that the Church ought to be conspicuous Who is seconded also by M. Field That there is and alwayes hath beene a visible Church and that not consisting of some few scattered Christians without order of Ministry or vse of sacramentes we do most willingly yeald vnto But how many more will yeald besides you hauing no rule of agreement so strangely dissent in euery assertion as I know not who els will subscribe hereunto Sure I am that VVhitaker as mainly contradicteth it as words can expresse saying The Church may sometimes consist of a few and they scattered obscure vnknown who hide themselues in corners Therefore he answereth to the former testimonyes of scripture that many promises are made of the glory splendour of the Church vnder the Messias but none that the state of the Church should be perpetually such For it may come to passe that no true visible Church may be found out in the world Perkins sayth in his exposition of the Creed Before the dayes of Luther for the space of many hundred yeares an vniuersall apostacy ouerspread the whole face of the earth Fulke There was a certaine generall apostacy of the visible Church And a litle before The reuolt spoken of before by S. Paul is called by Caluin A certeine generall defection of the visible Church which being hardly builded was by the tyranny subtilty of Antichrist ouerthrowne as a house with a suddaine tempest and lay long in the ruines Againe The visible Church may become an adultersse Fulk in his answere to a counterfet Catholike p. 79. VVilet in his Synop. pa. 54. Sparkes in his answer to M. Iohn d' Albins pag. 53. 54. 126. c. A grosse absurd answere of one whoÌ„ the Lord de la Ware brought to dispute with a Catholik GentlemaÌ„ be diuórced from Christ. M. VVillet D. Sparkes hâ—ue many sayings to the like purpose By which M. Field may see how farre his fellowes are from agreeing with him or yeilding to vs in this substantiall point of faith especially they who pressed to describe where their Church hath held the scepter of her raign in former ages retire to the hidden story of inuisible conuenticles as a Puritan Champion of my Lord de la VVares did in a set conference appointed by him others for the discouery of truth who being vrged by a Catholique gentelman that the Protestant Church could not be true because it hath not alwayes continued since Christ his time not alwayes visible as he then disputed nor alwayes inuisible nor sometime visible sometime inuisible The Lords Champion answered that it continued sometime inuisible To which the Catholique replyed that during the time in which it was inuisible it could not be the Church of Iesus Christ for he argued thus That is the true Church of Iesus Christ which he comaundeth vs to obey and pumsheth vs if we obey not But he cannot commaund vs to obey an inuisible Church nor punish vs if we obey it not Therefore an inuisible Church cannot be the true Church of Iesus Christ He might haue asked him of whome his inuisible church consisteth of men or Diuels Fayries Goblins or what other night-Ghostes who would not be seene or heard to speake God not excused from tyranny by the Protestants answere The Minor denyed was proued in this manner God cannot commaund much lesse punish vs for a thing vnpossible But it is vnpossible to heare vnpossible to obey an inuisible Church Therefore God can not commaund much lesse punish vs for not obeying an inuisible Church 4. Here the defendant granted that God commaunded a thing impossible and punished men for not performing that which was impossible whereupon when the disputant inferred That God must needes be in that case a tyrant in punishing without desert he after much stammering strugling which himselfe answered No because that impossibility fell out by their owne default At which reply the Minister his assistant began to leap for ioye brake off the dispute without more ado as if the Argument had beene satisfied or the diuine goodnes exempted from prodigious cruelty by a fault of his creatures which when they incurred no man knowes nor can yet deuise what fault it should be nor why the harmeles of spring should be euerlastingly tormeÌ„ted for their predecessours offence of eclipsing the Church and making The Lord de la War his false report vaine boasting of a disput held betwixt a Catholik a Protestant in his owne presence Melanct. D. Humf. D. Field in the places aboue cited it inuisible which they neither actually committed by their owne proper will nor originally contracted from the will of another Yet such answeres run currant in Protestants iudgments the good Lord himself was not ashamed vauntingly to report that his defendant departed enobled with victory when he flinched away notoriously disgraced with the ignominious blot of one most monstruous absurdity euen in Melancthons D. Humfreys M. Fields diuinity court that the ProtestaÌ„ts Church was sometimes inuisible and another vnauoidablâ— blasphemy in the high tribunall seat of all Diuines thaâ— God doth command and eternally punish vs for not performing thinges impossible 5. Both these odious barbarismes the Puritan welâ— perceaued and although as he ignorantly or vnaduisedly rowled into theÌ„ so he vaingloriously after the fashion of heretikes defended them for a while yet immediatly after at the same conference the same argumeÌ„t being proposed by another he durst not stand to the same manner of answering as I shall heere relate At the closing vp of the former dispute another learned Catholike entred the roome and being vrged to alleage some reasons why the English Protestant Church could not be the true Church of Iesus Christ not hearing what had passed before he thus began THE CATHOLIKE The true Church of Christ hath alwayes perseuered 〈…〉 Church haâ—h not alwaye◠〈◊〉 Therefore the English Church is not the true Church of Chrisâ— THE PVRITAN I deny the Minor I say the English Church hath alwayes preseuered THE CATHOLIKE I take the tyme from Gregory to Luther for the space of 900. yeares If your Church was extant in these ages either is was visible or inuisible but neither can be sayd Therefore it was not then extant THE PVRITAN I answere it was visible as it appeareth out of M. Foxes Chronicle in which the Actes and monuments of our Church in all those ages are recorded and wherein it is cleerely demonstrated that some egreâ—ious Martyrs and confessours of our Church flourished in euery Counâ—â—ey who couragiously opposed themselues against the Roman errours 〈◊〉 superstitions Behould the inconstancy of this fellow who first â—raunted that the Protestant Church was sometyme inuisible and scant hauing breathed since he defended it to haue beene in euery age or Countrey visible from S. Gregory to Luther For when was is latent When inuisible If in none of those ages Before S. Gregory you all confesse it was conspicuous although
c. he maketh this comment The holy virgin seemeth no lesse spitefully to restraine the power of God then before Zacharias did c. Neither ought wee to labour much to free her froÌ„ all vice I omit how he termeth many other Saintes Goblins or Night-ghostes shaddowes Butchers and beasts The filthines I haue already discouered is more then inough to iustifye our Maiesties prohibition Aegidius Hunnius in libro cui titulus inscribitur Caluinus iudaizans c. Illiricus in defens confess Aug. c. 7. Osian in Enchirid. cont Caluin c. 7. pag. 198. of such diuelish workes and to terrifie all Christians from reading of them which men of his owne sect if Protestantes combine in one secte haue already detested proscribed as full of Iudaisme Arianisme and other most execrable heresies whereof Aegidius Hunnius a Lutheran doctour and professour of diuinity in the vniuersity of Wittenberg hath printed a booke whose title beginneth thus Caluinus Iudaizans c. Caluin Iudaizing or playing the Iewe and Illiricus a prime sectary of their profession giueth testimony that Caluins liturgie is defiled not with one only sacriledge that it hath carried innumerable soules into eternall perdition Luke Osiander another Protestant confuting certaine assertions of the Caluinists calleth them a gulfe whirlepoole or hell of Caluinian doctrine Besides these Lutherans Castalio a Sacramentary Humfred de rat interpret l. 1. pag. 26. much commended by M. Doctour Humfrey so farre abhorreth the opinion of Caluin in feigning God to be the authour of sinne damnation in the reprobate as he distinguisheth that supposed God of Castal in l. ad Calu. de praedestin Caluin from the true God described in the scripture his wordes are these The false God that is the God which Caluin frameth to himself is slowe to mercy See the iudgment of Protestants coÌ„cerning Caluins holding God to be the Authour of sinne and daÌ„nation prone to anger who hath created the grâ—atest parte of the world to destruction and hath predestinate them not only to damnation but also to the cause of damnatioÌ„ Therefore he hath decreed from all eternity and he will haue it so he doth bring it to passe that they necessarily sinne so that neither theftes nor murders nor adulteries are comitted but by his constraint impulsion For he suggesteth vnto men euill dishonest affections not only by permission but effectually that is by drawing them to such affections doth harden them in such sorte that when they perpetrate euill they doe rather the worke of God then their owne he maketh the deuill a lier so that nowe not the deuill but the God of Caluin is the Father of lies But that God which the holy scriptures teach is altogeather contrary to this God of Caluin c. Imediatly after for the true God came to destroy the worke of that Caluinian God these two Gods as they are by nature contrary one to another so they beget and bring forth children of contrary dispositions to wit that God of Caluin children without mercy proud c. Hither to Castalio To whom I add the like censure of Stancarus a ProtestaÌ„t also of no smal fame who writing to Caluin saluteth him thus VVhat diuell Stancarus cont Calu. K. 4. Vide etiam lib. de Tri. K. 8. O Caluin hath seduced thee to speake with Arius against the sonne of God that thou mightst proclaime him to be depriued of his glory now to intreate to haue it giuen him as though he had not alwayes had it That Antichrist of the North whome thou doest impudently adore Melancthon the Grammarian hath done this At length he concludeth with this earnest admonitioÌ„ Beware O Christian Reader especially all you Ministers beware of the books of Caluin and principally in the articles of the Trinity Incarnation Mediatour the sacrament of Baptisme predestination For they containe wicked doctrine Arian blasphemyes In so much as the spirit or soule of burned Seruetus may seem according to the Platonists to haue entred into Caluin So he Whose caueat or serious admonition togeather with the prohibition of our Soueraigne censures of Gods Church will be a warning I hope to my dearest Countrymen to abhorre the writtings of that AriaÌ„ Seruetian Iudaicall Simonian Manichean Sectary whome Heauen and Earth God and Man Cathelikes and Protestants Lutherans and Sacramentaryes iustly condemne of such hatefull impietyes THE PROEME THE most sublime and weighty subiect of this present Discourse is of such importance as it is the principall ground on which dependeth the whole decision of all other debatable controuersies For the Church of God is as Epiphanius writeth the kinges high way by Epiphan haeres 85. which a man is sure to trauaile towardes the truth And Eusebius Emissenus The fayth of the Catholik church useb or Eucherius hom 2. de Symbolo is sayth he the light of our soule the gate of life the ground of euerlasting saluation whosoeuer forsaketh this doth follow his owne head as a most bad guide whosoeuer doth thinke that by his owne wit and vnderstanding he can attaine to the secrets of supernaturall misteryes he Origen ho. 8. in Liuit tract 29. 30. in Matth. hom 6. in Ezech. Iren. l. 3. c. 3 4. Augu. in psal 103. l. 7. cont Crescon c. 33. ep 118. Field in his epist dedicatory before his first booke doth iust like vnto him who without a foundation would build a house or letting passe the doore would enter by the roofe or like vnto him who in a dark night going without a lanterne doth with closed eyes cast himselfe headlong into a deep dungeon Origen Irenaeus S. Augustine inculcate the same In so much as M Field ingenuously auoucheth There is no part of heauenly knowledg more necessary then that which concerneth the Church For seeing the controuersies of Religion in our tyme are growne in number so many and in nature so intricate that few haue tyme and leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them what remayneth for men desirous of satisfaction in things of such consequence but diligently to search out which among all the societyes of men in the world is that blessed company of holynes that houshould of faith that spouse of Christ Church of the liuing God which is the pillar and ground â—f truth tâ—at so they may imbrace her communion folâ—ow her directions and rest in her iudgments I would to God al Protestants would yield to the aduise of this Protestant writer in seeking and adhering to the true Church which that they may the easier doe I addresse this Treatise vnto them wherein I will first lay open what the Church is and who are of it Then that it is one visible apparant neuer hidden or obscure That it cannot faile or erre That it is the mistresse of fayth or supreme iudge of all our spirituall debates That no saluation can be hoped out of it
