submission to the Churches Decrees in things necessary to Salvation and likewise in vertue of the same Principle as in all equity they extend it withdraw their obedience from the Secular Magistrate in his necessary commands as he Judges for the publick good 'till it be made out to them that they are in the present matter though not taken out of the Holy Scriptures yet agreeable unto them doubtless all Government and Order is brought to nothing and their Edicts and Laws will be evacuated as often as the pride or prejudice or passion or Interest of Subjects shall think them not warrantable from Holy Writ Neither could such sad effects be hindred from daily breaking out to the Worlds disquiet were they not curb'd in with fear of present punishment For when they who are thus taught think themselves secure from the lash their deeds sufficiently evidence what Temporal Magistrates are to expect from their hands But to stick close to the Church which they have forsaken If they think they have kept firm ground enough for Church Authority to stand upon by inserting these words In things necessary to Salvation thereby implying that though her Decrees in things necessary to Salvation have no strength or Authority 'till it may be declared not by her self for she hath already made her declaration that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures yet in things not necessary and indifferent her Authority is absolute and independent on such a declaration with an obligation of obedience fâ—om Believers If this I say be their meaning to keep up Church-Authority it will not do the business but is only to put a Reed in Christs hand instead of a Royal-Scepter and to allow his Church a Mock-power onely in Spiritual matters as will easily appear to any one considering the end for which our Lord and Saviour set up a Government in his Church For having founded and furnish'd his Church with plentiful means for the Salvation of mankind and instituted a Government therein to conserve and apply those means that they might be effectual for the foresaid end and purpose Church-Governours cannot possibly make a sufficient application as Co-workers with God by his appointment in the great work of our Salvation if their Power extended it self absolutely to things indifferent without which we may be saved and in those things necessary to Salvation can ordain things 'till a Declaration from God knows whom and when makes it good and valid For they tell us not by whom or when this Declaration must be made in such Cases but inveloping their conceit in general words only deliver that what Oecumenical Synods ordain in things necessary to Salvation have no strength nor Authority 'till it may be declared that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures Is this Doctrine consistent with the end of Church-Government Would not those Superiours be invested with a goodly power who can without dispute bind their Subjects hands from scratching their own Faces but have no obliging Authority to hinder them from thrusting a Sword into their Bowels or striking a Dagger to their Heart Hath Christ given some Apostles Prophets and some Evangelists and Ephes 4. some Pastors to feed and govern his Church for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ 'till we all come into the unity of the Faith and yet what points they teach as necessary to Salvation have no strength nor Authoriry 'till their Disciples and Learners of them shall declare that they are taken out of Holy Scriptures Would God exact of Church-Governours an account of their Subjects Souls committed to their Charge threatning to require their Blood at their Hands if any perish Acts 20. 26 27. through their negligence and yet not invest them with an Authority essentially requisite for the sufficient discharge of so dreadful a duty What says St. Paul to this point Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give an account for them Now comes the English Protestant Church with a Paraphrase and teaches Obey them that have the rule over you who watch for your Souls because they must give an account of them and submit your selves to their commands and order in things indifferent and not necessary not in what they teach and ordain as without which Salvation cannot be had for such Decrees have no strength nor Authority 'till it may be declared that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures Can any Conscientious or Rational man possibly perswade himself that this is the Apostles meaning Thirdly the English Protestants teach That the Church hath power to Decree Rites and Ceremonies and Authority in Controversies of Faith Had they stopt here and stood to it they had soon return'd to their Catholick Mother But forsooth it is with this Provisoe That she ordain not any thing that is contrary to Gods word nor expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another But never tells us who shall be this Judge to determine when her Decrees and Orders are contrary to the Word of God or not or when she gives the true sense of Scripture according to the Analogy of Faith so that one place be not repugnant to another And so leaves us in a maze for our Salvation They had denyed the Catholick Church Representative to be an Infallible Witness of the Truths of Jesus Christ and Authoritative Interpreter of Scripture to guide Believers in the true sense of it and so it would have been too a notorious Inquisition to have assum'd it to their Conventicles wherefore having taken away the Pillar and ground of Truth the Churches Authority or Infallibility they laid no other sure foundation nor set up any other determinate Column to uphold Religion but leaves it in uncertainties to certain ruine Well fare the Churches under St. Paul's care and governance who had receiv'd a Power not for destruction but edification and could do nothing against the Truth but 〈◊〉 10. 8. for it The English Protestant Church can do nothing for the Truth but against it has no Power at all for edification but only for destruction Neither indeed might she exercise her new assum'd Jurisdiction without destroying her self when she could not be builded up but by pulling down to patch up a Fabrick out of the ruines For the Composers of her Articles did very well perceive if they admitted the Church to be the Authoriz'd Visible Judge of the Sense of Sripture by the Rule of Tradition shining bright in the practice of the whole Christian World and immemorial possession of such points they contradicted it was not possible to escape the Sentence of condemnation but in the Controversy giving a decisive power only to the dead Letter of Scripture the refuge of old condemned Hereticks they feared no Anathema while themselves were Interpreters And having the supreme Magistrate on
relying we have only a firm and rational belief of revealed Verities constant and immoveable among all the changes of Sects and Hereticks True it is in every act of Faith there is use of Reason whether it be referred to the Authority of God revealing or the Church proposing For we captivate our understanding to the obedience of Faith because we judge nothing more reasonable than to believe God and we securely rely upon his Church whom he hath promis'd to assist with Infallibility in such proposals But shall we say therefore that Reason is the prime intrinsical Motive of Faith and into which it finally is resolv'd Nothing less For this discourse and approbation of Reason are but necessarily previous and antecedent to our deliberate and rational acts of Faith the acts themselves are acts of the understanding not discoursing but purely assenting Which assent is not for Reasons sake but for Authority Were the last resolution into the judgment of private Reason Faith could not be Divine or Supernatural Reason indeed produces an act of Faith as well in Catholicks as Protestants but with a vast difference For a Protestant believes such a Truth to be from God relying upon his Reason only that it is revealed and this assent is not rational because his ground is deceitful But in a Catholick Reason acts only so far in points of belief as to bring him to Authority declaring such Truths to be sufficiently revealed by Almighty God which he cannot with any reason suspect to be Fallible in such declarations I believe this says a Protestant because my Reason tells me it is revealed and will allow no other judge of this Revelation I believe this says a Catholick because an Infallible Authority assures me iâ— is revealed and my Reason tells me there is no other sufficient ground or evidence for Divine Faith and therefore give up my private judgment to the Church And which of these Principles is more safe and rational let Reason judge Thirdly I demand of these Rationalists whether there be any such thing as Heresy in the World and what it is Oportet esse Haereses 1 Cor. 11. 19. c. There must be Heresies St. Paul hath said it and that 's sufficient And as for what it is 't is well known the Church hath always taught That Heresie is the voluntary Election of some private opinion contradicting the Doctrine of the Church And that he is to be accounted an Heretick who neglecting the Churches Authority with a stubborn mind defends wicked opinions But if we should admit their new definition That Heresie is to contradict any fundamental point expresly contain'd in Scripture In my poor judgment according to such a definition there 's no such thing as Heresie or Hereticks but both Arians Anabaptists Fanaticks c. are as good Catholicks as any Christians of the World For if private Reason be the only judge of the true Sense of Scripture for every one to rely upon these and all other condemned Hereticks the Montanists excepted relying upon the written Word as interpreted by Reason with sober enquiry and real endeavours to find out Truth cannot justly be so reputed The Arians have so much Reason and Scripture too in the bare Letter on their side that take away the Churches Infallibility and universal Tradition interpreting and delivering to us the true sense of it the Controversy would never be decided All places would swarm with Nestorians Eutychians Anti-trinitarians Barengarians Anabaptists c. neither could we condemn them if this Principle be good for doing their duty in following Scripture as the Light of their own private Reason or Spirit dictates to them Let them not say that these and such like are justly condemn'd for contradicting express Scripture against their knowledge and the judgment of their own Reason For they must remember first that themselves do not condemn the Anabaptists upon only Scripture grounds Secondly that it hath been demonstrated that all fundamental points are not so express in Scripture as they imagine And thirdly that 't is most uncharitable to say That all those whom they condemn for Hereticks do against their own knowledge and Conscience contradict the express Word of God and run headlong to hell with their eyes open Can we possibly imagine that among so many Millions of Arians there was not one single person had any Conscience It cannot be denyed but that many Hereticks have and do live Vertuously in the Eyes of the World For who knows not That Satan sometimes transforms himself into an Angel of Light And while they profess and protest that if it was once made apparent to them that their Tenets are against the Word of God they would not one minute persist in them we judge it uncharitable to affirm that notwithstanding the protestations of their sincerity and real though misguided zeal they all wilfully sin against the Light and knowledge of their Consciences We Catholicks indeed assert That sufficient evidences of credibility are produced by us to convince them of their Heretical opinions and dangerous state without Repentance But withall we say That God in his just Judgments which are inscrutable suffers them through strong delusions to believe Lyes in that the Light of Truth is veiled from their Eyes by passion or prejudice or worldly Interest while they so continue and we pray for them in hope that the Father of infinite Mercies will in his good time discover Truth unto them and bring them home unto his Church But for these Rationalists to damn all those whom they esteem Hereticks as contradictors of the Word of God against their Conscience and knowledge is a censure most unreasonable and little beseeming such whose lives are not so Gospel-like but that many Sectaries who differ from them in fundamentals may justly be reputed at least as conscientious and in charity cannot be thought otherwise All which duely consider'd plainly proves that they must either change their Judge of Controversy in points of Faith or give us some new Rule to discover Heresy And withall that if they will stick close to this Principle they must maintain that all the General Councils of the Church even that celebrated by the Apostles themselves were meer tyrannical Usurpations in obliging all Christians to believe and practice according to their Decrees whatever their private Reason could say to the contrary Fourthly in vain and to no purpose hath Jesus Christ instituted Authoritative Overseers and Governours in his Church For the perfecting Eph. 4. 11 12 c. the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edification of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of Faith c. If every one must acknowledge no visible Authority upon Earth to have any obliging power over him in Doctrines appertaining to God but be his own Teacher in all points of Faith according to the Dictates of private Reason Fifthly If every one be sent to Scripture to compose a Creed for himself
