes then the Diuell O diabolicall doctrine SVBDIV. 8. Obseruations vpon the former doctrine VPON good ground therefore did Castalio who as Caluins scholler best vnderstood his maisters mind not only by his writinges but from his owne mouth affirme that this doctrine of Caluin did transfer God into the Diuell and for the same forsooke both him and Geneua and writ against him and this his doctrine Truely did Peter Vermilius a Professour of Tigure affirme that this doctrine of Caluins is a libertine execrable sacrilegious abominable and altogeather diabolicall doctrine Iustly did the Tigurin Sacramentaries anno 1554 accuse Caluin for this doctrine of great impiety cause his bookes writ of this subiect to be rent in peeces by the Hangman and to be burnt publickly in the Market place by special Edict commanded that none should diuulge in their territories any so horrible and detestable opinions Vpon good reason do as yet the Lutherans in Germany so detest this doctrine that to cleare Luther of it they did expunge out of his works these words God doth worke euill in vs. And most worthily doe the same Lutherans generally disclaime both this doctrine and Caluin for it in so much as one of them Heshusius a great Superintendent affirmes that Caluin writ wickedly of the cause of sinne made God the authour of sinne and in his doctrine is horribly contumelious against God pernicious to man and makes not the Diuell but God to be the authoisr of lyes Another of them a Professour auouches that not God but the Diuell is authour of this predestination and the God of the Caluinists Out of which doctrine and sequels vpon it may be obserued 1. That neuer any doctrine of Atheist Pagan Iew or Heretike was so wickedly pernicious and abominable as this of Caluin and his followers is for though some made God idle as Epicurus others impotent as Lucianus others the authour of euill as the Cerdonists Marcionists and Manichees others miserable afflicting himselfe as the Thalmudists others no God at all as the Atheists Yet all these are more tollerable theÌ„ these Caluinists for it is not so ill to be idle as to be doing ill better to make God do nothing then to make him the worker of all wickednesse It is more tollerable to make God vnable to do good then to make him the authour and actour of doing ill to make him vnable to requit good then vniust to punish where
punishing the most for it he might shew his iustice in freeing other some few from it he might shew his mercy The other did only forsee permit suffer the fal of Adam the sin of all his posterity that for the more illustration 1. Of his own goodnes by cōmunicating himself to man 2. Of his power by exalting man to be God 3. Of his mercy by making himselfe a Redeemer of his enemies 4. Of his clemency in suffering all contumelies and iniuries at the hands of his seruants besides the benefit which redoūds to man by the liberty of his will and the benefit of Martyrdome and other sufferings for the honour of God The one doth doth excecate obdurate and harden in sinne those whō he hath thus ordained to sinne and damnation and for that end doth deny to them all freedome of will all benefit of Christs merits all help of grace all meanes of pardon of their sinne of doing good and of attaining to saluation The other doth call inuite and draw men out of sinne doth stretch out his hands knocke at the dore of their harts offer the benefit of Christs merits the light of his fayth the vertue of his grace sufficient and the reward of his glory aboundāt to all that they may be conuerted come to him saue their soules The one not only creates man to sinne and workes in sinne but also leaues him in sinne both original and actuall of which he neuer washes and cures the soules of any euen the iust by infusion of any grace but only couers their sinne with the iustice of Christ and so leauing him sinnefull and corrupted only imputes him for iust and accounts him as cleane The other is so farre from causing him to sinne that he washes cures and sanctifyes him from sinne infuses into him grace sanctity by which he is really cleane from sinne may actually obserue Gods commaūdments fruitfully do good workes meritorious of life euerlasting Lastly the one is the authour and worker of all sinnes is the only sinner is a most cruell sinner and a deluding sinner yea is one who hath all the bad properties and qualities of the Diuell and so is the Diuell himselfe The other is good all good only good and goodnesse it selfe pittifull mercifull gracious and bountifull to all calling all seeking all and drawing al from vice to vertue from sinne to grace from the by-path of hell and damnation to the hye-way of heauen and saluation as much as in him lyes As great therefore as is the difference betweene these two Gods so much different is the God of the Caluinists from the God of the Catholikes and the religion of the Protestants short of the Religion of the Catholikes Of which who will see more may read a Protestāt booke lately set out by a Lutheran the subiect of which is to proue that the caluinists God is not the same with the God of the Lutherans and other Christians Of absurdities which follow against Fayth and the Creed SECT VI. I Haue at large shewed and that more largely then I intended the fecundity of matter still drawing me on that as Idolatry of God made many Gods and that these Gods still begat new Gods till the number of Gods was infinit incredible and absurd so Heresy by one priuate spirit got many priuate spirits still euery priuate spirit begat a new opinion and doctrine till both the spirits and the doctrine or opinions grew so many and so absurd that so many horrible and foule absurdities haue issued from them as neither piety reason nor common sense can endure to heare them One only obseruation of which I would desire the readers patience and that to my iudgment not vnworthy the consideration occurs that is to compile and bundell vp as into one view certaine maine and principal opinions of these Protestants generally receaued which indeed are the chief points controuerted betweene vs and them and to propose to the eye of euery indifferent Reader how smoothly they plaine the way to the downefall of saluation by taking away Fayth Hope and Charity For whereas God created man for himselfe as his end to honour him and all thinges for man as meanes to help him to this end so he gaue him three helpes or meanes one to know him another to desire him and a third to attaine him Man hath the meanes to know God by Fayth to desire him by Hope and to attaine him by Charity those are three Theologicall vertues which haue God their immediate obiect and are as three meanes to prepare man for his iourney to heauen Fayth as the beginning Hope as the progresse Charity as the end and consummation of iustification and as three partes of our spirituall building Fayth as the foundation Hope as the walls and Charity as the roofe of our saluation The Protestant Doctours by their positions and doctrine do oppugne and ouerthrow all these three as in a briefe sūme they are compiled and proposed to vs Fayth as it is deliuered in the Creed which