goodnesse who calleth things that are not as though they were euen in that Ministery gaue grace vnto his Saints Bishop Carlton wrote a booke of purpose entituled Consensus Ecclesiae catholica contra Tridentines to shew that although the doctrine of Christian Religion was much altered in the chiefest Articles of Faith by Fryers yet a great number of godly learned men held the ancient truth and preserued the Church vntill the times of Reformation and that the Reformed Churches still continue the same and are separated onely from the Roman Court so farre as the Roman Court had separated it selfe from the Roman Church and that our Fathers and Ancestors liuing dying in the Roman Church had sufficient meanes to bring them to saluation And this he sheweth in the seuerall discourses of the principall fundamentall points of faith See of this matter also Bishop Vsher De successione Ecclesiarum cap. 6 § 8 9. and his Sermon And Archbishop Abbot against Hill Reason 5. § 28. And Mr. Richard Hookers discourse of Iustification §. 2. Their Reasons are I. The corruptions in the Roman Church sprung not vp all at once nor came to their full height vntill these late yeres and were not so dangerous in their Spring as in their full growth and strength D. Field book 3. chap. 6. Of the Church Append to the 5. booke part 3. pag. 8. c. II. They were not generally receiued by all men nor as the vndoubted determinations of the Church but controuerted and variously disputed among the learned and holden with great liberty of iudgement by the greatest Doctors as appeares by thier owne bookes of Controuersies written by Bellarmine Suares Azorius c. which confute their owne writers as much as they doe Protestants and by those 27 points which D. Field mentions in his Appendixe to the seuenth Chapter of the third booke of the Church printed at the end of the fourth booke for had they beene the vndoubted doctrines and determinations of the Church all men would haue holden them vniformely entirely and constantly as they held the doctrine of the Trinity and other articles of the Faith As long therefore as men yeelded outward obedience to the Church-ceremonies without scandall and in other things were suffered to abound in their owne sence there was no such danger in holding the right faith III. Our forefathers held the true foundation of Religion that is Iustification and Saluation by Iesus Christ his merits onely and so were taught ordinarily in their bookes of visitation and consolation of the sicke * As we shall shew in the article of Iustification and they erred onely in points inferiour of lesse moment and danger which defaced indeed and blemished but did not nullifie or take away the beeing of the Church Diseases in the heart braine liuer and vitall parts are dangerous and deadly but wounds or blemishes in the fleshly sensuall or organicall parts onely as the hands feet eares eyes c. doe onely impaire the beauty and actions but endanger not the life nor cut of hope of recouery Greg. Nissen de opific. hom cap. vlt. It is Saint Gregory Nissens Simile So saith he it is with the Church of God and Religion A man is a man while he hath life though he be sore diseased as Naaman was in his leprosie IIII. They misliked and derided as Chawcers plowman many of their ceremonies and idle things as holy water pardons relickes c. and deplored the greater corruptions and abuses and cryed for reformation most readily receiuing it when it came V. In what they erred they erred ignorantly Aug de vtilitate credendi ad Honorat Idem epist 162. ad Donat. with mindes ready to be reformed vpon better information Saint Augustine puts a difference betwixt Heretickes and them that beleeue Heretickes And he saith They that defend an opinion false and peruerse without pertinacious animosity especially which not the boldnesse of their owne presumption hath begotten but which from their seduced and erroneous Parents they haue receiued and themselues doe seeke the truth with care and diligence ready to amend their errour when they find the truth they are in no wise to be reckoned among Heretickes This was the case of our fathers vnder the Papacy VI. If any did erre in points fundamentall as long as they denyed not the foundation directly See of this more chap. 4. sect 3. for that is plaine infidelity or apostacy and quite cuts them off from the Church if they did it onely vpon meere ignorance with a mind ready to reforme their errour vpon better instruction those were still the accounted members of the true Church For this was the case of the Corinthians denying the resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15.10 and of the Galatians erring dangerously about Iustification Gal. 3.3 4 5. 5.4 whom yet Saint Paul calles Churches of God 1 Cor. 1.2 Gal. 1.2 and doubtlesse he would not haue taken such paines to write vnto them except he had so thought them and had hope to find them tractable and recouerable §. 3. Antiquus Sir I heartily thanke you I need heare no more nor trouble you any longer since you allow the Church of Rome to be the true Church of God wherein saluation may be had and you alledge great Doctors of your owne side and good reasons for it I am satisfied I haue no reason to cleaue to your Church which all our Catholickes condemne for hereticall and schismaticall and to leaue the Roman which you acknowledge to be the true Church wherein saluation is to be had The Roman Church is iustified on all hands by friends and enemies to be safe yours is condemned of all but your selues I will take my leaue See this more at large in D. Field in the places before alledged and B. Carlton Iurisdiction consensus c. Antiquissimus Stay good sir and draw no more out of my words then they yeeld you I spake of the Church of Rome as it was till Luthers time and you conclude of the Church of Rome as it is now Deceiue not your selfe there is great difference betwixt them betwixt the times then and now and betwixt that Church then and now In those times the errours of our forefathers were of meere ignorance what they perceiued to be euill they misliked they desired knowledge they wished many things reformed and gladly embraced reformation when they found it comming But now it is all otherwise now men are admonished of their errours offer is made them to be better instructed and yet either they dote on their owne old opinions vnwilling to be instructed in the reuealed truth or after sufficient knowledge and conviction for some worldly respects they wilfully and obstinately persist in their old errours and which is farre worse they hate and persecute the maintainers of the truth Saint Cyprian saith if any of our predecessors Cypr. ep 63. §. 13. either of ignorance or simplicity