elect reprobat mingled together the inuisible only is composed of the elect iust holy See you not how this very distinction Many absurdities ensue of deuising two churches choaketh it selfe how one member fightetâ— diuers wayes against the other For first separate the elecâ— from the society of the reprobat to frame your inuisible you destroy the visible Church leaue them conioyne with the reprobat to make your visible the inuisiblâ— fayleth Secondly you grant I weene that the elect as thâ—â— liue vpon earth mingled with the reprobat raise the visible as they are seuered by imagination concurre to blinâ— the fabrick of the inuisible church Therefore your inuisible is meerely imaginary fained chimericall tâ—â— visible only the true and reall Church the true misticall body of Christ which is exercised heere in the warfare of this life Thirdly this you crosse againe and say the visible Church is no true Church but only as it contayneth the inuisible that is the sacred number of the elect who make no society and consequently no Church Fourthly the elect by this meanes are in two Churches in the visible and in the inuisible whereas the reprobate only are in the visible yet because their reprobation is as hidden as the others election why should not these make an inuisible assembly as well as they Fiftly when the elect are separated to mak your inuisible who remayneth in the visible but a rable of reprobate a rout of infidels and shall they compose your visible Church Shal Christs visible body on earth be wholy compacted of the reproued vessels members of Sathan O intricate confusioÌ„ which confoundeth also me in rehearsing it O monstruous paradoxes which implyeth so many contradictions â—â—â—any absurdityes against which if I should cite the â—â—thorityes of the Fathers I should neuer make an end They all iointly praise magnify and extoll one visible and Catholike Church one and the same whose prerogatiue we belieue and fellowship must imbrace the same by whose preaching we must be born by whose spirit we liue S. Cyprian the glorious Bishop and Martyr Cypr. de vnit Eccl. sayth One Mother there is by the fecundity of her issue copious and fertile by her increase we are borne with her milke we are nourithed we are animated with her spirit The spouse of Christ cannot play the aduoutresse she is immuculate and vndefiled she knoweth one house she keepeth with chast bashfulnes the sanctity of one bed This Church preserueth vs in God this aduanceth to the kingdome the children she hath brought forth whosoeuer diuided from the Church cleaueth to the aduoutresse is separated from the promises of the Church 7. S. Augustine also often auerreth That the true Catholique Church conteyneth in it good and bad reprobate elect That the kingdom of Christ is but one one great citty one mountain comprehending the whole world The authority sayth he of the Catholike Church c. iâ— establiâ—hed vntill this day by the line of Bishops succeeding one another Aug. cont Faust l. 11. c. 2. and by the consent of so many people By which succession consent and power of miracles he testifieth that he is held in Catholica Ecclesia in the Catholik Church Then that the whole multitude of belieuers gathered togeather by miracles is the Catholike August cont epist Funda c. 3. 4. Aug. de vtil credendi c. 16. Church Therefore the Catholike Church is the same whose succession is visible propagation visible consent visible miracles visible multitude visible and which it selfe is also visible the same is the Catholike Church which we belieue and visible multitude to which we ought to linke in fellowship communion which appeareth so cleare in M. Fields sight howsoeuer those his former Coronels VVhitaker and Fulke were blinded with the contrary as he writeth thus VVe say that all they are of Field in his first booke of the Church c. 2. fol. 23. the Church that outwardly hold the fayth of Christ and that that society wherein the sincere outward profession of the truth of God is preserued is that true Church of God whose communion we must imbrace that happy mother in whose womb we are conceaued with whose milke we are nourished and to whose censures we must submit our selues After assigning diuers considerations of the Church some different conditions of her members he addeth Notwithstanding all which differences for that they all concurre in the same holy profession and vse of the same happy meanes of saluation they make one holy Catholike Church in which only the light of heauenly truth is to be sought So he flying the noueltye of his first Reformers and varying from them in a Field dissentethfroÌ„ Whitaker in apoint fundamental point fundamentall for what more substantiall variance then to differ about the Church we ought to belieue as an article of fayth About the Catholike Church in which the happy meanes of saluation are only to be found Whether that be visible or inuisible 8. Peraduenture some will excuse M. Whitaker that he meaneth not that the true Church should be wholy inuisible not seene to any but so latent scattered and compounded of so few as they can hardly be discerned amongst them selues much lesse to strangers enemyes VVhitak contr 2 q. 2. c. 1. But this excuse will not couer his fault For VVhitaker auoucheth that indeed but of the visible not of the Catholike Church he flatly protesteth the whole Catholike VVhitak ibidem q. 3. c. 1. fol. 178. Fulke in c. 5. Matth. sect 3. iâ— 2. Thess 2. sect 5. Sparkes in his answer to M. Iohn D. Albins pag. 54. 126. Church to be inuisible both militant triumphant The visible also sayth he may sometyme consist of a fâ—w and they scattered obscure vnknowne who hide themselues in corners Which although M. Field stoutly gainesayth as shal be declared yet because Fulke Sparkes and others vphold the same to vnderproppe the paper walles of their new founded Synagogue it will not be labour lost to conuince the falsity thereof CHAP. III. In which is declared that the true visible Church is apparently knowne and famous to the world against D. Whitaker D. Fulke and D. Sparkes THE first authours and beginners of ProtestaÌ„cy departing from the known band and vnity of Gods people vpon earth and not finding any predecessours or mantayners of their new hatched fictions to whome they should lincke and conioyne themselues in profession not finding any Countrey Prouince Citty Village Temple or Oratory who communicateth with them infayth seruice publique sacraments wretchedly imagined besides their Catholike and wholy inuisible Church another visible assembly of faythfull belieuers who are some so hidden as they are not knowne to D. VVhit contro 2. q. 3. cap. 1. f. 178. 179. VVhitak aduâ— Duâ— p. 274. D. Sparks in his answer to M. Io. d'Albin p 54. 126. Fulke in c. 5. Matt. sect 3. 2. Thess
pressed as they know not â—hat to say or whither to turne I appeale to the whole â—â—ditory whether this was not the summe of his reply â—â—d whether he did not heereupon abruptly end cease â— proceed any further with much disgust of the standers â— and small satisfaction to his owne fellow Ministers â—ho came to assist him Howbeit seeing both VVhitaker â— Reynolds distinguish in the same manner as Barbon hath â—â—one and often affirme that the Church may slide in to â—â—rours of probation not of damnation curable not inâ—â—rable I will a little further lay open the falsity of that â—istinction And first I would haue theÌ„ tell me what these â—urable errours be Grosse and fundamentall such as canâ—ot stand with the principles of faith or sleight and indifferent such as do not preiudice the integrity thereof â—â— such We need not for the attayning of saluation be cured of them we may without losse of Gods fauour heere or heereafter perseuere vnto death incurably in them In which case your new Ghospell was needles your outcryes slanderous your breach detestable in making so execrable a schisme diuision from vs for slender matters not necessary to saluation Grosse then and fundamental they be of which we shal be certainely healed before we dye therefore M. Whitaker affirmeth the Church may for a tyme erre in some foundations yet be safe or souÌ„d A crabbed saying for fayth must be entiere or els it is no fayth therefore if the beliefe of the Church be fayling in any one foundation it is no way sound but wholy erres in fayth as M. VVhitaker not many lines before directly auoucheth If any fundamentall point of doctrine be remoued the Church presently falleth A true speach howbeit most contrary and repugnant to the former And yet it is impossible for the Church euer to be ruined impossibly to perish or depart from God at any tyme or moment as hath beene disputed in the former Chapter Therfore impossible â—â— her to be ensnared in any substantiall or fundamental eâ—rour 5. Besides if curable errours be fundamentall whâ— be incurable What greater then fundamentall Or hâ—â— can any be counted incurable when there is none â— damnable which may not be cured by the salue of gracâ— When we dayly see that Arianisme Iudaisme Turcisâ—â— Apostacy Infidelity c. often cured with help from â—boue No errour there is which may not be cured by grace Are they incurable out of which the Church caâ— neuer be recouered But of this neuer Heretique as yâ—â— made question The Donatists who contended that thâ— whole Church crred and perished before their dayes saiâ— it reuiued againe and tooke life in them and so do all heretiks or sectaryes whosoeuer challenge a recouery of the decayed Church But what do I striue against meere fancyes All the arguments I haue heere proposed manifestly conclud that the true Church of Christ is neuer obnoxious to any errour at all little or great curable or incurable necessary or not necessary to saluation For she teacheth Why the Church can fall into no errour curable or incurable all truth the spirit and wordes of God are alwayes in her mouth She is a pure virgin and cannot be stayned with any spot of vnchast doctrine she is alwayes directed by the holy Ghost we are commanded by God alwayes to giue care vnto her But as we can be led into no offense smal nor grieuous materiall nor formal culpable nor inculpable into nothing dissonant or repugnant vnto truth by imbracing the direction or following ProtestaÌ„ts are eÌ„trapped in their own affertions holding the true Church may erre and yet themselus certain of truth the commandment of truth it self so we can tumble into no errour little or great curable or incurrable by following the direction or safe conduct of the Church And truely I wonder at this witch craft of Sathan how he should perswade our miserable sectaryes that they alone haue the purity of the Ghospell the certainty of the spirit the true reformed Church and yet to teach them withall that the true Church may erre For how can they be sure themselues do not erre in their fayth and in appeaching vs of so many superstitioÌ„s if their Church may erre How can their followers be sure they are taught â— truth if their teachers themselues confesse they may â— O drunken heresy O malicious blindnes art thou â—ereft of the light of reason and drowned in the pit of â—lful darknes as to produce no better witnesses for the â— of ours and rising of thy Church then such as may â—e such as may lye and beguile the people S. Augustine Aug. in psal 63. v. 7. â— braydeth the Iewes for labouring to disproue our Saâ—ours resurrection with sleeping watchmen And shall â—t I reuile our Lutheran or Caluinian strumpet for inâ—ing vs of sundry falshoodes by the verdict of errable â—inisters deceauable Reformers Who graunt they may â— blinded with curable errours Of such errours we acâ—se them in all points wherein they disagree from vs â—e proue them guilty by the word of God doome of anâ—â—quity and vniuersall Senate of all the faithfull who â—â—nnot erre Let them by the like Iury acquit themselues â—â—fense their doctrine with the like authority or els in â—â—ine do they bragge of verity or exclaime against our â—â—perstitious abuses Will they runne to the authority of Scripture But either they are infallibly assisted by the holy Ghost neuer to mistake or interprete it amisse and then their Church can neuer erre neither curably nor incurably which they deny or they may sometyme swarue from the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost they may fall into the curable errours of which we attach them and so are condemned by their owne mouthes for insufficient witnesses or accusers of vs. To go one Iren. l. 3. c. 4. 40. l. 1. c. 3. Hier. l. 3. adue Ruf. c. 8. in fine Cypr. epist 55. ad Cornel. Aug. de vnit Eccl. c. 28. 6. As the scripturs before mentioned so the ancient Fathers aboundantly testify the inerrable rule of the true Churches beliefe S. Irenaeus sayth The Apostles haue layd vp in the church as in a rich treasure all truth that he that will may from thence draw the water of life Likewise She keepeth with most sincere diligence the Apostles fayth and preaching In her sayth Saint Hierome is the rule or square of truth The Church sayth S. Cyprian neuer departeth from that which she once hath knowne S. Augustine Behould how after the same sort he addeth of the body which is the Church that he may not permit vs to erre neither in the bridegroome nor in the bride In another place he affirmeth Aug. tom 2. ep 166. fol. 290. that our heauenly Maister forewarneth vs to auoyd schismes In so much as he maketh the people secure of euill gouernourâ— least for them the chayer of holesome doctrine should be forsaken â— which euen