in twelue articles shewes vs what we are to belieue Hope as it is contained in the Pater noster which in seauen petitiōs directs what we are to hope and pray for Charity as it is comprehended in the Decalogue which by ten Commandements instructs vs what to do what to auoid In this and after ensuing Sections therefore we will shew how this doctrine doth oppugne and ouerthrow all fayth in the articles of the Creed al hope in the petitions of the Pater noster and all charity in the ten Commandements and thereby doth prepare the way and loose the reines to all errour in beliefe to all despaire or presumption against Hope and to all liberty of sinnes and loosenes of life and manners against Charity And first we will lay downe briefly the chiefe points and positions of the Protestant doctrine and next out of them inferre the rest First the opinions and doctrine of the Protestants are these 1. That only Fayth doth iustify 2. That this only Fayth makes vs certaine and secure of predestination past iustification present and glorification to come 3. That this Fayth is proper to all the iust and only to them and the elect 4. That this Fayth once had can neuer at any tyme be lost nor by any sinne be expelled 5. That no sinnes how many or great soeuer be imputed to the elect but all couered with the iustice of Christ by apprehension of fayth 6. That this Fayth is obtayned by the priuate spirit in euery man which assures him of his fayth and saluation 7. That all workes of all men euen the iust and best are sinnes and that mortall as infected with originall sinne and as defectiue from perfect obedience and fullfilling the precept 8. That there is no interiour and inherent grace or iustice but all exteriour and imputatiue 9. That the fullfilling of
detractiue in euery one And on the contrary how we and our doctrine do honour attribut to the same God and Christ all worthy and due respect of veneration honour in all which as it is affirmatiue in it selfe so it is honourable to God and agreable to reason in all and euery particular point and opinion in controuersy First therfore for God they dishonour and derogate 1. From the blessed Trinity in that as before some of them do deny the distinction of the three persons some the vnity of one nature some the consubstantiality of the Sonne with the Father some the deity of the Sonne from the Father as God of God some the deity of the holy Ghost as God some the prayer Holy Trinity one God haue mercy vpoÌ„ vs. We with the ancient Church acknowledge three persons and one God the second person God of God and consubstantiall with the father and the third person of the holy Ghost proceeding froÌ„ both the father the sonne in them one holy Trinity three persons and one God 2. They and their spirit derogate from the mercy of God in that according to them he is cruell and tyrannicall in that he will not haue all saued will not giue sufficient meanes to all to be saued hath willed appointed and ordained millions of soules to be damned and to sinne that for it he may damne them and accordingly torment theÌ„ for that sinne which he himselfe willed ordained wrought and compelled them vnto We and our Catholicke Church attribute honour to him and his mercy in that according to vs he would haue all saued giues to all sufficient meanes to be saued creates and ordaines all to be saued wils not the death and damnation of any nor doth damne any but those who for their owne fault and sinne by themselues willingly committed against him his good will and goodnesse do deserue 3. They their spirit do derogate from Gods goodnesse in that according to them he who is good al good yet is not pleased pacifyed worshipped or delighted with good works but doth will ordaine commande compell and necessitate bad works and so is the authour of all euill and all euill works in men and doth esteeme impute that which is wicked and sinfull in men for no sinne in them but accounts that which is bad good him that is wicked iust We our Catholik doctrine do attribute due honour to the same goodnesse of God in that according to it God hates detests forbids and punishes all sinne and sinfull actions conuerts sanctifies purifies and make cleane pure and iust all sinners by his grace duely disposing themselues so reputes them as they are become truely iust in that God is delighted pleased pacified and honoured by good workes which he doth will command and reward in man who according to his will by his grace workes them 4. They their priuate spirit derogates from his iustice in that according to their doctrine he is short of iustice in rewarding none who deserue well and do him seruice exceâ—ds all iustice in that he ordaines men to an eternall and intollerable paine who haue deserued none 2. In that he punisheth them for that which he himselfe not only willed and commanded theÌ„ to do but also wrought and effected in them 3. In that he creats and dignifies them with his gifts graces for that end that he may himselfe cruelly torture and torment them and that in hell for no other end but to shew his power iustice ouer them 4. In that he laies precepts vpon them which are impossible for them to performe and commands them to abstaine from that which himselfe forces them to do and wils them to practise that which he giues not power freedome or sufficient meanes to practise We and our Catholicke doctrine do honour and giue due respect to his Iustice 1. In that according to vs he rewards all who deserue well and punisheth none but those who deserue ill 2. In that he punisheth all for their owne fault which they themselues committed and none for that which himselfe willed 3. In that he created all to be saued and gaue them meanes sufficient to be saued in which he shewed his mercy and punisheth with hell those who would not vse those meanes in which he shewed his Iustice 4. In that he gaue precepts and made lawes easy gaue meanes to performe them sufficient punisheth only those who willingly breake them 5. They and their priuate spirit derogate from his omnipotency in that according to their doctrine he is not able to place one body in two places in the B. Sacrament nor two bodies in one place in his natiuity resurrection and ascension nor to draw a Cable rope or camell through a needles eye nor by his absolut power to worke any more theÌ„ already he hath wrought We and our Catholicke doctrine do attribut to his omnipotency that he is able to do all the former and what more he pleases to do which is not either wicked and so is against his goodnesse or not contradictory and so implies in it selfe an impossibility to be done And in these do the Protestants their spirit by their doctrine derogate from God and his Deity from his goodnesse his mercy his Iustice and his omnipotency and impute to him wickednesse cruelty iniustice and impotency In all which we in our doctrine do the contrary Secondly for Christ our blessed Sauiour they their doctrin of the priuate spirit do dishonour him derogate 1. From his felicity beatitude in this life denying him to be viator and comprehensor that is enduring the paine and miseries of mortall men in his body and