so ordered by the will of God that they minister store of matter vnto Heretickes when I read in Scripture oportet haereses esse there must be heresies which cannot be without Scriptures And this is my former Author his iudgment of the Scriptures wrested and peruerted by seuerall Heretickes in his dayes for maintenance of their seuerall heresies Which being so here is neither certainty nor generality nor facility nor perspicuity nor infallibility in this way of the Scripture barely and nakedly proposed of it selfe alone neither can it euer be inferred by any seeming probable conclusion that the Scripture alone is this infallible way which we do further illustrate by this familiar example obuious vnto euery mans capacity 56. If some rude and vnlearned countreymen repayring vp to the Metropolitan Citty of the kingdome to prosecute some suites in law touching a Farme or house or matter of lesse moment yt these men I say after conference had with their learned counsaile should receaue no other answere nor comfort nor direction of them for further managing of their suites but be remitted by them vnto the body of the law it selfe without any Iudge or Counsailour they being of themselues not able either to read or vnderstand the law much lesse to apply it to their proper cases and peculiar suites would not euery reasonable and conscionable man condemne these lawyers And had not the poore Coūtreymen themselues being vndone by this meanes in their worldly estates iust cause to complayne and cry out against the falsehood and treachery of their Coūsailours And yet behold here in a suit of of suits and matter of greatest moment and importance in the world not in a title or triall of a Farme or house but concerning our interest and right of inheritance vnto the heauenly mansion we are this way worse then thus since the matter is of far greater importance abused deluded betrayed we are promiscuously sent learned vnlearned men women yong old to the body of the Scripture mysticall volume of God his sacred and seauen-fold-sealed book as S. Iohn speakes of the Reuelation Apocal. 5. 1. we must seeke search confer cōpare expound interprete euery man must there be a chooser euery woman an expositor and euery creature must be his owne caruer all must presume of the spirit that they cannot erre all presume to be taught immediatly from God without the ministery of the Church Sola Scripturarum arsest saith S. Hierome against Heretiks of his time quam omnes sibi vēdicant hanc garrula anus hanc delirus senex hāc sophista verbosus hanc vniuersi praesumunt lacerant docent antequam discunt c. Only the art of Scripture is it which euery one challengeth to himselfe this the prating ould wife this the doting old man this the babling Sophist this all of them togeather presume to know and teach and teare in peeces before they learne it So he And this is all the way and ground prescription direction rule and line that our hereticall Sectaries can affoard vs for the guiding of our soules and the grounding of our faith Will any man therefore hereafter that hath but the least care or that can intertaine but one thought either of the present of future wellfarre of his soule rely vpon such false guides blind teachers since this ground of Scripture alone sensed by a priuate spirit was is euer shal be the cōmon ground nay rather desperate shift and refuge of all condemned heresies and hereticks and that purposely that they may auoyd the censure and tribunall of the Church 57. There followeth then the way indeed appointed by God reuealed by the holy-Ghost designed by Christ and proposed by the Catholicks and Catholicke Church and this is the sure easy euident generall and infallible waie indeed which is the vniuersall knowne Catholicke Church in euery age which is perspicuous and notorious easy to be found for that it cannot be hidden it is compared by holy Scripture to a Citty placed vpon a hill as S. Augustine in diuers prolixe Treatises of his doth euidently demonstrate it is a light vpon a candlestick it lighteneth all through the Egiptian darkenes of this worlds schisme and heresy and leades their soules into the way of truth it is that pillar of fire that leadeth all Gods chosen people through the vast and roaring wildernes yea and all the nightes darkenes of this world vnto the promised land of Canaan I meane the heauēly Hierusalem it is generally also figured by the dew that fell vpon the floore as well as vpō the fleece when Gedeon required the miracle to be doubled which was a mysticall representation of the Iewish Synagogue and Christian Congregation implying also that the dew of Gods truth and sauing grace should at last passe from the fleece of the Iewes to the floore of the Gentils and all to teach vs that this Catholick Christian Church should extend to all serue for all learned vnlearned yong ould high low great small for that all sortes sexes ages and conditiōs of people may repaire vnto her receiue her doctrine admit her instructions and directions by the continuall