of God deliuereth 2. Cor. 1â— v. â— Psal 8. â— Hier. l. â— comm in 6. â— ad Gal. Dâ—os eos esse manifestum est qui auteâ— Dij sunâ— tradunt Dei Euangelium non hominis In which respect S. Ierome doubteth not to call S. Peter S. Paul such as enioy their priuiledg after the phrase of scripture by the name of Gods thereupon maketh this illation But they that are Gods deliuer the Gospell of God not of man 10. Yet let vs view some other allegations which these erring and lying Ministers bring in to find the church guilty of errour Marry VVhitaker Reynoldes depose that which befalleth to one may befall to the whole but euery one in particuler may erre therefore the whole may erre which is a most false deposition plaine Sophisme arguing from each deuided member of the Church to the whole body ioyntly considered as if a cauiller should say This stone it self cannot be sufficient to raise a tower nor this nor that VVhitak contr 2 q. 4. c. 3. fol. 274. Reynoldes in his secoÌ„d conclusion fol. 628. as it is printed togeather with his conference nor any one a part Therefore a whole huge heap together cannot suffice It is a meere sophisticall kind of reasoning For we see that many do raise that which one or a few cannot Many forces of men vnited are able to draw that which no man in particuler can mooue A whole Army of souldiers vanquisheth a kingdom which on one the most valiaÌ„t captaine can annoy So the whole Church may preserue the truth vnspotted which no pâ—rticuler can doe Chiefly because the whole is guarded by Gods promise assisted by the holy Ghost the shield of her defence which deuided Churches want but the holy ghost saieth Whitaker and Fulke is also promised to euery one in particuler Christ prayed to sanctify euery one confirme him in D. VVhit contro 2. q. 4. c. 2. f. 168. Fulk in c. 16. Ioan. sect 5. in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 9. verity as he did for the whole for the laity aswell as for the Clergy for the people as much as for the Priestes It is true he prayed for all and each particuler promised the holy ghost to euery one but in a diuers manner according to euery ones seuerall state degree he praied for the Apostles and Bishops their Successours he assured theÌ„ the holy ghost as to parentes maisters shepheards of his fold to the laity euery one of the faithfull as to children schollers and sheep to be directed by them They haue the holy ghost 〈◊〉 their mouthes to teach preach instruct anâ— How the spirit of God in â—â—â—â—ised to the whole Church and how to 〈…〉 particular member VVhitak cont 2. q. â— c. ap 3. fol. â—8â— Seueruâ— l. 2. Theod. c. 19. Ream linguam non facis nisi rea mens VVitnes S. Athan. epist ad â—rancâ—s â—â—â—erne these in their hartes to obey beleeue keep vnity peace submission They his publique assistance for the publique function profit of the Church these his priuar direction for their owne priuate comfort particuler saluation Therefore as the Pastours Gouernours cannot erre in teaching defining or publiquely condemning false opinions so neither any one of the faithfull in beleeuing obeying or shunning those whom the Church hath censured Thus the whole and euery part securely trauayleth towardes the coast of heauen with the safe conduct of the holy ghost for the edificatioÌ„ complement and full perfection of the misticall body of Christ 11. Whitaker obiecteth againe that all Churches Arianized and consequently erred when the whole world aâ— S. Ierome reporteth groaned wondred to see â— selfe an Arian But S. Ierome by the figure Synecdoche vseth the whole for a great parte who were deceaued in the Councell of Arimine partly by the fraude of Valens the Arian Bishop partly by imbecillity of wit yet diuers of them materially only Wherefore seeing it is â—n Axiome in the law that the tongue it not made guilty but by the guilty mind they reteyning the true Catholique faith in their hartes formally also in open profession yeilded not properly to Arianisme but stil preserued the true state of the Church which was likewise at the same time inuiolably maynteyned in the West especially in those renowned Bishops and their flock S. Hilary S. Ambrose S. Eusebius of Verselles in Athanasius and others of Greece And that boysterous tempest continued but three yeares for then as S. Hierome relateth the beast dyed there succeeded Hier. dial aduer Lucifer a calme From the Church our aduersaryes flye to the Councells representing the Church and draw bills of enditement to conuict them of errour but their allegations are voyd and insufficient For such Councells as they meane were either vnlawfull conuenticles tumutuously assembled or if lawfully gathered not lawfully continued or not wholy approued or falsly accused or they erred only in some matter of fact not in any point of doctrine or article of beliefe 12. At least say they the old Church and Synagogue of the Iewes wholy erred when Aaron and the Two other obiections of aduersaries answered Exod. 3â— Mar. 14. whole multitude adored the golden Calfe and when Caiphaâ— the chiefe Bishop and whole Councell of Priestes adiuged Christ to death I answere that Aaron was not then inuested with the authority of high Priest but that office was imparted long after vnto him as appeareth out of the last of Exodus Then the Leuits neuer consented to that Idolatry nor Moyses in whome the supreme Priestly dignity still remayned To the second obiection I answere The infalibility of the Sinagogue when christ bad established his Church that the Councell of the Scribes Pharisces was tumultuously gathered not to interpret the law or teach the people but to pronounce sentence in a matter of fact against the Sonne of God or if they did erre in a chiefe point of faith it maketh nothing against vs for Christ had then planted his Church preached his doctrin Therfore the infallible assistance of the Holy Ghost was no longer tyed to the Synagogue Christ being present the head of his Church and hauing sufficiently promulgated his Ghospell 13. Therfore to draw to an end seeing the true Church neuer did or euer can stray from the truth as the Scriptures The Protestants Church cannot be the true Church of Iesus Christ by their own confessioÌ„ Fathers reasons conuince And seeing Protestants confesse that their Church may erre or goe astray for a tyme we must needs conclude that their Church is not the inerrable spouse of Iesus Christ but the harlot of Sathan the Temple of Baal the Stewes of an aduoutresse or if they now recant and yield vnto vs that the true Church cannot step awry in any one generally receaued point of beliefe it necessarily followeth that all their pretended reformations of her errours haue beene innouations
Hier. q. ad Edibiam kingdome of Christ wherin such as refuse to liue are rebelles and traytours to God It is the house (b) Orig. in Iesu Naue hom 3. Cypr. de simplicitate Praelat Ambr. lib. de Salom. c. 5. of â—ahaâ— from whence whosoeuer departeth is guilty of his own death It is the (c) Ioan. 21. Luc. 5. Ambr ser 11. l. de Salom. c. 4. Concil Later c. 1. Vna est fidelium vniuersalis Ecclesia extra quaÌ„ nullus omnino saluatur Aug. tom 7. concione ad plebem de Emerita post medium Cypr. epist 62. ad â—omponium Iren. l. 3. aduer haeres c. 40. Ship of Peter out of which whosoeuer sayleth suffereth ship wracke Therfore the CouÌ„cell of Lateran hath truly and carefully defined There is one vniuersall Church of the faythfull out of which no man is saued This decree of that most holy and generall Councell the vniforme consent of the Fathers ratify and confirme a few with such as I haue alleadged shall speake for the rest S. Augustine Out of the Catholike Church a man may haue all things excepting saluation he may haue orders he may haue Sacraments he may sing Alleluia he may answere Amen he may haue the Ghospell he may haue and preach the fayth in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost but he can by no meanes obtayne saluation but in the Catholike Church S. Cyprian Neither can they writing of excommunicated persons liue without sith the house of God is one and no man can haue saluation but in the Church Irenaeus In the Church God hath appointed Apostles Prophets Doctours and the whole operation or ministery of the spirit of which they all are depriued who repaire not to the Church VVhere the Church is there is the spirit of God and where the spirit of God is there is the Church and all grace Then he interreth that such as do not partake of that spirit estranged from truth are iustly tumbled into euery errour Lactantius it is only the Catholike Lactant. l. 4 diuin instit cap. vlt. Church that hath the true worship and seruice of God this is the well spring of truth the dwelling place of fayth the temple of God into which whosoeuer entreth not and from which whosoeuer departeth is without all hope of life and eternall saluation Thus Lactantius With whom our chiefest aduersaries likewise accord Field confesseth one holy Catholike Church in which only the light of heauenly Field in his first booke of the Church c. 2. fol. 23. truth is to be sought where only grace mercy remission of sinnes and hope of eternall happynes are found And to maintaine this he citeth the aforesayd sentence of Lactantius 4. Caluin also speaking of the Church our Mother sayth There is no other entry into life vnles she conceaue vs in her Calu. l. 4. instit c. 1. §. 4. wombe vnles she bring vs forth vnles she feed vs with her breastes finally vnles she keep vs vnder her custody and gouernance vntill such tyme as being vnclothed of mortall flesh we shall be like vnto Angells The reason heereof is the secret and vnchangeable will of God who sent his Sonne into the world to erect one Church one fayth one religion one house and chosen company to whom he bequeathed the keyes of paradise That only Church he purchased with his bloud that only he loued for that he deliuered himselfe to sanctify her cleansing Act. 20. v. 28. Ephes 5. v. 25. 26. her with the lauer of water in the word of life In that only Church he hath left as Irenaeus obserued his Pastors and Doctours In that his word and Sacraments in that the embassage of reconciliation benefite of remitting sinnes To that only Church he communicateth his spirit To one only Church doth God commit the keyes of heauen and benefit of reconciliation promiseth his assistance imparteth his grace vertue and spirituall endowements therefore whosoeuer is deuided or separated from that is wholy bereft of Gods celestiall comforts Most of the learned Protestants consent with vs That out of the Church there is no saluation yet this couert they seeke to saue themselues That they are of the Church either of the same with vs as some imagine or of a distinct by themselues as others vphold or at least that euery one is sufficiently in the Church of saluation as long as he beleeueth the Trinity Incarnation Passion and other principle mysteryes of fayth But that they haue no distinct Church planted by Christ watered by his Apostles and perpetually continued vntill their dayes which is necessary for the true Church I shall demonstrate heereafter in the eleuenth twelueth and thirtenth Chapters of this booke Now that they are not any part of the Roman Church nor all one with vs I manifestly conuince 5. Because they abhorre our sacrifice condemne our Fulke in c. 5. Ephes sect 3. In cap. 13. Apoc. sect 2. Fulk in c. 24. Luc. sect 4. 1. Ioan. 2. sect 9. VVhitak contr 2. q. 6. cap. 1. ibidem c. 3. Reynoldes in his fifth conclusion Fulke in c. 13. Apo. sect 2. in c. 5. ad Ephes sect 3. Rogers in his booke 39. articles of Protestancy Sacraments forbeare all participation with vs and we with them in fayth and religion we excommunicate cut them off from the communion of our Church which they also renounce as superstitious blasphemous and antichristian It is certaine sayth Fulke the Church of Rome cannot be the true Church of Christ Againe The whole religion of Popery is nothing but blasphemy against God and Christ and his Church For this cause he calleth it the whore of Babylon the seate of Antichrist the malignant and Antichristian Church of Rome VVhitaker disclaymeth from it with the like reproachfull termes and addeth That the Papists are Idolaters and their Church Idolatricall Besides he reckoneth vp eighteen fundamentall points by which it ouerthrouweth in his conceit the grounds of true religion M. Iohn Reynolds labouring to discouer the like entitleth his fift conclusioÌ„ after this manner The Roman Church not the Catholike Church nor a sound member of the Catholike Church Yea he Fulke Rogers and others recount togeather with those which VVhitaker nameth aboue foure and thirty articles in which the Roman Church hath damnably erred and in euery one shaken the fabrike razed the foundation as they blaspheme of true beliefe Therefore it is impossible any Protestant should thinke his religion the same with ours shall substantiall points impossible he should looke to be saued in the lappe of our Church which his râ—rest men and stoutest patrons so spitefully traduce and purposely detest as the most contagious heretical and idolatrical Church that euer was As impossible it is that euery sectary should hope for the blessinges of heauen in his own sect by imbracing only the principall grounds of religion as the ensuing Chapter shall further declare
mind that is to fayth What shall I call this treacherous VVhitak ibidem fol. 501. or foolish dealing to answere one thing wheÌ„ another is demanded we now dispute of the sensible markes to discouer the visible Church of such markes as may be seene and perceaued by sense and not of the act of fayth or thing belieued wholy in that respect inuisible and obscure because fayth according to the Apostles definition Is the argument of thinges not appearing Which Hebr. 11. v. 1. to confound with the precedent motiues inducing vs to accept these thinges as the misteryes of beliefe is knauish treachery or notorious folly For as the naturall reasons which the Philosopher alleadgeth to perswade the Atheist there is a God are not the thing he belieueth or obiect of his fayth but as it were the outward Ambassâ—dours he vseth to winne him to accept that first ground of beliefe so the visible signes which leade vs to the knowledge of the Church are not reuealed articles imbraced by fayth but the forerunning messengers which The outward markes which leade vs to the Church must be apparaot to sense propose vnto vs that article of belieue They appertaine to the eye of the body to the manifest feeling and touch of sense or els they could be no signes at all to giue notice vnto vs of a true visible and sensible Church 3. M. VVhite harpeth vpon another string but with as false a stroake as VVhitaker For he teacheth Faith is the cause of the Church and therefore more knowne then the Church it selfe c. as euery cause is more apparant to our vnderst anding and better knowne to our iudgment then the effect I graunt that faith is the cause of the Church but that causes are more apparant VVhite in his way to the church §. 