the first planting of Churches had and practised Secondly Whether independent Iudicatures ecclesiasticke did or may decrease or multiply in succeeding ages or so decrease for number that there shall be but one left on earth vnto which all ought to bee subiect so farre that there shall or can bee but one true visible Church Concerning the first point Whether there bee any Iudicature Ecclesiasticke altogether the same with that which the Apostles had I am not of opinion with Erastus that great Physition and good Diuine that the exercise of Excommunication was then onely needfull when no visible Church had any legall or ciuill remedie to preserue its vnitie or purge it selfe of grosse offenders Or that the right or power of Excommunication which the Apostles and their immediate successors had did vtterly expire and vanish after once whole Cities or Common weales became Christian and the Churches which before had onely soiourned amongst them were incorporated into them as liue principall members enabled by full authority deriued from the supreame Maiestie or soueraigntie of States or Kingdomes to inflict corporall punishment vpon offenders to enact coerciue or penall Lawes or other meanes necessary for diffusing the doctrine of life throughout the whole body politike without lett or incumbrance of any particular part or member But though I be not thus farre of Erastus his mind that the power of Excommunication did at that time specified by him vtterly expire or determine yet hath experience made it more then probable that after the Churches and Common weales were so mutually interwrapt and lincked together that euery member of the Common weale was inforced to become a member of the Church and to bee so admitted by Church Gouernours the edge of the spirituall sword was much abated the force of former spirituall ordinances became stifeled with the multitude of persons against whom they were directed Whether the defect bee in the power it selfe or in such as haue it but doe not vse it certaine it is that this branch of discipline is not in our dayes so effectuall as sometimes it hath beene either for framing visible Churches vnto the rules prescribed by their great Founders or first Planters or for conforming the members of the visible Church vnto the true Holy and Catholike Church The meere spirituall power with which alone the Apostles and their immediate Successors were indued was of greater efficacie then both the remainder of the like spirituall power in later Bishops and Pastors and all the strength of secular or ciuill power wherewith Princes States or Kingdomes since the mutuall incorporation of Common weales and Churches haue as they were in conscience and de iure divino bound assisted Prelates and Church-gouernors 7 To the second question Whether there be one or more independent tribunals the later Romanists vnanimously answer that there is but one onely Iudicature or supreame tribunall here on earth the Iudge whereof they make the onely head of all the Churches or as they would say of the whole militant Church here on earth Nostra sententia est saith Bellarmine Ecclesiam vnam tantum esse non duas et illam vnam et veram esse coetum bominum eiusdem christianae fidei professione et eorundem sacramentorum communione colligatum sub regimine legitimorum pastorum ac praecipue vnius Christi in terris vicarij Romani Pontificis Ex qua definitione facile colligi potest qui homines ad Ecclesiam pertineant qui vero ad eam non pertineant Tres enim sunt partes huius definitionis Professio verae fidei Sacramentorum communio et subiectio ad legitimum pastorem Romanum Pontificem The Church in our opinion saith Cardinall Bellarmine is one not two and this one true Church is a Company of men linked together by profession of the same christian Faith by communion of the same Sacraments vnder the gouernement of lawfull Pastors and chiefly of the Bishop of Rome Christs sole Vicegerent here on earth Out of this definition hee further addes it may easily bee gathered what men pertaine vnto the Church who pertaine not vnto it For the parts of this definition are three Profession of Faith Sacramentall Communion and subiection to the lawfull Pastor viz. the Bishop of Rome The conclusion which he aymes at is this that whosoeuer either doth not hold the same Faith in all points which the Romish Church doth or doth not communicate with that Church in the vse of Sacraments or doing both these doth not withall acknowledge the Bishop of Rome for his supreame Gouernour ecclesiastike hee no way belongs to the true Church Whosoeuer holds all the three parts of the former definition he is the true sonne of the same Church The militant Church saith the Author of the Antidote is a society or company of men linked and combined together in the same profession of the Christian Faith and vse of Sacraments vnder lawfull Pastors chiefly vnder one Head and Vicar of Christ the Pope of Rome the 3. part of the Antidote cap. 1. p. 17. § 5. 