guiding the Church But by this you may see the man miscrably tortured by vnauoidable truth euen maugre himselfe forc't to confesse what his Aduersary teacheth and euen here relaps't into his dilemma which he may seeme to haue laid of purpose to catch him for he is fallen vpon the Scripture as interpreted by euery man's naturall with and iudgment or the priuate spirit By which touch-stone the Priuate spirit with his Logick-rules c. he will also try euery spirit 1. Joan. 4. and by his ignorantly applying the words of the Apostle Belieue not euery spirit to this purpose shew's plainly how sure an Interpreter he is of holy Scripture togeather with his right reason and common notions and Logick-rules For surely in good Logick the vniuersall and distributiâ—e signe omnis all euery importeth number and multiplicity therfore he sayth Belieue not euery spirit but trie the spirits as if he said of many spirits belieue not euery spirit because the holy spirit is but one spirit from which one spirit spirits and euery one of spirits are participations and deriued spirits Now that one spirit which is so one that it cannot be a part of number like as diuine vnity or the vnity of diuine nature is no part of number that one spirit I say is not to be tried for it cannot be but a true spirit otherwise no spirit could be knowne to be true if that one spirit could befalse which is the only rule wherby to trie all spirits but of the multitude of spirits or partaking spirits some do and all may lye Of which number of lying spirits are the Apostate Angells fince their defection from the spirit of truth and those false Prophets in whose mouth 's those lying spirits were speakers Such also were those Pseudoprophets vpon occasion of whom S. Iohn forewarneth Christians not to belieue euery spirit but to try spirits And who were those false Prophets or Apostles those lying spirits They were those of whom he had said before that they had beene in the Church and were gone out of the Church and therefore became lying spirits oftentimes actually lying always inclined and prepared to lye and so neuer to be belieued For as that first reuolt from God the spirit of truth was the originall cause why those mutinous spirits became lyar's so Apostasy from the Church of God in whom the same spirit of truth presides is the generall origen and extraction of all false Prophets and Heretiques As therefore that one prime spirit is none of those spirits euery one of which is to be tryed but by which euery numerable spirit is to be proued so the spirit which guideth the Church is not a spirit to be tried but that by which euery priuat spirit must be examined and tried In which sense also it is most truly said Prima Sedes the prime sea is iudged by none therfore it is true againe that the Church of Christ the Catholique Church is the only competent iudge of it selfe according to that receaued principle of naturall reason rectum est iudex sui obliqui what is straight of it selfe both shew's it selfe to be straight and what is crooked to be so He therefore who will presume to reforme the Church in doctrine of faith wherein the spirit of truth is her guid and teacher Dauiel 12. he shall be the starre which would giue light to the Sunne but none of those who shall shine in perpetuas aternitates For I would aske any man only sober and in his wits if the Church of God may haue erred either in determining Scriptures or the true meaning of them which point concerning Scriptures I specifie to preuent all refuge to trial by Scriptures by what other spirit shall this spirit of the Church be tried And I would gladly looke vpon that face of Impudence that would assume to it selfe what it denyeth to the Church of God and when I shall haue found him I shall know for certaine that he is one of those Antichrists of whom the same Apostle Et nunc Antichristi multi facti sunt Ex nobis prodierunt Joan. 2. 4. and euen now many are turned Antichrists they went out from vs. Yea by this very brand I will know them this indeleble character of antichrist to goe out of the Church then to question the spirit and doctrine of the Church It would be worth their labour yet once to shew when the Church of Rome went out of the Church of Christ where she left it at her departure as we shew what Church Arrius went out of whence Pelagius and Nestorius c. whence of this later age Luthâ—r and Peter Martyr and Caluin and the rest Yet besides this character of a false Prophet which is his terminus à quo the whence they goe out the Apostle hath giuen vs another their terminus ad quem the whither they goe going out of the Church Multi pseudoprophetae exierunt in mundum many false Prophets are gone out into the world and yet more plainly Ipsi de mundo sunt ideâ— de mundo loquntur mundus eos audit They are of the world they are become worldlings the world is their talke flesh blood their discourse intimating euen by this that Hereticall doctrine is carnall doctrine the language of corrupt Nature the discourse of flesh blood and therefore the world harken's to their doctrine as being of a carnall spirit symbolizing with these teachers Indeed the Society of Christians is not the world nor any hâ—mâ—genious part of the world of whom therfore our Sauiours words are truly vnderstood Vâ—s de mundâ— nonestiâ— seâ—â—gâ—â—ligi voâ— de mundo you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world Whence the whole mortall kind of man is sufficiently deuided by these two names the World and Christendome therfore that going out of the Church signified by those words prodierunt ex nobis they went out from vs could be no whither else but into the world there being no third place or family of mortall men to go vnto therefore all Heretiques are a part of that faction the World and therefore being indued swayed and guided by the spirit of the world which is a lying spirit they cannot be competent Iudges or Examiners of the spirit of the Church or any doctrine of fayth or interpretation of Scriptures But as the Church Triumphant shall iudge the world and condemne it and shall not be iudged by it so the Church now Militant is inuested with the like authority and iurisdiction towards mortall men of this world to iudge and condemne the world that is all those who are seuered from her Society and not to be iudged by them Her doctrine therefore is the sole Iudicature both of it selfe and all other crooked and oblique opinions Wherefore the counsaile of S. Iohn to try spirits is to trie them by the spirit and doctrine of the Church for vnles the spirit of the Church
derogatory from the maiesty of the diuine word to be conceaued in the spirit of man no more then it was from the Maiesty of the Sonne of God to be conceaued in the wombe of the B. Virgin Mary and that as there the Eternall Word was inuested with humane flesh so heere in these spirits of men as in the wombe of the Church the Word of God sowne by the holy Ghost should be inuested with humane notion and brought forth to light of the world in the guise of humane speach and voyce In which sense we may interprete that testimony of the holy Baptist Ego vox clamantis I am the voyce of the cryer as his voyce was the inuesture of that Word of the holy Ghost crying in the desert by which it was conueyed to the eares of mortall men so is the voyce and declaration of the Church the meanes by which the Word of God and all Truth contained in it is conueyed to our soules and vnderstandings And as that cry of the Holy Ghost was first conceaued in the spirit of the Baptist then vttered by his voyce to the world so these Scriptures were first conceaued in the Church those Apostolicall spirits in which they were first imprinted and inuested if I may so speak by the operation and Energy of that fire which appeared in tongues afterwards vttered vpon due occasions in words and writings As therefore those of that tyme heard the voyce of that cryer in the desart from the mouth of the Baptist so all Christians heare and must heare the word of God and diuine truth by the mouth of the Church Well then what this man so confidently auerreth that there is no ground yea that no ground can be pretended why we should hold Gods Church for so he must say if he say any thing against what his Aduersary sayes infallible vnles we first belieue the Scripture diuine I as confidently deny And for as much as respects priority or antecedency of beliefe since the Scripture as I haue said is no other word but what the Church hath and daily doth vtter vnto vs whether historicall or dogmaticall or howsoeuer first conceaued in the vnderstanding and spirit of the Church it followeth that as we haue receaued it vpon her credit telling and teaching vs that it is diuine so we must à Priori belieue the Church as infallible witnes or reporter before we can belieue the infallibility of Scripture which she reporteth it followeth also that we must belieue the Church interpreting the Scripture for it is incredible that any other man should better vnderstand what I speake according as I haue conceaued or what I meane by the words I speake then I my selfe the speaker who only intend to vtter my conceipt It followeth yet further that although there were no Scripture