meant by those importunate bragges of the Catholicke Church and why the Papists rely so much vpon it x Audito Ecclesiae nominâ— hostis expalluit Campian tat 3. apud Posseu bibl select lib. 7. c. 19. they make their vaunts that the very name of the Church appalleth vs and good reason if the Pope be it Gods enemie and ours But in the meane time themselues might blush thus to tell the ignorant a tale of the Church and will the foolish Protestants be wiser then the Catholicke Church y Nomen callide retinuit tem ipsam funditus desiniâ—ndo fustulit Camp vbi supra and yet this Church when things come to the reckoning is nothing else but the Pope § 14. And first that the doctrine of the vniuersall Church in all points is infallible thus I reason If our Sauiour Christ haue promised to any company of men the assistance of himselfe and of his holy Spirit for this speciall purpose to teach and instruct them in euery truth giuing withall peculiar commission to them to teach all nations and warrant and commandement to all to heare them and to do in all things according to their saying and further threatning that he that will not heare them and do in all things according to their saying should be accounted as an Ethnicke and Publican then certainly the doctrine and the teaching of this companie of men is in all points infallible and most true For looke what he promiseth must needs be performed and whatsoeuer he warranteth or commandeth to be done may safely and without danger of error be done nay must of necessitie be done especially when he threateneth those that will not do it and consequently if he promise to send his holy Spirit to teach anie companie of men all truth it is not to be doubted but that he sendeth this his Spirit and by him teacheth them all truth And since the teaching of this Spirit is infallible we haue not to doubt but that this companie to which this promise should be made should in all points be infallibly taught the truth If also the same our Sauior gaue warrant and commandement that we should heare and do in all points according to the saying of this companie of men being thus infallibly taught and hauing commission to teach we may not likewise doubt but that they shall infallibly teach vs the truth in all points For otherwise by this his commandement we should sometimes be bound to heare and beleeue that which were not true and to do that which were not right and good which without blasphemie to Christs veritie and goodnesse can no way be taught But so it is that Christ our Sauiour hath in holy Scripture promised giuen commission warranted commanded and threatened in maner aforesaid therefore we haue not to doubt but that a certaine companie of men there be to wit that companie which is called the true catholike Church which both is in all points taught infallibly by the holy Spirit and is in like maner to teach vs all truth The promise we haue Mat. vltim Ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus vsque ad consummationem seculi I am with you all the dayes vnto the end of the world In which words is promised the continuall presence of Christ himselfe the maister of truth with his holy Church not for a while then nor for a while now but all the dayes vnto the end of the world Also we haue another promise Ioh. 14. Ego rogabo Patrem meum alium paracletum dabit vobis Spiritum veritatis vt maneat vobiscum in aeternum I will aske my Father and he will giue you another paraclete that he may remaine with you not onely for sixe hundred yeares but for euer And to shew vs for what purpose he would haue his holy Spirit to remaine with vs for euer he saith againe Cum autem venerit ille Spiritus veritatis docebit vos omnem veritatem Iob. 16. And when the Spirit of truth shall come he shall teach you all truth The commission we haue Mat. vltim Euntes docete omnes gentes The warrant also we haue Luc. 10. Qui vos audit me audit By which words appeareth plainely that our Sauiour Christ would haue vs to heare and giue credit to his Church no lesse then to himselfe The commandement we haue Mat. 23. Super cathedram Mosis sedent Scribae Pharisaei omnia ergo quaecunque dixerint vobis seruate facite Out of which words we may gather that we are commanded in all points to do according to the doctrine of the Prelates of the catholike Church though it should happen that their liues should not be coÌ„mendable or good For though in this place our Sauiour do onely speake of the chaire of Moses in which the priests of the old law did sit yet it must be vnderstood à fortiori of the chaire of S. Peter in which the Priests of the new law do succeed So did the ancient Fathers vnderstand and especially S Austin Epist 165. who saith thus In illum ordinem Episcoporum qui ducitur ab ipso Petro ad Anastasium qui nunc in eadem cathedra sedet etiamsi quisquam traditor per illa tempora subrepsisset nihil praeiudicaret Ecclesiae innocentibus Christianis quibus Dominus prouidens ait de praepositis malis quae dicunt facite quae faciunt facere nolite Into the order of Bishops which is deriued from S. Peter himself vnto Anastasius who now sitteth vpon the same chaire although some traitor had crept in for the time he should nothing hurt or preiudice the Church of the innocent Christians vnto whom our Lord prouiding saith of euill Prelates what they say do what they do do not The threats we may gather out of Luc. 10. where our Sauiour saith Qui vos spernit me spernit He that despiseth you despiseth me signifying what sinne it were not to heare but to despise the preaching of our Sauiour Christ himselfe that we should account it the same sinne to despise and not to giue heed and credite to his catholike Church insinuating thereby a threat of like punishment for the said contempt Also Mat. 18. the same our Sauiour saith Si Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi sicut Ethnicus Publicanus Thus you see our Sauiour Christ hath promised vnto his Church the continuall assistance of himselfe and of his holy Spirit to teach vs all truth Moreouer that he hath giuen commission to it to teach vs yea and hath warranted and commanded vs in all points to heare and to do according to the saying of his Church and hath threatened greatly those that will not heare the Church which proueth that it pertaineth to this Church to instruct vs in all points of faith that we ought to learne of it in all matters of religion the infallible truth The Answer 1 The drift of all this section is to proue that the doctrine of the vniuersal Church in
from going and enquiring to her Nay rather we aduise all people desirous of the truth to follow Austins counsell howsoeuer such as the Iesuite is to make vs odious giue out the contrary For Austin first attributeth the perfection of truth to the Scripture onely Secondly then he alloweth vs to go to no Church but that which from the Scripture is demonstrated to be a true Church Thirdly he saith neuer a word that the Church should be the rule or free from all error but onely that they should enquire her iudgement which in that questioÌ„ at that time he knew to be sound though possible he were not ignorant that x Euseb hist l. 7. c. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. many famous Churches formerly had not bene so but had decreed the very error that he now confuted Lastly y Aduer Cresc l. 2. c. 21. within fiue leaues of the place alledged he hath these words The Church is subiect to Christ and therefore may not preferre her selfe before him for he alway iudgeth rightly but Ecclesiasticall iudges being but men for the most part are deceiued Let the Iesuit yeeld vs thus much and he shall find himselfe a great deale short of that he reckoneth for the certaintie of his Churches teaching and that Austin maketh not the Church the rule as he would haue it but a meanes to direct vs in things obscure by the Scriptures whose iudgement is to be followed vpon their authoritie and onely so long as she determineth according to them Which point I feare the Iesuite will mislike 6 Yet thus the Church it selfe teacheth vs. For what Bishops what Pastors what Councels what men what Churches haue not erred though z Mal. 2.7 Eph. 4 11. Heb. 13.17 God haue bidden vs enquire their iudgement and seek vnto them The Papists will say particular Churches may erre but how did the Councels of Ephesus Seleucia and Remino misse it a The Bishops at Ephesus were 132. at Selculeucia 16â— at Ariminum 400 whereof aboue 300. were Catholicke Bishops where the flower of all the Christian Pastours of the world were assembled whereof b Dial. aduer Lucifer Ierome complained The whole world groned and wondred to see it selfe Arrian Which imperfection hath hung so fast vpon all Councels and Churches that c Ep. ad Proco Nazianzen writing to a friend of his saith He neuer saw any councel haue a good end And d Adu profanâ— nou c. 4. Vincentius confesseth that not onely some portion of the Church but the whole Church it selfe is blotted with some new contagion So that the very Papists themselues some of them conuinced by experience and the Churches owne confession are driuen in the point to come home vnto vs. For thus writeth e Turrecrem sum de Eccl l. 2 c. 91. l. 3. c. 60 a learned Cardinall That which we say the Church cannot erre in faith or manners must thus be taken according to the doctrine of the fathers that God doth so assist his Church to the end of the world that the true faith shall neuer faile out of the same For to the worlds end there shall be no time wherein some though not all shall not haue true faith working by loue Doth not the Iesuite see here that though all of them lay downe the conclusion that the Church cannot erre yet some of them expound it so that they come roundly home to vs and do as good as deny it againe Therefore let the Iesuite iarre no more about this matter but submit himselfe to the Cardinals exposition and so we will both sit down friendly together at his feete awaiting till either he or some other speake Protestant againe and so agree vs in the rest of the questions that are depending § 16. The first condition therefore of the rule of faith to wit to be infallible agreeth to the teaching of the Church Now that the doctrine and teaching of the Church hath the other conditions to wit that it is such as may be easily knowne to all sorts of men and such as may vniuersally teach them in all points will easily be seene after I shall set downe and proue that this Church is alway visible and further what particular companie of men be those which be this true Church For hauing by this meanes assigned a particular companie of men who according as I haue proued are in all points taught by the holy Ghost and are by God his appointment in stead of Christ in all points to teach vs the infallible truth there will no doubt remaine but that their teaching is such as may be vnderstood of all since they are liuing men that can conforme their teaching to the capacitie of all sorts and such as may sufficiently in all points instruct vs in the right faith that the appointment and ordinance of God by which as I haue proued they are ordained to teach vs in all points may not be in vaine and frustrate of the effect intended by him Let vs therefore first see whether the Church or companie of faithfull men of which I haue alreadie spoken be alway visible or not The Answer 1 The first condition of the rule of faith to be infallible agreeeth not to the teaching of the Church because the Iesuite by the Church meaneth a See Digress 16. nu 4 onely the Pope and all Papists hold b Propterea enim sedes Apostolica seu Romana Ecclesia infallibilis dicitur quia is qui prae est illi authoritateÌ„ habet per se infallibilem Gr. de Val. comment Theol tom 3. p. 247. D. the infalliblnes therof consists in his authority that caÌ„not erre and nothing else Neither can he assigne any company or state of men whereby she may be supposed to manifest her teaching but the same may be subiect to error and in experience hath erred as we see in Councels and Doctors and all other meanes which she hath vsed in teaching vs except that of the Scriptures onely as I haue shewed 2 Next though it were granted to be infallible and the next also yeelded which the Iesuite now beginneth to take so much paines to proue that it were both easie to be knowne and could teach vs vniuersally in all points yet were it not proued thereby to be the rule because there is more required to the rule then this as I haue shewed and this it borroweth from the Scripture as the Moone doth her light from the Sun which sheweth against all exception that the Scripture it selfe is the rule and of greater authoritie then the Church in that these things are originally in the Scripture from whence the Church but borroweth whatsoeuer she partaketh thereof though c Igitur quicquid habet boni aâ— perficit Scriptura quicquid pleni ac solidi id habet ab Ecclesia quae implet eum qui implet omnia pag. 434. Ecclesia aâ—unt coÌ„stituta est vt tertimonium exhibeat diuinis libris quis
the Iesuite so confidently beareth his friend in hand that the Gospels of the foure Euangelists cannot be knowne to be true Scripture more then those of Thomas and Nicodemus but by the authoritie of his Church Wherein possible he hath also the same meaning that Doctor Standish vttereth in the place alledged x In the letter b. a little before that those counterfeit Gospels bearing the titles of Thomas Nicodemus and Bartholomew were written by them in deed but his Church to shew her authoritie that this she can do hath repealed them A fat conceit yet some mens stomackes belike can digest it But if the Iesuite cannot conceiue how the Scripture may be discerned from other writings vnlesse we allow him the Churches authoritie let him hearken and learne of a rare man of his owne side Picus of Mirandula who speaking of the Scriptures y Refert Posseu bibl in Cicero c. 11. hath this memorable saying They do not moue they do not perswade but they enforce vs they driue vs forward they violently constraine vs. Thou readest words rude and homely but such as are quicke liuely flaming stinging piercing to the bottome of the spirit and by their admirable power transforming the whole man This admirable light shining in the Scripture it selfe shall assure vs it is the word of God better I hope then that Church whose tongue is sold to speake nothing but the Popes will § 29. Fourthly if to haue an entire faith in all particular points must be foreknowne as a marke whereby to know the true Church then contrary to that which hath bene alreadie proued the authoritie of the Church should not be a necessarie meanes whereby men must come to the infallible knowledge of true faith for if before we come to know which is the true Church we might by other meanes haue knowne which is the true faith in all points what need then is there for getting the true faith alreadie had to vse or bring the authoritie of the Church The Answer 1 Because this reason is the same with that which goeth before therefore it shall receiue the same answer That although we need the ministerie of the Church to teach vs the faith and this faith is not ordinarily knowne till the Church or some member thereof reueale it to vs yet may it be a marke whereby to know the Church as the effect is a marke of the cause that produceth it the fruite of the tree the teaching of the schoolemaister In which case the reuelation of the true faith whereby we come to know it is an effect or worke of the Church and so able and fit to assure vs that it is the Church Neither doth this suppose or imply that the faith is already had and knowne by other meanes before we vse the Church but onely that when the Church teacheth the faith thereof in the order of my vnderstanding is first knowne that is to say the Church and the faith being inseparably ioyned together yet the faith first cometh to my knowledge This I further explicate by a similitude For musick is the marke of a Musitian whereby to know him and to distinguish him from all other professions And though I must first be assured it is good musicke that he sheweth before I can be certaine he is a Musitian yet were it folly to reason as the Iesuite doth what need then is there for the getting of the musicke already had to vse the ministerie of the Musitian for the musicke is not already had but onely by his playing it cometh in order before himselfe into my vnderstanding and then I know him thereby So a 1. Reg. 3.16 two women laid claime both to one child and both pretended themselues to be true mother thereunto as the Church of Rome this day striueth with vs pleading for her selfe that she is our holy mother the Church and the child is hers in this contention we must find out the Church by the same markes that Salomon found out the true mother which was her tender compassion inclosed in her bowels and discouered by her words that she had rather part with her child then haue it cut in sunder And if the Iesuite should reason against Salomons iudgement that he had followed a wrong marke which was inclosed in the woman heart and needed great iudgement yea diuine illumination to find it the woman her selfe by her speech and behauiour made it knowne to him and if pietie and pitie were the note of a true mother whereby to know her then contrary to that which hath bene already proued the speech and behauiour of the mother should not be a necessary meanes whereby Salomon must come to the knowledge of this pietie c. If I say he should thus argue against Salomon he might do it with the same reason that he vseth against vs and possible with as good successe * V. vltim the spirit of God and the iudgement of all Israel in both alike equally condemning his sophistry For was not the womans pitie toward the child knowne to Salomons wisedome before he knew her to be the mother and yet her selfe was the instrument that made it knowne So true faith is the mark of the Church and known to me before the Church but yet by no other meanes but by the Church whose ministery is needful for the getting it as the cause is needfull for the obtaining of the effect and afterward it selfe is proued by the same effect Now the teaching of the truth is an effect of the true Church § 30. Fiftly if before we giue absolute infallible and vndoubted credit to the true Church we must examine and iudge whether euery particular point which it teacheth be the truth with authoritie to accept that which we like or which in our conceit seemeth right and conformable to Gods word and to reiect whatsoeuer we dislike or which in our priuate iudgement seemeth not so right or conformable then we make our selues examiners and iudges ouer the Church and consequently preferre our liking or disliking our iudgement and censure of the sence of Scripture before the iudgement definition and censure of the true Church But it is absurd both in reason and religion to preferre the iudgement of anie priuate man be he neuer so wittie or learned or neuer so strongly perswaded in his owne conceit that he is taught by the Spirit before the sentence of Gods Catholike Church which is a companie of men many of which both are and haue bin most vertuous wise and learned and which is chiefe is such a companie as according to the absolute and infallible promises of Scripture hath Christ himselfe and his holy Spirit continually among them guiding them and teaching them all truth and not permitting them to erre Matth. vlt. 10.14 16. vt supra The Answer 1 This is his last argument wherein he reasoneth thus that if the faith be a note of the Church then it must first be examined
THE WAY TO THE TRVE CHVRCH wherein The principall Motiues perswading to Romanisme and Questions touching the nature and authoritie of the Church and Scriptures are familiarly disputed and driuen to their issues where this day they sticke betweene the Papists and vs Contriued into an Answer to a Popish Discourse concerning the Rule of Faith and the marks of the Church And published to admonish such as decline to Papistrie of the weake and vncertaine grounds whereupon they haue ventured their soules Directed to all that seeke for resolution and especially to his louing countrimen of Lancashire By IOHN WHITE Minister of Gods word at Eccles. For the finding out of the matter and questions handled there are three Tables two in the beginning and one in the end of the Booke ¶ De hoc inter nos Quaestio versatur vtrum apud Nos an apud Illos vera Ecclesia sit August de vnit Eccles cap. 2. LONDON Printed for IOHN BILL and WILLIAM BARRET 1608. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHERS IN GOD TOBIE THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF YORKE HIS GRACE Primate and Metropolitane of England and to GEORGE Lord Bishop of Chester his very good Lords WHen I first peÌ„ned this Treatise which now I offer to your Lordships I did it for mine owne priuate exercise and the satisfying of certaine friends that desired it Afterward seeing some hope that it might doe good abroad principally in the countrey where I dwell and desirous if it were possible to do any thing that might helpe the seduced out of their errors and confirme the rest in the truth I was easily perswaded to put it forth and the rather for that the questions handled touching THE AVTHORITIE AND SENCE OF THE SCRIPTVRE and SIGNES OF THE CHVRCH are the profitablest that can be stood vpon and such as I haue alway obserued our people commonliest vse and most desire to looke into not being able to apprehend the difference or iudge of the reasons in other questions but presuming that if by certain marks they could find which is the true Church there would remaine litle difficultie in the rest forsomuch as therein they should find the truth in euery controuersie 2 The proper cause why our aduersaries put this deuice into the peoples heads was to dazle their eyes and delude their sences with the name of THE CHVRCH that when they should find the word of God and all discourse against their opinions yet that name should amaze them while they might beleeue nothing vntill they were perswaded by other marks that it came from the CHVRCH And no doubt this is the a Apollodor Bibliothec. li. 2. Gorgons head that inchanteth and oppresseth them euen the learnedst of them all and holdeth them in bondage to their errors hauing a conceit that they wil heare nothing against the Church which they presuming to be the Papacy though it be but AN IMPOSTVME BRED IN THE CHVRCH or A DISEASE GROWING TO IT will go no further All their speech is of the Church no mention of the Scriptures or God their Father but their MOTHER THE CHVRCH Much like as b Solin poly hist c. 33. they write of certaine Aethiopians that by reason they vse no mariage but promiscuously companie together it cometh that the children onely follow the mother the fathers name is in no request but the mother goeth away with all the reputation Let their talke be listened and their bookes perused and it will appeare this authoritie of their Church is at the end of euery question and striketh the stroke as c Philostrat in imaginib one saith pleasantly of Aesops Fables that therein the Foxe is the chiefe stickler of all the company The beasts seldom meet but he is among them and beareth his part with the busiest 3 This matter is handled in this Booke betweene my aduersarie and me For though others haue done the same before me yet I haue done it in mine owne method The water is all one but the vessell wherein I haue brought it is my owne And it was the iudgement of d Trinit l. 1. c. 3. de Mendacio c. 6. Saint Austine that In places infected with heresie all men should write that had any facultie therein though it were but the same things in other words that all sorts of people among many bookes might light vpon some and the enemie in all places might find some to encounter him The Iesuites which are the Popes Ianizaries that guard his person and were brought in now at the last cast when the state of the Papacie was at a dead lift to support the waight of the maine battell haue pestered the land with their writings and filled the hands and pockets of all sorts of people with their papers yea fannes and feathers are lapped vp in them wherein it is admirable to see how presumptuously they take vpon them in disgracing our persons belying our doctrine and coining and defending strange opinions of their owne neuer heard of afore as if Chrysippus schoole had bred them e Diog. Laert. in Chrysip who vsed to make his boast that many times he wanted opinions to aduance but if once he had the opinion he neuer wanted arguments to defend it whose writings seeing they cannot be suppressed pitie but they were effectually answered The applause that ignorant and vnsetled minds giue them and the conquest that of late yeares they haue made of a few Libertines and discontented persons hath so fleshed them that it is incredible how they brag and sing like f Auentin Annal lib. 2. the clownes of Germany when they had expelled the Franks Mille Francos mille Sarmatas semel occidimus Mille mille mille mille mille Persas quaerimus But I dare boldly say it that if the maner how they haue preuailed be looked into g Praescript Tertullians speech will fall out to be true It is the weaknesse of some that giueth them the victory being able to do nothing when they encounter an able faith Discontent and vanitie of mind voide of the knowledge and faithfull practise of religion are good dispositions to heresie They liue Gentiles saith Cyprian and die heretickes h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dioâ— Laerâ— in Epicur Epicurus in his time with teaching pleasure and libertie filled the most houses and cities with his friends But if we looke what the motiues were that led them away and what the Iesuites said against vs I presume three verses in i Pâ—â—â—â—ol Plautus will answer them Quid ait quid narrat quaeso quid dicit tibi Nugas theatri verba quae in comoedijs Solent lenoni dici quae pueri sciunt 4 A singular misery no doubt and aboue all other to be lamented that mans mind so free so ready so able with those helpes that God hath left him to search out the truth yet should not be satisfied nor rest contented with heauen and earth or any other thing that God hath reuealed for the finding
bungling workmen that were not their crafts masters till the Smith the Carpenter and the painter came euery one in his place and shewed his skill First the Canonists like blacksmiths blew with the bellowes of their Decrees and hammered and heat it in the coles of the Popes Constitutions these smithes were Gratian Pope Iohn Gregory and Boniface with their prentises that serued them Hostiensis Innocent Panormitane and the rest of that profession Next the Carpenters that tooke it in hand were the Friers and Schoolmen which stretched their line ouer it and brought it into better shape Thomas and Scot and Alexander fashioned it with line and leuel they stretched out the line of Method ouer it and with the thred of a Distinction they plained it where it was rough and with the compasses of their Logick and Philosophy made it in the fashion of a man After that the great Lateran Councell about the yeare 1215. had polished it and giuen it strong ioynts to stand vpon not long after the Councels of Constance Basil and another Lateran hewed it ouer again and altered the fashion in certain points touching the Popes authoritie There some Cardinals Senensis and Cusanus thought the head stood too high aboue the shoulders and would haue had it bowed downe a little lower At last they brought it to Trent into the hands of their best workmen as y Absolutissima Trident. Synod Posseuin biblioth select pag. 18. A. they say who mended it from top to toe and set it vp againe when the wormes had welnigh consumed it since which time the third sort of workmen the Painters haue taken it in hand the Iesuits and their fellowes who neuer cease to paint it day and night There is no colour but they haue tried it to make it beautifull Some with varnish and plaister stop vp the crackes which the Sunne shining vpon it hath made that they might not be seene Bellarmine and his associates in that kind stirre all colours together and varnish ouer the smokie and dustie places so skilfully that a man can scarce tell what the colour is Surius and Baronius with other colours ground by Legendaries cast a shadow ouer it for seeming too youthfull but they haue painted a gray beard to a greene head the rest stand by such as are Sixtus Senensis Lindan Staphylus Posseuine like Censors commending the workmanship and flattering the workmen and extolling the idoll against them they call Lutherans and Caluinists Thus at the last haue they polished their Dagon and set it vp before the Lords Arke saue that it may not be forgotten that with some of it they warme themselues and rost their meate as Pardons the Masse and Purgatorie and laugh in their sleeues at such as turne the spit Ah I am warme I haue bin at the fire 6 This is the labor and workmanship that our aduersaries haue bestowed on their religion to set it forth whereby they haue made their Church so seeming Catholicke And indeed we haue alwayes obserued that there be two principall things which draw mens conceits to Papistrie The first is the Name and report that goeth of the Church of Rome while men perswade themselues that a Church so ancient and renowmed in all ages cannot but be the true Church of God The second is the rumour and opinion of our aduersaries learning as if it were vnpossible so learned men should be deceiued and their writings could be answered Neuerthelesse it is easie enough to see the truth through all this if men will consider of things attentiuely For touching the name and shew of the ROMANE CHVRCH it is but an empty sound of words and titles this present Romane being wholly departed in the questions controuerted from the ancient and retaining nothing but the title This should deceiue no man For the true ancient and Apostolicke Church of Rome so much commended by the Fathers and sought to by the world professed another kind of faith then this doth and the same that now we defend against them whereas this is fallen from it and yet skilfully retaining still the same Seate and Title imposeth maruellously vpon the world hereby Isidorus Pelusiota b L. 3. Epist 408. hath a saying that sheweth the likelihood of this In the daies of the Apostles and afterward when the Church florished and laboured as yet of no disease the diuine graces of God went as it were in a ring round about it the holy Ghost administring all things and all the Bishops thereof inciting and turning it towards heauen afterwards it grew diseased and was troubled with faction and then all those things flew away Thus the Church is like a woman fallen from her ancient happinesse and retaining onely some signes thereof She hath the sheathes and caskets where her ornaments lay but the goods themselues she is spoiled of Not through his carelesnesse and negligence that first enriched her but through their naughtinesse that gouerned not things as they should haue done This Doctor well perceiued that a Church may lose the faith and yet retaine her name still and he saw that in his time things fell to decay and the faith of Christ began to be altered To what purpose then should any man respect the name of the Romane Church when the true faith is changed or what do the prerogatiues and royalties of the ancient Church concerne this that is turned to another religion or who regardeth a house of stately building and honorable title or anticke memory since Iohn of Gaunt when the plague hath infected it and theeues possesse it Besides when it was at the best in the Apostles time and after yet other Churches were commended as well and counted as good as it c Meditat. Respons in iute Graecoroman tom 1. p. 449. These are the words of Balsamon The fiue Patriarkes of Rome Alexandria Constantinople Ierusalem and Antioch had identitie of honour d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and obtained the roome of one head ouer the body that is the holy Churches of God And Nicephorus the Patriarke of Constantinople e Concil Ephesin pag. 307. in an Epistle to Leo the Bishop of Rome saith And we also who haue obtained the name of new Rome being built vpon one and the same foundation of faith the Prophets and Apostles where Christ our Sauiour and God is the corner stone f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the matter of faith are nothing behinde the elder Romanes For in the Church of God there is nothing to be reckoned before the rest Wherefore let Saint Paul glory and reioyce in vs also and ioyning new things with old and comparing vs in doctrines and preaching let him glory in vs both alike For we as well as they following his doctrines and institutions wherein we are rooted are confirmed in the confession of our faith wherein we stand and reioice c. So that the Greeke Churches in the East thought themselues equall with Rome and the commendations of the