enioying the felicity and blessednesse of glorious Saints in his soule In which we do honour him belieuing that from the first instant of his coÌ„ception his soule had in his body the same blessednesse as now it enioyes in heauen by the perfect vision fruition of God though by dispensation for our redemption the same did not redound to the glory of his body till after his resurrection 2. From his knowledge they derogate and dishonour him in making him ignorant and defectiue of knowledge in many things and as a scholler to haue profited in his booke and learning of sciences and trades as other children do In which we giue him the honour to haue had all the treasures of knowledge and wisedome to haue vnderstood all the perfection of all sciences and artes and to haue perfectly conceiued all things past present or to come by a diuine infused knowledge from the first instant of his conception in his mothers wombe Thirdly From his primacy and supremacy ouer his Church they derogate and dishonour him in that they deny him as a man sensible and visible to haue beene the head foundation of his Church and to haue had any perpetual visible monarchy
and rely vpon them all as grounds foundations wheron we ground and build our beliefe They admit none of the necessary meanes of faith neither any common reuelation of God but priuate of their owne spirit nor any proposition of Church but their owne fancies nor any credible testimony and motiues of perswasion to make their beliefe probable nor any habit of faith to assist the vnderstanding in belieuing nor any pious affection to incline their will to assent nor any assent by a diuine supernaturall and Christian faith but by a general and as they call it a fained and diabolicall faith by which they belieue the articles of their faith We do settle and rely by our faith in respect of the obiect reuealed vpon the reuelation of God the proposition of Church the motiues of credibility and in respect of persons belieuing vpon the infused gift of faith the pious inclination of the will by grace and the infallible assent caused by the former diuine helpes and grounded vpon the former infallible foundations as before is at large proued They admit into the vnity of their faith all hereticks and schismaticks collecting and scraping from them all raggs and scraps of broken and condemned opinions and heresies and yet will not admit into the vnity of their inuisible Church any sinners wicked or reprobate persons but all and only the elect and predestinate We reiect from communion of all faith with vs all condemned hereticks and Schismaticks and condemne with the ancient Church them and all their condemned opinions and admit into the externall communion of our Church all those who not cut off by excommunication agree with vs in vnity of Fayth that therein their life and manners may be reformed and amended by the example of others by vertue of Sacraments preaching of the Church and Pastours of the same In all which they and their spirit take from fayth all vnity in it all groundes of it all meanes to it all supernaturall vertue in it all dignity all certainty all necessity and all vertue and efficacy following vpon it and so leaue no more but an human faigned and diabolicall fayth or a shadow of fayth and no theologicall diuine fayth at all All which is contrary in our doctrine of fayth Eightly for Man they by their priuate spirit derogate and take away from him 1. All freedome liberty of wil naturall to him as following vpon his being a reasonable soule and distinguishing him from brute beastes We attribute that freedome by which he concurs with Gods grace and his motions to his owne good and is the authour of his owne euill 2. They take from him all infusion and habits of grace which do giue life beauty and ability to the soule All which we admit both of fayth hope charity and all morall vertues to enable and assist vs in the exercise of all piety 3. They take from him all inward iustification adoption and perfection and leaue him only an exteriour imputation of the same supposing God to account impute him iust but to leaue him sinnefull and vniust We admit in man an inward reall and true iustification sanctification or adoption by grace which inwardly infused and remayning doth expell tâ—ke away sinne renue and reuiue our soule and adopt vs heires to the kingdome of heauen by which God making vs pure and iust doth therefore account and repute vs such 4. They leaue a man after his iustification impure vniust sinnefull and vncleane in all the workes of his soule and in euery action of the same making all the best workes proceeding from him to be sinnefull and hatefull to God and deseruing eternall damnation and so leaue him destitute of any merit or reward We make him pure iust and cleane by grace which doth giue life to the soule as the soule doth giue life to the body and therewith doth impart to it motion vertue beauty and power to do good to please God and to merit a reward at his handes by which man increasing in grace and merit doth also increase in perfection and glory 5. They take from man all benefit all necessity all possibility of doing good workes of keeping Gods law of abstayning from sinne and thereby make him sinnefull as well in doing good as euill as well in refraining as committing euill We attribute to him ability to auoid all sinnes possibility by grace to keep Gods lawes as easy and sweet and to do not only workes of precepts which are commanded but also workes of counsell and supeâ—erogation more then are commanded They take from man all benefit of prayer as of thinges either needlesse which otherwise are certaine and sure to be obtayned or hopelesse as impossible to be done or obtayned by vs and thereby derogate from all vertue and feruour of prayer and deuotion We encourage men to prayer by affirming that God hath made our prayer a meane by which he will and without which he will not dispose many of his benefits to vs and that therefore he will haue vs pray that by our prayer we may obtaine 7. They take from man all feare care and labour for his saluation by their assurance that only fayth iustifyeth and saueth that sayth once had cannot be lost and make him idle carelesse and presumptuous of himselfe by their securing him by speciall fayth of his iustification saluation We do teach him by our doctrine with holy Scripture not to be secure of the propitiation of his sinne but with feare and trembling to worke his saluation by good workes to make his vocation sure and therfore to liue piously to walke warily to watch diligently and to preuent carefully Sathan and his craft In all which they robbe man and leaue him so bare of all benefits either of nature or grace that they leaue him neither liberty of will nor ability or concurrence to do good nor infused grace and guifts to assist him in good to arme him against sinne to giue due honour to God to deserue reward with God to adopt him the child of God or to giue him any encouragement in walking the way of God in treading the path of vertue auoiding the allurements to sinne and the snare of Sathan All which are contrary in vs and in our Catholike doctrine Ninthly For Sinne they and their priuate spirit make not only all actions sinnes but all sinnes mortall and so all actions mortall sinnes and all as well good as bad deseruing damnation and therby in a sort disswade as much from good as from bad actions and make men desperate of doing good and prone to doe all bad Wee make of works some good and some bad and of bad some mortall sins depriuing of grace and glory some veniall not depriuing of grace and yet diminishing the feruour of grace and thereby doe perswade men in due sort to auoid all sinne chiefly mortall sinne and encourage them to do good and