the Church which the Holy Scriptures without any ambiguity do demonstrate To the end that because the Scripture cannot deceive us whosoever is afraid to be deceived by the obscurity of any question may have recourse to the Churches judgment concerning it which Church the Holy Scriptures demonstrate without any ambiguity Two things are suitable to our present purpose which are clear from hence First that though we may sometimes doubt what is Truth yet we can never doubt which is the true Church demonstrated to us by the Scriptures upon whose judgment while we rely we are secure from holding any thing contrary to the written Word commending to us her Authority Secondly That though the Scriptures are Infallible and cannot deceive us yet if we will not deceive our selves and kill our Souls by the dead Letter without the quickning sense we must believe what the Church believes submitting our private reason to her publick Interpretation For else let Hereticks never so much boast of Scripture for them we may tell them in the words of the same Saint This ye Cont. Faust l. 32. c. 19. seem to do that Scriptures may loose all Authority while every one may allow or disallow what his own mind suggests to him out of them That is may not subject his Faith to the Authority of Scripture but subject Scripture to his Faith It being indeed the property of all Hereticks not to take sense from but to bring sense to those Sacred Oracles forcing them by manifest distortions or dark conjectures to speak in defence of their prejudicated Tenets and so make nothing of Scripture while they seem to value nothing else Now what remedy against this intolerable abuse of the Word of God and everlastingly-quarrelproducing evil but that of Origen Quoties c. As often as they Hereticks Ho. in Mat. Praef. l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth Canonical Scriptures which no Christian but believes and assents to they seem to say Behold the word of Truth is in our Houses but we must not believe them nor depart from the Primitive Ecclesiastical Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Churches of God by succession have deliver'd to us And to put them to silence with that of L. de Praes p. 19. Tertullian We must not appeal to Scriptures neither is the controversy to be setled upon them in which either there will be no victory at all or very uncertain Yea there is no good got by disputing out of Texts of Scripture that is as interpretable by private reason and play'd upon by wit but either to make a man sick or mad But that is only to be believed for for Truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church Thus he fully agreeing with Origen in the fore-quoted place And I cannot omit here what the glorious Bishop of Hippo hath so apposite for our present purpose to his Catechumens The Holy Church the Church which is one the true S. Aust de Symb. lib. 1. v. 6. Church the Catholick Church fights against all Heresies She may be resisted but cannot be conquer'd All Heresies have gone out of her as unprofitable branches cut off from the Vine see Protestants your Original but she remains in her Root in her Charity The gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Nor that to Honoratus when therefore we see God standing for us and so much fruit and proficiency doubt we to repose our L. de util Cred. c. 17. selves in the bosom of that Church which from the Apostolical Chair by Successions of Bishops Hereticks on all sides barking in vain against her hath obtain'd Supremacy of Power To whom not to give the chief is truly either the highest Impiety or harebrain Arrogance Thus the Fathers always brought Believers to the Church for a firm foundation in tottering times there they cast Anchor and fix'd themselves amidst the storms of Controversies and Contentions rais'd by unreasonable men with the wind of strange Doctrines lest they should make Shipwrack of their Holy Faith this still they prest upon all Christians in doubts of Disputations the Church the Church believe the Church the Pillar and ground of Truth the Sacred Depository of revealed Verities the rich Store-house of all things belonging to Salvation protected by Christ to the Worlds end endowed with the certain gift of Truth by the special guidance of the Holy Ghost founded upon a Rock that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Which is nothing else but what they had learn'd and received from Scripture and Tradition A Truth so convincing that it extorted from Dr. Field a great Patron of the English Protestants In his Book of the Church words to this effect Controversies are now a days grown to that height and so numerous and intricate that few have time to discuss and search into them thoroughly for satisfaction fewer wit and abilities to do it as such a business of concernment require that no security remains but to fly into the arms of the Church and acquiess in her judgments and definitions But from words let us proceed to deeds from the Doctrine to the practice of Antiquity SECT IX The aforesaid Authority of the Church cleared and demonstrated by the constant practice of all Ages IF we cast our eyes through the whole Christian World not a Popish Priest in the exercise of his Spiritual Jurisdiction but is in some sort a practical proof of this Authoritative Power wherewith the Church is invested by Jesus Christ Yet residing more eminently and with larger extent in Bishops the supreme Order of the Clergy made Overseers of their respective Flocks by the Holy Ghost it appears more gloriously visible in the Decrees and Acts of General Councils the highest Ecclesiastical Tribunal determining all emergent Controversies in Spiritual matters with Anathemae's against all Contradictors whatsoever And Catholicks in all Ages acknowledging their Sacred and obliging Authority paid most inviolably the just Tribute of Obedience to their Decisions with submission of their private Judgments and Opinions however rational before they seem'd unto them So that what points soever were once declared to be of Faith by lawful and approved Councils those who persisted in the contrary Doctrines where accounted Hereticks and being justly Excommunicated for such incorrigible obstinacy shunn'd by all the Faithful as no better than Heathens and Publicans Now I cannot think that English Protestants will say though such Decrees issued out from General Councils yet it was by an usurped Power not of Right and so though such exact obedience was paid by Christians to them yet it was in their own prejudice and not of duty or obligation though truely in deeds they assert it because they pretend much veneration to the first four General Councils and Bishop Montague one of the Learnedest In his Appello ad Casa men they ever had proceeds so far as to defend against his more zealous Brethren of Romes ruine the
is this difficulty in matters of no moment but in points necessary where Souls do perish through misbelief We find in the Acts of the Apostles that Philip the Deacon drawing near to the Chariot of the devout Eunuch and hearing him read Act 8. 30 31 c. the Prophet Isaias said Vnderstandest thou what thou readest And he said how can I except some man guide me He had not learn'd the Principle of their Rationalists to bid the Holy man spare his pains of Exposition or if he would be doing that he was not bound to believe one word he spoke for Truth 'till his own reason made it Authentick For this wild Doctrine frees every man in matters of Eternity from all Authority of humane Teachers though of Divine Institution so that be we Jews or Heathens or in what Church soever we have been Baptiz'd we must stand to no Creed believe no Catechism or abridgement of points necessary though confirm'd by the practice of the whole Christian World rely on no Instructors but believe and practice the quite contrary if our private reason judges it to be contain'd in Sacred Scripture Doubtless if his judgment had been preposess'd with this proud arrogant Principle Philip had preach'd in vain nor had he believ'd unto Salvation but would have dismiss'd the Evangelist with some such words as these I have a desire to save my Soul and therefore have given you a hearing but all this is nothing yet to me I will search the Scriptures farther to see what I must believe and when I have made my Creed I will send for You to Baptize me Which plainly contradicts the method of saving instruction deliver'd by the great Doctor of the Gentiles in that famous Climax How shall they call Rom. 10. 14 15. on him in whom they have not believ'd And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher A Preacher with Mission and Commission from Jesus Christ But no place is more convincing than that 1 Tim. 3. 