gaue me a Being by my Redemption a Well-being who suffered Deatiâ— to preuent death and whose wound care our wouds 〈◊〉 (m) Isa câ— â— â—â—us sanatcsimiâ—â—â— voucâ—saâ—e to sanctify me with thy soule â—o meâ—â—â—ate my intellectuall powers with thy bloud and to wash away all their ordure filth with the water of thy pierced side that so I poore despicable and miserable man seeing all my sinnes afore drowned in the gulfe of thy inexhausted Mercy may in the end enter into thy promised and my hoped for Canaan Ioan. Londinens THE CONTENTES OF THE SEVERALL MOTIVES OF THIS TREATISE THE 1. MOTIVE THAT the priuate spirit is the chiefe supporter of Protestancy Page 1. Motiue 2. That the Prophesyes of Scripture confirme the Catholike Religion and refute Protestancy pag 10. Motiue 3. That generall Councells confirming Catholike Religion are reiected by Protetestants pag. 33. Motiue 4. That the Fathers of the Primitiue Church as Patrons of Papistry are reiected by the Protestants pag 39. Motiue 5. That the articles of Protestancy are particulerly condemned for benesâ—es by the ancient Fathers And that all Protestants originally came out of the Catholike Church pag. 53. Motiue 6. That true Miracles haue beene wrought for proofe of the Catholike Religion but not any for Protestancy pag. 64. Motiue 7. Absurdityes in the Protestants Religion pag. 77. Motiue 8 Deceites and sleightes practised by Protestant VVryters pag. 93. Motiue 9. That the doctrine of Catholike Religion tendes directly to Vertue of Protestancy to Vice and Liberty pag 118. Motiue 10. That Luther and Caluin are chiefe Patrones of Arianisme and therefore in other points of faith are not to be followed p 131 Motiue 11. That there is vnity in Fayth in Catholike Religion disagreements in faith in Protestancy pag. 139. Motiue 12. That Saluation may be had in Catholike Religion by the confession of Protestants pag. 154. The Conclusion to my Dears and Reverend Brethren the Lords Arch bishops and Bishops of England pag. 168 THE BISHOP OF LONDON HIS LEGACY THE 1. MOTIVE That the priuate Spirit is the chiefe supporter of Protestancy THE affected strange and exorbitant course we Protestants hould I yet range my selfe with my former Brethren according to my accustomed dialect in determining of doubts in ReligioÌ„ is able to cause the learnedest of vs to fluctuate and wauer in our already ietled iudgmentes We all know it is our own head Theoreme that the Scripture alone but such as our selues admit for Canonicall is to iudge of all arising Controuersyes in fayth and the priuate spirit to iudge of the sense of the Scripture Which priuate spirit being but a meere intentionall and vnreall name our owne D. (a) In CoÌ„trou 1. q. â— c. 3. 11. Whitaker thus speciously entitles An inward perswasion of the truth from the Holy Ghost in the secret closes of the belieuers hart Thus by recurring to Scripture alone we reiect all Apostolicall Traditions all definitions of the Church and the most ancient practise thereof by erecting the priuat spirit we make our selues sole Lords of the Scripture A poore refuge God knowes discouering in a cleare and impartiall eye the feeblenes of our owne cause since in so doing we being but parties constitute our selues as Iudges daring in the closure of all to iudge euen our owne Iudges Thus for example if our Aduersaryes the Catholikes in iustifying the articles of their fayth doe vrge any passage of the Machabees Ecclesiasticus Toby c. acknowledged for Canonicall Scripture by S. Augustin (b) De doctrin Christian l. 2. c. â— the third Councell (c) Can. 47. of Carthage this Priuate spirit in lieu of further answere peremptorily discanoneth all these Bookes vnder the tecture that they were (d) Doctor VVhitak in his answer to M. Reynoldâ—â—efutation p. 22. 23. Calu. lib. 1. Instiâ— c. 7. §. 1. 2. not first written in Hebrew and that the Maiesty and voyce of God appeareth not in them Strangely inferred as though the Spirit of God ought seruily to be tyed to any one tongue or because in the silly weenings of this spirit the Maiesty voyce of God speaketh not in the sayd Books therefore they are indeed wholy depriued thereof If our Aduersaryes proceeding further do insist for proofe of any dogmaticall point in the plaine wordes of confessed Scripture as for proofe of Apostolicall Traditions whereby this phantasy of the Scripture being sole iudge is impugned in that passage (e) 2. Thes 2. of the Apostle Hold fast the traditions which you haue receaued siue per sermonem siue per Epistolâ—m nostram either by word or by our Epistle the Priuate spirit as it were with it Mercuryes rod heere chaseth away the most obuious and familiar construction obtruding this Scholia vpon the text That (f) Kemâ—â— in 〈◊〉 Conc. â—â—dent the Apostle first deliuered those things by speach which after he left written in his Epistle Absured since the disâ—unctiue particle siue implyeth an Antithesis or opposition of the things deliuered by speach and the thinges written If they fortify the plaine and literall sense of the forsayd Text with the answerable ConstitutioÌ„s and Canons of most ancient generall Councels as of that of the second of Nice Si (g) Act. â— â—om 4. quis traditioneÌ„ Ecclesiae siue scripto fiue consuetudine valentem non curauerit Anathema sit the Spirit spurneth heere at auerring that (h) So D. VVhâ—â—ak l. de Coâ—â—â—il conâ—â—a Bellarâ—â— q. â— generall Councells may erre And that as (i) So Peter Martyr l. de votis p. 476. longe as we insist in generall Councels so long we shall continue in the Papists errours Thus hoping that the splendour of the whole Church of Christ being once obscured it selfe may shyne forth with more lustre so the least starre discouereth it light through absence of a greater light If our Aduersaryes produce the testimonyes but of priuate Fathers in warrant of Traditions as of (k) Lib. contra Donat Quae vnâ—uersa tenet â—cclesia ab Apostâ—lis praecepta benè creduntur quanquà m scriptanon reperiantur Augustine (l) Lib. 2. epist â— Cypriâ—n and the like O what indignity is it to this all-controuling Spirit which euen dronke with a selfe coÌ„placency can with one puff of his breath blow away the force of all their authorityes by saying Gods (m) Luth. tom 2. cont Reg Angl fol. 344. word is aboue all the diuine Maiesty maketh for me in so much as I regard not if a thousand Augustines a thousand Cyprians stood against me vanting further of it selfe Non sinam ipsos Angelos de mea doctrina iudicare Lastly if they put vs in mind how it hath been euer the proper Scene of heretiks to enamel varnish the deformed face of their Heresyes with the misapplyed texts of Gods sacred Word Haereses (n) Aug iâ— hom 9. tract 18. in Ioan. sumunt originem quando Scripturae bonae intelliguntur non bene Thus