authenticke 4 Of the word written being the sure ground of faith 5 Of Traditions 6 The three Creedes Page 74 76 Paragraph § 7 Of Gods worship in Spirit and Truth Page 77 Paragraph § 8 Of prayer in a knowen tongue 9 And to God alone 77 10 Of Christ our Mediator 11 Of Saints praying for vs. 12 Of honour due to Saints departed Page 78 Paragraph 13 Of Iustification by Christs merits Page 79 Paragraph 14 Of mans inherent righteousnes sanctification Page 79 Paragraph 15 Of contrition confession satisfaction and vivification c. Page 79 Paragraph 16 Of such good workes as God hath prescribed Page 81 Paragraph 17 Of freewill Page 81 Paragraph 18 That workes done by grace please God and are rewarded of him Page 82 Paragraph 19 Of two Sacraments seales and conduits of iustifying grace Page 82 Paragraph 20 That to the well prepared Receiuers God giues as well the iustifying and sanctifying grace as the outward elements Page 82 Paragraph 21 That the worthy Communicant really partaketh Christs Body and Blood Page 82 Paragraph 22 Of heauen for the blessed hell for the damned Page 83 Paragraph 23 Of Christs satisfaction for our sinnes Page 83 Paragraph 24 That we ought to pray for al the members of Christs militant Church vpon earth Page 83 Paragraph § 2 The Protestants doctrine in generall iustified by two Cardinals Contarene and Campeggio and our Liturgy by Pope Pius 4. Page 83 Paragraph § 3 But the Popes reach further at an earthy Church kingdome prooued Page 85 Paragraph § 4 And they challenge a supremacy ouer all Christians and Churches in the world Page 89 Paragraph § 5 More specially ouer the Clergy exempting them from being subiects to Princes either for bodily punishments or goods Page 90 Paragraph § 6 Yea a supremacy ouer all Christian Princes and their states to depose dispose and transpose them and to absolue subiects from their Allegeance to rebell c. hence comes treasons c. Page 92 Paragraph § 7 To dissolue bonds oathes and leagues Page 95 Paragraph § 8 To giue dispensations to contract matrimony in degrees by Gods lawes forbidden to dissolue lawful matrim Page 96 Paragraph § 9 And other dispensations and exemptions from lawes Page 99 CHAP. 6. Paragraph Of policies to maintaine the Popes Princedome and wealth Page 102 Paragraph § 1 Depriuing men of the light of the Scriptures Page 102 Paragraph § 2 And of ordinary orderly preachings in stead whereof the Pope set vp ambulatory preachers Monkes and Friers to preach what was good for his state without controule of Church-Ministers Officers or Bishops Page 103 Paragraph § 3 Schoolemens too-much subtilty and philosophy filled mens heads darkned and corrupted wholesome Theology Page 109 Paragraph § 4 Jesuites and their originall after Luthers time noted their Seminaries emissions faculties insinuations and most politicke imployments Page 110 Paragraph § 5 Cardinals a most powerfull and politicke inuention Page 114 Paragraph § 6 Prouision for men and women of all sorts high and low by Monasteries to susteine and satisfie all humours Page 118 Paragraph § 7 Auricular confession discouering many secrets and finding humours fit for all imployments c. Page 120 Paragraph § 8 Her policies to get wealth Page 121 Paragraph § 9 Purgatory a rich thing Page 122 Paragraph § 10 So are indulgences or pardons Page 122 Paragraph § 11 And Iubiles Page 123 Paragraph § 12 Corruptions of Doctrine touching merits and Iustification c. Page 125 Paragraph § 13 Things hallowed by the pope Page 126 Paragraph § 14 Extraordinary exactions most grieuous to Nations most rich to the pope Page 126 The second Booke Chap. 1. THe first Chapter is a discourse of the visibility of the Church and fully answereth that common question of the Romists where was the Protestants Church before Luthers time This Chapter is large and for better satisfaction and perspicuity is diuided into foure sections The first section sheweth how visible the true Church ought to be Page 136 The second sheweth that the Protestants Church hath euermore been so visible as the true Church ought to be For it was the same in all necessary doctrine first with the Primitiue Church and afterwards also with the Greeke and Easterne Churches 149 The third section sheweth the Waldenses were of the same Religion which the Protestants maintaine and deliuereth a sufficient historicall discourse of the Waldenses 155 The fourth section sheweth that our Church and the Church of Rome was all one in substance till Luthers time For euen till then the Church of Rome continued to bee the true Church of God excepting the Popacy and the maintainers thereof which was rather a sore or a faction in the Church then any true or sound part thereof 195 Chap. 1. These principall Sections are also subdiuided into Subsections and those into smaller Paragraphes noted thus § Sect. 1. subsect 1. So the first Section which sheweth How visible the true Church ought to be hath two Subsections The first Subsection Paragraph § 1 Sheweth an obiected description of the excellency of the Church and a necessity of the perpetuall succession and visibility thereof Page 136 Paragraph § 2 That for a thousand yeares and more our Church was all one with the Roman notwithstanding some growing corruâ—tions Page 138 Paragraph § 3 After that coruptions grew intollerable in the Roman Church yet many mâ—sliked them and held the truth Page 138 Paragraph § 4 The whole Catholicke Church can neuer be visible to men at once but parts of it may and must Page 139 Paragraph § 5 The promises of purity and eternall life doe not belong to all the Called but to the Few chosen whose true faith to men is invisible though their persons and profession be visible Page 140 Paragraph § 6 And so much Bellarmine and many other Romanists yeeld Page 141 Subsect 2 The second subsection 143 Paragraph § 1 Some promises of God concerne the outward spreading of the Church and some the inward Graces Page 143 Paragraph § 2 The outward spreading and glorious visibility is not at all times alike Page 144 Paragraph § 3 So Saint Ambrose and Saint Austen teach by comparing the Church to the Moone Page 145 Paragraph § 4 Many Fathers and Romish Doctors say that in the time of Antichrist the Church will be obscure and hardly visible Page 145 Paragraph § 5 Which say Valentinianus and many Fathers was fulfilled in the Arrians time Page 146 Paragraph § 6 The Iesuite Valentinianus grants as much invisâ—bility of the Church as the Protestants desire Page 147 Paragraph § 7 Obseruations out of his grant Page 148 Chap. 1. Sect. 2. subsect 1 The second section shewing that the Protestant Church hath euermore been so visible as the Church of Christ ought to be hath two subsections Paragraph The first subsection concerning the first times Page 149 Paragraph § 1 Sheweth that the Protestants labour sincerely to teach the same doctrine which the Scriptures and