and these Christian Verities had descended to vs only by Tradition and by the testimony of former ages transmitting them successiuely from Christ to this present age we should be bound to belieue the Church that is that continued succession of men belieuing those Christian Verities vnles we will say there was no obligation vpon men to belieue in God and to worship him according to that beliefe before the tyme of Moyses before the Scriptures were For was not Circumcision obligatory before Moyses and was not the posterity of Abraham obliged to belieue and practise that tradition as of diuine authority of which our Sauiour sayth Moyses dedit rebis Circumcisionem non quia ex Moyse est sed ex Patribus He will say You proue the Church infallible by Scriptures your Scriptures must be first belieued infallible I answer we proue this out of Scriptures against such as professe to belieue Scriptures not the Church as out of their owne principles it followeth not thence that we first belieue the Scripturs diuine or infallible For though in methode of confuting such Aduersaries we begin with the Scriptures yet in the methode of belieuing we begin from the Church vpon whose credit we belieue the Scriptures to be diuine and according to this method commencing from the Church Christian fayth was first propagated among nations and imbraced by Heathens Nor will it be to the purpose to reply that Heathens were induced to belieue by reason of miracles This I say is not to the purpose how the Church gained this credit but hence it is inferred that in regard of Christian Beliefe the Church had the Precedency before Scriptures that is the Church was belieued before the Scriptures were belieued Wherefore to conclude this point if it be impiety not to belieue Scriptures as no doubt it is yet it is an impiety no way deducible from this doctrine that the beliefe of an infallible Church is precedent to the beliefe of Scriptures But it is not hard to conceaue by the very carriage of the busines as he handles it what he driues at in all this discourse which is indeed to euacuate all authority both of Church and Scriptures and vpon the ruines of both to build the Godles Socinianisme Therefore all inferences which may seeme any way to perplexe Christian doctrine or force it into straits are his aduantages It was the prudent industry of the Roman Consull to prouoke Catiline whose secret practises and designes vpon the Common-Wealth he had vnderstood into open warre and rebeilion for he supposed no Cittizen would then appeare in his defence or make the oppression of a Tyrant his quarrell As no man would approue the fyering of the house wherein himselfe were or wracking the shippe wherein he sayled himselfe I suppose likewise if this pretended Champion for Protestancy were once discouered and strip't to the naked truth of what he is indeed that is as I haue said a very Socinian Mole vnderworking euen Protestancy it selfe and all Religion no Protestant who hath any zeale of the Religion he professeth would euer be seene in his patronage nor willingly I thinke in his company nor would he vouchsafe the ordinary greeting or salutation as good-morrow Ep. 2. Joan. to him who acknowledgeth neither day nor morning of Christian religion or God saue you to him who doubts whether there be any such thing as God Saluation nor would they thinke him fit to conuerse among Christians who hath disputed himselfe out of all termes of Christian commerce and conuersation His Calumny concerning Protestants reputed Atheists c. by Catholiques SECT XXVIII Pref. YOu say fifthly and lastly sayth this Aduocate with confidence in abundance that none can deny the infallible authority of your Church but he must abandone all infused fayth and true religion if he de but vnderstand himselfe Answ This Aduocate himselfe is no small part of proof of the truth of this Hypothetique who since he hath relaps't from this doctrine of infallible authority of the Church hath withall disclaimed all infused fayth as his Aduersary hath charged him vpon information more then credible wherin that is in abandoning both I confesse
and Gallant men But such is now become his zeale of Religion great pitty no man will belieue it that he had rather be esteemed not wise and Gallant then of no Religion But why thinke you hath he so misalleaged his Aduersaries words Insteed of these This wise and Gallant nation can be of no religion if not Catholique he hath them thus as though his Aduersary said wise and Gallant men can be of no religion if not of his O he would not seeme to grant his Aduersaries religion or that of the Italian nation Catholique for he would faine retaine vnto his cause the name of Catholique as both he and his associates are wont now of later day's to nick-name themselues Catholiques and laugh at one another I suppose for so doing For this name Catholique can no more stick to their profession then were it printed in wynd or water but either they are Catholiques or no if no why do they say they are if yea what is it to them that they who are not Catholique are of no religion Againe either these men conceaue of Catholique Religion as the Italian doth or no. If no then the Italians being of no religion if not Catholique concernes them nothing if they conceaue a like then t' is no disparaging imputation to say they are of no Religion if not Catholique The Italian is supposed by this writer and others who know them so wise and vnderstandâ—â—g as to make this discourse of all Societies of men who professe Christianity this the Roman Catholique is most probably the true Religion he is withall supposed so Gallant that he will not professe a religion which he iudgeth none or not true Whence he concludeth thus Either this is the true or none and then againe Either I will imbrace this or none Now if these men haue the like conceipt if they make the same Antecedent then the Consequent falls likewise vpon them if I say they be alike wise and Gallant without any disparagement at all where is now the indigne Contumely or Execrable Calumny For what other thing is this to say but that he who will not be of that religion which he belieueth the only true wil be of none Otherwise this must needes proceed from some basenes if hauing reiected the religion which he iudgeth the only true if any true he imbrace notwithstanding or seeme to imbrace some other Sect or Profession which he hath in his iudgment à fortiori reiected in reiecting the Catholique And let this Aduocate turne himselfe which way he list play his part in Tragicall Rhetorique in the Eye of the world to stirre vp Passion in the beholders and so to blind them neither he nor any else who know's the Roman and can compare it with any other as now he can shall euer be thought to be of any religion if not Catholique yea and maugre himselfe if he but dare enter into his soule seriously and sincerely all passion and affection whence partiality may arise throwne aside he shall not choose but acknowledge the Roman of all other for ought he know's the most probable In thâ—meaâ—e tyme he will halt betweene God and Belial sacrifice to neither suspend his opinion sustinere assensum as the Academiques were wont to say and consequently suspend and defer all seruice and worship of God whome where he is he know's not with the Papist or Protestant or Greek or Turke no nor how he would or should be serued vnder what notion or name of Deity So what he serues and worships as God for ought he knows is an Idol as the Arrian God to the Roman is an Idol so must the Catholique 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be to the Arrian and the God of Caluin positiue Author of sin no lesse then of grace is an Idol to all Orthodoxe Christians and so of the rest Let the Samaritan erect as many Altars as he will and accost Hierusalem by imitation of empty Ceremonies as much as he list all this notwithstanding while he adores not in Hierusalem Ioan. 4. he adores he know's not what Nos adoramus quod scimus quia salus ex Iudais est For the tyme is come long since when true Adorer's adore the Father in spirit and truth Whence it followeth that they who adore him not in spirit and truth adore not God at all for it is not inough to exhibit the external acts of adoration and religion shooting them as it were at randon as you would say let them fall where they are due wheresoeuer that be with the Catholiques or Protestants or Caluinistes or Anabaptistes or Arrians or Donatists c. for this must be a rational and voluntary Sacrifice or worship to loue whome we adore and know whom we loue for we cannot loue whom we know not and therefore our loue of God must flow from true fayth and beliefe in God without which we cannot know him From all which appeareth that this very obiecting of a Calumny and Contumely is it selfe both calumnious and contumelious both in substance and quality In substance as being a false crime obiected and then in quality of expression amplified with great bitternes of speach in a studied inuectiue and Archylochian style Strange intemperancy of a man who had not so much power and commaund ouer himselfe as to refraine from Calumny and Contumely at the least while he reprehended it Seuerall Calumnies