26. fol. 112 113. VVhitak loc citat to vs imprisoned in a Cottage of earth wintered amongst the cloudes of sense then their effects is euidently false contradicted by VVhitaker disproued also by many experiences of the eclipse of the Moone of the ebbing and flowing of the sea of the Remora his hindering the course of a ship and of a thousand such naturall effectes whose causes are vnknowne from whence the knowledge of Philosophy had her first being For many learned men woundring at these and the like effects began to search out the hidden causes and reasons of theÌ„ And what Is Aristotle of another mind whome M. VVhite VVhite in the same place so boldly quoteth as countenancing his absurdity I am fully assured he hath not so much as any sillable sounding that way For he distinguisheth two kind of knowledges one in respect of vs the other in the nature of the Aristotle no where teacheth causes to be more knowne to vs then their effects as White falsifyeth him thing in it selfe that is the thing in the perfection of his owne nature is more intelligible although by reason of our imbecility we cannot reach vnto it Thus Aristotle in the very places obiected by VVhite only teacheth that causes are both before their effects and better knowne to wit in nature but not to vs not to our vnderstanding not to our iudgment as he wretchedly applyeth and abuseth his wordes whether of malice or of ignorance I will not iudge but although he had beene wholy vnacquainted and ignorant in Aristotle yet VVhitaker his maister who affirmeth the same and with the same distinction as Aristotle doth might haue taught him the truth if some euill humour had not possessed his hart 4. Thirdly the true preaching of the word and doctrine of saluation is the very being it selfe or essence of the Church it is the only thing we require in searching it out Wherefore to assigne that for a marke is to delude the seeker and to giue the substance as a figne of ProtestaÌ„tâ— markes meer collusions the thing required For example if a stranger should demand where the Mayor of the Citty or chiefest Magistrate lodgeth Were it not a mockery to say Where he dwelleth who hath the whole command of the towne or were the stranger any whit the neerer by this reply No more is any Protestant the neer of finding the Church by these her essentiall Markes which doe not openly appeare or shine in her forehead but are closely hidden in her secret bowells For so S. Augustine sayth That truth remayneth Aug. in psal 57. in the wombe or bosome of the Church as all essences are couched vnder the veyles of accidents by vs who borrow our knowledge from outward senses must needs be vnderstood before we vnderstand the natures themselues Therfore we must first repaire to the Church before we can find the truth inclosed therein 5. M. VVhite admitteth with S. Augustine that true faith is in closed in the bosome of the Church but as a VVhite in his way to the true Church §. 28. fol. 118. 119. light saith he in a watch tower as a candle standing in a lanterne which by it owne light can guid vs infallibly to the Church c. as the firmament is seene by the light of the sun though it self hold out the sun vnto vs These be his examples as farre wide from his purpose as he from sincerity in alleaging of them For the light manifesteth it self without the help of the tower the sun vseth not the working of the firmament to cast forth his beames They both doe naturally shine and giue light vnto vs the truth not so that cannot be seene vnles it be manifested opened by the Church Faith is Rom. 10. v. 17. Psal 118. v. 130. by hearing heard it cannot be without it be vttered vttered it must be by the Preachers of the Church the Preachers then are they that giue notice of the Truth Therefore the Royall Prophet doth not say that Gods truth of it self but that the declaration opening of his words illuminateth and giueth vnderstanding Againe By the light we discouer the parts of the tower by the sun the firmament quite coÌ„trary in our case for we arriue not first by beames of faith to take notice of our preachers but by our preachers we are instructed in all pointes of faith which order of proceeding is manifestly expressed by the Prophet Isay speaking Isa 2. v. 3. in the person of such as trauaile to learne the truth Come let vs go vp to the mount of our Lord to the house of the God of Iacob he will teach vs his wayes c. Loe they first knew the mount of the Church to which they ascended and knew it to be the mount of our Lord the house of the God of Iacob and then were taught and instructed in his lawes The spleÌ„dour of the Church guided them to the light of truth not her reuealed light to know the Church For this cause our Sauiour termed his Apostles their successors not the towers or houses only which hold bâ—
opening the window as VVhite imagineth deliuer vs this ligot but he termeth them the candles themselues lights of the world VVhite in the place before cited Matt. 5. v. 14. VVhite as before which guide enlighten vs in the heauenly path of true beleefe Wherefore if a light vpon a watch tower in the darcke night may according to White be the only marke whereby to find the tower the doctours Pastours of Christ which our Sauiour auoucheth to be his glorious lights shining in the darke night of this world must by Whites owne allusion be the only marks to find out the faith of Christ They to whome Cornelius to whome S. Paul called from heauen to whome all the ignorant are perpetuall sent by the voyce of God to learne the truth of his doctrine Act. 10. v 5. 6. Act. 9. v. 7. 17. way of his commaundements 6. Fourthly either the sincere preaching of the word in some particuler points is sufficient to descry the Church or it is necessary it be sincere in all pointes of faith both VVhitaker VVhite agree that it must be sincere in al fundameÌ„tal VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. cap. 17. VVhite in his way to the true Church §. points necessary to saluatioÌ„ because diuers heretical conuenticles haue the sincere preaching in some particulers either of Trinity Incarnation Passion or ResurectioÌ„ of Christ yet that sufficeth not therefore it ought to be sincere in all But how shall the ignorant be assured what Church it is which is pure in all these articles who doe not vnderstand the articles themselues neither which be fundamentall nor how many nor wherein the chief foundation of euery article consisteth as necessary to saluation How shall they for example be certeinly perswaded whether the Protestant sect syncerely teacheth the article of imputatiue iustice of originall sinne of predestination of many such in which diuerse learned men haue fowly erred strayed from the truth They I say who cannot examine these pointes by the analogie of holy writ or if they can are not able to iudge of the verity of such deep vnsearchable misteries what course shall they take beleeue their ministers who confesse they may deceaue them beleeue their priuat spirit who haue no meanes in this case to make triall of it whether it accord or disagree from the rule of faith M. Field hath set downe a prudent course which if his owne followers would now embrace we might ioyne handes Field in his epistle dedicatory before his first book tâ—gether concerning this point Seeing the coÌ„trouersies of religioÌ„ in our time are growne in number so many in nature so intricat that few haue time leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them what remayneth for men desirous of satisfaction in thinges of such consequence but diligently to search out which amongst Iren. l. 3. c. 3. 4. Lact. l. 4. diuin insti cap. vlt. Ambr. ep 32. ad Imper ValeÌ„t Aug. de vtilit credend c. 37. VVhite in his way to the church §. 26. fol. 119. Augu. in psal 57. all the societies of men in the world is that blessed company of holy ones that houshold of faith that spouse of Christ Church of the liuing God which is the pillar ground of truth that so they may embrace her communion follow her directions and rest in her iudgment Hither to he I might produce the words of S. Irenaeus Lactantius S. Ambrose and S. Augustine who exhorte vs also to repaire to the Catholique Church to beleeue her to set vp our rest in her and from her Maisters and teachers to learne the truth 7. But VVhite obiecteth the authority of the same S. Augustine seeming to teach the contrary when he sayeth By the face of truth I knâ—w Christ the truth it self By the face of truth I know the Church pertaker of the truth So he perfidiously translateth S. Austines words detorteth his meaning from the scope of his discourse For S. Augustine disputing against them who confined the Church within the borders of Africa proueth out of the holy Scriptures out of the word of God and authour of truth that it is vniuersally spread ouer all the earth After this he inferreth out of the mouth of truth not as he treacherously englisheth it by the face of truth I know Christ the truth it self out of the mouth of truth I know the White falsly traÌ„slateth S. Augustins wordes Church pertaker of the truth that is as by the cleere testimonyes of the word of God I know Christ the truth it self so by the like cleere testimonyes do I know the vniuersality of the thurch partaker of the truth which the donatistes denyed This one property of the Church he learned from the mouth of truth not the true Church it selfe from the pure preaching of the word in all necessary points of faith as White misconstrueth his meaning For S. Augustine expresly teacheth some few leaues after that Christ himself the foundation and ground of all consequently his Incarnation his death Passion cannot Christum ignoret necesse est qui Ecclesiam eius nescit in qua sola cognosi potest Aug. in psal 69. be known but by the Church It is necessary saith he he be ignorant of Christ who is ignorant of his Church in which only he may be knowne Therefore the notice of the Church leadeth vs to the knowledge of Christ and not e contra especially seeing we cannot rightly spell the words and tel the sense of scripture nor know that scriptures are nor vnderstand and beleeue what is signifyed by the name of Christ vnles we were first instructed by the Church 8. Lastly if before we come to the knowledge of the Church we must learne her faith why do wee after seeke to the Church when we haue already obteyned the treasure of truth for which we sought vnto her if before we geue credit to the Church we must examine her doctrine whether it be true or false if before we accept her interpretation of scripture we must try whether it agree with the sense and connexion of the self same scripture if after such collation and diligent conference we may lawfully renounce or follow the Church whereinsoeuer we deeme it sutable or disagreeable to the written word we must be examiners and iudges both of the Church and Scripture priuate men must censure publique vnlearned sheep controle their Pastours the â—reatest and a city confusion and absurdity that can be imagined VVhite in his way to the church §. 30. fol. 127. which yet is nothing the lesse by VVhites colouring of it and saying that They examine and iudge not by their owne priuate humours but by the publike word of God which in the Scripture speaketh Or as he sayth in another place By the spirit of God in the scripture because his spirit his publike Idem § 27 fol. 116. word speaking in the Scripture
which peruerted as they falsly auouch the very foundations themselues of Christian religioÌ„ They answere that the stiffe professours and maynteyners of Popery were not the true Church but a daungerous and wicked saction tyrannyzing ouer mens consciences A disease a contagion outwardly cleaning to the Church or breeding as a gangrene within and corrupting the pure doctrine but by a little and little vnder which faction notwithstanding and even in the midest thereof the true Church continued In which manner say they the Church was in the papacy but the papacy was not the Church 2. This is their last most deceiptful mask by which they thinke to duske mens eyes and amaze their wittes with disguised wordes when they cannot satisfy their Aug. l. de bapt cont Donat. ca. 6. 7. consciences with any substantiall answere for although the contagion of the papacy by little and little corrupted the pure doctrine yet it came to be deadly and damnable according to them in diuers points for many yeares ago Whereupon I dispute although not altogeather with the same wordes yet with the same force of reason as Saint Augustine doth agaynst the Donatistes When that contagion or the Roman errours came to be deadly eyther they contaminated the Church or did not contaminate it Choose which of these you will say they contaminated An vnauoydable dilemma coÌ„cluding agaynst Protestants it that is defiled it with such hereticall and blasphemous doctrine as could not stand with the being thereof the Church hath perished as Saint Augustine inferreth Christs promise hath fayled there was no meanes left for you to be propagated or new borne in Christ no meanes of catechizing or instructing you Say they defiled not the Church neyther could they haue defiled you by remayning in it why then did you separate your selues from August in same place it Why erected you an Altar agaynst the Altar of the world Why with the sacriledge of most haynous schisme presumed you to diuide the vnity of the Church How cometh it to passe that whilest by shunning the small faultes Aug. ibid. which your selues do faygne you runne into the sacriledge of schisme more grieuous then all other faultes For is not this sacrilegious and schismaticall diuision to preach new doctrine to minister Field in his third book of the Church ca. 6. 7. fol. 72. 73. 74. 75. new Sacraments and not to participate with your mother Church in fayth and communion 3. Both Mayster Field and White make answere that the errours of the Roman Church defiled not the whole but some part of Christs mystical body as a canker which corrupteth not the whole but some part of mans flesh after which manner they call it a faction a disease VVhite in his way to the true Chu §. 