dissolving the whole frame of Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy and forme of gouernment settled by Christ was thought no lesse hurtfull then the bringing in of heresie and false doctrine by all that wrote against it and therefore they impute vnto it Heresim pestilentissimam and all such things as belong onely to Antichrist and his followers And indeed the desire of worldly wealth and honour drew on many corruptions of doctrine For when the ouer-politicke Popes found but few learned iâ—dicious men able to maintaine the truth and few potent couragious Princes able to maintaine their right against them then they fell to make their owne greatnesse wealth and honour the very rule to square out the Canons of Faith and Gouernment and then set Clerks on worke to deuise arguments to maintaine them The Church at that time abounding with rewards to quicken their wits and spurre on their diligence From this root proceeded doubtlesse the forged Donation of Constantine and the Decrees and decretall Epistles of ancient Bishops then newly brought to the knowledge of the world and neuer before seene and in these more learned Ages rejected by their owne Doctors and from this root sprung a new generation of Schoolemen moulding a new Doctrine mixed of Philosophy and divnity to amuse and amaze the world and keepe it in blindnesse and much corruption of Scriptures which now must haue no other sense then their Philosophy and the Rules of their Gouernment will giue it This desire of wealth and greatnesse brought in Image-worship which the holy Scriptures so plainly and plentifully condemne For when it might easily haue been abolished See the Histories of those times as but then creeping in and that Leo Jsaurus Emperour seeing the Sarazens take offence at Christians to abhorre and massacre them for their Images in Churches which offence Leo tooke away and burned the Images Pope Gregory the second that ought to haue Ioyned therein opposed him and tooke the hint to make the Emperour odious to all Italy as an enemy to Religion to the Saints and to their Memories And while the Emperour was weakned by the Sarazens in the East the Pope made this an occasion to make the West to reuolt from him and quickly depriued him of Italy to the great iniury of the Emperor scandall to the world and hurt to Christendome And then Image worship must be defended that had been the meanes of so much wealth to the Pope with opposing Councell to Councell Princes and learned men one against another to the great trouble of Christendome The worshipping of Images therefore did the Pope good seruice and so it doth still for it drawes multitudes of deuout people to Rome and other places with their offerings and other spendings to enrich them §. 14. But to leaue these things and come to particular doctrines held then by many otherwise then they be now by the Romans The Fathers held those bookes for Canonicall Scriptures which we now doe D. Field of the Church lib. 4. cap. 23. Appendix part 1. pag. 100. See all their allegations in D. Field lib. 4. cap. 23. and separated those from the Canon which we doe separate Namely Melito Bishop of Sardis Origen Athanasius Hilarius Nazianzen Cyril of Jerusalem Epiphanius Ruffinus Hierom Gregory and Damascene So did also many other learned men liuing in the corrupt state of the Church vnder the Papacy as Hugo de Sancto victore Richardo de Sancto victore Petrus Cluviacensis Lyranus Dionysius Carthusianus Hugo Cardinalis Thomas Aquinas Richardus Armachanus Picus Mirandula Ockam Caietan and Dredo In this point they were all Protestants and desired the reformation that we haue made That man after the Fall Field Appendix ad lib. 5. part 1. pag. 101. vntill he be restored by grace can doe nothing spiritually good or that is not sinne nor can any way dispose himselfe to a true conuersion vnto God without preuenting grace was the doctrine of S Augustine Prosper and more lately of Thomas Bradwardin Gregorius Ariminensis Cardinall Contaren and Bonaventure cited by Cassander Consult art 8. Iustification by Christs imputed righteousnesse not by our inherent was taught by S. Bernard Epist 190. Bernard Geâ—son lib. 4. de consulatione theologiae See these alleadged in my second Booke in the chapter of Iustification Assignata est homini Iustitia aliena quia caruit sua To man is assigned the righteousnesse of another because he had none of his owne And serm 61 Jn cantica And Gerson and Cardinall Contarenus and the Diuines of Colen in their Enchiridion and Antididagma and Albertus Pighius That man cannot merit any thing properly at Gods hand See D. Field Church appendix ad lib. 4. cap. 11. Scotus Ariminensis Waldensis are plaine So Pope Aâ—rian on the 4 of the Sentences cited by Cassander Consult art 6. and Clicthoveus cited there also And Bernard serm 1. in festo omnium sanctorum and oft elsewhere he saith our good workes are via regni non causa regnandi the way to heauen but not the cause meriting heauen See these Authors words cited at large in Bishop Vshers booke D. Field Church appendix part 1. pag. 103. c. And Cardinall Contarenus epist ad Cardinalem Farnesium To which adde out of Bishop Vshers answer to the Jrish Iesuite pag. 500. seq A great number more of ancient Fathers and later writers That Christs merits are to be apprehended by a liuely faith which faith is a motion of the spirit when men truely repenting of their former life are raised and lifted vp to God and doe truly apprehend the mercies of God promised in Christ and doe indeed feele in themselues an assurance that they haue receiued remission of their sinnes and reconciliation by Gods goodnâ—sse and by the merit of Christ and doe cry Abba Father Cited by Cassander consult aâ—â— 4. This is expresly deliuered in the booke exhibited by Charles the fift Emperour to the Diuines of both sides and the Diuines agreed vnto it And in the Enchiridion cited by Cassander ibid. well approoued by all the learned Diuines of Jtaly and France and by Cardinall Contarenus in his Tract of Iustification and by the Diuines of Colen in their Antididagma De duplici fiducia and by Saint Bernard serm 1. de Annuntiatione dominica The Communion in both kindes is deliuered to the people in all Churches of the world vnto this day sauing in the Roman Church and in the Roman Church it so continued for more then a thousand yeares in the solemne ordinary and publike dispensation of that Sacrament Cassander consult art 22. As Cassander sheweth and Beatus Rhenanus And it hath been called for with great earnestnesse by many Nations and Churches Rhenanus vpon Tertullian de corona militis both before and in the Councell of Trent and is still stiffely denyed by the Pope and his Prelates Against priuate Communions called priuate Masses where none of the people present receiue but the
