THE FIRST MOTIVE OF T. H. MAISTER OF ARTS AND LATELY MINISTER TO SVSPECT THE INTEGRITY OF HIS Religion Which was DETECTION OF FALSEHOOD in D. Humfrey D. Field other learned Protestants touching the question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead VVith his PARTICVLAR CONSIDERATIONS perswading him to embrace the Catholick doctrine in theis and other points * ⎠* An Appendix intituled TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST Wherein Some notable vntruths of D. Field and D. Morton are discouered Printed 1609. S. AVGVSTIN de vtilit credendi contra Manichaeos cap. 14. NVllis me video credidisse nisi populorum atque gentium confirmatae opinioni ac famae admodum celeberrimae hos autem populos Ecclesiae CATHOLICAE mysteria vsquequaque occupásse Cur non igitur apud cos potissimum diligentissimè requiram quid Christus praeceperit quorum authoritate commotus Christum aliquid vtile praecepisse iam credidi Túne mihi melius expositurus es quid ille dixerit Quem suisse aut esse non putarem si abs te mihi hoc commendaretur esse credendum Hoc ergo credidi vt dixi famae celebritate consensione vetustate roboratae Vos autem tam pauci tam turbulenti tam noui nemini dubium est quám nihil dignum authoritate praeferatis Quae igitur ista tantae dementia est Illis crede Christo esse credendum à no bis disce quid dixerit Cur obsecrote Nam si illi Catholici deficerent nec me quicquam docere possent multò faciliùs mihi persuaderem Christo non esse credendum quà m de illo cuiquam nisi ab jis per quos ei credidissem discendum TO THE PROTESTANT READER IT was my purpose to be silent vntill I was inforced to speake for the publick proceedinge against me hath drawen me vnto this publick defence and specially because it was by those persons whom I haue reuerenced from my heart and in that place which must alwayes challendge an interest in my poore vnworthy self Wherefore being inuited and compelled vnto this coursey I present vnto thee louing contreyman one MOTIVE of my chandge the first in order and with me very effectuall in waight Expect not any curious or ample discourse for I do here intend to deliuer onely such peculiar things as preuayled with me in the beginning rowsing me out of my lethargy in schisme and heresy prouoked me vnto a diligent inuestigation of the truth My other * Tâ—â— motiues shall remayn prisoners in my custody vnlesse the importunity of friends or malignity of aduersaries may perhapps extort their enlardgement from me against the proper inclination of my will Meane while accept this little schedule is it not a little one and thy soule shall liue Gen. 19 20 with kind affection And though I may require it as justice yet I will desire it as a fauour let not prejudice forestall thy judgement nor passion supplant thy reason Peruse diligently compare exactly and giue thy verdict vprightly in presence of the all-seing eye Then I doubt not but seeking thou shalt find and finding wilt confesse God was here Gen. 28.16 and I knew it not Thy deuoted contreyman Theophilus Hyggons THE GENERALL CONTENTS OF THIS TREATISE DIVIDED INTO 2. BOOKES 1. In the First booke are expressed tvvo Reasons the one DOCTRINALL the other MORALL vvhich svvayed my vnderstanding povverfully to yeald firme assent vnto the Catholick faith touching Purgatory and Prayer for the dead 2. In the Second booke are layed forth certayn egregious falsehoods of D. Field D. Humfrey M. Rogers and others in their exceptions against the same THE PARTICVLAR CONTENTS IN EACH BOOKE IN THE FIRST BOOKE AND FIRST PART CONTAYNING THE DOCTRINALL REASON CHAP. 1. § 1. Purgatory prooued by the cleare authority of Scripture Matth. 12.32 § 2. The Fathers iudgements touching the sayd parcell of holy Scripture § 3. Three reasons which mooued me to follow the doctrinall expositions of the Fathers rather then of Caluin Luth. c. CHAP. 2. § 1. Of a triall by the Fathers Protestants in England condescend thereunto § 2. Prayer for the dead is an Apostolicall TraditioÌ„ by the testimony of the Fathers The same appeareth by the rules assigned by Protestants to know what is an Apostolicall Tradition § 3. Prayer for the dead Purgatory do mutually prooue each other § 4. The ancient Catholick Church vnto which the Protestants in England appeale did intend in hir Prayers and Oblations to relieue some soules departed and afflicted with temporall payn § 5. The collusion of D. Field in deliuering the purpose of the ancient Catholick Church in hir Prayers and Oblations for the dead § 6. Reasons perswading me rather to follow S. August the ancient Church then D. Field and his reformed Congregations IN THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING THE MORALL REASON CHAP. 1. § 1. The PROVIDENCE of God preseruing a visible Church in all ages § 2. This visible Church is free from damnable errour The Protestants loosenesse and confusion in their delineation of the Church § 3. Protestants condemne Purgatory and Prayer for the dead as hereticall and blasphemous § 4. This doctrine was embraced by the vniuersall Church consequently is approoued by the singular PROVIDENCE of almighty God CHAP. 2. § 1. The base and impious condition of Aërius and Henricus who first impugned this doctrine § 2. The VVISEDOME of God appoynting fitt messengers to be Reformers of his Church doth excellently confirme this doctrine CHAP. 3. § 1. The nature and vse of Miracles by which God doth beare witnesse vnto some TRVTH A triple consideration of Miracles according to the triple distinction of the Church § 2. A miracle wrought by S. Bernard to the confusion of Henricus and his doctrines § 3. There is no exception against the sayd Miracle § 4. The sayd Miracle doth euidently conuince the Protestants in this and other poynts § 5 An exception of D. Field pretending that no particular defended by the Papists against Protestants vvas euer confirmed by Miracle is refelled by our Conuersion from Paganisme to Popery as it is termed and by the authority of Gerson whom D. Field hath magnified as one that desired the same Reformation long since which Protestants haue lately effected CHAP. 4. § 1. The grounds which I followed in the precedents are invincible § 2. The particulars therein are very cleare A direction for the Reader to iudge orderly substantially concerning the same A conclusion of the first Part with a Protestation vnto the Reader IN THE SECOND BOOKE AND FIRST PART CONTAYNING THE VNTRVTHS OF D. FIELD CHAP. 1. § 1. S. Gregory the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead § 2. S. Augustin the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead § 3. S. Hierome the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine
base silly and childish reasons into this testilent and sacrilegious * of Zwing c. heresy For what argument I beseech you is this Christ is at the right hand of his Father therefore he is not in the Sacrament The flesh profiteth nothing therefore the body of Christ is not there And theis are their principall †the same they bring against the Catholicks also arguments But it is a madnesse to be mooued by theis toyes from the simple and playn words of Christ THIS IS MY BODY Which cleare sentence the Sacramentaries depraue by their interpretation viz. this is a signe of my body An exposition no lesse absurd * Tom. 7. contra fanaticos Sacramentariorum Spiritus sayeth Luther then if a man should make this glosse vpon the Scripture In the beginning God made heauen and earth that is to say the cuckow did eate vp the titling bones and all or The VVord was made flesh that is to say a crooked staff was made a kyte 13. But I will leaue Sir Martin in his facetious vayne and come vnto a farther poynt which toucheth your religion to the quick For in his commentaries vpon the epistle to the Galathians a work which I know to be singularly magnified by your Ghospellers and it is translated into our mother-tongue for the publick vtility of your Church he maketh sondry digressions against the Sacramentaries but I suspect your translation to be vnfaithfull in this behalf and namely in his exposition of this sentence * Chap. 5. vers 9. a little leauen corrupteth the whole lump he sayeth VVe must highly esteeme of this cautele in our age The SACRAMENTARIES who deny the corporall presence of Christ in the Lords supper obiect vnto vs that we are intractable and contentious c. Theis are the collusions of the Diuell whereby he laboureth to subuert not that article alone but all Christian doctrine A true saying of M. Luther To deny God in one article is do deny him in all for he is not diuided into many but he is all in eueryone and one in all Charity in this case is not to be exercised neither is errour to be approoued For here viz. in the Sacramentaries heresy the word faith Christ eternall life are all lost Wherefore we continually returne vnto them this prouerb of the Apostle a little leauē corrupteth the whole lūp 14. This is such a waighty and seuere reprehension of your Sacramentarisme as would mooue any heart amongst you tenderly affected in matters of so great consequence and sublimity to be fearfull and suspicious of his soules estate But I will proceed vnto an other consideration of greater importance and farr more effectuall then the rest For what can be more horrible and dreadfull vnto you then that the Diuell himself should vrdge Luther your great Reformer and presse him with the argumēts of Zwinglius his cōfederates See the places cited by Iustus Caluinus in his annotat vpon Tertull praescript cap. 43. to draw him vnto your Sacramentary opinion And though the Diuell disputed earnestly with Luther to this effect as he confesseth yet he solued the Diuells obiections and vanquished him and therefore all your English professours in him by the power and maiesty of the word 15. By this euidence you may well coniecture what admonitour he was that instructed your Patriarch Zwinglius in his fanaticall interpretation of theis wordes hoc * est pro significāt see before booke 1. part 1. chap. 1. §. 3. num 8. est corpus meum and by it also you may know that the spirit of truth doth not teach you though †pag. 183. D. Field hath confidently affirmed it where he speaketh of the inward testification and of the great happy and heauenly alteration which you find in your hearts vpon the receyuing of your doctrine Which internall perswasion the Brownists the Anabaptists and other sectaries do boast of as well as any Sacramentary euer did or can But what verdict M Luther hath passed concerning the Spirit and truth of Sacramentaries you can not but tremble to vnderstand * Brent in Recognit pag. 277. Vos habetis alium Spiritum quà m nos sayd Luther vnto Zwinglius you and we haue not the same SPIRIT And as for your TRVTH he giueth this terrible censure vpon the perfidiousnes for so he speaketh of Bucer in this Sacramentary doctrine †Fabric in loc com Luth. part 5. pag. 50. 2. He that taketh pleasure in his owne damnation let him belieue that the TRVTH is taught by theis SPIRITS since they beganne and defend their opiniō by lyes 16. I leaue the due ponderation of theis things vnto your best thoughts and so I proceed vnto my SECOND reason which is deriued from the Magdeburgian Centuriatours who in their * Cētur 4. epistle vnto Q. Elizabeth complayn that some men viz. the Caluinists euacuate the testament of our Lord by their philosophicall reasons when against the most cleare most euident most true and most powerfull words of Christ This is my body they remooue the presence of his body and bloud out of the Sacrament and deceiue men with their wonderfull perplexity of speach c. Likewise †Cētur 11. cap. 10. col 527. they do expressely commend Pope Leo 9. because he damned the Berengarian heresy which now is a piece of your Caluinian ghospell with the authour as soone as it peeped forth In the same * ibid. cap. 11. col 656. history they place Berengarius in the catalogue of Hereticks saying that he transmitted his poyson by wicked schollers and impious writings into sondry regions Howbeit †in resp ad Campian rat 3. M. Doctour Humfrey feareth not to affirme that Vigilantius Berengarius Caluinus homines profectò singularibus diuinae gratiae muneribus prastabiles c. And no doubt but D. Field hath taken order to draw all theis men with Gerson himself into the communion of his true visible Catholick Church Which is a deuice to turne religion into a fable 17. My THIRD and last reason is deriued from an authority which with you is free from all exception For your Church deliuereth this assertion See M. Rogers in his Cathol doctr pag. 178. 179. as hir CATHOLICK DOCTRINE in this matter The wicked and such as be voyd of liuely saith do not eate the body nor drink the bloud of Iesus Christ in the vse of the Lords supper Which assertion being explicated by M. Rogers he proceedeth according vnto the accustomed manner of his discourse to note the errours and aduersaries vnto this truth and sayeth The aduersaries of this doctrine are the VBIQVITARIES both Lutheran and Popish For the Lutherans teach that the very body of Christ at the Lords supper is eaten aswell of the wicked as of the godly and that the true and reall body of Christ In VVith Vnder the bread and wine may be eaten chewed and digested euen of Turks which were