15. to Timothy The Church is the Pillar and ground of Truth And if the Church how then must every one build upon his private Reason for the true sense of Scripture in all things necessary to Salvation St. Paul was an Apostle of Jesus Christ whose Missioners then are those who teach the contrary Lastly I desire them to reconcile this Article of our Ancient Creed I believe the Holy Catholick Church with their novel Doctrine The Caetholick Church hath nothing to do with my Faith I believe my own Reason and nothing else in giving the true sense of Scripture to me For my part it being clear to me from the written Word that the Church hath a promise of Infallibility in matters of Faith That there is a command from Christ laid upon every one to hear her voice under pain of damnation and that otherwise the above named Article would not have been inserted into the Apostles Creed as a fundamental point I could see no safety or certainty in matters of eternal Interest but by wholly renouncing my most weak deceitful self and delivering up my self entirely into the hands of the Catholick Church to be taught by her what I must Believe and Do to be saved Nor found I any thing more reasonable then to captivate my understanding to the obedience of Faith when the God of reason doth require it at our hands Secondly to make every one an Interpreter and Judge of the true sense of Holy Scripture for himself unappealably by Reason seems evidently to me to deprive us of the only rational and solid means which is required to produce a well grounded Faith of Supernatural Verities in the Soul of man Which thus I manifest Supernatural Faith being an assent of the understanding to things revealed meerly for the Authority of the Relator without any farther dispute when once we have an assurance that God hath revealed them two things must necessarily concurre in all mediate productions to beget this act firmly and rationally in any Soul namely Ist Divine Revelation of things to be believ'd which is the formal Object of Faith into which it is ultimately resolv'd And 2dly A certain knowledge or moral evidence that such are revealed by the mediation or intervention of which the understanding elevated by Grace proceeds to the foresaid assent Now suppose there were no Objects of Supernatural and Divine Faith but what are contain'd in the written Word 't is not the bare and naked Letter but Scripture rightly understood that is the Word of God and of Infallible verity except therefore we have some Medium or means to convey assuredly to our understanding the true sense of Scripture our Faith cannot but halt and totter when we cannot rationally afford a firm assent to such a thing as revealed and have just cause to suspect whither we rightly understand that Scripture which contains the Revelation And certainly this cause of suspition will be ever just while private reason is the Interpreter and Judge of Holy Writ when abundant experience tells us nothing is more Fallible nothing more deceitful nothing sooner bribed with pride or passion or prejudice or education or interest to make words speak what never the Author intended by them Insomuch that hardly any fundamental point delivered in Scripture but hath been called in question and still is by too many protesting withall their sincerity and endeavours to attain to the true sense of Scripture by the light of their own Reason to which they appeal as their Judge and Protector in those wilful and irrational proceedings Neither indeed have Heresies arose in the Church but from Scripture misinterpreted by private reason as the * Non aliunde natae sunt haeredes nisi quod Scripturae bene intelliguntur non benè St. Aug. Tract 18 in Jeab Er de Gen. ad Lit. l. 7 ca. 9. Non ob aliud siunt haeretici nisi quod Scripturas non recte intelligentes suas Falsas opiniones contra earum veritatem pertinaciter asserunt alii passiom S. Ambr. in Titi. Vincentius Lyrin ca. 36. S. Irenaeus l. 1. c. 1. S. Hier. ad ca. 23. Isaiae S. Hilar. in lib. ad Constantinum Origenes Hom. 31. in Exodum c. Fathers and Church-history sufficiently testify Alas poor Souls that have such a guide to carry the Light which must direct them to eternal Happiness If they make their Light Darkness how great is that Darkness When their guide misleads them what remedy is there left to recall them into the path which leads to Heaven The Catholick Church indeed is inriched with so great a priviledge by Christ our Saviour that she cannot err in things necessary to Salvation as hath been manifested in the precedent Motive by Reason Fathers Councils Scripture Tradition and practice of the Christian World Whom we may as undoubtedly believe in delivering to us the true sense of Scripture as the Letter and upon whom
in the storm of a blind zeal against the Church of Rome split themselves against another rock never caring for perpetual succession and visibility to make them Catholick confidently assert that the Church of Christ was over-spread with the infernal darkness of Superstition and Idolatry that it wholly ceas'd to be a true Church for a thousand years and upwards more or less for they cannot agree among themselves about the determinate time which gave this fatal period to Christianity 'till by their blessed Reformation the glorious light of the Gospel did dawn a-new unto the World and with the ruines of the Whore of Babylon hopeful Children to cast such durt in their Mothers face they did beautify the revived Spouse of Jesus Christ Wherein they wholly agree with the Donatists of old who after their separation from the Catholick Church thought they could not defend themselves from Schism and Heresie unless they would maintain that the Universal Church was totally perish'd and shrunk into their new-born Conventicle which hath in it the the mixture of thus much Truth that no separation from an acknowledged true Church can be justifyable But this is wonderful that those very men who pretend so much veneration of Sacred Scripture as to make it the sole and adequate Rule of Christian belief should notwithstanding to free their own Religion from Schism and Heresie affirm the Church of Christ to have perish'd totally for so many Ages the contrary to which is so plainly contain'd in those Sacred Oracles Our Blessed Saviour says That he Met. 16. 18. will build his Church upon a rock so that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it The Angel says Of his Luke 1. Kingdom there shall be no end Can possibly Jesus Christ be with the Mat. 28. 20. Governours of his Church to the Worlds end to direct them by his special assistance to pretect them by his irresistable Power and yet the Devil so far prevail over his beloved Heritage as to ruine it Can he make good his promise of leading Joh. 14. 26. 16. v. 13. them into all Truth and yet suffer his Church to be corrupted with damnable errors and practices as totally to perish St. Paul says God hath placed in his Church some Apostles Ephes 4. 11 c. some Prophets others Evangelists and Doctors for the perfecting of the Saints that we might be one and the same faith and not toss'd and carried about with the wind of every Doctrine And that the Church is the Pillar and ground of Truth These 1 Tim 3. 15. are plain express Texts for the Churches Indefectibility needing no Interpreter as St. Austin saith De Vnit Eccl. c 16. in the like case of evident places out of Scripture for the universality of the Church against obscure Texts objected by the Donatists And yet this generation of men will palpably pervert plain Texts of Scripture rather then confess a guilt in separating themselves from their Catholick Mother Perkins a great Champion of the Reformed Religion saith expressy Exposit of the Creed pa. 226. That during the space of 900. years the Popish Heresie had spread it self over the whole Wold Calvin affirms That the Church of Instit l. 4. c. 18. Rome made all the Kings and People of the Earth drunk with the cup of her abomination from the first to the last Bennet Norton says The whole Christian World knows that before Luther Treat of the Church p. 145. all Churches were overwhelm'd with more then Cymerian darkness Bibliander a Lutheran is very positive That without all question from In Orat. ad Princ Germa the time of Gregory the Great the Pope is Antichrist who with his abominations hath made drunk all Kings and People from the highest to the lowest Yet Simon Voyon affirms no less Catal. Doct. Ep. ad Lect. confidently That when Boniface was installed then was that universal Apostacy from the Faith foretold by St. Paul And to name no more Chamierus saith That Apostacy averted the whole body from Christ Consider well these expressions and then tell me if any thing can be more contrary to Sacred Scripture Lay them close together that the opposition may more visibly appear The Church is builded upon a rock and the gates of Hell shall never prevail against it Of his Kingdom there shall be no end I will send you the Spirit of Truth who shall lead you into all Truth The Church is the Pillar and ground of Truth Thus teaches Scripture Now these new Pastors tell us That Heresie which is the strongest bar of Hell gates overspread the whole Christian World That all Churches were overwhelmed with more than Cymerian darkness That there was an universal Apostacy from the Faith That Apostacy averted the whole body from Christ Are not these Doctrines directly contrary to each other Now which shall we believe For both we cannot 'till contradictions be both true Are not these rare men to make Apostles Yet before I part with them I will ask them one question in St. Austin's words wherewith he expostulates the same case with the Donatists In Scripturis didicimus Ep. 166. ad Donat. Christum c. In the Scriptures we have learned Christ in the Scriptures we have come to the knowledge of the Church These Scriptures are common to us both why do we not from them keep as well the same Church as the same Christ And afterwards If for the verity of the Scriptures ye believe in Christ whom ye read of and see not wherefere do ye deny the Church which ye both read and see A Church which the same Father assures you The Prophets have In Psal 30. L. de vti cred c. 7 8 c. more plainly spoken of then Christ himself to prevent mistakes in a matter of so great moment A Church which the Scriptures assure you shall as militant continue in a visible succession to the end of the World as triumphant world without end After this one Catholick and Apostolick Church was founded in the World and began to spread it self into all corners the Members of it were called Christians to distinguish them from all not professing Christ But when some of themselves arose teaching perverse things to draw away Disciples after them and so separating from the Church whereof once they were Members erected new Communions then those Christians who stood firm adhering fast to the Church and Doctrine establish'd by Christ and his Apostles were called Catholicks to distinguish them from such false Christians who had separated themselves into Schismatical or Heretical Congregations Which if the Protestants would consider aright they would never argue thus incongruously The Roman Church is not the Catholick Church because it comprehends not Us and others in her Communion who are Christians when Catholicism in its genuine notion denotes an Universal Communion of true Believers continuing in the Faith and Worship first deliver'd to the Saints in
Letter I know in their popular discourses they make fine flourishes and after a long combat with pretended monstruous errors of the Church of Rome they clap their wings and crow triumphantly upon their own dunghill demanding of their deluded Auditory whether the Church of Rome or Scripture is to be believ'd This is their custom but 't is not the question For let them produce but one sentence out of those Sacred Oracles of Truth that in express terms contradicts the Doctrine of the Church of Rome in any one controverted point for which they pretend just cause of separation and it would be something to the purpose but who can imagine that Catholicks who have taught the Protestants that the Scripture is God's word should themselves in express and positive terms deny the Doctrine of it And therefore seeing the question is if Scripture alone was to deside the Controversies whether the sense and meaning of the Holy Ghost in those Sacred Writings is to be taken upon the credit of Ecclesiastical Tradition or new-born interpretations of some few private men certainly none except much oversway'd by passion or interest can prefer the bare conjectures and probabilities of those Interpreters before the evidence of such Authority Especially the Scriptures themselves witnessing That things in them 2 Pet. 3. 