neither was there any full sufficient setling of the truth of that point in the Church before their times nor the euill consequence thereof discerned And heresie is the obstinate maintaining of such errours after the truth is plainely taught sufficient to convict them The like may be said of the Millenary errour See ibid. and many other which diuers of the ancient Fathers held as afore is mentioned §. 5. Here you may obserue First the Church of Rome is charged with errours Hock ibid. § 17. by consequence whereof the very foundation of faith is plainly ouerthrowen and the force of the blood of Iesus Christ extinguished Secondly the wilfull and obstinate maintainers thereof after wholesome admonition are guilty of vnauoydable condemnation without actuall repentance Thirdly our Fathers that liued in those errours D. Whiâ—â— Woy pag. 448. Mornâ—y church cap. 9. end and held them onely vpon ignorance as they were taught not thinking they did amisse and neuer vnderstanding the dangerous consequence of them might by their generall hatred and repentance of all sinne though vnknowne be saued through Gods mercy and by holding the foundation and nothing in their knowledge and intent contrary therevnto were to bee accounted members of the true Church of God Fourthly this ignorance in these times cannot giue any colour of excuse since by reason of Luthers opposition these things haue beene better discussed the errours discouered and the dangerous consequence of them sufficiently published to the world not onely by the Diuines of other Countries but euen by our owne English So that after so large a publication thereof we may say as Saint Paul 2 Cor. 4.3 2 Cor. 4.3 4. If our Gospel he hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beleeue not lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the Image of God should shine vnto vnto them 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. And 2 Thess 2.10 In them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued for which cause God sendeth them strong delusion that they should beleeue a lie that they might all be damned who beleeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse §. 6. Antiquus You bring forth but one man and make him great with praises as if with his great person and big words like Goliah he were sufficient to scarre and and fright the whole army of God Antiquissimus No Sir I bring him forth as humble Dauid against your Goliah of Rome and I will if you require it adioyne vnto him many other Worthies like Dauids able to quell all your Giants not with bigge words but with sound blowes D. Field appendix to the fift booke pag. vlt. Secondly Our worthy Doctor Field in his whole fiue bookes of the Church euery where sheweth your corruptions and refuteth them But for the present read onely the last page of his whole worke where hee layeth to the charge of the present Church of Rome 2 number of erroneous points wherein men liuing and dying can neuer be saued and wherein that Church sheweth her selfe to be the Synagogue of Sathan the faction of Antichrist and that Babylon out of which we must flie vnlesse we will be partakers of her plagues Thirdly our worthy Bishop Downam in his bookes De Antichristâ— sheweth the same His whole third booke setteth out the opposition of the Pope to Christs especially the sixt and seuenth Chapters containe a Catalogue of the errors and heresies of the present Roman Church and the eight Chapter sheweth her opposition against the offices and benefits of Christ euery where alledging your owne authors for confirmation of that the saith Fourthly The like doth D. Gabriell Powell in his two bookes De Antichristo De Ecclesia Antichristi If I should but reckon vp the names onely of Protestants which write of these points Punctually as these aboue named or otherwise other largly or briefely either purposely or occasionally and obiter by the way I should be needlesly tedious Fifthly M. Perkins vpon the Epistle of S. Jude pag. 261. I will therefore conclude with one in stead of all to wit Mr. Perkins In his Lectures vpon Iude verse 19 he saith we may not separate from the visible particular Church 1 for the corrupt manners of Men except from the priuate society of notorious offendors onely in priuate conuersation 1. cor 5.11 but onely for errors in doctrine 2 and not for all errors but onely for errors great and waighty for smaller errors cut not of saluation and therefore must not cause a seperation 1 cor 3 15 and 3 for those waighty errors euen in the substance of doctrine or in the Foundation if they beheld onely of frailty we may not seperate but if they be held and maintained with obstinacy then with good conscience we may and must seperate from the maintainers of them 1 tim 6.3 4.5 Acts 19.9.2 Chron. 11.4 16 17. Antiquus I like well of Mr. Perkins Iudgement that we may not make seperation for any other cause but onely for great and waighty errors against the foundation of Religion and for those onely when they are held with obstinacy But where doth he charge the Church of Rome with any such Antiquissimus Euen in the same Exposition of that Epistle of Saint Iude verse 3 where he speaketh of the points of Common Saluation from pag. 37 to pag 97. There he describeth 21 grounds of Faith and 11 groundes of Gods seruice and good life which the Church of Rome as there he sheweth doth very much infringe and in many things ouerthrow by the points of doctrine and practise which it maintaineth Reed and waigh them aduisedly Section 4. § 1. There is a necessity or great profit of Preaching euen to them that are well grounded in all necessary Principles § 2. As Israel needed all helpes after the giuing of the Law and all were too little § 3. The profits of Preaching in generall § 4. Some particulars for continuall spirituall food cordiall medicine and comfort memory armour c. § 5. The continuall need thereof was found in all Churches planted euen by the Apostles and in their times §. 1. Antiquus I will reade them at my better leasure But now by the way by your allowing these principall grounds of Religion to be sufficient for all men to saluation You seeme to cut off all necessity of so much preaching as is vsed amongst you For what needes so much preaching and hearing when men are already instructed in all points necessary to saluation Antiquissimus Preaching is still necessary because faith and regeneration must continually receiue increase 2 Pet. 3 1â— As S. Peter exhorteth in the last words of his later Epistle Grow in grace and in knowledge c. If knowledge and grace were so perfect in all beleeuers at the first instant that no reliques of blindnesse or
Sacra Scriptura est Regula credendâ— certissima tutissimaque saith Bellarmine i Bellar. de verbo Dei l. 1. c. 2. § quare cuÌ„ The Scripture is the most certaine and safe rule of Faith and Spiritus dominatur in conscientijs fidelium The holy Spirit rules in the faithfuls consciences making them all to submit to the word of God and though disioyned in Nations Lawes and Languages yet still to consent in the substantiall points of reformed Religion and constantly to suffer for them in persecution which vnity is not wrought by any Kingdome inter nos among vs such as the Pope assumeth but by Christs Kingdome intra nos within vs ruling our hearts by his Word and Spirit which Kingdome hee saith is not of this world but meerely spirituall and diuine §. 3. But now as if Gods truth stood need of our shadowed lies to maintaine it or that humane policy could deuise better means for the gouernment of Gods Church then either he by his own prouidence hath prescribed or the Ancient Primitiue Church practised or else which is the truth because there are some newer doctrines and practises to be maintained neither imposed by God nor able to stand of themselues we forsooth must deuise to set vp a man as blinde and corrupt as our selues and attribute vnto him infallibility in iudgment and vnbounded iurisdiction in gouernment which neither Scripture Fathers nor any reason doth giue him and by him we must suffer our selues to bee ledde blindefold in a conceit of greater peace and vnity than the Truth and Gods Spirit at first afforded which is a meere dreame and not onely a carnall but a most deceiuable policy and no better than the Priests of Antichrist may plot in being content to yeeld themselues to the whole guiding of their wicked Master and attribute vnto him infallibility of iudgement without ground or reason §. 