of M. Ch. SECT V. HEnce now from this so bitter inuectiue against one falsely supposed Calumny of his aduersary he floweth into a copious conglobation of true Calumnies of his owne against his Aduersary and his Cause while he employeth for the more enforcing of his arguments or indeed filly fancies and surmises his figure Pretermission as to passe by first to say nothing secondly not to obiect to you thirdly nor to trouble you fourthly In all which first secondly thirdly c. he doth nothing else indeed but trouble entertaining his Reader with meere impertinencies nor answering any thing directly to what his aduersary writeth Pref. To passe by first sayth he that which Experience iustifies that where and when your religion hath most absolutely commaunded three and then Atheisme hath most abounded Answ Now this is a very Preuarication accompanied with a Calumny For what could be said more against himselfe in confirmation of what his Aduersary writeth and he complaineth of that the more wise and Gallant spirits can be of no religion if not Catholique For euery man knoweth where Catholique Religion hath most absolutely commaunded Calum against Cath. Rel. and yet commands and which he himselfe sufficiently intimates in these very words which is the very thing his Aduersary auoucheth saying they are strangers to that wise and Gallant Nation c. And this confirmeth furthermore that those Eminent spirits conceaued the Catholique of all other the most probably true for could they haue iudged some other Sect to haue more probability of truth in it they would rather haue imbraced that
lit c. 21. Austin was that Scripture or Scriptures written in their harts Quid sunt leges Dei seriptae in cordibus nisi ipsa prasentia spiritus sancti qui est digitus Dei What are law's of God written in harts of men but the presence of the holy Ghost who is the fingar of God And this Scripture of hart 's was foretold by the Prophet Hieremy Cap. 31. Post dies illos after those days that is in the tyme of the Ghospell dabolegem meam in visceribus eorum in corde eorum scibam eam I will giue my law in their bowels and write it in their hart There was then the Scripture the Word of God the Ghospell There I say as in the Autographon the authentique the originall instrument out of that authentique and originall transcribed and copied out in parchment's or papers If then euery transcript or copy retain's the credit of a true copy or transcript so far forth as it is found agreeing with the originall it followeth that whatsoeuer we receaue vpon the authority of Scripture we receaue it first from and vpon the credit of the Church And what we read or vnderstand as Scripture is to be compared with that authentique least it may proue a false copy which we presume to be Scripture or the word of God Since then the holy Ghost euen to the consummation of the world resideth in the Church of Christ according to his promise it followeth euidently that the word of God is in the Church as in the Authentique and Originall but in writings of inke and paper only as in Copies and Transcripts What madnes then what grosse absurdity is this to belieue the Copy rather then the Originall Or with what sense can any man pretend to vnderstaÌ„d this Copy or Transcript as written with inke and paper better then by the liuing voyce of the Author himselfe of that anthentique originall the Church Since in the Church of Christ and only there resides the Author of holy Scriptures perpetually and successinely writing them and the verities contained in them in the hart 's and soules of Christians members of that Church as they are vnited by vnity of one fayth and charity with their head Christ Iesus Whence it followes furthermore that to say we receaue the Scriptures from the Church but not the sense and meaning of them is to speake contradictories For both the meaning and vnderstanding of Scriptures is in the Church and only there with certainty and infallibility of interpretation where that spirit dwel's which alone can interprete infallibly his owne authentique And besides not the letter written but the sense and meaning of the writing or the Verities therein contained are the Scripture or word of God Therefore if they receaue not these from the Church they receaue not the holy Scriptures thence but a mute and dead writing a riddle to be read according to ech man's fancy and coniecture For as no man knoweth what is hidden in the hart and soule of man but the spirit which is in man so no man can probably presume to vnderstand those hidden Verities that wisedom of God occultat am in mysterio hidden in mistery howsoeuer appearing in words but the spirit of God First therefore Christians are to inquire where that spirit is the Author of Scripture and the doore by which we must enter into the Scripture for he that presumeth to enter another way as by the way of human reason and discourse Philosophy or the like as by a posterne is worthily suspected to be a theefe in Religion it is he who openeth the sense and vnderstanding of men extending it to a more large spheare of capacity which naturall reason shuâ—'s vp and confines within the narrow bounds of naturall principles and discourse vpon them We are to enquire I say if we are yet to seeke where this spirit residesâ— and since we treat this busines with such as pretend to be vmpir'd by Scriptures to them we say as Christ to the Iewes Joh. 5. scrutamini scripturas quia vos putatis in ipsis vitam aeternaÌ„ habere Search the Scripture for there you thinke to haue life eternall Where that spirit of truth was promis'd to continue by our Sauiour there certainly it is to be sought and found and only there There I say where Christ would be nobiscum omnibus diebus vsque ad consummationem saculi to continue with vs to the worlds end from that time omnibus diebus all the day 's of posterity not by tymes or inter-spaces or intermission of his presence nor with them alone to whom he then personally directed his speach who were not to continue all the day 's of future ages vnto the worlds end and which could not be vnderstood of them as after their death inuested with immortality and in possession of eternity wherein there is neither plurality of dayes nor consummation of tyme but with their progeny and the ofspring of their Fayth who were to belieue in Christ by them and whom he ioyned with his Apostles in his prayer for them Joh. 17. and sure his prayer was heard vt ipsi vnumsint c. That they also may be one by vnity of fayth and charity vt credat mundus that the world may belieue not this age of men alone but in that sense wherein he commaunded that the Ghospell should be preach't to euery creature and belieue What quiae tu me misisti that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God Enquire then what Society of men that is who in succession to the Apostles and from their tymes in all ages haue taught and still do teach that Christ is the sonne of God who euen in this last age of vs and our Fathers haue taught this to the East and West of Indians c. and when you haue found that Society of Christian professor's when you haue found out the sunne in the clearest midday know that you haue found the Church of Christ and with that the word of God the Scriptures the Gospell together with the true and infallible interpretation of these For this Society of men is indeed Epistola Christi the Epistle yea and Ghospell of Christ 2. Cor. 3â— written non atramento sed spiritu Dei viui not with inke but with the spirit of the liuing God and this Scripture is that qua legitur ab omnibus hominibus which all men read not only such who can read the Scripture written in Hebrew Grecke or Latin c. but euen such as cannot read at all For as this Scripture is written not with inke but with the spirit in the hartes of Christians so it appeareth not in the exterior traict's of Characters but in the exterior profession and liues and Christian vertues of Christians There I say it is read euen by such who know no letters For as in the creation of Nature that creating and conseruing power of God omnipotent his wisedom also