8 The Church triumphant is more beholding to or rather lesse iniured by this Cardinall and his followers then it was by some former Popes or Councels which as the Doctor of famous and blessed memorie long since obserued haue made the Pope head of the Church triumphant Cardinall Bellarmine and his Epitomists in making the Pope such an head of the vniuersall Church militant make him an essentiall head of all Christs actuall liue and indeficient members here on earth And thus to doe is an indignitie to Christ not literally or fully expressable by any tearmes which the tongue or pen of men can inuent It may notwithstanding be thus typically represented or shadowed Suppose a man should put a Gorgon or Saracens head made of straw or clouts taken out of a sinke or some other place not fit to be named vpon the Kings statue or image made by publike authority of pure gold hauing first stricken off or stollen away the true head which the Artificer had framed of matter homogeneall and correspondent for forme or proportion to the rest of the body 9 Contradictorie to Cardinall Bellarmine and the Author of the Antidotes definition wee may for the present conclude and the rules as well of nature and reason as of lawes supernaturall and diuine will ratifie our conclusion viz. First that since the Churches and Common-weales absolutely distinct each from other and independent one of another haue beene thus wedded together as soule and body as man and wife there haue beene as many seuerall visible Churches independent each on other for matter of iurisdiction or subiection to one visible Head as there be seuerall free States or Christian Kingdomes independent one of another Secondly that the subordination of Church to Church is in proportion the same with the subordination of the seuerall states wherein the Churches are planted The best vnion that can be expected betweene visible Chuches
State in respect of Christian and religious policie And first of the reasons in behalfe of King and State Their positions which induce rebellion against free States Kingdomes and which were they ioyntly admitted would leaue supereminent or royall Maiestie onely a naked title without any realtie of soueraignty or iurisdiction are two First That the spirituall power is aboue all secular or ciuill power And this assertion were it rightly limited is in it selfe orthodoxall But the more orthodoxall it is in it selfe the more deadly it makes the second position vnto which they seeke to wed it The second position is That this supreame and spirituall power is totally seated in the Clergie as in a body distinct from the body politike Yea the most of them hold the plenitude of this power to bee in the Pope from whom all spirituall power of iurisdiction is deriued to the rest of the Clergie after the same manner as iurisdiction in causes temporall is deriued to inferiour Magistrates from the Monarch or supreame Maiestie in euery Kingdome The Regiment of the Church as they say is Regimen monarchicum a visible Monarchy of which the Pope is the visible Monarch As the spirituall power which the Church of Rome or Pope vsurpeth is intensiuely most absolute independent so is the obiect of it for extension most transcendent and illimited Pope Innocent the third by vertue of this supposed plenary power did challenge to bee supreme Iudge in censuring or punishing mortall sins Intendimus decernere de peccato cuius ad nos pertinet sine dubitatione censura or vt nullus qui sit sanae mentis ignorat quin ad officium nostrum spectet de quocunque peccato mortali corripere quemlibet Christianū cap. nouit de Iudicijs We intend faith he to determine concerning Sinne the censure whereof so vnquestionably appertaines to vs that no man well in his wits can be ignorant that it is a part of our power or office to chastise or correct euery Christian man for any mortall sinne of what kind soeuer But if in this Cathedrall constitution hee did not erre the Christian world might haue as infallible a perpetual rule for guiding Millers hands and Taylors sheeres and for preuenting or punishing all cozenage in Trades or Crafts as it hath for ending controuersies in matters of faith or diuinity 3 It is an idle and friuolous distinction which some Canonists haue framed to solue the truth of this Popes sentence Aliud est de re actione aut contractu iudicare aliud iudicare de peccato It is one thing to determine of the action or cōtract another to determine or iudge of the sin committed For as Father Paul excellently obserues quod inseparabile est distinguunt they put a diuersity without a differēce For if the pope may iudge of euery matter or contract as it is a sin I hope he would prohibit it if it were a sin and compell men to obserue his Edicts or prohibitions And doing thus what remaines to bee done by any temporall power whether supreame or subordinate but onely to looke on or to be as Sheriffes to see his Decrees put in execution or to be his hangman or executioner No Magistrate doth punish but vpon supposall of some fault or sinne committed Lex non est iust is posita saith the Apostle sed iniustis The Law punitiue is not giuen against the iust but against the vniust And if the Pope might be supreame Iudge of euery mortall sinne