4. That the Popes infallibility and iurisdiction haue no ground in the Scriptures or Fathers I haue shewed before with many reasons against them both Now since you vrge the profit thereof I will shew you the vnprofitablenesse and the intollerable inconuenience thereof to the Church Princes and Common-wealthes Antâ—q If you can doe so you shall goe beyond my expectation Antiquis I haue done it in part already See before book 1. cap. 5. §. 3 5 c. when I shewed you how the Popes earthly kingdome erected and maintained by many vniustifiable practises and polices spoyleth Christs heauenly Kingdome and robbeth earthly kingdomes of wealth peace comfort and many other blessings as by exempting all the Clergy both their persons goods and lands from the gouernment right or maintenance of secular Princes and Magistrates By making the Pope superiour to Emperours and Kings to depose them and dispose of their Kingdomes to others if he thinke it good for the Church and to that end freeing subiects from their sworne fidelity and arming them against their Soueraignes A doctrine fruitfull of treasons and rebellions Ib. sect 7. By dispensing and dissoluing oathes couenants and leagues and all other bonds and sinewes of humane society peace and security Ib. sect 8 9. By dispensing with Gods Lawes in matrimoniall causes and in other matters of great moment Ib. cap. 6. per totum As also by many hurtfull policies to maintaine this power depriuing Gods people of Gods word and authorizing Monks and Friers to preach where they list without controule of Bishops corrupting diuinity by Schoolmens subtilties Iesuits Statists and Incendiaries and many other deuices to draw to their faction the Wealth and Soueraignty of the word Meditate and consider well of that which then I declared and you will be satisfied that a number of things in the Papacy practised are most vnprofitable to the Church and vntollerable to Princes and Common-wealths §. 5. But to satisfie the more thorowly I will shew you some examples Hildebrand who as Onuphrius saith first set vp the Popes princedome made himselfe Pope by help of the Diuell so he was accused by a Synod a Trithem chroÌ„ Hirsaugiens an 1081. Auentin annal Boior l. 5. Marian chroÌ„ l. 3. an 1081 c of 30. Bishops of Italy France and Germany and by the ayd of armed men with some few of the Clergy and furthered by the great riches of Maud a powerful Gentlewoman of Italy his familiar friend without either the b Carlt. iurisd cap. 7. §. 103. Benno Naucler generat 36. This story I collect out of those histories and our learned men K. Iames BB Iewel Morton Carlton Bilson Vshâ—â— c. Emperours consent or the Cardinals hee called his name Gregory the seuenth Being now warme in the Popes Chayre he cites the Emperour Henry the fourth anno 1076. to appeare and answere in a Synod at Rome to crimes obiected against him vpon paine of present deposition Henry cals a Synod at Wormes where all the Teutonick Bishops except the Saxons renounce Hildebrand from being Pope and to their decree the German and French Bishops and most of the Italian Bishops assembling at Papia subscribed taking their oathes neuer to obey him more as Pope With this decree Caesar sends his letters to Hildebrand renouncing him and pronouncing him deposed from the Popedome The letters and deposition were deliuered in a Synod at Rome whereupon Ioannes Portuensis episcopus rushed vp and cried out Capiatur let him bee taken at which word the Prefect of the City and souldiers were at point to take and slay him in the Church But he stoutly catching vp a sword and calling vpon the name of Peter Prince of the Apostles with solemne words cursed the Emperour depriued him of his Empire absolued all Christians from their oath of fidelity made vnto him and forbade them to obey him as King And this was the first time that euer any Emperour or King was pronounced deposed by the Pope and subiects set free from their Alleagiance as c See Onuphrius cited before Booke 1. cap. 4. §. 9 10. Vrspergens fol. 226. B. Carlton Iurisd c. 7. §. 105. Malmsburiensis hist in Willm primo Angl. Reg. Otho Frising in vita Henrici 4. l. 4. c. 31. B. Vsher De Eccles succes cap. 5. §. 6. Onuphrius and many other historians say This Emperor Henry saith Vrspergensis was valiant and fought 62. set battles in number surpassing M. Marcellus and Iulius Caesar of whom the one fought 30. the other 50. This fact of Hildebrand opened all mens mouthes with outcries against him calling him Antichrist and that by deuising fables corrupting histories abusing Scriptures through his headlong ambition hee sought the rule of the world vnder the title of Christ and played the rauening wolfe in sheepes cloathing spoyling all religious piety raysing warres seditions rapes murders periuries and all euils Thus cryed the world saith Auentine Meane season Hildebrand prosecuting the deposition of Henry stirred vp the Saxons against him offring to make them Kings of the whole West besides
and more and place those words aâ—ter the note aftâ—r the words Sect. 3. p. 128. 29 furnished p. 140. marg Ecclesie promâ—tteâ— p. 143. and often elsewhere is printed Valentinianus for Valentianus p. 147. 25. ha h God vttterly forsaken p. 153. 35 read 370 yeeres after Christ p. 155. 21. Eckius p. 161. 21. other vices p. 196. 8. yet we doe not thinke p. 210. 2. oft the formost deuouring p 211. 32. Athanasius p. 220. 34 whereon p. 2â—6 11. suppositions p. 234. 12. a whole booke p. 243. 25. members all of p. 2 17. 11. being voided ib lin 16. not the Churches opinion p 209. marg ad li. 18 read 2 Cor. 5. â— 6. 3. Eph. 4. 12. col 4. 17. â— tim 1. 12. 2 tim 4. 5. p. 103. 35. pontificatus nostri decimo p. 308 25. in the more p 311. marg â— Armachanus lib. 11. in q. Armeniorum c. p. 7. Numbers of pages are sometimes misprinted and Sections which may be amended by this generall I able In the second Alaphabet pag. 65. adde to the marginall notes Avenein Aâ—nal â—â—ior lib. 5 See Tortura Torti pag. 264. p 71. lin penul wasted it with fire Other smaller sâ—â—pt in letters or points I note not they will trouble the Reader lesse in â—â—ading then amending The most are amended The Preface or Jntroduction containing 1 a briefe description of the parties conferring in this Dialogue 2 The purpose and profit of the conference touched 3 The manner of it intended in all humility and meekenesse of spirit 4 the matter solidity of Arguments and allegations out of the best Authors of both sides Roman-Catholicke 1 ALthough in mine owne iudgement I am sufficiently resolued of the verity and sanctity of the Roman-Catholicke-Religion and am loath to be either vnsettled or disquieted againe by any further conference yet to giue satisfaction to my tryed