for the faithfull dying before Christ and Purgatory for faithful dying without full satisfaction 2. The locall place and the materiall fier and the reall suffering of the present paines of hell by the soules of the damned and withall that it is a worke good though not the best to auoid sinne for feare of hell In all which we extoll the iustice of God mixt with mercy in punishing al sorts according to their deserts and deterre men from liberty of sinne for feare of punishment in hell And thus we haue in this second part confuted this priuat spirit which in the former part we proued to be the sole and whole ground of the Protestant faith and saluation 1. By authorities of holy Scripture 2. By testimony of auncient Fathers 3. By reasons drawne from the difficulty of discerning spirits 4. By reasons drawne from a right interpreter of Holy Scripture 5. By reasons drawne from an infallible iudge of controuersies of fayth 6. By reasons drawne from the nature and certainty of fayth 7. By Circular absurdities to which this spirit leadeth 8. By Doctrinall absurdities which follow vpon it and the doctrine of it against Fayth and the Creed against Hope and the Pater noster and against good life morall vertues the ten Commandements and all laws of God Church or CoÌ„mon-wealth In which also we haue made plaine how this their doctrine grouÌ„ded vpon this their priuate spirit doth derogate from God and the Blessed Trinity whome it makes the authour of all sinne a sinner lyer dissembler and tyrant the only sinner and a greater sinner then either the Diuell or man doth derogate from Iesus Christ and his birth life passion and resurrection whome it dishonours in making him neither PhisitiaÌ„ Lawyer Iudge Priest or perfect Redeemer or Sauiour but one ignorant impotent sinnefull and damned doth derogate from the Church of God triumphant in heauen which it dishonours in taking from it knowledge charity in Saints and Angels and honour and reuerence to them and from the Church militant on earth which it dishonours in taking from it all authority visibility vniuersality perpetuity or extancy and being vpon earth so many ages How it derogates from fayth which it dishonours in taking from it all groundes whereon it is to be builded all meanes wherby it is to be attained and in making it contradictory rash presumptuous sinnefull and preiudicious to all Hope and Charity How it derogates from man whome it disables depriues of all Free-will of all inherent grace of all good life and workes of all possibility to obey Gods Commandements to abstaine from sinne to merit any reward How it derogates from all morall vertues and good life from which by many principles it doth withdraw withall doth draw to all vice and wickednesse doth giue the reines to all Epicurean liberty and loosenesse In all which the spirit of our Catholike Church and the doctrine of it is shewed to be contrary and to giue duâ— honour to God to Christ to his Saints Angels Church to Fayth Sacraments and the rest And to be a meanes to encourage all Christians to the practise of all vertue and perfection and to auoid all sinne and wickednes All this we haue carefully painefully laboured to performe in this second Part of the treatise of that pri-Spirit THE PROTESTANTS OBIECTIONS and proofes taken out of Scripture for the defence of their priuate Spirits authority to inrerpret Scripture and iudge of Controuersies proposed and answered CHAP. X. Of certaine obseruations profitable for the solution of Obiections SECT 1. HITHERTO we haue battered that I hope sufficiently the maine fabricke of this imaginary edifice of the Protestant priuate spirit It remaines only for this second Part that we raze demolish the foundation vpon which this their conceit of their priuate spirits authority is built and erected that is that we solue the reasons or rather obiections taken out of holy Scripture vpon which they ground their conceit for which we may note that as our Catholike doctrine doth not deny either the being or permanency of the Spirit of God in euery faythfull both person and Doctour for all faythfull by the spirit of God haue faith or the effect and operation of the same in assisting theÌ„ in the finding out of the true sense of holy scripture for neither are the faithful prohibited from all reading nor the learned debarred from all interpreting of holy scripture so there is a great difference betweene the effect and operation of this spirit in the Protestant and Catholicke as well simple as learned as both do chalenge it and rely vpon it For as for better illustration we may obserue in a naturall body and the spirit or soule of man in which comparison we imitate S. Paul the soule or spirit doth giue information or operation to the whole body and euery part thereof yet so that euery member hath not euery operation all members haue not one action but the head one as to iudge the handes another as to worke the feet another as to walke and the mouth is to receaue the belly to containe the stomake to disgest the meat and so it is proper to the eye to see to the eare to heare and to neither to discourse and reason which belongs only to the braine so in the spirituall body of the Church and the faythfull members of it the spirit of God doth assist all and euery one in particuler as well the meanest as the greatest as well the most simple as the most learned VVho are many but one body in Christ yet so that as euery member is different one from another so the operation of euery one is different and not the same but as some are Lay some Ecclesiasticall persons some secular some Religious some simple some learned some common people some Pastours and Prelates so to euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the donation of Christ according to the measure of fayth and to euery one for his profit that hauing all gifts according to the grace which is giuen to vs euery one may remaine in the vocation in which he is called wherupon all are not Prophets all are not Doctours all are not Euangelists All are not Iudges of faith and interpreters of holy Scripture though all haue the spirit but God diuiding to euery one as he will giues to some the spirit to heare and obey to others to direct and command to some the spirit to labour and worke by practicall offices to others to contemplate and study by speculatiue functions yet to all so and in that manner that as euery member hath need of another for the eye cannot say to the hand I stand in no need of thy helpe so euery one member hath his gift and the vse and operation of it for the benefite of the whole body with dâ—pendance and subordination to the whole and