were supposed the spirit of truth they could not haue beene iudged false Prophets for going out of the Church no nor for opposing the doctrine of the Church Moreouer that by which another thing is tried as by a rule must needs be supposed more perfect in regard of Iudicature then the thing tried but it is absurd to thinke that the spirit of a priuate man is more perfect in nature of Iudicature then the spirit of the Church therefore S. Iohn neuer aduised priuate men to try the spirit of the Church Lastly this very command or aduise Try euery spirit is the aduise of the Church it selfe in the person of S. Iohn a principall pillar of the Church but no man can be so silly as to thinke that the Church aduiseth priuate men to try her spirit and least of all can Heretiques challenge any such authority Heretiques also are subiects of the Church euen in that they are at the least characterically Christians which character of subiection they can neuer wipe out whersoeuer they run they are euer subiects though rebells therfore their calling the Church to question and triall is mere presumption and an act of rebellion No Catholique presumeth to trie the spirit or doctrine of the Church nay euery Catholique trieth his owne spirit and doctrine by that of the Church therefore a Catholique as such hath no priuate opinion of fayth but all Catholique that is the same with the whole Catholique Church The Catholique makes no choyce of doctrines of fayth but taketh such as are giuen him he is Gods beggar and therefore no chooser Ego autem mendicus sum pauper I am a beggar and poore Thus euery Catholique is taught both to say and belieue The Heretique makes choyce of what he will hold with the Church takes what he list's and refuseth what he list's not take And this is to be euen Etimologically an Heretique and an Heretique formally no lesse in what he takes then in what he refuses For what he takes he chooseth to take vpon his owne discretion not vpon the credit of the Church nor formally from the Church therefore he is an Heretique in all euen in the points of diuine fayth which he holdeth with the Church not of the Church and therfore holdeth nothing with diuine fayth because he is still a chooser of what he holds and so an Heretique Another Text of S. Iohn by this Aduocate corrupted and misinterpreted SECT XXI WHat this all-trying spirit can do of himselfe without the spirit of the Church will appeare by his singular talent in interpreting Scriptures nor shall I swarue from my subiect in this way for I shall demonstrate that all his interpretations are Sophismes wily and fallacious detorsions of Scripture from their true sense to his owne crooked ends Pref. S. Iohn sayth he giues a rule to all Christians to make this triall by to consider whether they confesse Iesus to be the Christ that is the guide of their fayth and Lord of their actions So he Answ The words of S. Iohn are these In hoc cognoscitur spiritus Dei c. In this the spirit of God is knowne Euery spirit that confesseth Iesus Christ to haue come in fleth is of God and euery spirit that dissolueth Iesus is not of God and this is Antichrist The affirmatiue part of which copulate sentence as some other the like occurring in the Epistles of S. Iohn is to be vnderstood in sensu formali as thus Euery spirit which coufesseth Iesus Christ to haue taken flesh as confessing this truth is of God who is the author and warrant of this truth therefore of him who confesseth this supernaturall truth it may be truly said Caro sanguis non reuelauit hoc tibi flesh and blood hath not reuealed this vnto thee being a truth aboue the conceipt of flesh and blood which restriction to a formall sense is both sufficient and often tymes necessary for the verifying of many the like sentences of â—oly Scripture Wherefore although the negatiue to deny Iesus Christ to haue taken flesh be a sufficient note whereby to discerne a false spirit yet the affirmatiue to confesse Iesus Christ to haue come in flesh is but a part of the rule The other part is the character of Christian Charity as the same Apostle teacheth in the same Chapter Omnis qui diligit ex Deo natus est Euery one that loueth is borne of God therefore these two rules we find conioyned in the precedent Chapter hoc est mandatum â—ius vt credanius in nomine silij eius Iesu Christi diligamus alterutrum This is his commaundment that we belieue in the name of his sonne Iesus Christ and that we loue one another for in these two vertues indeed a Christian is consummate For fayth in Iesus Christ the sonne of God incarnate includeth all points of fayth because it implyeth the beliefe of all that Iesus Christ hath taught or teacheth either by himselfe or by his Church according to that saying of of his Qui vos audit me audit in which sense also the affirmatiue proposition of the Apostle Euery one who confesseth that Iesus Christ came in flesh c. hath a true construction euen without restriction but then it is nothing to the purpose of this Aduocate who by this rule would exclude the necessity of beliefe of other points of fayth proposed by the Church to make this confession of Christ to haue come in flesh the rule whereby to try spirits As therefore that other cognoisance of a Christian mutuall Charity according to that of our Sauiour In hoc cognoscent omnes c. all men shall know you to be my disciples by this ensigne or character of mutuall loue excludeth not that of fayth or the confession of the sonne of God Incarnate from being a rule whereby to discerne spirits and to know who are true Christians So this rule of Fayth in Christ excludeth not that of Charity and neither of them nor both exclude a third giuen by the same Apostle Qui nouit Deum audit nos Cap. 4. qui non est ex Deo non audit nos in hoc cognoscimus spiritum veritatis spiritum erroris See heere an expresse rule to try spirits by He who know's God heares vs he who is not of God heareth not vs in this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error Now it is most absurd to think the force of that rule to be limited and confined with the age of the Apostles therefore by that vs is vnderstood the Church or if they were to be heard of posterity in their writings we caÌ„not heare them so without an interpreter which interpreter as before hath beene proued can be no other of infallible authority but the Church Now that the Apostles were to continue in their posterity of Apostles Euangelists c. that is Preachers and Teachers of Christs Ghospell Doctors and Pastors c. ad consummationem Sanctorum
not able to giue a particular reason of euery article of this Creed The Socinian will say he is bound to belieue no more What sayth Mâ—Ch whome in this Treatise of his we suppose a Christian vntill he declare himselfe a little more expressely a very litle will serue the turne But let him forme his discourse out of this text of S. Peter Euery man is bound to giue a reason of his beliefe or Hope Ergo Euery man is bound to giue a particular reason for euery point of his beliâ—fe or Hope when will he make good this illation by his neuer failing rules of Logick Againe if euery Christian were charged with this obligation to giue a reason to euery one requiring it what kind of reason should that be Must it need 's be a conuincing reason and satisfaction not only in it selfe but respectiuely in regard of the requirers vnderstanding or disposition What if he be a Iew or Infidell or Socinian shall I belieue no more then that wherof I can giue a conuincing satisfactory reason to a Iew Infidell or Socinian Let him tell vs what kind of reason he requires that we may know the obligation he layes vpon vs. In the meane tyme I doubt not to auerre and proue that the meanest Catholique is able to giue a more satisfactory account of euery point of Catholique faith then the most learned Protestant can of any one As thus why do you belieue three Persons one God because sayth the Catholique I belieue the Catholique Church which teacheth me so to belieue And so of the rest Now because no Protestant giues or can giue this reason in coherence with his Protestant principles of necessity he giues a worse if any For whether his reason be his owne or any other humane discourse whatsoeuer independant of this authority of the Church or secluding it or be it Scripture yea Canonicall Scripture interpreted by himselfe or any priuate Spirit he giueth no better an account then an Arrius Eutychius Donatist c. hath or might haue giuen in defence of their Heresies Thus much concerning the abused authority of S. Peter VVords of our Sauiour fallaciously abused SECT XXIII HEnce he proceedeth with some pretty Rhetorique method of blasphemy if you marke him as hauing first prophaned the testimony of S. Iohn after him S. Paul next S. Peter the Vicar and Viceroy of Christ in the Christian world Iam proximus ardet Vcalegon the very next house is a fire it was not probable he could stay himselfe in this precipice Lastly therefore he prophaneth Christ himselfe so truly may it be said of Heresy Inclinata est ad mortem domus â—ius ad inferâ—s semitae eiâ—s Prou. 2. Her howse is hanging towards death and her path's lead to hell Our Sauiours words are these Luc. 12. When you see a cloud rising from the West you say we shall haue raine and so it happen's And when the Southwind blow's you say the summer appreaches Hypocrites know you to discerne the face of heauen and earth and do you not discerne this tyme of my presence or comming But why also do you not discerne what is iust by your selues That is as if he had said you who are so skilfull as to read the prognostick signes of the heauens and by them foretell future euents of weather or seasons why do you not by your selues that is by those internall signes and tokens of your soules remorse of conscience secret inclinations and other the like indicatures of what is iust or vniust why do you not by these discerne what is iust And what affinity hath this discourse of our Sauiour with this Aduocates application that therefore euery man must of himselfe examine and try by his owne discourse or Scriptures interpreted by himselfe what is true doctrine in points of supernaturall beliefe What tokens or prognosticks haue men for these What light of naturall reason or what indicature of inward motions or naturall inclinations shew