45. § 50. In his defence of the same chap. 44. pag. 420. The Protestants caÌ„not say they communicated with the Papacy which infected the papacy but not the Church and so pretend that they haue separated themselues from the coÌ„tagious faction not from the true Church But they still walke in mystes out of which we must leade them with this second dilemma Eyther the true Church whose Society our Protestants challenge did so continue with the papacy as it participated with it in sacrifice and Sacraments in publike faith and open communion Or did not participate but made a Church by it selfe mynistring Sacraments and preaching the word apart from the Papists If it participated with that preuayling faction they were contaminated with their heresies defiled with their errours and so the papacy was not only a contagion outwardly cleaning to the Church or infecting it in part but inwardly canckering and corrupting the whole all â—ere made partakers of her disease who openly admitted and professed her doctrine 4. Agayne if the Protestant Church communicated with the Papacy and submitted her selfe to the tyranny of her faction at least for feare and in outward shew howsoeuer they belieued aright in their inward harts they were all eyther hypocrites or base dissemblers all open idolaters and deniers of Christ they were all depriued Luc. 9. v. 26. Rom. 10. vers 10. of the meanes of saluation For he that shal be ashamed of me and of my wordes him the Son of man shal be ashamed of when he shall come in his maiesty And with the hart we belieue to iustice with the mouth confession is made to saluation Which as I haue already confirmed by the testimony of Caluin so now I Field l. 1. c. 10 fo 1â— strengthen with the authority of M. Field Seeing sayth he the Church is the multitude of them that shal be saued and no man can be saued vnlesse he make confession vnto saluation for Faith hid in the hart and concealed doth not suffice It cannot be but they that are of the true Church must by the profession of the truth make themselues knowne in such sort that by their profession practise they may be discerned from other men So he 5. Moreouer if the true Church of the elect did communicat with the Papacy in preaching of the word and administration of Sacraments from Saint Gregory the great till Luthers dayes for almost a thousand yeares space eyther the Papacy it selfe was the true Church or Christ had all that while no true Church no spouse vpon earth because the true Church cannot possible be without the true preaching of the word and administration of Sacraments which are euen in our aduersaryes opinion the essentiall markes and properties of the Church and where they cease the Church according to them must perish Whitak in his answere to the third reason of M. Campian and decay VVe ascribe quoth Whitaker those properties to the Church which comprise the true nature of the Church whose presence make a Church and their absence marre or destroy a Church Wherefore sith no other truth was preached in the Papacy then the Roman Catholike fayth eyther that was true or no other true fayth was openly professed vpon earth On the other side if our aduersaryes do answere They caÌ„not answere they communicated not with the papacy that they communicated not in fayth and Sacraments with the Papacy but made a separate Church by themselues distinct from it in which the true word was preached and Sacraments mynistred Then that pure Protestant Church needed not the reformation of ProtestaÌ„ts from that Luther should haue learned his faith to that he and followers should haue ioyned themselues Then if they challenge such a Church they are engaged to name the persons who maynteyned their doctrine the people who imbraced it the tymes and places in which it was ProtestaÌ„ts vrged to shew their temples councels and countryes conuerted by them taught they must shew vs what Temples they built what Councells they gathered what bookes they wrote what heretikes they condemned what Countryes they haue conuerted and instructed in the fayth For it is
remission of sinnes is only to be had apart by themselues nor together with vs vnles they acknowledge our church to be true Which if they graunt as needs they must vnlesse they precipitate their forefathers into hell by diuiding them from the band of Gods spirituall campe they ought to returne their chiefest ringleaders all their complices for blasphemous slaunderers in calumniating the spouse of Christ in calling his Virgin with a sacrilegious Hieron in dialogâ— ad Luciferia cap. 8. tongue for these be Saint Hieromes wordes the strumpet of the Diuell the whore of Babilon the seat of Antichrist the â—inagogue of Sathan c. They are bound as Field counsayleth â—hem to imbrace her communion follow her directions rest in her Field in his dedicatory Epistle to the Arhâ—bishop of CaÌ„terbury â—â—dgements They are bound to belieue Transubstantiation â—â—rgatory inherent Iustice Intercession of Saints worship of Images â—â— all other articles which she in her generall Councells out of the word of God by lawfull authority hath publikely enacted or els they are to be accounted heathens publicans who obey not the Church they are to be ceÌ„sured as heretiks who rebell agaynst it 11. Yf ours were the true Church howsoeuer they imagine it to be stayned with errours yet their separation from her is an Apostacy from Christ a diuorce from his spouse a dismembring from his body and a most execrable disunion and schisme from the vnity of Gods chosen flocke Which cannot by any ignorance be excused in you nor by any ill liues of our Prelates tyranny of publike or abuses of our priuate men be warranted to be lawfull For Saint Paul repreheÌ„ded Aug. l. 3. coÌ„t ep Par. cap. 4. Incests Contentions and many other faultes in the church of Corinth The Prophets did the like in the church of the Iewes yet they neuer presumed to separate themselues from them in fellowship and communion Moyses hâ—â—h cryed sayth Saint Augustine Isay hath cryed Ieremy hath cryed let vs see whether they deuided the people of God how â—oatly did Ieremy rebuke the wicked liuers of his people yet he was amongst Aug. l. 2. cont lit Petil. c. 51. them he entred the Temple togeather with them he frequented the same Sacraments in that Congregation of the wicked he liued In another place writing of the Prelates faults which ought not to cause any schisme in the people he thus challengeth the Donatist PetiliaÌ„ the CaluiniaÌ„ ProtestaÌ„t VVhy doest thou call the Apostolike chayre the chayre of pestilence Yf for the meÌ„ why Did our Lord Iesus Christ for the Pharises any wrong to the Chayre wherin they sate Did he not commend that Chayre of Moyses and preseruing the honour of the Chayre reprooue them For he saith They sate vpon the Chayre of Moyses that which they say do ye These thinges if you did well consider you would not for the men whome you defame blaspheme the Sea Apostolike wherewith you do not communicate Ibid ca 61. And a few Chapters after Neyther for the Pharisees iâ— whome you compare vs not of wisdome but of malice did our Lord coÌ„maund the Chayre of Moyses to be forsaken In which Chayre verily he figured his own For he warneth the people to do that which they say not to do that which they doe and that the holines of the Chayre be in no case forÌ„saken nor the vnity of the flocke deuided for the naughty pastours Caluin lib. 4. instit c. 1. §. 12. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 12. Yea Caluin also discoursing of this matter sayth There may some faultines creepe into the Church in the administration of the doctrine and of the Sacraments which ought not to estraunge vs from the communion of it A little after For as much as there is no man which is not wrapped with some little cloud of ignorance eyther we must leane no Church at all or we must pardon a being deceaued in such thinges as may be vnknown without violating the sum of Religion Where he proueth by the testimony of S. Cyprian by the former example of Saint Paul of the Prophets of Christ himselfe That neyther the pestilence of vices nor corruption of manners doctrine in matters of such moment as do not endanger saluation should euer withdraw vs from the fellowship of Christs flock yea he there auerreth that the departing from the Church is a denying of God and of Christ c. Neyther can there be imagined sayth he a fault more Caluin â—b cap. 1. §. 10. haynous then with wicked breach of fayth to defile the mariage which the only begotten sonne of God hath vouchsafed to contract with vs. Hitherto Caluin 13. By which you see that if the Roman Church was at Luthers rising the true Church of Christ he should not haue forsaken the band of her communion Yf it was not no Church remayned by which he might be â—â—â—ne or you propagated none in which the truth was â—â—eached Sacraments ministred so no Church can â—ou find by your own essentiall propertyes of finding the Church In liew of which I shall display such euident â—â—parent marks as al both rude learned simple wise â—ay manifestly discouer the true Church of Christ And â—â—rst I will handle fowre most honourably meÌ„tioned both â—n the Nicen Constantinople creed that it is one holy Caâ—holike Apostolicall wherin vnity consent in fayth sanâ—â—ity in doctrine manners the name Catholike with â—â—e sense meaning therof Apostolicall succession are â—lainly intimated as the vndoubted notes badges of the Church CHAP. XIIII In which Vnity is explayned and strongly proued to be a marke of the Church Agaynst Doctour Whitaker and Doctour Fielde AS the soueraigne and incompatable goodnes the prime verity and truth it selfe is one the same constant vnchaungeable So whatsoeuer parâ—â—keth most of vnity constancy and integrity that approacheth neerest to the perfection of truth and whatsoeuer is variable chaungeable seuered by schisme rent by diuision that proceeds from obliquity of errour that iâ— infected with the corruption of falshood Hence it commeth that vnity is a cleere and manifest token of the true Church a note of Christes Kingdome whereas diuision schisme and variance is the brand of heresy a proper peculiar blot of the peruerse wicked and Sathanicall synagogue by which it falleth vpon a sudayne to irreparable ruine and vtter desolation as our Sauiour diuinely witnessed saying Euery Kingdome deuided agaynst it selfe shal be made desolate and house vpon house shall fall So we read that discorde and rebellion hath beene the generall destruction Luc. 11. 17. and bane of common wealthes and vnion peace and concord hath beene alwayes the stay and preseruation of them 2. I speake not heere of that which the Philosophers call numericall or indiuiduall vnity by which the Church is on it selfe and deuided from all false or hereticall assemblies but of the vnity of
tract Theologica much lesse to be graced from heauen or published to the world as a myrrour to imitate nay their chiefest Patriarches first authours Luther Caluin Beza c. haue byn blasted with ignominy partly for incestuous partly for sodomiticall partly for adulterous all for their riotous voluptuous and scandalous liues and of their progeny Luther in cap. 5. ad Galat. Caluin testifyeth VVhereas so many thousands greedily as it seemed gaue their names to the Gospell how few I beseech you haue retired from their vices Yea what other hath the greatest part pretended then that casting of the yoake of superstition they might more freely run into Luther in postill sup Euang. doÌ„ primae Aduentus Reynolds de Eccles Rom. idol l. 1. cap. 2. Eras Ep. ad Vult dissolution wantones Luther accordeth with him affirming of his brattes That they are seauen tymes morse vndeâ— the name of ChristiaÌ„liberty then they were vnder the Pope Liâ—kwise Men are now more reuengefull couetous licentious then they were euer before in the Papacy Therfore Erasmus whome Mayster Reynoldes commendeth as a man well deseruing of the Church of God wisely sayd of the Lutheran doctrine Bring me oâ—â— whome this Gospell hath of a glutton made sober of fierce milde of couetous liberall of an ill speaker well spoken of an vnchast shamefast I can shew them many who are made worse then they were The like was as prudeÌ„tly obserued by the Earle of Salisbury Lord A wise obseruation of the Lord Cecill late Earle of Salisbury Treasurer lately deceased who was wont as I haue been very credibly informed often to admire and say VVhat iâ— the cause that if any Catholike or Papist be conuerted to vs. he becomeâ—â— alwayes more deboyst and dissolute then before and yet if any of our Ministers repayre to them they are so changed in behauiour as we caâ— take no exception agaynst their liues The reason hereof I hauâ— assigned before and shall confirme by and by with the testimony of Sir Eduin Sandes howbeit the aduersary obiecteth That much deboystnes and misdemeanure â—s noted also amongst vs whereunto I intreate him to receaue this answere from Saint Augustine Now I admonâ—â—h Aug. l. â— de moribus Eccl. cap. 34. you of this point that you surcease to speake euill of the Catholique Church blaming the manners of men whome the also condemneth and whome she as euill laboureth dayly to amend The conuersation of Christ and his diuine preaching was most efficacious and heauenly yet it could not preuayle to mollify the hart of a tray tours Iudas So although our lawes and precepts be in euery respect most holy yet they cannot hinder and extirpate all kind of iniquity 10. Neuerthelesse there is a fourefold difference betweene the wicked of our side and those of the Reformers Note a fowerfold disparity betweene the naughty Catholikes and euill Protestants For the naughtines of our men wholy springeth eyther from their owne euill dispositions or infirmity of nature and no way from the prauity and largenesse of our doctrine as it partly doth in the profession of sectaryes 2. Compare number to number and quality of persons in like degree togeather ours are incomparably fewer and lesse enormous then theirs as the yearely recordes of Assises Sessions confronted with those of ancient tymes do report 3. Our disordered persons are Sir Edwin Sands in his relat sect 48. more narrowly sought out and bound to satisfy more exactly then their malefactours 4. We haue farre better helpes to reclayme them and stayes to keep them in the way of godlines then protestants haue Witnes Sir Edwin 2. Pet. 8. vers 19. Matt. 7. v. 13. vers Sands saying Let the Protestants looke with the eye of charity vpon them of the Papacy as well as of seuerity and they shall find some excellent orders of gouernement some singuler helps for the increase of godlines and deuotion for the conquering of sinne for the profiting in vertue Contrarywise in themselues looking with a more single 14. 2. Pet. 2. vers 10. Rom. 13. v. 1. 1. Pe. 2. v. 11 2. Pet. 2. v. 12. 13. Iude v. 4. 1. Pet. 2. v. 3. vers 18. Rom. 6. v. 11. and lesse indulgent eye they shall find there is no such absolute perfection in their doctrine reformation So he This is the cause of the loosenes of their and strictenes of our professours Wherfore if we should examine by this marke of holines who are the liuely members of Christ we or you it is euideÌ„t that you are the false Prophets promising liberty and we the true preachers exhorting to piety You the guides of Sathan shewing the broad way which leadeth to perdition and we the watchmen of the holy Ghost demonstrating the narrow gate which openeth the life You the lying Maysters which walke after the flesh in concupiscence of vncleanes and contemne dominion And we the humble subiects who obedient to higher powers striue to refraine from carnall desires which warre agaynst the soule You the vnreasonable men c. coninquinations and spots flowing in delicacies and transferring the grace of our God into riotousnes and we the reasonable hostes victimes and sacrifices offered vnto God mortified certes in the flesh but quickned in spirit dead to sinne but a liue to God in Christ Iesus our Lord. CHAP. XVII In which Sanctity or Holines is another way explayned to be a badge of the true Church THIS word Sanctum holy besides the former significations as it is deriued froÌ„ the verbe Sancio sancis betokeneth that What Sanctum deriued from the verbe Sancio doth import which is firmely ratifyed consecrated and established That which is stable vnchangeable sacred and inuiolable So lawes are tearmed holy Temples holy Kinges Ambassadours Priestes and Bishops holy sacred persons they ought to be fenced agaynst all force and violence Thus true religion is holy and inuiolable not to be altered or changed not be vanquished or subdued by any assaultes whatsoeuer but to preuayle vanquish and ouercome all such as fight agaynst it and grow alwayes more mighty by their encounters For as the Esquire of King Darius affirmed Truth abideth and groweth stronge for euer and liueth and preuayleth for euer and euer Edras 3. c. 4. vers 38. So the true Church her beliefe stil flourisheth and waxeth great and as Iustinian in the ciuil law discourseth Nothing iâ— lesse subiect to decay then true Religion But of false and Iusti l. Int. claras l. de suÌ„ma TriÌ„ Sap. 4. v. 3. 4. Matth. 15. vers 13. new deuised sects the holy Ghost deliuereth by the mouth of Salomon Bastard plantes shall not take deepe roote nor lay sure foundation and if in the boughes for a tyme they shall springe beinge weakely set they shal be moued of the winde and by the vehemency of the blastes they shal be extirpated And our Sauiour Christ All planting that my heauenly