the truth and not to make himselfe and his priuate spirit iudge of the grounds of truth or of the truth which is to be found in theÌ„ And this is all that can be inferred out of these places this may suffice for the solution of all such argumnets or obiections as are made out of Scripture by the Protestants for the establishing of this priuate spirits power and authority to interprete Scripture and to iudge of al controuersies of Fayth FINIS A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL MATTERS handled in this Booke A S. Ambrose his commendations pag. 58. His authority against the priuate Spirit pag. 59. Angells apparitions pag. 74. Difficulties about them pag. 81. Apostles their authority to iudge of Fayth pag. 166. Their power deriued from Christ pag. 167. Their successors power to iudge of Faith pag. 168. The foundation of Fayth pag. 390. Apparitions of God or Angells in what places to what persons pag. 75. ApparitioÌ„s of Diuels in diuers shaps of beastes of men of Angells of Christ of the B. Trinity ibid. 140. Of soules in Limbo Purgatory Hell and Heauen pag. 77.78 Difficulties to know which be apparitions of God Angells Diuells soules pag. 79. ApparitioÌ„s of SathaÌ„ inward by suggestions pag. 98. By imaginary illusions pag. 102. By exteriour visions pag. 104. S. Augustine commeÌ„ded against the priuate spirit pag. 61. For the profundity of holy Scripture and authority of Fathers pag. 64. For necessity of Fayth pag. 182. agaynst Circles pag. 210. B BIshops and Priests their office pag. 153. Their authority to iudge of Religion pag. 162. Their Tribunal power in the old Law the beginning progres end pag. 162. In the law of Christ pag. 165. What their authority is pag. 166. Their authority proued by scripture pag. 168. How for it extends ibid. Their authority for euer pag. 168. In all Councells pag. 170. C CAluin his saying against the priuate spirit pag. 36.64 His Circle between the spirit of euery man a Councell pag. 215. His doctrine of the doctrine of saluation pag. 234.239 Of saluation of Infants without Baptisme pag. 235. Of Christs sinne and despaire on the Crosse pag. 257. Of the B. Trinity pag. 304 Of Christs Diuinity pag. 305. Of Christs descent into Hell pag. 308. Of his AscensioÌ„ pag. 3â—0 Of beatitude before the day of Iudgment pag. 311. Cases of Conscience for feare of sinne in vaine according to Protestant doctrine pag. 26â— Catholikes aduaÌ„tage aboue Protestants pag. 24. In the habit of faith p. 15. In the credible testimonies of Vnity Sanctity Vniuersality Succession Miracles Examples pag. 27. In the infallible Church-authority pag. 28. Catholikes belieue all Reuelations ancient generall infallible pag. 25. Catholikes may challenge all which the Protestants may pag. 28. Yea the priuate spirit pag 29. DiffereÌ„ce between iust Catholikes Protestants pag. 266. Good life-confessed in the auncient and late Catholikes in the people and the Clergy pag. 347. Catholike and Protestant doctrine compared in giuing more honour to God to Christ to Saints Angells Scripture Sacraments to Church Fayth Good workes c. pag. 350. Christ by Protestant doctrine no generall Redeemer pag. 248. No perfect Redeemer from sin his suffering of Hell paynes due to sin pag. 249. No Sauiour from sinne Sathan sensuality the curse of the Law or from Hell pag. 250. No perfect Phisitian pag. 251. No law giuer 252. An vniust iudge 253. No Priest or offerer of Sacrifice 254. Made ignorant 256. Sinfull suffering hell paines pag 257. Christian AsseÌ„blies in the Primitiue Church in what manner they were for that tyme. pag. 382. Church-authority necessary to fayth pag. 10. infallible 11. proued by Scripture pag. 16. Church selected priuiledged armed established c. obligeth p. 12. It consists of Pastors Ibid. Is proued by Fathers reason Ibid. Necessary to expound Scripture pag. 125. Church-practice A rule to confute heretikes pag. 125. Church-prâ—position and scripture-authority no circle pag. â—02 Vpon Church falling failing froÌ„ faith what absurdities do follow vz. That all ancieÌ„t Concels Doctors were AntichristiaÌ„ That Prophesies are false pag. 231. That Turkes Iewes Gentils haue a more credible Church then Christians pag. 230. Church-practice a meanes to interpret Scripture iudge of Doctrine pag. 125. Church of Christ a Congregation of great sinners pag. 26â— Circle what it is pag. 198. Difference betweene a lawfull vnlawfull Circle pag. 199. And betweene a Circle as obiected against Catholikes and Protestants pag. 200 Catholikes Circle cleared as being partiall in diuers kinds of causes and to diuers sorts of persons pag. 202. Protestants Circle between the Scripture and the Spirit pag. 206. Betweene the Spirit Fayth 210. Betweene Election and Scripture 212. Betweene the Spirit of euery person and of a Councell pag. 215. ProtestaÌ„ts Circle vnto the same kind of cause and that totally pag. 208. Absurdities that follow vpon it pag. 212. Councells 3. of the Iewes in Christs tyme. pag. 164. How the holy Ghost assisted or fayled in them pag. 164. Councells a meanes to interpret Scripture 128. Councells haue byn a meanes to iudge of Fayth pag. 171. Concupiscence made originall sinne and what followes thereon pag. 227. D DIuells Apparitions of them pag. 75. Difficulties to know them pag. 80. Signes to know the motions of them 83. Their subtility 95.97 Their deluding of Heretickes auncient moderne pag. 95. Their tempting to sin to vertue 99. Examples of their apparitions to Heretickes pag. 100. By imagination visibility pag. 10â— F FAyth Six meanes to Fayth pag. 3. Materiall formall obiect proposition Ibid. Credible Testimonies pious disposition habit pag. 4. Reuelation to the Apostles Ibid. Necessity of a proponent cause Ibid. Credible Testimonies pag 4.7 192. Fayth requires a pious disposition supernaturall frees an infused habit permanent not perpetuall pag. 6 The order of these helpes vz. credible Testimony Church-proposition grace actuall infused habit reuelation pag. 7.8 The Resolution of Faith dispositiuè deriuatiué effâ—ctiuè formaliter pag. 8. Shewed by the Samaritan womaÌ„ and Christ pag. 9. The helpes to Fayth external eternall internall pa. 14. Wanting in Protestants 15. Fayth depends vpon authority pag. 117. Faith required to know scripture the sense of it p. 118.120 The rule of Fayth pag. 146. Fayth one pag. 183. Certaine 187. By preachinâ— and hearing 190. By credible testimonies 192. Obligeth to acceptance 194. Speciall Fayth how certaine in Protestants 185. Fayth is of eternall verity and presupposeth the obiect pag. 228. Cannot staÌ„d with certainty of saluatioÌ„ 233.240 vide Sole fayth Fayth by hearing preaching and mission pag. 190. Sole Fayth a Protestant Principle the effect of it pag. 227. Sequells of Iustification by sole Fayth p. 222. makes Protestants more certaine of their saluation then was Christ 233 Makes Protestants as iust as Christ 234. makes all men to be saued 235. Is not grounded vpon Gods word 233. Is false contradictory sinnfull rash presumptuous preiudicious to Hope Charity and Good