did the (o) Ioan. 14. 18. 17. 1. Cor. 18. 1 Tim 2. Act. 2. Arians the (p) Ioan. 1. 2. Eutichians the (q) Philip. 2. Haebr 7 Matth. 27. Ioan. 12. Nestorians all which for number were able to vye text for text in defence of their blasphemyes against Gods Church a course anciently so much vsed as that S. Augustine (r) Contra Maximin Arian l. 1. introduceth the Heretikes of his dayes prouoking their aduersaryes only to the Scripture The Spirit replyes that indeed those Heretikes and such others pressed Scripture but wroÌ„gfully since they vsed not prayer nor conference of places nor had knowledge in the tongues all which the true Spirit as conducing meanes doth enioy Spectatum admissi risum teneatis For besides s D. Reynolds in his Câ—nfer p. 83. 84. that these interuenient meanes euen in the censure of D. Whitaker (t) VVhitak Media interpretandi loca obscura sunt incerta dubia ambigua ergo fierinon potest quin ipsa etiam interpretatio fit incerta si iâ—certa tum potest esse falsa lib. 2. de Eccies contr Bellarm. controu i. quest 4. include a doubtfulles of Iudgment in the interpretation of Scripture vnder what show of Reason can we perswade others that our selus do practise in a higher measure these meanes then the forsayd acknowledged Heretikes did Or why should any man giue a more certaine and indubious assent to our spirits then to the Spirits of those other or of our Aduersaryes But to draw to a more inward and particuler fight heerein Luther and Caluin enioyed this Priuate spirit as theÌ„selues do vaunt Furthermore this Spirit supposing it to be the gift of the holy Ghost is infallible This graunted what vnlucky constellation then reigned when of these few wordes Hoc est corp is meum the Spirits of Luther Caluin their Schollers haue deliuered more different constructions then there are wordes in this short sentence and such constructions as one is incompatible with another so as if not all at least some of necessity must be false In like sort in these two wordes of the Creed Descendit ad inferos what contrary senses of them are giuen by the Protestants all enioying in their owne iudgments the infallibility of this Apocalypticall and reuealing spirit It is needles to particularize their seuerall and contrary interpretations giuen of the two former sentences Their own Booke-warrs (u) The differeÌ„t doctrines among Protestants concerning these two points and others and all warranted by the interpretation of the Priuate spirit haue occasioned aboue three hundred bookes to haue beene written by the Protestants one against another of which Hospinian a ProtestaÌ„t the yearly Catalogue of FraÌ„ckford make mention waged by Protestants against the Protestants and vndertaken with sharpned pens in great hostility of style originally for the maintenance of the different doctrines rysing through their misinterpretation of the former Text proclaimes the truth of this to the world Thus suppose a man to be once possest or if you will obsest with this lying Spirit how easily can he ventilate strange and irreconciliable doctrines Heere then I vrge Is this spirit of God How can it then broach contrary and repugnant doctrines Since his Church is one (x) Rom. 12. Cant. 6. Ioan. 10. body one spouse one sheepfould Is it not Why then should I longer perseuere in that Religion which sucketh it venome from so false a spirit Non (y) Tertu l. de Baptis idem Deus est nobis illis nec vnus Christus But what Do our owne writings really stand thus chargeable in defence of this all iudging Spirit or is it but my vniust aspersion cast vpon my Brethrens wronged Pennes Read and then censure One of vs comes forth vpon the stage for the eye of the World is the stage of mans actioÌ„s thus saying The (z) D. Bilson in his true difereÌ„ce between Christian subiection vnch istian rebellion people must be discerners and iudges of what is taught Another That (a) Luth. tom 2. VVittem fol. 375. the sleep is to iudge whether the Pastours propound to them the voyce of Christ or of strangers A third to passe ouer the Brethren (b) In their Appology to the vniuersityes of Amsterdam the branches and descendents of the Church of Geneua acteth his part more liuely thus pronouncing of the priuiledge heerin euen of any left-handed vnlearned and mechanicall fellow The (c) VVhitak de sacra Scriptura p. 519. vnlearned in the exposition of the Scripture is to demaund the opinion of the learned and to read the Commentaryes of Interpreters Sed videndum interim est ne nimis illis tribuant c. sed cautè semper belike for feare of sinning in humblenes of mind atque it a vt câ—rum interim libertatem retincant Where is Humility Where is the (d) 2. Cor. 10. Apostles precept of captiuating our iudgements But it is exiled and in it roome are stept in this Spirits assuming Pryde and blushles Ignorance The irreconciliable doctrines it broacheth bewray it Ignorance it controule of all authority it Pride The difficulty of the Scriptures I will heere passe ouer with a gentle touch for I affect breuity though the consideration