the truth of supernaturall mysteries And not without some Fallacy hath this interpreter made choice to translate Fallacy iustum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right rather then iust why of your selues iudge you not what is right because right hath a more apparent reference to matter of doctrine in this positure of words of which doctrine he would haue euery man to be his owne iudge then iust hath which rather implyeth a relation to morall actions Another sentence of our Sauiour abused SECT XXIIII TO as litle purpose and with asmuch violence and irreuerence are those words of our Sauiour If the blind lead the blind c. applied by him For whether in probability follow the blind they who follow the Church of God as their guide to which is promis't the spirit of truth or they who follow either their owne priuate spirit or naturall reason and discourse or the Scripture interpreted by these which is to them as blind as the interpreters of it But by these goodly expositions and applications of Scriptures you see how substantially they are furnish't for examining and trying spirits and doctrines of fayth by Scriptures and naturall discourse and neuer-failing rules of Logick And Good Syr would a man euer wish that any man should make himselfe more ridiculous then to take neuer-failing or infallibility from the Church of God and giue it to Logick-rules This is to robbe Peter indeed but sure it is not to pay Paul His false Logick or misapplication of Logick-rules SECT XXV OBserue now forth with in the close of misapplyed Scripture his fallacious misapplication of Logick precepts and Dialectique forme of discourse Great confidence no doubt he had in the ignorance or negligence of his Reader He hoped to lye hid in these brakes of thorny and intricate Paralogismes to appeare only in gay flowers of soft language Mollit sermones suos extranea Pron 2. so Heresy is wont to soften and file her language Howsoeuer he giues me a warrant by his example to syllogize his loose Periods shape them into Logicall-formes Which for my part I professe to do with much more fidelity then he doth wherein I will appeale to the iudgement of other men yea and especially of those his more learned and more sober Co-academiques Thus then he argueth Discourse truly so called misguideth no man Drawing conclusions out of Scriptures by good consequence is discourse truly so called Ergo drawing Conclusions out of Scripture c. misguideth no man To this I answere that although Discourse truly so called misguideth no man ex vi formae by that forme of lawfull discourse yet ex vi materiae in regard of the matter it often doth But drawing of conclusions out of Scripture by good consequence is discourse truly so called this I distinguish Drawing them out of Scriptures formally taken that is truly vnderstood and this by good consequence is discoursetruly so called I yeild Out of the Scriptures taken only materially that is out of
the words of Scripture falsely interpreted I deny it For it is only an apparent and fallacious discourse therefore not discourse truly so called Now to his Confirmation The principles whence we draw these conclusions that is the holy Scriptures are agreed on by all to be infallibly true what is that to the purpose if it be not agreed in what sense they are true Therefore I say the premises may be true the consequence lawfull and good and so the conclusion true according to some sense of the premises but because that sense may be a false sense though the premises of themselues be true therefore the discourse or whole Syllogifme may deceaue and lead into error yea euen so much the more because the consequence is good But his Aduersary hath told him in the 4. Chap. of this Pamphlet so he still like to himselfe nibling and detracting from his Directors credit That from truth no man can by good consequence inferre falshood He tels him what S. Iohn hath told long since Omne mendacium ex veritate non est no lye is consequent from truth which is most true as vnderstood formally no lye is consequent of truth as it is truth but from a materiall truth a lye may follow The Scriptures are always materially true that is true in themselues and from them as true no falshood can be consequent but they may be and are commonly falsely sensed and interpreted and that purposely by Heretiques therefore from them as falsely interpreted falshood may and doth follow euen by good consequence Well then to open the Fallacy Vlceris os and so to let out the corruption Scriptures falsely interpreted are not the Word of God but the word of man the false Interpreter therefore they who are guided by Scriptures so interpreted and now the word of man may be misguided and are so euen by those Scriptures now not holy but prophaned by man His fallacious Answere or Euasion to his Aduersaries Arguments conuincing the necessity of an infallible Church SECT XXVI Pref. YOu say thirdly with sufficient confidence If the true Church may erre in defining what Scriptures be canonicall or in deliuering the sense thereof we must follow either priuat spirit or naturall wit iudgement and by them examine what Scriptures containe true or false doctrine Thus the Aduocate and what sayth he to this All this fayth he is apparently vntrue neither can any proofe of it be pretended Answ Iust so Bellarmine thou lyest Behold an Alexander loosing the Gordian knot What can no proofe be pretended Surely a sufficient diuision or enumeration of parts hath been esteemed a sufficient proofe as excluding out of the thing deuided whatsoeuer is not contained in some part or member of the diuision as if Bachelour Maister Doctour be a sufficient diuision or enumeration of the Degrees giuen in the Vniuersity he who is proued to haue taken no one of these degrees is sufficiently proued to haue taken no degree in the Vniuersity His Aduersary argues thus The authority which must determine what Scripture is Canonicall or what is the true sense of such Scripture is either the Church of God or priuate spirit or naturall wit and iudgment Not the Church according to Protestants therefore either the priuate spirit or natural wit c. If this diuision be good then the inference is apparently true if it be not good let him shew the insufficiency of the enumeration Yes Pref. Other direction we haue sayth he besides either of these three and that is the testimony of primitiue Christians Answ Ridiculus mus But do you marke the subtility of the Logician how sliely he euades and shifts the necessity of being directed by a true Church or by the spirit or by naturall wit We haue befides these the testimony of primitiue Christians And do those primitiue Christians make a fourth member in this diuision of direction distinct from the other three What difference betweene primitiue Christians and primitiue Church and then what difference to our purpose betweene the primitiue Church and the true Church which is the Church to which his Aduersary challengeth this right of direction So himselfe apparently granteth what he so desperately auoucheth to be apparently vntrue and whereof no proofe can be pretended Wherein I also note a Fallacy of fact Fallacy and fraudulent dealing his endeauouring to make his Aduersaries doctrine odicus to the ignorant Reader by his confident or impudent reiection of his reason and branding it with this Censure all is apparently vntrue c. when afterwards he granteth in effect all Surely he hopes his Aduersary will be so blind as neuer to perceaue this grant while he sayth not the same his Aduersary doth in the same words For insteed of his aduersaries true Church he hath Primitiue Christians and why not Primitiue Church as wel might you aske the Diuell why not holy-water The very word Church is Exorcisme to all Heresy as the name of IESVS to infernal fiends Another pelting fallacy you may obserue Fallacy euen in the same period We haue other direction sayth he besides the priuate spirit and the examination of the contents of Scripture As though his Aduersarie had plac't examination of the contents in the number of directions wherby to examine what is contained in Scripture as though he had proposed the very same examination the guide or director to it selfe And why this Because he had somthing which he could except against this examination of contents by shewing how it may faile in direction But what then Who giues this examination the office of Director Not his aduersary Nay rather because it may faile and may meete with many difficulties hence his Aduersary inferreth the necessity of a Director by whose assistance Christians may make this examination of Scriptures and be assuâ—â—d what Scriptures are to be receaued or reiected c. Who or what then is this true guide or director The true Church sayth his Aduersarie What sayth the Aduocate Not the true Church no by no meanes nor can any proofe of this be pretended The Church mera Chymera he will take heed of saying so Well then what other thing if not the true Church No other thing forsooth but another Word What the Primitiue Christians Do you marke how neere he came to the Church and yet escap't it Not the Church not the true Church not the Primitiue Church but primitiue Christians O Scotus O subtility of distinction most true the very name of Church ouerthroweth Protestancy But why not againe primitiue Church as well as Primitiue Christians He knew a primitiue Church will infer a deriuatiue Church it carrieth in the very common notion and obuious signification of the word the nature of a Body a Society a Society of Christians the kingdom of Christ in that Church and kingdom order and subordination commaund and subiection will by necessary sequele force a necessity of perpetuity and visibility in which propriety it must differ from