Containing a discourse of Saint Austins about mens errors against the Scriptures 10. 15. Shewing that priuate and particular companies may sometime be assured of the truth against a pretended Catholick company 12. 16. Shewing how the Papists pretending at euery word the Catholick Church yet meane nothing thereby but the Popes determination 13. 17. Wherein it is shewed is what maner the Church is said to be inuisible and that the Papists say no lesse concerning this matter then we do 17. 18. Prouing the true faith or doctrine contained in the Scripture to be a good marke to know the Church by 24. 19. Touching the place of Saint Austin contra Epist Fundam cap. 5. and the matter which the Papists gather from it 28. 20. Concerning the proceeding of the Trent Councell in determining the matters of faith 31. 21. Shewing that Gods true Church in all ages hath now and then bin troubled with contentions as great as are now among vs. 33. 22. Obiecting the behauiour of Papists toward the diuine Scriptures thereby to shew their varying frō that which in former times the primitiue Church of Rome beleeued 35. 23. Wherein by fiue examples it is shewed that the moderne Church of Rome is varied in points of faith from that which it beleeued formerly and since the time also that it began to be the seate of Antichrist 35. 24. Touching the contentions among the learned Papists of the Church of Rome and how the Papists liue not in that vnitie that is pretended 35. 25. Whererein it is shewed that in the Primitiue Church the Popes determination was not thought an infallible truth neither did the Christians for the maintenance of vnitie submit themselues thereunto 36. 26. Shewing that the Papists themselues do not so constantly and vniformly submit themselues to the Popes iudgement nor beleeue his infallible authoritie as is pretended 36. 27. Shewing that the Primitiue Church acknowledged not the Popes supremacy 36. 28. Shewing that the Pope is not of infallible iudgement but may erre and fall into heresie as any other man may 36. 29. Declaring the Pope not to be Saint Peters successor 36. 30. Wherein it is shewed that the Papists are not agreed among themselues to this day how Peters supposed primacie is proued or what it containeth but they are altogether vncertaine in expounding the maine texts of Scripture whereupon they build it 36. 31. Containing many complaints made by the Papists themselues against their owne Church and people whereby it appeareth their liues are worse then can be said of the Protestants 38. 32. Touching fasting and how we differ from the Papists therein and whether the doctrine of our Church be against it as the Papists charge vs. 40. 33. Concerning Auricular confession or Shrift to a Priest shewing the needlesnesse thereof and how it is an occasion rather then a remedy of sin 40. 34. Concerning the necessitie or requisite condition of good works for our saluation shewing that the Protestants hold it 40. 35. Touching the merit of our works and what is to be holden thereof 40. 36. Answering those that accuse the Protestants for holding that no man can keepe Gods commaundements and shewing what is to be holden concerning that matter 40. 37. Whether the Protestants thinke whatsoeuer we do is sinne 40. 38. Against the distinction of sinne into Mortall and Veniall 40. 39. Touching the satisfaction that men are bound vnto for their sinnes 40. 40. Wherein the doctrine of Iustification by faith onely is expounded and defended 40. 41 Intreating of Predestination and Freewill as the Protestants hold them and shewing that their doctrine concerning these points doth neither make God the author of sinne nor leade men to be carelesse of there liues nor inferre any absolute necessity constraining vs that we cannot do otherwise then we do 40. 42. Againe touching Freewill wherein the doctrine of our Church is methodically propounded and in euery point compared with that which the Papists hold that the seuerall questions betweene them and vs and the maner how and where they rise may be seene distinctly set downe 40. 43. Prouing that Gods children without miracles or extraordinary reuelation may be and are infallibly assured that they haue grace and shall be saued 41. 44. Answering that which the Papists obiect touching the miracles of their Church and Saints therein 42. 45. Touching Monkes and religious orders holden among the Papists which they say we haue reiected and forsaken 42. 46. Naming certaine points of the Papists faith which directly tend to the maintenance of open sinne and liberty of life 43. 47. Of the authoritie of the ancient Fathers in matters of our faith and religion wherein it is shewed what we ascribe vnto them and how farforth we depend vpon them and the practise of our aduersaries in contemning cluding and refusing both them and their owne writers is plainely discouered 44. 48 Containing a briefe and direct answer to our aduersaries when they say we cannot assigne a visible company professing the same faith in euery point that we do euer since Christ till now without intterruption 45. 49. Obiecting eight points for example wherein the Church of Rome holdeth contrary to that which formerly was holden The conception of the virgine Mary Latin Seruice Reading the Scriptures Priests mariage Images Supremacy Communion in one kind Transubstantion 47. 50. Of the conuersion of the Indies to the Romane faith by the Iesuites 49. 51. Naming seuen points of the Popish religion with the time when and maner how they gate into the Church thereby to shew that there is sufficient record to detect the nouelty of the present Romane faith 50. 52. Shewing that the present religion of the Romane Church was obserued and resisted in all ages as it came in and increased naming withall the persons that made the resistance and the points wherein and the time when from fiftie yeares to fiftie throughout all ages since Christ compendiously obserued out of history for the satisfying of their error that so much conceit the antiquitie of Papistry and thinke it was neuer controlled til Luthers time 50. 53. Obiecting seuen things against the outward succession of Popes in the Sea of Rome Whereby the same is clearely demonstrated to haue bene interrupted and not to be any certaine or infallible succession 55. 54. Containing a briefe narration touching the life and death of Martin Luther with the incredible reports therof made by his aduersaries shewing how sundry Popes in the Church of Rome haue liued and died worse then he though it were granted all reports made of him were true 57 55. Shewing how vncertaine and contrary the Papists are among themselues touching the power of their Priesthood in remitting sins and concerning the first institution of Shrift where it began De Iudice fidei admonitio Catholica ad Lectorem PVrus ab impuro num differt sanguine sanguis Differt iudicium laudo Galene tuum Ritibus in sacris secernitur hoedus ab agno Vox tua
God hath set forth by his Church to be learnâ—d of vs whether they be written or not written Doctor Standish in r Cap. 6. probat 3. his booke against English Bibles crieth out Take from them the English damnable translations and let them learne the mysteries of God reuerently by heart and learne to giue as much credit to that which is not expressed as to that which is expressed in the Scripture Å¿ D. 40. Si Papa in Annot. margin The Canon law newly set out by Pope Gregorie the thirteenth saith that Men do with such reuerence respect the Apostolicall seate of Rome that they rather desire to know the ancient institution of Christian religion from the Popes mouth then from the holy Scripture and they onely inquire what is his pleasure and according to it they order their life and conuersation So that you see howsoeuer the Iesuite say our faith cannot apprehend a falshood because it assenteth onely to the word of God yet by the word of God he meaneth Romish Traditions as well as the Scripture and so maketh those things of equall truth with it and then beareth you in hand that the certaintie of your faith and religion dependeth on their infallibility as much as on the infallibilitie of the Scripture a point which I would easily graunt him if the question were of the Romish faith for I confesse it dependeth vpon Traditions more then on the written word so farre forth that as t Andrad Orthodox explicat lib. 2. quam traditionum authoritatem si tollas nutare iam vacillare videbuntur pag 80. a Doctor of his owne side speaketh Many points therof would reele and totter if they were not supported with the helpe of Traditions But against this let the iudgement of u Regul contract 95. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 502. Basil be noted by the way It is necessary and consonant to reason that euery man learne that which is needfull out of the Scriptures both for the fulnesse of godlinesse and lest they inure themselues to humane Traditions § 2. Thirdly the one and infallible faith without which we cannot please God must be also entire whole and sound in all points and it is not sufficient to saluation to beleeue stedfastly some points and not other some So saith Athanasius his Creed receiued of all Quicunque vult saluus esse c. Whosoeuer will be saued before all things it is needful that he hold the catholike faith which vnlesse euery one keepe entire and inuiolate without doubt he shall perish euerlastingly Againe to beleeue some points of faith and to denie others is heresie as not to beleeue anie point of faith at all is absolute infidelitie But it is certain euen out of Scripture that neither infidell nor heretick shall be saued For our Sauiour hath absolutely pronounced Qui non crediderit condemnabitur Marc. 16. And the Apostle S. Paule Gal. 5. putteth heresies among the workes of the flesh saying Manifesta sunt opera carnis quae sunt fornicatio fictae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in English heresies of all which he saith Qui talia agunt regnum Dei non consequentur Moreouer the reason why anie one point of faith is vnder paine of damnation to be beleeued by Christian diuine and infallible faith is because God almightie hath reuealed it and by his Church hath proposed it vnto vs and commanded it to be beleeued for otherwise they be not points of faith but of opinion or of some other kinde of knowledge Therefore all points of faith are vnder paine of damnation to be beleeued The Answer 1 This third conclusion toucheth a second propertie required in sauing faith and it must be granted him with the confirmation thereof in a true sence namely that we are bound to beleeue the points of saluation by obtaining a particular distinct knowledge of the same in our selues and so assenting to them that our faith may include an apprehension also and knowledge of the things beleeued as well as an assent to the proposition thereof If this be the Iesuites meaning in this place then I embrace it as the truth 2 But peraduenture his mind runs vpon a further matter which his Church teacheth about infolded faith and then you may note the grosse heresie that he thrusts vpon you in his smooth words For x Implicita fâ—des est credere secuÌ„dùm quod ecclesia credit Vnde noÌ„ omnis Christianus teneturillos articulos fidei scire explicitè sed tantùm clerici Iacob de Graf decis lib. 2. ca. 8. nu 16. the Iesuites and Schoolemen teach how the lay-people are not bound to know what the matters of their faith be y Fides meliùs per ignorantiaÌ„ quà m per notitiam definitur Bellar. de iust l. 1. c. 7. ignorance is better it sufficeth if they consent to the Churches faith whatsoeuer it be assuring themselues it beleeueth and knoweth all things necessary but what those things are they need not enquire thus excluding knowledge from the nature of religion and placing it in assent onely as sufficient to make it whole and entire This being a sottish conceit deuised for the nonce to suppresse knowledge yet marke how boldly these men presse it on vs with the style of an entire faith which I manifest further in the Digression following Digression 2. Shewing the infolded faith of the Papists and confuting the same as not entire 3 For howsoeuer the Church of Rome pretend this whole complete faith yet when the matter cometh to scanning she vtterly refuseth knowledge sendeth her children to schoole to the Collier of him to learne to beleeue as the Church beleeueth For first whereas z Mat. 22.29 Chrys ho 3. in Laz. prol hom in Rom. the ignorance of the Scriptures is the roote of all error and the cause of vnbeleefe a Index lib. prohib Reg. 4. the Church of Rome forbiddeth the reading of them among the people b Franc. Ouan Mogol breuilo in 4. sent D. 13. prop. 3. pretending the vulgar translations to be one principal cause of heresies and therefore c Linwood in constitut prouinc l. 5. titul de magistris cap. Quia when the law was in their owne hand they vtterly forbad them d Mart. Peres de trad pag. 44. One of them saith he thinketh verily it was the diuels inuention to permit the people to reade the Bible e Thyâ—rae de Demoniac cap. 21. th 257. Another writeth that he knew certaine men to be possessed of a diuell because being but husbandmen they were able to discourse of the Scriptures Thus theeues put out the candle that discouers them 4 Next f Nauarr. Manual cap. 11. nu 16. Iacob de Graff decis l. 4. cap. 24 nu 23. they make it heresie for a lay man to dispute in a point of faith and g Magin Geograph pag. 104. Linwood lib. 5. tit de Magist c. periculosa suffer no
repugnance although that which he saith seeme absurd to our sence and thought This I proue For vnlesse there were such an infallible rule prouided it were impossible for anie man especially for anie vnlearned man in all points infallibly to learne and hold the true faith and since it is impossible it is no way to be thought but that almighty God who is so desirous that all men should come to the knowledge of the truth consequently to saluation did prouide that infallible rule or meanes sufficient to instruct euery one in all points by which it might be possible for thē to attaine to the true knowledge of infallible faith by that to saluation The Answer 1 This fourth conclusion conteineth two members First that God hath left in the world some certen rule and meanes wherby we may infallibly be instructed what is to be holden for true faith this you may freely grant him with that which he inferreth thereupon that the onely cause why a man misseth the truth is either because he doth not find this rule or hauing found it he will not obey it The second is that this rule is left to all men indifferently so that euery man without exception of what estate or faculty soeuer may haue accesse vnto it be instructed This mēber includes 2. sences First that the rule is of that nature that it is able to direct any man be he neuer so simple yea the most vnlearned aliue may conceiue vnderstand it sufficiently for his saluation This you shall also yeeld him as an vndoubted truth Next that all men at all times may haue accesse vnto it as being a thing concealed from none but visible and reuealed to all places ages and persons And this to be a part of the Iesuits meaning I gather by the words of his eighteenth section where he concludeth the Church to be the rule alway visible Because otherwise men sometimes viz. when it were inuisible should want a rule to instruct them contrary to that of Paul that God would haue all men to be saued and come to the knowledge of his truth this he could not haue said if his meaning in this place the ground of his speech there were not that the rule of faith is euermore and in all places visible and manifested to all men indifferently a point meerely false and smelling of Pelagianisme 2 For before Christ it was reuealed only to the Iewes and not to the Gentiles except some particular persons as appeareth plainly both by obseruation g Psal 76.1 103.7 147.19 Mat. 10.5 Act. 14 16. 16.6 Rom. 3.2 the text And experience sheweth how at this day the Lord hath concealed the meanes of saluation from the Turke and infinite other barbarous gentiles of whom it cannot be said that he hath left vnto them this entire rule but that in his iudgement many times secret but alway iust he hath denied it them seeing as h Rom. 1.16 the Apostle speaketh the Gospell of Christ is the power of God vnto saluation both to Iew and Gentile i 1. Cor. 1.21 and when the world by wisedome knew not God in the wisedome of God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue thē that beleeue And k Epist 107. ad Vital circa med Austin saith It is a most manifest truth that many cannot be saued not because themselues will not but because God will not and the contrary he confuteth as Pelagianisme But if I mistake the Iesuite and he meane the words in the first sence it is well and we both agree To the place of Timothy concerning Gods willing all men to be saued l Deus vult omnes homines saluos fieri id est omnes homines qui saluātur saluos sieri nullus enim nisi eo volente saluatur Vel sit distributio non pro singulis generum sed pro generibus singulorū quia de quolibet genere statu hominum vult aliquos saluos fieri Greg. Arimin pag. 165. l. 1. I shall answer in the 18. section nu 6. § 4. Fiftly this infallible rule prouided by almightie God as sufficient to instruct euery one aswell learned as vnlearned in all points of faith must haue three properties or conditions First it must be infallible most vndoubted sure For otherwise faith grounded and built vpon it cannot be infallible certaine and sure Secondly it must be such as may be easily and plainly knowne to all sorts learned and vnlearned For otherwise be it neuer so certaine and sure in it selfe yet if it be vnknowne or vncertainely knowne vnto them it cannot be to them a rule or infallible meane whereby they may attaine to the infallible knowledge of the true faith Thirdly it must be most vniuersall that it may not onely make vs know certainly what is the true faith in some one or two or more points but absolutely in all points of faith For otherwise it is not a sufficient rule whereby we may attaine to an entire faith which integritie of faith is necessarie to saluation as hath bene proued The Answer 1 To these three properties of the rule of faith we must adde two more if we will shew all the nature thereof First that it be not partiall addicted more to one side then another Secondly that it be of power and authority able to conuince the conscience of such as vse it and from the which there can be no appeale For neither can it be a rule of the truth which it selfe is crooked with affection neither may we safely rely vpon it if either it dismisse our consciēce wauering or admit a superior rule whereto we may appeale And the reason is because our faith and knowledge must be m Col. 2.2 Basil Reg. contract qu. 95. with full assurance and perswasion the which we cannot obtaine vnlesse the rule giue it vs and nothing can giue it but that which hath a coactiue power to bind the conscience and to stay it at his owne tribunal 2 Next the second property must be expoūnded that the rule be easie and plaine to all sorts of men learned and vnlearned to wit which vse the means and are diligent in attending it be enlightned by the spirit of God To all such it is plaine be they neuer so vnlearned to the rest it is not neither is it a necessary condition of the rule so to be Not because it selfe is obscure at any time but for that sometimes men haue not eyes to see into it For all meanes and rules are vaine vnlesse God giue eyes to see as n Gen. 21.19 he opened Hagars eyes to see the well of water according to that of Dauid o Psal 119.18 open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy law and p Esa 29.10 Pro. 14 6. Luc. 8.10 Ioh. 8.43.47 1. Cor. 2.14 2. Cor. 3.14 4.3 the Scripture teacheth the point manifestly So saith q In. Ioh. lib. 1.
l. 11. c. 3. Ecclesiam esse regulam infallibileÌ„ proponendi explican li veritates fidei non potest reduci ad authoritateÌ„ ipsius Ecclesiae Hoc enim esset idem per idem confirmare sed necesse est reducere hunc assensum ad testimonium Spiritus sancti in â—linantis per â—umen fidei â—d â—oc credibile â—ccleâ—ia non â—otest errate Dom. Ban 22. q. 1. art 1 pag. 17. Austin be wel considered Moses that writ these things O God is gone to thee if he were now before me I would desire him to open them to me and I would heare him if he spake Hebrew I could not vnderstand him if he spake Latin I could know what he said but how should I know whether he spake the truth And if I did know it could I know it from him For within me in the inner parlour of my thought there is neither Hebrew nor Latin â—or Barbarian truth that could say Moses saith true that I should presently being certaine and confident say to him thy seruant thou sayest the truth Therefore seeing I cannot aske him I aske thee the truth by whose fulnesse he spake the truth thee O my God I beseech pardon my sin and which gauest him power to speake these things giue me also power to vnderstand them Austine would neuer haue enquired thus how he should know whether Moses spake the truth if he had thought the testimonie of the Church could secure vs he could not beleeue the Scripture vpon Moses word then much lesse could he beleeue it on the Churches Yea his words do wholy exclude the authoritie of Moses both totall and partiall 20 The Papists therefore are the patrons of Atheisme t Bellarm de effect Sacram. l. 2. c. 25. who teach that if we take away the authoritie of the present Church and of the Councell of Trent then the whole Christian faith may be called in question for the truth of all ancient Councels and of all points of faith depend vpon the authoritie of the present Church of Rome How much better said u De doctrin Christian l. 1. c. 37. Austin Our faith shall reele and totter if the authority of the Scriptures stand not fast Let these assertions of Papistry be well noted § 9. Thirdly they erre in the third condition For the Scriptures are not so vniuersall as the rule of faith had need to be For this rule ought to be so vniuersall that it may absolutely resolue and determine all points questions and doubts of faith which either haue bene or may hereafter fall in controuersie But the Scriptures alone are not thus vniuersall * Non inficiamur praecipua illa fidei dogmata ad saluteÌ„ omnibus necessaria perspicuè satis comprehendi in Scriptura Coster ench c. 1. For there be diuerse questions of faith and those also touching verie substantiall points which are not expresly set downe and determined in the Scripture As namely that those books which are generally holden for Scripture are euery one the true word of God For this in particular of euery booke holden for Scripture we shall not find expresly written in anie part of the Scripture This part therefore whereupon dependeth the certaintie of euery other point proued out of Scripture cannot be made infallibly sure vnto our vnderstanding or beliefe vnlesse we put some other infallible rule whereupon we may ground an infallible beliefe which infallible rule if we admit to assure vs that there is at all anie Scripture and that those bookes and no other are canonicall Scripture why should we not aswel admit it to assure vs infallibly which is the true sence and meaning in all points of the same Scripture The Answer 1 The Iesuits first exception against the Scripture was that it was too difficult now followeth his next that it containeth not all things needfull to be knowne Thus his argument may be concluded The rule must be vniuersall containing all points of faith But such is not the Scripture for many substantiall points are not expresly set downe therein Therefore it is not the rule Whereto I answer denying the assumption for euery point of faith and whatsoeuer else is needfull either to be knowne or done is contained in the scripture so far forth that there is no point question or doubt concerning faith but by the scriptures alone it may absolutely be determined For a 2. Tim. 3.15 it is profitable to teach to reproue to correct and to instruct in all righteousnesse that the child of God may be absolute being made perfect to all good workes 2 But the Iesuite saith there be diuers things not expresly set downe or determined reseruing this word expresly for a starting hole to creepe out at because they be not written word for word in so many syllables But I answer him three things first that the Popish diuinitie is that many points are contained in the Scripture neither thus expresly nor yet at all to be concluded thence by collection for else why make they that opposition betweene the scripture and tradition Secondly if this be his mind then he hath put more into the assumption then was in the proposition for the rule is not bound to containe all things thus expresly Thirdly that is expresly in the scripture which is there set downe either plainly in so many words as b De doctrin Christian l. 2. c. 9. Austine saith All things are that concerne our faith and manners or by analogie when it is necessarily implied in the text For c Alliaco 1. sen qu. 1. art 3. euery such conclusion is a theologicall discourse and hath his warrant from the text and so still the scripture containeth all things needfull 3 Against this the Iesuit hath one argument that it is no where written that these bookes of scripture that we haue are the true word of God Wherto I answer first though this were granted yet would it not follow that all points of faith are not contained in the scripture because in euery profession the principles are indemonstrable assented to without discourse and the scriptures are the principles of religion and therefore first we must grant them to be the very word of God and then say they are such as containe all points needfull to be knowne This then which the Iesuite requireth to be shewed out of the text it selfe is first to be supposed yea beleeued that it is the true word of God whereto we are perswaded by the heauenly light it selfe Secondly I wonder at the Iesuites confidence that dareth so boldly say that of euery booke holden for scripture we find it not expresly written that they are the true word of God for Saint Paul d 2. Tim. 3.16 saith expresly All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and Saint Peter e 2. Pet 1.20 Luc. 1.70 saith No prophecie in the Scripture is of priuate interpretation but the holy men of God spake as they were moued by
all things is infallible which if it were granted yet were it too short to proue that therefore this Church were the rule of faith For euery infallible thing whose teaching is most true is not yet in the ordinance of God set apart to instruct vs. As the Angels of heauen for example are not the rule of our faith though a Fr. Suarez in Tho. to 1. disp 42. sect 1. they haue all the graces and glorie that a creature can haue and consequently the grace of infallibilitie Let this be noted in the first place 2 But yet the doctrine and teaching of the Church is not in all points infallible and most true neither meaning this doctrine not of the Scriptures but of the Churches ministery in propounding and following the same for in her ministery and manners she may and doth erre as shall appeare in my answer to the Iesuites reasons throughout this section But first the question must be made plaine For to say as he doth here and euery where in this question that the teaching of the vniuersall Catholick Church is infallible not subiect to error is an improper speech not incideÌ„t to the question because that Church comprehendeth all the triumphant Church in heauen which neither can be vsed neither do we charge it with error but confesse it to be b Ephes 5.27 glorious not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing All the question is of that part of the Catholick Church which dwelleth here on earth professing the name of Christ and liuing in warfare against the world and Satan called the Church militant Which so distinguished we hold to be subiect to error both in manners and doctrine And the Iesuite of necessitie by the vniuersall Church must vnderstand onely this part thereof because this part onely is apt to teach vs and hath ministerie in her hands or else he disputeth confusedly not distinguishing the termes of the question 3 This being noted now I come to the discourse which may all be concluded in this syllogisme that we may the better iudge of it That 1. vnto which Christ hath promised his owne presence and the presence of his spirit for euer to the worlds end 2. which hath commission from God to teach all nations 3. which all men are commaunded to heare in all things 4. they that heare it are warranted as if they heard Christ himselfe 5. they that heare it not are threatned as if they despised Christ himselfe that is free from error and the doctrine thereof in all things is infallible But such is the Church that concerning it Christ hath 1. promised 2. giuen commission 3. commanded 4. warranted and 5. threatned as is aforesaid Therefore the Church is free from error and the doctrine thereof in all things is infallible This is the summe of all this section whereto I answer by denying both propositions and the reason is for that they consist of Scripture falsly expounded and applyed and this my answer I set downe more particularly in that which followeth wherein I will examine euery text as it is alledged and make it plain that neuer a one of them proueth the conclusion 4 The first place is Mat. 28.20 Lo I am with you alway to the worlds end But I answer 1. this was a personall promise made onely to the Apostles and so cannot be extended to all the Church if we will speake of the words properly according to their immediate sence 2. To whomsoeuer it belongeth the meaning is c Iansen concord Eâ—ang cap. 149. that howsoeuer his bodily presence ceassed yet his prouidence should neuer faile to preserue comfort them in all their troubles and helpe them in all their actions and by degrees so enlighten them also that they should not perish in their ignorance but be led forward to more perfection This must needes be granted to be all that is meant First because Christ is not absent from his people euery time they fall into an error but remaineth with them still for all that either forgiuing it or reforming it Secondly this promise notwithstanding yet afterward d Gal 2.11 vide August de Baptism cont Donat. l. 2. c. 1. de agon Christian c. 30. Thom. in ep ad Gal. c. 3. lect 3. Peter one to whom the promise was made erred against the truth of the Gospell and was therefore by Paul rebuked and resisted to his face which thing could not haue fallen out if this promise had exempted the Church from all error Thirdly if it priuiledge the whole Church from error because it is made to it then consequently it priuiledgeth the particular Churches Pastors and beleeuers therein because it is made to them likewise but experience sheweth these latter may erre and therefore the meaning must needs be as I haue said Fourthly e See §. it is a ruled case among the Papists that the Pope may erre which could not be if these words of Christ meant the Church of Rome and that infallible iudgment which the Iesuite talketh of As for his glosse vpon the words that Christ in them should promise his continuall presence not for a while then nor for a while now but for euer it is altogether either idle and inept For he can name no Protestant that euer thought Christ was at any time absent but we all constantly beleeue he alway was is and shall be with his Church to the end 5 The second and third places are much like the first Iohn 14.16 I will pray the Father saith Christ and he shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer And Iohn 16.13 When he is come which is the Spirit of truth he will leade you into all truth But I answer two things First these words are properly extended to the Apostles promising f Act. 2.4 that which was performed immediatly after Christs ascention and ought not to be stretched any further Which being so they conclude somewhat for them but little for the Church because euerie grace belongeth not to the Church in all ages that was giuen the Apostles Secondly applying them to the Church also the meaning is that the holy Ghost should neuer forsake it but perseuere in teaching it all truh which is simply necessary to saue it according as the Church is able to learne it which he doth by meanes of the Scripture though not at all times alike perfectly but so as he endueth it with all holines and yet many sins are found in it This interpretation must needs be allowed for three causes first the Apostle saith of himselfe and the Church g 1. Cor. 13.9 Now we know but in part and prophesie in part Which were not true if these words of Christ had secured the Church in all things and in euery truth for the part cometh short of the whole Secondly this promise belongeth as well to one Apostle as another yea h 1. Ioh 2.20 to all the faithfull as wel as to the
ministerie thereof may be a condition subordinate for the obtaining of that which is the rule As a Ioh. 4.29.39 the woman of Samaria was a good meanes to bring her countrimen to Christ that knew him not and yet their beleefe was not built on her b ver 42. but on that which she reuealed to them And c Ier. 6.16 God biddeth vs by his Prophet Stand by the wayes and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way though in the meane time the persons to be asked are our direction no further then while they point to the old way And the Prophet biddeth d Hag. 2.12 Aske the Priests concerning the law and saith e Mal. 2.7 The Priests lips should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the Angell of the Lord of hoasts yet these Priests many times spake vntruly being deceiued themselues and deceiuing others And so may it happen to the Pastors of the Church 2 All which notwithstanding the Church abideth still the same that Saint Paul calleth it the pillar and ground of truth in that the truth is no where else to be found Which that I may shew the beter it is to be noted that f Iul. Pol. Onomast lib. 8. pag. 454. Scol Aristoph Nub. Rosin antiq Rom. l. 8 c. 2. Alex. ab Alexand. genial dierum l. 6. c. 23. in old time the Gentiles vsed to write their lawes in tables and so hang them vp on pillars of stone that the people might reade them as Proclamations are nailed to posts in market townes and somtime g Phauorin Hesych Lexic verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they whited the pillar and so wrote the lawes vpon it h Lexic decem Rhet. Harpocration saith they reared vp straight pillars of stone and so wrote their lawes vpon them And it was also an ordinary thing that they had other pillars like the Pasquill in Rome i Eustach Il. λ. Suid. verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereupon whosoeuer listed hung their Epigrams or libels that they would haue knowne Now the Apostle describing the Church likeneth it to one of these pillars whose vse was no more but to shew that which hung thereon it selfe not being the law but that whereupon the law was hung For so the true faith written in the tables of the Scripture whereunto the world will giue no testimonie is fastened to the Church as to a stately pillar and strong supporter that there it may be seene and holden out vnto vs. Hence the Iesuite can challenge no more but that the Church is vnto vs a witnesse and vpholder of the faith and alway preserueth it which we denie not but in the meane time he forgetteth that it is one thing to hold out the rule and another to be the rule it selfe and he that saith the Church is the supporter of truth doth not say withall that the Pastors can neuer erre or faile in deliuering any part thereof The Apostle saith the former but the Iesuite onely beside the text affirmeth the latter 3 This exposition must needs be granted for foure reasons first it is called the pillar of truth in no other sence then k Eph. 5.27 elsewhere it is called glorious without spot or blemish or blame but it is certaine that the puritie there mentioned is mingled with some imperfection therefore it is also certain this vpholding of the truth is not free froÌ„ all error Secondly Paul in this place sendeth not Timothy to learne of the Church which he should do if the Iesuits conceit were sound but l vers 14.15 wisheth him to teach the Church out of the Scriptures that so it might be the pillar of truth Thirdly that which the Apostle saith in these words is true of euery particular Church but of euery particular church it is not true that it caÌ„not erre for we see they may as did m Act. 20.30 Apoc. 2.4 this of Ephesus concerning which the Apostle saith here it is the pillar and ground of truth Fourthly if this place proue that the Church cannot erre in any thing but of it all men must learne the infallible truth then seeing o Bellar. de verbo Dei l. 3. c. 5. Greg. de ValeÌ„t coÌ„ment Theo. tom 3. disp 1. q. 1. assert 3. the Papists hold their Prelates and Pastors to be the Church I demand what is that which must teach them for the Church doth not seeing they are the Church themselues 4 Or if the Iesuite dote vpon his owne exposition then let him cal to mind how other Papists haue expounded before him p Staphyl Apol. part 1. Sâ—apl his translat pag 50. who say The Apostle calleth the Church the pillar and ground of truth signifying by the word ground the largenesse of Christendome by the word pillar the continuall smooth and not interrupted succession of the Apostles and their schollers vpon whoÌ„ all truth is builded Which exposition differing from this of the Iesuites may giue him occasion to looke better into the text and at least mistrust his collections therfrom till he haue conferred with his fellowes For vpon the reckoning it will fall out that vntill the Friers and Iesuites of late began to hammer the Scriptures there was neuer any that out of them would deliuer his conclusion but the contrary The Apostles writings are the pillars and supporters of our faith saith q Lib. 3. c. 1. Irenaeus The Gospell is the gound and stay of the Church saith r Lib. 3 c. 11. the same Irenaeus The truth is the pillar and ground of the Church saith Å¿ Hom. in hunc loc Chrysostome The diuine Scriptures must teach who hath the true Church These are the proofes these are the foundations these are the grounds of our cause saith t De vnit Eccl. cap. 16. Austin 5 The words of Austin alledged by the Iesuite are good but they had bene better if he had not left out the beginning for thus they lie u Contra. Crescon gram lib. 1. cap. 33. For somuch as the holy Scripture cannot deceiue vs let him who feareth lest the obscuritie of this question concerning the baptisme of the Donatists should deceiue him enquire that Churches iudgment of it which the holy Scripture without all doubtfulnes doth demoÌ„strate Wherin Aust saith not the church is the rule or the Church cannot erre but onely as the Iesuite himselfe noteth that the iudgement therof should be inquired His meaning is that in the question of rebaptizing because in Cresconius his suppositioÌ„ the Scripture said nothing of it such as were doubtful might ask the iudgmeÌ„t of the true Church there they should learn Cresconius to be in an error Wherein the Iesuit shal find vs to consent with Austin for doth he think we allow not the Church her ministery or that we silence her from bearing witnesse to the truth or that we turne away the people