and I know not where they haue placed hir They can not assigne vnto me any persons time or place wherein their Synagogue had a resplendent face and a laudable dilatation §. 2. The SECOND Consideration touching a visible Church free from any damnable errour The Protestants loosenesse and confusion in their description of the Church 1. I Considered Secondly that this VISIBLE Church can neuer be taynted vniuersally with any errour and specially if it be such as either expressly or implicitely indangereth the principles of saluation for in matters of the necessity of saith she is freed from the possibility of errour 2. Hence it is that i Part. 4. de Vnit. Grac. Considerat 6. Iohn Gerson a man highly * See afterward c. 3. § 3. num 4. c. aduanced by D. Field prescribeth this ensuing obseruation as an infallible rule VVhatsoeuer is determined by the Pope of Rome together with his generall Councell of the Church in matters appertayning vnto faith that is vndoubtedly true and to be receiued of all the world For this consideration is founded in the articles of our faith VVe belieue that there is an HOLY CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH which is exempted from errour in hir faith c. 3. As this position was credible with me for the Authours sake and he vpon D. Fields singular commendation so I was induced farther and more strongly perswaded to intertayn it by the certayn warrant of him who is TRVTH it self and promised his Spirit vnto the holy Apostles with assurance Io. 16.13 that he should lead them into all Truth 4. In quality it is Truth without errour In quantity it is All truth necessary and expedient for them or vs in this peregrinant estate For as this promise belonged then particularly vnto each Apostle so it belongeth now generally vnto the whole Church which being taken either in hir latitude as she is diffused ouer the world or in hir representation as she is collected into a lawfull Synod is priuiledged from errour in hir doctrinall determinations 5. And this was clearely imported vnto me in a sentence of S. 1. Timoth. 3.15 Paull vnto his beloued Timothy whom he instructed how he should behaue himself in the house of God which is the ground and PILLAR OF TRVTH 6. For howsoeuer it pleaseth D. k Pag. 199. The church of Ephesus hath erred damnably in faith Field to elude the grauity and power of this Scripture by restrayning the Apostles sense therein particularly vnto the Church of Ephesus which was committed vnto the Episcopall care of Timothy yet as many reasons did preuayle with me to reiect his exposition so I preferred the authority of S. l Commentâ—r ibid Ambrose saying that VVhereas the whole world is Gods the Church is sayd to be his howse of which vniuersall Church Damasus the Pope is Rectour at this day This Vniuersall Church is the Pillar of truth sustayning the edifice of faith 7. Herevpon l Prascripe cap. 28. Tertullian deriding the hereticks of his time esteemeth it a base and grosse conceipt in any man to suppose that the holy Ghost who was asked of the Father and sent by the Sonne to be the Teacher of TRVTH should neglect that office vnto which he was designed and that he should permitt the Church to vnderstand the Scriptures otherwise then he spake by the mouth of the Apostles And farther Is it probable saieth he that so many and so great Churches if they did erre should erre thus conformably into the same faith VARIASSE debuerat ERROR doctrinae Ecclesiarum Caeterùm quod apud multos VNVM inuenitur non est erratum sed TRADITVM Errour bringeth variety but where vnity is there is the truth Thus the Churches are many in number but one in faith diuided in place but ioyned in opinion 8. Mine earnest meditation in this point taught me to lament the confusion of our Protestants admitting innumerable sectaries into our vast and incongruous Church Fox in Act. Mon. See the 3. Conuers of EnglaÌ„d which is a very Chimaera thrust together and fashioned in specificall disproportions But this was our necessity hard necessity and not our choyce to make such a pitifull delineation of our Church For whereas we had not any certayn succession to deriue hir descent and petigree from the Ancients we were compelled in this respect to deale liberally like good fellowes and take sondry hereticks with incompatible factions into our society least by the same reason for which we exclude others we should exclude our selues also from the communion of the Church pag. 137. 9. Hence it is that D. Field laying the fundation of his Babell feareth not to say that the Churches of Russia Armenia Syria AEthiopia Greece c. are and continue parts of the TRVE CATHOLICK CHVRCH A position manifestly repugnant vnto Reason and Authority Vnto reason for if truth of doctrine be a Note of the Church as we defend how is that a true Catholick Church which impugneth the truth and how is that one Church which is distracted into many faiths Vnto authority for S. * de haeres in perorat See the 3. conuers of England Part. 2. chap. 10. num 10.15.16.17 c. Augustine doth constantly affirme that whosoeuer maintayneth any heresy registred or omitted by him in his Treatise he is not a CATHOLIQVE Christian and consequently no member of that Church wherein alone we haue the promise of saluation For as our * Fides in Christum faith in Christ must be TRVSTFVLL liuely and actiue by a speciall application of his merits vnto our selues so our * Fides de Christo faith of Christ must be TRVE syncere and absolute by a iust conformity vnto the will of God reuealed by him and propounded by his Church And therefore D. Fields * Part. 4. de vnit Graecorum considerat 4. Gerson intreating of peace and VNITY in the Church laboureth to draw all men into a communion of faith and iudgeth it a great folly in any man to conceiue that we may be saued in our particular sects and errours 10. When I had discouered by an earnest prosecution of this point how naturally and powerfully our ProtestaÌ„ticall * The Church may erre Diuers Churches though erring grosly in faith make vp one Catholick Church c. doctrines conuaigh men into Laodiceanisme and a carelesse neglect of vndefiled Religion whence Atheisme must necessarily ensue I resolued with hearty affection to vnite my self vnto that Church which is pure and single in Religion wheresoeuer I should deprehend the same For though I saw that the Protestants religion was false in some things yet I had great hesitation and doubt whether the Papists were true in all as S. * Confess lib. 6. cap. 1. Augustine spake sometime vnto his louing Mother I am now no Manichee nor yet a Catholick Christian And so mine estate as well as his might be resembled vnto the case of that patient * S.
Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead § 4. S. Ambrose the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead CHAP. 2. D. Field doth vniustly accuse CARD BELLARMINE of trifling and senselesse foolery in this matter Caluin doth truly confesse that the Protestats are opposite vnto Antiquity therein CHAP. 3. § 1. D. Field himself doth trifle and if it be iustice to repay him with his owne he committeth senselesse foolery in describing the heresy of Aërius whereof all Protestants are guilty consequētly are not Catholicks § 2. The contradiction vanity falsehood of Protestants some accusing some defending Aërius in his impugnation of Prayer and Oblation for the dead § 3. D. Field maketh a lamentable apology for the Protestants diuersity in their censures touching the aforesayd heresy The true and proper reason of their diuersity therein is assigned Their strandge and variable deportment toward the ancient Fathers CHAP. 4. A notable vntruth of D. Field in proposing the difference betwixt the Protestants and Papists in the question of Purgatory By which dealing he hath vtterly overthrowen his highly respected booke and brought eternall confusion vnto his Church IN THE SECOND PART OF THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. 1. § 1. M. Rogers abuseth Dionys Carthusian § 2. He brandeth S. Gregory with the name of a Papist and traduceth Eckius Temporall punishment inflicted after remission of the guilt of sinne CHAP. 2. sect 1. D. Humfrey doth singularly abuse a certayn testimony of S. Augustine The detectiō of which falsehood ministred the first occasion of my chandge § 2. An other of his vnfaithfull practises against the same Father c. AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER TOVCHING THE ORDER AND METHOD OF THIS TREATISE COurteous Reader though the beginning of my alienation from the Protestants did arise from the detection of some egregious falsehoods in D. Humfrey peruerting S. Augustine in D. Field traducing S. Ambrose vvhence I vvas excited to spend much time in searching out the doctrine of the ancient Church concerning PVRGATORY and PRAYER FOR THE DEAD yet I haue not alvvayes follovved that order precisely in this ensuing Treatise but for thy better direction and instruction I haue thought it expedient FIRST to lay forth the truth of this doctrine and SECONDLY to acquaynt thee vvith their falsehoods against the same THE FIRST BOOKE Wherein THE CATHOLICK DOCTRINE OF PVRGATORY AND PRAYER FOR THE DEAD IS CLEARELY prooued THE FIRST PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING A DOCTRINALL REASON which perswaded me to intertayn the aforesayd doctrine CHAPTER I. The Reason taken from HOLY SCRIPTVRE to prooue PVRGATORY §. 1. The sense of the Euangelist S. Matthew Chap. 12. v. 32. 1. AMONGEST sondry testimonies of holy writt this one seemed in mine opinion to be of singular force viz. VVhosoeuer shall speake a word against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him in this world nor in the world to come For as this Text doth imply in the immediate sense thereof that the Sinne against the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgiuen so it doth imply farther a distinction of sinnes some whereof are remissible and some irremissible some are pardoned in this world and some in the world to come 2. This interpretation is founded vpon a speciall reason because S. a 3 2◠Marke intreating of the same matter saieth that blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgiuen non in aeternum and S. Matthew diuideth this space of eternity into seculum praesens seculum futurum the world present and the world to come as being two seuerall and distinct parts thereof so that the same thing is noted by each Euangelist but coniunctiuely in the one and distributiuely in the other 3. The Protestants deriue this text after an other manner and say that S. Matthew is to be expounded by S. Marke and so the intendment of this Scripture is precisely and meerely to shew that the great sinne being irremissible in an eminent degree shall neuer be forgiuen 4. But this simple glosse could yeald me no satisfaction For though it were the purpose of our Lord to declare that one sinne shall neuer be forgiuen yet he expresseth himself by such a distinction as doth manifestly inforce the remission of some sinnes in the future life And forasmuchas S. Matthew dealeth more copiously herein then S. Marke there is no reason why the first should be contracted by the second but rather it is necessary to enlardge the second by the first 5. Neither did it seeme a probable conceit vnto me though it be intertayned by many that our Sauiour did not make a partition of sinnes some to be remitted in this world and some in the next but vsed an exaggeration to shew the irremissibillity of one sinne as if I should say A barren woman shall not beare a child neither in this world nor in the world to come For though the WORD did speake b Io. 7.46 as neuer man spake in respect of Maiesty grauity and power yet he doth not so decline the accustomed manner of speach as that he would speake against the rules of prudency and morall vnderstanding as this speach is if it be sensed in this manner And who would not esteeme him to be a ridiculous and absurd Oratour that should say This woman shall not beare a child in this world neither in the world to come 6. Wherefore seing that the Protestants exposition is formed against discretion and that it is not warrantable by any other parcell of Scripture which is to be interpreted in this manner I was fearefull to be intangled by their collusions and because I would deale vnpartially in a matter of such consequence as this is I held a very indifferent course whereby I might not attribute any thing vnto mine owne iudgement nor yet detract from their estimation and therefore I remitted this point vnto the decision of the blessed Fathers knowing well that it is a precept of the Highest c Deut. 32.7 Aske the Fathers and they shall tell thee the Ancients and they shall shew thee and thus did D. Toby Matthew apply this Text d See D. Humfrey in resp ad 5. rat Edm. Campiani when he flourished in his concionall answere to remooue that disgrace which e Rat. 5. Edm. Campian had fastened vpon him and not vniustly as many men conceiue 7. Besides since it is the monition of S. f 1. Cor. 14.32 Paule that the Spiritts of Prophetts are subiect vnto the Prophetts the rule of equity doth prescribe that in the interpretation of holy writt the fewest should yeald vnto the most and the later vnto the former they also being more competent Iudges to determine a strife who neuer were Actours personally in the contention §. 2. The Fathers iudgement of this Scripture 1. I Was assured by D. g Of the Church pag. 170. Field that S.