of their abstrusnes more fully displayeth the vanity of this Priuate spirit euer venditating the facility of theÌ„ For what can be fouÌ„d in any writinges to occasion misconstruction which heere is not found The sense Where humane writings haue commonly but one sense the Scripture in many places besides the literall is inuested with (e) To wit sensuâ— Alegorious Tropologiâ—us Anogogious three The Style It is heere most plaine yet most profound familiar yet perswading vnaffected yet vnimitable for the most part literall yet sparsedly fraught with Schems Figures Allegoryes The Subiect It is heere supernaturall transcending all reach of mans Reason Since heere we learne to omit all other misteryes of fayth recorded in Gods sacred Writ that Omnipotency was once (f) Luc. 2. she wraped him in swadling cloaths weake Eternity (g) Luke ibid. when eight dayes were accoÌ„plished that they should circumcise the child yong Omnipresency (h) Matt 28. He is not heere for he is risen confined Infinitenes (i) Luc. 2. And Iesus increased in wisedom age and grace increasing Wisedome (k) Marc 13. of that day and houre knoweth no man c. neither the sonne himselfe ignorant the Word (l) Iohn 19. But Iesus gaue him no answere silent and finally the Lord of heauen and earth poore (m) Luc. 9. The birds haue nests c. but the sonne of Man hath not whereon to lay his head and despicable so iust reason had S. Ambrose to say Mare (n) Epist 44. ad Constantium est Scriptura diuina hahens inse sensus profundos and so little reason our Brethren to vse for their Mot Ad (o) Beza
and writinges rarell out the tyme working with such improbity of libour and toyle theâ—pyders webb which is so easily swept away Laborâ—ose nihil agunt to say with Seneca The Pope and the Church thus far proceed They declare only what bookes be Scripture or not Scripture among many Apochriphal writings and which construction of true Scripture among many suggested senses thereof is the intended meaning of the Holy Ghost Thus they neither make nor vnmake Scripture nor impose any sense vpon it which afore it had not but only declare which afore it had And thus by this meanes they assume no more to themselues then any priuate Protestant practiseth by the help of his reuealing spirit But what Must it needes be inferred that the Pope and the Church for such their proceeding seeke to be aboue the Scripture Then may it be alike concluded that the Iudge is aboue the Law since he expresseth what is Law and which is the true meaning of the Law-giuer therein All that hence may be truely deduced is this viz. That the Pope and the Church is not aboue Scripture which with all reuerence they affect but aboue the Iudgments of priuate men expounding the Scripture But heere to make an end of the Catholiks mistaken doctrines I cannot but call to mind how I was seueral tyms accustomed to charge the Priests and others of their Religion appearing before me with the defence of the former absurdityes though I confesse I did then well know what their learned men did hold therein And I do assure the Reader that the Priestes being expostulated heereof did seeme halfe amazed at these my strange demandes Yea one of the Priestes a bold and resolute man thus answered me My Lord if you demand of me and others in earnest whether these senseles positions be our do Irines it seemes you know not what the Catholik Church teacheth heerein and then it is strang his Maiesty should place you in seate of iudgment against vs to punish vs for that ReligioÌ„ your selfe not knowing the doctrine which the sayd religion teacheth An answere blunt and without respect yet not much to be disliked since it is a wronge to truth to be outfaced and depressed with calumnyes Towards the Auncient Fathers we haue seuerall peculiar deportments first we stryue to breake through their authorityes with sleighty euasions this fayling next to breake downe their authorityes by open disclayminges Thus in the former manner we proceed diuers wayes First when any place of a Father is obiected against vs we endeauour so loath we are to make an absolut departure from them if possibly it could be auoyded to interprete the Fathers words in some other sense then they are vrged by our Aduersaryes or intended by the Fathers Thus where (r) Lib. 4. de Trinit cap. 〈◊〉 4. Augustin (s) Lib. 6. desacerd Chrysostome (t) In psal 38. Ambrose (u) Lib. 6. contra Parmenianum others do teach that the Sacrament of the Excharist contayneth in it selfe a true and proper sacrifice Our Brethren in answere heereto say these Fathers meaning only to be that the prayer powred out by the faythfull at the tyme of the Communion are Spirituall Sacrifices But this is but a shadow of an answeare since the Fathers affirme literally that the body and bloud of Christ without the least intimation of any prayers being offered vp in the celebration of the Eucharist is a proper and true sacrifice Quid gratiùs offervi saith (x) V bi supra Augustine aut suscipi possit quà m carâ— sacrificij nostri corpus effectum sacerdotis nostri Next if the place of the obiected Father be so perspicuous as that it will receaue no other tincture of Interpretation then what the naturall colour of the sentence will properly beare we then labour to oppose another Father against him in the said poynt or if possibly we can the said Father aginst himselfe by vrgiâ—g some seeming contrary sentence our of him all this to disualew in the Readers eye the authority of the said Father Thus where Basill is produced in defence of TraditioÌ„s D. (y) Lib. de sacra scriptura p. 670 Whitaker answereth thereto pretending some other contrary place out of Basill saying Basilius secumpugnat After the same manner D. Whitaker (z) V bi supra pag. 6.6 auoydeth S. Augustins authority touching Traditions saying Although Augustine in this place may seeme to fauour Traditions yet in other places he defendeth earnestly