hoc feratâ— pag 440. Tho. Bozius de signis Ecc. tom 2. l. 16. c. vlt. such as the Iesuite is can ill digest this saying 3 And to set on foote the question of the visiblenesse of the Church for the prouing hereof me thinketh is game faire and farre off For when he hath assigned a state of the Church perpetuall visible which he can neuer do yet will there remaine a doubt whether all the teaching thereof haue the conditions mentioned For this visible coÌ„pany though liuing men that can conforme their teaching to the capacity of al sorts may yet be subiect to error or want immediate authority to assure mens consciences but what it borroweth froÌ„ the Scriptures or may haue commssion to teach no further then is written or may ouer see now and then some points of faith which the holy Ghost teacheth as well as it doth some points of manners in which cases who seeth not that it may both faile in teaching some truths sometime and the best teaching will not be so easie or certaine to vnderstand and beleeue as the Iesuite pretendeth So that the visibilitie of the Church argueth the easinesse and vniuersalitie thereof in teaching but sortly and were a question not greatly needfull for this place but that Papists haue a humor to be discoursing thereof and loue to make their people beleeue it troubleth vs ill as d Vpon 1. Tom. 3 15. the Rhemists say This place pincheth all heretickes wonderfully and e Gregory of Valence f Comment Theolog. Tom. 3. pag. 142. The propertie of the Church to be alway visible maketh heretickes in ill case And therefore let him go on and see what he will make of it and alway marke his reach that still he pleadeth for the Romane Church shewing hereby the vnhappie condition wherin it standeth that at euerie triall passing betweene vs her miserable children are enforced to beg from doore to doore Of your charitie giue our mother leaue to be iudge herselfe in the triall that she be not ouerthrowne § 17. This question I decide by this onely conclusion that the Church of Christ must needs alwayes be from Christ his time to the end of the world and being it must needs be alwayes visible This conclusion hath two parts The first whereof to wit that Christ his true Church must be alwayes without interruption to the end of the world needeth no other proofe then those promises of our Sauiour before mentioned wherein is declared that Christ and his holy Spirit shall be with his Church continually vnto the worlds end Matth. vlt. Omnibus diebus vsque ad consummationem seculi which promise is not fulfilled vnlesse the Church without interruption be continually all the dayes vntill the end of the world For if the Church for anie time dayes or moneths or yeares do ceasse to be for those yeares moneths and dayes Christ cannot be said to be with the Church consequently cannot be truly said to haue fulfilled the promise wherein he said he will be with the Church all the dayes vnto the end of the world The Answer 1 The first part of this conclusion with the confirmation thereof might well haue bene spared For we confesse the Church neuer ceasseth to be but continueth alwayes without interruption to the worlds end and against all Papists whatsoeuer we make it good that the very faith we now professe hath successiuely continued in all ages since Christ and was neuer interrupted so much as one yeare moneth or day and confesse a Dan. 7.27 Psal 102.26 Mat. 16.18 Luc. 1.33 the contrary were sufficient to proue vs no part of the Church of God yet the Iesuite you see very soberly standeth vpon the matter shewing that the Church cannot be extinguished which is a tricke of his owne thereby to make his friend beleeue that we thinke it may So b Ann. vpon 1. Tim. 3 15. Ap. 12 6. the Rhemists write as if we held it is fallen from Christ these many ages being knowne neither to friend nor foe And Reinolds c Caluinoture l. 1. c. 10. p. 106. 107 Lutheranide toto orbe terrarum EcclesiaÌ„ periisse mentiuntur Posseu bibl select l. 6. c. 4. p. 445. reports we should say The Church of Christ was vtterly fallen for a thousand yeares together yea all that time there was no Church at all whereas we hold the very contrary And if our testy aduersaries will not be satisfied with this our profession but continue their ordinarie practise in charging vs with opinions which we neuer held then let them hearken what d Bellarmin de Eccl. mil. lib. 3. cap. 13. a friend of their own telleth them They do but trifle away the time which stand prouing that the Church cannot absolutely faile because the Protestants grant it cannot The question therefore is onely of the outward state of the Church whether it be alway visible to the world or not that in euery age those congregations may euidently be discerned and pointed to which are the true Church for we say not Wherein though the Iesuite will reason against vs in the sections following and the Papists generally censure vs yet the truth is themselues when the matter cometh to a iust triall in effect say as much as we and the very same of their Church that we do of ours but that of verie frowardnesse they will not receiue the word inuisible Digression 17. Wherein it is shewed in what manner the Church is said to be inuisible and that the Papists say no lesse concerning this matter then we do 2 Indeed they set downe enough in the question e Bellar. de Eccl l. 3. c. 13. that God hath at all times a Church consisting not of a few people but a great multitude as conspicuous as any earthly kingdome f Idem de Ro. Pout l. 4. c. 4. part whereof and alwaies the head shall be visible at Rome and the rest of it wheresoeuer is visibly subiect to the Bishop of Rome and g Greg. de Valent tom 3. p. 142. Câ—ster Enchitid c. 2. Bell. de Eccl. l. 3 c. 2. § Atque hoc interest that this company perpetually holdeth a visible succession of Pastors and people as sensibly as any other societie of men so that at any time one may point with his finger and say this is the Church h Rhem. vpon Act. 11.24 of the Protestants inuisible Church they heare not one word Thus they enlarge their sence when they will set forth their wealth to beguile the poore widow whereas at other times they are content to let downe a great deale of this reckoning and to confesse as much of their owne Church as we say of ours 3 For when we say the Church is sometime inuisible the meaning is not that it is extinguished or that it is alway inuisible or that none of the faithfull can see any part thereof or that it is as much hidden from the faithfull as
be as ready to obey is one thing but neither to be willing to learne nor when you heare the truth to be satisfied therewith is another The first of these may befall the particular Church c. § 26. Because a marke whereby a thing may and must be knowne must be more apparent and easie to be knowne to all those men which should by that marke seeke out and find that thing then the thing it selfe otherwise there should come no helpe by the marke to the knowledge of the thing But to know which is the true faith in all points at least to some sorts of men to wit the vnlearned is more hard then to know and assigne which companie of men be the true Church For to know which is the true faith in all particular points requireth learning whereby one may vnderstand the termes and state of the question besides iudgement to discusse and weigh prudently the sufficiencie of the authorities and reasons oâ— both parts that vpon this pondering of reasons they may prudently conclude which is the better part Moreouer they must haue a supernaturall light of God his Spirit whereby they may discerne and see those things which be aboue all naturall rules and reasons Ad haec quis idoneus Who can say that he is sufficiently furnished with these helpes or who can be infallibly sure that he hath all these in such sort as is requisite for obtaining by his owne industrie an infallible faith in al points And as for the vnlearned they must needes confesse that in diuerse mysteries of faith they do not so much as vnderstand the termes and state of the question and much lesse are they able sufficiently to examine the worth of euery reason neither are all such as can perswade themselues that they are singularly illuminated immediatly taught of God his Spirit neither if they did thus perswade themselues could they be infallibly sure that in this their perswasion they were not deceiued since it is certaine that some that most strongly in their owne conceit perswade themselues to be thus enlightened are in this their perswasion deceiued Now for to know which is the true Church and by giuing credite to it consequently which is the true faith there are not so many things required nor anie great difficultie as shall be declared For this is the direct way which Esay as did foretell cap. 35. should be in the time of Messias which he said should be so direct that euen fooles to wit simple and vnlearned men should not erre in it Haec erit vobis directa via saith he ita vt stulti non errent per eam The Answer 1 This is his first argument the summe whereof is concluded in this Syllogisme That which is the marke whereby to know a thing must be more apparent and easier to be knowne then the thing it selfe otherwise it helpeth vs not in finding out the thing But the true faith is not more apparent or easier to be knowne then the Church but contrary the Church is easier to be knowne then the true faith for to know the true faith there is required learning iudgement and supernaturall illumination which no man sufficiently hath but to know which is the true Church these things are not required for the Church is the direct way Esa 35.8 Therefore the true faith is not the marke of the Church To this I answer denying the second proposition and the confirmation thereof that it is harder to know which is the true faith then to assigne which company of men be the Church For faith is the cause of the Church that is to say this is the thing that maketh a people to be the Church of God when they beleeue the word of God and euery cause as it goeth before his effect so is it more apparent to our vnderstanding and better knowne to our iudgement then the effect Aristotle saith a Analy Poste cap. 2. Causes are both before their effects and better knowne and b Ibid. Metaph l. 1. c. 2. l. 2. c. 2. Plato in Thraet the true knowledge of things ariseth from the knowledge of their causes yea those things are simply first and best knowne which are furthest from our sence and nearest our vnderstanding and so the doctrine and beliefe of the Church must needes be easier to know then the Church it selfe because it cometh first to my vnderstanding and of necessitie I must see it afore I can tell whether the Church be there or not For though that company which is offered to me as the Church be more apparent to my sence yet haue I no certaintie that it is the Church or a companie so qualified vntil I know the faith thereof to be true I see indeed a company of men and heare much of their greatnesse but I am not sure they are the Church vnlesse I know they hold the true faith and so the knowledge of this leadeth me to the knowledge of that and the faith is easilier discerned then the Church 2 The Papists themselues haue a saying which if this Iesuite would receiue might determine this matter We see indeed that companie of men which is the Church c Lib. 3. de eccl c. 15. saith Bellarmine but we do not see that this companie is the true Church of Christ we beleeue it For that is the true Church which prâ—fesseth the faith of Christ but who doth euidently know this faith to be the faith of Christ we rather beleeue this by a firme and most assured faith In which words this Iesuites assumption is thus disproued That whereupon I beleeue the Church so to be is more apparent and easier to be knowne sooner to be seene then the church it selfe But vpon knowledge of the Churches faith I beleeue it to be the Church therefore the Churches faith is more apparent and sooner knowne then the Church it selfe Againe By faith we beleeue this to be the true Church and the profession thereof to be the truth but d Rom. 10.17 all faith cometh by hearing the word of God therefore by the meanes of hearing Gods word I beleeue this to be the true Church and so consequently the knowledge of Gods word cometh sooner and easilier to my vnderstanding then the knowledge of the Church 3 And though it were granted that in some cases the Church were easier to know then the faith yet as things depend betweene the Papists and vs the faith is easier to know then the Church for the question betweene them and vs is who hath the true Church In which triall it is the greatest folly in the world for either of vs to offer our selues to the world as the true Churches of Christ till first we haue proued our selues so to be by the doctrine that we professe and in vaine shall we attempt this if as the case standeth this doctrine be not easier and plainer then the Church This is the confession of the Iesuites
certaine order and respect either to other as a school-master and his teaching so that the one proueth and declareth the other as causes and effects vse to do In which kind of prouing the order is that first the effect sheweth the cause it being ordinarie that a cause cannot be assured so to be but by the effect which it produceth and offereth vnto vs as a schoole-master is not knowne certainly so to be but by his teaching And if among many bad you would find a good one to whom you might commit your children this cannot be done but by hearing and examining his maner of teaching in which case though the man be a necessarie meanes whereby you learne his teaching yet the teaching it selfe is the marke whereby you know him to be such a man and distinguish him frâ—m all others And euen as the tree beareth his fruite and we seeke the tree principally for this end that by it as by a necessary meanes we may find the fruite and yet the fruite it sheweth vs is the onely marke that it is such a tree and if it be denied or doubted the tasting of the fruite wil proue it and distinguish it from all the trees in the ground beside So likewise as he saith the Church expoundeth the faith vnto vs and we seeke the Church principally for this end that by it as by the meanes we may learne the truth and yet this truth which it sheweth vs may be the marke to assure vs it is such a Church and to distinguish it from all other Churches in the world Therefore for the Church to teach the faith and the faith to be a note of the Church are not opposite but onely diuers and so may both be true as a light vpon a watch-tower in the darke night may be the onely marke whereby to find the tower and yet the tower it self holdeth out the light and sheweth it and is the meanes that the traueller seeth it § 28. Thirdly true faith is a thing included in the true Church and as it were inclosed in her bellie as S. August speakâ—th Psal 57. vpon these words Errauerunt ab vtero loquuti sunt falsa In ventre Ecclesiae saith he veritas manet quisquis ab hoc ventre separatus fuerit necesse est vt falsa loquatur Therefore like as if a man had gold in his bellie we must first find the man before we can come to the gold it selfe so we must first by other markes find out the true Church which hath this gold of true faith hidden in her bellie before we come to see this gold in it selfe since especially we cannot see it vnlesse she open her mouth and deliuer it neither can we being borne spiritually blind certâ—nly know it to be true and not counterfetted gold but by giuing credite to her testimonie of it according as S. Augustine saith Euangelio non crederem nisi me Ecclesiae authoritas commoueret lib. 9. Epist cap. 3. For if we had not the testimonie of the Church hâ—w should we be infallibly sure that there were any Gospell at all or how could we know that those bookes which beare title of the Gospell according to S Matthew Marke Luke Iohn were true canonicall Scriptures rather then those of Nicodemus and S. Thomas bearing the same name and title of the Gospell The Answer 1 This is his third reason and may be concluded thus That which is included in the Church is no mark of the Church But the true faith is included in the Church Ergo. The second proposition whereof that faith is a thing included in the Church and as it were inclosed in her belly is true and he hath well affirmed it out of Austine but yet it is worth the enquiring to demand how he wil reconcile himself herein with his fellowes For a Bellar. de not â—ccl c 2. a Iesuite writeth that true doctrine and pure from all error may be in the false Church for if this be so then is he not certaine that the true faith is inclosed in the true Church and he must needs speake vntruths which is deuided from the belly of the Church For mine owne part I think that Bellarmine lieth but yet it becomes not the Iesuit thus to crosse him and then in b §. 35. the next discourse so highly to extoll their vnitie 2 But the first proposition that because it is included in the Church and the Church teacheth it therefore it can be no marke of the Church is denied because true faith is inclosed in the Church not obscurely as gold is in a mans belly so as c Ioseph de bello Iud. l. 6. c. 15. we reade the Iewes vsed to swallow it thereby to hide it from their enemies but as a candle in a lanterne or a light in his watch-tower discouering both it selfe and the place that holdeth it which gold in a mans belly cannot do And therefore as a light standing in the window in a darke night is a good mark to find the house though otherwise it be included in the houâ—â— so the true faith being included in the bosome of the Church not as gold that is buried in a mans bowels but as a candle standing in a lanterne by it owne light can guide vs infallibly to the Church d 1. Tim. 3.15 Apoc. 1.20 Pro. 6.23 which is Gods house enlightened by his truth Neither did S. Austine in the words alledged thinke the contrary as may appeare by that which followeth within twentie lines after By the face of truth I know Christ the truth it selfe by the face of truth I know the Church partaker of the truth Which words shew plainly that S. Austine thought the Church was to be knowne by the truth which it contained as by it owne fauour and proper countenance as children are knowne one from another by their owne countenance and complexion which shineth in their faces And though the Church by opening her mouth deliuer vs this truth yet is she found by no marke but by this truth it selfe as a darke house is found by no meanes but by the light contained therein though it selfe by opening the window deliuer vs this light and the firmament is seene by the light of the Sunne though it selfe hold out the Sunne vnto vs. 3 Thus far then we agree that the Church containeth the light of the truth in her bosome and that she openeth her mouth and deliuereth this truth vnto vs but that by other markes we must find out the Church afore we can see this truth is the Iesuites conceit And so is the rest that followeth concerning our knowledge of the Gospell vpon the Churches testimonie for I haue shewed e §. 9. Digr 12. before that the Scriptures and the Sunne are both knowne by their owne light and the Church teacheth the Gospel by her ministery but proueth it not by her authoritie Neither did S. Austine meane otherwise f Lib. contra epist fundam c.
haue him say so For t Ioh. 5.39 our Sauiour himselfe refused not to haue his doctrine tried though he were better then the Church neither is it vnpossible for a priuate man to espy an error in the teaching of the best Church that is in which case he may iudge the Church and his iudgement is to be preferred as u Panormit Gerson whose words you haue Digress 15. nu 10. some Papists themselues deny not And out of question I thinke the most learned and discreet Papists to be wholly of this mind in that many of them haue called in question againe things already determined by their Church thinking the same that we do that it is not sufficient to make an end of questiōs vnlesse we be also sure the end is good For it is an ordinarie thing with the Iesuites and schoolemen of these dayes to expound the decrees of their Councels cleane against the originall meaning thereof which sheweth they mislike that which was decreed and helpe themselues with the fauour of the glosse against the text So the Councels of Lateran and Trent haue determined against the communion in both kinds forbidding the cup yet Ouandus a late Frier x Breuiloqu in 4. d. 9. prop. 6. pag. 221. writeth that all things duely considered that may fall out it were better to permit the cup then deny it and more grace is giuen in both kinds then in one And y Refert Bel de iustifica l. 3. c. 3. Catharinus the Bishop of Compsa maintaineth against the Trent Councell that a man by faith may be assured of the pardon of his sinnes whereas that Councell z Sess 6. cap. 9. determined the contrary And Sixtus Senensis a great clearke a Bibl. l. 1. p. 33. hath reiected as Apocrypha the seuen last chapters of Hester b Sess 4. which the Councell of Trent approued for canonicall Which these men would neuer haue done if they had thought it any iniurie to their Church to examine her teaching 5 And whereas he obiecteth further that the Church is a company of men wise learned vertuous and guided by the spirit of God and therefore it is rashnesse to iudge of their teaching I answer that this ill befits him and his cause for c Digress 16. nu 4. I haue shewed that his Church consisteth rather in the Popes sole person thē in any great company and the definitions thereof follow not the learning or vertue of any company but the Popes bare will who by the confession of all learned Papists may both erre and be as vitious foolish and vnlearned as any other And therefore the Church with her prerogatiues can do a Papist no good vntill they be taken from the Pope and giuen the Church againe Next though the company which is the Church be wise and learned c. yet are they no wiser then Christ and his Apostles whose teaching was examined neither can we know them for such till we haue tryed their teaching For d Iob 32 6.9 wise men see not all things at all times and the child with reuerence may admonish euen his father And though our Sauiour haue promised the assistance of his spirit to his Church to leade it into all truth yet in what sence that is e §. 14. nu 4. 5. I haue declared alreadie and the Iesuite may know it is not in his sence by this signe that the very persons and particular Churches to whom Christ meant those words had their errors for all that But supposing the Churches doctrine by vertue of some such promise be indeed absolutely exempted from all error yet may the same be examined and iudged of because till that be done it cannot of vs be knowne to be so For no man saith we must proue things already certaine but that we must not beleeue them to be certaine till we haue proued them And if the true Church cannot erre in any point then it standeth all men in hand to examine which is the true Church that so they may betake themselues vnto it and let him giue you a sound distinction and say directly what presumption it is against the Church and why an iniury to examine her doctrine more then it is to trie her vnitie sanctitie antiquity and succession Or if it be no wrong to make triall of these things which yet she hath by vertue of Christs promises why should it be amisse to make triall of the former which he dareth not for his life say is hers any properlier or fullier then they § 31. But you may perhaps obiect that in Scripture we are willed not to beleeue euery spirit but to examine and trie the spirits whether they be of God or no and that therefore we must examine and trie the spirit of the Church I answer that S. Iohn doth not meane that it appertaineth to euerie man to trie all spirits but in generall would not haue the Church to accept of euery one that boasteth himselfe to haue the Spirit but willeth that they should trie those spirits not that euery simple man should take vpon him thus to trie them but that those of the Church should trie them to whom the office of trying the spirits doth appertaine to wit the Doctors and Pastors of the Church which almightie God hath put of purpose in the Church Vt non circumferamur omni vent◠doctrinae Ephes 4. and that we may not like little ones wauer with euery blast of those that boast they haue the Spirit So that this trying of spirits is onely meant of those spirits which men may doubt whether they be of God or no and then also this triall belongeth to the Pastors of the Church But when it is once certaine that the spirit is of God we neither neede nor ought doubtfully to examine nor presumptuously iudge or it any more but obediently submitting the iudgement of our owne sense and reason we must beleeue the teaching of it in euery point Now it is most certaine that the spirit of the true Church is of God as out of holy Scripture hath bene most euidently declared and therefore our onely care should be to seeke out those markes and properties by which all men may easily know which particular companie of men is the true Church which we ought not to examine and trie but in all points obediently beleeue The Answer 1 The words of the Apostle are Dearly beloued beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God 1. Ioh. 4.1 Whence we gather that it is the dutie of euery man to examine the doctrine that is taught him But the Iesuite answereth two things first that Saint Iohn biddeth not euery man do this but onely the Pastors Whereto I answer the words are plaine enough that he speaketh indifferently to all men that euery man for himselfe though not by himselfe but by the rule of Gods word should try the spirits For he directeth his Epistle
vniuersall doctrine of God of Angels of all other creatures specially of man of his first framing of his finall end and of all things pertaining to his nature of his fall by sinne of his reparation by grace of lawes prescribed vnto him of vertues which he ought to imbrace of vices which he ought to eschue of Christ our redeemer his incarnation life and passion and his coming to iudgement of the Sacraments and all other points that anie way pertaine to Christian religion The Answer 1 That the Iesuites Romane Church hath continually held the present faith it now professeth is false and confuted a Sect. 35. Digr 22. 23. alreadie And I wonder he might for shame say it For is any so mad as to beleeue his Popes supremacie his Latine seruice his reall presence hath alway bene visible from the beginning when there is not so much as any mention of them in antiquitie All that religion therfore which the Romane Church maintaineth against vs came in by peece-meale through the faction conueyance of certaine persons which in all ages corrupted the truth and increased the corruptions by degrees till at length they obtained the name of the Romane faith 2 Next whereas he saith it is proued Catholicke in place by this that it hath and alway had some in euery coast that communicate in profession with it we must distinguish the times For in the Primitiue Church and long after the Christian world indeed communicated with the faith professed in the Romane Church but then it was not the same it is now and so the present Church of Rome is not iustified by this communion but condemned rather Afterward the nations of the world ioyned in profession with it likewise as it degenerated and grew vp in corruption but marke how One part being the smaller and obscurer liued in the middest thereof and communicated with no more then was the truth excepting some small errors like b 1 Cor. 3.12 hay or stubble builded on the foundation and this is not properly any communion with the Papacie but with the true Church whereto the Papacie in the Church of Rome grew as a scab or as a disease Another part communicated with it in the errors also as they grew and embraced the Papacie c Apo. 17.2.4.15 13.14 18.9 2. Thess 2.11 but this was the seduced world which the whore of Babylon made drunke with the wine of her fornication and deceiued with strong delusions And yet this communion was not so great but that many famous Churches in the world refused it and departed from it as soone as the alteration into the faith it now holdeth began visibly to appeare as the Churches of Greece and Armenia for example which to this day would neuer communicate with it Maginus d Geogr. descr pag. 166. saith The Greekes long since departed from the Church of Rome and appointed themselues Patriarkes whom they acknowledge to be their heads and not onely the Greekes obey them but all the Prouinces also that follow the Greekes religion Circassia Walachia Bulgaria Moscouia Russia the more part of Pole Mingrelia Brosina Albania Illyricum part of Tartarie Seruia Croatia and all the Prouinces lying vpon the Euxin sea Whereby it is plaine that many famous countries and infinite people neuer allowed of the Romane faith but haue kept possession against it to this day though many reâ—eiued it as in times past many communicated with Arius and Mahomet and yet they are not proued Catholicke thereby 3 To the last point concerning the vniuersall doctrine taught in the Romane Church I answer that it is not the holding of certaine heads and articles of religion which maketh a Church Catholicke but the holding them truly according to the Scripture Which truth being remoued the more is holden the worse and lesse Catholick is the Church that holdeth them For as much therefore as the Romane Church by adding and detracting hath corrupted the vniuersall doctrine of Christian religion and especially the points mentioned by the Iesuite and patched thereunto innumerable abuses errors and superstitions to the certaine damnation of all that beleeue them it is not proued Catholicke by teaching all the doctrine of religion but manifestly Antichristian because it teacheth euery point vntruly § 47. Neither doth it at this day denie any one point of doctrine which in former times was vniuersally receiued for verity or the Catholicke Church The which if anie will take vpon him to denie let him shew and proue first what point of doctrine the Catholicke Romane Church doth deny or hold contrarie to that which by the Church hath bene vniuersally held as we can shew the Protestants do The Answer 1 The Iesuit needed not to haue bidden vs shew the points holden in his Church against that which the Church of Christ vniuersally held in former ages for we name and shew euery point of his faith wherein he dissenteth from vs and proue that it came in contrary to the doctrine of the Church through the conueyance of some therein being neuer vniuersally receiued of all but maintained and aduanced by the power and contention of some against the rest which either resisted it or receiued it doubtfully And I VNDERTAKE TO SHEW THIS IN ANIE QVESTION OF HIS RELIGION THAT HE WILL NAME VNTO ME BY PROVING THE SAME TO BE AGAINST THE SCRIPTVRE FIRST AND THEN CONTRARIE TO THE PRIMITIVE CHVRCH AND FINALLY TAVGHT BY THE SHOOL-MEN AND OTHERS IN THE ROMANE CHVRCH IT SELFE OTHERWISE THEN NOW THE IESVITES AND TRENT COVNCELL DELIVER IT This is enough to answer the present chalenge and I haue performed it in euery question handled in this booke and namely Digress 32. to 42. Digression 49. Obiecting eight points for example wherein the Church of Rome holdeth contrary to that which formerly was holden The conception of the virgin Marie Latine seruice Reading the Scriptures Priests mariage Images Supremacie Communion in one kind Transubstantiation 1 First touching the conception of the virgin Marie which all the ancient fathers beleeued to be in original sin and the elder Schoolmen vniuersally as I shewed vpon another occasion out of Dominicus a Part. 1. in Tho. q. 1. art 8. dub 5. Bannes and b De consecr d. 4 Firmissime nu 11. Turrecremata contrarie to c Sixt. 4. c. Cum prae excelsa Graue nimis in Extrau commun Concil Trid. sess 5. § Declarat tameÌ„ haec Galatin Arcan l. 3 pag. 490. the present beliefe of the Church of Rome 2 Next touching Latin seruice which is vsed in the Church of Rome against all antiquitie and the iudgement of many d 1. Cor. 14. The Apostle saith If an instrument of musicke make no distinction in the sound how shall it be knowne what is piped So likewise you except by the language you vtter words that haue signification how shall it be vnderstood what is spoken For you shall speake in the ayre I will pray and sing with the