honest and good friends Such should be the qualities of a good Minister as may win the loue of the Aduersarieâ— who vrge me once againe to conferre with a graue learned Minister hereby I am content to goe to the man And the rather because besides his learning I know him to be very honest iust louing and of a meeke spirit And here he comes Saue ye Sir Protestant Minister Master Candidus I haue much longed to meet you The Lord now giue a blessing to our meeting I haue heard with no small griefe of heart by some of your good friends that you are fallen into mislike of our Church of England and into liking of the present Religion of Rome Now in tender care of your saluation I desire to confer with you thereabout to try if by Gods gracious blessing I may be a meanes to resolue and settle you in the truth Rom. Sir I would haue you to thinke that I haue a great care of my saluation and in simplicity of my heart and tendernesse of conscience and not for any other by respect I haue sought the true way to saluation and doubt not but I haue found it And therein I am so well settled that you may spare your labour Prot. I doubt not but in the simplicity of your heart and desire of the truth you haue laboured in this waighty matter For I haue obserued you alwayes to be of an honest disposition sober temperate aduised of discreet conuersation for which faire carriage of life you haue gained the surname of Candidus Good natures mis-led are much to bee pittied And I haue also found you zealous of Gods honour So farre as your knowledge did lead you The more it grieueth me that so honest a nature should be abused mis-led by bad Teachers But I pray you consider that Saint Paul himselfe was blamelesse in life deuout and zealous in his Religion when it was erronious as you are now and thought his courses maruellous godly and much tending to Gods glory He was instructed by Gamaliel Act. 2.3 Phil. 3.6 a learned Doctor according to the perfect manner of the Law of the Fathers as was then thought was zealous towards God and touching the righteousnesse of the Law blamelesse and of very zeale persecuted the true Church of God and thought he was bound in conscience to doe many things contrary to the name of Iesus A s 26.9 So that men may thinke they are in the holy way of truth and may be deuout and zealous therein and yet be farre wrong As we hold those of the Romish Religion to be at this day who persecute the Reformed Churches of Christ which professe to hold the doctrine of the holy Scripture entire without admitting any other grounds of Religion Remember what our blessed Sauiour foretold Iohn 16.2 John 16.2 Venit hora vt omnis qui interficit vos arbitretur obsequium se praestare Deo The time commeth that whosoeuer killeth you will thinke he doth God seruice This was fulfilled in part quickly As in Acts 13.50 The Iewes stirred vp deuout and honourable-women Acts 13.50 and the chiefe men of the City and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coasts So that people that are deuout and zealous in their Religion yet may be in the wrong and had need well to examine their groundes Rom These examples may as well be applied to the Protestants as to the Catholiks Prot. You apply them to the Protestants wee to your new Catholiks Let the vnpartiall world Iudge who are the persecutors and who are the persecuted But hereby you may see mortall men must not be too hastily resolued but first thorowly examine the truth of their groundes wherevpon they build their Faith Lest they run amisse as Saul did though taught by Gamaliel and as the deuout honorable-women and chiefe men of the City did being stirred vp by the Iewes Rom. But when a man is well resolued vpon good grounds why should hee disquiet himselfe and call his Faith into question againe Prot. The question is whether his grounds be good or no. Saint Paul before his conuersion and these honourable-women thought as well of their grounds as you doe of yours and yet were deceiued in them But beside this there is another reason why you should thorowly know the strength of your grounds to wit for the winning satisfying confirming of others To which end S. Peter saith 1 Pet. 3.15 Be alwayes ready to giue satisfaction to euery one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknes and feare So then both for your own fuller resolutioÌ„ in the truth and for the satisfaction of me or any other I pray you let vs seriously conferre of these waighty matters Rom. With all my heart So it be done in that manner which Saint Peter there prescribeth with meeknesse feare and a good conscience For rough rude biting and railing speaches argue rather a blinded heart or a proud scornfull and vnmortified man then one endued with Gods grace loue
1 Kings 19.10 God had 7000 true seruants in secret though their names be not recorded ibid. vers 18. So doubtlesse it was in other most depraued times §. 3. Antiquus Though this were so See Field Church lib. 3. cap. 10. lib. 4. cap. 4. yet the Churches of the New Testament had Prophesies of greater purity Psal 45.13 and by our Sauiours power and care may bee kept without spot or wrinckle Ephes 5.26 27. Antiquissimus Such things are spoken of the best parts of the Church vpon earth washed by Christs blood and made beautifull by his righteousnesse and by their owne practise of holinesse but those are meerly discernable by Gods eye But those places of Scripture specially respect that part of the Church which is triumphant in Heauen and there presented by our Sauiour Ephes 5.27 But the generall face of visible Churches vpon earth haue bin ordinarily stayned with spots and blemishes the Church of Corinth with sects and schismes and other deprauations yea with doubting or denying that great Article of faith the life of Christianity the Resurrection of the dead Galatia erred in the great point of Iustification against which errour Saint Paul opposed his Epistle written to them In the Church of Pergamus some held the doctrine of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans teaching to eate things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication Reu. 2.14 The like was in the Church of Thyatira Reuel 2.20 c. And if there were no possibility or likelihood of errours and heresies in the Churches of the New Testament What needed those warnings and admonitions Keepe your selues from Idols 1 Iohn 5.21 Beware of false prophets in sheepes cloathing Mat. 7.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charge men that they teach no other doctrine 1 Tim. 1.3 Stop the mouthes of the gain-sayers that subuert whole houses Tit. 1.11 And to what end were Visitations Counsels and all Offices and Gouernment in the Church but for maintaining of true doctrine preuenting and rooting out of errours and abuses §. 4. Matth. 18.7 1 Cor. 11.19 Remember that our Sauiour said There must be offences in the world and Saint Paul There must be heresies Yea it is necessary that there be both for the good of the faithfull the good of the faith and the punishment of the faithlesse To which ends God suffers these two causes to concurre and worke to wit the Deuils malice and Mans corruption because God can worke good out of their euill The Diuels malice and policy neuer ceaseth still to pursue the seed of the Woman and to bite the heele seeking both by persecutions and heresies to supplant Gods Church to plant and increase his owne Kingdome He attempted our head Matth. 