successions of her Bishops Pastors and teachers of euery age And finally this way is a most sure certaine and infallible rule for that Christ hath expresly assured and promised vs that he will be continually with this Church vnto the worlds end that he would send the holy Ghost to instruct direct and induce this Church in omnem veritatem into all truth suggerit vobis omnia quae dixere vobis and it shall suggest vnto you all that I will from heauen speake or notify vnto you It was Christ his promise vnto his Apostles in their persons vnto his Church for euer And lastly the gates of hell which are the gates of errour and heresies shall neuer preuaile against this Church 58. This then to exclude all by-pathes and blind waies of Heretickes is the way indeed this is that rule of faith as Tertullian speaketh instituted by Christ and it is such a rule and so certaine that Nullas habet apud nos quaestiones nisi quaes haereses inserunt quae haereticos saciunt no questions are so much as moued with vs concerning this rule but such as heresies cause and which very questions moued concerning the Church do cause and breed hereticks 59. This Church being once published by our Sauiour and the promises he had made vnto her being once diuulged what followed but that all men presently that had any care of the saluation of their soules flocked vnto her began to lay handfast and houldfast on this way and to haue recourse in all doubts and controuersies vnto the common knowne Catholicke Church of their age for explication and finall decision therof So shall you read Act. 15 6. that the Apostles immediatly after the Ascention of our Sauiour assembled the Church togeather for the detiding of that
great doubt that then arose in the Church to wit whether the obseruation of the ould law of Moyses should be ioyned necessary with the new law of Christ and because they would leaue a patterne for all succeeding ages to follow they determined the matter and thēselues I meane the Apostles and Prelates of that first age decided the doubt by those high wordes of authority taken from the foresaid commission of our Sauiour Visum est spiritui Sāto Nobis it seemeth good vnto the holy Ghost and vs for the Church and the true spirit of the holy Ghost go inseparably togeather in regard of Christ his promise made vnto the Church so that the holy Ghost euer keepeth his residence in her guideth her gouerneth her directeth her and sitteth as President in all her consultations and assēblyes and therefore this vmpiring and determining forme of speach hath euer since beene vsed in the lawfull succession of the said visible Church vntill our daies will be frequented still especially in generall Councels euen vnto the worlds end to put a firme period and full conclusion vnto all controuersies that come in question And the reason is for that the same authority and assistance of the holy Ghost which that first Church had for directing of mens soules vnto their saluation the very self same and none other hath the visible Catholicke Church of our age and hath had in all ages and shall haue in all to come Verum enim non variat It is an ancient prescription and no more ancient then true Gods giftes and graces conferred vpon his Church are without repētance the holy Ghost is euer one and the selfe same spirit of truth in Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs and other succeding Pastours and Doctors and Christ his promise was not for one age only he shed not his pretious bloud for those of his age alone but for all all were alike neere vnto him all were alike deare vnto him he tooke our nature in generall to saue mankind in generall and therfore the care he had for one age of the Church the same he had for all succeeding ages of the same as well for the last as for the first and this care of his continueth so long as the sunne and the moone endureth 60. This remittance then and reference vnto the Authority of the Church originally proceeded from the Apostles themselues was continually perpetuated by all succeeding ages of the Catholicke Church and therfore as S. Paul in a controuersy of lesser importance writing to the Corinthians about women being veyled in the Church saith to shut vp the dore to all further cōtention that If any man will seeme to be contentious we haue no such custome nor yet the Church of God repressing the contentious man as you see with the Authority and Custome of the Church so did all subsequent Fathers of the orthodox Church whether it were in the priuat writings or in the worlds grand Parlament in Generall Councells in all their conflicts with Hereticks they euer vsed to repell and represse them by one and the selfe same meanes and that was with the authority of the knowne Catholicke Church And looke what sentence they pronounced against thē for their contumacy see what censure they inflicted vpon them for their heresy it remayned good against them and irreuocable it was ratyfied as the law of the Medes and Persians which could not be altered their