might be here in the sacrament yet it was not in the beginning so manifestly beleeued as concerning this conuersion o D. 11. q. 3. §. Quantum ergo ad istum But principally this seemeth to moue vs to hold transubstantiation because concerning the sacramēts we are to hold as the Church of Rome doth where in the margin it is noted that our faith as concerning this sacrament is onely by reason of the Churches determination And he p §. Ad argumenta pro prima addeth We must say the Church in the Creed of the Lateran Councell vnder Innocent the third which beginneth with these words FIRMITER CREDIMVS declared this sence concerning transubstantiation to belong to the veritie of our faith And if you demand why would the Church make choise of so difficult a sence of this article whē the words of the Scripture This is my body might be vpholden after an easie sence and in appearance more true I say the Scriptures were expounded by the same spirit that made them and so it is to be supposed that the Catholicke Church expounded them by the same spirit whereby the faith was deliuered vs namely being taught by the spirit of truth and therefore it chose this sence because it was true q Canon lect 41. Biels words are to the same effect Which sheweth the point was neither holden nor knowne vniuersally in the Church before the Lateran Councell and that then it began to be receiued as a matter of our faith And yet since that time these men enquiring so boldly into the congruēcie of the opinion and casting so many dangers about it they shew plainly that they mistrust the proceeding of the Councell though they may not disclaime it Durand r 4. d. 11. q. 1. saith It is great rashnesse to thinke the body of Christ by his diuine power cannot be in the sacrament vnlesse the bread be conuerted into it But if this way which supposeth the bread to remaine still were true de facto many doubts which meet vs about the sacrament holding that the substance of bread remaineth not were dissolued But forsomuch as this way must not de facto be holden since the Church hath determined the contrary which is presumed not to erre in such matters therefore I answer the arguments made to the contrary holding the other part which saith the bread is changed Would our aduersaries thus backwardly come into the opinion if they had seene it to haue bene holden in all ages before in the Church or is it not rather an infallible signe that it was brought into the Church by the strength of some mens conceits without all warrant either of Scripture or fathers the want whereof so dazled those that imbraced it that they could see no reason for it but are all glad to lay it vpon the necke of a silly Pope in his Lateran Coūcell Besides ſ Scot. 4. d 11. q. 3. Bell Euchar. l. 3. c. 23. they confesse There is no Scriptare to inforce it vnlesse ye bring the Church of Romes exposition that is to say the Popes authoritie in whom t Turrect tract 73. quest q. 49. they thinke the power of the vniuersall Church in determining matters of faith principally resides if not alone u 3. part q. 75. art 1. p. 153. Caietan laieth downe diuers opinions holden among the Schoolemen touching the conuersion neuer a one whereof reacheth the transubstantiation and disallowing such as expounded Christs words This is my body metaphorically he saith his reason is because the Church hath vnderstood them properly I say the Church saith he because in the Gospell there is nothing that compelleth vs to vnderstand them properly headdeth that the conuersion of the bread into Christs body we haue receiued of the Church Now put all this together that we beleeue transubstantiation vpon the authoritie of the Church and this Church was Pope Innocent in the Councell of Lateran before which time there was no certaintie nor necessitie of beleeuing it and the Councell might haue chosen another sence of Christs words more easie and in all appearance more true for there is no Scripture sufficient to conuince it and the contrary were liable to fewer difficulties let this I say be put together and it will plainly shew that this point came in contrary to that which was vniuersally holden in the ancient Church because things vniuersally holden were certainly knowne and expresly beleeued without all this ado § 48. Let him shew also what countrey there is or hath bene where Christian faith either was first planted or continued where some at least haue not holden the Romane faith as we can shew them diuerse places especially in the Indies Iaponia and China countreys where theirs is scarce heard of The Answer 1 This is answered before sect 46. nu 2. where I shewed that when countries were first conuerted frō Paganism which was for the most part in the Primitiue Church the present Romane faith was not knowne but the Church of Rome in those daies professed the same that we do and consequently the nations conuerted by it and professing the faith thereof were conuerted to our religion and professed it For the Iesuite deceiueth himselfe with the name of Romane faith wherewith in the beginning all nations indeed vnder heauen communicated but then it was not the same that now it is as I haue plainly demonstrated in the former sect digress 49. And although since the change many nations haue still retained the same faith with it yet that iustifieth not the faith because the said faith growing on by steps and peecemeale was a generall apostasie and the mysterie of iniquitie working throughout the whole Church so that of necessitie there must be some in all places to follow it As when a generall rebellion groweth throughout a kingdome the rebels haue partakers in euerie towne and yet the possession is not proued theirs by that but onely the greatnesse and strength of the rebelling faction is shewed The Papacy that is to say the Roman faith in as much as it differeth from vs is not imagined by vs to be in another Church distinct in place and countries from the true Church of Christ but we affirme it to be a contagion raigning in the middest of the Church of Christ it self and spreading throughout the parts therof wheresoeuer and annoying the whole body like a leprosie in which disease though all the parts be affected yet the inward and vitall parts retaine their operation and still worke to expell the leprosie which at the length they do In this case the man is possessed indeed with a vile contagion but yet the man remaineth there still though the contagion be not the man And the contagion possesseth euery part of him some more some lesse being vniuersally spread ouer the body and yet hereby it is not proued to be the true nature and sound constitution of the bodie but a preuailing humor and when
Church who seeth not this to be a retiring backe againe to the question when that is brought to maintaine the question which is the question it selfe § 51. Neither do I see what answer can with probabilitie be forged against this reason For to say that the errors of the Church of Rome crept in by little and litle and so were not espied for the littlenesse of the thing or for the negligence of the Pastors that liued in those dayes is refuted alreadie For first those matters which the Protestants call errors in the Romane Church be not so little matters but that lesse in the like kind are ordinarily recorded in stories Nay some of them in their conceits and consequently if men of old time had bene Protestants they would haue bene so also in their conceits as grosse superstition as was in paganisme it selfe namely to adore Christ as present in the Eucharist which Protestants hold Really to be but a bare peece of bread also their vse of Images which they account to be idolatrie and say verie ignorantly and maliciously that we adore stockes and stones as the painims did the which things could not haue crept in so by little and little but they must needs be espied Neither could the Pastors of anie time be so simple or ignorant so sleepie or negligent but they must needs haue seene and seeing must needs in some sort haue resisted as before I said For to imagine all the Pastors of anie one age at once to haue bene in such a deepe Lethargicall sleepe that they could not onely not perceiue when the enemie did ouersow the cockle secretly in the hearts of some but also when it grew to outward action and publike practise and so could not be but most apparent as the cockle secretly sowen when it grew and brought forth fruite did appeare and was well knowne and perceiued Matth. 13. I say to imagine all the Pastors to be so simple and sleepie not to marke it then or not to resist it is rather a dreame of a proud man in his sleepe who is apt to thinke all fooles besides himselfe then a iudiciall conceit of a waking man of anie vnderstanding who ought to thinke of things passed either according to the verity recorded in stories or when this faileth by consideration of the likelihood of that which he thinketh was done by men of that time with that which most men would now do in the like case Finally if this were so that the Church did vniuersally erre Neglexerit officium Spiritus sanctus as Tertullian speaketh lib. de praescript refuting the same cauill of heretickes the holy Ghost should haue neglected his office which is as we haue out of Scripture not to permit the vniuersall Church to fall into anie errour but to suggest all things that Christ said vnto it and to teach it all truth The Answer 1 The Iesuite hath said that if religion had altered in Rome since the Apostles time it would haue bene recorded in some story that such an alteration was But there is no mention in any story of any such alteration Therefore it is sure no such was at all In which argument I haue shewed both Propositions to be false in my answer to it in the whole former section But the Iesuite supposeth onely two things can be obiected against it either that the errors as they grew were small coming in by litle and litle and so were not espied for their smalnesse or else that the Pastors which should haue espied them were all asleep which he saith could not be Whereunto I answer 2 And first to his last exception For I grant the Pastors nor people neither were not all asleepe but waking and saw the corruptions at least when they came to publicke practise as I haue shewed by induction of al ages in the former section Onely we say the number both of Pastors and people decaied daily through the Popes tyranny that after eight hundred yeares were expired increased exceedingly and oppressed the true seruants of Christ Which oppression vsed against the Saints ioyned with his strong delusions and the multitude seduced thereby caused that the warning they gaue could not be heard and what was heard could not be credited and what was heard and credited could not the one halfe come to our eares that liue now so long after them It is one thing therfore to say the Pastors were asleepe and saw it not when the enemy first meditated and deuised the point of Papistry that was sowen and another to thinke they were all asleepe when it grew vp and shewed it selfe The former we grant the later we vtterly deny Againe it is one thing to say the world was asleepe when the Pastors gaue warning and another thing to hold the Pastors were all asleep that shold giue warning This later is but the Iesuites conceit for we neuer said it the former is the truth and he cannot disproue it Whence it followeth that still the holy Ghost performed his office and euermore led the Catholicke Church into all truth and gaue it warning of error and suggested the words of Christ vnto it but the Papacy was not that Church whose children had no eares to heare and receiue the warning 3 Next to the first exception I answer the Iesuite hath falsified our saying for we do not say the corruptions were not espied for the littlenesse of the things as if they had bene so small that they could not be seene for by that reason as himselfe well obserueth the worship of the sacrament and images should be no small matter but we affirme that these great corruptions and all the rest whatsoeuer came in first one after another not all at once And secondly were broached not in their full perfection at the first but by degrees as come at the first sight beareth no eare and plants in the first spring shew neither fruite nor blossome in which sence we may say the corne and fruite came in by little and little For who dreamt images should haue bene worshipped when they were first brought in for memory or who suspected the sacrament shold haue bene adored when they first vsed kneeling at the communion Therefore when we say the errors of the Romane Church came in by litle and litle this is our meaning and thus our words must be expounded Which is a sufficient reason why some things thus coming in were at the first the lesse excepted against when no great danger was misdoubted by their entrance 4 But if it were granted that some lesser alteration consisting in ceremonies and Church-canons came in vncontrolled or some points of doctrine hauing at the first no shew of euill yet were it not proued thereby that the godly then liuing allowing them were of another mind then we For if our selues had then liued and seene no more danger ensuing vpon them then they did we would possible haue said as little against them as they did Prayer for the
vnrighteousnesse what communion hath light with darknesse or what concord hath Christ with Belial or the temple of God with idols It is in vaine therefore to hope for reconciliation of things so farre vnlike vnlesse our aduersaries would wholly renounce their parts and embrace the truth which n 2. Thess 2.11 they will neuer do Many meanes haue bene vsed but neuer anie could preuaile The Emperours Ferdinand and Maximilian trauelled painfully herein and by their appointment Cassander a great learned Papist drew o Consult de Artic. controu ad Iâ—app a proiect to shew his iudgement And in the time of Charles the fift it was much laboured in Germanie to accord the sides both by Papists and Protestants And it is p Act colloqu Ratisbon an 2â—41 Lindan L de querela pacis Praefat. reported that at a meeting at Regenspurge there was an agreement made of many weighty points touching Free will Originall sinne Iustification Faith Merits Traditions the Masse c. but this held not neither indeed can the wit of man auoide that q 1. Cor. 11.19 2. Thess 2.8 inde which God will haue for the triall of his Church and manifesting of his truth There is in our aduersaries that refractarie frowardnesse that they seeke nothing but to be contrarie vnto vs and euen hate the name of peace This opinion r De Grat. lib. Arb l 5. c. 1. saith Bellarmine we imbrace and defend so much the more willingly by how much it displeaseth our aduersaries and especially Caluin Å¿ Maldon comment in Ioh. 6. Another expounding a place of Scripture saith Though I haue no author for my exposition yet I allow it rather then that of Austin and others though it be most probable because this of mine more crosseth the sence of the Caluinists 4 Hauing therefore to do with aduersaries so contentious with doctrine so pernicious with a Church so diseased it is a better way to examine the questions and betake our selues to the true part then to hope for that which will not be And this was the course that the Christians tooke when the Church in ancient times was vexed with Arianisme and Pelagianisme They were not indifferent which side preuailed but they claue fast to the truth they did not neutralize betweene both they did not idly sit and deride those that contended for the truth they made not the questions of religion the matter of their quarrels and rude discourse in Tauernes and streetes and euery base companie but with godly affection they lamented the Churches trouble and with zealous consciences and earnest prayer and religious endeuour they sought the faith This is the way that all men should take now when the rumor of the contention groweth so great 1. with HVMILITIE to craue at Gods hand the direction of his Spirit 2. then with DILIGENCE to reade and learne the Scripture whereby to iudge 3. and so with LOVE to the persons of the men and with a mind prepared to yeeld to the truth to trauell through the questions The want of which no doubt is the true cause why contentions grow and questions multiply and all things are vncertain For the preachings and writings of learned men are licentiously censured afore they be vnderstood the most people making the same onely a matter to cauill at neuer considering with what religious hands they ought to touch the questions of faith wherin whosoeuer erreth loseth no lesse then his soule thereby The questions of faith and all matters of religion require in such as will profitably exercise themselues therein three things Humilitie of mind because they concern the holy things of God Diligence in attending because they are spiritually discerned and strength of iudgement because enemies and seducers are exceeding cunning to beguile a slothfull examiner and deceiue him that considereth not attentiuely 5 Our aduersaries that manage the Papacie if euer any haue expressed this cunning and skill in perswading and setting forth their heresie so farre that it cannot be denied they haue omitted no art that might set it forth nor no diligence that might adorne it We reade strange things of certaine painters how admirably they cast and shadowed their workes but the skilfullest painters that euer were are our Iesuits and Schoolmen and others the workmen for the Church of Rome Not the famous Zeuxis t Plin. l. 35 c. 9. who wrote vnder his table when he had drawne it that men should sooner enuy then imitate him was to be compared to these painters not the ancient Polignotus nor Parrhasius not Mycon Timanthes Bularchus Phidias did euer bestow such pains on their images as these haue done on their idol the Papacie specially the Iesuite who as Plinie u Lib. 35. c. 10. noteth of Parthasius is soecundus artifex sed quo nemo insolentius arrogantius sit vsus gloria artis a workman full of deuice but no man vseth the reputation of his skil more proudly and arrogantly then he Zeuxis being to make the image of Iuno to hang vp in her temple chose out certain virgins to put the seuerall beautie of them all into his picture so haue these painters made choise of the exquisitest deuices that all the heresy in the world could yeeld to put the same into their religion no policie in Machiauell nor Sophistry in Aristotle nor eloquence in Rhetorick but they haue contriued it into their Image that saue truth and sinceritie there is nothing wanting Tertullian saith As the Gentiles with their hands so heretickes with their words are the makers of idols for euery lie that they speake of God is a kind of idolatry The Prophet Esay x C. 44. v. 12. setteth downe a liuely description of this matter The Smith taketh an instrument and worketh in the coles and fasteneth it with hammers and worketh it with the strength of his armes the Carpenter stretcheth out a line he fashioneeh it with a thred and plaineth it and pourtrayeth it with the compasse and maketh it after the figure of a man and according to the beauty of a man that it may remaine in a house He heweth him downe Cedars and Pine trees and Okes and he taketh thereof and burneth it and warmeth himselfe and baketh his bread yet he maketh a god and worshippeth it an idol and boweth downe before it he burneth the halfe of it in the fire and vpon the half of it he eateth his meate he rosteth it and is satisfied also he warmeth himselfe and saith Aha I am warm I haue bin at the fire and the residue therof he maketh a god euen his idol wherto he boweth yea he worshippeth and prayeth vnto it saying Deliuer me for thou art my god In which words the God of heauen deriding the Gentile doth very fitly shew vs the idolatry of Rome and the maner how the idol religion therof was framed and set on foote At the first it was but a rude block and ragged trunk rough hewne by
there is why they should disdaine vs supposing we had lesse learning then we haue Irenaeus f L. 2. c. 45. hath a saying which I commend vnto them when they thinke they haue so much vantage of learning against vs It is better and more profitable to be simple and of small knowledge and by loue to approach neare God then to thinke themselues to know much and to be of high experience and in the meane while to be found blasphemers against God 11 We know no cause therefore why we should not constantly and cheerfully go forward with our profession and confirme our selues daily more and more therin against all the premises and oppositions of the Romane Church whatsoeuer First we haue the Scripture in manifest places free from all ambiguitie on our side secondly we haue the principles of religion contained in the Lords praiers the Creed and the ten Commandements that directly leadeth to euery point of our faith Which is the true reason why the Church of Rome forbiddeth the reading and exercise of these things to the people lest they should see so much Thirdly we haue the ancient fathers in expresse termes in all things that they held constantly certainly with one consent I do not deny but our aduersaries in some smaller points as Purgatory praier for the dead may make shew of some particular opinions in the fathers but vpon triall it will fall out they held theÌ„ waueringly doubtfully that no certainty can be set downe touching their resolute iudgement Whereas in the principall points touching the Scriptures iustification merit of workes images and all the rest they write most clearely with vs. Fourthly and which may perswade any man not drunken with his owne preiudice we haue the mercies of God to pleade for vs whereby our Church hath bene miraculously vpholden when they threatned God defended vs when they practised and expected our vtter ruine God disappointed them when they wrought all maner of treasons yet God deliuered vs. Fiftly and this is our further assurance that we haue done nothing against the Church of Rome but innumerable people in all ages wished it long ago What ceremony what doctrine what custome what one parcell of their superstition haue we refused but the world long since complained of it yea the learnedst men that were groned vnder the very burthens that we haue haue shaken off g Evetusto quoâ—am libro refert Illyric catolog test tom 2. p. 805. It is written of Gerson the Chauncellor of Paris who liued about one hundred yeares before Luther that the Sorbonists expulsed him the Vniuersitie and in his old age depriued him of all his d gnitiesâ— because as it is like he misliked diuers errors in the Church of Rome What time he betooke himselfe to teaching of schoole wherein his manner was daily to cause all his schollers the little children to ioyne with him in this short praier My God my maker haue mercy vpon thy miserable seruant Gerson It should seeme by this that he tooke small comfort in those times when forsaking all confidence in the glory of his Church he would call for mercy at the hands of God rather in the company of a few poore childreÌ„ then in the societie of such as were reputed the Doctors of the world And it may easily be thought Gerson saw more then he either loued or liked because the moderne Papists reiect his iudgement h Resp Card. Bellar. ad resolut Io. Gerson confute his writings and i Fra. Victoria relect 4. p. 138. say This Doctor in all things was an enemie to the Popes authoritie and with his heresie infected many others His opinion touching this matter little different from schisme Yea at this day they see more errors then they will reforme O God saith k Naucler pag. 499. one of their Historiographers what will become of our age when our vices are grown to that that they haue scarce left vs any place with God for mercy What couetousnesse is therein Priests what lust what ambition what idlenes what pompe what ignorance both of theÌ„selues and of Christian doctrine how little religion and fained rather then true God haue mercy on vs. 12 And hâ—â—â— omitting the way that is by triall of arguments I offer certaine externall markes and sensible tokens whereby the falshood of the Romane Church may be discouered the most resolute Papist that liueth moued to misdoubt his owne religion for it is vnpossible that these things following should be found in the true Church or practised by men of the right faith The first is their enmitie with the sacred Scriptures the word of God whereof I haue spoken in the 22. Digression of this booke For the words l Esa 8.20 of the Prophet are cleare To the Law to the Testimony if they speake not according to that word it is because there is no light in them And one of their practises against it whereby they haue depriued it froÌ„ being the totall rule hath left theÌ„ vtterly voide of all meanes to secure their faith by and to find the truth For the Church the fathers the Councels the Pope which is all they can pretend are yeelded by themselues to be subiect to error And how can that giue them assurance of their faith which it selfe is not assured from error The second is the very face and outward state and gouernment of their Church cleane contrary to the first antiquitie How vnlike is their Pope to Peter their Cardinals to the Apostles their Prelates to the ancient Bishops in state in ambition in intermedling This is noted at large by many among themselues Zabarella Cusanus Marsilius Occham Duarenus How vnlike is their priuate Masse halfe Communion Latin Seruice Image worship to the ancient Seruice of the Church of God If it were the true Church no continuance of time could thus haue altered it age changeth the colour of a mans haire and the sound of his voice but not his complexion or the shape of his bodie The third is that THERE IS NO POINT OF OVR FAITH BVT MANY LEARNED IN THEIR OWNE CHVRCH HOLD IT WITH VS AND NO POINT OF PAPISTRIE THAT WE HAVE REIECTED BVT SOME OF THEMSELVES HAVE MISLIKED IT AS WELL AS WE And this may be demonstrated in all the questions that are betweene vs and they know it and for that cause haue purged and razed the principall bookes of the elder Papists and some of them they haue vtterly forbidden In the bookes of latter Catholickes also m Index librorum prohib p. 25. §. 3. saith the Index which were written since the yeare 1515. if that which needeth correcting can be amended by taking away or adding of a few things let the correctors see it be done but otherwise let it be wholly razed out The fourth is that the most points of Papistrie are directly and at the first sight absurd and against common sence and the law of nature For who can conceiue
secreti regula Pastor erit Roma suis magna suis Brittannia normam Pandit in incertum ne rapiare caue Consilium Medici Pastoris consule vocem Iudicium certum PAGINA SACRA dabit Le. Asshaw ar A BRIEFE DISCOVRSE CONCERNING FAITH BY WHICH IS euidently declared how euery one that hath a desire to please God and a care to saue his soule the which should be the chiefe desire and care of euery Christian man ought to resolue and settle himselfe in all points questions and controuersies of faith The Answer IF the Discourse had performed what the Title promiseth you had bene beholding to the man that bestowed it on you the rather because the coÌ„trouersies of the present time haue changed the sweet Spring of our Church into a stormy Winter But seeing the author thereof vnder colour of directing you in the controuersies goeth about to make another Eue of you by seducing your minde from the simplicitie that is in Christ you haue little cause to thanke him and a Deut. 27.18 he lesse to reioyce in his labour For his reasons whereby he thinketh to declare his matter so euidently all tend to perswade you that the Pope of Rome b Gregorius decimus tertius filiorum ecclesiae pater amantissimus Camp rat 5. apud Posseu bibl l. 7. c. 21. his fast frieÌ„d c Nomine Ecclesiae intelligimus eius caput id est Romanum PontificeÌ„ Gregor de Valent. in Thom. tom 3. pag. 24. Venet. is this verie Rule that must resolue you in these points questions and controuersies of faith An vnreasonable position voyd of all indifferencie when common sense teacheth that he which is a partie cannot be iudge and d Niceph. Gregor hist lib 10. cap. vlt. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which it selfe is a thing wauering and inconstant cannot be the Rule to discerne the right by What father e Luc. 11.11 saith Christ if his sonne aske him bread will giue him a stone or if he aske a fish will giue him a serpent yet thus the Iesuite hath dealt with you But f Epicharm the heathen mans counsell is good Be sober and suspicious and g 1. Thes 5.21 the Apostles better Trie all things and sticke to that which is good Neither must you hope to learne truth in the schoole of lies for they that seeke Christ among heretickes shall lose him § 1. First it is to be suppoâ—ed and set downe for a certaine ground that there is but one faith which whosoeuer wanteth cannot possibly please God nor consequently be saued since none are saued which do not please God This is proued out of S. Paule who in one place saith Vna fides Ethes 4 and in another Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo Heb 11. The which two places make this sence in English Faith is but one and without faith it is impossible to please God Secondly this one faith without which we cannot please God must be infallible and most certaine because faith is the credite and inward assent of mind which we giue to the word of God the prime and first veritie which neither can deceiue nor be deceiued Fides saith the same S. Paule Rom. 10 ex auditu auditus per verbum Dei The sence of which words be that faith is bred in vs by hearing and yeelding assent to the word of Christ who is of God The Answer 1 Both these conclusions be true and you shall graunt them to be as himselfe calleth them certaine grounds wherein we all agree that there is but one faith wherein we can be saued and this faith must be infallible or certaine that is free from error and such as cannot deceiue vs beleeuing nothing that false is And this later is well proued Because faith is the assent of the mind that we giue to the word of God which word being the first truth neither can deceiue vs nor be deceiued it selfe This confirmation I say will serue meaning by the word of God the holy Scriptures for h Cyrill Hiero. fol. cat 4. the securitie of our faith ariseth from the demonstration of the diuine Scriptures i 1. Cor. 4.6 that no man presume aboue that which is written 2 But if by the word of God which cannot deceiue nor be deceiued he meane also the Constitutions of his Church and the Popes Decrees which they call Traditions then his confirmation is naught and we reiect it because the words thereof will be resolued into this sence That our faith or religion to this end that it may be infallible must be grounded partly on Traditions and partly on the Scriptures and the certaintie thereof dependeth no lesse on the former then on the later a point which no wise man will graunt considering that such Traditions are so farre from securing our faith that directly they leade it into a verie sea of errors and vncertainties and being once admitted euery Friers dreame and base custome of the Romish Church shall be thrust vpon you for an article of religion necessarie to eternall life And I dare vndertake the Iesuit in this place by the word of God of Christ meaneth these verie Traditions so farre that put him to it and before he wil forgo them or hazard the least of his Papall Decrees you shall see him k Vide as quaÌ„ti ponderis sit ipsa traditio vt ex ipsa noui testamenti scripta omnia authoritatem acceperint quam qui non admiâ—tunt ab ipsis etiam canonicis scriptis excidat necesse est Traditio est scripturarum fundamentum In eo scripturas excellunt quod illae nisi traditione firmentur non subsistant hae vero etiam sine scriptis suaÌ„ obtineant firmitatem Caes Baron annal tom 1. an 53. nu 11. verie strangely speake of the Scriptures as the l Demades Eras apop man of Athens that thought his countreymen should not by striuing for heauen in the meane time venter to lose the earth Digression 1. Prouing that the Papists grounding the doctrine of faith on Traditions make them equall to the written word 3 For the Trent Councell m Sess 4. decret 1. decreed they should be receiued with the same reuerence and affection wherewith we receiue the Scripture it selfe Canus n Loc. l. 3. c. 3. saith Many things belong to Christian faith which are contained in the Scripture neither openly nor obscurely o Confess Petric c. 92. Hosius saith the greatest part of the Gospell is come to vs by tradition very little of it is committed to writing p De Purgat cap. 11. Peltanus that many verities lye hidden in the Church which if she would reueale we were bound to beleeue with the same faith wherwith we beleeue the things reuealed in the Scriptures q Vaux Canisius English catech c. 1. The Popish Catechismes teach that Faith is a certaine light wherwith whosoeuer is enlightened he firmely agreeth to all such things as