the â—erfection of the Scriptures An vnworthy aspersion vpon the Fathers as if they were of that wauering irresolution in their fayth as to mantayne meere contrary doctrynes at one and the same tyme. Another sleight vsed by vs is that if the Father vrged in defence of any Catholyke poynt can be deprehended to haue maintayned any one acknoledged errour then we vsually reiect the said Fathers authority in all poynts of Catholyke Religion This chiefly taketh place in the produced testimonyes of Cyprian Tertullian and Origen euery one of them mantayning their peculiar errour This euasion is most weake except we could proue that these Fathers are condemned by the ioynt consent of other Fathers for their houlding of Catholyke doctrynes which is impossible to proue as well as they were written against by other Fathers touching their acknowledged Errours Another of our Sleights or Subtiltyes toucheth Mission and Vocation of Ministers which the Scripture teacheth to be visible according to those words of the Apostle No (a) Hebr â— 5. man taketh to him the honour of Pryesthood but he that is called of God as Aaron was which calling in the Apostles tymes was only by Imposition (b) 2. Timâ— 1. of Bishops hands Now then when we are charged by our Aduersaries in the first planting of Protestancy to want this lawfull Vocation and Mission since no man did either send vs nor from any did we receaue this Imposition of hands we to extricate and free our selues out of this Labyrinth haue excogitated out of the delicacy of our wit or rather extreme Necessity a new kynd of calling honouring it with the title of an Extraordinary and immediate calling from God Without any authority of man therein And so our first broachers of Protestancy do challeng this to themselues besydes that our doctrine of the Inuisibility of the Church potentially implyeth the same Answerably heerto Caluin thus saith Quia (c) So alleadged to say by Lasciuius a protestaÌ„t in his book de Russarâ—â—Ì„ c. religiâ—nâ— p. 2â— Papa tyrannide c. Because through the tyranny of the Pope the true order of ordination was interrupted therefore in these dayes we haue neede of a new helpe and this guyft is altogeather extraordinary Likewyse D. Fulke (d) Againest Stapleton Martiall p. 2. The Protestants that first preached these last dayes had likewyse extraordinary calling A sleight inuented to free our selues from the authority of the visible Church of God examining this our
see D. Bancrofts suruey pag. 219. verbum Deiprouoco But to resume my former heads Since then this reuealing spirit is not afraid to expunge out of the sacred Canon of Scripture such bookes as Apocriphall wherin it owne Religion is euidently impugned since it alloweth only such expositions of confessed Scripture as best sort to the supporting of it owne errours since it betrampleth all authorityes of Councells and Fathers who expound Gods word differently from it Since it hath beene the custome of all Heretikes to withdraw themselues to the weake retyre of only Scripture and their owne spirit interpreting the Scripture thus making a circular motion where from point to point there is a true progression but from the first point no progression at all since this Spirit engēdreth contrarieties in doctrine in the enioyers of it through ech mans misconstruction of Scripture Since the Scripture it selfe is of that abstruse sublimity as that Man without Gods directing grace cannot lay any true leuell thereto To conclude since the exorbitancy pride and petulancy of this Spirit is such as it expecteth in the end that all men should receaue from it as from a second Moyses the tables of our Euangelicall Law Non * Tert. de Orat. agnosei poterit à Spiritu sancto spiritus inquinatus What then remaineth but that my selfe carefull of my saluation should for euer after become iealous of the truth of that Religion which I find to be seated vpon those groundes and only those grounds which euery heresy promiscuously challengeth to it selfe And that relying on Gods holy visible Church vpon which he hath (p) Matt. 18. ◠Tim. 3. entayled his spirit of Truth I may interpose her infallible authority as an Isthmos or firmeland to stop the entercourse of the two mayne Oceans I meane the Scriptures abysmall profoundity and this Priuate spirits floating and boundles vncertainty But inough of this subiect of which as potentially inuoluing all other Controuersyes within it selfe I haue drawne I confesse for my fuller satisfaction certaine notes in some few scattered Papers THE II. MOTIVE That the Prophesyes of Scripture confirme the Catholike Religion and refute Protestancy PROPHESYES are diuine and infallible Predictions of thinges future future in respect of vs who measure all actions with the yard of Tyme but present in the eyes of God with whome there is neither tyme past nor tyme to come both being confounded in the depth of his owne Eternity Infallible as proceeding only from him who by his power disposeth all thinges as shall best please him by his Prescience forseeth distinctly all things so disposed as things present in the cleare glasse of his own essence And by his Will vouchsafeth that men shall warrant the certainty of his foreknowledge Prescientia Dei (a) Tert. l. 2 contr Marcion tot habet testes quot fecit Prophetas Now of the Prophesyes recorded in the old Testament I will take into my consideratiō only two The inditers of which according to the iudgment of (b) In Psal 3◠conc 2. S. Augustine as foreseeing Controuersyes and doubts in fayth to come spake more clearely of the Church then of Christ himselfe The first shall concerne the propagation of the Church of Christ and the conuerting of Kinges heathen and kingdomes to it faith touching which I will insist in those places of Scripture whose true sense and interpretation is acknowledged for such both by the Catholikes and by our Protestants Priuate spirit