authority was grounded immediatly vpon those wordes of Verity VVhat soeuer you bynd on earth shall be bound in heauen and the Tribunall of heauen confirmed the authority of the Church vpon earth nay standeth expecting what is done by it vpon earth such is the mysticall dependency betwixt the one and the other such is the mutuall correspondency betwixt the head and his members Christ and his Church Dare then any man hereafter oppose his priuate spirit against the authority of this Church Or will he impudently presume to preferre his owne conceipt and opinion before her publicke tradition 61. Ancient S. Irenaeus who was in manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostolorum for he liued in the very next age after them writing against the heresies of his dayes and hauing first declared how the primitiue Church was visibly planted by Christ and his Apostles and how it was continued to his time doth then pourtraict out vnto vs discourse at large of the authority sufficiency treasury tradition and absolute perfection of this Church for the repelling of all heresy and deliuering of all truth his wordes are these Tantae igitur ostensiones cùm haec sint c. Wheras these thinges which I haue said are so great demonstrations of the truth we must not yet seeke the truth from others which is easely taken from the Church wheras the Apostles did most fully lay vp in her all thinges belonging to the truth as in a certaine rich treasure-house so as euery man that will may take from thence the liquor or sustenance of life for that is the intrance vnto life euerlasting to belieue the Church all others that flie this way are theeues and murtherers and therfore we must auoid them that are such but with great diligence we must affect those things that are of the Church and from her take the tradition of truth And truly if our contention were but about some small question in Religion yet ought not we to haue recourse vnto the most ancient Churches wherin the Apostles had once bene conuersant and so take from them that which is certaine and cleere for deciding of the question And what if the Apostles had left vnto vs no Scriptures at all had it not bene needfull notwithstanding to follow the order of tradition which they haue left vnto vs to whome they to wit the Apostles had committed those Churches 62. Thus farre S. Irenaeus which I haue of purpose chosen to cite more at large for that it is sufficient alone to disclose his iudgement and the Iudgment of that first age next after the Apostles how farre the authority of the visible vniuersall Church then stretched and was esteemed for especially for clearing soluing and deciding of all doubtes that possibly could arise in religion And the reason there rendred by the same Father is this She is the store-house wherein Christs merits and the Churches treasure is laid vp She is the way of life whereby we may come to eternall life and escape euerlasting death that all are theeues yea murtherers of soules that doe impugne her or seeke other wayes of tryall then her and her tradition from hand to hand That this tradition is sufficient though there were no Scripture That from her and her alone the truth is to be taken and not els where That by her and her authority alone all doubts and questions are to be so ued and decided Can any thing be spoken more effectuall then this Or is there any more playne easy euident
Psalme did forsee this abominable and detestable voyce of some that should say that the Catholicke visible Church had perished and fallen into Apostacy a speach full of presumption and falshood susteyned with no truth inlightened with no wisdome seasoned with no salt a vaine temerarious headlong pernicious speach So S. Augustine And then further some few lines after the same Father bringeth in the said visible Church of his age to expostulate with those furious and franticke Donatists in this manner Quid est quod nescio qui recedentes à me murmurant contra me quid est quòd perditi c. What is the cause I know not why certaine people that go forth of me doe murmure against me What is the cause why certaine lost fellowes do contend and say that I am perished For this is their saying that I was the true Church but am not now c. The Scriptures say they haue bene fulfilled for that all nations haue belieued but the Church hath Apostated and perished throughout the world c. VVhen we vrge the promise of Christ Behold I am with you vnto the consummation of the world here they say that Christ promised to be with the Church vntill the end of the world for that he did foresee that they the factiō of Donatus should arise and continue the true Church vpon earth So. S. Augustine of and to the Donatists And surely nothing can occurre and be represented vnto our vnderstanding more conforme and answerable vnto the sense iudgment voyce agreement and speach of the Sectaries of these our times concerning their false imputations and most vniust calumniations against the present Roman Church 17. Now if this graue and holy