4.3 and so will doe his members Luke 22.31 2 Cor. 12.7 Ephes 6.11 12. 1 Pet. 5.8 2 Cor. 11.14 Mans corruption and blindnesse is also easie to bee drawne by others and easily drawne by his own affections out of the right way as Micah Iudges 17. to worship God by a siluer Image thinking blindly that euery worke with a good intention would please God and draw blessings from him Salomon by loue to his wiues was drawen to Idolatry Our Eues are weake to be seduced 1 Kings 11.4 strong to seduce vs. Ieroboam by ambitious policy 1 Kings 12.26 Acts 19.24.28 set vp Idolatry to keep his people at home Demetrius and the Ephesians for couetousnesse magnified the Idol of Diana and cryed downe the Gospel Acts 19. Simon Magus through pride bewitched the people Acts 8.9.10 that he might seeme some great man Simon Magus among them These and such other affections and actions God permits to oppose corrupt or blind the truth First for the good oâ— the faithfull that their diligence in searching their wisdome in discerning their constancy in holding the truth their loue to winne the aduersaries their patience to endure opposition disgrace persecution yea Death and Martyrdome for the truth and their many other vertues may shine to Gods glory others example and their owne crowne Reu. 3.11 Secondly for the good of the faith Vt fides habendo tentationem haberet etiam probationem saith Tertullian that our faith being sifted winnowed tried examined may be more approued and appeare more solid sound pure like the gold that is purified in the fire Thirdly for the punishment of the faâ—thles Rom. 1.21.22.23 c. 2 Thes 2.11 for it is iust with God that such as hold the truth in vnrighteousnesse should be punished with losse of the truth and left to their owne errours and damnable corruptions euen to the efficacy of delusion to beleeue lies §. 5. Antiquus Be it so that all other Churches may erre yet the Roman Church which the chiefe Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul planted and where Saint Peter the Vniuersall Pastor of the whole Church liued and dyed leauing his successors to gouerne the whole Church to the end of the world hath this double priuiledge aboue all other Churches both to continue to the end and to be free from errour Antiquissimus A prety imagination but voyde of faith For if the Church of Rome be not as subiect to errours and deprauations yea and to Apostacy as other Churches what needed that Admonition of Saint Paul to the Romans Rom. 11.20 Bee not high-minded but feare For if God spared not the naturall branches the Hebrewes Take heed lest he also spare not thee This was a Caueat for Gentiles and consequently to the Romans which were Gentiles among them The Romans are not excepted or priuiledged Nay they are principally intended for to them that Epistle was written cap. 1. vers 7. To all that be at Rome Beloued of God called to bee Saints To them Saint Paul saith Be not high-minded affecting superiority ouer all Gods Church as if Rome were the root and all other the branches but feare yea feare both errour and apostacy For you may fall from goodnesse and be cut off for verse 10. thou bearest not the root but the root thee be content to be a branch of the Oliue tree as other Churches are they depend not on thee no more then thou on them but all of you alike vpon the root Thou art not the Mother be content to be a Daughter a Sister to the rest Suppose one of the eldest sisters liuing yet the elder may be sicke and neare to death when the yonger are more sound and perfect Marke the 22 verse Behold the goodnesse and seuerity of God on them which fell seuerity but towards thee goodnesse iâ— thou continue in his goodnesse otherwise thou also shalt be also cut off Note if there were no possibility of the Roman Churches falling from the goodnesse which then it had this admonition directed to them were idle but vpon supposition of such falling as other Churches haue done he denounceth absolutely a cutting off Antiquus Such suppositions doe enforce good Caueats and warnings to make that Church watchfull as by Gods grace it
and redeemed vs. You beleeue so also but you adde Christ hath satisfied onely for the eternall punishment and for sinnes before Baptisme but that we must satisfie for our following sins August serm 13. De verbis dom Christus suscipiendo poenam non suscipiendo culpam culpam deleuit poenam See B Mortons Appeal lib. 1. cap 2 sect 23. § 47. lib. 2. cap. 15. sect 8 9 10. and also for the temporall punishment due to all our sins either vpon earth or in Purgatory This we account an errour against the foundation making Christ but halfe a Sauiour and against reason for he that forgiues the fault forgiues the punishment also in S. Augustines opinion 24 We beleeue that we ought to pray for all the members of Christs militant Church vpon earth you beleeue so too but you adde wee ought also to pray for the soules suffering in Purgatory which was a thing long time vnknowne to the Church of God §. 2. These are the principall points of Religion and the foundation of our church by your approbatioÌ„ of theÌ„ you grant them all to be true good ancient and Catholicke which may appeare also by that which followeth Se hâ—story of the Councell of Trent lib. 1. pag. 95. At a Diet in Râ—tisbon anno 1541. where was present Iasper Cardinall Contareni the Popes Nuncio Granuel deliuered a booke of 22 Articles to be considered of by the Diuines of both sides whereof the chiefe were chosen by the Emperour to dispute namely Eckius Flugius and Gropperus Romists Melancthon Bucer and Pâ—storia Protestants and vpon their debating some things were approued and some amended by common consent They dissented onely in fiue things and in seuenteene they all finally agreed Ibib. pag. 54.55 Also when the Augustane confession of the Protestant Princes and Diuines was read at Augspurge anno 1530 the Popes Legate Cardinall Campeggio said plainly to the Emperour that the difference of that doctrine from the Roman for the most part seemed verball and that it imported not much whether one spake after one manner or after another and that for the present there was no cause to make any strict examination of the doctrine onely meanes should be vsed that the Protestant should goe no further on See Annals Elizah â—ngl pag 63. and Relation of Religionin the West parts pag. x. 2. 