the alleadging of which texts is the more forcible since the confessed sense of Scripture is the soule as it were which informeth the body of the Letter Of this first point the Prophet I say thus speaketh The (c) 60. Iles shall waite for thee meaning the Church their Kinges shall minister vnto thee and thy gates shal be continually open neither day nor night shall they be shut that men may bring to thee the riches of the Gentils c. And againe speaking of and to the Church he further thus sayth Thou (d) Ibid. shalt sucke the milke of the Gentils and the breasts of Kinges Kings shal be thy noursing Fathers and Queenes thy Mothers And further Enlarge (e) 54. the place of thy tents spread out the curtaines of thy habitation for thou shalt increase on the right hand and on the left thy seed shall possesse the Gentils and inhabite the desolate Cittyes To the truth of which conuersions of Heathen Kinges and Countreyes to the fayth of Christ the Kingly Prophet speaking in the person of God to the Church thus accordeth I (f) Psalm 2. will giue thee the Heathens for thy inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy pessession That these places besides diuers others are vnderstood of the enlargment of Christs Church and the conuersions of Kingdomes and Nations vnto it is warranted by the marginall annotations of our own English (g) Frinted in the yeare 1576. Bibles no lesse agreeable to the particuler iudgments of (h) Vpon Ieremy Oecolampadius that learned Protestant D. Whitguift (i) In his defence p. 466. late Archbishop of Canterbury D. (k) In his answere M. VVilliam Reynolds Whitaker and all other graue Writers The next point which heere presenteth it selfe to be wayghed is to consider whether the foresayd predictions of the dilatation of the fayth of Christ and conuerting to it Kinges and kingdomes haue beene accomplished in the Protestants Church or in the Catholike and Roman Church for the clearing of which point we will begin with the tymes from Luthers first change of Religion and so ascend by degrees to the age of the Apostles in the discouery whereof we are to recurre to Ecclesiasticall Writers And thus the ground of beliefe touching this point is heere remoued from Scripture to man yet man is heere belieued to wit in relating whether the true or false fayth was then taught and brought in by reason of the Scripture And first that these Conuersions propagation of the Church any tyme for the space of these last thousand yeares euen vp to the dayes of Boniface the third and Gregory Bishops of Rome were not performed in the Protestant Church is ouer euident from all Ecclesiasticall historyes and records and from the voluntary confessions of learned Protestants so as to find the cōtrary in any approued Authors we may wel make the subiect of our desire but not of our expectation And first for Historyes we Protestants cannot produce any one authenticall history or narration notwithstāding some late effectles attempts of our own Nation in that nature being still in labour of that which I feare will neuer be borne intimating so much And which is more the Protestant Ecclesiasticall Writers do euen particulerly set downe and relate the conuersion of many Countryes made by catholiks euen to their own mayn preiudice heerin But the better to enleuen our discourse with examples where I will omit the subiecting of many vast Countryes to
Cyrill ad Nestor by teaching in expresse wordes the doctrine of Traditions That Baptisme wherein man is borne but not borne the sonne of Adam euen by force and vertue of the Sacrament it selfe taketh away sinne is euident out of the first of (f) Cap. de Baptism Nice and the first of (g) In symbol Constantinople That vowed Virgins Monks are to be in the Church of Christ and that such cannot marry is decreed by the Councell of (h) Can. 16. Caâ—â—edon Lastly that appeales to Rome which implicitly inuolues the Primacy of that Sea were ratifyed by the Councell of (i) Can. 7. Sardis Thus much for instance though the same might be iustifyed in many other Catholike articles where I haue restrained my proofes only to generall Councels and such as were celebrated within the first fiue hundred yeares after the diuine Maiesty vouchsafed for our good to embase himselfe by putting vpon the poore ragges of our humanity But heere I must needs take leaue to cast a more fixed eye vpon the dignity of generall Councels abstracting them from all priority and laternes of time since then our owne Brethren absolutly reiecting all such Councells as subiect to errour will needes ascribe that respect to their owne Priuate spirit which by all reasons both diuine and humane hath beene euer due to generall Councells vnto which perhaps they haue beene sooner moued partly through the infelicity (k) Many synods of ProtestaÌ„ts haue been but without any good euent not any one yet succeeding we as that at Maspurge anno 1529. at Smalâ—ald at Mull ruÌ„ at Montbelgard at Heidelberg at Aldeburge at Herizburg at Hamburge at Tubinge and finally besydes deuers others this last at Dort of their owne so many Prouinciall at most but Nationall Conuenticles in Germany and els where as yet neuer hauing good successe I hould it therefore not impertinent to display in some particulers the aduantages betweene a generall Councell and any Sectaryes priuate iudgment where no doubt we shall find that as easily may the lowest shrubs compare in height with the Cedars of Libanus as the sentence of any Priuate man who lyke a mastles ship is tossed with euery wind of InnouatioÌ„ contend in authority with a generall Councel Thus then If an Oecumenicall Councell indicted confirmed by lawfull authority representing the Maiesty of Gods Church as being the supreme Tribunall (l) So doth Augustin tearme a generall Councell ep 162. thereof assured by promise (m) where tow or three are gathered togeather in my name c. Matt. 18. of Christ his assisting presence warranted with the first example of that kind by the blessed (n) Act 15 Apostle highly reuerenced and magnifyed by the ancient (o) Aug. vbisupraâ— l. de Bapt. 6.18 Athan ep ad Epictet Basil ep 78. Ambr. ep 32. Leo epist 53. Hieron l. contra Luciferian c. Fathers acknowledged for the only meanes of determining Controuersy by some of our learnedest Protestants (p) Doct. Bilson in his perpetuali gouernement pag. 174. D. Couell in his modest examinat pag. 110. and ethers consisting of seueral of hundreds of most venerable Prelates conspicuous for vertue readynes in the Scripture variety of tongues and infinitenes of reading gathered from the most remote opposite regions of Christendome and therefore the lesse probable vpon their such sudden meeting ioyntly to imbrace any one point of Innouation battering dayly vpon their knees at the eares of Almighty God with most humble and feruerous prayer seconded with austere fasting and all this to the end that it would vouchsafe his diuine Goodnes so to guide and sterne this reuerend Assembly with his holy spirit as what expositions it giues of the Scripture or what otherwise it determines for vndoubted fayth may be agreable to his sacred Word and Truth Now notwithstanding all this if such a celebrious concourse and confluence of Pastours being the Mart or Rendeuous for the tyme of Vertue and Learning shall so fayle therein as that they may and haue sundry tymes most fowly erred as our supercilious contumacious Sectaryes (q) D. VVhitak l. de Conc. contr Bellarm q. 6. D. Fulke in his answere to a counterfait Catholike pag. 35. D. VVilet in his syaopfis p. 29â— auouch in their constructions of Scripture and resolutions of fayth though all such their decrees be otherwise warranted with a iudiciall conference of Scripture the generall practise of the Church and the conspiring testimonyes of all Antiquity If this I say may happen the best meanes thus producing the worst effects what shall we then conceaue of an obscure Syr Iohn a man engendred in the slyme of pride and ignorance who in some pointes euer subdiuideth himselfe from the rest of his brethren thus being resolued from whome to flye but not whome to follow so as he is truely condemned of heresy euen by the lying mouth of Heresy A man but competent in learning sometymes of a disedifying life not hauing any warrant from God for his proceeding nor president from his holy church yea one to whome God flatly denyeth r No prophesy of sâ—riptur is of any priuate interpretatioÌ„ 2. Pet. c. 1. this presumed certainty of his expounding his word and determining which is true fayth and further of whose spirit we are commanded to (s) Dearly beloued belieue not euery spirit but try the spirits 1. Ioan. c. 4. to doubt which is more of whose seducing we are most cautelously (t) These thinges I haue written vnto you concerning those which deceaue you Ioan. 1. c. 2. premonished Now if this man being in his Pulpit vpon the Lordes day in the presence of his ignorant yet censuring and psalming Auditory a fit Pathmos for his ensuing Reuelations there opening the Bible for thus falshood is forced to begge countenance from truth and vndertaking to expound some text or other for the establishing of his late appearing fayth though contrary to the iudgment of all ancient Councells affirming him selfe to be secured by special Euthysiasmes and illuminations from God for the better iudging the point controuerted rysing from his owne explication of Scripture Which being done what assurance may we haue of the truth of this his al-defyning spirit and is there not reason to expect more errours then sentences to drop from this mans mouth And what stupor then and dulnes is it to allow to such an one that infalibility of spirit which himselfe denyeth to a generall Councell Yet such is the forward blindnes of our enchanted Nouellists heerin who mantaine (u) So teach D. VVhitik lib. de Concil contra Bellar q 6. Peter Mar tyr lib. de votis D. Fulke in his answere to a counterfaite Catholike pag. 80. 90. D. VVillet in his synops pag. â—â—0 And Beza in his Preface of the new Testament anno 1587. thus saith Euen in the best tymes the ambition ignorance and lewdnes of Bishops was such as that the blind may easily
obey the Church in one poynt doth as aboue is said wholy and absolutely contemne all the authority of the Church Againe we fynd the Apostle speaking of the works of the flesh meaning those workes which are committed by wicked men without the assistaÌ„ce of the Holy Ghost thus to wryte (h) Galat. â— The works of the flesh are Adultery Fornication c. Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Debate Emulations Wrath Contentions Seditions Heresyes c. they which do such things shall not inherit the kyngdome of God where we fynd the word Heresy particulerly set down in our English Bibles though the latin word being Sectae is more remisse and therefore increaseth heere the force of our illation Now from hence I thus argue As the Apostle doth in this place pronounce sentence of condemnation against the Sinne of fornication though but once committed so also against but one sect or Heresy Since he heere maketh no mention of the plurality of tymes in committing any Sinne nor of the number of Heresyes before the workers and defendours of them can deserue damnation And thus farre of our Adiaphorists or Neutralls in fayth for I can tearme them no better who though they beleiue some articles that are true yet beleiue those truths falsly as not relying vpon the grounds of beleife to wit God reuealing and the Church propounding And indeed such men if they be punctually examined are found to beleiue nothing but their Sense at most their Iudgment So they giue credit to the matter but not to the Authour and so much euery man affoards to a discredited and blemished witnes Away then among Christians with this tepidity or cold indifferency