15 16 17. difficult to be understood are wrested by the unlearned and unstable to their own destruction And the experience of all Ages making it evident that the Interpretation of Scriptures by private Spirits in a sense contrary to the attestation and practice of the Church hath been the very source and fountain of all Heresies And in such cases there 's no possible way to be secured from seduction and falling into errors but by firmly adhering to the Doctrine and Tradition of the Church Sine ego sive quis alius c. If I or any other saith Vincentius Lyrinensis will discover the frauds of new-born Hereticks and shunning their snares abide sound and firm in the right belief he must by the help of God fortify his Faith with a double bullwark first the Authority of Divine Law and then the Tradition of the Catholick Church For Sacred Scriptures being lyable to such variety of Interpretions that almost so many men so many minds Novatian Photinus Sabellius Donatus Arius Apollinaris Belagius Nestorius Lutherans Calvinists Protestants Anabaptists Independents Fanaticks c. every one pretending the Scriptures to stand for them according to their several glosses and expositions of necessity to shun the Labyrinths of so many errors we must follow the line of Apostolical Writings as handed to us by the sense and Tradition of the Catholick Church And yet if we should exclude the universal Tradition of the Church with the undoubted Testimonies of Councils and Fathers of all Ages by which Protestants stand convicted of Schism and Heresie beyond all rational contradiction from having any thing to do in the decision of these Controversies granting all that they desire let bare words of Scripture be taken according to the exactest Criticisms of private reason in the judgement of Learned and Un-interessed men and even upon that score those Sacred Oracles of Divine Truth will cast it clearly on the Catholicks side against our Adversaries And if they cannot be convinced from them to be Heretical in all material points of Faith wherein they differ from us yet as much as concerns the formal part of Schism and Heresie they stand thereby as manifestly guilty of those hainous sins as ever any one who separated from the Churches Doctrine and Communion yea and by Protestants themselves condemn'd for Hereticks But never any place hath been produced by them from the Scriptures against the Church in the present Controversies as to evidence her in any one point erroneous But Catholicks have sufficiently shown that by such endeavours they have troubled those waters of Life with the mud of their corrupted fancies and by injurious distortions forced them to speak what never the Holy Ghost intended What remains therefore but that Protestants acknowledging themselves to be a Congregation Fallible and subject to error in points of Faith confess also that they never afforded a more pregnant demonstration of their Fallibility than in assering the Catholick Church to have erred whereby their separation from her Doctrine and Communion might be justified SECT IV. Wherein the Protestants Plea that the Popes Universal Pastorship in an Usurpation crept into the Church and therefore might and ought to be forsaken without Schism is refuted YEt another Plea they have that the Popes Universal Authority and Primacy over the Church is a meer Usurpation and Tyrannical and consequently to oppose and expel the exercise of such a Power out of England or where ever else 't is introduced cannot be a Schism but a Godly Reformntion by reducing the Government of the Church to its primitive institution as founded by Christ and his Apostles These are fine specious words and will be found nothing else in their due examination For it being of Faith in the Catholick Church that a Primacy or Supreme Jurifdiction in Ecclesiastical matters over the Universal Body of Christianity in St. Peter and his Successors the Bishops of Rome is of Divine Institution and maintain'd by her as so taught and practic'd in all Ages yea and the Popes being in peaceable possession of such an Authority in England for about 1000 years by confession of Protestants themselves being a thing not to be denyed as notoriously evident from unquestionable Records in Church affairs to deny such an Authority to be lawful and thereupon to withdraw their obedience from such a Government without any more adoe declares them Schismaticks unless first by rigorous demonstration they prove it to be a meer usurpation For 't is not abus'd Scripture much less other Testimonies either justly suspected or wrested to their purpose that can weigh any thing against the selfproof of so long a continued possession the like to which cannot be shown by any Authority upon Earth to fortify their right against opposers I say nothing but rigorous demonstration will serve their turn in this case which no prescription can evacuate But when the Papal Authority was first cast out of England God knows they were thinking on other matters Lust and Self-interest had quite blinded the eye of reason in King Henry the 8th and his flatterers resolving first upon the fact and then endeavouring to maintain it just and lawful But with such weak Arguments as may be strong proofs to induce all un-interested Souls to believe the contrary though indeed the strength of our evidence against them needs no help from the feebleness of their defences However thus liberal they are to us against their wills No cause actually working can but produce effects correspondent to the nature of its activity No man can deny this but he must deny his reason If therefore the Pope's Supremacy over the Universal Church was introduced by Tyranny and
among the Gentiles and they should Sacrifice in every place and Chap. 1. 11. a Pure Offering should be offer'd to his Name a new form of Worship prescrib'd a new form of Government erected new Sacraments instituted new Precepts deliver'd Councels super-added agreeable to the Evangelical Law And in a word a Catholick Church founded to continue for ever This Church of Christ as it is one body so likewise it was of one heart and of one mind while Apostolical purity remain'd unspotted The Professors were all united in the same Faith Worship and Government holding close to Church-Tradition the Pillar and ground of Truth without any rent or Schism Till among Act. 20. 29. 30. themselves arose Wolves in Sheeps-cloathing not sparing the Flock teaching perverse things to draw away Disciples after them That is who set up a Congregation of Christians separated from the Communion of that Church which was founded by Christ and his Apostles And so by this means unity being destroy'd and Faith perverted Heresie shut up the gate of Heaven against false Christians as Infidelity did against Unbelievers A sad case this yet not so much to be wondred at seing the Apostle tells us Opportet esse Haereses There must 1 Cor. 11. 19. be Heresies for the Tryal of others and greater glory of the Truth And therefore the true Church hath in all Ages been more or less vex'd with them But never more then in these last and perillous days which since Luther's Apostacy from the Church of Rome have produc'd such an innumerable brood of New Gospels and Sects all pretending to believe and practice those Doctrines and that Worship which were taught by Christ and his Apostles and to be the only true Church of God or at least the purest Members of it Now it being acknowledg'd on all hands that they only are the true Church who believe and observe all points taught by Christ and his Apostles necessary to Salvation and 't is impossible contrary Beliefs and Worships should be all true and come from the Fountain of Truth Christ Jesus those whom a more serious desire and care of their Eternal Good may excite to seek for satisfaction in so important a business shall upon diligent inquisition by the blessing of God find that the chief externe grounds or evidence ordain'd by Christ for the guiding us in the knowledge of what was taught and left by him to be believ'd and practis'd to the Worlds end and consequently also for discerning which is the true Church among so many Pretenders are those according to which the Church of Rome regulates her Faith and Worship namely Universal Tradition and the Authority of the present Church as shall hereafter be made manifest And the farther they search into the Rule of the Protestant Religion that is sole Scripture interpreted by private Reason or Spirit exclusively to Tradition and Church Authority the more they will see such unsteady Maxims are destructive to Faith and manifestly leading to endless Divisions and Errors in matters of Religion This Conviction I had in examining the Fundamentals of the Roman and Protestant Religion and therefore am not to be blam'd for the Change I made and to my understanding whosoever searches as I did will easily receive the same satisfaction SECT II. A Preparatory Discourse to Church-Tradition and what it is THo' whosoever examines aright the Motives of Christian belief cannot rationally but become a Catholick that is find evidence how he may come to the certain knowledge of what Christ and his Apostles taught the World yet Faith is not grounded on Reason but Authority and that no less then Divine which excludes all possibility of Errour Whatever it is that brings men to know what they must believe Faith hath for its formal Object Divine Revelation into which it finally is resolv'd So that we believe nothing as of Faith but what is revealed and because it is revealed by Essential Verity who can neither deceive nor be deceived Catholicks then believe by Divine Faith Truths only revealed by Almighty God wherein Protestants agree with us But Catholicks believe the same Truths as they are ascertained declar'd and handled down to us by the Testimony of the Church wherein Protestants are defective the difference thefore between us in Faith arises chiefly from hence in that we use not the same externe Medium to convey unto our understandings the knowledge of what Truths are revealed and what not For could we once agree about this latter we should soon be of one Heart and of one mind in all points of Faith especially when once this Medium is proved to be infallible As to this Medium therefore Catholicks regulate their Faith by the Rule or Standard of Tradition and Church-Authority as the externe Proponent of Faith a Proponent also evidenced to them by the same Rule to be Infallible and thus they safely rely on the Testimony of Tradition and Church Authority in Declaring and Expounding both the Sense of Scripture and all other Christian Misteries necessary to Salvation Whilst on the contrary Protestants relying on the sole express Texts of Scripture interpreted by private Reason or Spirit as their only Rule and Guide in matters of Faith become unsteady in their Belief obnoxious to dangerous Errors and divided amongst themselves into endless Sects and Factions But because a more clear understanding of this matter in some sort depends on a right notion of Tradition we shall here define it in the sense it is usually understood by Catholick Divines Tradition then is the delivery of that Doctrine which was taught by Christ and his Apostles from hand to hand descending as such from Fathers to their Children making up the body of the Faithful This is the true notion of Tradition among us Catholicks and it matters not whether it be call'd Divine Apostolical or Universal being only the same thing exprest by divers adjuncts For it is call'd Divine because Christ our Lord as well true God as true man is the Spring-head of it It is call'd Apostolical because the Apostles immediately receiv'd from him things so deliver'd and Preach'd them to all Nations And Universal because Attested by the Catholick Church of all Ages to have been handed to her as originally proceeding from Christ and his Apostles And to prevent all mistakes let Protestants take notice that the Church of Rome sends not her Children only to search for what is Divine or Apostolical Tradition in matters of Faith and Discipline out of the Writings of the Fathers or other Libraries of Books fill'd with dead Words which are subject to various Interpretations by Critical heads without any hope of Agreement and can have no Authority dependent on Tradition though upon this account she has infinite advantage against all other Communions in the World to justify her Faith and practice in any unbyass'd Judgments But sends them to a visible living Oracle Oral Tradition that is the voice of the present Church attesting
contradicts the Justice Goodness and Veracity of God to authorize any to be a witness of his Truth that might lye and deceive the World in their attestation And methinks it concerns as well English Protestants as Us to maintain the Catholick Church for an Infallible Witness seeing at this distance from the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles they as well as we have no other Infallible assurance then her Testimony whereby to know either which are the undoubtd Books of Scripture or what the true meaning of them And thus that Religion which Protestants pretend to be contain'd in only Scripture must rejecting Church Authority necessarily float in an Ocean of incertainties and we miserably be left in the mysts of conjectures among dead Letters with the twi-light of natural reason to search out Faith and the Eternal Salvation of our Souls Lastly the fore-quoted Texts being so express for the Church to have a Power from Christ to oblige all men under pain of Damnation to believe and submit to her Proposals as to Faith God hath also endowed her with Infallibility in bringing to our knowledge revealed Verities seeing otherwise such a Power in the Church and a correspondent obligation in her Children would not bear an equal proportion And therefore these two are inseparably link'd together a Power to bind to Believe and Infallibility in the Obliger Christ assisting his Church with his Holy Spirit to guide her Infallibly into all Truth because he hath invested her with a Power to bind to believe and giving her a Power of obliging to believe because he hath made her Infallible in such Proposals It seeming most conformable to the Divine Goodness and Providence that such an externe proponant of Faith should be established as might afford no just cause to suspect whither it be true or no which is proposed and in all reason no greater assurance can be desired then to have an absolute certainty that that Authority cannot err in points of Faith to whom we must in such Proposals captivate our Wills and Understandings For this is but to assent upon undoubted evidence then which nothing is more agreeable to mans nature Neither is it rational to believe that God who is essential Reason and Wisdom ruling all his Creatures according to the several Dispositions Imprinted in them would impose such a Duty on Discoursive Entities upon other terms Blessed be God who hath so carefully provided for us in giving us a Law which is the only means to Salvation and also an authorized guide to direct us in the certain knowledge of it namely the Catholick which cannot possibly lead us into errour as hath been formerly shewn Thus certainly these Scriptures witnessing the Churches Authority are agreeable to reason now let us see what further light can be added to them from the Writings and universal practice of Antiquity SECT VIII The Churches Authority or Infallibility taught and asserted by the Ancient Fathers IF I should produce what Antiquity affords us on this Subject I should rather transcribe Books than Passages so Copious and Industrious have the Fathers been on all occasions to press a point so necessary S. Athana coni Aria S. Hier. S. Aug. Pole St. Cyp. de vnit Ecc. Tert. c. especially in their Polemical Discourses against Hereticks to vindicate their dear Mother the Church in her Just Rights and Priviledges against all Rebellious contradictors of her Authority And thither I refer such as desire more ample satisfaction for the present I shall content my self with some few choice places and they are these We must believe saith Irenaeus â— l. cont hae ca. 49. those Priests that are in the Church those that have a Succession from the Apostles who together with the Episcopal Power according to the good pleasure of the Father have received the certain gift of Truth We must not believe saith the English Protestant Church those who in their Episcopal Chaires have had an un-interrupted Succession from the Apostles seek not for the Law of God from their Lips for they are fallen from the Truth yea General Councils can err and have erred in Art 21. of the 39. their Definitions having no certain gist of Truth by Divine assistance Thus they flatly contradicting good Irenaeus and Ancient Doctrine Now whom shall we believe The old Saint or the new Protestant Give him a little more Audience for he proceeds thus The Church Cap. 62. l. praed shall be under no mans judgement for to the Church all things are known in which is the perfect Faith of the Father and of all the Dispensations of Christ and firm knowledge of the Holy Ghost who teacheth all Truth But say he what he will Protestants will assume a Power to judge and condemn her of no less gross and damnable Errours then Idolatry and Superstition to justify that thing they call the Reformed Church Though it were no difficult matter for them to perceive the Injustice of such Proceedings when the same Saint goes on and tells them and us That it is easie to receive the Truth from Gods Church seeing the Apostles have most fully deposited in her as in a rich store-house all things belonging to Truth For what if there should arise any contention of some small questions ought we not to have recourse to the most Ancient Churches and from them receive what is certain and clear concerning the present question Thus far he And if this course is to be taken in small questions doubtless much more in matters of high concern as many points are now controverted between Us and Protestants In such to be left to our own private conjectures and Interpretations would be most unsafe and unreasonable And had Protestants taken the course here prescribed by the Saint for the inquisition of Truth when they first raised questions about Religion as in such cases all Christians ought to do could ever such a thing as the Protestant Church have had a beeing or existence For 't is as visible as the Sun that there was no pre-existent form of Faith in the whole Christian World according to which they modeliz'd their Religion in England and with whom they communicated when they divided from the Church of Rome their Catholick Mother If great St. Austin was not little in esteem with our modern Hereticks they might receive full satisfaction from him in this point if they would Impartially peruse his Writings against the Donatists and other Enemies of the Churches Faith and Unity That of his is very remarkable against Crescontius Though saith he there cannot be produced Lib. 1. cap. 33. from Scriptures any examples of such a thing yet the Truth of the same Scriptures is held of us in this matter when we do that which pleaseth the whole Church which the Authority of the same Scriptures commendeth that because the Holy Scriptures cannot deceive us whosoever feareth to be deceived with the obscurity of this question let him require the judgment of
instill into well-meaning Souls their Pernitious Doctrines for saving Truths And this is the true reason why the Arians did so storm at the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consubstantial and in furious rage cry against it as an innovation when first inserted into the Creed by the Nicene Fathers as a most proper and powerful Antidote against their poison And why those Sons of subtilty did take such indefatigable pains and put in practice such curious Artifices to counter-check or wholly extirpate that term out of Christian Confessions as well knowing if that word liv'd and prosper'd in the Church all their Arts and Eloquence could not easily gain more Proselytes but their Anti-Doctrine must die and perish And as upon the same account the General Councils of Lateran and Trent after the unhappy birth and growth of the Sacramentarian Heresy did make use of a new word viz. Trausubstantiation to express more aptly the Ancient Faith so for the same reason our modern Reformers exclaim against that term as a novelty in Religion because it manifestly contains their condemnation and enervates their main Plea of Reformation SECT X. A farther Declaration of the Churches Authority or Infallibility in General Councils from Autiquity THe Church of God in all Ages by General Councils giving an decisive Sentence in controversies about Faith as hath been shown in the precedent Section each Decree and Anathema speaks in deed and reality her Infallibility in such Decisions Notwithstanding lest perverse minds or weak apprehensions should misconstrue her Actions and not judge aright of the grounds of such proceedings the Ancient Fathers who best understood the belief and meaning of their Catholick Mother have in their Writings left undoubted Testimonies to the World that they cannot erre who follow her voice declaring by those Assemblies what ought to be believed for revealed Truths S. Athanasius so famous for his Confession of Faith and Sufferings for it in his Epistle to the Affrican Bishops tells them that Verbum Domini per Oecumenicam Niceae Synodum manet in aeternum Not doubting to affirm the Doctrine of the Nicene Fathers to be the Word of God and of Eternal Verity From whom and other Fathers the Glorious Emperour Constantine had Learn'd to write to the Churches That whatsoever is Decreed in the In Epist ad Ecc. apud Sacta l. 1. c. 6. Holy Council of Bishops is altogether to be ascribed to the Divine Will S. Ambrose that great maintainer of Ecclesiastical Authority and Discipline professed resolutely that he would rather part with his Life then the Nicene Faith Sequor tractatum Epist 12. Niceni Concilii a quo nec mors nec gladius me poterit separare The Council of Nice is my guide from which neither Death nor the Sword of Persecution shall divide me And what of St. Hilary and other Catholick Bishops and Confessors that suffered from the power and malice of the Arians before they would part with one Syllable or Letter of the Nicene Faith by changing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same Substance into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the like Substance is well known from the Faithful Records of those times When above six hundred Fathers were gathered at Chalcedon in a General Victor Afri de Persec Wand ca. 61. Barronius c. Council there celebrated and some perhaps secret Arians propos'd the re-examination of the Nicene Decrees it in no sort would be permitted the Holy Synod crying out Si quis retractat c. If any one retract let him be Accursed If any one inquires anew about them let him be accursed Cursed be he that adds Cursed be he that Innovates For in such definitions in points of Faith being rather the Decrees of God than men should they have been subjected to a fresh Inquisition had not been so much to question the Fathers Assembled in the name of Christ as the Infallibity of the Holy Ghost assisting their endeavours in such Decisions Which is not my collection but the assertion of St. Leo the Great both for his Sanctity and Supreme Pastorship in the Church of God in his Epistle to the Emperour Martian in these words Praenoscat Pietas nostra Venerabilis Imperator c. Venerable Emperour let Ep. 78. your Piety first know that whom we send from the Apostolical Chair are not directed to combat with the enemies of Faith we daring not to go about to handle those things which have been defin'd by the good pleasure of God both at Nice and Chalcedon as if they were weak and doubtful which so great an Authority hath ratified by the Holy Spirit And therefore the Emperour that the said Decrees might be more vigorously Habetur in Codice Justini executed publish'd an Edict Strictly commanding humane contentions and Inquisitions to cease about those matters and all Christians under the Roman Jurisdiction to submit their Judgments to the Decrees of