Father S. Augustine one of the chiefest pillars of the latyn Church in his dayes speaking in the voyce and sense of the said vniuersall Catholicke Church in his age doth so grieuously and dreadfully censure this speach and blasphemous slander of the Apostacy of the visible Church so triuiall and familiar vnto Protestants now adayes as that he calleth it impudent abhominable detestable presumptuous false foolish rash temeratious and pernicious as you haue heard If he condemne euen to the lowermost pit of hell all those that frequent the same calling and accompting them for perditos lost and damned people recedentes ab Ecclesia Apostated from the Church vpon a false surmise of their owne foolish fancy supposing that the Church it selfe hath Apostated or may fall into Apostacy what shall we say of Protestants that do the same and stand in the very same case 18. But here it may be perhaps some man will reply that S. Augustine in the place before cyted sayth not that the visible Church cannot Apostate or perish but that it had not so done and fallen away in his time when the Donatists did falsly impute the same vnto it but that it might erre and fall away from truth in time to come that S. Augustine doth not deny 19. To this I answere that albeit S. Augustine totidem verbis do not say in so many wordes the Church in time to come may not Apostatate yet in pure force of argument and true substance of matter he doth affirme it in that he alledgeth against the Donatists and vrgeth to conuince thē the very promise of our Sauiour made vnto his Disciples and in their persons vnto the Church for euer Ecce ego vobiscum sum vsque in consummationem saeculi Behold I am with you vnto the consummation of the world which promise holdeth for all times in S. Augustine his iudgment euen vntill the worlds generall consummation and therfore the same Father in another place writing vpon another Psalme hauing first shewed how the Church is the Citty builded vpon an hill he further addeth Sedfortè ista Ciuitas quae mundum tenuit vniuersum aliquando euertetur Absit Deus enim fundauit eam in aeternum Si ergo Deus fundauit eam in aeternum quid times ne cadat But happily this Citty that hath possessed the whole world shall in time to come be ouerthrowne God forbid for God hath founded the same for euer as the Psalmist speaketh If therefore God hath founded the same for euer why dost thou feare least this foundation may fall Which very poynt S. Augustine repeateth againe in his first booke de Symbolo and the fifth Chapter to shew his constant and vnuariable resolution in this matter of the Church 20. And here I might alledge Father vpon Father Greeke vpon Latin and produce so many testimonies of the ancient Worthies and ancient Fathers as might suffice to fill a large volume and all of them tending directly to this effect to wit that the visible Church planted by our Sauiour he being the foundation stone and by his Apostles and spread ouer the face of the whole earth shall neuer perish or Apostatate from Christ by any the least damnable errour or heresy vnto the end of the world Christ his second comming vnto iudgement And to proue this they do all of them alleage and bring many pregnant and euident places of Scriptures 21. As for example these two heere vrged by S. Augustine as also that plaine text vttered by way of promise vnto his disciples Matth. 16. by our Sauiour portae inferorum non praeualebunt aduersus eam The gates of hell shall not preuaile against this Church on this place S. Chrysostome dilateth himselfe much as be by occasion treateth vpon the 148. Psalme and in an homily made at that tyme when he was to be expelled from Constantinople he inferred these wordes vpon that place Quòd si non credis verbo rebus ipsis operibus crede if you will not belieue Christs wordes the things themselues here spoken belieue his workes How many Tyrants haue gone about to impugne the Church c. Where are they that went about these things Quomodo impurissime Diabole Ecclesiāte putas posse deijcere How doest thou think thou most impure Diuel that thou canst ouerthrow the Church c. Which demaūd this blessed Father would neuer haue vrged vnto the wicked spirit if the Diuell might haue replyed that in tyme to come he should be able to ouerthrow it by sowing the tares of ignorance errour and heresy in it And now that S. Chrysostome meāt of the externall visible Church it is more then euident by the instāces that he bringeth of the horrible and inhumane persecution raysed and stirred vp by infidels and hereticall Emperours against the same most holy Church 22. And S. Cyprian that ancient and renowned Martyr treating of this argument soundeth forth this Eulogy in praise of the Church Adulterari non potest sponsa Christi incorruptaest pudica est domum vnam nouit vnius cubiculi sanctitatem casto pudore custodit The spouse of Christ cannot be adulterated she is vnspotted she is chast she knoweth one house she keepeth the sanctity of one chamber one bed and that