respect of mans infirmity and Sathans subtility 93. Signes of good Spirits 89. DiffereÌ„ce betweene good and bad spirits ibid. How hard to discerne them by scripture pag. 109. Not to be discerned by all faythfull ibid. Spirituall maisters necessary pag. 111. Spirit of God the Interpreter as wel as the maker of scripture p. 38.39 Gods Spirit how it worketh in euery one and what it is 373. How it differs in Catholicke Protestant doctrine in the exposition of scripture and certainty of saluation pag. 37. Spirituall men how they iudge of all things ibid. Priuate Spirit the mother of all heresies pag. â— May be chalenged as well by Catholikes as Protestants pag. â—8 What it worketh pag. 30.34.38 Confuted by Scripture pa. 34. Why not to be belieued ibid. Why it cannot be a Iudge pag. 37. What it is in whome it is what it worketh how it is punished pag. 46. Is blind lying deceytfull pag. 44 Is confuted by scripture out of S. Iohn S Paul S Peter Exechiel Iob and other scriptures pag. 33.40.48.50 By Fathers in the six first ages after Christ pag. 55. A PuritaÌ„ spirit described out of Iob pag 47 Is only a selfe opinion pag. 50. The priuate spirit cannot discerne the difficulties about the Spirit of good Angels soules diuels pag. 80. caÌ„not discerne spirits good or bad pag. 112. cannot be meanes to interprete scripture 1â—1 caÌ„not explicate what bookes are scripture in what language figures what seeming contradictions what difficult places 131. Priuate Spirits exposition of scripture is against scripture false fallible contrary to the spirit of Gods Church and author of all heresies pag. 1â—6 184 It cannot be a Iudge as not able to know be knowne pag 17â— It wants authority 174. Infallibility 175 Certainty ibid. â—8â— Duration immutability Visibility Vniâ—y pag. 178.188.176 Vniuersality warrant to be obeyed pag. 178. Priuate Spirit is the ProtestaÌ„ts sole grouÌ„d of scripture sense faith saluation pag. 182. Authour of al sects 184. Vpon what ground it relyes pag pag. â—87 Teaches directs Protestants all in all pag. â—91 Cannot oblige others to beleeue any thing 195. It can giue no credible testimonies of beliefe pag. 195. CaÌ„not make a knowne and visible CoÌ„gregation 188. Nor teach an entyre vniuersall Fayth pag· 186. T TEntations vaine to ouercome them by mortification or labour according to ProtestaÌ„ts pag. 26â— V VNity wanting in the priuate spitit of Protestants pag. 178.188.176 Vniuersality also wanting in the same ibid. Visibbility a like ibid. W WOmen seducers of ancient and later tymes pag. â—â—6 VVorkes neither hinder damnation nor help to saluation according to Protestants pag. â—61 FINIS Faultes escaped in the printing PAge 5. line 2. adde it pag. 6. l. 20. in read is pag. 24. l. 16. haue read hath pag. 26.29 is read as pag. 34. l. â—7 him read them pag. 63 l. 23. glorify read glory pag. 76. l. 21. adde to pag. 103. l. 22. adde her pag. 104. l. 30. dele to Ibid. l. 32. his read her pag. 107. line 33. after men adde of which first S. Paul 1. Cor. 12. pag. 117. l. 22. after force adde of reason pag. 121. l. 31. of read from pag. 123. l. 14. whome read them p. 129. l. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. l. 27 dele in pag. 136. l. 31. Act. 15 12. read Act. 13.21 pag. 152. l. 3. dele S. Ibid. l. 1â— read were not thus pag. 163. lin â—4 dele and. pag. 174. lin 10. vnity read vntye pag. 183. lin 15. adde First pag. 187. lin penult Heretickes read Hereticke pag. 194. lin â— more read most pag. 198. lin 23. read knowne after and vnknowne as c. pag. 208. lin â—3 affection read assertion pag. 209. lin 22. therfore read before pag. 210. l. 13. the read their pag. 215. l. â—9 spirit read spirits pag. 216. lin 10. adde to be pag. 241. lin 7. read so it is true that euery ones sinnes c. pag. 24â— adde euery one pag. 244. lin 2â— least read best pag. 247. lin â—0 read lesse pardonable pag. 250. lin 16. dele and in the effect thereof pag. 255. lin 11. adde and confession pag. â—56 lin 2â— one read onely pag. 259. l. penult now read new pag. 260 lin 25. pointed read painted Ibid. lin vlt. dele pit of pag 263. l. 11. read that he had no freewill pag. 269. lin 24. free read freedome pag. 270. lin 20. esteeme read esteemed Ibid. lin 28. his read thus pag. 288. lin vlt. dele stel pag. 293. lin 18. read tell him that which pag 296. lin 6. read in him sinne pag. 311. lin 22. adde to pag. â—14 lin 3. read need not Ibid. lin 33. read from euer pag. 320. lin 10. neuer read euer Ibid. l. 21. dele to pag. 324. lin 11. dele all pag. 329. lin 6. we read will pag. 330 lin 29. debauched read debased pag. 340. l. 21. read one hundred thouâ—and pag. 346. lin 14. read he is diuulged pag. 348. lin 4. dele by In the Margent PAg. 4. Mat. read Marc. Ibid. Ephes 2.10 read Ephes 2.20 pag. 5. Psal 24.25 read 92.5 Ibid. Philip. 2.33 read 2.13 pag. 11. Eph. 25.29 read Ephes 5.27 pag. 12. Matth. 20.10 read 28.19 Ibid. Matth. 15. read Marc. 16.15 pag. 15. confirme read conuert pag. 50. Iob. 12. read Prou. 1â— pag. 60. Ep. â—6 read 60. pag. 65. read Tom. 7. cont Iulian l. 1. c. â— pag. 104. 3. Reg. 12. read 3. Reg. 22. pag. 182. Aug. serm 8. read 8â— Other Faultes if any haue escaped it is desyred of the gentle Reader to correct them by his owne iudicious reading the Author being far absent from the Print and forced to commit the same to strangers Hierom. Six meanes or helpes to attain faith 1. The material obiect what we do belieue 2. The formall obiect or reuelatioÌ„ why we belieue (a) Ioan. 15.15 (b) Mat. 16.15 (c) Eph. 2.10 (d) 2. Thes 2 14. 3. The proponeÌ„t cause declaring the certainty of what and why we belieue 4 Credible Testimonies to conuince the Vnderstanding of the probability of fayth (e) Psal 25 Eccles 15.4 Luc. 24.25 The pious disposition of the will disposed by grace to giue conseÌ„t to the verity (f) Phi. 2.23 (g) Phi. 16. (h) Mar. 16.26 (i) Act. 28.24 (*) Matt. 23 37. The guift or habit of faith cocurring to the act of assent or beliefe (k) Heb. 11.3 (l) Rom. 1.17 (m) Ibid. (n) Rom. 10.10 (o) Rom. 5.1 (p) Ioan. 12.42 (q) 1. Cor. 13 24. (r) 1. Tim. 1.20 2. Tim. 2.17 (s) 1. Tim. 6.10 (t) 1. Tim. 10.19 (u) Heb. 6 5. The order manner of operatioÌ„ of rhe six meanes of fayth 1. Credible testimonies persuade 2. The churches authority proposeth 3 Grace inclinâ—th the will 4. The habit of faith enableth the Vnderstanding to belieue the articles reuealed and the reuelation of them How fayth is resolued Dispositiuè Directiuè Effectiue Formaliter (w) Ioan. 4.39 (x) Vers 42. Effects of Fayth The necessity of