the most Holy Synods Because besides the penalties of the Laws they would by such quarrells incurre the just censure of joyning with Jews and Pagans against the Church Yet alas Protestants do so and will needs be the only or truest Christians St. Austin the Oracle of Antiquity De Bapt. cont Donat l 1. tells us That though concerning Rebaptization of Hereticks persons of eminent Learning and Piety did dispute among themselves peaceably the question insomuch that there were contrary decisions of particular Councils in the business 'till in a plenary Synod of the whole World that which was soundly believ'd was without all doubt confirmed And elsewhere That concerning the validity of Baptism Cont. Parm. lib. 2. given by any one not a Christian nothing ought determinately to be concluded without the definition of some General Council And that concerning the validity of Baptism given by Hereticks there was no question to be made being already agitated perfected and defined in the unity of the whole World Which had it been done before St. Cyprians Glorious Martyrdom he makes no doubt but the Holy Martyr would have submitted his Judgment to the L. 7. cont Donat. ca 53. Authority of an Oecumenical Synod And therefore that saying of Lib. 2. de bapt cap. 3. the same Father Priora Concilia nunquam a posterioribus emendari That former Councils are sometimes corrected by the later is not possibly applicable to decisions in points of Faith as if something amiss in such Decrees might be amended for then the Saint must needs contradict himself in his well-known assertions And therefore is to be understood either of further explications of such points and then 't is sound and Catholick Doctrine or Customes and Rights appertaining to Church-Discipline which are alterable by the Authority of Councils for the better as present circumstances shall require And doubtless many opposite Canons of Lawful Councils may be found in such matters and makes nothing against the Doctrine of the Church concerning her Infallibility But in matters
the Joh. 1. 29. 34. Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the World I bear record that this is the Son of God Secondly The Testimony of his Divine works and stupendious miracles in these words I have a greater Joh. 5. 36. witness than that of John for the works which the Father hath sent me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me Thirdly The Testimony of God the Father in the Verse following And the Father v. 37. himself who hath sent me hath born witness of me And that by an audible voice from Heaven at his Baptism in these words This is my beloved Mat. 3. 17. Son in whom I am well pleased As also at his Transfiguration where the same words were spoken with this addition Hear ye Him Which Mat 17. 5. first voice if none of the Jews there present heard as certainly they did not unless in the words following Joh. 5. 37. Neither have ye heard his voice hearing is to be taken for obeying yet to them the Testimony was Authentick who seeing his most Holy Life and many Miracles to attest his Mission could not rationally think he would deceive them with a Lye Now more they could not desire when the force of these invincible arguments or nothing could dint and mollify their rocky hearts to receive the impression of saving Faith However our Blessed Saviour to give them all possible satisfaction makes use of a fourth Topick from the Holy Scriptures ver 39. which he bids them search For in them saith he ye think ye have eternal Life and they are they which testify of me Which Paraphras'd is thus much If ye will not receive the three former Testimonies which are most proper and efficacious to work Faith in your hearts but shut your eyes against Light sufficient to turn the darkness of Sodom and Gomorrah into day yet the Scriptures which ye receive and acknowledge bear such witness of me that if ye did search into them with humble hearts ye could not but be convinc'd of the Truth I preach unto you In them indeed ye think ye have eternal Life but while malice and pride thus blind your eyes ye deceive your selves and make them a killing Letter to your Souls Now let who will apply it the Argument runs thus Our Blessed Saviour having made use of the most powerful means to convince the Jews of their Infidelity and they yet persisting in their Blasphemies at last for their greater confusion made use of an argument from Scripture which they received Therefore Scripture is the sole Judge of Controversies about Religion How this follows I understand not when our Blessed Saviour in the present contest sends them not only to the written Word but uses it as the last and perhaps least evidence of his Divinity and Mission It clearly makes indeed for us Catholicks who as our Blessed Saviour brought St. Johns Testimony against his Advetsaries so do we likewise against the Protestants produce the Ancient Fathers Martyrs and Confessors of all Ages to witness for us in the present Controversies as also the voice of God from Heaven by many Miracles speaking in defence of the Truths which we profess They in this like to obdurate Jews despise these unanswerable evidences which are Motives sufficient to work on Infidels and will admit no Rule nor Judge but the Holy Scriptures to decide the quarrel Thinking as the Jews did to have Eternal Life in them but with that incredulous people likewise deceive themselves do observe the Light of Divine Truth by drawing as it were a vail of private and perverse Interpretations over their Eyes to their eternal Perdition I add moreover that had our Blessed Saviour only appealed to the Prophesies of the Old Testament concerning himself as sufficient to convince the Jews that he was the true Messias so that nothing else was necessary or requisite for the cleaâ—ing of that point yet I see not how this conclusion will follow therefore all necessary points of Faith are so fully and plainly deliver'd to writing in the New Testament under the Law of Grace that there 's no other Rule nor Judge to know and determine how many and what they are when controverted among Christians Yet this must follow or this Text doth them no good for the end they use it as most certainly it does not Which answer likewise takes away all strength from that place in the Asts of the Apostles where the Bereans are commended for searching the Scriptures whether those things were so as St. Paul taught and they believed before they consulted the written Word upon the Authority of their Teacher confirming his Doctrine to be the Word of God by frequent Miracles Upon inquiry indeed it could not but be much satisfaction to them to find so much of the Light of the Gospels involv'd in the Shadows of the Law and the Predictions of the Prophets to be so exactly fulfill'd in the person of Christ and about these it was that St. Paul disputed out of Scripture and for which they search'd after their believing and and so comes not home to the question For that the whole Law of Christ or all Catholick Doctrines necessary to Salvation are plainly contain'd and may satisfactorily be prov'd from Moses and the Prophets I presume our Adversaries will not maintain and so their Argument from hence is at an end To that in the 20th of St. John I answer that the true sense and meaning of those words is this That St. John testifies to the World he hath written a Book of the Life and Death of our Blessed Saviour when the Miracles wrought by him and therein deliver'd did sufficiently evidence him to be the Son of God and the true Messias according to his Doctrine without belief in whose Name they could not be saved And not that all necessary points of Faith were so deliver'd in this Gospel as to be intended by him for a compleat Rule of Belief and Judge of all Controversies in Fundamentalls to the Christian World Neither can any rational man except blinded with Passion or bribed with Interest but perceive this latter Exposition to be forced and the other natural To believe in Christ as the Son of God and Saviour of the World is a fundamental of fundamentals without which Salvation is not to be had But to believe this only is not sufficient nor can be the scope of this Text when 't is certain many necessary points of Christian belief are not contain'd in this Evangelist Who as 't is usual with other Sacred Pen-men of Gods Word ascribes the vertue of that effect to some principal or special causes though but partial which proceeds also from other by a necessary concatenation or connexion to make up the whole and adequate cause of such a product We are said in Scripture to be saved by Hope Rom. 8 24 is it therefore of it self sufficient for
Ecclesia vera neminem latere potest S. Aug de vnit Eccl. cap. 14. our and his Apostles 't is to continue by a non-interrupted visible succession of Pastors and People to the Worlds end Which is no less express in Scripture than the former Take it from the mouth of an Angel And of his Kingdom there shall Luke 1. 18 be no end Or if that be not sufficient from the Sacred Lips of Truth Mat. 16. 18. it self Vpon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it What but for a time No not so But behold Mat. 28. 20. I am with you always even to the Worlds end This universality is as essential to make the Church Catholick as the former and hereby 't is not only distinguish'd from the Jewish Worship which being Ceremonial and Typical was but to continue for a time and to vanish when the Sun of Righteousness appeared But also from all Shismatical and Heretical Communions of false Christians who separating themselves from this Catholick Church thus founded to continue for ever do erect new Congregations distinct from it Which new-born Communions whatever were their pretences to separate from the old though professing the name of Christ Catholicks did never account any more true Members of Christs Mystical Body or part of the Universal Church as now Protestants pretend to be since their separation then either Jews or Heathens who never acknowledged Christ to their Saviour Witness St. Irenaeus We must obey I. 4 contr Haer. ca. 13 those Priests that are in the Church those that have a succession from the Apostles c. And all the rest who have departed from the original succession where ever they be assembled are to be look'd upon as Hereticks or Schismaticks and all these fall from the Truth Witness St. Austin whom some Epist 48. contr Dom. call the Tongue of the Church and certainly he speaks her Doctrine when he tells the Donatists You are with us in Baptism in the Creed and in the other Sacraments of our Lord but in the Spirit of Vnity and finally in the Catholick Church you are not with us And therefore he says confidently with us elsewhere Let him adore Idols saith the Devil he 's mine let him remain in the superstition of the Jews he 's mine let him quit Vnity and pass over to This or That or any Heresie he 's mine And no wonder seeing that corruptio optimi est pessima Nothing is so bad as the greatest good corrupted For though extensive Judaism and Paganism involve a far greater number of damnable errors yet intensive more malignity is often couch'd in Schism and Heresy by reason of their exceeding perverseness and obstinacy being sins against the greater light and means of grace to come to the acknowledgement of truth Now the Protestants finding themselves wholly at a loss in this particular it being impossible for them to shew a visible succession of their Doctrine and Government in Pastors and People from Christ and his Apostles to this present Age which is a sufficient evidence they neither are the true Church nor any part of it they will by no means allow the word Catholick in the Creed to be understood of a un-interrupted visible succession of Christian Belief and Worship in external Communion as Antiquity interprets it but referring it to Doctrine S. Aug. Ep. 48. only will needs