in fayth which is of that charitable disposition forsooth as to promise that to all others I meane Saluation of which it selfe is not capable Therefore to conclude my last Arrest and sentence heerin it that indifferently to allow all Religion is to take away all Religion and that Neutralisme in fayth finally discargeth it selfe into Libertinisme in maners I will heere stay my Pen passing ouer many other Positions of like nature breathing such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and impossibilityes which we mantayne Only I say as aboue I touched that if we ballance them with the most abstruse difficultyes to be found in the Catholyke Religion yea with those in the doctryne of the Reall Presence we may conclude that those more easely may become the Obiect of our beleife and so to be beleiued then these and other such lyke exorbitant grosse and absurd Assertions or Connexions of ours Since those former only transcend Reason these manifestly impugne Reason By beleiuing the first we forbeare to be Heathens by beleiuing these other we cease to be Men Those do aduance and magnify in Man the power of God these obliterate and deface in him by giuing assent thereto the Image of God To be short those may be apprehended by the light of fayth these are euen incompatible with the light of our Vnderstanding THE VIII MOTIVE Deceites and sleights practised by Protestant VVryters I HAVE euer beene of mind that matters of Religion are to be proceeded in with a fearefull and innocent pen and that who approacheth thereto ought with (a) Exod. cap. 3. Moyses to put their shooes off their feet the place wherin they stand being holy ground that is ought to cast off al imperfections of intended calumnyes impostures and other fraudes in regard of the venerable subiect to be intreated of I would to God I could not iustly charge my owne brethren with faultines heerein so exempting them out of the number of those who to vse the Prophets phrase Dolosam (b) Ose 12. calumniam diligunt But it falleth out far otherwise to their dishonour and my griefe since if tryall be made we shall find many Babylonians to dwell in our supposed Hierusalem Our owne fraudulent deportements in this great busines of Religion great in that it concerns our soules interminable weale or woe haue much disedifyed me begetting at the first in me a staggering opinion whether that can be Truth which needeth such supporters of deceite and collusion I will exemplify in diuers And to omit our pretence of the Priuate spirit for the auoyding of all authorityes as already discouered aboue The first kind of these shall concerne the English translation of our Bibles The sleight consisteth in translating such texts as mention Traditions and merit of Workes I will heer forbeare to show how the Scripture (c) Ioan. â—ic 1. Thess 2. commandeth vs not to relye only vpon Scripture or how our men haue borrowed our fayth heerein from the old Heretikes Nestorius (d) Vt habetur in sexto Synodo act 1. and Dioscorus so as we receaue by Tradition to reiect Traditions The imposture only in translating it is wherein I now dwell Whereas then the new Testament maketh relation of good traditions and bad wicked and Iewish traditions expressing them both by one and the same greeke word to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifyeth Traditio Now our English translations in such (e) 1. Cor. 2. I pray you Brethren that you be mindfud of mâ— and as I haue deliuered vnto you you kâ—ep my OrdinaÌ„ces The lâ—ke translating of the word Ordinances is in 2. Thess 2. texts wherein are vnderstood good and profitable Traditions doe translate insteed of the word Traditions the word Ordinances But where the texts speake of wicked (f) Matth. 15 VVhy doe you transgresse the CommandmeÌ„ts of God by your Traditions and friuolous Traditions there they remember precisely to set downe in their translations the right word Traditions and not the word Ordinances or any other word in lieu of it as may be seene in these Textes quoted But this I feare was done in dislike of Apostolical traditions that so the ignorant Reader should neuer find the word tradition in Scripture in a good sense but alwayes in a bad and disallowed Though now in our last translation but not in any former for the better plaistering of the matter we put in the margent of such texts speaking of godly Traditions the word Traditions The like course we take in translaring the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying dignus in english worthy and the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be made worthy for in those Texts (g) Luc. 21. watch at alâ—ryâ—as praying that you may be accounted worthy to stand befor the sonne of God The like iâ— done in the Greeke verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Luc. 20. 2. Thess 1. which concerne merit of workes wherein these forsayd wordes are vsed we translate them to seeme to be worthy and to seeme only to be made worthy therby to weaken such texts for the prouing of merit of Workes But in other Texts (h) O how much forer punishment shall he be worthy which tredeth vnder foot the son of God not touching the doctrine of merit we can be content to