cap. 4. Cyril that euen those things which are very easie yet to heretickes be hard to vnderstand And r In Anchor Epiphanius If a man be not taught of God to beleeue the truth all things to him are vneuen crooked which yet are straite and not to be excepted against to such as haue obteyned learning vnderstanding Austin hauing in his books of Christan doctrine propounded the rule of faith whereby all matters of faith must be determined yet notwithstanding thus concludes Å¿ Prolog in lib. de doctrin Christ To such as vnderstand not what I write I answer they must not blame me if they conceiue not these things as if I shewed them with my finger the moone or a star which they would see being not very cleare and they haue not eyes to see my finger much lesse a star they must not be offended at me if they see it not so they who vnderstanding these my precepts cannot yet see the things which in the Scripture be darke let them cease to blame me and rather pray God to giue them eye sight For I may point with my finger but I cannot giue them eyes to see the things I point to § 5. All these being set downe for certaine grounds the question is what in particular may be assigned as an infallible rule sufficient in it selfe to instruct all sorts of men in all points of faith This question I resolue by putting downe and prouing these foure conclusions * Diligens attenta frequensque lectio tum meditatio collatio â—cripturarum omnium summa regula ad intelligendum mihi semper est visa Acosta apud Possen l. 2. c. 15. The first conclusion is that the Scriptures alone especially as translated into the English tongue cannot be this rule This I proue The Answer 1 This conclusion hath two parts First that the Scripture is not the rule which God hath left to instruct vs in the points of faith Next that if possible it were yet as we haue it traÌ„slated into English it cannot Whereto I answer that the doctrine of our Church is t Artic. 6. cap. The doctrine of holy Scripture Iewel apol part 2. cap 9. diuis 1. that the Scriptures comprehended in the canonical books of the old and new Testament is the rule of faith so far that whatsoeuer is not read therein or cannot be proued thereby is not to be accepted as any point of faith or needfull to be followed but by it all doctrines taught and the Churches practise must be examined and that reiected which is contrary to it vnder what title or pretence soeuer it come vnto vs. 2 And as for translations we say that the diuine truth which is the infallible word of God is alike conteined in all translations as the meanes to shew it vs and the vessels wherein it is presented to vs yet with this difference that the same is perfectly immediatly most absolutely in the originall Hebrew and Greeke all other translations being to be tryed by them And therefore * Sacrae Scripturae infallibilis per omnia authoritas integerrima in omnibus veritas non pendet ex omnimoda incorruptibilitate alicuius editionis sed eius incorruptibilitas omnimoda in corde Ecclesiae ita conseruatur vt cum opus suerit opportunè prouideat ipsosque codices corrigat emendet Dom. Bann in 1. part Tho. pag 72. we relie vpon translations but in a certaine manner and degree namely with this caution that we trie them by the originall and finding them to agree in the matter we hold the translation to be the same canonicall Scripture that the Greek and Hebrew is Thus we say that euery translation consenting with the originall is canonicall Scripture because the matter of it is the pure doctrine of the holy Ghost and this doctrine conteined in it is the rule we seeke for Otherwise in the rigor of speech we cannot call the English translation the rule no not yet the Greeke and Hebrew because all language and writing is but a symbole or declaration of the rule and a certaine forme or manner or meanes whereby it cometh to vs as things are conteyned in their words And so to conclude because the doctrine matter of the text is not made knowne to me but by the words language therefore I say the scripture translated into English is the rule of faith whereupon I relying haue not a humane but a diuine authoritie For euen as I beleeue a diuine truth although by humane voice in preaching it be conueyed to me so I enioy the infallible doctrine of the Scriptures immediatly inspired by the holy Ghost though by a humane translation it be manifested to me And this is our meaning when we call the Scriptures translated into English the rule Which being explaned I will put the Reader in mind of three points to be noted about this conclusion which I will handle in the three next Digressions one after another Digression 3. Wherein by the Scriptures Fathers Reason and the Papists owne confessions it is shewed that the Scripture is the rule of faith 3 And first let any man iudge by that which followeth if this conclusion be not contrary to the cleare euidence of truth and Diuinitie For the text in plaine words free from ambiguitie saith u 2. Tim. 3.15 The Scriptures are able to make vs wise to saluation through the faith that is in Christ Iesus and are profitable to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute and perfect to euery good worke or as Salomon x Pro. 2.1.9 speaketh They will make a man vnderstand righteousnesse and iudgement and equity and euery good path y Esa 8.20 We must repaire to the law to the testimonie if any speak not according to that word there is no light in them z Mal. 4.4 Lu. 16.29 Remember the law of Moses my seruant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes and iudgements a 2. Pet 1.19 We haue a more sure word of the Prophets whereunto we must take heede as to a light that shineth in a darke place till the day starre arise in our hearts b Luc. 1.4 Ioh. 5.39 20.31 These things are written that we might haue the certaintie of that whereof we are instructed and that we might beleeue in Iesus and in beleeuing haue life eternall c 1. Cor. 4 6. We may not presume aboue that which is written d Luc. 10.26 And when one asked Christ what he might do to be saued he referred him to the Scripture for his direction And so e Luc. 16 29. did Abraham answer the rich glutton They haue Moses and the Prophets And f Deut. 12.8.32 Pro. 30.5 Mat. 22.29 Gal. 1.8 Eph 2.20 Heb. 4.12 Ap. 22.18 infinite more testimonies be there to the same effect Now shall the Scripture be able to
in Gen. the Fathers then to call vpon the people to get them Bibles to reade them to examine that they heare by theÌ„ and sharply to rebuke the negligence of such as did it not 11 It is a common reproch layd vpon our people that they reade the Scriptures in their houses and the translations thereof be nothing else but profanations of the Bible and this gracelesse conceit like blasphemous Atheists they vrge as z Nunc haec Scripturarum profanatio verius quà m translatio non soluÌ„ zonaâ—ios bouilos pistores saitores sutores verùm etiaÌ„ zonarias bouilas pistrices sattrices sutrices facit nobis apostolas prophetissas doctrices Hos de sacro vernac legend pag. 162. rudely exclaiming withall a Alphons Castrens de punit haeret l. 3. c. 6. Ouand breuil in 4. d. 13. prop. 13. that this is a principall cause to increase heresie and such like all which being compared with the practise of the Primitiue and Apostolicke Church you may freely iudge how truly the Iesuite saith b §. afterward his Romane church neuer altered any one point of religioÌ„ For thus writeth c De curand Graecorum affect l. 5. Theodoret of his times You shall euery where see these points of our faith to be knowne and vnderstood not onely by such as are teachers in the Church but euen of coblers and smithes and websters and all kind of artificers yea all our women not they onely which are booke-learned but they also that get their liuing with their needle yea maidseruants and waiting women and not citizens onely but husbandmen of the countrey are very skilfull in these things yea you may heare among vs ditchers and neat-heards and woodsetters discoursing of the Trinitie and the creation c. The like is reported by others And what maruell for the laitie was accustomed to the text of the Bible as wel as the learned yong children and women as well as others and d Hosius de expres Dei verbo his doctrine that was president in the Trent conspiracie that a distaffe was fitter for women then the Bible was not yet hatched e Socrat. l. 5. c. 8 Nicep l. 12. c. 12. Nectarius of a Iudge was made Bishop of Constantinople and f Socrat. l. 4. c. 30. Nicep l. 11. c. 32. Ambrose of a Deputie Bishop of Millan g Photius epist ad Nicol. Pap. apud Baron to 10. an 862. nu 47. Gregorie the father of Nazianzene and Thalassius the Bishop of Caesarea of lay men were made Bishops which shewes how diligent lay men were in the word of God that they could be able to sustaine the office of a Bishop h Euseb lib. 6. c. 3. Origen from his childhood was taught the Scriptures and gat them without booke and questioned with his father Leonides a holy martyr who reioyced in it about the difficult sences thereof So i Basil epist 74. Macrina Basils nurse taught him the Scripture of a child after the example of Timothy and k Georg. Laodic apud Sozom l. 3. c. 6. Emesenus from his infancy was vsed to the word of God l Niceph. Callist l. 8. c. 14. Many lay men among whom was the famous Paphnutius being very learned came to the Nicene councell m Nazianz. orat funeb in Gorgon Gorgonia the sister of Nazianzene was well learned Hierom n Epitaph Paulae writes of Paula a gentlewoman how she set her maides to learne the Scripture and many of his writings are directed to women commending their labour in the Scripture and encouraging them thereto as to Paula Eustochium Saluina Celantia c. which he would not haue done if he had bene a Papist o Cyril Alexand contra Iulian lib. 6. It was the reproch that Iulian the apostata laid on the Christians that their women were medlers with the Scriptures and from him the Papists haue borrowed it But p Col. 3.16 the Apostles counsell is rather to be followed Let the word of Christ dwell in you plentifully in all wisedome teaching and admonishing your selues Vpon which place saith Hierom Hence we see that lay men must haue the knowledge of the Scriptures and teach one another not onely sufficiently but also abundantly And the Greeke scholiast Christ will haue his doctrine dwell in vs very plentifully and that by searching the Scripture § 6. First because they faile in the first condition which I said before was requisite For thee translations are not infallible as the rule of faith must be For neither were the Scriptures immediatly written by the holy Ghost in this language neither were the translators assisted by the same Spirit infallibly infallibly I say that is in such sort as it were impossible they should erre in any point Since therefore the translator as being but a man may erre to say nothing of that which by Gregorie Martin is proued by the often change and variable translations is shewed that some haue erred how can a man and especially an vnlearned man who hath not sufficient learning meanes nor leisure to compare the translation with the prime authenticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or originall be infallibly sure that this particular translation which I haue or you haue do not erre And if in some places it erre how can I he infallibly sure that in there places which do seeme to fauour your side it doth not erre vnlesse you will admit an infallible authoritie in the Church to assure vs that such or such a translation doth not erre of which authoritie I shall say more hereafter The Answer 1 This section containeth the Iesuites first argument to proue that the Scriptures translated into English cannot be the rule of faith and thus it may be concluded The rule is infallible and free from error But the English translation is not infallible and free froÌ„ error Therfore the English translation is not the rule Whereunto I briefly answer two things the first is that the conclusion may be granted for we do not thinke this or that translation to be the rule and iudge but onely that it is a means whereby the diuine truth which is the rule is made knowne to vs for we put a difference betweene the doctrine taught in the Scripture and the meanes whereby the doctrine is vttered to our capacitie as betweene things and words The former is the rule the latter the vessell wherein the rule is presented to vs which in the originall is perfect but in all translations defectiue more or lesse See my answer to § 5. nu 1. 2. 2 Next to the argument that our translations are not infallible I answer An edition or translâ—tion of the Scripture may be erronious many wayes and one way is in respect of the words onely and not of the sence for so it may be corrupt that is to say not altogether so perfect as it should be Now this doth nothing hinder the truth of the matter or the
integritie of the text This distinction is a Relect. princip doctrin contriou 5. q. 3. art 3. pag. 525. D. Stapletons and therefore the Iesuite must admit it and it is the truth for no translation can fully expresse the idiom or propertie of the originall language and words and phrases may be defectiue and all secondary causes haue their impediments all which may in their kind be truly called errors and we deny not but our English translation and the Latin vulgar too is subiect to them but this hindereth not the truth of the matter nor the perfection of the text saith D. Stapleton 3 And therefore that which the Iesuite vrgeth against our translations is of no force because it proueth no error in matter but inwards onely as I haue said before for we graunt as he saith the Scripture was not written immediatly in English neither was the translator assisted by the holy Ghost in such sort that he could not erre in any point but being a man be might erre for he might erre in his owne worke which he did himselfe viz. in words and proprieties but in the matter contained which is Gods work he could not holding him to the originall Hebrew and Greeke which our translator did or at the least it was not vnpossible but he might truly and faithfully translate without any new inspiration though he were a man otherwise subiect to error because the originall might leade him and many other meanes might direct and admonish him and discouer his error else what will the Iesuit say when an ordinarie Pastor preacheth Gods word to the people For that which he deliuereth may be free from error and yet his voice is a humane worke and himselfe hath no immediate or infallible inspiration The very same reason is there of translations for a diuine work propounded by a humane meanes may be free from error which I further proue by Bellarmines owne confession who speaking of the vulgar Latin b Admittimus enim interpretem non esse prophetam errare potuisse tamen dicimus eum noÌ„ errasse in illa versione quam ecclesia probaâ—it De verbo Dei l. 2. c. 11. saith He admitteth the translator was no Prophet but subiect to error yet he could not erre in that translation which the Church allowed where he granteth that some translatioÌ„s done by a man subiect to error may yet be free if the Church allow it Now the Church hath allowed our English and we say ours is the true Church and therefore the translator though he were but a man did not erre Againe thus I reason if the Latin translator were freed from erring that is to say might erre but yet did not then our English translator may be freed likewise because he hath the same meanes for if the approbatioÌ„ of the church exempted him ours also hath the same approbation but that could not exempt him for it was extant and therefore was free from error if euer it were so at al c It began to be receiued about the time of Gregory the great who entred his Papacy in the yeare 590 saith Baron annal toÌ„ 2. an 231. nu 47. but was neuer declared to be authenticall till the Councell of Trent Sess 4. anno 1546. a thousand yeares or at the least some time afore the Church either allowed it for authenticall or could take notice of it And when the Councel of Trent did approue it it put no other truth into it then was there before but onely declared it to be true It followeth therefore that the translator was preserued from error by no other meanes and why might not the same direct ours also as namely the infallible and perpetuall veritie of the doctrine it selfe translated the direction of Gods spirit his owne diligence meanes skill faithfulnesse and the Churches carefull ouersight 4 The summe of all is this that our English Bible containeth two things the Doctrine and the Translation d 1. Tim 3.16 2. Pet. 2.20 The Doctrine was inspired of God written by men infallibly assisted by the holy Ghost and therefore is free from error and so coÌ„sequently the Scripture translated into English in respect of the matter is infallibly true because it was done by the immediate inspiration of the spirit of God The translation was done by the ministerie of the Church and industrie of certaine men who though they had no supernaturall inspiration or priuiledge from error yet we know infallibly they haue not erred in the matter by the same meanes whereby we know other truths and discerne other articles of Christian faith namely by the light of the doctrine translated the testimony of the spirit the ministery of the word the rules of art the knowledge of the tongues and such like 5 To that which the Iesuite faith out of Gregory Martin I answer that Martin hath said something against our translations but proued nothing Doctor Fulkes confutation of his discouery lieth yet vnanswered and long must do Martin cannot giue one instance of the sence corrupted his exceptions are childish if you reade his booke But as e De opt gen interpret ad Pammach Ierome said of some that vnskillfully reproued his translations so I may answer Martin and the Iesuite These and such like toyes are scored vp for our hainous faults Martin missed it farre as f Treatise of Renuntiat p. 156. some of his fellowes charge him producing the Councell of Trent against him when he allowed Recusants to go to Church with a Protestation He that was so short in his proofes at home might be as wide in his discoueries abroad And if the g Palaephat de Fabul non credent Lamia would haue pluckt his eyes out of his boxe and vsed them at home as well as he did abroad he might haue seene some errors also in his owne vulgar Latin whereof I will say something in the seuenth digression 6 His next reason is that the often change and variable translations do shew that some haue erred Whereto I answer two things First though it be granted that some haue erred yet hence it followeth not that all haue which is the point he must proue else he were as gond say nothing For we defend the Scriptures well and faithfully translated not this or that mans edition whereof our Church taketh no notice whether it be pure or no. It is sufficient for the veritie of our assertion that in the Church there be some translations faithfull and agreeing with the originall 7 Secondly we do not deny but our translations varie and haue bene altered according to h Posseuin biblioth select l. 2. cap. 8. inde Sixt. Senens biblioth Sanct. lib. 8. haeres 13. Bellar. de verb. Dei l. 2. cap. 8. Caesar Baron tom 2. an 231. Aug. de doctr Christ lib. 2. cap. 11. the example of the primitiue Church before vs. But this variety hath bin in the words and style and not in any materiall
them Therefore the Scripture is too obscure to be the rule wherto I answer three things according to the three parts of his argument First I grant certaine things are required as necessary conditions to the vnderstanding of the Scriptures but those things are alway present in the Church and the children of God partake them The spirit of God is necessary y Ioh. 3.8 which breatheth where it listeth and the ordinary meanes of learning and diligence be necessary but proueth not the obscurity pretended For the Mathematicks be the rule of measures proportions and numbers and yet many things are required to vnderstand them And the Iesuite thinketh his Church is the rule yet z Relect. contro 1. qu. 3. pa. 30. Stapleton writeth that sometime it is not seene so easily but onely by such as are very circumspect and skilfull 11 Secondly though more gifts of learning and art be needfull to such as teach others yet that is rather to search out and vtter the sence which the Scripture it selfe yeeldeth then to bring any to it which was not there afore And is not the touchstone it whereby we trie gold though some labour be needfull to find it out And yet they want no gifts for the vnderstanding of the text that haue and vse the text it selfe in that all exposition is to be setched out of it which inuincibly proueth it to be the rule and I haue often shewed that whatsoeuer the rule be yet of necessitie there must be certaine conditions obserued for the vsing it and this necessitie argueth it not of obscuritie 12 Lastly I say they which haue the meanes to vnderstand the Scripture know infallibly both that they haue them and that they vse them right in the same manner that a Arist de anima l. 3. c 2. the Philosopher proueth that with the same sense we see and are assured we see For supposing I haue the meanes that bringeth vnderstanding it were a most absurd thing to imagine those very meanes could not assure my conscience of the function or vse of them Digression 10. Assigning the true cause of mens errors in expounding the Scriptures 13 The Scripture in it selfe is a light as it is euery where called but men do not alway rightly vnderstand it by reason of some defect in themselues that hindereth them from comprehending so great maiestie For who is able to behold the Sunne in his brightnesse but his eyes will dazle yet that is the chiefe light whereby we see it selfe and all things else The means wherby we attain to the vnderstanding is inwardly the spirit of God opening our iudgment outwardly the Scripture it selfe which in plainer places openeth the obscurer giueth light to that which is more difficult The want of which means is the true cause that men run into error not vnderstanding the Scriptures 14 Our Sauiour saith b Io. 8.3 c. 3.2 we cannot know the truth till we continue in his words and the Apostle c 1. Pet. 2.1 for our growing vp in the word of God requireth that first we lay by all affection and then as new borne babes desire the sincere milke thereof that we may liue and grow thereby He is the best reader saith d De Trinit lib. 1. Hilary who rather expecteth the vnderstanding of things from the things themselues then from himselfe imposeth it vpon them who taketh the exposition from thence rather then bringeth it thither inforceth not the sence vpon the words which before his reading he presumed Epiphanius e Haer. 69 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith All things in the Scripture be manifest to such as repaire to them with a religious minde Oecumenius f Vpon 2 Cor. 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith If many beleeue not this is not our fault neither is it the obscuritie of the Gospell but the cause is their owne blindnesse and condemnation The cause of this dissention saith g De causis disâ—enâ— Eccles p. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nilus is not the sublimitie of the matter as if it exceeded the capacitie of mans minde and much lesse is the speech of the Scripture the cause as if it were so concise that it spake nothing plainly of the points in question for it is all one to accuse God and to chalenge the Scriptures Saint Austin in a h Epist 3. ad Volus certaine epistle sheweth what is plaine and what obscure and the reason why that the Iesuite may see there is no place left for his shifts thus he writeth The manner of speaking whereby the Scripture is knit together wherto all may approch though few can enter i En quae aperta continet quasi amicus familiaris sine fuco ad corloquitur indoctorum atque doctorum Ea vero quae in mysterijs occul tar nec ipsa eloquio supeâ—ho eâ—â—it quo non aude ataccedere meÌ„s tâ—t diuscula incruditâ— quasi pauper addiuitem sed inuitat omnes humili sermone quos noÌ„ soluÌ„ manifesta pascat sed etiaÌ„ secreta exeâ—ceat veritate hoc in promptis quod in reconditis habens like a familiar friend speaketh those plain things which it containeth without glozing to the heart of learned vnlearned And as for those which it hideth in mysteries it lifteth them not vp with stately speech that a dull and vnlearned minde should not presume to come neare as a poore man to a rich but with lowly speech it inuiteth all men that it may not onely feed them with manifest but also excercise them with obscure truth hauing the same in manifest that it hath in obscure places But lest manifest things should be loathed the same againe are obscurely spoken that they may be desired and being desired may after a certaine manner be renewed and being renewed they may be delightfully intimated to vs. Herby both froward wits are wholesomely corrected and weake wits cherished and great wits delighted 15 So that to expound figuratiuely that which should be meant literally or contrary argueth no such obscuritie in the text but ignorance or leuity or partialitie in the man as when k Anton. 3. par tit 18. c. 5. §. 3. the Popish Doctors teach all texts in preaching may be turned to Allegories wherof l Inno. Gentillet Exam. Concil Trident. lib. 4. nu 26. sess 22. we haue a pleasant example in the Councell of Trent it selfe where Tyrabosco the Patriarcke of Venice preaching on the miracle of the loaues fishes would proue the seuen Sacraments thereby The creation of the world saith he was ended the seuenth day and Christ satisfied the people with fiue loaues and two fishes which make seuen But how shall the Councell haue bread that the people may eate and be filled euen by appointing seuen sacraments for that which Philip said two hundred pennyworth of bread will not suffice hath this meaning that all the mysteries of the old and new testament are not enough
to enlighten the people so blind and ignorant are their minds But that which Andrew said There is a boy here which hath fiue loaues two fishes must be vnderstood of the rank of Saint Peters successors that which is added make the people sit down signifieth that saluation must be offered them by teaching them the seuen sacraments 16 And whereas the Iesuite vrgeth so diligently that somethings are hard to be vnderstood yet this proueth not that the truth therefore cannot be tryed by onely Scripture because one place thereof expoundeth another which if the Iesuite will deny he must be disputed with as he that holdeth the fire hath no heate in it for against such an absurd assertion we vse no reasons but onely bid the man that holdeth it put his finger into the fire and he shall presently see whether his opinion be true or no. So let triall be made and the Iesuite shall soone see whether the Scripture be so obscure that one place thereof cannot interpret another m De Doctrin Christian lib. 2. c. 6. Austin saith There is almost nothing amoÌ„g these obscurities but in other places one may find it most plainly deliuered n Hom. 9. in 2. Cor. Chrysostom saith The Scripture euery where when it speaketh any thing obscurely interpreteth it selfe againe in another place o Comment in Esa c. 19. Hierome saith It is the manner of the Scripture after things obscure to set down things manifest that which they haue first spoken in parables to deliuer afterwards in plaine terms p Regul contract qu. 267. Basil saith The things which are doubtfull and in some places of Scripture seeme to be spoken obscurely are made plaine by those things which are euident in other places And finally q In Gen. ca. 2. Steuchius a Popish Bishop confesseth God was neuer so inhumane as to suffer the world in all ages to be tormented with the ignorance of this matter the sence of the Scripture seeing he hath not suffered one place to be in al the Scripture but if we consider it well we may interpret it For as Theodoret saith the Scripture vseth when it teacheth vs any such high matter to expound it selfe and not suffer vs to run into error Digression 11. Prouing that the Scripture it selfe hath that outward authoritie whereupon our faith is built and not the Church 17 The Canon law r Dist 37. c Relatum saith expresly The diuine Scriptures containe the whole and firme rule of the truth and out of themselues the meaning thereof must be taken So that wel may the Church by her ministery commend the rule to vs and instruct vs how to secure our consciences out of the Scripture but by it authoritie it cannot assure vs. Our faith must resolue it selfe into the authoritie of the Scripture For the authoritie of the Church in respect of vs dependeth on the authoritie of the Scriptures and is examined thereby The Church by her authoritie cannot perswade all men which heare it but the spirit of God in the Scriptures alwayes doth The Scriptures alwaies had their authoritie euen before the Churches came to them the words of the Scripture are Å¿ Luc. 8.11 1. Pet. 1.23 an immortall seed t 1. Cor. 2.4 the demonstration of the spirit and power u Heb. 4.12 that which is liuely and powerfull x Luc. 24.32 making our hearts to burne within vs y Ioh. 5.36.39 it giueth greater testimony to Christ then Iohn Baptist could z 2. Pet. 1.18 19 a voice from heauen is not so sure as it a 1. Ioh. 5.6 it is the spirit that beareth witnesse to the truth thereof b 1. Ioh. 5 9. and if we receiue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater Finally our Sauiour c Ioh. 5.47 saith They which beleeue not Moses writings will not beleeue him and is the Churches authoritie greater then Christs d Ioh. 5.39 The Scriptures testifie of Christ e Ioh. 20.31 being written that we might beleeue in him f 1. Ioh. 5.10 and he that beleeueth in him hath a witnesse in himselfe g 2. Cor. 1.22 The earnest of the spirit is in his owne heart wherwith God hath sealed him h Ephes 2.20 We are all built vpoÌ„ the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ himselfe being the head corner stone in whom all the building is coupled together by the spirit i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in psa 1â—5 In all humane arts there be certaine principles which are knowne of themselues and beleeued for themselues without any further demonstration The Scripture containeth the principles of our faith and shall not we beleeue them or cannot we know them infallibly of themselues without we let in the authoritie of the Church 18 Where then is the Iesuites credamus Deo in the captiuating of our iudgement in obsequium Christi Yea the very k Magist 3. dist 23. Scot. 3. dist 23. q vnica Ockâ—â— 3. q. 8. art 3. Gabr 3. d. 23. q 2. lit g. h. schoolemen say that faith is either Acquisita suasa gotten by discourse of reason and testimonie of the Church or Infusa inspirata immediatly put into our hearts by the holy Ghost inforcing the mind without further testimonie to yeeld obedience Now l Deut. 29 4. Mat. 16 17. the faith we haue of the points in Scripture is of the latter kind and so consequently not relying on the testimonie of the Church whose authority is but a created thing distinct from the first veritie m Princip fid doctrin lib. 8. cap. 20. saith D. Stapleton Alexander Hales n Part. 1. q. 1. memb 1. fides suasa inspirata saith Faith perswaded ariseth from the probabilitie of reason and faith inspired beleeueth the first truth for it selfe and this faith is aboue all knowledge * Et ad hanc disponit acceptâ—o doctrinae sacrae and the acceptation of the holy doctrine disposeth vs to it So that our conscience stayeth it selfe o Sed vt verè plenè credat necesse habet soli veritati primae purae nudae penitus inhaerere nullaÌ„ certitudinem extrinsecam requirendo Altisiod Sum. li. 2. pag 71. quem vide latiùs l. 1. praef onely vpon this diuine authoritie being of greater efficacie to perswade and hold vs then either the Church p Gal. 1.8 or an Angell from heauen 19 Let God himselfe q Lib. 5. ep 31. saith Ambrose teach me the mystery of heauen which made it not man who knoweth not himselfe whom may I beleue in the things of God better then God himselfe So also saith Saluianus r De prouid l. 3. All that men say needs reasons and witnesses but Gods word is witnesse to it selfe because it followeth necessarily that whatsoeuer the incorrupt truth speaketh must needs be an incorrupt witnes of it self Finally let these words of Å¿ Confess
teach him the faith of Christ and this the Apostle saith the Scriptures are able to do By which word Able the other word Profitable must be expounded For the Apostle to manifest their abilitie produceth their profitablenesse which were no good argument if their profitablenesse were not complete Besides it cannot be denyed but all sufficient things are profitable and therefore hence it followeth by the rule of conuersion that therefore some profitable things are sufficient And so may the scripture be sufficient 3 Secondly he answereth They be profitable and sufficient because they commend vnto vs the Churches authoritie which is sufficient But this is a shift For 1. then they are not sâ—fficient in that they coÌ„mend no such authoritie to vs. 2. If this be a good answer theÌ„ so many books of the Bible be superfluous For this one place or b Hold the traditions the fifteenth verse of the second chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians for example were sufficient because according to the Iesuites exposition it commendeth to vs the authoritie of the Church which is able to instruct vs. 3. The text is euident that the profitablenesse thereof standeth in teaching reprouing correcting and instructing now if it stand in this wholly then the Iesuits conceit is excluded if but in part then let him shew what we need more for our saluation then doctrine reproofe correction and instruction 4. There was neuer any Papist in the world that durst alledge this text for the authoritie of the Church and yet granting the Iesuites exposition it should proue it inuincibly 5. The Church it selfe whereunto he saith the Scripture sendeth vs for our sufficient instruction receiueth her doctrine out of the Scriptures The Church saith c Tract 3. in 1. epist Ioh. Austin is our mother her brests are the two testaments of the Scripture whence she giueth her children milke Therfore they containe a sufficient doctrine because the Church giueth her children no other 6. Yea the Apostle saith they are able to make the man of God perfect that is the Pastor himselfe the Pope and Councell and all Now the Iesuite will not say they make these perfect by sending them to the Church because themselues are the Church yea the head and mouth of it 7. Finally it were intollerable folly to say that man teacheth me all good learning that I might be absolute and perfect yea maketh me wise to knowledge which onely as I go sheweth me the schoole where I learne these things yet the speech were as proper as the Apostles in this place supposing the Iesuites exposition to be true 4 The fathers and certaine Papists also the truth constraining them expound the place otherwise and say as we do d Hom. 9. Chrysostome writing on this place saith If any thing be needfull for vs to learne or to be ignorant of there in the Scripture we may haue it and he addeth that in these words Paul telleth Timothy Thou hast the Scriptures to teach thee in steed of me if thou desire to know any thing there thou maist learne it Which he could not haue said if he had not thought Timothy might learne as much out of the Scripture as Paul could teach him e De ration stud theolog lib. 1. cap. 3. Villavincentius a Papist confesseth The Scriptures and they alone are able to teach vs to saluation as the Apostle in the third chapter of his second Epistle to Timothy affirmeth saying all Scripture is inspired of God c. In which words the Apostle comprehendeth all things that are needfull to the saluation of man f Sum part 3. tit 18. c. 3. §. 3. Antoninus the Archbishop of Florence saith God hath spoken but once and that in the holy Scripture so fully to all doubts and cases and to all good workes that he needeth speake no more g Comment in 2. Tim. c. 3 in v. 15.16 Espencaeus writeth That if any thing be needfull either to be knowne or done the Scriptures teach the truth reproue the false reclaime from euill perswade to good Neither yet do they make a man good in some sort but perfect yea they can teach a man to saluation and h Sufficienter doctum reddere make him learned sufficiently § 12. The second conclusion is that no mans naturall wit and learning neither any companie of men neuer so learned onely as they are learned men not infallibly assisted by the holy Spirit can either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise be this infallible rule of Faith and consequently thoâ—e that for matters of faith rely either vpon their owne interpretation of Scripture or vpon the interpretation of other learned not assisted infallibly by the holy Ghost cannot haue an infallible faith This I proue Because all this wit and learning is humane naturall and fallible and therefore cannot be a rule or foundation whereupon to build a diuine supernaturall and infallible faith The third conclusion that no priuate man who perswadeth him selfe to be especially instructed by the Spirit can be this infallible rule of faith at least so farre forth as he teacheth or beleeueth contrarie to the receiued doctrine of the catholike Church this I proue first because S. Paul Gal. 1. saith Si quis vobis euangelizauerit praeter id quod accepistis anathema sit Pronouncing generally that whosoeuer teacheth contrarie to the receiued doctrine of the catholike Church should be held anathematized or accursed Secondly I proue the same because the rule of faith must be infallible plainly knowne and vniuersall as before hath bene proued But this priuate spirit is not such For neither the partie himselfe and much lesse any other can be infallibly sure that he in particular is taught by the holy Ghost For neither is there anie promise in Scripture to assure that he in particular is thus taught by the holy Ghost neither is his particular perswasion be it neuer so seeming strong able to giue infallible assurance thereof since diuerse now adayes perswade theÌ„selues to be thus taught by the Spirit and yet one of them teaching contrary to another and therefore some in these their perswasions must needs be deceiued And therefore who without testimonie of true miracle or some other infallible proofe dare arrogantly affirme that he onely is not deceiued since others that perswade themselues in the same maner that he doth are in this their perswasion sometime deceiued Moreouer suppose one assure himselfe to be taught by Gods Spirit immediatly in all things what is the true faith as it is not the maner of Almightie God to teach men immediatly by himselfe but rather as the Scripture telleth vs Fides ex auditu Rom. 10. and it is to be required ex ore sacerdotis and must be learned of Pastors and Doctors whom God hath put in his Church vt non circumferamur omni vento doctrinae But suppose I say one in priuate thinke himselfe to be immediatly taught of God how should he