The reason of their insufficiency in this behalf giuen by his Aduersary is that their studies and learning lye another way But heare it rather as alleaged and glossed by this their Aduocate His falsely supposed Calumnies against English Deuines reiected and the supposall proued calumnious SECT XXXIII Pref. THeir learning you say consistes only in some superficiall Talent of Preaching languages and cloquution and not in any deepe knowledge of Philosophy especially of Metaphysicks and much lesse of that most solid profitable subtile and O remridiculam Cato iocosam succinct method of Schoole-diuinity Answ Thus farre the Aduocate making himselfe merry vpon that word succinct calling vp the seuerity of Cato to laugh with him at the ridiculous application Yet he should haue done better in my iudgment to haue summond a Democritus who would haue laught at any thing For Cato I dare answere for him though he laught to see an Asse eat thistles he would neuer haue laught at this But since neither of these are now at leasure to laugh who together with godles Socinians and other Infidell's experience long since in the eternity of their woe the truth of that Prophetique commination Luc. 6. Vae vobis qui ridetis nunc woe to you who laugh now because they laugh't when and where they should haue wep't I thinke it not amisse to call out some Grammarian from Eaton or Winchester Schoole to shew the Logician his little skill in Grammer leauing it behind through his too to hasty posting to Logick who I belieue will make it manifest that the Iester is the veriest iest and the most pregnant Topique of ridiculous Captatorque dabit risus Nasica Coran◠Well then this Adiunct or Epithete succinct as applyed to Schoole-diuinity largely and voluminously treated by some Deuines is geered by this Logician as very incongruous Be the question therefore thus stated Whether notwithstanding this diffusion of treating in large Volumes the method of Schoole-diuinity may be fitly inough phrazed succinct The Logician denies Against whom I exhibite my Grammarian Courser though without his Hood or Formalities of a Graduate which ceremony were he a Graduate though laudable yet I suppose to be obligatory only in the Vniuersity and who though he hath not learn't to conclude in Dialecticall forme in actu signato as by rule of art yet he shall speak reason in Logicall that is reasonable consequence in actu exercit◠as by rote of nature The methode of Schoole-diuinity may be fitly termed succinct notwithstanding the foresaid diffusion Ergo falleris This he proues commencing from the Quid nominis as he hath learn't in Tullies Offices What is succinct It is according to our classick authors and teachers of Latin speach that which with vs girt tuk't vp gathered vp or the like In this sense a Giant may be succinct if he be girded as truly as the Pigmy the widest Heauen is thus succinct with all or any of the fiue Zones nor yet is either the Heauen more narrow or the Giant of lesse bulke because he is girded nor had that Nymph ritu succincta Dianae or that other nodoque sinus collecta fluentes their garmēt's any whit shrunke or of Iesse or shorter measure because they were tuck 't vp or close girt to their body nor was she whom the Poët describes succinctam Pharetr◠either she or her Quiuer lesse by reason of her so girding it about her Yet you must giue me leaue to call this kind of wearing or arraying succinct as well in English as in Latin since the manner of wearing is the same in either language It is I say succinct in the manner though not in the matter as if Homer's Ilias may be so malignantly printed that it may be shut vp into a nut-shell in that case we may truly say it is succinct in the manner of impression and compression though as large in the matter And a Nestor I hope or a Glaucus shall be as prolixe in their Haranges and as tedious and as many skirmishes about the body of Patroclus or about the fiering the Grecian shippes c. as if it were printed in a most large and legible Character as yours M. Atturney in folio Ergo succinctnes of method may very well stand with the large treatings of Schoole-deuines without any ridiculous incongruity at all This much the Grammarian could say Now to returne to our owne doctrines of fayth or explications of those doctrines which heretofore lay dispersed and loose in the monuments of Holy Fathers as they wrote vpon seuerall occasions of emergent Heresies in seuerall ages and neuer reduced into one body by due order and method could not then and so scattered be truly termed succinct the same now gathered togeather ingirt in one Pandect or Sūme by an orderly prescript of method may be worthily cōgruously called succinct the method likewise so cōprizing summing a succinct method yea though those doctrines and explications thus methodically summed be either in number or largenes of treating euen more ample and diffuse in regard of matter then they were in those Fathers yet still the method is succinct in regard of the manner As if a hundred load of Hay or if that be fitter for his purpose straw were laid vp in one rick or barne which laid before scatter'd in the fields or meadows in a thousād cocks though the hay or straw be the very same in quantity or number of load 's yea though it were Iayd togeather which some other load 's that neuer grew in those field's or meadow's yet no man will deny but that hay or straw so rick't or hows'd lye's now in a more close manner and a narrower roome then as scattered in the fields or meadow's which more narrow and close compression and collection is in effect the same with our succinctnes of method in School-diuinity Would Cato laugh at this No Cato would be more wise then so The Socinian may very properly and in good consequence of his Philosophy laugh at his owne iest whose religion is nothing els but the adoration of his owne conceipt You haue hard part of the Calumny against the Deuines of England their want of Schoole-diuinity which being by this Aduocate only laught at and so rather confest then consuted becomes the Calumny of the charger Heare now his glosse or comment vpon this supposed Calumny The second part of the Calumny concerning the studies and learning of the English Vniuersities SECT XXXIV THe Protestant Atturney pursueth his charge of Calumny in these words Pref. Wherein you haue discouered in your selfe the true Genius and spirit of deiraction Answ See how knowingly and expertly he speaks of this Genius of detraction as though it were his familiar But his reason Pref. For taking aduantage from that wherein Enuy it self cannot deny but they are very eminent and which requires great sufficiency of substantiall learning you disparage them as insufficient in all things els Answ Now truly I make no
fayth and therefore as necessarily to be belieued or at the least not reiected by an expresse misbeliefe Againe some parts of Scripture may haue an euident construction to one which to another may be darke and obscure then the doctrine inferred vpon that euidence will be of fayth to him to whom it is euidently contained in Scripture to another who will deny the euidence because he see 's it not it will not be so What authority then other then the Church shall determine the true sense of this part of Scripture euident and ineuident especially which may often fall out if no other more euident Scripture can be brought in as a witnesse of greater authority to cleare the doubt Heere then the doctrine of Fundamentalls and not Fundamentals will be good for nothing but to bring in more Fayths yea contradictory Fayths since all points of Fayth are Fundamentall so as necessarily to be belieued by him to whom they are euidently contained in Scripture and none fundamentall to him to whom they are not euidently contained in Scripture and therefore not necessary to be belieued And if you say that such points euidently contained in regard of some vnderstanding not euidently to another are none of those which are coÌ„maunded to be preached to all men which euasion this Aduocate may seeme to haue reserued how will this be proued since our Sauiours commaund is in general termes this Praedicate Euangelium hoc omnicreaturae Preach this Ghospell to all the world he sayth not these or these points of the Ghospell and no more And yet againe Quod aeudistis in aurem praedicate super tectae what you haue heard in secret preach it publiquely But especially when any controuersy concerning doctrine of fayth ariseth and some Heresy is authorized by some supposed euidence of Scripture then the contrary truth is to be preach't and publish't to the whole Church least that Heresy should be imbraced for a