children and after the said law was written also euery man and woman was not remitted promiscuously hand ouer head to the reading of those bookes but he was sent to take his instruction and institution from the ordinary Superiours Doctors Gouernors of that Church and these were to expound the law vnto him For which direction and tradition we find this warrant and commaunding yea prescribing authority Aske thy Fathers and they will tell thee thy elders and they will declare vnto thee Againe The lipes of the Priest preserue knowledge And yet in a third place I know that Abraham will demaund and teach his sonnes and househould that they walke in my wayes c. 17. And now to come from the law to the Ghospell from Moyses vnto Christ and so to proceed orderly with the history of the Church as God is no changling but euer like himselfe euen so the beginning proceeding establishing of the new Christian faith and Church was not much vnlike if not altogeather resembling the former For first this Church was planted by our Sauiour at Hierusalem and speedily by the industrious ministery of the holy Apostles assisted by the instinct of the holy Ghost spread ouer the face of the earth and yet neyther the Church nor the Apostles the principall pillars of the Church had as at this time any written instruction or methodicall institution deliuered vnto them concerning their teaching preaching or beleeuing except only the articles of the Creed deliuered by tradition in the Church as will appeare in the subsequent Considerations Secondly the institution that they had they receyued it by instruction from our Sauiour his mouth and from the immediate instinct suggestion and inspiration of the holy Ghost who was promised by Christ himselfe who could not lie nor deceaue to assist the Church continually vnto the worldes end and by this institution and inspiration alone they taught and conuerted both Iewes and Gentils instituted Churches establishing lawes and orders of life by word of mouth and tradition only from hand to hand before any thing of the new testament was committed to writing And this was the condition of the Church for some yeares and that in the infancy and purity of Christian Religion as the Protestant must perforce confesse Thirdly when the Wisdome of heauen thought it expedient that somthing should be written the first thing cōmitted vnto writing in the new Testamēt was the Ghospell of S. Matthew and this was collected and digested in that very order as it is now presented to the Church and that some eight yeares after the ascension of our Sauiour then the Ghospell of S. Marke some fiue yeares after that then that of S. Luke written twelue yeares after the former wherin diuers thinges omitted in the other Ghospell of are recorded And last of all was written the Ghospell of S. Iohn conteyning in it many great and important matters which are not found in any of the rest and this was not written of 66. yeares after the first visible Christian Church was planted and established by the comming of the holy Ghost 18. And now as all the rest were written vpon particuler occasions so especially was this famous Ghospell of S. Iohn which is the very key opening the dore vnto the vnderstanding of all the rest and particulerly vpon the occasion of Ebion and Cerinthus their heresy which impugned the Diuinity of the Sonne of God Whereupon I do inferre that for that which concerneth the new Testament the Church was for diuers yeares without any Scriptures at all and for 66. yeares which is the age of a man the points related by S. Iohn more then were vttered in the other Ghospells which are many and most important were receiued and belieued in the Church by tradition onely And now for Conclusion of all I would demaund but one thing of the Protestants that make such shew of appealing vnto Scriptures and the Primitiue Apostolicall Church this was demāded aboue 1400. yeares agoe by S. Irenaus before cyted who liued in the very next age after the Apostles vpon the very like occasion Sineque Apostoli Scripturas reliquissent nobis c. If the Apostles had left vnto vs no Scriptures at all yet ought not we to follow that order of tradition which they left to those to whom they committed their Churches So that holy Bishop and Martyr especially ought we not to follow that order of tradition since the true worship of God and the sauing doctrine of the Ghospell of Christ cōtinued for 2000. yeares in the time of the law and for many other yeares in the dayes of the Ghospell and that in the brest of the Church to be deliuered by tradition only without the help of any word written 19. Wherby we cannot but discerne and must acknowledge that Scriptures or the written word of God were not so absolute necessary for the reuealing of God his will vnto man kind and the continuing of man in that sauing knowledge of him but that his Diuine Maiesty might haue propagated and preserued his doctrine and man in the truth by tradition only of word of mouth without any Scriptures at all if it had so pleased him as he did