companies in the world professing Christ were neuer assembled into one place so that they might all of them be seene Fourthly we vse this reason also that in the visible assemblies many badde are mingled with the good and therefore of necessitie we must allow another Church whereto they properly belong which can be none but an inuisible Church But the Iesuite auouching the mixture of good and badde in the militant Church which we grant to proue the Catholicke Church consisteth of all sorts reasoneth to no purpose For the militant and Catholicke Churches are not all one by reason whereof that may be in one which is not in another Neither can any thing be concluded for the later out of those Scriptures which speake onely of the former And let him know that this ground of ours is so true which he calleth a false ground that many learned Papists confesse it with vs. Many grant c de Eccl. mild 3. c. 9. saith Bellarmine that euill men are no true members neither simply of the body of the Church but onely * Secundum quid aequiuoceÌ„ in some respect and equiuocally So saith Ioannes de Turcremata prouing it out of Alexander Hales Hugh and Saint Thomas The same also is taught by Petrus à Soto Canus and others Now that which is so equiuocally d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Categ c. 1. Phauorin Lexic is not so in deed but in name or likenesse onely As a painted man is called a man § 23. Lastly the testimonie of the Fathers proueth the same Origenes homilia 30. in Mat Ecclesia saith he plena â—st fulgore ab Oriente vsque ad Occidentem Cyprian lib. de Vnitate Ecclesiae Ecclesia inquit Domini luce perfusae radios suos per orbem terrarum spargit Chrysost hom 4. in cap 6. Esaiae Facilius est inquit Solem extingui quam Ecclesiam obscurari August lib. 3. contra Epist Parmeniani cap. 5. Nulla inquit est securitas vnitatis nisi ex promissiâ— Dei Ecclesiae declaratis quae supra montem vt dictum est constituta abscondi non potest Tract 1. in Epist Ioan. Nunquid digito ostendemus Ecclesiam fratres mei nonne aperta est Et tract 2. Quid amplius dicturus sum quà m caecoâ— qui tam magnum montem non vident qui contra lucernam in candelabro positam oculos claudunt By which places of the Fathers doth euidently appeare how that they did suppose as certaine that the Church was visible such as might be cleerely seene and could not be hidden The Answer 1 The iudgement teaching of the fathers we acknowledg a Eph. 4 1â— must reuerently be accounted of and followed as they follow the truth froÌ„ which as other later Pastors in Gods Church so they haue swarued somtime so manifestly that Canus a Papist himselfe whose iudgement is commended by b Qua de rectuâ—â—tè mihi scripâ—iâ—ie videtur Canus lib. â— de locis Theologicis c 3. tom 3 cap. 239. Gregory of Valence c Loc. Theolâ— 7. c. 3. concl 2. writeth The Canonicall authors indeed as being from aboue heauenly diâ—â—â—e do alwayes hold a perpetuall and stable constancie in their writings but other holy writers are inferiour and humane failing sometimes and now and then contrary to the course of nature they bring foorth a monster Which being granted then their testimonie proueth not alwayes but only sheweth what they supposed And the common distinction of the Papists here applyed that d Greg Valent. tom 3. p. 290. it is infallibly true which they deliuer with one consent though it seeme reasonable yet sometime it is but a stale to deceiue For this consent cannot euer be knowne and they that keepe such a stirre with it e Quod si per sententiam doctoruÌ„ aliqua fidei controuersia non satis commode coÌ„poni posset eo quod illorum consensu â—on aperte constaret sua tunc constâ—â— authoritas pon â—fici pag 293. lit B. themselues place it at the length in the Popes sole authoritie More shall be said of this matter f § Digress 47. nu 5. ad 12. hereafter but here I touch it that it might appeare the Scripture onely is iudge 2 But allow them what authoritie you will yet by the places alledged it appeareth neither euidently nor at all that they thought any thing against our assertion but they speake either of the inward light of the Church consisting in truth and obedience or of the outward estate as it was in their time or as the godly that liue therein at all times see it as will appeare by examining their particular words 3 Origen whom yet I maruell that he would alledge seeing they g Baron An. 232. nu 10. tom 3. count him an hereticke and h An. 256. nu 40 ibid reproue all that speake for him saith The Church is full of brightnesse from the East to the West But this brightnesse was not meant of the outward estate or appearance thereof but of the truth professed which we say may be done in secret as his words in the beginning of that homily declare We must vnderstand that the brightnesse of truth appeareth out of euerie place of Scripture and going out from the East that is from the birth of Christ it appeareth vntill the accomplishment of his passion wherein is his Sun-setting And though this brightnesse were cleare to the world also when Origen wrote this yet hence it followeth not that it should alway be so a cloud of Apostasie might after his time come and obscure it Cyprian saith The Lords Church being enuironed with his light reacheth his beames ouer all the world Which words being in all points like Origens receiue the same answer For by this light he meaneth the vnitie of the Church as appeareth by his next words This light is one which is spred euery where and the vnitie of the bodie is not separated now this vnitie as all other inward graces and ornaments of the Church may with her selfe be spred all ouer the world and yet not visibly to the view of all therein but by being retained in the hearts of her children scattered all ouer the world Yet I deny not but the Church was openly knowne in Cyprians time though very poore and persecuted but that proueth not it should alway be so Chrysostome saith The Sunne shall sooner be put out then the Church obscured but by obscuring he meaneth not the hiding of it for a time out of the sight of her enemies but the totall extinguishing and vtter abolishing of it Which will easily appeare if the greeke word vsed for obscuring be looked now that may be hidden for a time which is not extinguished as we see in the Sun wherwith Chrysostome compareth the Church Againe it is neuer obscured from those that liue in it which professe the faith and yet the world may be ignorant of it as a blind man seeth not the
whether it be true or no. But to examine the Churches faith he saith is absurd and thus he proueth it They which examine the particulars taught by the Church whether they be the truth or not with authority to accept or reiect make themselues examiners and iudges ouer the Church and preferre their owne liking and censure before the iudgement definition and censure of the Church But this later is absurd considering the Catholicke Church is a company of men wise learned and free from error Mat. 28.20 Iohn 14.16 16.13 Ergo the former is also For answer to this argument we do not hold that we haue authoritie to accept that which we like or which in our conceit seemeth right and to reiect whatsoeuer we dislike or which in our priuate iudgement seemeth not conformable neither do we admit any priuate conceit of any man as the Iesuite vntruly suggesteth but all authoritie thus expounded we disclaime and renounce And here I affirme against his odious suggestion that not we but himselfe and his Pope are guiltie of this presumption of whom they write a Sacr. Cerem lib. 1. tit 7. that all power is giuen him in heauen and earth b Innocent 3. de Concess praebendae c. proposuit And of the fulnesse of this power he may by right dispence beyond all right c Gloss ibid. §. supra ius Euen against the Apostles and their Canons and the old Testament and in vowes and othes d Sum. Angel voce Papa nu 1 And against all the commandements of the old Testament and the new For otherwise it might seeme that God had not bene a prouident father in his familie neither could it be said that the Pope is Gods generall Commissary assumed vnto him into the fulnesse of power Finally e De translatione Episc c. quanto in gl He is said to haue a heauenly iudgement that can make somthing of nothing and that to be the sence which is no sence because in such things as he will his will is insteed of a law Whence it cometh to passe that f Cusan ep 2. pag. 833. the Scripture is fitted to the time and the sence thereof altered as the time altereth g Id. ep 7. pag. 857. so that sometime it is expounded one way and sometime another h Alu. Pelag. de planct Eccles l. 1. art 6. ex Hostieni Neither may any Councell iudge the Pope for that if in any matter the whole world should iudge against him yet his opinion were to be receiued They that attribute all this and a great deale more to their Pope whom alone they make iudge of all in my minde may very ill vpbraid others with assuming authoritie to iudge c. 2 But this we say that it is lawfull and necessary for euery particular man i 1. Thess 5.21 to trie all things and hold that which is good and by the Scriptures to examine and iudge of the things which the Church teacheth him k Luc. 1.4 Col. 2.2 that he may haue the full knowledge and assurance of the things wherein he is taught The which triall because it is made by the Scriptures is no priuate iudgement but the publicke censure of Gods spirit that speaketh openly in the Scripture to all men And when a man in this manner reiecteth the teaching of a Church as great and good as the Romane Catholicke his conceit herein is not priuate as priuate is opposed to spirituall but onely as it is opposed against that which is common among others and so a priuate man may iudge For our Sauiour saith l Ioh. 7.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man will do the will of God he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe m Act. 17.11 And the men of Beroea when they receiued the word of Paul and Silas searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so And yet the teaching of the Apostles was more certaine and infallible then the doctrine of any Church since and their persons more holy and wise then any that haue liued after them 3 Therefore the true manner how the Churches teaching may be examined being thus expounded the proposition of the Iesuites argument is false wherein he saith They which examine whether the particular points which the Church teacheth be true make themselues iudges ouer the Church preferring their priuate conceits before the definitions of the Church c. For they examine and iudge not by their owne priuate humors but by the publicke word of God n Ioh. 12 48. which in the Scripture speaketh openly to all the world though the children of God onely know and beleeue it by reason o Ioh. 12 40. the vnbeleeuers haue their eyes and hearts blinded that they should not vnderstand And thus it is lawfull for all men to iudge the Churches teaching because else they cannot be certaine they liue in the true Church or haue true faith p Col. 2.2 which is ioyned with the full assurance of vnderstanding to know the mystery of God Chrysostome answering the obiection of such as pretended they could not tell what religion to be of there were so many opinions q In Act. hom 33. saith That seeing we take the Scriptures which are so true and plaine it will be an easie matter for you to iudge and tell me hast thou any wit or iudgement for it is not a mans part barely to receiue whatsoeuer he heareth Say not I am a scholler and may be no iudge I can condemne no opinion for this is but a shift c. Basil saith r Ethic. definit 72. pag. 432. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It behoueth the hearers that are learned in the Scriptures to trie those things which are said by their teachers and receiuing that which agreeth with the Scriptures to reiect the contrary And Gerson one of his owne side Å¿ De exam doctr part 1. conâ—ess 5. writeth The examination and triall of doctrines concerning faith belongeth not onely to the Councell and Pope but also to eueryone that is sufficiently learned in the Scriptures because euery man is a sufficient iudge of that he knoweth 4 And in all this hitherto there is no wrong offered to the Church but onely that put in practise which was neuer misliked till a Church arose whose siluer being drosse and milke poyson might not endure the triall And whereas he saith it is a great absurditie to preferre a priuate mans iudgement be he neuer so witty or strongly conceited of himselfe before the iudgement of Gods Church herein he saith excellent well but will he expound the light and euidence of the Scripture to be nothing else but wit and conceit and will he leaue no roome for the full assurance of vnderstanding in the heart of man or is it absurd for a priuate man to preferre the truth of Gods word before the teaching of all the world I would not
not to the cleargie but to the people And the reason added why they should trie the spirits maketh it plaine who the parties be that should trie them for many false Prophets are gone out they must trie the spirits that are in danger to be seduced by false Prophets and such are the people and therefore they must examine them as Christ saith a Math. 7.15 Beware of false Prophets by their fruites that is by their doctrine ye shall know them and yet they cannot be knowne by their doctrine vnlesse it be first examined And Saint Basil b Eth. definit 72. pag. 432. Graec. Bas saith It behoueth the hearers which are learned in the Scriptures to examine the things which are spoken by their teachers and receiuing those things which are consonant with the Scriptures to refuse the contrary 2 And whereas the Iesuite auoucheth his conceit by a text of Ephes 4.11 wherein it is said that Christ hath left to his Church Pastors and Doctors that henceforth we be no more children wauering and caried about with euery wind of doctrine the Apostle saith not that our Pastors were giuen vs that henceforth we should no more trie the spirits but for the worke of the ministery for the gathering together of the Saints for the building of the body of Christ all which dutie of theirs is much furthered when the people vnder them trie all things and hold that which is good and by examining their teaching find them to be Doctors of the truth And if Saint Paul had misliked this then the men of Beroea had not bene c Act. 17.11 commended by the spirit of God for examining his doctrine neither would he haue d Heb. 5.14 warned the Hebrewes that through long custome they should haue their wits exercised to discerne both good and euill And to reply that they discerne it because the Church telleth them what it is is too grosse for they cannot tel whether the Church say true or no till they haue examined what it saith 3 In the second place he answereth that the spirits which must be tried are not the spirits of the Church which are of God but onely such spirits of which we may doubt whether they be of God or no then the which he could haue spoken nothing more vnaduisedly because if it be lawfull to trie such spirits as are suspitious or false then is it also lawfull to proue the true for two contrary spirits be relatiues so that we cannot proue the one to be false but we must needs withal proue the other to be true Againe when we doubt whether the spirit be of God then we are not certaine and if the false spirit be not certainly false then neither is the true spirit certainly true in my vnderstanding till I haue tried it Moreouer there is nothing so true in it selfe but it may be doubtfull to vs till we haue tried it and therefore the purest spirits are not exempt from examination specially considering that it is no iniury to the truth which loueth to be sifted if ye proue it by his word e Ioh. 18.37 that was borne to beare witnesse to the truth and the more ye trie it the clearer it is neither can it be grieuance to the spirit of God who f 1. Thess 5.21 calleth vpon vs to trie all things and hold that which is good and biddeth vs haue our wits exercised to discerne betweene good and euill 4 And his conclusion that when it is certaine the spirit is of God then we must no longer doubtfully examine it but obediently accept it saith very well for g 2. Tim. 3.7 the Apostle rebuketh such as are alway learning and neuer come to the knowledge of the truth but he forgetteth that so it neuer is till we haue tried it and therefore we may first examine it that afterwards we may be certaine and obedient And though it be most certaine that the spirit of the true Church is of God yet hence it followeth not that we must seeke this Church by other markes and not by her teaching for those other markes which the Iesuite meaneth are of God too as well as the teaching is and yet he will allow them to be examined And first to examine and trie and then obediently to beleeue are not contrary but subordinate and the one the way to the other And Christ was of God yet h Ioh 5.39 he bad men search the Scripture for his triall and all we being naturally the heires of vnbeleefe cannot haue this certaintie in our selues till the discourse of Gods word haue created it in vs. And if there were nothing else to leade vs yet the experience which we haue had of the Church of Romes dealing were sufficient to warne vs that we neuer giue ouer Saint Iohns lesson Beleeue not euery spirit but trie them whether they be of God Digression 20. Concerning the proceeding of the Councell of Trent in the determining matters of faith 5 For the Papists i Bone Deuâ— quae gentium varietas qui delectus episcoporum totius orbis qui reguÌ„ rerum publicarum splâ—ndor quae medulla theologorum quae sanctitas quae lacrymae quae iciâ—niâ— qui flores academici quae linguae quanâ—a subtilitas quantus labor quam insinita lectio quantae virtutaÌ„ studiorum diuitâ— t aug â—stuÌ„ illâ—d sacraâ—ium impleueruntâ— Posseuin biblioth pag 4â—2 commend their Trent Councell to the skies perswading themselues this very Church was there whose bare authoritie should leade vs and yet marke what course it tooke in the triall of religion For first none was admitted to haue any voice there but onely such as were fast to the Papacie and not all such neither if they were not pliable enough in euery matter to the Popes mind for some were remoued out of the Councell and sent away because they began to speake something freely and to make sure work there were more Bishops of Italy then of all the world beside who might ouer-rule the rest if need required of which matter k Claud. Espencae in epist ad Tit. c. 1. a Popish Bishop confesseth This is that Helena which of late ruled all at Trident besides l Innocen Gen tillet examen Concil Triden pag. 32. Nota quod holie multi sunt Episcopi sine administratione episcopatuum vt sunt isti qui vulgariter appellantur Nullatenenses Panor de offic ordin c. quoniam there were some that had the titles of Archbishops as Vpsalensis Armachanus which yet had neither church nor Diocesse but were created to fil vp the number m Id pag. 251. and wheÌ„ yet vpon a time the Pope wanted voices to sway the matter he sent a fresh supply of forty Bishops newly made as euery base towne in Italy hath his Bishop And when the Protestant Diuines required audience they could not be admitted vpon any equall termes but n Illyr protest contra Concil Trid Fabric recus
the qq of the Armenians Armachanus against the Friers Marsilius and Occham against the Popes supremacie the Iesuits and Secular priests of late among vs one against another Catharinus against Caietan of whom a Loc. l. 2. c. 11. Canus againe giueth this censure He was a little too busie in carping at others and marked not that himselfe while he reprehended Caietan did many times and fowlly erre This Caietan though he were b Reuerendiss Thomae de Vio Caie S. Ro. Eccl Card. Theol. doctoris absolu tissimi The title set before his comments vpon Tho. reputed the most absolute and profound Doctor of his time c As appeareth by his opusc ad diuersorum quaesita much sought vnto for resolution of difficult questions yet afterward d Andrad defens Trid. l. 2. they suspected him to haue bene a Lutheran e Suaâ— to 3. d. 60 s 1. And this appeareth by coÌ„paring the new print of his commentaries vpon Tho. with the old edition printed at Venice An. 1523. and Pius Quintus caused a number of things to be put out of his bookes in a new impression that a man may know they are not all of one opinion So Catharinus and Soto haue written vehemently against each other and there is not one of the elder Papists such as were Pighius Gropper Bayus Peresius Cassander Hosius Almaine and the rest who in their time some three or foure score yeares since were the best pillars in the Church of Rome and taught the doctrine thereof as it was then held but now the Iesuits scornfully cast them off and confute them Who knoweth not f De grat l. 1. c. 3. saith Bellarmine that Pighius in many points was miserably seduced by reading Caluins bookes And of Gropper and the other Diuines of Collen he g De iustif l. 3. cap. 3. saith Their bookes haue need of the Churches censure in the same manner do they that are yet liuing deale one by another For nothing is more common in the bookes of Stapleton Bellarmine Gregory of Valentia Suarez Vasquez Molina Baronius and other moderne writers then to confute one anothers opinion and to determine in the questions depending as variably as euer did the schoolemen 18 And if any thinke I wrong them by reporting these things vntruly of them I demand why haue they razed purged so many of their books which were their owne Doctors why haue they put out that which they writ and put in what they writ not and so printed their bookes new ouer that now you cannot find in the new print those things which themselues printed in the old Thus they haue serued Caietan Gratian with his glosse Ferus Polydore Ludouicus Vines h See index lib. prohib and the indices expurg of all sorts Iun. Hispan Louan Posseuin apparat sacer tomis 2. and whom not if he had written neuer so little against the streame of the present time The Diuines of the holy inquisition i Biblio l. 2. c. 8. saith Posseuinus a busie meddler in all mens writings haue commanded certaine things to be razed out of Andreas Mazius his comments which sauoured of heresie And of Iansenius his Harmonie vpon the Gospels he k Lib. 2. c. 18. saith Many things are in it not allowed by learned men which with little ado might be supplyed or taken away Therfore it is plaine that among the learned of that side there is some opposition or else they would neuer geld one anothers bookes thus 19 And it is no sufficient answer to say The difference is not in dogmaticall points of faith but onely in matters not defined by the Church for it is in all the points of their religion wherein they differ from vs and wherin Papistry properly consisteth the certaine truth wherof is determined in the Scriptures and therefore it is against vnitie to disagree therein whether the Pope and his Councels determine of them or no. Besides it is a point of Atheism to say l Dico hactenus nihil esse in hac controuersia ab Ecclesia definituÌ„ ideoque sententiam nostrum non esse de side â— Fr. Suar. to 2. d. 3. l. 6. they are not matters of faith vnlesse the Church of Rome haue defined theÌ„ m Occham tract 2. part 2. c. 10 inde Anâ—otâ—ers for what God reuealed in his word and may be knowne thereby bindeth vs of it owne nature and though the Church haue power to propound matter of faith out of the Scripture and for the ending of controuersies to giue testimony with the truth yet hath it no authoritie to change the nature of things or to put any more veritie into them then was before In which regard the contentions of our aduersaries touch the faith in that they striue about things determined by the word of God and agree in nothing wherein they dissent from vs for in the same things wherin they differ from vs they also dissent one from another This I will shew in some few examples such and so many onely as the present opportunitie will permit and is fit for this place 20 First they agree not about the Popes supremacie For Ferus n Sixt. Senens biblioth l. 6. annot 72. taught against his dominion and principality in temporall things o Comment in Mat. l. 3 in c. 16. preaching that Christ gaue him the keyes not of the kingdomes of the earth but of the kingdome of heauen not any earthly power to giue take away or alienate kingdomes but authoritie to bind and loose c. And Marsilius p Defens pac part 2. c. 18. saith That vniustly yea besides and contrary to the demonstration of Diuinitie humanitie he ascribeth to himselfe fulnesse of power ouer Prince community or any singular person And Durand q De modo celeb concil queÌ„ refert Catolog test idem Gerson quem ita refert Fr. Victo relect 4. de pot Pap. Concil pag. 138. holdeth the Supremacie of the Romane Church should be declared and distinguished by the Ecclesiasticall and secular lawes neither ought the Pope to be called the Bishop of the vniuersall Church because Gregory hath forbidden it And it is a common opinion that a Councell is aboue him And Almayn r Qu. in Vesp pag. 133. saith It is not necessary we beleeue things determined by him And Cusanus Å¿ Concord l. 2. c. 12. saith that through vse and custome of his subiects obeying him he hath at this day gotten a great deale beyond the ancient sacred Canons Secondly touching prayer in an vnknowne tongue t Christ instruct pag 212. Contarenus a Cardinall saith The prayers that men vnderstand not want the fruite which they should reape if they vnderstood them for they might both specially intend their mind to God for the obtaining euen in speciall of that which with their mouth they begge and also through the pious sence of their prayer vttered they should
authoritie but the Councell of Nice Now it is very probable that if these Bishops had thought the subiection mentioned by the Iesuit to the Bishop of Rome were necessarily required to the essence of vnitie they would haue yeelded wheras by their resistance it is plaine they thought themselues bound to his determination no more then he might thinke himselfe bound to theirs 4 About the yeare 258. there arose a question whether they whom heretickes had baptized if they returned to the Catholicke Church should be baptized againe Here no doubt the Popes iudgement was to be followed if it were true that the authoritie and certaintie of iudgement were his and all true Catholicks should yeeld vnto him But mark what fell out p Euseb l. 7. c. 5. Cypr. ep 74. ad Pomp. August de vnic bapt c. 14. Stephen the Bishop of Rome forbad rebaptization and thought them worthy excommunication that vsed it but Cyprian the Bishop of Carthage and a Martyr of the Church withstood him and would neuer accept his decree With him tooke part Firmilianus the Metropolitan of Caesarea confuting the decree that Stephen had made whom q Apud Cypr. ep 75. in a certaine epistle he thus reproueth What can be more base or vaine then to hold contention with so many Bishops throughout the world breaking peace with euery one through diuers kinds of discord sometime with the Easterne people sometime with you of the South not suffering the Bishops sent from them so much as to come to his speech but forbidding the brethren to giue them roome and lodging Is this to hold the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace to cut himselfe from the vnitie of loue and in all things to make himself strange vnto his brethren yea and through the fury of contention to rebell against faith and Sacrament See how this man r Menolog Graec. in Octobr 28. whom the Church so honored that they put his name into the Kalender taketh vp the Pope and setteth at nought his definitiue sentence With these tooke part also a Å¿ Concil Carth. apud Cyprian Councell of 87. Bishops yea many great Synodes t Euseb l. 7. c. 5. saith Dionysius Alexandrinus and whole countries who yet were not therefore reputed to liue out of the vnitie of the Church And Dionysius himselfe the Patriark of Alexandria consented herein with Cyprian and the Synods of Affrik as Ierom u De Script eccle in Dionysio testifieth Here theÌ„ we see the Pope at one time resisted by 3. Metropolitans many Councels and by the most Bishops in Affricke Cappadocia Egypt Cilicia Galatia and other countries and yet the Iesuite will needs perswade that all Catholicke men haue acknowledged one chiefe Pastor the Pope and yeelded themselues euermore to his censure when these examples shew the contrary and make it more then plaine that till now of late subiection to the Romish Church was neuer esteemed appertaining to the essence of vnitie nor put into the definition thereof Digression 26. Shewing that the Papists themselues do not so constantly and vniformly submit themselues to the Popes iudgement nor beleeue his infallible authoritie as is pretended 5 Indeed the Iesuite reporteth it of the Church of Rome this day that all the learned men and people thereof submit their opinions and iudgement in all things to the Pope and this is generally boasted among them and obiected as a matter fully prouing their vnitie but they onely say it for we know the contrary * A memorable example hereof is the moderne conclusions published by the Venetians against the present Pope Paâ—lus Quintus and his supremacie and discouer dayly as much headinesse among them against their Popes and Councels as euer was in any gouernment Marke else their owne words It were a great matter indeed saith x De certitud gratiae assert 13. Catharinus an Archbishop among them and in verie truth too hard a case to binde the vnderstanding of the wise with euery answer of the Popes that may be produced for the holy Ghost doth not alway and in euery word assist them And y Q. in Vesper pag. 133. printed at the end of his Morals in 8â— Almaine a great Doctor in their schooles It is not necessarie that men beleeue things determined by the Pope although the contrary be not publickly to be taught And Bellarmine though vnaduisedly possible yet saith plainly touching Cyprians withstanding of Pope Stephen that z De Ro. Pont. l. 4 c. 7. after the Popes definition yet it was free to thinke otherwise yea he holdeth that a De Ro. Pont. l. 2. c. 29. arg 7. as it is lawfull to resist the Pope assaulting our bodie so may we resist him when he inuadeth our soule or troubleth the commonweale and much more if he practise the destruction of the Church in this case I say it is lawfull to resist him by not doing what he commaundeth and hindring that his will be not executed Caietan b De authorit Pap. Concil c. 26. holdeth that in case of heresie he may be deposed c Cap. 27. ad 2. and when he rendeth the Church in sunder he may be resisted to his face And Franciscus Victoria d Relect. 4. de potest Pap. Concil pag. 133 saith If a Councell declare a thing to be matter of faith or belonging to diuine right the Pope herein cannot declare otherwise or change any thing specially if such a matter pertaine to faith or the manners of the vniuersall Church See how these men all resolued Papists and the learnedst of that sort yet assume it as out of question that the Popes iudgement is not alwayes of vndoubted truth but he may erre yea be an heretick and make hauocke of the Church and therefore may be resisted And in very deed the conceit of his infallible iudgement being the beginning and foundation of his authoritie it cannot be denied but they which call the former in question must needs doubt of the later 6 And let the most resolute Papist that is but thinke seriously of this point and answer how it is possible they should so willingly obey his decrees and yeeld their opinions to his iudgement when it is a ruled case among them all that the Pope may erre yea as e De sign eccl to 2. l. 18. c. 6. Bozius affirmeth be an hereticke writing teaching and preaching heresie For will they obey him in error and scandall or do they thinke his decree can alter the nature of that which is false and make it true that they might with securitie of conscience entertaine it They dare not say so Franciscus Victoria f Relect. 4. de potest Pap. Concil disputeth at large against his dispensations affirming that a Councell should do well to bridle him and that they which vse such immoderate dispensations as he giueth are not thereby secured in conscience that they may vse them lawfully No doubt they which