euery malefactor might haue the benefit of appeale vnto him in all matters criminall He might punish Princes for making vniust Lawes or for not executing such Lawes as they themselues haue made or haue found made vnto their hands by their Predecessors or as hee shall make or appoint them to make 4 Againe all of them agree in this that the Pope hath a supreame independent power to make coactiue Ecclesiasticke Lawes for the welfare of the Church in as much as all temporall power is subordinate to the power spiritual which as his subiects say is originally and plenarie in himselfe hee may by vertue of this supreame spirituall power disanull all such Lawes as any temporall State or Kingdome shall make if these to his Holinesse vnerring spirit shall seeme contrary to the Lawes of God or to the Lawes Ecclesiasticke made by himselfe or by his predecessors Now in case any Temporall Princes or States shall after some monitions refuse to repeale such Lawes as they haue enacted but hee dislikes they stand obnoxious ipso facto to the sentence of excommunication The exercise of this terrible power hath beene within these 400. yeeres frequent in many Kingdomes and famous of late against the Venetians That ancient and renowned State for wisedome and grauity and of all States professing Romish faith alwaies most venerable for deuotion had made such a Law as the Law of Mortmaine here in England for repressing the excesse of Leuies portion which was become like a huge deformed wen in a faire and comely body and being admonished by the Pope to repeale this Law and another edict necessary for the preseruation of peace whereby the vnruly Cleargie within their territories were subiected to the censure of the State because the Venetians would not obey his monitions and betray their ancient liberties the Duke and Senate were excommunicated by his Holinesse I doe not well remember whether that State had made a decree that no prouision should be carried out of their territories to Ancona but put the case they had made such a Law in as much as Ancona is a Citie which belongs to Peters patrimony a segniorie or Lordship of the Church of Rome this Law must be controleable by the Pope because it is preiudiciall to the Church And the temporall Soueraignty of Venice must submit themselues vnto the spirituall Iurisdiction of the Romish Church or feele the stroke of Peters sword 5 The like dreadfull consequences of these dangerous principles about the supremacie or Iurisdiction spirituall did cause diuers Kings of this land before Henry the eight to separate themselues and their people from the visible Romish Church in matters of Iurisdiction though not of doctrine For an English man to haue receiued any title of Iurisdiction from the Pope or any forraigne Prelate subiect vnto him was by the ancient Lawes of this land a praemunire I will onely touch so much of the Romish Churches practice in this State as forraigne Writers haue taken notice of which was enough to giue our Kings iust occasion to make such Lawes of praemunire as the forecited Author produceth Pope Innocent the third presuming vpon his former rule that it belonged vnto him de quocunque peccato mortali corripere quemlibet christianum to censure or punish euery man for any mortall sinne charged Iohn King of England and the French King to keepe the Churches peace vnder paine of his curse And in the processe excommunicates the French King
take vpon them to defend the truth This did not Peter this would not any Bishop of Rome haue done within fiue hundred yeeres after Christ SECT 3. That the present visible Church of England retaines the Holy Catholike Faith which the Romish Church hath defiled and by defiling it hath lost that true vnion with the primitiue and Apostolike Church which the visible Church retaineth CHAP. XVI That our Church was in the Romish Church before Luthers time and yet in it neither as a visible Church altogether distinct from it nor as any natiue member of it 1 IT is in the first place obiected that wee had no Church at all before Luthers time Secondly that neither Luther nor Christian Princes which imbraced his doctrine had any authority to erect or found a new Church If we say as we must say and beleeue that we had a true Church before Luther of a Monke became a Reformer it will bee demanded where our Church was and of what persons it did consist To the former part of this importunate demand Where was your Church before Luthers time the Reverend learned Doctor Field pithily answers Our Church was in the same place then wherein now it is His explication will iustifie his meaning against all gainesayers Howbeit I must frame my answer according to my former principles fit it to some captious questions or obiections made by some of our Aduersaries since this Worthy died 2 If our Church before Luthers time were in the same place wherein now it is it will further bee demanded Whether it were a Church distinct from the then Romish Church or a member of it That wee had a visible Church before Luthers time in this Kingdome altogether distinct from the Romish visible Church planted in