for many ages and generations togeather both before the first great diluge by water in the dayes of our first Patriarkes vntill Abrabā his time whome he chose for the head of his people as also afterwardes when he directed the same people by like tradition as well in Egipt where they remayned in most cruell bondage for 400. yeares as else where before Moyses wrote his forenamed bookes And the like he might haue done with Christiās to the worlds great generall consummation last inundation by a flood of fire according to S. Irenaeus his sentence if he had listed as hauing instituted a more orderly exact and authorized Church yea and hauing indued it with greater priuiledges according to the perfection of the new law aboue the old then he had done vnto the former of the Iewes Whereupon it must needes follow by force of necessary consequence that the tradition of this Church and pure authority therof both in propounding Scriptures vnto vs and discerning the same which are truly Scriptures and which are not as also for deliuering vnto vs the true sense and meaning therof in their interpretation and exposition is much more to be respected by vs then was that of the Iewes Forasmuch as Christ our Sauiour promised the continuall assistance of his spirit vnto this Church and that in such measure as that it should alone be able to withstand all the infernall power of Sathan and the gates of hell idest the very entrance of all kynd of errour or herely into it whatsoeuer 20. These then that neuer so solemnely and neuer so confidently professe that they for their partes do belieue and follow the Scriptures without due reference or respect to the Church forsomuch as all Sectaries and Heretikcs that
out of the new All these I say are receiued by those of the Roman Religion for Canonicall Scriptures in the sense before defined out of S. Augustine that is to say for holy and diuine bookes written by the finger of Almighty God by the ministery of those who were Pennes of a ready writer and consequently these of the second ranke were of no lesse authority nor infallible verity then those of the first order for that in things immediatly and a like proceeding from God his spirit there can not be lesse or more truth but all are of equall credit and so equally to be receaued honoured esteemed and belieued And thus much for the Catholickes who for a infallible ground and assured direction in this matter follow not any priuate erring spirit but the neuer-deceiuing authority of the Church which Church and spouse of Christ being guided by the spirit of God according to the promise of Christ her bridegrome hath from all ancient time in former ages in her Councells Synodes and Ecclesiasticall Decrees notified declared determined and established the authority of these foresaid bookes of the second rew for infallible and Canonicall that is to say declared them to be such and euer haue bene such to wit of most certaine and infallible truth though sometimes and amongst some men there haue bene doubt thereof And this is the manner of the Church to declare what is Scripture but not to make it 30. But as for the Protestants I find such diuersity and contrariety such opposition and contradiction among them that they seeme vnto me as mē in tangled shall I say nay perplexed and distracted not knowing what to doe or whither to fly or which way to turne them in this great busines of discerning and admitting Scriptures And surely the reason of all this misery ariseth from themselues alone Perditio tua ex te it was spoken of Israells transgression but neuer more truly verified thē of hereticall innouation for that these miserable deceiued and deceiuing soules leauing the high rode of the Churches prescription can neuer possibly attaine vnto any infallible direction one following one thing and another another and that in this maine point of the Scriptures importance Quot capita tot sententia euery man will be a chooser euery one will shew himselfe an Hereticke whence it commeth to passe that Gods word is wretchedly abused blasphemed reiected by some rent and torne in peeces by others and that which on God his part was ordained and prepared for them to be a sauour of life vnto life becommeth by their misusage of it a sauour of death vnto death and to speake all in a word through the fault of their owne peruerse will concurring and God his most righteous iudgment following them hard at the heeles it commeth to passe that that word which was giuen as a pillar of fire to direct and lighten them into all verity is turned into a pillar of smoke so darkening and infatuating their vnderstanding that they rush headlong into all kind of heresie 31. This being well peceiued by his Maiesty of England according to that notable apprehension of his Noble Nature he as it were out of a pious zealous and Religious disposition though wrongly missed by some time-seruing and Statizing Theologue who is somewhat to neere vnto his Royall Person writeth as in part before you haue heard concerning the