a due reformation he should not designe honourable and condigne Instruments for such an excellent purpose 2. Where is the difficulty and impediment in this case Is it in his Prescience that he cannot foresee what is to come or is it in his Power that he cannot effectuate what he desireth Not in the First for I haue his owne testimony by the mouth of Samuell his prophet saying 1. Reg. 13.14 QVAESIVIT c. God hath sought a man according vnto his heart to witt Dauid his seruant What he sought he found and yet he found no good thing in Dauid which was not his owne gift Not in the SecoÌ„d for I am ascertayned by the Forerunner of my Lord Luc. 3.2 POTENS c. God is able euen of theis stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham 3. And if Caesar could say in the pride of his mortall heart Inueniam aut faciam viam either I shall find a way or I will make one did it not concerne the VVisedome of God to speake no more of his Prouidence which we Protestants haue already destroyed by inforcing a damnable errour vpon his vniuersall Church either to finde out some man already indued with conuenient gifts or els to prepare some in case none were yet adorned by him to vndertake such a royall and incomparable work of REFORMATION 4. For how can I suppose or once imagin without iniury vnto my Lord expectation of his reuendge that any base and detestable Caitifs falling away from the sweete communion of the Church into accursed heresies and being therevpon the Prophetts of hell should then also and neuer before be stirred vp and excited by God to redresse his Church the Pillar Firmament of truth Is it probable nay is it possible that they who remayned not in the duty of hir Sonnes should be aduanced vnto the dignity of hir Fathers Are men actually inspired by God and by the Diuell to impugne and to defend hir to destroy and to maintayn hir to infect and to preserue hir Were hir sworne enimies more tender of hir good then hir best friends and were vile Rebells more respectiue of Gods honour then his dearest Seruants 5. You that haue the common instinct of morall reason and the ordinary light of humane vnderstanding iudge I pray you iudge vnpartially in this case Luther thou art the scourdge of God c. See Sir Th. More coÌ„tra Luth. de Sacram. whether such disastrous Reformers as Henricus Aërius and the like were not rather ministers to execute the Iustice of God then counsellours to promulgate his will and whether he doth not rather correct then direct punish then prescribe by such men It was a tyranny in Mezentius to bind liuing men vnto dead carcasses But the VVisedome of God doth assure me that he will not tythe liuing body of his Church vnto the dead and putrified members thereof 6. The consideration of which poynt was of great power and efficacy in my heart to make me disclayme and abandon the proceedings of our GREAT Reformer M. Luther in whom there was no true resemblance of a pious and diuine Spirit Witnesse his furious declamations against Zuinglius and all Sacramentaries the Patriarch and Brethren of our ghospell his rude and vnsaintlike inuectiues against King Henry the eight his hereticall and grieuous assertions his contemptuous * This is peremptorily denied by D. Abbot against D. Hill pag. 307 with a marginall reference vnto VVhitak answ to Camp But VVhitak in his answ 10 Raindas c 7. being better aduised in this matter maketh some confession thereof howbeit he interlaceth dishonest euasions and grosse vntruths reiection of some Canonicall Scriptures his beastly and vnchristian positions his light and vayn imaginations his familiar conuersation with Diuells All which and many more odious things are extant in his owne workes things incredible vnto such as do not yet know them and fearfull vnto such as haue experience therein * Iuueâ—al Felicia tempora quae te Moribus opponant habeat iam Roma pudorem O happy times that brought thee forth to thunder out complaynt Now Rome may blush to see hir self opposd by such a Saint 7. But I will omitt the work of our late Reformation transacted by this boysterous Friar and returne vnto my other reforming gentlemen with whom I made this brief conclusion 9. The admirable WISEDOME of God doth confirme and ought to establish me in the doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead inasmuch as the first aduersaries thereof were desperately affected against his Truth and exercised open hostility against his Church There is an Aërius and an Henricus here is an Augustine and a Bernard the first deny it follow their peculiar imaginations the second affirme it rely vpon the conformable iudgement of the Catholick Church choose now whom thou wilt follow in this case and with which of theis thou wilt aduenture the eternity of thy soule 9. Shall I answere and say I respect not what the first or second haue deliuered but what the Scripture it self hath taught herein A poore euasion for the Scripture is clearely against me in this poynt and I can not gainsay it vnlesse I will come forth with a non obstante of mine owne sense and yet I am bound in all humility to subordinate my vnderstanding vnto the instruction of my Superiours But if in pride and insolency as S. * Furiosus mente clatus opinione c. See EpiphaÌ„ haer 75. The same censure belongeth vnto the rest Aërius Henricus Luther and others haue done I should preferr mine owne iudgement before the learned Fathers and renounce that due and conuenient subiection which I should haue toward the ancient Catholick Church she that must and shall iudge me and all my Protestanticall Doctours oh what monsters of opinion might I conceiue and what certainty of truth can I bring forth Truly as Aaron formed many pretious iewells into the similitude of a calf Exod. 32.4 so I might haply fashion vnto my self many foolish conceipts by casting the pretious word of God into the mould of my priuate and misguided fancy CHAP. III. The TRVTH of God hath confirmed this doctrine by a renowned Miracle An exception of Protestants refelled §. 1. The nature and Vse of Miracles 1. I Considered first that as a Miracle is a Diuine work in its nature because it can not be wrought without the speciall concurrency of Gods power so in its vse it is a Diuine testimonie because it hath a reference vnto some truth and principally when it is exhibited vnto that purpose for it procureth an inward conuiction of the vnderstanding A mystery is secret hidden and so it differeth from a miracle in respect of the VSE though it agree with it in the NATVRE thereof by an outward demonstration vnto the sense In which respect I may truly say that a Miracle is the broad Seale of Heauen affixed vnto some writing or euidence of