Father hath not planted shal be rooted vp 2. By this marke you shall see that the profession of our new gospellers is a bastardly slippe and the Romane Foure notes or branches of stability by which the RomaÌ„ Church is proued to be the true Church of Christ Fayth the only stable and vnconquerable truth First if you consider how this Roman fayth alone hath beene euer impugned by all kind of aduersaryes yet still remayned victorious Secondly how by it selfe it maynteyned her right agaynst them all without any forrayne helpe or succour Thirdly how it hath alwayes orderly proceeded by subduing them as a Queene or Empresse by absolute authority and iuridicall power Fourthly how in these encounters it hath neuer altered or changed her fayth neuer relented or yealded to her enemyes in any point little or great but hath still florished and preuayled agaynst them 3. Euery one of these notes are prerogatiues of The Roman Church shewed to be true because that alone is impugned by al false and hereticall conuenticles the true Church For all vices and errours though contrary in themselues agree in this that they are opposite vnto vertue opposite vnto truth So all sectes and heresies though neuer so repugnant one from the other yet all ioyne to make open warre agaynst the true fayth and Church of God The Sadduceans Pharisies Herodians were at deadly foe amongst themselues notwithstanding they made league and linked togeather in persecuting of Christ Thus the Roman Church only no other hath beene euer pursued by all the rebellious sects that euer were Agaynst her the Simonians Cerinthians Micolaits Eutichians Nacedonians in former tymes Agaynst her the Anabaptistes Brownistes Lutherans Caluinists Armenians Gomotistes and all Protestants bid battayle now a dayes Agaynst her the Turkes Iewes Pagans Polititians and Atheistes pitch their tents Against her the heathenish and other wicked Emperours haue bent their forces Dioclesian Valens Iulian Constantius Leo Isaurus Constantinus Copronymus Fredericus c Against her all the powers of hell and might of Sathan hath opposed yet could neuer preuayle She is therefore the house of God built vpon a rocke on Matt. 7. v. 24. 25. which the rayne fell the flouds came the windes blew but cold not ouerthrow it She is the Campe of Israell assaulted by all her bordering enemies yet neuer vanquished by any The 2. Reg. 7. throne of Salomon established for euer The Kingdome of Christ often impugned yet victoriously triumphing Aug. inps 47. The Roman Church the vncoÌ„querable truth because it resisteth ouercommeth by it self without help of others ouer all the Kingdomes of the earth 4. Secondly the Roman Church hath thus defended her selfe and gotten the victory without the association or confederacy of any Church She by her selfe vnder the protection of God hath stoutly atchieued these wonderfull conquests She by her owne men by the Bishops Prelates and other secular and religious persons of her owne profession hath maynteyned her Catholike Orthodoxall fayth with patience agaynst the stormes of persecutours with reasons agaynst the subtility of Philosophers with Scriptures against heretikes with prophecies agaynst the Iewes with prescriptions agaynst the Turkes with Christian prudence agaynst the Macihuelians with naturall arguments agaynst the Atheists Pagans with miracles agaynst the weake with consent fame and authority agaynst the proude and haughty Agaynst these and all others our Church alone hath in all ages euer since Christ his tyme with vnmatcheable wisdome and power vncontrolable vpholden the right and glory of her cause by helpes taken out of her owne armory with weapons of her owne Whereas her aduersaryes haue still ayded one another still called vpon forayne Sect aryes and false Churches are forced to borrow help one from the other succours to support backe them as our sectaries now implore the ayde of sundry heretiks to make some mâ—ster or shew of pretended Gospellers to encounter with vs not vnlike to Cataline the rebell who associated himselfe with all the dissolute ruffianlike vicious and forlorne refuse of what kind soeuer they were to warre agaynst his Countrey For so our English ProtestaÌ„ts linke in communion first with their fellow Puritans whome one of their owne brethren tearmeth Apostolikes Aerians Tull. orat 1. 2. 3. in Catal. Ormer dia. 1. Pepuzians Petrobusians Florinians Cerinthians Nazarens Beguardines Ebionites Catabaptides Catharists Iouianistes c. Then both Puritans and Protestants band with the Lutherans Caluinists Hussites Wickelifists Albigenses As heretiks begge men so likewise munition from forrenners VVhitak in resp ad Sand. Col. l 4. iust c. 9. §. 8. Fulk in his confutation of Purgatory Beza epist Theo. 81. VVhitg in his def Hooker in his preface to his eccl pol. pa. 24. 25. 26. 27. The Bish Confer at Hampt Court Picards with other such monsters more hideous and mishapen in profession then ill fauoured in names With them they ioyne frendship to fill vp the number of their mutinous and disloyall Army 5. Neither is it inough for theÌ„ to beg the supply of forrayne souldiers but their weapons also they steale froÌ„ others For when the Protestant would annoy the Puritan he putteth on the armour of our doctours Councells ordinances and prescriptions When he defendeth his quarrell agaynst Catholikes he flyeth to the secret ambushes and retrayts of Puritans he relieth wholy on their hidden spirit by it he will trye the sayings of Fathers and decrees of Councells By that Whitaker cassieereth a full senate of Fathers Caluin examineth general CouÌ„cells Fulke maketh hauocke of all antiquity Farre otherwise doth Beza with the Trinitaryes Mayster Whitgift with Cartwright Maister Hooker Doctour Couell and the Protestant Bishops in their coÌ„ference with Puritans disprouing them by our principles of tradition Besides from vs they borow their Scriptures their lawes their constitutions their ecclesiasticall gouernement and hierarchy of their Clergy With these rags of popery as both their and our enemyes seeke to disgrace them with these stollen feathers they are wont to glory like the Horatian daw In so much as some of their owne Protestants complaine of the present Ministry and Church of England That their Pontificall wherby they consecrate Bishops make ministers and deacons is nothing else but a thinge word for word drawn out Admo to the Parlia of the Popes Pontificall 6. Besides as they embezell from vs all that is laudable orderly or good amongst them so their dregges of Aug. l. de bar cap. 53. Guido Carmelit in su Coal l. de histor Hussi Syn. Constann sess 8. Lat. l. ad BereÌ„g Nicep in hist eccles l. 16. ca. 27. Bucching in eccl hist Prat. ver Nouatiani Ierem. lib. contra Virgilan Euthimius in Panopl par 2. tit 21. Theod. l. 4. haer fab Dam. l. de cent haer Iero. in lib. ad Vigil Ioui Ionas Aureliaâ—ensis apud SaÌ„d l. 7. de de visi mo Irae l. 1. c. 20. Epiph haer 64 Theod. l. 4. haer
CHAP. IX In which it is proued that no Sectary can be saued by beleeuing the chief heads of Religion IN the hartes of such as reuolte from truth there breedeth like a canker this cloaked Atheisme that it importeth little of what religion a man be of so he acknowledge one God receaue the Apostles Creed and beleeue to be saued by the merits of Christ An Atheisme I call it because it secretly tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of all Christian fayth due worship of God The gainsaying of any one article disposeth to a plaine Apostacy denyal of all articles of fayth For as the taking away of a few stones by little and little disposeth to the ruine of a stately building so the remouall or not admittance of some points of fayth most dangerously maketh way to the denyall of all after which manner I shall demonstrate by by how that he which gaynesayth the least article of fayth hath quite lost hiâ— fayth without which it is impossible to please God But first I will begin with some other arguments 2. According to this Atheistical opinion that euery one may be saued in his owne sect the Pelagians Nouatians Donatists Eutichians Monothelites and sundry other plagues of the Church who imbraced the Trinity Incarnation Passion of Christ c. might be put in some hope of future happynes which no Christian I thinke will now confesse Likewise those sectaryes who after the definition of the Church maintayned S. Cyprians and other holy Bishops errour of rebaptization consorted with Catholiks in all other points of beliefe notwithstanding for that alone they were accounted heretikes and so depriued of the benefit of life Of whome Vincen. Lirinensis Vincen. adu prof haeret nouit maketh this exclamation O admirable change of thinges the Authors of one and the same opinion are esteemed Catholiks and their followers are iudged Heretikes Because they without breach of peace before the decree of the Church these after with proud stubbornes presumed to defend it 3. The Quartdecimani who liued about the yeare 186. beleeued all the substantiall heades of faith They beleeued whatsoeuer was publiquely taught receaued in the primitiue Church but only one particuler thing as it should seeme of small importance concerning the celebration of Euseb l. 5. c. 22. Nicep l. 4. cap. 39. the Feast of Easter whether it should be celebrated on the fourteenth Moone then the fast of Lent cease vpon whatsoeuer day it fell or vpon a Sunday according to the generall custome of Christians And yet for this only point they are enrolled in the catalogue of heretikes excluded here from the banquet of the Church supper of the lambe hereafter For S. Austine in his booke of heresyes Aug. haer 29. Epiphan 50. Hier. dial aâ—â—er Lucifer c. 1. Haereticos quoscumque christianos non esse Tit. 3. v. 10. rehearsing them by another name sundry more among whom many beleeued all the forenamed principles of religion he notwithstanding coÌ„cludeth of them the like other heresys besides these may be any one of which whosoeuer shall hold cannot be a Christian catholik S. Ierome presupposeth this as a certeine ground Heretikes whatsoeuer cannot be Christians bargayneth with his colloquutor to speake of an heretique as of a gentile S. Paul chargeth vs to shun the company of euery heretique in what point soeuer he runneth astray saying A man that is an heretique after the first second admonition auoyde knowing that he that is such a one is subuerted sinneth being condemned by his owne iudgment And he casteth all Gal. 5. v. 20. 21. sectaryes with fornicatours murderers and drunkards out of the kingdome of heauen 4. Moreouer the Donatists disagreed from the Catholique Church in a matter not specifyed in the Creed no nor expresly mentioned as S. Augustine auoweth in holy writ This sayth he neither you nor I do read in expresse wordes Aug. l. de vnit Eccl. c. 19. Aug. l. 1. cont Cres c. 33. Lib. 11. de baptis con Donat. c. 4. l. 5. cap. â—4 And in another place Although no example of this matter be found in holy scriptures yet doe we follow in this the truth of the scriptures when we do that which is agreeable to the vniuersall Church commended vnto vs by the authority of the same scripture Likewise The Apostles haue commaunded nothing concerning this matter But the custome which was alleadged against S. Cyprian is to be thought to haue descended from their tradition as diuers other things haue done which the vniuersall Church doth obserue are therefore with great reason beleeued to haue beene commaunded by the Apostles although they be not written So that the Donatistes alteration was about aâ— vnwritten verity They inuocated one God as S. Augustine affirmeth with him they beleeued in the same Christ Augu. in explicatione psal 54. they had the same gospell sung the like psalmes c. they agreed which him in baptisme in keeping the feasts of martyrs in celebrating of Easter In these sayth he they were with me yet not altogether with me in schisme not with me The belief of the Trinity other chiefe articles auayled not the Donatists because they denyed som vnwritten traditioÌ„s in heresy not with me in many thinges with me in a sew not with me these few in which not with me the many could not help them in which they were with me Behold the Donatists could not be holpen they could not receaue any benefit or fruit from God by beleeuing the Trinity the mediatioÌ„ of Christ the Creed the sacramentes the rest because they dissented from the Church in some few traditions not recorded in scripture can our sectaryes looke to enioy the treasures of life denying both vnwritten traditions diuers other articles cleerely expressed in holy writ as I haue proued in the two former partes of this treatise 5. Besides although the beleefe in God in Christ in the articles of the Creed were sufficient to saluation yet this beleefe ought to be one the same in all the faithfull for truth is one vniforme and constant falshood â—arious discordant chaungable But diuers sectes diâ—ersly vnderstand these heades of religion Therefore they â—â—nnot all haue the true vniforme and sauing faith To instance in the dissention of ProtestaÌ„ts from vs. They beleeue that their God doth truly purpose determine and The Protestants beliefe in God is not the same with the true beliefe of Catholikâ— â—o operate vnto sinne yet as a righteous Iudge not as an euill â—â—tâ—ur We beleeue that our true God no way at all with no right intention can concurre thereunto They beleeue a dissembling God with a twofold will one reuealed and detesting the other secret intending sinne We teach that our God hath but one will which wholy disliketh â—â— hateth sinne They beleeue a God so weake or vnmerâ—â—full as there be some sinnes he will