247. (h) Bucer in Matth. 16. (i) Confess August 1531 art 4. Saxon. cap. 16. Luth. disput tom 1. f. 53. Cal. in Rom. 10.10 confes fidei Lobecius Par. lib. 3. de Iustif. cap. 4. pag. 643. VVhita ad râ—t 8. Camp pag. 36. l. 8. contra Dur. sect 47. conc vltim Per. de Bapt. tom 1. col 810. Reinol thes 2. p. 71. Iew. defenc Apol. part 2. cap. 6. sect 3. p. 149. Par. vbi supra Luth. tom 5. enar in 1. Pet. 1. Zuing. tom 1. in art disput Tygur f. 628. See Kellison exam part 2. exam 13. c. 8. Calu. Turcis l. 3. c. 12. See aboue chap. 7. sect 3. As well the reprobat as the elect obliged to belieue all articles of Fayth Particuler saluation an obiect of Protestants fayth reuealed As the Resurrection so the particular saluation of euery one an article of fayth Zuing. tom 2. in Exposit fid Christ f. 159. b. circa medium VVhi. his also defended by Gualt in Apolog pro Zuing operib eius praefix tom operum Zuing. f. 27. a. b. 28.29 a. b. Vide Simleruâ— in vita Bulling see Bullengers allowaÌ„ce of Zuinglius his forsaid Treatise in Zuing tom 2 f. 5â—0 b. in it Fox Martyr pag. 495. That a man is iustifyed by a false Fayth That a man is iustified by a contradictory fayth That a man is iustified by a rash Fayth That a man is iustified by a presuÌ„ptuous faith â—ob 4.10.11 Psal 17.25 Rom. 5.19 2. Tim. 4.8 1. Cor. 3.8.9 (a) Phil. 2.12 (b) Eccl. 5.5 (c) Eccl. 9. â— That a maÌ„ is iustifyed by a fayth destroyes hope and Charity That a man is iustifyed by a faith which is iniurious to Christ Which doth derogate from the generality of Christes redemption (a) 1. Tim. 2 6. (b) 1. Ioan. 2.2 (c) 1. Tim. 2.4 (d) Iohn 1.29 (e) Ioan. 3.16 Calu. 3. iust 22. in Coloâ— 1. in 1 Ioan. 2. Beza colloq Mont. Pesul f. 211.214 c. Sanch. misc l 2. pag. 180 Which faith derogates from the perfection of Christs redemptioÌ„ Calu. harm in 26. Mat. 37.46 in 27.2 Instit. 16. Luth. in Psal 22. tom 3. Witten ann 1585. (a) Rom. 3.24.25 Rom 1.9 (b) 1. Pet. 1.10 Act. 5.9 (c) Apoc. 15.22.14 (d) Col. 1.10 (e) Act. 20.28 (f) 1. Cor. 11 25. Luc. 22.20 Mat. 26.28 Maâ—c 14.24 (g) Calu. 2. Instit 16.20 (h) â—alu 2. Instit. 17.1 (a) Rom 6.17 11. (b) 1. Tim. 2 (c) Rom. 7.23 (d) Gal. 3.10 (e) Isa 28.15 Calu. Instit. 14.4 9. Luth. confut Latâ—m Calu. 2. Insti 7.5 6. Luth. tom 5. serm de Matrimonâ—o Which makes Christ no good Phisitian of soules Which makes Christ an vniust â—aw-giuer Isa 33.22 Ioan. 13.34 Which makes Christ an vniust Iudge Ioan. 3 1â— VVhich makes Christ no Priest Psal 109.4 Heb. 5.6 Gen. 14.18 Heb. 7.3 Heb. 5.11 Gen. 14.18 By a fayth which makes Christ ignorant 3. Reg. 4.30 (a) Luth. câ—ncâ— de natal Christ. fol. 67 Zuing. in cap. 2 â—uce Beza in Heb. 5.7 in colloq mont pag. 177. Bucer in cap. 2â— Lucae Danaeus cont 2. pag. 143 â—oâ—st in anti Bellarm. pag. 36. VVhitak ad â—ation 8. Camp p. 35. Serranus coÌ„t HayuÌ„ part 3. pag. 284.285.289.290 Cal. harm in Mat. 9.2 Matt. 21.18 Matt. 24.36 Matt. 26. Luc. 2.40 Paraeus l. 5. de amissi gratiae c. cap. 14. pag. 836. in Coll. Theâ—l 9. disp 6. Sinnefull Damned In the pains of hell Smitheus collat doctrin de Christo. cap. 2 art 11.12 â—3 22. Smith collâ—â— doctrin lib. 1. cap. 16. art 10. pag. 4 47. Absurdities which follow vpon Concupiscence being originall sinne 1. That the whole Churche of the Protestants is a congregation of great sinners Smit collat l. 1. cap. 13. art 9. p. 246. art 9. pag. 446. cap. 18. art 1. p. 474.476 2. That euery Protestant may as well coÌ„mit great sinnes as do good workes in respect of auoiding damnation 3. That the grounds of Protestant ReligioÌ„ admit great sinners to be perfect Protestants 4. That in vaine to no end are 1. all pennaÌ„ce mortification and austeriâ—y of life 2. All lawes Precepts of God or man (a) Sap. 6.4 (b) Prou. 8.15 (c) Rom. 13.1 (c) Rom. 13.5 (d) 1. Pet. 2.13.14 (e) Tit. 3.2 (f) Ephes 6.5 Col. 3.22 (g) 1. Tim. 6.1 (h) Matt. 22.21 3. All consultations exhortatioÌ„s threats 4. All cases and scruple of conscienâ— The differeÌ„ce between a iust Catholike and a iust Protestant The fourth daughter or progeny of the priuate spirit which is predestination to sinne and damnatioÌ„ Absurâ—â—ies which follow vpon it in respect of man 1. Of Politicians and Atheists Aug. epist. 48 2. Of desperate men Aug. de bono perseuerant cap. 15. Caesar li. 1. c. 27. Aug. lib. 2 de animabus c. 11. Aug. de vera Relig. c. 14. Scotus 1. demonst 39. Absurdities which follow vpon this doctrine of Predestination 1. That it makes God the authour of sinne Aug. haeres 46. Epiph. hom 66. Euseb lib. 5. cap. 19. Becanus opus theol com 1 â—ract de prâ—destin pag 2. de authore pec cati pag 99. de Aphoâ—ism Caluinist â—ruÌ„ pag. 249. â— de diffâ—rentia inter Caluinistas Pâ—lagianos Caholiâ—os Smith collat c. 1. de Deo 2. That it makes God a sinner Rom. 3.8 3. That it makes God alone the only sinner Calu. 3. Inst 14.17 Calu. 3. Inst 23.8 Zuing. serâ— de prouid Aug. de vera Relig. c. 14. 4. That it makes God a great lyer and dissembler (a) Psalm 5.5 (b) Psalm 44 8. (c) Zach. 8.17 (d) Sap. 14.9 (e) 3. Reg. 11 6. (f) 2. Reg. 11 27. (g) Caluin de prâ—destin pag. 727. (h) 1. Instit. 191. in Genes 3.1 (i) Depraedest pag. 726. (k) Beza respons ad Acta colleq Monâ—isâ— pâ—g 51. (l) Depraedest cont 〈◊〉 vol. 1. Theol pag. 3.7.6 (m) Mart. in Sam. 1.4 fol. 32. (n) â—erk in Cred. pag. 7.33 of predestination p. 1.2.7 (o) Bucan Instit theol loco 14. pag. 145. (p) Isa 53 9. (q) Sap 3.5 (r) 1. Prou. 14.22 (s) 1. Iohn 3 8. (t) Eccl. 15.21 (u) Ierem. 32.35 (x) Iac. 1.13 (y) 1. Cor. 10.13 (z) Calu. 1. Instit 17.11 18.1 in Rom 9.18 de praedest 7.2.7.7.3.9.7.4.6 (a) 1. Instit. 14.17 (b) 3. Instit 23.1 (c) De Praedest p. 7.2.6 (d) pag. 7.2.8 (e) Luth. de seruo arbitrio fol. 459. fol. 433. (f) Melanct. in Rom. 8. de praedest (g) Beza de praedest contra Castal pag. 3.9.9 in Rom. 9.18 (h) Sanct. de excec quaest 1. pag. 204. (i) De praedestâ—nat Sanct. cap. 5. pag. 3.2.6 (k) De exceâ—at quaest 5. pag. 211. (l) â—â—b 5. de natiâ— Dei c. 2. pag. 5.6.8 (m) de exceâ—at quaest 4. pag. 208. (n) In Iud. cap 3. fol. 52. (o) In Rom. 1. fol. 34.37 in Rom. 9. pag. 6.3 (p) Ezech. 33 11. (q) 2. Pet. 3.9 (r) Matt. 18.14 (s) 1. Tim. 2 4. (t) Exod. 20.3 (u) Ezech. 18 30. (x) Prou. 1.24 (z)
pag. 100. line 31. Stow Annals pag. 64 printed an 1592. Godw. in the life of Austine pag. 117. c. Fox Acts MoÌ„ pag. 117. an 1576. Tind Reuelation of Antichrist MelaÌ„ Apolog. Confess Aug. VVittomb an 1573 f. 221. Pant. Chron. pag. 95. Fox act Mon. p. 70. next after an 1216. Hackl in his booke of nauigations 2. par 2. volum p. 81. (a) Comment rerum in Oriente gestaruÌ„ fol. 2. (b) Pag. 36. (c) Fol 9. (d) Fol. 14. Abraham Hartwell his discouery of Congo printed ann 1597. l. 2. cap. 3. Godw. Catalogue of Bishâ—ps Stubs his motiues to good workes p. 44.45 Syr Edward Sands in his Relation of the Religion vsed in the VVest partes of the world sect 48. paulo post initium (a) Sect. 6. (b) Sect. 27. (c) Sect. 42. Stubbs his motiues to good workes printed 1596 pag. 43. Deut. 32.31 The Protest priuate spirits doctrin compared with the Catholike doctrine shewed 1. That theirs derogateth from the blessed Trinity 2. FroÌ„ Gods mercy 3. From Gods goodnesse 4. FroÌ„ Gods Iustice 5. FroÌ„ Gods omnipotency That the Protestant doctrine doth derogate from Christ 1. From his beatitude 2. From his knowledge 3 From his supremacy and power 4. From his authority in making lawes 4. From his sanctity 6. From his redemption of mankind 7. From his merit and satisfactioÌ„ 8. From his corporall passion 9. From the certainty of his saluatioÌ„ 10. From his descending to hell 11. From his ResurrectioÌ„ and ascension 12. From his adoration and intercession (a) Marc. 10 47. Mat. 15.22 20.31 (b) Mat. 2.11 (c) Mat. 28.9 That the priuate spirits doctrin doth derogate from Saints and Angells 1. Their Beatitude (a) â—uth Postiâ— Dominiâ— 2. post Trin fol. 286. tom 6. in 25. Gen f. 322. tom 4. in 9. Eccl. c. 36. 