Gods owne hand bearing his image and superscription 2. I considered secondly that though Hereticks and Pagans do often counterfait this broad Seale yet their falsehood is discouerable by men of iudgement waighing the Circumstances with due examination Nay farther though it please God that a true miracle shall be performed by them as sometimes it hath come to passe yet there is alwayes a certayn limitation therein precisely vnto this of that * As the maintenaÌ„ce of Iustice or some other such moral and ciuill respect 1. Cor. 10.13 peculiar end so that it serueth by no meanes to giue assistance and validity vnto their hereticall or paganicall conceipts For the end and vse of Gods workes is alwayes good besides he is faithfull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power 3. I considered thirdly that Miracles may haue a triple respect according to the triple distinction of the Church For the Church hath three estates viz. of PLANTATION of PROPAGATION of REFORMATION De Ciuit. Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. 4. In the first estate there was a necessity of Miracles as S. Augustine doth well insinuate to this end that men might belieue For whereas our Lord did intend that his Ghospell should be the ordinary meanes of saluation for euer he thought fitt to gayn sufficient authority vnto it by an extraordinary meanes in the beginning 5. In the second estate there was no such necessity of Miracles and therefore S. Augustine saieth very excellently Ibid. * The Protestants do frequently earnestly alleadge this senteÌ„ce but they cunningly sâ—ppresse that which followeth I heartily request you to reade the whole chapter in S. Aug. whosoeuer requireth miracles now to this end that he may belieue he is a miracle himself forasmuch as he will not belieue when the whole world belieueth Notwithstanding in this estate also there is an vtility of Miracles for the glory and splendour and exaltation of the Church Wherefore S. Augustine proceedeth farther and speaketh to this effect My former answere may be sufficient for the conuiction of infidells but I stay not here Nunc quoque fiunt miracula for now also euen in this lardge propagation of the Church miracles are done in sondry places Fiunt nunc multa miracula Many miracles are done in theis dayes Some he reporteth vpon his owne experience others vpon certayn information and they are generally such as wound our Protestanticall Religion to the death And S. Augustine as it were foreseing the iudgement of Infidells and Protestants and what exceptions they would take against his report is very earnest in the deliuery of theis things adding in conclusion of one miracle Some men will not belieue that this was so but who are they euen they that belieue not how our Lord Iesus was borne of a Virgin and yet hir womb remayned entire or that he came into the roome where his Apostles were assembled and yet the doores were shutt 6. In the third estate Miracles are more * If Luthers reformatioÌ„ were good why was it not graced with so me euident miracles specially since so great a mutation hath followed ic as was neuer seene in the Church of God Nay why are many miracles now done in that church which he renounced Beda hist. Eccles l. 1. c. 21. Beda l. 2. c. 2. necessary then in the second though not so necessary as in the first For whereas it hath seemed good vnto the singular wisedome of God to adorne his Church with some miracles alwayes in the second estate euen when no heresy assaulted hir it was very conuenable that he should much rather affoord this power in the third for the extirpation of heresies and for redresse of great disorders Examples whereof were frequent in the dayes of our fore-fathers Britanny it self hath copious testimonies in this kind For thus the holy Bishopp S. German confounded the Pelagians and thus S. Augustine our Apostle reprooued the schismaticall Bishopps of Britanny in the publick conspect of the people §. 2. A miracle wrought by S. Bernard to the confusion of Henricus and his doctrine 1. THeis considerations being premised I tooke a serious reuiew of an history which though I had read long before yet it did not preuayle with me so farr as the dignity thereof did iustly require For partly the vayle was so closely drawen ouer mine eyes that I could not see the truth and partly I passed ouer it with a negligent leuity and carelesnesse as many Protestants do not willing to intertayn the knowledge of any doctrine which sorteth not with the publick State or their priuate fortunes Genes 11.7 Howbeit I know that as the tongues of the Babylonians were diuided and one conceyued not what an other spake so the tongues of many principall Schollers in England are diuided from their hearts they speake not what themselues conceiue 2. I come vnto my history S. Bernard hearing of the spoyles which * Huius rei gratiâ licet in multa corporis infirmitate iter arripui in has partes c. Bernar. ep 240. S. Bernard ibid. Henricus made in the vineyard of our Lord repayred into the parts of Tholouse which were greatly infected with his contagion for now the Churches were left without people people without Pastours and Pastours without honour and there in a frequent assembly he countermanded the fancies of this Apostata with learning and grauity and in the playn euidence of the Spirit 3. At the end of his sermon many of the auditors presented vnto him certayn quantities of bread and requested his fatherly benediction The deuout Abbot performed their desire with gladnesse assuring them that they should discerne the truth of his doctrine and the falsehood of Henricus if their sick and languishing friends should immediatly recouer their strength vpon the tast thereof 4. A venerable Bishopp being there present and fearing the successe added this clause by way of caution si bona fide sumpserint if they receiue it with a good faith But S. Bernard being secure in the power of almighty God answered publiquely non ego hoc dixerim no I sayd not so onely this I sayd and this I proclayme vnto you Let your sick people eate of this hallowed bread and they shall be made whole for hereby you shall know vs to be * Viz. in the doctrines which he defended against Henricus in the name of the Catholick Church TRVE Seruants of God His word was fulfilled the fame of this miracle was so dispersed in all the contrey that the blessed man declining the intolerable concourse of the people returned home an other way §. 3. There is no euasion against the clearenesse of this Miracle 1. THe exceptions which my heart could apprehend in this case were three but when I had waighed them all in the ballance of my reason I dismissed each of them successiuely with a part of Balthazar 's iudgement * Thekel Dan. 5.27 thou art waighed in