be reputed an aduersary while he sitteth in the throne And Saint Paul directly teacheth that the personall line and continuall propagation of Prophets Euangelistes Pastours and Doctours was instituted by God for the perpetuall succession and continuance Ephes 4. v. 11. 12. 13. Ibid. v. 14. of truth That now we be not children wauering and caryed about with euery winde of doctrine c. Therefore the true personall succession cannot be where the succession of doctrine wauereth much lesse where it fayleth which M. Reynolds M. Whitaker and sundry of our Protestant Reynolds in his conference ca. 7. diuis 9. VVhitak contr 1. q. 5. cap. 6. folio 271. aduersaries earnestly auowe and diligently demonstraty to our handes thereby to defeate if they could possible the prerogatiue of our succeeding Bishops But albeit it maketh nothing agaynst vs nay vpholdeth the right of our clayme who agree with our auncestours in al points of fayth yet it vtterly ouerthrowneth the vsurped title they newly challenge to the pedigree of our Bishops froÌ„ whome they dissent in the very many articles of our beliefe For by their owne arguments no participation can they haue with them in chayres no affinity or succession in Priestly thrones agaynst whome they bray forth defiance in doctrine 6. Now as touching Election the third thing which is defectiue in the Protestant ministery that is a priuiledge only due to ecclesiasticall persons For although secular ProtestaÌ„t Bishops want the electioÌ„ of Deane chapter of all clergy persoÌ„s Princes or such as haue auowsans might somtyme present and nominate their Prelates although the consent and approbation of people for greater vnion and peace hath beene also required yet the Election which interesseth the elected entitleth him to his dignity and giueth him a certayne right to his calling This is and euer was only proper to the Pope to the Deane and Chapter or some other of the Clergy and flatly forbidden to the laity vnder payne of excommunication in In Concil gener 8. can 22. ap Grat. distinc 63. c. Hadrian In Syno Niâ— 2. can 3. the eight generall Councell vnder Basil the Emperour and Adrian the Pope Likewise in the second Nicen Synod it is declared That euery Election of Bishop Priest Deacon made by secular powers let it be inualide and of no force And amongst the Canons of the Apostles the thirtith Canon hath these wordes The Bishop who by the fauour of the Princes and Potentates of the world hath gotten his Church let him be deposed But our English Protestant Bishops haue inuaded their Seas by the fauour of Princes by their letters patents without the canonicall election of Pope Deane and Inter can Aposto ca. 30. Chapter or any ecclesiasticall person Therefore they are to be deposed as wolfes vsurpers entring in at the window and not at the dore This defect is not fayned by coniectures as Barlowes consecration is by Mayster Mason nor proued by secret partiall and vnknowne Recordes MasoÌ„ l 3. c. 4. pag. 127. as he doth the ordination of others But it is publikely set downe in the common receaued lawes or Statutes of the Realme For in the first of King Edward the 1. Edward chapter 2. sixt an Act of Parlament was made for disanulling the election of Archbishops and Bishops by the Deane and Chap. taking away the writ of Conge-deslier grauÌ„ted to that purpose The wordes of the Statute are these The writ of Congedeslier was not to be graunted in King Edwards dais whose lawes Queene Elizabeth reestablished 8. Eliza. 1. 7. Be it enacted by the King with the assent of the Lords spirituall and temporall and the Commons in this present Parlament assembled by the authority of the same that from henceforth no such Conge-deslier be graunted nor election of any Archbishop or Bishop by the Deane and Chapter made but that the Kinge may by his letters Patentes at all tymes when any Archbishopricke or Bishopricke be voyde conferre the same to any persons to whome the Kinge shall think meete Can there be a more euident proofe that the Bishops of King Edwards dayes when this Statute was in force wanted their canonical electioÌ„ And after when his lawes repealed by Queene Mary were reestablished by Queene Elizabeth at least in the beginning how beit since they make shew of returning to the auncient custome Can there be likewise a more vehement suspition willfull forgery in M. Masons registers which testify the Writ of Conge-deslier to be graunted forth when by the tenour of that law it could not be graunted 8. Notwithstanding although their Bishops election Mason lib. 2. chap. 10. fol. 88. 89. The ordination of Protestant Priests Bishops vnlawfull inualide noneat all was inualide and succession of no account yet M. Mason stifly vrgeth that their ordination or consecration was good vnlesse we can name some defect eyther in the consecrated or consecratours I answere that the consecratours after their reuolte from the Catholique Church obstinat persisting in schisme heresy were excommunicated and suspended from the due execution and practise of their functions So that although they had beene before true lawfull Bishops as none excepting Cranmer were of the whole Protestant ranke yet then their authority being taken away by the Catholike Church which as she had power to giue had power also to restrayne and disanull their iurisdiction they could not lawfully communicate vnto others that which was suspended in themselues For this cause Saint Athanasius accouÌ„teth them not in the number of true Bâ—shops who are consecrated by heretikes saying By what right can they Athanasius in Concil Arimi Seleuc. § Quae auteÌ„ Seieâ—ciae be Bishops if they receaued their ordination from heretikes as they theÌ„selues accuse them to be Likewise writing in another place in the person of Pope Iulius It is impossible quoth he that the ordinations made by Secundus being an AriaÌ„ could haue any force in the Catholike Church 6. But M. Mason our Protestants Attorney will reply Apol. 2. that S. Athanasius is to be vnderstood of the legitimate and lawfull vse not of the validity of ordination For that euery Bishop communicateth not by reason of his inherent grace or out ward vnion with the Church but by vertue of his episcopall character which no schisme quoth he by deduction out of our writinges no sinne no Mason l. 2. c. 10. fo 88. heresy no censures of the Church no excommunication suspension interdiction degradation nothing nothing at all sauing only death if death can dissolue it Thus he I graunt that the character is indeleble and that alone is sufficient in the consecratour if his intention also be right and if he vse the true matter and forme essentially required thereunto But our English Superintendents after their fal from the Roman Church neyther intended to giue those holy orders which were instituted by Christ neyther did the ordeyned intend to receaue them
Truth But when God by the Scriptures reuealed it vnto them they both preached it themselues commended it to posterity So that the thinges reuealed vnto them in Scripture was all the Our Ghospellers haue no certayne rule to know their reuelation froÌ„ Scripture to be true warrant they had to preach such Protestant articles as they now maynteyne contrary to the approued doctrin of the Church 25. But I inquire of M. Mason what reuelation it was they had from Scripture Was it the priuate interpretation they made thereof That is fallible and subiect to errour That reuelation euery heretique challengeth and with as much reason maynteyneth it as any Protestant doth his Was it as others pretend the publique voyce of God which spake in Scripture But this In the first part of the Antidote in the first second chapter is a meere collusion of words to beguile the simple For the voyce of God speaking in Scripture is nothing els but the very text of Scripture the wordes and sentences vttered in Scripture as I haue elsewhere often declared Was it their industry labour in conferring reading finding out the true sense of Scripture But this industry was also deceauable as I haue inuincibly demonstrated Our Ghospellers haue not the true Christian fayth concerning any article whatsoeuer in the first controuersy of my Antidote Therefore Protestantes could haue no reuelation from Scripture wherreby they might be infallibly certayn which is necessary to sayth of the truth they deliuered Yea although they should haue lighted vpon the true meaning of some essentiall article of beliefe yet that article so taught and belieued because they so interprete that place of Scripture was not any article of Christian fayth not that diuine fayth which we are commanded to imbrace but a meere humane verity a humane fayth The reason is In the 9. chapter of this third part because the thing belieued causeth not fayth but the infallible motiue for which we belieue it that motiue in Protestants is altogeather fallible as hath been elswhere more largely conuinced Therefore the reuealed truth Luther in expo Ep. ad Galat. cap. 1. folio 215. printed ad VVittemberge by Ioan. Luâ—â— 1954. which they belieue is also fallible 26. Besides Truth reuealed to Protestants in holy Scripture is not sufficient for their Legantine power vnles the legacy also or charge of preaching be coÌ„mitted vnto them It is not inough sayth Luther their chiefe Patriarch for a man to haue the word and purity of doctrine but also he must be assured of his calling not of his calling oÌ„ly to Prieststood by the shell as you tearme it of succession or ceremony of ordination but of his calling and commission giuen to preach and recommend vnto posterity the kernell of Luther ibidem folio 276. doctrine This Mission this vocation he must also haue and that from men or els although thou wert as Luther sayth wiser then Salomon wiser then Daniell if thou be not called more then hell beware thou cast not out a word And many leaues Ierom. 23. v. 21. after he protesteth of himselfe that although he could deliuer soules from errour and damnation by his holesome doctrine yet he ought to commit the matter to God and not to preach Ezech. 13. v. 6. vnlesse he be called by men For such as do otherwise he tearmeth them impostors miscarryed not with a good but a wicked spirit They are those of whome Ieremy and Ezechiell fore warned vs I sent not the Prophets and they ranne I spake not vnto them they prophesied They see vayne thinges and they diuine lyes saying our Lord sayth whereas our Lord sent them not 27. Therefore albeit we should suppose that these new Gospellers had as Mayster Mason insinuateth power from vs to preach truth which notwithstanding is most false yet when they beganne to preach other doctrine then was deliuered vnto them other then was put into their mouthes by their predecessours therein they lost their calling ranne of themselues preached of themselues not sent from God with extraordinary miracles nor yet from men with ordinary commission to publish that fayth For as he who hath authority Aâ— Ambassadourâ— who alter the legacy of their Prince are not therein to be tearmed his Ambassadours no more can ProtestaÌ„ts be sayd to be sent to alter the coÌ„mission of those that sent them Optatus l. 2. contra Parmen from his Kinge to deliuer an Embassage if he alter or change the Massage of his Prince he cannot therein be truly sayd to be his legate or Ambassadour especially if the King recall or countermaunde whatsoeuer he proposeth contrary to his minde No more can Protestant Ministers though rightly ordered and lawfully called maynteyne their calling or vocation to preach any other truth then such as was commended vnto them much lesse if our Bishops reuerse their commission contradict their doctrine labour by al meanes vtterly to suppresse it For who doubteth but that such as haue power to communicate haue power also to reuoke moderate and restreyne the authority which they giue And whosoeuer persisteth after the reuocation or whosoeuer altereth the tenour of his commission he runneth not sent he prophesieth that which our Lord neuer sayd nor any of his seruants deliuered vnto him he is therein as Optatus wittily iesteth at Victor the Donaeist A sonne without a Father a Nouice without an instructour disciple without a mayster follower without a predecessour prodigiously borne a preacher of himselfe teaching a lesson which he neuer learned of any before For to go backe and say with M. Mason that God by Scriptures reuealed it vnto him is no authenticall or sufficient calling because generally all heretiques boast of the like reuelation all pretend their Mission and calling by Scripture That the Donatistes the Circumcellians the Arians arrogated and had as good warrant God leaueth not Scripture to euery ones priuat exposition but to the interpretation only of his Church for the true meaning of Scripture as any Protestant hath for his exposition Wherefore to auoyd the confusion occasions of errour which might ensue of leauing the Scripture to the particuler interpretations of priuat men it pleaseth God to vnfold the true sense meaning of his will to the publike Pastours preachers of his Church to them he infallibly deliuereth the inheritance of truth of them only we must seeke it to them we are bound to repayre to haue it opened vnto vs from them alone we can haue our vocation to preach it Otherwise euery mad and fanaticall spirit might fondly deuise as Protestants doe what constructions what reuelations he list 28. This reason Iohn Caluin the chiefe Architect of M. Masons religion assigneth why God teacheth not eyther by himselfe or by Angells but by the voyce and Caluin in c. 59. Isa speach of men This order quoth he God hath setled in his Church that they may vaunt themselues in