are driuen to yeeld the keyes to all the Apostles as well as to Peter and yet they thinke he alone had the primacie which sheweth clearly that the keyes containe it not Fourthly they which expound the power of the keyes to shew what they containe mention therein no more but as I haue answered The Councell of Colen vnder Hermannus x Bell. de poen l. 1 c. 1. penned by Gropper y Defens of the Cens whom the Papists cal the rare man of our age proceedeth thus z Enchir. concil Colon. de sacr confess But what keyes Christ when he departed hence left the Apostles and their successors in the Church that is to be explicated And truly this is plain that he committed to them his owne keyes and no other euen the keyes of the kingdome of heauen as himselfe said to Peter Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen These keyes the Fathers deuided into the key of order and the key of iurisdiction And againe each key into the key of knowledge and of power The key of order is the power of priestly ministery which containeth power to preach the Gospell consecrate the bodie of Christ remit and retaine sinnes and to minister the sacraments The key of iurisdiction is power to restraine the faultie this is that power of excommunicating such as offend openly and absoluing them againe In which explanation of the power mentioned in the keyes we see nothing touched but onely the ministery of the word and Sacraments and the execution of discipline But Marsilius a Defens part 2 c. 6. speaketh more fully that the authoritie of the keyes according to Saint Austin and Hierom is that iudiciarie power that standeth in dispensing the word sacraments and discipline although the opinion and title of the fulnesse of power which the Bishop of Rome ascribeth to himselfe tooke his beginning from these words Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whatsoeuer you shall bind vpon earth shall be bound in heauen 20 The second text alledged is Luk. 22.32 where Christ saith to Peter I haue praid for thee that thy faith faile not and thou being conuerted strengthen thy brethrē which the Iesuit expoundeth as if our Sauiour had specially prayed for S. Peter and the Pope that their faith should not faile at least so farre as to teach the Church a false faith to the intent they might alway be able to confirme their brethren if at any time they should faile in the doctrine of faith which all Catholicke men knowing do confesse the Popes definitiue sentence to be always an infallible truth and thereupon submit themselues thereunto and so liue in vnitie But this exposition is soone confuted for first here is no mention of the Pope but of Peter onely whereby it is plaine that no certaintie can be concluded out of the words for any but for the Apostles onely or if they reach to any besides Peter then according to the opinion of the most iudicious Papists the Church is it and not the Pope So saith b Qu. Vesper d. 3. art 3. prob 1. lit G. Cameracensis That which in Scripture is promised to the whole must not be attributed to any part but alway to hold the true faith and neuer to erre against it is promised by Christ to the whole company of beleeuers alone It is plaine therefore that Christ promised Peter his faith should not faile vnderstanding it not of his personall faith but of the generall faith of Gods Church committed to his regiment And Frier Walden c Doctr. fid l. ◠c. 19. saith Peter bare the type of the Church not of the particular Romane Church but of the vniuersall Church not gathered together in a generall Councell but dispersed through the world from Christ to our times Of the same mind are d Concord l. ◠c. 11. Cusanus and e Defen part 2. c. 28. Marsilius So that in the iudgement of foure of the learnedst among our aduersaries the purpose of Christ was not by this text to indow Peter or the Pope but the whole Catholick Church and so accordingly the right of gouernment and freedome from erring should remaine not in the Pope but in the vniuersall Church cleane cōtrary to that which the Iesuit here supposeth 21 Secondly the direct and immediate purpose of Christ in these words is to forewarne Peter of the sinne whereinto he fell afterward by denying him and the meaning is that though Satan desired thereby to destroy him yet he had prayed that his faith might not by the temptation be vtterly extinguished admonishing him that as by his fall he would weaken his brethren the members of the Church so by the example of his true conuersion he should strengthen them againe vnderstanding this faith for which he prayed not of Peters teaching or directing the Church in doctrine but of the habit of faith abiding in his heart whereby he beleeued in Christ and confessed his name and f Confirmandi vocabulo authoritatem in docendo significari saith Greg. de Valen. to 3. pag 197. e. by strengthening his brethren not that he should be supreame head ouer his fellow Apostles but that g Esto a his poenitentiae exemplar ne desperent Theophyl Infirmiores fiatres exemplo tuae poenitentiae comforta ne de venia desperēt Gloss by the exāple of his repentance experience of Gods mercy to him in his infirmitie he should encourage all people against temptation This exposition is proued to be true because first there is no word in the text importing either all infalliblenesse of faith or any authoritie ouer the other Apostles See h Comment in Luc. 22. saith Caietan how Christ biddeth Peter account the Apostles not his subiects but his brethren see how he putteth him in office not to rule ouer them but to confirme them in faith hope and charitie Secondly the words going immediatly before forbid all absolute power of one ouer another The Kings of the nations beare rule and exercise authoritie ouer them but it shall not be so among you Thirdly Bellarmine acknowledgeth i Ex quibus priuilegiis primsi fortasse non manauit ad posteros De Rom. Pont. l. 4. c. 3. § Alterum priuilegium Quoad prima non agit Petri successorē Boz de sign eccl tom 2. l. 18. c. vlt. pag. 594. that to persist alway in the faith without falling from it is a prerogatiue that possible is not deriued from Peter to the Pope which being so it followeth that the Iesuites exposition is false and no Papist can be certain that by vertue of this text the Pope can teach no error any more then he is assored he cannot erre himselfe but it is cleare he may erre himselfe and all Papists yeeld it therefore it is also vncertaine whether he be enabled to teach the Church so that in teaching he
what say you to forty thousand yeares of pardon Pope Sixtus the fourth granted it to whosoeuer will say a prayer of his making not fiue aboue fortie words long that his Catholickes might not complaine the Protestants satisfaction was easier then theirs And there is another prayer somewhat longer which Saint Bernard vpon a time saying before the Rood so pleased the said Rood that bowing it selfe it embraced him in his armes being belike of the same good nature that the Rood of Naples was f Anton. Chro. part 3. tit 23. c. 7. § 11. p. 206. which spake so kindly to Thomas Aquin or of the same mettal that the crucifixe was of g Sibi or anti crucifixi imaginem inclinare caput aspexit Baron annal to 11. an 1051. nu 1. which nodded his head to the monke Gualbertus Now such a praier as this that like h Dictus Amphion Thebanae conditor vrbis Saxa mouere sono testudinio prece blanda Ducere quò vellet Horat. art Poet. Amphions harpe could make stones moue by all likelihood would pierce further then the straightest satisfaction that could be taught Or if the Protestants haue an easier way yet at last they must giue place to one peculiar kinde of deuotion throughly plied in our country which is to haue the armes of Christs passion the crosse nailes whip lance heart and hands of Christ for example painted and them deuoutly to worship For this kind of satisfaction hath wonderfull priuiledges granted it by one and thirtie Popes and an hundred twentie eight Bishops The first Pope granting three yeares pardon to them that vse it the other thirty adding euery one a hundred dayes more and each Bishop fortie 36 And so I conclude that the premises considered our aduersaries haue no cause to disgrace the Protestants with their penance or any longer to raile vpon them for putting it away for as much as their owne doctors haue spoken so coldly and vncertainly thereof and contrary one to another and allowed such qualifications by contrition pardons as make it a thousand times easier then an hypocrites repentance Which they would neuer haue done being warie and wise but that they thought in their conscience the repentance taught in our Church to be the truth and their penance a discipline of their owne inuentioÌ„ And so froÌ„ henceforward we wil take their angrie words about this matter as spoken in zeale of their cause and iealousie of their pardons but neuer thinke they meane in good earnest to condemne vs thereby though they speake somewhat rigorously for feare of the worst lest their people should suspect them and buy no more pardons Digression 40. Wherein the doctrine of iustification by faith onely is expounded and defended 37 The ninth point whereof he accuseth vs is for teaching that by onely faith our sinnes be not imputed to vs the which we teach indeed or rather haue learned of him that teacheth all truth the Spirit of God who i Psal 32.1 Rom. 4.6 saith Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinne is couered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Now I neuer knew but k Sixt. Senens biblioth l. 6. annot 216. it was alwayes lawfull for Catholick men to vse the Catholicke phrase of the Scripture and speake as it doth For to say they are not imputed and by faith onely they are not imputed is all one because the not imputing of sinne is a mercie of God l Nazian orat in sanct bapt whereby he ascribeth it not to vs nor deputeth it to condemnation but as if we had neuer done it he forgiueth it and esteemeth vs no sinners The which mercy being in God alone supposeth somewhat on our behalfe that may receiue it which can be nothing but faith alone the Scripture saying m Gal 3.14 We receiue the promise of the spirit by faith and n Rom. 4.11 righteousnesse is imputed to all them that beleeue as o V. 3. Gen. 15.6 Abraham beleeued and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse The which our exposition making faith alone the instrument and not penance or workes if our aduersaries mislike then let them hearken what some of the learnedst among themselues haue written Forsomuch p 4. d. 15. q. 1. saith Bonauenture as man was not able to satisfie for so great offence therefore God gaue him a mediator who should satisfie for it whence it cometh to passe that by onely faith in his pâ—ssion all the fault is remitted and without his faith no man is iustified And q In Ioh. 19. â— 30 Ferus Our saluation is consummate not fully but in hope by reason maÌ„ beginneth to be iustified healed so that whilest he is iustified the rest of his sin remaining in his flesh through Christ is not imputed to him And r Antididagm Colonienf tit de Iustif hom pag. 29. Gropper By faith we are iustified as by the apprehensiue cause that faith whereby without doubting we firmly beleeue that hauing true repentance our sins are forgiuen vs for Christ whereof notwithstanding it behoueth vs by faith to haue the inward testimonie of the holy Ghost Whereby we see that iustification or not imputation of sin by faith onely is good diuinitie among our aduersaries themselues 38 But because either through ignorance or malice it is misreported to the people who are made beleeue that thereby we exclude the necessitie of a godly life therefore I will briefly expound the meaning of this proposition By faith onely we are iustified Wherein there are three termes the first is iustification and thereby we meane Gods acceptation of a sinner to grace and glorie For man being guiltie of the breach of Gods law and so subiect to the penaltie thereof which is condemnation cannot be restored againe vnlesse he bring a righteousnesse to satisfie this law againe that is to say which may answer both the obedience that it requireth and the punishment that it inflicteth The reason hereof is because the law being part of Gods will and being giuen to man out of the iustice of God must take his effect else God should leaue his iustice vnsatisfied and depart from his nature Å¿ Mat. 5 18. which is vnpossible This righteousnesse we affirme to be not our owne inherent iustice but the obedience of Christ alone whereby he fulfilled the whole law most perfectly for vs. We denie not but euery seruant of God hath in him true sanctification and holinesse enabling him to repentance satisfaction faith hope and charitie but we denie these or any of them to be the iustice whereby the bond of Gods law is answered and we appeare righteous before Gods iudgement seate partly because they are vnperfect and partly for that we do them not by our owne strength But the very thing that maketh vs accepted as iust is the obedience of Christ whereby he fulfilled the law and satisfied the punishment in his life and
haue seen affirme we may know it by our good desire comfort of minde and good workes Scotus g 3 d. 23. pag. 46 saith As I beleeue God is three in person and one in essence so do I also beleeue my selfe to haue faith infused whereby I beleeue this Dominicus Bannes h In Tho. 22. p. 359. c. saith Euery one that beleeueth seeth that he doth beleeue And i 1. 2. q. 112. art 5. Medina with whō he and k Caiet ib. Ban. vbi supra others consent saith A Christian man by the infallible certaintie of faith which cannot be deceiued certainly knoweth himselfe to haue supernaturall faith Vega l Refert Greg. de Valent to 2. pag. 957. saith Some spirituall men may be so certaine that they are in grace that this their assurance shal be free frō all feare and staggering m Dom. Soto apol c. 2. Others hold that a man may attaine to that certaintie of his owne grace that he may without all doubting be as sure thereof as he is that there is a citie called Rome And some hold n Catharin assert apolog the very certaintie of faith as we teach and define it Next touching the remission of sinnes and eternall life they say o Medin vbi supra pag. 630. I would haue euery beleeuer certainly to hope he shal obtaine eternall life Doctor Stapleton p De iustifie pag. 341. saith We leaue not a sinner hanging in the middest of wauering doubtfulnesse but we place him in good and firme hope when once his conscience witnesseth with him that he hath truly repented I grant indeed that some of these disallow the certaintie of faith in this case and admit a man onely to hope but this is but contention about words and they had as good haue said Faith confidence or trust as hope but for the preiudice of their stomacks For q Stapl. l. 9. c. 11 de iustif Dom. Ban. 22. q 18. art 4. they confesse the certaintie of hope is not any doubtfulnesse wauering one while to this side another while to that as a man thinketh himselfe sometime accepted of God and sometime not but it is a certaintie in the will of him that hopeth both firme and assured excluding all doubtfulnesse touching remission of sinnes The which in effect is as much as we say and full opposite to the Iesuites assertion Againe seeing r Medin p. 627. themselues grant that all conclusions are the conclusions of faith which arise from one proposition contained in the Scripture and another by good consequence added vnto it why should they denie this to be a conclusion of faith My sinnes are forgiuen me For the first proposition is expresse Scripture He that repenteth is pardoned The next assumed to it is euidently knowne in the conscience But I repent The conclusion therefore is of faith Therefore I am forgiuen or such like For no man knoweth he hath faith or any grace but by such and the same discourse that this is The euidence of which reasons haue driuen some Papists to allow vs the name also as wel as the thing For I shewed euen now that Catharinus at the Councell of Trent defended our very assertion that the child of God by the certaintie of faith knoweth himselfe to be in the state of grace The like is written by the ſ Enchirid. Christian instit in Concil Colon pag. 139. Diuines of Colen It is true and required for a mans iustification that he certainly beleeue not onely in generall that such as are truly penitent shal obtaine forgiuenes by Christ but also that the man himselfe which beleeueth shall be forgiuen through faith in Christ And againe This is true that no mans sins are forgiuen him vnlesse he beleeue that he hath obtained forgiuenes through Christ And a Frier in the time of the Councell of Trent u Refert Innocent Gentill exam Concil Trident. preached thus before the Councell Let man saith he abhorring the vaine confidence of his own worthines depend wholly on Gods mercy Let him make account that God as a most louing father is present with him frō whom let him alway expect things ioyfull and happie and let him neuer suffer that perswasion to be striken out of his minde though the difficulties be infinite which the world the flesh and the diuell procure thereby to leade vs from the confidence of God and his most religious seruice Wherefore they do not wander in the maze of doubtfulnesse which through Christ haue obtained righteousnesse but in the securitie of their minde and peace of their conscience and ioy of their heart being taught by the Spirit which testifieth with them that they are the sonnes of God they crie Abba Father 11 Why striue they then so bitterly against vs in this title and why do they racke torment the consciences of men by telling them that without miracle it cannot be known who standeth in grace when vanquisht by the truth they are forced in the end to eare their owne words and confesse it may be knowne by the testimonie of Gods Spirit within vs You shall see the peeuishnesse that is among them I will x Bart. Medina vbi supra pag. 630. saith one of them allow euery faithfull man to hope certenly that he shall obtaine eternall life but to be confident therein with the Lutheran confidence I vtterly forbid him Marke the vanitie and stomacke of our aduersaries they will allow vs to be certaine and confident and we require no more but not with the Lutheran confidence they will communicate with the doctrine vpon a little parly but they wil first giue it a new name to make it Roman-Catholike Luther belike did them some shrewd turne that they would endure his termes no longer in their church They seeme to be in the same taking with him u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the man in y Suidas was toward his Cat for eating vp his Partridge he loued his bird well as the Pope did his crowne and therefore the Cat that deuoured it must looke to dwell no longer in his house but be packing § 42. But hitherto it was neuer heard that almightie God did by miracle or any such certaine way giue testimonie that either Luther or Caluin or anie of their fellowes had this true holinesse or that they were Saints Whereas it hath pleased him to giue testimonie by miracles of the holinesse of diuerse that professed the Romane faith as of S. Benedict S. Anthonie S. Greg. Thaumaturgus S. Bernard S. Francis diuers others who all professed the Romane faith and diuerse of them were religious men and founders of religious orders which Protestants reiect and seeke by all means to disgrace The Answer 1 The first part of this is answered before sect 39. num 1. where I haue shewed how and in what maner God giueth testimonie that we are his Saints and our workes holy whither I referre the Reader The
mot 45. saith The truth is that some there haue bene in many ages in some points of the Protestants opinion in so much that scarce any peece or article there is of our whole faith but by one or other first or last it hath bene called in question and that with such liking for the time that they haue all in a manner drawne after them great heards of followers I know Bristo meaneth they were hereticks that in all ages did this but that can he neuer proue yet in the meane time belike he saw some that were of the Protestants faith before of late The second is Reynerius that liued three hundred yeares ago who discoursing of the Waldenses a people for substance of the Protestants religion e Refert Illyric catal tom 2. p. 543. saith They are in all the cities of Lombardy and Prouince and other countries and kingdomes They haue many followers and dispute publickely we haue numbred fortie Churches of theirs and ten schooles in Parish No sect hath continued so long some say it hath bene since the time of Syluester some since the Apostles and there is almost no country wherein it spreadeth not They haue great shew of pietie liuing vprightly before men and beleeuing all things aright concerning God and all the articles in the Creed onely they hate and blaspheme the Church of Rome c. In this testimonie of Reynerius you may see our Church was Catholicke both in place and persons and time and doctrine and that the Church of Rome was resisted and the religion thereof refused afore Luther The true cause why it was not so frequent and publicke as now it is either in place or persons was the persecution of the Pope and the generall corruption of the Papacie which as a leprosie infected and as a mist obscured welnigh all places and persons that sometimes not the true beleeuers themselues such I meane as are come to our knowledge were void of error in euery point though they firmly held the foundatiō as these Waldenses did And if it pleased God in processe of time to giue more libertie to the persons and more puritie to the doctrine what iust occasion is this to say we are not all one Church when the true faith of Christ is not alwayes alike visibly and purely professed Minutius Felix f Octau pa. 401. saith Why are we vnthankfull and why enuie we if the truth of God hath grown ripe in our age let vs enioy our good and let superstition be bridled and wickednes expiated and true religion maintained 2 The next point that our Church is but in few places of Christendome is both false and impertinent First impertinent for if it were so yet were it no hindrance to the note of vniuersalitie For Gods Church vnder the law was shut vp within the narrow bounds of Iudaea and g Digr 17. nu 31 the Papists say theirs in the dayes of their supposed Antichrist shall be openly seene but in few places and h Dried dogm eccl l. 4. c. 2 par 2. Bellar. not eccl c. 7. confesse it is not required to the vniuersalitie of the Church that of necessitie there be at all times in euery countrey some beleeuers it sufficeth if there be successiuely Whence it followeth that if only one prouince did retaine the true faith yet should it truly and properly be called the Catholicke Church as long as it might be shewed that it were the same which it was at other times in other places of the world the which we can shew of our Church how small soeuer the compasse thereof may fall out to be at some time Next it is false for there is no place in Christendome but there are some of our religion therein as not onely experience but our aduersaries owne reports beare witnesse wherein they i Boz sign eccl l. 19. c. 1. Bell. de Rom. Pont. praefat li. 3. c. 21. item de verb. Dei praefat habit in Gymn Rom. complaine how our heresie so heretickes style it possesseth many and large prouinces England Scotland Denmark Norwey Sweden Germanie Pole Boheme Hungary Prussia Lituania Liuonia whereto they may adde France and the Low countries yea Italy and Spaine it selfe where the barbarous Inquisition dayly findeth the profession of our religion euen at their doores 3 The third point that our Church is not Catholick in doctrine neither is as ill proued as the former For negatiue doctrine so farre as it is euil standeth not in denying some points which the fathers held but in denying that which they held according to the Scriptures and which they taught and maintained to be certain and necessary matter of faith deliuered in the Scriptures wherein neither we nor the Centuries euer refused them Neither haue we denied any one point which they held in all ages for the truth as our aduersaries haue For though the Centuries reiect this and that which the Father 's held yet they deny neither this nor that which was holden for the truth in all ages as appeareth by their historie wherein they shew the succession of our faith in all ages and note how it was many times corrupted and mistaken euen by some of the ancient Fathers which is all for substance that the Magdeburgenses can be charged with wherein they haue neither denied the doctrine of the Catholicke Church nor offered the Fathers any wrong to say they had some errors as all men haue and themselues confesse which gaue occasion to others to erre likewise which errors the Centuries sometimes more then was cause noting they did not thereby notwithstanding accuse the whole Church of error because euery thing was not the Churches doctrine that some particular men therein held and what they noted of some particular Fathers must not be stretched to be meant against them all as their censuring somtimes ouermuch of many together for some things written against the truth must not be expounded to be the deniall of all they held beside for if it be and the Centuries be thus censured let this Iesuite say directly without shrinking why doth k Cathar tract de concep virg Suar. to 2. disp 3 sect 6. the Church of Rome hold the virgin Marie was conceiued without sinne l Capreol 3. d. 3. Ban. par 1. p. 75. Paul Cortes in sent which all the Fathers with one consent deny Let them looke my demaund in the face that thinke it heresie to deny the Fathers yea all the fathers consenting in one Digression 47. Of the authoritie of the ancient Fathers in matters of our faith and religion Wherein it is shewed what we ascribe to them and how farre forth we depend vpon them And the practise of our aduersaries in contemning eluding and refusing both them and their owne writers is plainly discouered 4 But this is a point that must be further looked into and not suffered to passe away thus Our aduersaries neuer make an end of boasting of the Fathers and by
be no more but u Bell. de amiss gra l. 5. c. 17. Andrad Ortho. expl l. 3. p. 217. the want of originall iustice and a certaine crookednesse of the will wherein he is borne which maketh him odious to God by nature exempting the concupiscence and corruption of nature that remaineth in the regenerate and all that are baptized as if it were no part of this or any sin Which is but a late deuice set abroach to maintaine the perfection and merit of our workes For the Maister of Sentences in his time x L. 2. d. 30. §. Nunc superest inde held it to be our naturall concupiscence expounding this concupiscence to be a qualitie in the soule arising from our flesh propagated to vs from our parents and stirring vs vp to sinne Thus according to the truth wherein the Iesuits now refuse him teaching originall sinne to be a habit distinguished from the naturall faculties of the soule and coming into them through the fall of Adam and there dwelling positiuely as a corrupt quality This opinion had y Alâ—iâ—â—ou l. 2. tract 2â— c 2. Greg. Arim 2. q. 30 art 2. Hen. Gandau quodl 2. q. 11. diuers partakers and Ariminensis that himselfe held it saith many both of his time and of old fauoured it Whereby it appeareth that the moderne opinion of our aduersaries was not the Catholicke receiued doctrine of that time And because then they were not so confident in their opinions as now they are there were othersome that held originall sinne to be nothing else but the sinne of Adam deriued to vs by the effects whereby we are made culpable by bearing the imputation of that which he did The which opinion is defectiue onely in this that it restraineth the sinne to that which is but one part thereof For it consisteth in this and more Yet it was holden in Lombards time as himselfe reporteth and since by z Pigh contr 1. p. 32 Catharin de casu hom peccat orig p. 182 no small men in the Church of Rome and Occham so liked it that he a 2. qu. vlt. v. professeth he would hold it but for the reuerence of some holy men which seeme to say that originall sinne is the want of that iustice which should be in vs. And Catharinus saith that hauing conferred it with many men exactly learned and good Catholickes they liked it exceedingly Whereby we may see the present opinion offered vs at this day by the Iesuites is not so vniuersall as they say it is when the former ages so litle fauoured it and if Catharinus say true the very age now running may also be iealous of it for any thing we know and remoue it againe when the maisters of their Schooles please as they formerly haue done Digression 52. Shewing that the present religion of the Romane Church was obserued and resisted in all ages as it came in and increased naming withall the Persons that made the resistance and the Points wherein and the Time when from fiftie yeares to fiftie throughout all ages since Christ compendiously obserued out of history for the satisfying of their error that so much conceit the antiquitie of Papistry and think it was neuer controlled till Luthers time 18 Againe the Iesuite with much rhetoricke and confidence asketh What voices what stirres what lamentations were heard when Rome brought in a new faith Were all asleep did none resist no Bishop preach no Doctor write against the alteration none to suffer martyrdome neuer a true hearted Christian to lament it no Historiographer neither Greeke nor Latin farre nor neare to make at least some obscure mention of such a matter in his commentaries You see what a face he setteth on the matter and yet all Histories confute him for I neuer saw ancient history Greeke or Latin and yet I haue seene and read those b Camp rat 7. Possen bibliot select l 7. c. 23. which our aduersaries reckon vp for the best most ancient but it containeth some notable memory of alterations made in the Romane Church obserued and lamented by some or other then liuing For which cause our aduersaries at this day haue taken exception against euery one of them and charged each particular author either with falsifying the truth themselues or with being falsified by others which needed not if they contained nothing in disproofe of that which here the Iesuit hath boasted Yea the Iesuite himselfe would lay this very imputation vpon them if he should be driuen to answer that which is produced out of them And then the case would be altered for he might say no more was there no Historiographer t Greek or Latin but you should see he would answer in another tune There are Historiographers Greeke and Latin farre and neare that haue mentioned such a matter but they are all liers For Eusebius Socrates and Sozomen were all 3. of theÌ„ heretickes and liers Nicephorus a lier Benno full of impudent lies Auentine a beastly lier Marianus Scotus a manifest lier Sigebert a lier for the whetstone O the fraud imposture villany of that he hath written And thus they will intertaine whatsoeuer is produced against them as I haue noted Digression 47. nu 12. and for the further manifestation of that I say there is not one of seuenteene histories reckoned vp by Posseuin for the chiefe but Caesar Baronius in his late Annals hath attainted him 19 Againe what need they make the matter so faire and so insolently call vpon vs to shew who resisted them when themselues haue destroied corrupted many authors whereby it should be shewne Auentine b Annal. Beâ—â— l. 5. pag. 455. writeth of Pope Hildebrand that for the cloaking of his ambition he deuised fables corrupted chronicles razed out the things that were done and adulterated the sacred oracles Thus they make away the euidence and then bid vs shew who resisted them Let them restore vs the writings of Wickliffe Dante 's Ockam Marsilius and others out of their ashes and Italian libraries where they lie buried and we will answer them For in the Popes owne Library are bookes both Latin and Greeke written against his primacie as is testified by c Dial. 4. c. 19. Alan Cope which is signe sufficient that the Papacie was resisted before Luther was borne yea Bristo in the preface of his Motiues writeth that scarce any peece or article of the Roman faith but by one or other first or last it hath bene called in question 20 This I will shew particularly in euery age so far as the title of this Digression bindeth me and the Iesuites demaund requireth WAS THERE NONE THAT WOVLD SPEAKE AGAINST IT NONE THAT NOTED IT For in the first 600 yeares there was no substantiall or fundamentall innouation receiued into the Church the present Romane faith touching such points being yet either vnhatched or receiued by knowne hereticks onely the mysterie of iniquitie d 2. Thess 2.7 that began to worke in
dead the signe of the crosse the opinion of freewill at the first coming in were so farre from being applyed to those vile purposes whereto the Church of Rome now bendeth them that they might endure them and we refuse them and yet be both of one religion 5 But why doth the Iesuite assume adoration and images for examples of that which came in without controllement was he disposed thus to prostitute his owne cause was there no example he could make choise of but these when the world neuer knew any innouation more famously and visibly noted then these Did not a Can. 36. the Elibertine Councell and b Epist ad Ioan. Epiphanius sufficiently point at the coming in of Images And when the Nicen Councell had allowed them to be worshipped did not Charles the great in a generall Councell of three hundred Bishops holden at Frankford abrogate the decrees of Nice againe and writ a booke against them And did not c An. 794. nu 39 by Baronius his owne confession the most learned men and famous of that age speake against the Nicen Councell Walafridus Strabo Ionas the Archbishop of Orleance Hincmarus the Archbishop of Rhemes yea another whole Synode vnder Lewis the first I know he excuseth it and d Geneb chronol an 744. Bellar. â—mag c. 14. others with him by this that the Councels of Frankford and Paris and these learned men did mistake the definition of the Nicen Councell but this is a bankrupt shift confuted by e Suar. tom 1. d. 54. sect 3. Vasqu adorat l. 2. nu 228. as learned of their owne side as themselues And therefore the Protestants condemning the worship of images follow the ancient Church that resisted it 6 And wheÌ„ we say the vse of images in the Church of Rome is idolatry and that the Papists worship stockes and stones as the Painims did this is neither ignorantly nor maliciously spoken Not maliciously though merily for f Adâ— valen c. 6 Tertullian saith touching such like absurdities of the Valentinian hereticks the matter it self somtime requireth that we laugh at it Many things deserue to be conuinced that with our graue doing therof we seeme not to reuerence them Vanitie and mirth are neare sib Let the truth laugh because she is ioyfull and iest with her aduersaries because she is secure that when we say merrily the Papists worship stockes and stones our words be not taken as vttered in malice And we speake not ignorantly but know what we say and can giue a reason for it For g Exod. 20.4 Deut. 4 15. Rom. 1.23 to erect and worship images of the inuisible God is idolatrie or if that be denied yet vnlawfull by h Duran 3. d. 9. q. 2. ad 4. Peres de tradit part 3 pag. 222. the confession of learned Papists themselues though i Bell. imag c. 8. the Church of Rome now vse it 7 Againe I thinke no Papist will deny but his crosse and crucifixe for example is a stocke or a stone or such a like mettall and yet the Iesuites say k Coster Ench. that all the honour that is due to the samplar is giuen to the image l Bell. imag c. 22 and it is so giuen that the image staieth and limiteth it in it selfe as it is an image and not onely as it representeth the samplar m Greg. Val. tom 4. 345. themselues after their maner being properly * Terminus the compasse of the worship though not of themselues but in respect of the samplar and thus the images of Christ must be adored with diuine honour per aliud The which is now the current doctrine of the Church of Rome saue that n Bell. imag c. 22. Suar. tom 1. d. 54. sect 4. some wiser then other some and possible their conscience checking them thinke it no wholesome forme of words for the pulpit Againe in the Masse-book is a praier to the crosse All haile ô crosse our onely hope c. Wherein some things being spoken which can be meant of nothing but the very wood it selfe as this Thou onely wert worthy to beare the ransome of the world ô faithfull crosse only thou art the noble tree among all it is plaine that euen a blocke and a stocke is adored with Gods honor as was vsed among the Painims For euen they in much of their idolatrie did no more in that many of their idols were the image of the true God and so reputed and worshipped by them respectiuely o Act. 17.23 and with relation to God For p Baâ—o an 52. nu 9. Peres tradit part 3. pag. 225. the altar at Athens was dedicated to p Baâ—o an 52. nu 9. Peres tradit part 3. pag. 225. the same God whom Paul preached and it is the profession of q Dion Chrys ser 12. Olymp. Sozo l. 7. c. 15. Athenag Leg. pag. 20 the learned Gentiles that their images were dedicated to the true God the author of life and giuer of all good things the common Father and Sauiour of mankind whom in those images they worshipped reputing the images themselues but stockes and stones Seneca r Qu. natural l. 2. c. 45. saith By Iupiter standing in the Capitoll with lightning in his hand they vnderstand the Preseruer and Gouernor of all things the Soule and Spirit the Master and Maker of all the world to whom euery name agreeth Few or none among them Å¿ Vbi supra saith Peresius thought the matter of their idols so grauen to be Gods They had many idols whereby they represented the true God Yea t Ortho. expl l. 3. pag. 289. saith Andradius many among them vehemently abhorred the multitude of gods and in their mind and thought religiously worshipped that one God whom with daily meditation and all the power of their mind they sought in him they put all their hope him they alwaies studied to please With this conceit the Painims worshipped their images u Rom. 1.23 and yet are condeÌ„ned of idolatrie Now I assume But the Papists do the very same in the worship of their images acknowledging them indeed to be but images of God and his Saints but yet worshipping theÌ„ as much as the Gentiles did theirs The Papists therefore in the vse of their images commit idolatry and worship stocks and stones as the Gentiles did 8 But the Iesuite needeth not take this vnkindly For his x Vasqu adora l. 3. disp 1. c. 2. 3. Iesuites write that not an image onely or a holy thing may be worshipped with the same adoration that is giuen to God but euen any other thing in the world whether liuing or without life As for example an Angell a man the Sunne Moone and Starres the earth yea * Ipso ligno Lapides de modulo straminis a stocke a stone or a little straw that the Iesuite no longer scorne the imputation of worshipping stockes and stones Yea Cornelius Agrippa