this Kingdome before Luther was borne or so distinct as respublica Venetorum is à Regno Gallia as the State of Venice is from the kingdome of France seemes very improbable to the Romanists and somewhat hard for vs to proue vnlesse we will deriue our pedigree from the Albigenses the Picardi or the poore men of Lions which to doe I know not how safe it is or how well pleasing it would be to the present visible English Church vnlesse we had better records of their tenets then I haue seene or then the visible Romish Church that de facto condemnes them for heretiks was willing to propagate to posteritie On the other side if our Church before Luthers time was a member of the then Romish Church wee shall bee further questioned what authoritie our King and State had either to dismember their Church or to make a new intire distinct Church of an old dismembred part of their Church In these and like obiections they alwaies suppose two things as vnquestionable which we vtterly deny The first that the whole multitude of Christians throughout these Westerne parts as England France Germany Italy and Spaine c. excepting such as were by their Church disclaymed for heretikes or schismatikes were all members of the then visible Romish Church and that there was such an vnion betwixt all and euery one of this multitude as sufficeth to make all indiuiduals within these States or Kingdomes true members of one visible or of the then visible Romish Church The second They suppose that our vnion with some present visible Church is a natiue degree or part of our vnion with the Holy Catholike Church or that our vnion with some present visible Church is necessary or essentiall not accidentall to our being or not being members of the Holy Catholike Church For our more orderly and safe proceeding wee are in the first place to shake and hereafter by Gods helpe to raze these two rotten foundations wheron all their arguments either for annoying ours or for supporting their Church are grounded 3 Our first Counterfort shall be this All the particular Congregations recounted by reformed Writers which before Luthers time had either separated themselues from the visible Romish Church of their times or had beene disclaimed by it for schismatiques or heretikes being sequestred from this dispute our Church might bee and was in the visible Romish Church as Bellarmine and other professed sonnes of that Church define it and yet bee in it neither so as to make one intire visible Church distinct from it nor as any integrall part or naturall member of it If we take all which the Romish Church doth challenge for her sonnes before Luthers time there was in that multitude rather a Church truely visible than one true visible Church if wee measure the truth of the visible Church according to our former principles and as wee ought to measure it by the conformitie which it hath with the one truely holy and Apostolike Church Our meaning is the whole multitude of Christians in these Westerne parts before Luthers time all those being excluded which the Romish Church representatiue did condemne for heretikes or schismatiques had no such vnitie as truely answers to the vnitie of a body naturall but an vnitie onely answerable to the vnitie of an heap or congest of Heterogeneals Some had the number only others the very character of the Beast The heape or congest which wee suppose as an Embleme of the visible Romish Church taking that Church in that amplitude which they challenge before Luther by Gods appointment attempted reformation shal be an heap or congest of seueral mettals al or most part vnpurified In this one heape or congest a great part of heterogeneals though not all shal be supposed to haue had the vnion of continuation or concretion that is some pieces of vnpurified gold by the negligence or vnskilfulnes of the artificer were made vp or suffered to make vp themselues in some clod or cake with an huge quantitie of copper lead brasse iron or other baser metals all vnpurified from their drosse the other part of the same heape or congest consisting of seuerall or lesser pieces of richer metall all homogeneall in themselues though many vnpurified and wanting the vnion of contiguitie or concretion 4 The parts of a good Mineralist or Refiner in this case were first to dissolue the cake or clod and to seuer the richer metall from the baser Secondly to purifie homogeneals so seuered from their owne drosse Thirdly to make them vp so seuered or purified into plate wedges or Bullion or to put some other accidentall or artificiall forme vpon them All this being done we cannot say there was a true generation of any new body or substance or that the Refiner did make gold where there was none before as some Alchymists professe that they can turne iron or other metals specifically distinct into gold here was only a refining of metall praeexistent and an addition onely of an accidentall forme To parallel the Refiners worke by the reformation wrought by Luther and the Christian Princes that harkened to him First it cannot be denyed but that the visible Romish Church or if you will the faction