designed by the mouth of our Lord from whence it is to beginne and how farre it is to be dilated it is to beginne at Ierusalem and to be dilated into all nations Where he often sayth it shal perseuere Ibidem c. 5. vntill the end of the world This marke is distinct from those which I haue explaned heretofore because I speake not here of the vniuersall being of the Church but of the manner how it came to be in all nations 〈◊〉 of the successiue line of pastorall doctrine but of the order how it also continued for euer 2. After which sort it is to be reduced to the precedent note of Apostolicall succession and such Churches as are thus deriued from those which the Apostles planted Tertull. in praes cont haer may be truly called as Tertullian affirmeth Apostolicall Churches But the Church of Rome only can shew how it beganne at Ierusalem how it grew and spread it selfe into all nations how it still perseuereth whole and entire in all the pointes of fayth she first sucked from the Apostles The Apostolicall fayth is to be knoweÌ„ not by the priuat expositions which now are deuised but by the generall interpretations of Scripture which haue been deliuered froÌ„ tyme to tyme. breastes Therefore she alone is the vndoubted spouse of Iesus Christ For we doe not here intrude our selues to the Apostles tymes and lay clayme as Protestants and other heretikes falsly doe to the Apostolicall faith but to the preaching propagatioÌ„ continuance of that fayth not to the new interpretatioÌ„s which now are made of the written word but to the receaued expositions which from tyme to tyme from country to country from Iury to Rome from Rome to all nations haue beene infallibly gathered and faythfully deliuered out of that sacred word Of this our sectaryes are so destitute as they had not any Priest or Bishop Clark of layman woman or childe in the whole world who preached vnto Luther their first beginner and deliuered vnto him or any other of his consorts their Protestant doctrin Therfore Mayster Mason retire to as you haue heard to the reuelation of Scripture made in England to Cranmer Latimer Ridley and their fellowes others to the like reuelations made to Luther at wittemberge to Caluin at Geneua Mason l. 1. chap. 2. fol. 11. to Oecolampadius at Basil from thence they deriue the propagation or reuiuall of their Gospell which lay dead before for many ages And that which Saint Augustine Aug. l. de vnit Eccl. cap. 17. condemned in the Donatists of no lesse then blasphemy to wit that the good seede of heauenly truth which was sowed by the Apostles and Apostolicall men in all the world and which was there to grow vntill the haruest should haue perished out of those places and be sowed a new out of Africa This I say which he accounted in them a most detestable blasphemy is reuiued again by our late Sectaries who as wretchedly dreame that the same seede was decayed in their dayes or couered at least froÌ„ the view of the world that it had not any publike Pastours to preserue it Doctours to water it preachers to sow it but it must be sowed a new by Cranmer out of England by Luther out of Wittemberge out of Geneua by Caluin whose folly I impugne with Saint Augustines wordes For as his enemyes furnish our Sectaryes with obiections so he armeth vs with irresistable answeres Let them sayth he search the Scriptures and agaynst so many testimonyes which proclayme the Church of Christ to be spread ouer all the world let them Aug. de vnit eccl c. 4. bring but one as certayne and manifest as those by which they demonstrate the Church of Christ to haue perished out of other nations and only to haue remayned in Africa as though it should haue another beginning not from Ierusaelem but from Carthage where first they set vp a Bishop agaynst a Bishop Or as we may apply it to our purpose VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. cap. 1. The Apology of the English Church pa. 4. chap. 4. Caluin libro 4. instit 1. c. 7. §. 24. Fox acts and mon. pag. 400. and pag. 402. Oecolampadius vpon his tomb at Basill is called Euangelicae doctrinae Author primus Buâ—er â—â— An. 36. ad Episco Hereford calleth Luther primum Apostolum purioris â—uangelij Ioachim Camera fratrum orthodoxae Eccles pag. 161. calleth â—uther 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from England from Wittemberge from Geneua where by Bishops of Priestes lately sprunge vp are scattered abroad new seedes of beliefe contrary to the sowinges of all other Bishops and Priestes In so much as their owne followers attribute vnto them The Restauration The Bringing to light The first Beginning or Rebudding of the Gospell The Reedification of the desolate ruines of Religion The Opening of a veyne longe hid before The Rising of aebeame of truth then vnknowne and vnheard They call them the first Authours first Maysters first restorers first Apostles of their euangelicall strange â—â—d new reformed doctrine For themselues also entitle it new â—â—d strange And another of their fauourites auerreth that â—uther receaued not his fayth eyther froÌ„ Husse or Wickâ—iffe but was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instructed of himselfe by the help no doubt aâ— he imâ—gâ—â—ed of holy Scripture A playne demonstration that the Protestant fayth is not that which beginning first at Ierusalem was diffused ouer the world and from Pastour to Pastour descended by the Apostles prescribed way of preaching vnto them Now let vs see whether this property belonge not to the Roman Church 3. Our aduersaries cannot deny but that the ChristiaÌ„ faith first preached at Rome came from Ierusalem eyther by Saint Peter as the whole clowd of Fathers and greatest torrent of Protestants beare witnes or at least by S. Paul who continued the same preaching and was there vnder Nero crowned with martyrdome Likewise that the same fayth was propagated into all Nations the Apostle also testifieth saying to the Romans Your fayth is renowned Rom. 1. v. 8. in the whole world and Saint Irenaeus calling it the greatest and most auncient Church of Rome knowne to all the world as founded by the two most glorious Apostles Peter and Paul addeth Irenaeus l. 3. c. 3. adu haeres immediatly after that vnto this Church in respect of her more mighty principality it is necessary that all Churches agree and haue accesse that is to say all faythfull people wheresoeuer they liue In which Church the tradition that hath descended from the Apostles VVhitak in his ans to Doctor Sanders 2. demonst Fulke in c. 22. Thessa sect 7. Reynolds in his 5. conclus hath euer beene kept by those that liue in any place of the world Fot this cause our aduersaryes confesse that it was our mother Church a most pure excellent and flourishing Church And so continued for some few ages But since say they it is degenerated into a
Church as a flatterer stileth him wrote directly agaynst them Where was that ordinary succession ordinary calling common consecration of Protestant superintendents of which M. Mason braggeth so much by three of our Bishops or such as were ordeyned by them when Whitaker denyed their Prelates and ministers to be ordeyned by Papisticall Bishops When he â—aught that they ought not to be created by them That the manner of consecrating by three Bishops Ibid. f. 308. did not take place in their lapsed Church That Catholique Bishops could not be induced to lay hands vpon Ricard Stock in dedicatory epist to my them That their succession was extraordinary not according to the receaued manner Were Masons ordinations then a foote His forged consecrations euery where practised when Whitaker so often and so aduisedly Lord Knowles protesteth the contrary But into such contradictions they are wont to fal who wrongfully lay claim to false pretended titles Mason lib. 1. 2. 3. 22. The chiefe reason which moued Mayster Whitaker Mayster Fulke and their consortes thus to disclaime froÌ„ the ordination of Catholike Bishops was because VVhitak contro 2. q. 3. cap 1. folio 184. Episcopi qui secuti GregoriuÌ„ magnum verifuerunt Antichristi Fulke in c. 20. Apo. sect 2. Sparke in his answere to M. Iohn d' Aâ—bins p. 23. they most iniuriously accounted them antichristian Prelates The Bishops sayth Whitaker which followed Gregory the great were true Antichrists They were as Fulke miscalleth them Prelates of the Antichristian Church Right Priests of Antichrist sayth D. Sparke yea nothing is more common among them then to cal our people the limmes of Antichrist our Church the congregation of Antichrist our Priests Fulke in c. 2. ad Thess sect 9. and in c. 17. Apo. sect 1. 4 in other of his works and Bishops the slaues and shauelinges of Antichrist our Popes euen Antichrists themselues Which although they be most malicious and spiâ—ifull calumniations howsoeuer Mayster Powell belieueth the letter as an article of faith Yet see the misery of English Superintendents when to the condemnation of all their neighbour brethren who want that calling they are fayne to begge their spirituall power from such as they misdeeme Antichristian Gabriel Powel in tract de Antichristo p. 2. Bishops when they cannot enter the folde of Christ but by the back-dore of Antichrist nor minister his Sacraments but by ordination from Antichrist nor feede his sheepe but by commission from Antichrist nor receaue holy orders and conferre them to others but by the authority ProtestaÌ„ts aredriuen to great extremityes wheÌ„ they beg from Antichrist all their christian rites of Antichrist Was the sonne of God so needy The Church his spouse become so bankrupt as not to haue any power or iurisdiction left but what it borrowed from Antichrist her deadly enemy Was Christ disrobed of all his inheritance and after so many ages did he repaire to you to restore him his right by the meanes of Antichrist By his slauish army by his Antichristian Idolatours O M. Mason how base are your thoughts how miserable your clergy when you are forced to run to this miserable refuge To go on Protestant mynisters want true mission or vocatioÌ„ to preach 23. The last defect of Protestant ministery is mission or vocation to preach which is so necessary to the function of a lawfull Pastour and duâ—y of the faythfull as Saint Paul sayth How shall they belieue him whome they haue not heard And how shall heare without a preacher But how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent In which words he chaineth together in a linke inseparably these fower thinges Fayth Hearing Rom. 10. v. 14. 15. Preacher and Mission and as Hearing is requisite in the belieuer that â—e may rightly belieue so Mission in the preacher that he may lawfully preach This mission or calling is of two sortes the one immediatly from God which is called an extraordinary Mission ought to be proued by apparant miracles the irreproueable seales conformations of Gods will The other mediatly only by authority communicated vnto them from Apostolicall men the vicegerents of Christ vpon earth which is tearmed an ordinary vocation the vsuall Mission now Matth. 28. Rom. 10. Eph. 4. Luther Tom. 5. â— VViteÌ„ in c. 1. ad Galat. folio 376. practised in the Church and which hath continued according to the promise of Christ and testimony of the Apostle confessed by Luther and shall continue euen to the end of the world without which whosoeuer arrogateth the name of a Preacher he is an vsurper an intruder that rusheth in at the window and entreth not at the dore he is a wolfe a theefe who cometh not but to steale kill destroy 24. Wherefore although we should bestow vpon Protestants the almes of ordination they so importunatly begge although they could deriue a true consecration Eavocatio durauit vsque ad nostra teÌ„pora durabit vsque ad finem muÌ„di which they shall neuer be able from Catholique Bishops yet their Commission and warrant to preach their Caluinisticall doctrine their vocation thereunto they can neuer shew For let them tell me who called them to that office Who gaue them authority to preach their Protestant fayth Temporall Princes and secular people whome Mayster Whitaker assigneth They cannot communicat that spirituall power they cannot preach themselues much lesse enable others to discharge that office VVhitak contro 2. q. 5. ca. 6. f. 36â— Agayne what Princes or people might they be No Catholike Princes would giue them commission to preach Protestant doctrine No Protestant Princes or people were heard of vntill Luther and his disciples had publiquely In vayne do ProtestaÌ„t mynisters pretend their calling from temporall Princes or secular magistrates preached their Protestant Ghospell In vayne then doe they seeke their calling from these Will they pleade it from some ecclesiasticall persons Priestes or Bishops But I haue often inculcated that there was not any Protestant Priest or Bishop in the world when these Sectaryes first beganne and as for Catholique Bishops they were so farre from giuing them any Commission to preach or power to mynister Sacraments after their manner as they excommunicated and forbad them all pulpits and oratoryes renounced all society and participation in Sacraments with them laboured by all meanes possible to hinder suppresse their false and new coyned Gospell Therefore M. Mason striueth to vnderprop their Mission not by letters of credit from any secular magistrates or orthodoxall Bishops but by the broad seale forsooth as he falsly supposeth of holy Scripture the common warrant to which euery heretique seemeth to lay clayme saying Cranmer the rest receaued Mason l. 2. c. 2. folio 11. from you the shell of succession without the kernell of doctrine For though our Church did giue men power to preach the truth yet being bewitched with Antichrist in many things it did not reueale the