truth of Fayth or the word of God yea God himselfe pretended the Author of that vntruth or Heresy which pretence is a very high and low'd Blasphemy By which may appeare the grosse and palpable absurdity of this Ministers doctrine legitimating as it were all Adulterate and suprious Doctrines and Heresies by saying Nothing that is obscure can be necessary to be vnderstood or not mistaken Which is indeed one of his capitall Principles and a chiefe support of his doctrine For I aske Is not the mistaking or misinterpreting of some parts of Scripture the very source of some Hereticall doctrines and those Scriptures the greatest strength and colour that giueth credit and countenance to such Heresies Is not then the not-mistaking of such Scriptures necessary euen as necessary as it is that such doctrines should not preuaile or win credit by the authority of those Scriptures For though the true vnderstanding of some obscure parts of Scripture be not necessary yet it is necessary that such obscure parts be not so mistaken as to warrant Heresy by their authority If therefore out of that first principle by this Minister presumed a thousand other absurdities follow such as those by him deduced howsoeuer for I will not examine the regularity of those deductions what is this to the matter in hand For this was not the Direction or Caueat giuen him by his Aduersary that he should not answere out of this principle of Protestancy but that he should not out of those other specified by his Director those Socinian principles which euen Protestants abhorre The Conclusion of his Preface with his fallacious Apology for himselfe SECT XLIII HE concludes after his self-plauding manner as I haue often noted before Pref. And thus your Venome against me is in a manner spent Answ Which words I take notice of also heere that you may obserue with me the spirit of his style perpetuate throughout his whole worke and with all the difference betweene it and his Aduersariâ—s Pen and then tell me whether this be not the spirit of a Spider indeed which findeth venome euen where none is whome therfore that is Aduocare and Spider I shall not doubt to ioyne in one and the same Word which mall be this for the tyme. Inueniam aut faciam I will find it or make it Pref. Now only two litle impertinenties remaine the first that I refused to subscribe the Articles of the Church of England the second my mortues which first induced me to forsake Protestantisâ—â—e Answ So he and to the first he answer's in effect this Pref. That the doctrine of the Church of England is so pure and Orthodoxe that whosoeuer belieues it and liues according to it vndoubtedly he shall be sauâ—d That there is no error in it which may nocesutate or warrant a man to disturbe the peace or renounce the Communion of it Which acknowledgment he is persuaded is the only thing intended by subscription Answ By this you see he hath now leueled his way to Ecclesiasticall preferment so that if hereafter you heare he hath accepted any such commodity you many know he did it vpon better consideration The scruple he had concerning subscription is vanish't into the aire whither the rest of his scruples will follow in their turnes It may be that scruple was but a melancholique Dreame such as he conceaues Luthers conference with the Diuell might be He is now Materia prima for any benefice Chayre Prebendary Chanonry or what yee will you may coniecture who hath had the tempering and working of this pliable clay he was a Maister in that feat you may assure your selfe if not a Doctor and this his Maister-peece To the second impertinency concerning his motiues he answere's Pref. That it is more impertinent and friuolous then the former Vnlesse sayth he it he a iust exception against a Physician that himselfe was sometymes in and recenerâ—d himself from that disease which he vndertakes to cure or against a Guide in a way that at first before he had experience himselfe mistoâ—ke it and afterwardâ— so and his error and 〈◊〉 it That 〈…〉 Michaâ—â— de Montaigne wassurely of a farre different mynd for he will hardly allow any Physician competem but only for such diseases as himself had passed through and a farre greater then Montaigne Answ I pray you by the way take notice of this as not spoken by chance or without due reflection least any man should question whether authority were of greater waight in the Socinian balance Iesus Christ or Michael de Montaigne Pref. Euen he that said Tu conuersus confirma sratres tuos thou being conuerted confimre thy brethren giues vs sufficiently to vnderstand that they which haue themselues beene in such a state as to need conuersion are not thereby made incapable of but rather engaged and obliged vnto and qualified for this charitable function Answ He might haue added to this that the Hollander's men say make speciall choyce of such men for Pilot's and Maisters of ships who haue formerly wrack't many ships
of difference betweene vs and you which point held by you in opposition to the Roman Catholique hath euer beene countenanc't by any least miracle of our Sauiour or his Apostles or the opposite doctrine of Catholiques confounded by the like testimony For if you make not this appeare by your sunne of Euidence those diuine and supernaturall miracles what will remaine for your confirmation but ignis fatuus I know your Sanctuary when you haue tost turned all your creditable records and euidences you will shew vs forsooth that those points of fayth which you haue receaued and hold of the Catholique Roman Church though the tenure be merely Hereticall that is of voluntary choice because it pleaseth you to hold some such as import no restraint or that some face of truth may appeare like the face and song of Siren's to draw men vpon your rock's of pernicious Heresies those I say you will proue to haue beene attested and confirmed by those miracles of our Sauiour and his Apostles which will help your cause nothing at all but rather weaken it when by such testimony of miracles you can confirme no other doctrine but what you haue receaued from vs. Neither yet are those doctrines yours which you can proue to haue beene so confitmed I say no otherwise yours then those things which you haue stolne or keep by force from the right owners therefore they are with you as children rauish't from their mothers bosome and the company of their brethren by the Turket or Mâ—ret with whome they remayn so sequestred perforce daily testifiyng by their sighes and grones the tyranny of their restraint and their defire to returne to their Mother brethren After this violent manner are those Catholique doctrines with you and thus are holy Scriptures in your not custody but captiuity both of them entertained by you to no other end but to be slaues and seruants to your owne children the peculiar dâ—â—trines of your Schisme to carry torches before them to gaine â—ome reputation of light to those workes of darknes Although for Scriptures as I haue said before and say againe no Heretique hath them properly that is as they are the word of God which they are not but as truly interpreted for which truth of interpretation he can pretend no warrant or title at all For the Scriptures are not only the word of God but the word of the Church which hauing first conceaued them by the holy Ghost the spirit of truth brought them forth to light and bequeathed them from age to age to the children of her obedience made partakers of the same spirit and therfore they only can discerne them to be the word of God which is only discernable to those to whom it is spoken or reuealed by the same spirit which is only in the Church of Christ the one mysticall body of Christ which is also called the spirit of Christ and therefore is not to be found in any other Body or Society of men for then Christ should be the head or heads of more bodies which is absurd blasphemy And as the Church of God alone is endued with this spirit of discretion whereby she discernes what Scripture is the word of God so this Church alone hath the spirit of interpretation of Scriptures and she alone can certainly say this is the sense and meaning of this Scripture who can truly say this is Scripture as only that Daniel cold declare the interpretation and meaning of Nabuchâ—donozors dreame who could tell him what he had dreamed which none of those Wizards or Sorcerers or Enchanters could do who yet professed they would interprete the dreame so he would tell them what he had dreamed But the wise King belieued them not qua sunâ— per Allegoriam dicta But heere good Sir I must tell you as a friend I am ashamed to sâ—â— a man of your expectation hopefull promisings to come forth in this thred-bare liuery of old Heretiques this appeale from Church to Scriptures There was neuer so putide an Heretique which hauing once cast off the authority of the Church could not find some refuge or sanctuary in the darknes of Scripture hauing also togeather with that authority excussed taken to himselfe the freedome of interpreting Scriptures Belie us it Syr. it is and euer will be a maine presumption that you draw â—nder the same yoke with former Heretiques when you can not get out of the same Cart-rout which they haue track't before you