Scriptures and it is in effect as followeth As for the Scriptures no man doubteth I will belieue them But euen for the Apocrypha I hould them in the same accompt that the Ancients did they are still printed and bound with our Bibles and publikely read in our Churches I reuerence them as writings of holy and good men but since they are not found in the Canon we accompt them to be secundae lectionis or ordinis which is Bellarmines owne distinction and therefore not sufficient wherupon alone to ground any article of faith except it be confirmed by some other place of Canonicall Scripture Thus writeth his Maiesty out of a good meaning no doubt and therefore great pitty it is that so Vertuous and Religious a Hart should erre or conceipt amisse But who shall determine whether these Scriptures here called Apocrypha which are those of the second order before mentioned be Canonicall Scriptures or not Herelyeth the substance of the questiō His Matie heere vpon the suggestion of his Domesticall Ministers of England saith no but the ancient Church of Christendome saith yea as doth also the present and her iudgement being in this case aboue all earthly authority is to strike the stroke betwixt God and man Let the word of my Soueraigne in all otherthings stand as the strong moūtaine that may not be remoued and as the law of the Medes and Persians which could neuer be altered only let not my lord the King be displeased with his seruant and subiect in this if his word may not stand but must of necessity fall to the ground as being countermaunded by the word of God that cannot nor will not be disauthorized by the word of any mortall man 32. It was suggested to his Matie but sinister was the information that Cardinall Bellarmine in his first booke de Verbo Dei cap. 4. held the former distinction of secundae lectionis or ordinis and that in his Maiesties sense but it is nothing so in the sense that here is set downe by his Maiesty to wit that this second order of bookes are of lesse authority then the first For albeit Bellarmine doth as before hath bene said deuide all the bookes that are in the Bible into three ranks or orders first into such as were neuer called in question by any Catholicke men Secondly into such as notwithstāding sometimes haue byn doubted of by some yet were afterwards admitted by the whole vniuersall Church And thirdly and lastly into Apocrypha yet doth he not either call those bookes of the second order Apocrypha or secundae lectionis as here is set downe nor yet secundi ordinis in his Maiesties sense as though they were lesse to be belieued and of lesse authority then those of the first ranke but rather he auerreth the quite contrary that they are all of one and the selfe same authority And therfore whosoeuer he was that suggested this place of Bellarmine vnto his Matie he dealt not well and sincerly therin with his Prince and he is bound by the law of conscience and by the law of a subiect towards his Soueraigne to acknowledge his errour were it of malice or of ignorance committed and humbly prostrate vpon his knees to craue pardon for this abusing of his Lord and euer after to beware how he presume to whisper any such vntruth palpable and notorious falshood into the eares of his dread Lord and King 33. But now forasmuch as this point of denying the infallible authority and irrefragable credit of any the least booke part or parcell of
do conclude thus Alibi verò passim Cyprianus dicit super Petrum Ecclesiam fundatam esse Cyprian doth ordinarily in other places affirme the Church to be sounded vpon Peter as lib. 1. epist. 3. lib. 4. epist. 9. tract 2. de habitu virginum serm 3. de bono patientiae epist ad Quirinum 65. And the same hath Origen say they tract 5. in Matth. in these wordes Petrus per promissionem meruit fieri Ecclesiae fundamentum Et homil 17. super Lucam Petrum vocat Apostolorū Principem Peter by the promise of Christ deserued to be made the foundation of the Church And againe in his 17. homily vpon Luke Origen calleth S. Peter the Prince of the Apostles Thus the Magdeburgians are forced to shew the Fathers of this age to be against themselues 66. And now by this the prudent reader may iudge what a volume I might make vp if I should here recyte all the authorities which in this kynd the Magdeburgians doe alleadge for confirmation of the generall heades touched in the foregoing age and the other here adioyned For thus they beginne the articles of martyrdome and merit thereof Martyrium immodicè extulerunt omnes huius aetatis Doctores All the Doctors and it is worth the marking that they say all of this age do extoll martyrdome immoderately And in like manner they beginne their Article of chastity thus Sicut in superioris saeculi historia it a hic inuenies nimiùm praedicari extolli continentiam As in the history of the former age so here shall you find continency to be ouer much commended and extolled And thus much for these so many and so seuerall pointes as before hath bene touched 67. Now let vs add one article or head more