have it sufficient to be true Members of the Catholick Church to profess the name of Christ and believe some Articles always taught and acknowledged though of a distinct Communion wholly and in many points of a different belief from the perpetually visible Church And think they have done enough to prove their Church Universal in respect of time because the Church of Rome from whom they separated did never fail nor cease to be a true Church though as these men pretend much corrupted Which to my apprehension is as much as to say that they who are of different Faiths in a different Communion are notwithstanding of the same Faith in the same Communion and parts separated from the Body yet actually continue Members of it And that a Commonwealth of ten years old may justly maintain themselves to be of a thousand years standing because Monarchy which they cast out to set up their new Common-wealth was of such continuance by a visible succession and agrees with them in some common Principles of Reason and Government Who can resolve these riddles Are not these pretty props to uphold the new Protestant Church to be of the Ancient Catholick Faith Strange Can men of Reason satisfy their Consciences in what concerns eternal Salvation What is the Catholick Church but a Congregation of Believers united in Faith and Worship And yet to hem these men in Jerusalem must not be as a City at unity with it self but a body composed of Antipathies and Contradictions Let them speak ingenuously will not this way of arguing make Arrians and Donatists or any old condemned Hereticks to be Members of the Catholick Church as well as Protestants The Arrians did deny but one point of Catholick belief and were cast out And shall the Protestants who deny many be kept in and reputed Members Shall that absolve the Protestants which condemns the Arrians For 't is not denying this or that but any point of the Catholick Faith with pertinacy whatever it be though Heresies may be more or less malignant and dangerous that casts us out of the true Church and makes us cease to be actual Members of it Besides can they as a Protestant Communion have a perpetual visible succession from the Apostles and yet begin to appear first in the World in the days of King Henry the viii 100 years since and somewhat more Is it any thing to their purpose to produce a visible Congregation of Believers in a never-interrupted succession of the same Faith with them in sueh point wherein they agree with the Catholick Church when such points are not those which constitute them a Protestant Church but those wherein they differ from us If they will with any shew of reason defend their Protestant Faith as such to have universality of time from the Apostles they must produce a visible Body of Christians in Church-Communion professing those points wherein they differ from the Roman Church and for which they separated from her and condemning those points and practices in her which they now do Otherwise to talk of a perpetual succession of the Protestant Religion in a Communion from the Apostles to their present Pastors is no better then a sick mans dream or any airy Vtopia without any real beeing or existence Now the Puritan-Protestants and many other Sects either not well considering the grounds why the most Learned of the Reformation defend the Church of Rome to be a true Church and perpetually visible or else plainly seeing the impossibility of rationally maintaining their deductions thereon depending
Hereticks have endeavoured by all means possible to introduce thereby to defile the Virgin-purity of Christ's Spouse contending so earnestly for the Faith once deliver'd to the Saints that in this Holy quarrel she was ever very liberal of her dearest blood willing rather to undergo the greatest tortures then it should suffer in the least manner Yea so vigilant and eagle-ey'd hath she been hitherto in the discharge of this important duty that no Authority Learning or Sanctity of any person whatsoever could introduce the least innovotion in Religion without vigorous opposition and condemnation As is evident in Origen and Tertullian those wonders of their times to name no more being a thing so obvious in Church History See Vincentius Lyrin ca. 23 24. Moreover all points of Christian belief being taught and establish'd in the Church by Christ and his Apostles and as such conveyed down to us ever since that time by Universal Tradition and for the most part most visible practice as the Sacrifice of the Mass Prayer for the Dead Invocation of Saints c. 'T is altogether impossible the Church should fall into such damnable errors as are imputed to her by our Adversaries except so many millions of Christians of different Nations and Languages scatter'd over the face of the whole earth should to no purpose in some Age conspire together to teach the World a palpable lye in direct opposition to what they had received and in matters whereon depend no less then the eternal Salvation of themselves and Posterity a thing inconceivable to humane reason But impossibilities clouded in plausible terms shall be asserted for truths before some men will confess themselves Schismaticks in separating from the Roman Church and Infallibility must err before they be condemn'd as erroneus who yet confess themselves Fallible But let us suppose though it be not true that the Church was lyable to errors in matters of Faith can these men who accuse her to be erroneous assure us that they err not in the accusation For being by their own confessions Fallible that is not certain whether what they affirm be true or no unless they can evidence that those are errors indeed which they lay to the Churches charge no man can rationally believe them seeing the publick judgment and attestation of the Church to the contrary is incomparably of far greater Authority and will overpoise whatever amounts to less then demonstration And in all Justice the right ought to be thought on the Governouts side ' til the revolters from them by producing causes sufficient to justify the withdrawing of their obedience make the contrary undeniably clear to every eye They are the accusing Party the Church defends her right without a definitive Sentence can be no decision What Judge will they therefore stand to in this Controversy We know they ought to submit to the judgment and determination of the present Church her voice being as it were the voice of God in declaring what is of Faith or not and cannot but wonder that they will not also acknowledge it when our Blessed Saviour says plainly of Luke 10. 16. Church Governours He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and who despiseth me despiseth him that sent me And 1 Thess 4. 8. St. Paul He that despiseth these things despiseth not man but God who hath also given to us of his Holy Spirit But because by her they already are convicted and condemned and therefore refuse to stand to her determination as Hereticks and Schismaticks have done in all Ages will they refer it to Antiquity and let the Ancient Fathers give the Sentence This they cannot rationally refuse neither in word to make a flourish do some of the most Learned of the Protestants but only pretend to reform the present Church that they may conform to Antiquity and undertake to rectify the Church of Rome in points wherein she hath forsaken her primitive purity But they are at great variance and in disorder amongst one another in that they cannot agree when Religion began to be adulterated and when these errors crept into the Church For being no less then damnable errors as they pretend in things practical and daily in use by so great a Body and therefore notoriously visible and speaking aloud their original seeing they can assign no certain time a task impossible as we have before shewn when first they were brought into the Church 't is an undeniable argument that they are not innovations but of Apostolical practice and institution According to that famous Rule of St. Austin Quod ubique ab Ecclesia Catholica observatum est c. Whatever the Catholick Church observes in all places if we find it to have been instituted by no General ouncil we must believe it to have come from the Apostles themselves to us by Tradition Some of them allow the Spouse of Christ to continue in her Virgin purity for the first five or six hundred years 'till the time of Gregory the great that glorious Saint and Pope so affectionate to our Countrey and justly called our Apostle Others think this confession too liberal and will have the Mystery of Iniquity to begin sooner which is true if understood of Apostates from the Church not of the Church Apostatizing and so with them this defection from the Faith by the mixture of Antichristian Doctrines and practices must invade the Church immediately upon the first 300 years after Christ or thereabouts some maintaining this others that Pope to be the Antichrist every one fancying a time which they conceited most advantageous for their purpose For after tryal finding that the Fathers of the first 600 years could not be admitted Judges in the Controversy without a manifest condemnation of themselves they warily retreated within the first 300 years of Christ which being times of hot and bloody persecution more or less and little then written by the Fathers of the Church they thought nothing considerable could be produced against them within those Ages for their condemnation in the present Controversies not then started or what was upon record might easily some way or other be evaded So that they will have the light of their new Gospel to be tryed only by dark times as to the decision of the present points like Litigants who will admit only of such Witnesses who can say little or nothing to the cause in hand and by all means will have those debarr'd to speak who can give sufficient evidence against them For no rational cause possibly can be given why they should assign 6 or 5 or 300 years after Christ for the beginning of the Apostacy from the Faith as if Christ should just then forget his promise of pâ—rpâ—tual assistance and guidance of his Church into all Truth or else not be able to perform it more then any other time but only they were resolv'd whâ—â— they found those Doctrines and practices to be evidently asserted by the ancient Fathers which they