Church though no man deny but that is needfull for the shewing and teaching of the rule to all that shall be saued expounding the said teaching of the ministerie wherby the faithfull are directed in the Church But he hath not proued the Church to be alway visible to the world nor those foure to be the Notes of the Church He hath said it but not proued it as appeareth by my answer 2 All which being considered his demands are soone and shortly answered that the Protestants admit the authority and doctrine of the Church though they thinke not the Papacie to be it nor the authoritie thereof to be aboue the Scripture And the grounds wherupon they perswade themselues to haue the sauing faith are so infallible that all the Papists in the world cannot cōfute them And our title to the true Church is sound when our aduersaries haue smattered and wrangled against it what they can for the doctrine of the Scripture which in all points we professe beleeue proue it And albeit those foure One Holy Catholicke and Apostolicke be not the markes of the Church but certaine qualities therein yet we haue them at least for anie thing the Iesuite hath said to the contrarie all whose discourse against vs pretending the want of these things among vs I haue fully answered in their proper places and retorted vpon himselfe whereby the iudicious reader may be satisfied And therefore when we say ours is the true faith we brag not but maintaine and auouch our lawfull title since as S. Austin saith the same is not to be found but in the bellie of the true Church which we are Whereupon we aduise all Papists whatsoeuer to renounce the Papacie if they will hold the truth and be saued For according to the saying of the same Austin afore-cited whosoeuer is separated from this bellie of the Church must needs speake false because out of the true Church there is neither true preaching nor lawfull sending such as should preach and I haue manifestly shewed that the Papacie is not the true Church but a disease that by the faction of some grew vnto it 3 Thus the whole discourse of this Section is briefly answered But where he saith our religion sprang vp of late the first founder being Martin Luther an apostata Frier a man knowne by his writings words deeds and death to haue bene a notable euill liuer this must be a little more stood vpon because it is the burden of euery song among the Papists And first it is to no purpose to say our religion sprang vp of late in Luther vnlesse our euidence whereby we shew it to agree with the Scripture and to haue bene taught in the Church of Rome it selfe many hundred yeares afore Luther was borne can be disproued Next we graunt Luther was a Frier and obtaining the knowledge of the truth renounced the profession which was no other apostasie or fault in him then it was in S. Paule when he renounced the profession of a Pharisee and became an Apostle both the professions being hypocrisie saue that of the Frier was of a deeper tincture as I haue shewed Digress 45. Then concerning his writings the Iesuite is no competent iudge For woe to him and all his Church if Luthers writings be good And therefore let them be examined by the Scripture the touchstone of all mens writings not by the witles preiudice of idle companions that neuer read them And if they containe some particular things that deserue reproofe yet what disgrace is that to the substance of his writings What fathers writing is so pure but it containeth some error Yea I challenge the Iesuit let him name if he can one writer of his owne side old or new Schooleman or Iesuite but some or other in the Church of Rome will except against something he writ Thomas Caietan Bellarmine and Baronius are controlled yea in the later editions the Councell of Trent hath purged in a manner all writers which maketh it cleare that some errors in Luthers bookes disaduantage vs no more then the errors purged and espied in their owne books disaduantage the Papists And yet the things that are most excepted against are no errors but the ancient truth maintained against Popish innouation And let the words of Erasmus a man able to iudge by a Antididag p. 58. Sur. cōment p. 288. Staplet discours p. 159. the Papists owne confession determine this matter b Epist ad Cardin Mogent He saith It is obserued of a truth that these men the Papists condemne many things in Luthers bookes as hereticall which in Austin and Bernard are read for godly and good Diuinity and he addeth That he seeth this the best men are least offended at his writings The which is most true it being their ordinary practise for the hatred of our persons to raile vpon that which by their owne confession the ancient fathers held before vs. So c Hosiand hist eccl cent 16. p. 837 Andreas Masius in the company of diuers acknowledged there was more Diuinitie in one page of Luther then sometimes in a whole booke of some father Let his writing therefore rest and come to his life and death Digression 54. Containing a briefe narration touching the life and death of Martin Luther with the incredible reports thereof made by his aduersaries And shewing how sundry Popes in the Church of Rome haue liued and died worse then he supposing all reports were true 4 In speaking of this matter that standeth altogether vpon witnesses I must put the reader in mind of a speech of Bellarmines d Not. eecl c. 14. §. Sed respondeamus That it is the part of a foole rather to beleeue Caluin and Illyricus touching ancient histories whereat they were not present then Bernard Bonauenture and Antonine that were present Let this law be kept then that Surius Lindan Pontacus and other railing Papists that were not present at Luthers life and death be not credited against them that liued with him saw him die and if any will beleeue them let him be the Iesuites foole Now touching his life Melancthon that was his companion and liued with him hath written it and commended it to say no more And Erasmus that was familiar with him e L. 11. Ep. 1. ad Card. Eborac in a certain Epistle to Cardinall Wolsey giueth testimony that his life was approued with great consent of all men And this saith he is no small preiudice that the integritie of his manners is so great that his verie enemies can finde nothing which they may calumniate As indeed to this day nothing can be produced against him that is substantiall They clamour of his doctrine because it was against them and produce some vehement speeches which his aduersaries by their iniuries prouoked him vnto as Saint Hierome often times vseth the like vehemency but what is that to his conuersation Let them shew his life to haue bene led otherwise then became
horses a Bishop of ten yeares old and made Bishops for mony He put out his godfathers eyes cut off his Cardinals members one mans tongue he cut out and maimed two Cardinals more cutting off ones nose and anothers hand t Anton. chro part 2. tit 16. c. 1. § 16. Fascic temp an 944. Baron ann 964. n. 17. in the end as he was committing adultery with a mans wife he was sodainly slaine by the diuell and died without repentance 10 I could giue the like exaÌ„ples of many more but Alexander the sixt that was Pope about one hundred yeares ago shall serue the turne Machiauel u De Principe c. 18. writeth of him that he did nothing but play the deceiuer of mankinde he gaue his mind to nothing but villany and fraud whereby to deceiue men * Onuph vit Alex. vi Guicci hist l. 1. He got the Papacie by Simony buying the consent of the Cardinals that after smarted for it The king of Naples signified to the queene his wife with teares when he heard of his election that there was a Pope created who would be the bane of Italie and of the whole commonweale of Italy y Stultissime PontificeÌ„ creatum exitio tandem cunctis futurum non falsi vates denuntiarunt Onuph the which was also the generall conceit of all men Guicciardin z Lib. 6. saith He was a Serpent that with his poysoned infidelitie and horrible examples of crueltie luxury and monstrous couetousnesse selling without distinction things holy and profane had infected all the world a Lib. 1. His manners and customes were dishonest little sinceritie in his administrations no shame in his face small truth in his words little faith in his heart and lesse religion in his opinions All his actions were defiled with vnsatiable couetousnesse immoderate ambition barbarous crueltie He was not ashamed contrary to the custome of former Popes who to cast some colour ouer their infamy were wont to call theÌ„ their nephews to cal his sons his children and for such to expresse them to the world b Lib. 3. The bruite went that in the loue of his owne daughter Lucretia were concurrent not onely his two sonnes the Duke of Candy and the Cardinall of Valence but himselfe also that was her father who as soone as he was chosen Pope tooke her from her husband and maried her to the Lord of Pesere but not able to suffer her husband to be his corriuall he dissolued that mariage also and tooke her to himselfe by vertue of S. Peters keyes c Lib. 6. Onup It was among other graces his naturall custome to vse poysenings not onely to be reuenged of his enemies but also to despoile the wealthie Cardinals of their riches And this he spared not to do against his dearest friends till at the last hauing a purpose at a banket to poison diuerse Cardinals and for that end appointed his cup-bearer to giue attendance with the wine made readie for the nonce who mistaking his bottle gaue the poisoned cup to him was thus himselfe dispatched by the iust iudgement of God that had purposed to murder his frieÌ„ds that he might be their heire 11 I am afraid I haue bene to bold in medling with these matters For the Church of Rome hath a law within her selfe d D. 40. Non ncs glos §. quiâ— enim that it is sacriledge to reason about the Popes doings whose murders are excused like Sampsons and thefts like the Hebrewes and adulteries like Iacobs e Qualis qualis autem fuerit Sleidanus sacra mentarius haereticus dignus non fuit qui illum reprehenderet Sur. comment an 1547. saith thus of Sleidan because be reported such like matter of Paul the third as Guicciardin doth of Alexander And our aduersaries thinke whatsoeuer their Popes be yet such sacramentarie heretickes as we are be not worthie to reproue them and therefore the good and courteous reader shall be at liberty whether he will expound my narration as a reproofe of the Pope which were dangerous or as a bare report of the conceit which all men euen his best friends haue of his Popes which I make for no other intent but to shew that Luther liued died an honester man then anie Pope of Rome in his dayes For Guicciardine f Lib. 16. saith the goodnesse of the Pope is then commended when it exceeds not the wickednesse of other men that we may know how rare a thing it is for the Bishop of Rome to be good The which when our aduersaries see they should desist from their veine of railing against vs and by holding them close to the argument they should maintaine their cause or else for euer hold their peace § 58. But how shall one preach truly at least in all points nisi mittatur vnlesse he be sent of God But how should we know that Luther or Caluin or anie other that would needs leape out of the Church and leaue that companie wherein was vndoubted lawfull succession and by succession lawful mission or sending from God How should we I say know that these men teaching new and contrarie doctrine were sent of God Nay certainly we may be most sure they were not sent of God For since almightie God hath by his Sonne planted a Churâ—â—â—n earth which euer shall be vntill the worlds end and hath put in his Church a visible succession of ordinarie Pastors which he will alwayes with the assistance of himselfe and of his holy Spirit as hath bene proued so guide that they shall neuer vniuersally faile to teach the true faith and to preserue the people from error we are not now to expect anie sent from God to instruct the people but such onely as came in this ordinarie maner by lawfull succession order and calling as S Paul saith Heb. 5. Nec sibi sumat honorem sed qui vocatur â Deo tanquam Aaron to wit visibly and with peculiar consecration as his was Leuit. 8. to which accordeth that which we reade 2. Paralip 26. vers 18. whereas Azanas said to Ozias the king Non est tui officij Ozia vt adoleas incensum sed sacerdotum hoc est filiorum Aaron qui consecrati sunt ad huiusmodi ministerium Egredere de sanctuario c. Which bidding when Ozias contemned and would not obey he was presently smitten with a leprosie and then being terrified feeling the punishment inflicted by our Lord he hastened away as in the same place is said By which place doth plainly appeare that it doth not belong to anie other to do priestly functions as to offer incense or sacrifice to God or to take vpon them authoritie to preach instruct and teach the people but onely to Priests called visibly consecrated for this peculiar purpose as Aaron and his children were For though the priesthood of the Pastors of the new law be not Aaronicall yet it agreeth with the priesthood of Aaron according to S.
the power of ordaining belongeth not to iurisdiction but to order as they call it The which point will serue to auoid all that the Iesuite hath said in this section though we should say no more 3 The Texts of Scripture obiected are easily answered To that of Heb. 5. I say it requireth no more but that the partie be called of God which Luther was as we know by his labour and the fruite of it though Luther had also a lawfull outward calling as I haue shewed Sect. 52. num 5. For the Apostle speaketh of Christ who yet had none of the peculiar consecration mentioned by the Iesuite but onely a calling from God otherwise testified All the other places receiue the same answer For they mention nothing but a lawfull entrance into the ministerie containing no one sillable that bindeth to such an externall kind of succession as our aduersaries call for Whereupon I conclude that Luther and Caluin and all our ordinarie Pastours came in by the doore and satisfied the whole ordinance of God touching a lawfull calling For inwardly God enabled them and opened their eyes to see the Romane corruptions and outwardly they were created Pastors and teachers of Diuinity in the Churches where they liued and where they preached the magistrate authorized the people allowed them which is sufficient vnlesse the doctrine they taught could be disproued And if anie other outward ceremonie or custome were wanting which is vsed in the Church of Rome or hath bene vsed in the purer Church in former ages we care not for that but are readie to maintaine that all circumstances considered no such custome or ceremonie is simply and by the law of God or absolutely necessarie Digression 55. Shewing how vncertaine and contrary the Papists are among themselues touching the power of Priesthood in remitting sinnes and concerning the first institution of Shrift where it began 4 The Iesuite alledging the words of Christ mentioned Ioh. 20.22 to shew the necessitie of coming in by a lawfull calling by the way glozeth two things vpon them that deserue to be noted First that thereby the power to absolue from sins was giuen the Apostles so consequently to all Priests Which I will shew to be but a new opinion and of no certaintie that the reader may see the Church of Rome is not at one with her selfe touching the principallest points of her faith and no man can be certaine of anie thing that the Iesuite saith for these be his words To the Apostles was giuen power to absolue from sinnes But Fra. Victoria d Relect 1. de potest eccles sect 3. saith There be many Catholike authors which to the power of Orders do not simply attribute the remission of sins or collation of grace or any effect truly spirituall at all For they say mortall sinnes can neuer be forgiuen but by contrition and that by the power of the keyes sinnes are neuer forgiuen or the first grace conferred Wherein he hath truly reported of many great and ancient Schoolemen For so thought e Lib. 4. d. 18. the Maister of Sentences And Maior f 4 d. 14. q. 2. concl 3. saith The sacrament of Penance doth no way blot out sinne adding that the Doctors hold this commonly g Mich. AygnaÌ„ Bonon in Ps 31 Bononiensis demaunding whether a Priest can remit sinne by the power of the keyes answereth that the keyes are taken three wayes First for the principall authoritie simply and so they belong to God onely Next for authoritie not simply principall but precellent and so they belong to Iesus Christ onely Thirdly for authoritie neither principall nor precellent but ministeriall onely and thus the Pope and his successors haue the keyes as Christ said to Peter I will giue thee the keyes By this ministeriall power he meanes the same that Peter Lombard whoÌ„ he alledgeth followeth doth h Mag. lib. 4. d. 18. Ouand 4. d. 18. pro. 26. who is now reiected for holding that the key worketh not any absolution from the sinne but onely declareth the partie to be absolued But i Altisiod part 4. tract 6. cap. 8. q. 2. Alexand. part 4. q. 80. m. 1 ad 3. Occh. 4. q 8. lit q. Gabr. 4. d. 14. q. 2. lit d. n. most ancient Schoolemen follow him Occham saith I answer according to the Maister that Priests bind and loose because they declare men to be bound and loosed 5 The which exposition being the truth as it ouerthroweth the present conceit holden touching the Priests absolution that it is a iudiciall act effecting grace and iustifying a sinner whether contrite or not contrite that is not materiall to the Priests authoritie so it ineuitably destroyeth the Sacrament of Penance For this supposed power to remit and retaine sinne is the foundation of that Sacrament For therefore it is beleeued to be a Sacrament because the Scripture mentioneth the remitting of sinnes by the power of the keyes which power being no more but onely to declare them to be remitted by true contrition without conferring anie grace to the partie the Sacrament is destroyed for want of conferring grace properly and so there is no argument in the Scripture that Penance is a Sacrament 6 Againe the Iesuite saith that the Apostles had power to absolue from sin and the people a commandement to confesse their sinnes giuen in those words of Iohn thereby affirming his supposed Sacrament to be instituted by Christ and in those verie words wherein he falleth againe into the former difficulties and worse For in the 40. Section he said the Protestants denying Penance and Satisfaction to be needfull go against that of Iohn Baptist Do workes worthy of penance and that of our Sauiour Mat. 4. Do penance Which cannot be so if Penance were not ordained before Christs resurrection for howsoeuer he will thinke the deniall of Penance is against the Scripture yet if it were not ordained till Christ was risen he is debarred from saying we do against the words of Iohn Baptist Christ Mat. 4. because those words command no Penance or if they do then it was not instituted in Iohn 20. after Christs resurrection Let the Iesuite choose which he will 7 The truth is our aduersaries and the Church whereof they are though they make much ado with this sacrament because it is the net that taketh all their prouision yet can they not tell either when or where it was instituted or who commanded it You heare what the Iesuite saith that Christ did it in the 20. Chapter of S. Iohn which is I grant the currant opinion among the Iesuites since the Councell of Trent but in former times it was not so afore these men the Paracelsians of the text tooke it in hand Now k Ouand 4. d. 16 pro. 15. faith a late Frier out of the Tridentine Councell prouing the necessity of confession by discoâ—rse out of the authoritie of Iohn 20 we haue this to be the germane sence of that
there was any hope from his errors Num tu solus sapu Art thou onely wise The Answer 1 The Protestants will readily yeeld that we ought to giue more credit to the vniuersall company of Catholickes that haue bin in all times spread ouer the world in all places then to one priuate man or some few his fellowes as the Iesuite requireth but when they haue done they will tell him again that he and his faction is not that company nor Luther and themselues those priuate men I grant the Papacy was spread ouer the world as the frogs were spread ouer all Egypt and the multitudes great that followed it but the Catholicke company is not defined by that as Luther and we are not proued to be priuate men either because we were but a few or because we stood opposed to the Church of Rome 2 But the next point is false Vox populi est vox Dei It should be Vox populi Dei est vox Dei but then the Iesuite will be troubled to assure vs that he and his people are this populus Dei They are a Apoc. 17.15 populus turbae gentes linguae But that will do them no good maruell if it condemne them not But yet he hath englished his vox populi false For all men say it not that Papistry is the truth but as I haue shewed in all ages many haue misliked it and at this day do and most heauily complained vnder the burthen of it and long wished for the reformation that God wrought in Luthers time Who opposed himselfe I grant against many but not against all in his time and much lesse against the generall voice of ancient times which saw not the Papacy And the obiectiō mētioned by Luther to haue bene made vnto him in his minde when he began against the Pope was not any worke of Gods spirit to reclaime him from his error which was none but it was the temptation of the flesh that set before his eyes what iudgement the world would giue of his doings which alwaies pleadeth for the multitude and stumbleth at the litle flocke of Christ The which thought his heart apprehending but not following his case was all one with b Exod. 4.1.10 Moses c Ier. 1.6 and Ieremie that were not a little troubled when God would send them so few against so great multitudes Luther wanted neither the diuel nor men to hinder him § 61. Luthers words be these Praefat. de abroganda Missa priuata ad fratres August ord in Coenob Wittenberg Quoties mihi palpitauit tremulū cor reprehendens obiecit fortissimum illud argumentum Tu solus sapis Totne errant vniuersi Tot secula ignorauerunt Quid si tu erres tot tecum in errorem trahis damnandos aeternaliter How often said he did my trembling heart pant and reprehēding me did obiect that most strong forcible argument Art thou alone wise Haue there so many vniuersally erred Haue so many ages bene blind liued in ignorance What rather if thou thy selfe erre and drawest so many after thee into errors who for this cause shall be damned eternally This did almightie God obiect to Luther and this may well be obiected to anie priuate man or anie few that leauing the Kings streete or beaten way of the Catholike Church will seeke out a by-path as being in their conceit a better and easier and more direct way to heauen to them I say may be said Are you onely wise Are all the rest in all former ages fooles Haue you onely after so many hundred yeares after Christ found out the true faith and the right way to heauen Haue all the rest liued in blindnesse darknesse and errors And consequently are you onely them that please God and shall be saued Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo Without the right faith it is vnpossible to please God Heb. 11. And were all the rest so many millions of our forefathers and ancestors manie of which were most innocent and vertuous liuers and some of which shed their bloud for Christ his sake were I say all those hated of God And did all those perish Were all those damned Shall all these endure vnspeakeable torments in hell for euer O impious cruell and incredible assertion The Answer 1 Luthers words alledged were nothing else but a suggestion wherby Satan laboured to hold him still in ignorance by putting feare into his heart when he should consider the generality and antiquitie of the errors against which he was to deale and the poore conceit that the world ouergrowen with the said errors would haue of him d Ier. 20 7. So said Ieremy O God thou hast deceiued me and I am deceiued Thou art stronger then I and hast preuailed against me I am in derision all day long and the whole people mocketh me The which to be the sence of his words appeareth by looking into the place And if Luther had not apprehended the motion in this sence it had bene small discretion for him to reueale it Besides there is nothing in the words sufficient to induce any man of reasonable vnderstanding to Papistry which is a certaine token that Gods spirit did not suggest thē to draw him thereunto For if the Papacy were the truth God would moue men therunto by such reasons as were effectuall Here is the argument e Symmach relat apud Prud. Ambr. that the Pagans vsed in defence of their Idolatrie word for word If long continuance may bring authoritie to religions our faith made to so many ages must be obserued and let vs follow our forefathers who so happily haue followed theirs but who seeth not the weakenesse of such kinde of reasoning 2 Moreouer supposing that which the Iesuite saith might be obiected to priuate men leauing the beaten way of the Catholicke Church to seeke out a by-path of their owne yet we deny the Papacy to haue bin that beaten way or the religion of the Protestants any by-path It was I grant much troden bare worn with trauell but let all Papists take heed of that and be well aduised who were the trauellers f Mat. 7.13 For wide is the gate and spacious is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go it Other high way then this we haue forsakē none But whē the Church of Rome led men out of that way wherein Christ and his Apostles walked the whole Primitiue Church after them into a new way of her owne so craftily misleading them that few in comparison saw the error the rest whom God directed had good reason to call them backe againe into the true way of the Church which though it were much growen vp and made difficult for want of vse yet was it the old way still for all that wherinto God himselfe calleth men g Ier. 6.16 Stand by the waies behold and see and aske for the old paths which is the good way and walke
therein and you shall find rest to your soules 3 The which thing when Martin Luther and our fathers did they found out no new way of their owne but opened the old which the Papacy had forsaken Neither do we thinke they onely were wise and they onely found the true faith but acknowledge the same wisedome and the same faith to haue bene in all ages before them as I haue shewed Onely as that company how great or how small soeuer which embraced our religion is distinguished against the other which liued and died in the practise of Papistry so we say confidently it onely was wise and in the right way and it onely had the true faith and pleased God leauing the other side to his iudgement that best knew what they were 4 And whereas the Iesuit vrgeth the matter touching our forefathers so importunately Were so many millions of our ancestors many whereof were innocent and vertuous liuers and some whereof shed their blood for Christs sake were all these hated of God did all these perish were all these damned I answer not one of them perished that was thus qualified but they were vndoubtedly saued euery mothers sonne of them that liued thus vertuously and innocently shedding their blood for Christs sake But is the Iesuite or any man so fantasticall as to thinke these millions were Papists what Tridentine and Iesuited Papists when the moderne Papacy complete as it is is not yet an hundred yeares old but yonger then Martin Luther himselfe But whosoeuer they were that so followed the corruptions of the Church of Rome that they liued and died in the practise of all the points thereof and hated and persecuted the faith contrary thereunto we say as Saint Paul doth h 2. Th. 2.10 They perished because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued and therefore God sent them strong delusions to beleeue lies that they might all be damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse and forsomuch as the State of the Papacy the Pope and his religion is Antichrist we say all that obeyed the same are eternally damned For the Scripture teacheth i Apoc. 14 9. That if any man worship the Beast and his image and receiue his marke in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God and shall be tormented in fire and brimstone And this assertiō is neither impious cruell nor incredible because God hath spoken it whose iust iudgement regardeth not multitudes if they liue in heresie and idolatrie refusing and persecuting the truth offered them be they neuer so great and frequent as it spared not the old world or Sodom or the Iewes in the wildernes or the Gentiles that knew not God whose number farre exceeded those of the Romane Church 5 Againe for a further answer to this question Were all our forefathers liuing vnder the Papacy damned we must distinguish For the errors of the Church of Rome are of two sorts Some capitall and substantiall not onely contrary to the fundamentall articles of our faith needfull to saluation but also hindring the meanes and way which God hath appointed partly without partly within our selues for the bringing vs thereunto Of which sort are the giuing Gods honor to images iustification by workes merits the abolishing of the Scriptures and preaching and such like Some are not so principal but consist onely in the deniall of smaller truths like the hay and stubble which Saint Paul k 1. Cor. 3.12 mentioneth that is built vpon the foundation and of their owne nature other circumstances remoued destroy no article of faith as praier for the dead pilgrimages fasting daies vowes and all those customes that stood onely in rites and ceremonies Againe it is one thing to hold an error wilfully and obstinately ioyning the profession thereof with the hatred and persecution of the truth and another thing to erre ignorantly being seduced by such as teach him with a mind notwithstanding alway ready to embrace the truth whensoeuer he shall be further enlightened These distinctions being premised I answer that in all the time of the Papacy the most people erred in the later kind the greater errors being either not generally receiued or not distinctly knowne by the people As for example in the daies of king Henry the fift f Sacramental tit 1. c. 7. Waldensis noteth that the merit of workes was little knowne And although by reason they wanted teaching they erred in many things followed the custom of the times yet again they saw misliked many things whē they died because they mistrusted the present courses they wold renounce all confidence in Saints crosses images merits such like confesse they looked to be saued by Christ alone which is a signe that they held the foundation Besides they saw into many things that were then done and in their iudgment condemned them carrying a mind alway ready to be taught though the streame of time carried them away m Illyric catal tom 2. p. 867. Thus Domitius Calderinus a learned man when he went to Masse had an vsuall saying Let vs go to the common error and all stories are full of things shewing this to be true They saw the Popes tyranny noted the couetousnesse pride and ambition of the Clergy they espyed the packing of their Priests and Friers they groned vnder innumerable grieuances which they could not redresse and very few among them all held Papistry in forme Whereupon neither hath the Iesuite any reason to say all were Papists such as himselfe neither are we bound to condemne them all but as Saint Cyprian n Epist 3. saith in a certaine Epistle If any that went b fore vs either of ignorance or simplicitie hath not obserued that which the Lord commanded his simplicity through the Lords indulgence may be pardoned But we whom the Lord hath taught instructed cannot be pardoned Out of which words we see what to iudge of such multitudes as erred of ignorance and went after the the Pope o 2. Sam. 15.11 as Dauids subiects did after Absolō in his rebellion in their simplicitie knowing nothing As for the rest that both erred in the foundation and hated the truth as our aduersaries in our countrey this day do blaspheming the way of God hating instruction stopping their eares against the word that we offer them and carrying themselues obstinately and maliciously against vs and so dying in the armes of the whore of Babylon we say without impiety they are gone to eternall fire according to that which God in his word hath reuealed § 62. Nay surely I am rather to thinke that you are vnwise who pretending to trauell toward the happy kingdome of heauen and to go to that glorious Citie the heauenly Ierusalem will leaue the beaten street in which all those haue walked that euer heretofore went thither who by miracles as it were by letters sent from