Subiect and Syr Edwin (b) In his relation of Religion Sands his words a man of great eminency among vs shall seale vp all the Premisses of this chapter The Protestant Wryters in relation of things haue abused this present age and preiudiced Posterity Loue and Dislyke haue so dazled their eyes that they cannot be beleiued But heer I must take leaue to vse a kynd of introuersion vpon our former deportments When I first noted diuers of these peculiar deliueryes of our owne Brethren I confesse I was moued to a vertuous anger O how often sweet Iesus did I demand in silence of spirit Can that Religion be true which for the supporting of it self is forced to flye to these Collusions and Deceits as to it strongest Sanctuary Must the light of the Ghospell be needs thus blemished for it own maintenance with such works of darknes Cannot true fayth be preached and planted in Mens soules but by such deceauable meanes Yes Different Centers haue euer in their Orbes different motions and truth and falshood cannot run one and the same lyne of proceeding Poore man then that I am haue I so many yeares in my sermons and speaches so much laboured to perswade to that Religion which otherwyse then by these base and ignoble meanes cannot be vpholden But mercifull Lord looke vpon me with the eye of Pitty I acknowledg my fault and do confesse in the words of Ieremy that perhaps euen from my tongue and pen at vnawares calumniam sustinuerunt filij Israel (e) Iereâ—â— cap. 50. The Catholyks and their religion I haue wronged and depraued so iustly are thy owne words verifyed in my weaknes Quod natum (d) Ioan. cap. 3. est ex carne caro est flesh and bloud were the motiues which for some yeares past sealed vp my lips from deliuering and preaching the Truth THE IX MOTIVE That the doctrine of Catholike Religion tendes directly to vertue of Protestancy to vice and Liberty THE Propheticall King deliuereth this Encomion or prayse of the kingdom of Christ which is his church That it is Lex (a) Psalm 18. Domini immaculata testimonium fidele praeceptum Domini illucidum Meaning heereby that the doctrine of the Ghospell of Christ contayneth nothing that is false in respect of fayth nothing vniust or wicked in regard of manners The former point being in part already discussed in this other I will a little insist briefly running ouer some few articles both of the Catholike and Protestant Religion and so will referre to the indifferent Reader which is that fayth which leadeth to the broad way (b) Matt. 7. of destruction and which to the narrow strait (c) Luc. 1â— Matth. 7. way of life And first touching our Protestant doctrine of Iustification by only fayth what liberty breedeth it in mans soule Since by it we are taught that notwithstanding our perpetrating of the most facinerous crimes one naked act of fayth in belieuing that Christ dyed for our sinnes washeth away all our ordure and stench This fayth assureth vs that Confession of sinnes is needles that all satisfaction and Almesdeeds are bootles that instantly vpon our deaths without suffering any temporall punishment in Purgatory we flye vp to heauen And all this because Christ hath suffered and payed for vs all so little we belieue that saying Satisfactio (*) Tert. l. de poeniâ—â—nt Confessione disponitur Confessio poenitentia nascitur poenitentia Deus mitigatur Now doth not this open the sluce to all licenciousnes May not a man reply vpon this ground that we need not either to pray or fast at all since Christ hath prayed and fasted for vs Our doctrine of depriuing man of Freewill how preiudiciall is it to a vertuous life Since it deadeth and blunteth all our endeauours in seeking to liue vertuously For it teacheth to deliuer it in Luthers (d) Serm. de Moyse wordes That the ten Commandments appertaine not vnto Christians or in M. Foxe his phrase That the ten Commandments were giuen vs not to doe them but to know our damnation and to call for mercy to God And heereupon one Thesis or Conclusion of our fayth is The impossibility of keeping the Commandments taught by vs all and particulerly by D. Willet (f) Synop. paâ—ism p. 〈◊〉 in these wordes The law remayneth still impossible to be kept by vs through the weaknes of our flesh Neither doth God giue vs ability to keep it but Christ hath fullfilled it for vs. Now if we want Free-will to what end should we striue to obserue the Commandments by mortifying our passions or by for bearing the actions prohibited by them Or to what end are admonitions to vertue or threats deterring from vice to be vsed either by God in his holy write or by man in humane lawes In like sort this doctrine of want of Freewill teacheth vs that we haue not the guift of Chastity a doctrine most (*) M. Perkins in his reformed Cath. pag. 161. sayâ—h The vow of continenâ—y is not in the power of him that voweth dangerous to all men and women vnmarryed and also to those in state of Wedlocke when the one party either through absence or impotency cannot discharge the due of Mariage And out of this puddle streamed that filth of Luthers wordes It (g) Tom. 5 VVittemberg sâ—rm de Matrimo is not in our power to be without a woman c. It is as necessary as to eate drinke purge make cleane the nose c. And againe If the wife will not let the maid come What flesh-diuinity is this Thus doth our first Euangelicall Prophet who vaunted euer much of the spirit like a good peace-maker ioyne those two thinges togeather I meane the Spirit and the Flesh which the Scripture (h) Matt. 1â— Rom. 8. Calaâ— 1. euer deuydeth and opposeth Our doctrine of the diuision of sinnes teacheth that to the faythfull professours of the Ghospel all sinnes though in others most heinous and grieuous are but (i) Musculus in loc comm de peâ—cat seâ—t 5. and D. Pulke against the Rhemish Testament in epist Ioan. veniall Now what encouragement to sinne doth this doctrine affoard to all those who are perswaded they haue true fayth Since by this their doctrine commit they what sinnes they will they learne their sinnes shall not be imputed vnto them And heereto euen D. Whitaker (k) De Eccles coÌ„t Bellarm. contro 2. quast 5. p. 301. accordeth in these wordes Si quis actum fidei habet eipectata non nocent Sinne doth not hurt him who actually belieueth And Luther No (l) In his Sermons englished printed anno 1578. pag. 126. worke is disallowed of God vnles the Authour thereof be disallowed And M. Wetton To (m) In his answere to the late popish artiâ—ies pag. 91. 41. the faythfull sinne is pardoned as soone as it is committed they hauing receaued forgiuenes of all their sinnes past and to come strange and dangerous