of Roman Catholick Doctrine discouered by the same Magdeburgians in the Fathers of this third age not hitherto handled to wit the article of Purgatory For thus they write Semina Purgatoris in aliquot locis apud Originem subinde sparsa videas You may see here and there the seedes of Purgatory sowed in certaine places of Origin his workes as homily the 2. in Psalm 36. homil 3. in cumdem homil 8. in Leuiticum homil 12. in Ezechielem in libro primo contra Celsum lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 6. And albeit the Magdeburgians do call this but a strong imagination of Origen yet I do consider this that amongst so many opinions reprehended and cōdemned in Origen by the Fathers of the subsequent ages yet none did euer reprehend this his opinion of Purgatory as an errour of his but rather followed Origen them selues houlding the same as a Catholicke truth so as now the other heades of Roman Catholicke Doctrine held by the chiefe Fathers and Doctors of two precedent ages to wit about free-will perfection of life possibility of the commaundements tradition and rites Supremacy of the Pope of Rome merit of Martyrdome state of Virginity and the like here in this age the same heades are not only confirmed and ratified but as many more disclosed as Prayers vnto Angells Iustification by workes Pennance and satisfaction intercession of Martyrs for sinners in this life sāctifying the water of baptisme by the Priest necessity and efficacy of holy chrisme sanctification of the holy Eucharist vpon Aultars the forme of inuocation of Angells and Saints Purgatory and diuers other such like points which are at this day controuersed I heere for breuity sake do passe ouer hastening vnto the fourth age The fourth Age. 68. The fourth age of Christ beginning from the yeare 400. had for chiefe Fathers of the Greeke Church S. Cyril of Hierusalem S. Ephraim S. Basil S. Epiphanius S. Gregory Nazianzen Gregory Nissen and many others as also the chiefe Doctors of the Latin Church were S. Ambrose S. Hierome Prudentius Philastrius Ruffinus and others In which age two principall points are to be cōsidered here for our purpose First whether all the former Catholicke opinions that were discouered in the second and third precedent ages to be then held by the Church and Fathers thereof were now confirmed also in this fourth age and secondly whether any other poyntes be further insinuated and inculcated touching the same doctrine 69. And as for the first it is euident that the lower we descend from the Apostles time the greater confirmation and illustration vpon occasion of hereticall opposition shall we find of the same articles As for example the Magdeburgians haue a Chapter De coena Domini of the Lordes supper wherein they do proue out of Gregory Nazianzen Eusebius Ambrosius Hieronymus Hilarius Arnobius Basilius Epiphanius and diuers other Fathers and Doctors of this age the Reall Presence of Christ in the said supper which they hould to haue beene truly and Catholickely defended by them Then passing ouer vnto the other heades which lye in controuersy betweene vs they doe shew to be held also but as they say erroneously by the chiefe Fathers of this fourth age no lesse then by those of the former ages And then beginning with the article of Free will they say Patres omnes huius ferè aetatis de libero arbitrio confusè loquuntur All the Fathers of this age doe speake in a sort confusedly of Free will but howsoeuer the Fathers speake confusedly certaine it is that the Magdeburgians speake and censure falsely and heretically according to their old wont 70. And yet presently after they make mention of Lactantius Athanasius Basilius Nazianzen Epiphanius S. Hierome and S. Gregory men who speake as plainely and distinctly thereof as men may do and as it may possibly be imagined and not confusedly Let vs heare S. Hierome speaking in steed of all Omni aetati saith he omnique personae libertas arbitrij relicta est Non cogo non impero sed propono palmam ostendo praemia tuum est eligere si volueris in agone certamine coronari Liberty of free-will is left vnto euery age and vnto all persons God saith I do not force I do not commaund but I do propose vnto thee the crowne and do shew thee the rewards it is thy part to choose if thou wilt winne the crowne in the fight and conflict So he 71. And the very same point of doctrine is often times by him reassumed reiterated and vrged in inciting men to imbrace the doctrine of Euangelicall Counsells where he vseth the selfe same wordes in many places of of his workes The said Magdeburgians do alleage most plaine and cleare places and sentences forth of Lactantius Nilus Chromatius Ephraim and S. Hierome who teach plainly that man is not iustified by only faith Non sufficit murum habere fidei nisi ipsa fides bonis operibus confirmetur It is not saith S. Hierome sufficient to haue the wall of faith except that faith be confirmed with good workes 72. And as for the merit of good workes the Magdeburgians do openly confesse that both the