See afterward Part. 2. chap. 1. §. 2. For all Papists are of this opinion viz. that no sinnes but veniall onely shall be expiated in Purgatory fire Secondly the imputation of POPERY fastened vpon him from whom we English-men receiued our first instruction in the faith This was a good motiue vnto me to embrace Popery as passionate Sir Martin Luther phraseth the Catholick Religion whom I might more justly call a foule mouthed dogg then b Against D. Bishopp Part. 1. D. Abbott bestoweth this homely courtesy vpon a very learned * T. W. Priest since we were translated immediately from Paganisme vnto this belief by the wonderfull and gracious operation of almighty God Thirdly his confession of S. Gregories judgement concerning the remission of some sinnes after this life which D. Field would infrindge as you see by misinforcing his testimony against his euident purpose in that * Lib. 4. dial 39. place and his resolution elswhere 8. For in his exposition of the penitentiall Psalmes he deliuereth in * Psal 1. 3. in the beginning of each two seuerall places and strengtheneth himself in the first with the authority of S. AVGVSTINE whom he there expressly nameth that some men passe into heauen by the fire of purgation and are expiated thereby in the future life Could I desire a more copious satisfaction in the truth of this matter Or could I wish a more abundant redargution of D. Fields falsehood in traducing the Testaments of the dead for so their works are to establish that doctrine which they did wholly disclayme 9. Now a word or two concerning S. Bernard whom he coupleth very plausibly with S. Gregory as you may see to inferr a conclusion against that faith which they both professed I turned vnto the place in S. Bernard which truly can by no meanes admitt such an interpretation as M. Doctor doth colourably pretend For it is not the meaning of S. Bernard to deny that God doth at any time inflict a temporall payn after the remission of the guilt of sinne because this position were extreamely repugnant vnto Scriptures and Fathers and Reason as I shall briefly declare * Part. 2. chap. 1. §. 2. afterward and vnto the very condition of the Sacrament of Pennance it self wherein S. Bernard knew right well that sinne is remitted and yet all future punishment is not thereby taken away This was the conforme doctrine of the Catholicks in his time and who is so meanely skilled in S. Bernards faith as to conceiue that he would oppugne a matter of such sublimity and so correspondently intertayned by the Church 10. But the truth is this S. Bernard perswadeth men to flye from the contagion of sinne the effect whereof is such that as by naturall death it seuereth the soule from the body so by spirituall death it sundreth God from the soule And as sinne brought forth punishment so the cessation from sinne preuenteth punishment because no punishment doth follow where no sinne is gone before What then doth no effect of sinne remayn where the guylt of sinne is remitted S. Bernard * He esteemeth death it self to be a punishment of sinne as you may see by the sequele denieth it and therefore shewing in what sense he there intendeth that VVhen ALL sinne shall be * Prorsus D. Field himself coÌ„fesseth pag. 98. that Death tyrannizeth ouer the body c. Serm. in â—bitu Huberti VVHOLLY taken out of the way then shall no effect of it remayn he subnecteth this sentence in his sweet and diuine manner viz. Happy is our expectation and blessed is our hope whose Resurrection shall be much more glorious then our first estate of creation before our fall forasmuch as neither sinne nor punishment neither euill nor scourdge shall raigne or dwell or haue possibility to raigne or dwell either in our bodies or soules 11. To conclude it may please you to read and to ponderate this one little saying of S. Bernard by which you may take an estimate of his iudgement in theis matters My brethren while you think to auoyd a very small punishment in this world you incurr a greater in the next For you must vnderstand that you shall pay an hundred fold in * In purgabilibus locis Purgatory for those things which you neglect in this life 12. I know most kind Readers that you meruayle no lesse now then I did by what art D. Field can distill his Church out of the writings of theis worthy and learned men or how their authorities may be honestly alleadged to prooue that Papists are nothing els but a faction in the Church forasmuch as those Authors generally whom he produceth in his glorious Appendix are really interessed in that faction and enimies of our Protestanticall Church Wherefore I did now sufficiently vnderstand that we Protestants assuming the name of Israell vnto our selues and imputing the name of Philistims vnto the Papists could not iustify our affectation therein by any better resemblance then this viz. As the poore 1. Sam. 13.19.20 distressed Israelites were constrayned to repayr vnto the Philistims for the sharpening of their dulled tooles so we miserable Protestants hauing no better meanes are inforced to go vnto the Papists to procure some weapons for our defence from them which we turne vngratefully and vniustly against their owne bowells §. 2. S. AVGVSTINE abused by D. Field 1. YOu haue * Pag. 13. seene the goodly pretense of D. Field assuring you that the Protestants honour and reuerence the Fathers much more then the Papists do Which venditation if it did proceede from a syncere heart then D. Field should not stand in need of his inflexions and corruptions to sustayn his cause with their disgrace and much lesse with infaming the greatest of them all in this manner which I will here represent vnto your Christian view 2. The Romish manner of praying for the dead saith c Pag. 99. he hath no certayn testimony of Antiquity for NO MAN euer thought of Purgatory TILL Augustine to auoyd a worse errour did DOVBTINGLY runne into it d And none before that is false after whom e And not all that is false many in the Latin Church embraced the same opinion but the * See befor pag. 54. Greek Church neuer receiued it to this day 3. He is yet more seuere vnto S. Augustine vnto the Papists and vnto this doctrine saying that f Pag. 79. Augustine doubtfully broached that opinion which gaue occasion to the Papists of their HERESY touching Purgatory This imputation of heresy doth cleaue as strongly vnto the Fathers whom he pretendeth to honour and reuerence as vnto any Papist at this day for what should I speake of g Part. 4. Serm. de defunct in Querelâ defunct GERSONS heresy in this point whom he honoureth and reuerenceth so farr as to intitle him a * Pag. 85. worthy guide of Gods Church c. 4. Now though I obserued many