of Divine Authority And how in after Ages to this present the Truth of Christian Belief was attested to all men by signs from Heaven more or less wrought in the Catholick Church by her Professors is manifest by the undoubted Records and Histories of the whole Christian World Yea our Adversaries themselves who are Magdebu Centuria no friends to Miracles have distinctly set down and asserted manifold wonders wrought successively in the Church for 1300 Ages after Christ and why they should not as well believe the Miracles of the 14th Century and upwards wrought in the same Church related by as credible Authors as the former with as much evidence of certainty no man can imagine but that they were resolved Miracles should cease before their Church had a Beeing in the World lest they should justly be thought to introduce a false Religien having not the voice of Divine Miracles to attest it Wonderful The frequent use of Miracles was afforded to the the first Promulgators of the Gospel to give give it rooting and afterwards for increase and no sooner comes their Religion up but down goes Miracles to gain credit to It. As the Fathers must loose their Authority and begin to be erroneous when they manifestly assert what condemns their Doctrine So Miracles also must be put to silence and witness no longer to the Truth because they will not speak for their Religion And indeed themselves being wholly destitute of Miracles to confirm their new Faith and confessing they had been so long continued in the Roman Catholick Church they were necessitated if they would be obstinate in their way though against all evidence of Authority to deny any such to be now wrought in her least thereby they should confess that she only is the true Church of Christ But that the strength of this Motive may the better appear I shall in the further prosecution of it first declare wherein consists the nature of true Miracles Secondly I shall set down the causes why God is pleas'd to work such signs and wonders in and by his Church And thirdly I shall cull out among infinite some special Miracles which relate to our present Controversies being no less then so many Seals from Heaven stamp'd upon them in Divine Characters as visible evidences of Truth on the Catholicks side And those who assert the contrary do as it were deny God's attestation who can neither deceive nor be deceived SECT III. Wherein the nature of true Miracles consists is declared A True Miracle is an effect beside the ordinary course of the whole Creation and so above the Power of any Created entity visible or invisible Man or Angel Deus solus qui sacit mirabilia magna 't is God alone who worketh such wonders being the products of no less then Omnipotency it self For the order of the Universe in the concatenation of Causes and Effects being set a going by the Infinite Wisdom and Goodness of our great Creator the first mover not by necessity of nature but as a most free Agent according to the good pleasure of his will when it seems good unto him he can act besides this appointed course of nature either by producing the effects of secondary causes without their concurrence as by restoring sick and maimed persons to their perfect health and soundness in a moment by a word or as we read in the Acts Acts 3. 7. ca. 4. 30. ca. 5. 3. ca. 19 11 12 c. of the Apostles by Aprons and Handkerchiefs and such like things which having first touch'd the Bodies of his Saints are applyed to the parties ill-affected for their recovery Yea Act. 5. 15 16. the very shadow of St. Peter did cure many sick and infirm persons who were expos'd in the Streets lying in their Beds as he pass'd by Or else by restraining and curbing in the innate vertue of secondary causes from producing such effects to which by nature they are determin'd necessarily in the present circumstances as when the furious flames did not consume the three Dan. 3. 22 c. Children in the fiery furnace yea not so much as the smell of fire took hold on their Garments And as when the Sun was darkn'd at our Blessed Saviours passion the Moon being in opposition to it in its natural course Or else by producing some effects beyond the activity of created Agents to which second causes though strain'd to the utmost with their united forces cannot extend themselves as causing two bodies at the same time to be in the same place as when our Blessed Saviour came into his Disciples through the doors shut or raising the dead to life again as Lazarus was by our Blessed Saviour Notwithstanding our Souls being clouded with ignorance so that we apprehend not the utmost energetical vertue of created causes many things which are effected by a power secret and unknown to us are accounted by us though falsly truely Miraculous which indeed are either but Phantaâ—mes and meer deceptions Vide S. Tho. 22 ae q. 178. a. 2 in corp that is things not really done but only seem so Or if really produced and not in appearance only they are done by the application of natural causes though indiscernable to dim-eyed reason Vera mira truly wonderful to us because effected by a secret vertue But not Vere Miracula not true Miracles in their nature created causes producing them in the hand of quick-sighted strenuous and nimble Agents Of which sort are all those wonderful things which Magicians and Witches bring to pass by the Power and assistance of the Devil Such as the Aegyptian Magi wrought to harden Pharaoh's heart that he might not think Moses was sent from God or did by a Divine Power work true 2 Thess 2. 9 c. Miracles to confirm his Mission And Antichrist will come in great Power and signs and lying wonders according to the operation of Satan not true Miracles the only and peculiar work of Omnipotency Antichristi De Civ Dei l. 20. c. 19. opera possunt dici esse signa mendacii c. The works of Antichrist says St. Austin may be câ—ll'd lying wonders either because he shall deceive mens senses by Phantasms seeming to do what indeed he does not or if they be true Prodigies yet they shall draw men to believe a lye For they shall give credit to that man of sin as if he brought them to pass by a Divine Joh. 14 12. Power though only are effected by natural causes unknown to them Now though all things are alike easie to Omnipotency and so no Miracle properly greater then another 1 p q. cv a. 8. corp as having eye to the Power producing such effects Yet as more or less exceeding the faculty of created causes and looking that way they are truely said to be more or less Miraculous according to that of our Blessed Saviour Who believes in me the works that I do he shall do also and greater than
what they are taught and what they profess be eye-witnesses of the Angelical Lives of thousands of Holy persons to their admiration and confusion also if they will not be moved to repentance by such examples And methinks the most understanding Protestatents who acknowledge for glorious Saints many who live and die in the Roman Arms when a Protestant Saint was never heard of and notwithstanding will not tread in their Holy Steps do sufficiently condemn their own practice and in effect say We know the way to Heaven but will not take it SECT III. A further prosecution of this Motive from the new Doctrines and profane Practices of Heretical Communions NO man can be ignorant that the Religion of Protestants doth disclaim against the practice of this super-eminent Sanctity and condemns it in Catholicks as meer Superstition and Will-worship Forgetting or not regarding that 't was first councel'd by our Blessed Saviour Preach'd unto the World by his Apostles and practis'd in all Ages of the Church Indeed for Protestants to have commended it and yet not to follow it was too gross an absurdity to gull the World withall and would have given too palpable a lye to the godly name of Reformation They were resolv'd therefore to enlarge the narrow way to Heaven thus straitned for more security in a business of highest concern by abolishing the glory of Christianity under the pretence of Christian liberty And they easily perswaded themselves that a sense-pleasing Religion back'd by the Secular Power as it was in England by King Henry in its first Introduction and advanced by Temporal Interest in impoverishing the Church to enrich greedy Courtiers would over-ballance in Carnal minds the strict Austerities of Catholick Purity Or to make the best construction of this strange piece of Reformation on the Clergy's part who had a hand in the business when they saw nothing would quench the Avarice of the sensual King but the Revenues devoted for ever to the maintenance of extraordinary Devotion they thought it policy not to withstand his will but to flatter him by palliating the matter with specious colours Especially when they considered that the Rich Bishopricks and Cathedral Preferments might be the better preserved when this auri sacrae fames in the Great ones who were sharers with his Majesty in these Spoils of the Church could not but be appeased by engrossing to themselves so many Rich and Sumptuous Monasteries and Religious Houses the Glory and Envy of our Nation For I am perswaded the Clergy in this change were not all well pleased in this particular And I remember a remarkable saying of Doctor Jackson a Protestant of no mean note sadly complaining in these words or to this effect If three persons in the Sacred Trinity had been as great an eye-soar to us as three Monasteries in every Shire we should have been as well reformed Atheists as reformed Christians But whatever were the Motives of several Interests in erecting a Religion founded on State-policy this is most certain that the Substantial practice of eminent Sanctity was banish'd out of England at the same time with the Catholick Faith Neither was the birth of the Protestant Church in England the death only of super-eminent Holiness but its malevolent influence did cool the fire of true Devotion in all sorts of Christians who gave it any entertainment For no sooner had this tree of Reformation took rooting in our Land but it spread it self into arms and boughs on every side plentifully yielding the bitter Fruits of Dissoluteness Uncharitableness Oppression Envyings Back-bitings Strifes Ignorance of necessary Truths Curiosity in knowledge vain and frothy disputes staggrings in Faith Spiritual Pride contempt of Ecclesiastical Authority Irreligion Profaneness Sacriledge Abuse of Holy things casting off the Sacraments Blasphemies Atheism and in short whatsoever is contrary to true Godliness and Evangelical Precepts of Jesus Christ So bad a tree could not bring forth better Fruits wheresoever once it took sure rooting so notorious and visible to the World that the Arch-reformers themselves could not but confess it and to their shame and conviction have left it upon record to Posterity 'T is fit Luther the first Founder of this new Faith should have the precedency in delivering his Verdict Give him Audience while he tells us that Mundus ex hac Doctrina c. The World by this Doctrine Conâ— 2. Daw. 1. Adventus daily becomes worse Now seven devils are entred into every one who formerly were only possess'd with one Whole troops of Devils now get into mens hearts that in this so glorious light of the Gospel they are more covetous more crafty more unjust more inhumane more stubborn then formerly they were in Popery And observe it that he confesses those evils did proceed from his new Doctrine not occasionally but as the natural fruit of it And if ever he spoke Truth after his Apostacy here we have 't For they that consider what an innundation of evils broke in upon a great part of the Christian World upon his breaking from the Catholick Church and Preaching a new Gospel first in Germany may very well think that now Apoc. 20. 1 2. was the time come For unchaining Satan and Hell was broke loose to torment us mortals here on earth Witness Calvin In exiguo illorum numero c. Amongst the small number of them who have forsaken Popish In c. 11. Dani. v. 34 Idolatry the greatest part of them are full of Perfidiousness and Treacheries They outwardly profess a notable Zeal but if examined inwardly you will find them abounding in deceits Neither indeed could a false Faith bring forth any other but a counterfeit Holiness For these are those Hypocrites whom our Blessed Saviour speaks of That are ravenous Wolves Mat. 7. in Sheaps cloathing that cleanse Mat. 23. 25. the outside of the cup and platter leaving the inside full of rapine and uncleanness Or Like whited Sepulchers ver 27. which appear beautiful to men but within are stuff'd with dead mens bones and putrefaction These are those Reprobates concerning the Faith fore-told by the Apostle Having 2 Tim. 3. 5 c. a form of godliness denying the Power thereof Those Saints of the highest elevation in their own conceits whom St. Jude calls Clouds ver 12. without water darkening only the splendor of the Gospel not making it fruitful in good works by any refreshing influences of real Piety Which the same Calvin discern'd so clearly through these clouds that Comm. in 2. Pet. 2. 1. he confesses Vix eorum decimus c. Hardly the tythe of those who gave their name to the Gospel that is who left the Church of Rome to be of their Religion did it for any other end then to wallow in wantonness more freely without restraint Andreas Musculus affords us likewise as ample a testimony extracted from him by evidence of Truth against his will Quod si veritatem L. de noviss die c.