Et monstrata diâ— veteris trabis â—rbita â—ulpa For first you haue gone out of the Roman Catholique Church so they from the authority of that Church you appeale to Scriptures so they then you interprete Scriptures according to your single vnderstanding without any other liuing guide or Vocall authority so they being gone out you turne all your power of Pen-gall against that Church whence you went forth so they But neither you nor your patrons nor Apostles conuert any nation to Christian fayth nor they You reduce few sonles from sinfull courses to better life nor they In the whole number of your Patriarches you cannot name one Saint nor they I see how you haue consociated your self and your Clyent 's with the knowne Heretiques of former tymes I would gladly know someone distinctiue signe by which you discerne and vindicate your selues from the formall character or character 's markes or brands of ancient Heretiques In the meane tyme let vs examin the remnant of this Remotiâ—e Rem This booke c. foretell's me plainly that in after ages great signes and wonders shall be wrought in confirmation of false doctrine Prom. But hath it fore told you that in after ages no true miracle shall be wrought in confirmation of true doctrine If not it hath foretold you nothing to the purpose you pretend Rem And that I am not to belieue any doctrine which seemes to my vnderstanding repugnant to the first Prom. Wâ—â—ch seemes repugnant c. to your vnderstanding Most ridiculâ—us 〈◊〉 no such thing was euer foretold you by the Booke of Gods Word you dreamed it But that doctrine is not to be belieued which to an infallible vnderstanding which is the vnderstanding of the Church which is guided by the spirit of truth is not only seemingly but really repugnant to Apostolicall doctrine But still you put vs in mynd of your Character your appeale to your owne vnderstanding you will not out of this Cart-rout Rem But that true doctrine should in allages haue the testimony of miracles that I am no where taught Prom. Are you any where taught the contrary Or that the testimony of miracles promised by our Sauiour is confined within a certain compasse or period of tyme Hath the Church only a lease of miracles for terme of yeare and if it hath when expired that terme or lease Vnles you can tell vs this for ought you know it is yet in being Now the promise of our Sauiour being conceaued and exprest in plaine words
Scriptures Fathers or whosoeuer quoted and cited as theirs which are not to be found in them Of which kind of falsifications our Catholique Writers from the beginning of Protestancy haue discouered almost innumerable and those vnanswerable and vnexcusable whereof your self Syr when you were intra mures at least in inclination or shew or I know not how were a part of testimony and an eye-witnes or else you verified my Verse And euen concerning this very Writer whose sword and buckler you are now there are who remember your obseruation when you said malum omen hauing met with a manifest falsification in the very beginning of his answere to Charity-Mistaken though now you are become Recantatis amicus Opprâ—brijs since he is in your bookes and your commodity in his Cellar's Vincunt benefacta feras Verily such false and fraudulent dealing in a bufines of this religious consequence and therefore to be treated with all reuerence and religiosity ought to be a strong Motiue to lead any prudent and indifferent man into iealousy and suspicion of such a cause and the maintainers of it that neither the cause is the cause of Truth which needes the patronage and defence of lyes nor the maintainers men of a consciencious spirit who can take vpon them the impudence to be the publique Authors of such Therefore the Catholique Writers haue taken paynes to manifest these falsities not in grosse as you do heere but by retaile particularly and namely as hic nuâ—â— here they falsify in this sentence in this very authority misalleaged where no probable mistake can be their apology which if you could do as they giue you example you would haue done it you who haue made calumnies of sober Verities sophismes of plaine and euident deductions you would not haue omitted to lay hold vpon some of those so many falsifications to haue made your Aduersary as odious and faithles as you could wish But you haue found none you can obiect none particularly and namely no not one You know you cannot do it and euen here you falsify your owne testimony I demonstrate you cannot do it because you do it not which in you who attempt to do more then you can to all aduantage of your cause and disparagement of your Aduersary is indeed an euident demonstration as many falsications c. as leaues and nor shew one O ridiculous Hyperbole and most negligent Calumny we see those leaues we see your most prying perusall of them nor blame I that but you who haue the ey 's of an Eagle or Aesculapian snake by which you see the least mote in your Aduersaries eye could so great a beame haue escaped your notice or discouery And for the number of Calumnies which you obiect and those ioyntly with falsifications and this purposely because you can easily by your willfull mistaking and misinterpreting your aduersaries words make vp some number of Calumnies where there are truly none so that if pretended falsifications stand but as Cypher's yet they will serue to double or treble the number of both yet I dare auouch let any man compare this your Aduersaries little Pamphlet with your great Pamphlet his falsifications and calumnies will stand like Cypher's with yours to make yours numberlesse Yet howsoeuer you haue not purged your prime Controuersy-Writers whom in your Motiue you consure as notoriously guilty of falsifications and calumnies no this aspersion stick 's fast vpon them still nor will it be wip't of by casting the like vpon others Clodius accusat Maches Catilina Cetheges Yet neither those Machi nor Cethegi are therefore guiltlesse because Clodius or Catiliue are guilty of the same crimes and this were the accusation or crime by you obiected against protestant-Writers by you the same truly recriminated in Catholique Authors And all men know by experience that euen in false crimes it is much more easy to sprinkle any man's reputation with discredit then to wipe it out againe X. Motiue Because by denying all humane authority either of Pope or Councels or Church to determine controuersies of sayth they haue abolished all possible meanes of suppressing Heresies or restoring Vnity to the Church X. Remotiue Lot all men belieue the Scripture and that only and endeauour to beâ—â—eue is in the true sense and require no more of others and they shall find this not only a better but the only meanes to suppresse Heresy and restore Vnity c. X. Promotiue Ti 's easy to perceaue that you haue tasted hony with Ionâ—thaâ— since your returne from Troy your eyes are now so open illuminate when you haue eaten more fully you will do meruailes Nor is this a petty meruaile that you haue recouered what was abolish't and haue reduced not only to possibility but to existence and actuality the meanes of suppressing Heresies c. without either Pope or Church or Councelâ— which before you had tasted hony seemed impossible to your vnderstanding The secret forces and vertues of nature say the Alchymist naturall Magician are discouered by vexation of Nature After much vexation and toyling of your brayn and body by your so many turn's and return's to and from Religion you haue found at length the Ariadne's threed of a most manifest direction Which threed of direction so often offered to your hand 's spun out of the bowell's of all Aduersaries of the Catholique Church as ordinary as cobwebb's I wonder much how you saw it no sooner It is euident you haue tasted hony For what more ordinary Rendeuous of all Heretiques then Prouocation from the Church to Scripture But no we are deceaued for in this way of discourse wherein you reiect all ordinary meanes of suppressing Heresies you take a shorter course to abolish Heresy it selfe yea to exterminate the very name and essence of it è rerum naturâ out of the world nay out of the vnderstanding of man that there shall not remaine the very notion or definition of it which is a more vniuersall and totall abolition and suppression then if the whole world were regested and reconfounded into the first Chaos or nothing of it For how can there be or euer haue beene any such thing as Heresy in coherence with this discourse For was there euer Heretique who could not pretend his endeauour to vnderstand the Scripture in the true sense yea and sufficient endeauour excluding the authority of the Church Councels c. by employing all the forces of his natural wit personall abilities who can say he employed not his endeauour by all these Then this endeauour only supposed though he belieued the Scriptures in a false sense and vpon that false sense grounded false doctrine euen repugnant to Christian faith yet he was no Heretique by you nay they did him wrong who would molest him any further or require any other beliefe at his hands Who can say now that Arius was an Heretique or Eutyches an Heretique or Manichaus an Heretique Who can say that any of those anciently