neuer of the true Church 18. Here it importeth you very much to intreate your Doctours resolution vnto their three particular demands FIRST since it is infallibly euident by the testimony of your owne Church for by hir approbation the booke of M. Rogers hath a singular warrant as you may see * pag. 160. before that your Catholick doctrine in this poynt is impugned substantially by the Lutherans why doth he preteÌ„d that the differeÌ„ce betweene the reformed Churches is meerely verball in this issue SECONDLY since your doctrine herein is graced with the name of Catholick is not theirs hereticall and consequently are not they hereticks and excluded thereupon from the society of your Church THIRDLY since M. Rogers by the lawfull authority of your Church brandeth the truest disciples of your great Reformer with the name of LVTHERANS pag. 179. why doth D. Field disclayme it with contempt of Card. Bellarmine and why doth he say that it pleaseth the Antichristian sectaries odiously to name them so It is not possible for any man to conceiue or to expresse your Euangelicks without theis distinctiue * LutheraÌ„s Caluinists appellations or some others equiualent thereunto §. 2. Three false and empty pretenses of D. Field to mitigate the scandall of the dissensions which rend and teare his Euangelicall Churches 1. AS your learned Doctour hath a speciall talent in the reconciliation of your differences so he hath an excellent art to extenuate the scandall thereof saying that whereas the Tigurines Gesnerus others disliked the distempered passions of LVTHER it is not to be meruayled at pag. 192. or that some differences were amongst them seeing the like were in former times betweene Epiphanius and Chrysostome Hierome Ruffinus Augustine and others 2. Nothing but fraud and falsehood For though your Doctour telleth you that the Tigurines and Gesnerus did forsooth DISLIKE the distempered passions of Luther yet you must know that they did execrate this great Reformer and detest him with a deadly and immortall hatred Peruse the orthodox confession of the Tigurines and you shall find that Luther was possessed with a legion of Diuells See the writings of Gesnerus and you may perceiue that Luther was a man of an impudent mouth and theis are moderate censures in comparison of the rest which are affoorded in their virulent and fiery discourses Wherefore though D. Field sayeth farther that it is not to be meruayled at c. yet how iust occasion there is for you to tremble at theis things I remitt me vnto the secret testimony of your inward iudge 3. I proceed vnto the brief discussion of his other false-hoods which are transparent vnto euery eye For what can be more vntruely suggested ibid. then that the LIKE differences were sometimes betwixt the ancient Fathers as passed betwixt Luther Zwinglius and others of the reformed Church S. Augustine dissented from S. Hierome See S. Aug. epist 8. 9. c. but whether you respect the * matter or manner their difference was farr vnlike vnto your capitall * concerning S. Paulls reprehension of S. Peter and immortall belligerations S. Augustine speaketh †See S. Aug. contra Iulian. Pelag l. 1. 2. honourably of S. Hierome and calleth him that holy Priest that holy man c. Yea in his epistles he saluteth him by the name of fellow-Priest and much desired BROTHER c. Which kind and familiar nuncupation †See Brentius contra Bullinger in Recognit pag. 276. Luther would not vouchsafe your deare Patriarch Zwinglius though he sought it with many teares Likewise S. Hierome speaketh respectiuely of S. Augustine and calleth him true Father and Lord c. But how obsequiously * See Fabric in loc com Luth. parte 5. pag. 49.50 Zwinglius demeaned himself toward Luther and what acerbity of stile he exercised against him Luther shall deliuer vnto you Zwinglius sent a most vayn booke vnto me and an epistle written with his owne hand well befitting that most proud spiritt of his he rageth and fumeth and threateneth and raueth so modestly that he seemeth vnto me past all recouery being conâ—inced by the manifest truth Now whether the difference betwixt Augustine and Hierome were LIKE vnto the furious and implacable assault of theis men I leaue it vnto your wise and religious determination 4. The mutuall contention of Ruffinus and S. Hierome was sharpe but farr vnlike vnto the garboyles of Luther and Zwinglius which surpasse the conflicts of S. Chrysost and Epiphanius themselues Wherefore it may please you to consider the dissimilitude of theis things which I will briefly tender vnto your carefull examination 5. FIRST if you respect the quality of the persons you shall find that S. Hierome Chrysost Epiphan and Ruffinus though they were men indued with excellent gifts yet they had an ordinary function onely and continued in the faith of the vniuersall Church See Zanch. de RedeÌ„pt in explicat 4. praecepti quaest de vocat ad minister c. But you pretend that Luther and Zwinglius were extraordinarily stirred vp by God to reforme his Church and to replant the decayed faith of Christ Yea Zanchius feareth not to say that they principally are the * Apocal. 11. two VVitnesses that should contend against Antichrist the Man of sinne for which cause as we are bound to require a speciall signe of their vocation vnto that excellent office so aboue all things we must expect Vnity and consent both in their words and deeds 6. SECONDLY if you obserue the cause of their dissensions you may note that the quarrell as well betwixt Epiph. and Chrysost as betwixt Hierome and Ruffinus concerned the writings of Origen and the inprobation thereof But the terrible fulminations of Luther and Zuinglius each against the other were founded originally in matters of faith pertayning vnto the necessity of saluation Hence it is that Luther saieth Luth. tom 2. de Caenâ Dom. I reckon not Zwinglius any more to be in the number of Christians He saieth farther I haue damned Zwinglius Oecolompaduis and all Sacramentaries to the vttermost of my power and this glory I shall carry with me vnto the tribunall of Crist 7. THIRDLY if you consider the extent and duration of their hostility you shall see that it was soone extinguished and not deriued as an hereditary warr vnto posterity and vnto entire Churches But it is otherwise in the case of Luther and Zwieglius for their personall strife is generall vnto whole Churches propagated in succession increased with continuall addition so that we may sooner expecta ruine of their ghospell then a reconciliation of their differences the measure whereof is vnmeasurable and consequently the end is endlesse And this euent agreeth with the prophecy of Luther the man of God as * in loc coÌ„ Luth. part 5. pag. 43. See also pag. 41. lin 2. 3. c. Fabricius sayeth who foresaw this misery and dissipation of the Church by SACRAMENTARIES