37. in 2. Ioan. Calu. in 2. Pet. 2.4 in Math. 22.23 in Math. 27.43 in Luc. 16.12 3. Inst. 25.6 Buâ—an loc 39 p. 44â— Dan. contro 7. p. 1265. 2. Their sanctity (b) Calu. in Coloss 1.10 3. Iâ—st 14.16 17.9 Conc. 16. in Iob. pag. 68. 3. Their power (c) Beza in 1. Cor. 16. Vrsin Catech. q. 99 p 944. Piscat thesâ—l 2. pag. 373. Perk. in 3. Gal. 3. 4. Their difference of glory 5. Their esteeme with God 6. Their knowledge of vs. 7. Their charity to vs. 8. Their honour by vs. Luth Postil in festo S. Ioan f. 378. Ferijs eiusdeÌ„ f. 9. die Epip fol. 138. Calu. in 4. Ioan. 10. 9. Their custody and help of vs. That the priuate spirit doth tak from the word of God 1. All the vnwritten word 2 21 parts of the written word 3. The true translation 4. The certainty of the sense 5. The integrity of faith 6. The authority to iudge of it The priuate spirit derogates from the Church of God 1. The authority 2. The visibility 3. The markes 4. The continuance 5. The beauty magnificence 6. The purity incorruption of doctrine The priuate spirit derogates from the Sacraments 1 The number 2 The effect of Baptism 3. The substance of the Eucharist The priuate spirit doth derogate from Fayth 1 The vnity of it 2. The antiquity of it 3. The grounds of it 4. The meanes of it 5. The purity of it The priuate spirit derogates from man 1. A freewil 2. All infused habits 3. All inherent iustice 4 Alinward purity 5. All necessity or possibility of good works 6. All benefit of prayer 7. All care and labour for his saluation The priuate spirit takes from sinne 1. All difference of mortall and veniall 2. All possibility to be auoided 3 All imputation to punishmeÌ„t in some persons The priuate spirit doth derogate from good workes in generall 1. Their merit The priuate spirit doth derogate from heaueÌ„ 1. The reward of glory 2. The difference of glory They take away from hell 1. The difference of place (a) Calu. in Matth. 3.12 Danaeus controu 4 §. 11. pag. 210. Vorst in Anti-bellar pag. 269. Perk. vpon 2 Apoc. pag. 9. Lobec disp 6. pag. 133. 3. The suffering of the soules 4. The local place of hell 5. All feare of sinne for hell 2. The fire of hell (b) Luth. ser de diuit paup tom 7. fol. 267. in cap. 9. Eccles tom 4. fol. 38. Postil â—â— Domin 4. post Triâ—it fol. 286. Bucer Catheis Hedalb apud Schusselb theol Calu art 27. fol. 145. Brent apud Hosp part 2. anno 1562. fol. 308. 230. apud Bullinger Lobec disp 6 p. 133. Perk. in c. 2. Apoc. col 90. Tylenus â—yntag c. 6. p. 69. Cal. Inst. 16.6 (c) Luth. in 15. Gen. tom 6. f. 321. serm de diuit Lazarâ— tom 7. f. 268. Postil in Domin 2. post Trin f. 268. in 2. c. Ioan. f. 418. Calu. 4. Inst. 25.6 in 2. Pet. 2.4 Scultâ—t 1. part medul in Tertul. cap. 42. pag. 305. The true efffect of the working of the spirit of God declared By the similitude of a naturall body 1. Cor. 12.12 Rom. 12.4 The spirit giues to euery one his proper operation Rom. 12.5 Ephes 4.7 Rom. 12.3 Rom. 12.6 1. Cor. 7.20 Ephes 4.11 1. Cor 12.21 â— Cor. 12.21 The differeÌ„t manner of the spirits operations in catholiks from Protestants In the persons who haue authority In the articles of faith of which exposition is giuen Vincent Lyr. cap. 27. Cap. 28. In the points of faith expouÌ„ded Vincent Lyr. In the meanes or directions by which it is expounded In the infallibility or certainty of their exposition In the grouÌ„ding ones fayth vpon this exposition Protestants obiections for their priuate spirits authority answered (a) Rom. 12.6 1. Cor. 12.11.1.14.14 (b) 1. Cor. 14 24. Vers 26. Vers 29. Vers 31. Guifts extraordinary and gratis giuen Not giuen euery one to all persoÌ„s Rom. 12.3 Rom. 12.6 Ephes 4.11 1. Cor. 12.28 Giuen only with subordâ—nation to the spirit of the Church and Superiours 1. Cor. 14.32 1. Cor. 14.23 Marc. 3.26 1. Cor. 12.11 â—uifts exâ—raordinary giuen not generally to all Guifts alike are not giuen to all but are to be vsed by all as they are giuen Rom. 12.3 Ephes 4.7 By Episcopall Diaconical function Rom. 12.7.8 1. Cor. 7.20 Hier. contra Vigilan Non est cuiusuis hominis aureos nuÌ„mos scripturas probare vina gustarâ— Prophetas Apostolos intelligere 1. Cor. 12.28 Ephes 4.11 S. Paul 1. Cor. 14. is vnderstood not of ordinary guifts to expound Scripture Nor of the publike seruice of the Church But of extraordinary guifts gratis giuen for languages c. Vers 40. Vers 23. Iustin Apol. 2. ad Anton. in fine Tertul. Apologet cap. 39. The manner of the ChristiaÌ„s assemblies in the first age of the Church (a) Vers 22. (b) Vers 3. (c) Vers 24. 25. (d) Vers 29. (e) Vers 33. (f) Isa 54.13 (g) Ioan. 6 45. (i) 1. Thes 4 (k) Hier. 31.33 (l) Idem v. 34. (m) Ioan. 7.17 (n) Ioan. 10 27. (o) 1. Ioan. 2.27 Grace to be saued not to interpret scripture Not all who haue Fayth haue the guift of interpreting scripture (a) Heb. 5.12 1. Cor. 3.2 (b) 1. Cor. 3.1 (c) 1. Cor. 14 38. (d) 1. Thes 3.10 (e) Epes 1.13.14 (f) 1. Cor. 3.16 (g) 1. Cor. 14 37. (h) Hebr. 5.14 (i) 1. Cor. 12 10. (k) 1. Cor. 14 (l) Act. 20.28 (m) 1. Pet. 5.1 (n) â— Tit. 2.15 (o) Tit. 1.12 (p) 1. Tim. 1.3 (q) 2. Cor. 10. v. 5.6.8 (a) 1. Ioan. â— â— (b) 1. Thes 5 20. Pastours not the coÌ„mon people are to try spirits How spirituall men iudge of spiritual things (a) Hebr. â—5 23 14. Only spirituall men iudge of spiritual things and some of one some of another spiritual affaire (b) 1. Cor. 12. vers 8.9.10.11 (c) Vers 27. (d) Vers 21. 22. Calu. 4. Inst. 17.25 Nos vt in tota scriptura sanam huius loci Hoc est corpus meum intelligentiam non minori obedientia quà m cura consequi studeamus neque praepostero feruore temeâ—è artipimus sine delectu quod temerè se mentibus ingerit sed sedula meditatione adhibitâ sen sum amplectimur quam spiritus Dei suggerit quo freti despicimus quidquid terrenae sapientiae ex alto opponitur Psal 118.474 (a) 2. Tim. 3.15 (b) 2. Pet. 1.19 (c) Ephes 2.20 (d) Act. 17.11 (e) Ioan. 5.39 Meanes necessary but not sufficieÌ„t to expound scripture Are by persons proper and fit to be applyed Aug. epist 3. Tanta est Christianarumpro funditas literarum vt in eis quotidie pro ficerem si eas solas ab ineunte pueritia vsque ad decrepitam senectuâ—em maximo ocio summo studio meliori ingenio conarer addiscere Non quod ad ea quae necessaria sunt saluti tantâ in eis perueniatur difficultate sed cum quisque ibi fidem tenuerit sine qua pie recteque non viuitur tam multa tamque multiplicibus mysteriorum vmbraculis opaca intelligenda proficientibus restant tantaqueue non solùm in verbis quibus ista dicta sunt sed etiam in rebus quae intelli gendae sunt latet altitudo sapientiae vt annosissimis acutissimis flagrantissimis cupiditate discen di hoc contâ—ngat quod eadem scriptura dicit Cùm consummauerit homo tunc incipiÌ„t Epist. 119. cap. vlt. Plura se in scripturis nescire quà m scire See Staples princip doctrinalibus controu 6. l. 9 c. 9.10 c. How Dauid and Timothy studyed scripture How S. Peter exhorts to interpret scripture (a) 2. Pet. 1.20 (b) Ephes 2.20 How our faith is built vpon the Prophets Apostles (a) Act. 17.11 How they of Berâ—ea the Iews searched Scripture (b) Eccl. 19.4 Act. 17.11 Iâ— 5.39