159. And Pope Pius the fourth anno 1560. offered to Queene Elizabeth to allow our whole Booke of Common Prayer if she would receiue it as from him and by his authority And so he might well doe for the booke was with great iudgement purposely so framed out of the grounds of Religion wherein both sides agree that their very Catholickes might resort vnto it without scruple or scandall if Faction more then reason did not sway The truth is were it not for other causes the Controuersies of points of Religion might well be compounded betwixt vs. For the learned of them know that our doctrine is sufficient to make vs true Christi ans both for faith and good life to make vs liue holily righteously and soberly by Gods grace to become good subiects to our Princes good neighbors amongst men good diligent and dutifull members of the Common-wealth painfull peaceable and blessed people and blessings to the Countrey where we liue and to conduct vs thorow all necessary gratious wayes and means ordained by God to eternall blessednesse There is no defect in our doctrine to these ends to promote Christs Kingdome both of grace and glory §. 3. Onely they know and we confesse our Doctrine is insufficient to set vp an earthly Church-kingdome instead of Christs heauenly Kingdome such as the Pope desireth ouer-topping all other Christian Princes and Potentates and maintained with all worldly wealth pompe and glory Were it the purity of Religion which he desired described and receiued in the best Primitiue times of the Church our Religion would abundantly satisfie him but this high transcendent supremacy of the Pope farre beyond those Primitiue times and the wealth of the world to maintaine him and his in their greatnesse Acts 19.28 25. is the great Diana of the Romans which they striue for And these doctrinall controuersies are but subordinate meanes subtilly kept on foot to make the aduersaries of his supremacy more odious For by that craft their wealth is maintained D. Francis White Orthodox faith Epist dedic Ramolds Hart confer cap. 7. dinis 6 7. pag. 367 seq Our Doctor Reinolds obserueth well and proueth largely that this in these latter Ages hath been the Pope maine aime and practise And men of skill and iudgement who knew the popes thorowly and faithfully set forth their liues haue opened this secret and mystery of State as it hath been managed since it grew to maiesty that they minde the propping vp of their owne Kingdome while they pretend the worship of Christ and that in the popes language the Church doth signifie not the company of the faithfull seruants of God but the Papacy that is the dominion and princehood of the pope in things both temporall and spirituall K. Iames his Remonstrance to Peron pag. 246. And our late learned and iudicious King Iames saith The name of the Church serueth in this our corrupt Age as a cloke to couer a thousand new inuentions and no longer signifies the Assembly of the faithfull or such as beleeue in Iesus Christ according to his Word but a certaine glorious ostentation and temporall Monarchy whereof the pope forsooth is the supreame head Ibid. pag. 259. And S. Peters net is now changed into a casting net or a flew to fish for all the wealth of most flourishing kingdomes 1 To this end consider whether there be more care and policy to maintaine the popes greatnesse and reuenues then to make good Christians For where good Christians are already such as the Primitiue Christians were thither the popes Emissaries come to make them the popes subiects and sticke not at Treasons Rebellions inuasions if they haue hope so to effect it Relation of Religion in the West pag. 156 159. 2 Consider whether all other thogh neuer so profane or wicked Iewes Stewes Turkes Infidels Heretickes or Atheists open enemies of Christian Religion be not suffered more quietly to liue in Italy Rome and vnder the popes nose then Protestants whose onely great crime is They are against the popes vsurpations and corruptions Molius defence pag. 464. 3 Consider if all sinnes against God and his Word be not more slightly punished then offences against the Popes greatnesse In cases of Murder Treason Incest Blasphemy c. ordinary Bishops may bind and loose but the cases of hindring men from going to Rome for pardons of intrusion into any benefice or office Ecclesiasticail of purloyning any Church goods or offending the Sea-Apostolicke c. those are reserued to the pope onely And the penitentiary taxe for falsifying the letters Apostolicall is
and primacy he would not haue failed to vse them being so pregnant for his purpose In the same edition of Manutius Bedel ibid. See D. Field 5. cap. 42. fol. vlt. the Epistle of Firmilianus Bishop of Cesaria beginning Accepimus per Rogatianum is quite left out although Saint Cyprian thought it worthy his translation and publication and good cause why For that Bishop tartly vilifieth the Bishop of Romes both place person farre beneath that height which they now assume Firmilianns reproueth the folly of Stephanus that boasting so much of the place of his Bishopricke and succession of Peter bee stirred vp contentions and discords in all other Churches and bids him not deceiue himselfe he is become aschismaticke by separating himselfe from the communion of the Ecclesiasticall vnity for while hee thinkes he can separate all from his Communion hee hath separated himselfe onely from all He taxeth him for calling Cyprian a false Christ a false Apostle and a deceitfull workeman which being priuy to himselfe that these were his owne due preuentingly he obiected to another This Epistle is omitted in the new prints And thus graue Authors are shamefully curtalled and corrupted when they speake against the Pope and his doctrine their tongues are cut out contrarily words and sentences are foysted into their workes to make them seeme to speake for him when they neuer meant it Franc. Iunius reports that he comming in the yeare 1559. to a familiar friend of his Junius in praesatione ante Indicem expurgatorium Belgicum à se editum 1586 named Lewes Sauarius Corrector of a Print at Leydon found him ouerlooking Saint Ambrose Workes which Frellonius was printing Whereof when Junius commended the elegancy of the Letter and Edition the Corrector told him secretly it was of all Editions the worst and drawing out many sheets of now-waste-paper from vnder the Table told him they had printed those sheetes according to the ancient authenticke copies but two Franciscans had by their authority cancelled and reiected them and caused other to be printed and put in their roomes differing from the truth of all their owne bookes to the great losse of the Printer and wonder of the Corrector Gretzer De iure prohib libros lib. 2. cap. 10. The Iesuite Gretzerus defendeth these doings and writing of the purging or altering of old Bertram hee saith the Index hath done him no iniury when it hath done him that fauour which is done to some of the ancients as Tertullian and Origen Them and some others though very ancient Gratian quite cut off and the Church hath this authority saith hee to proscribe whole bookes or any parts of them great or small Thus Gretzerus And indeed of the two it were better to proscribe or cut them off as no witnesses then to corrupt and make them false witnesses to speake what they thought not or what is not true But for a Particular Church to proscribe or corrupt all the witnesses that speake against her is vntollerable See more in D. Morton Apologia Catholica part 2. lib. 2. c. 17 In the former point of Counterfeits the Children begot the Fathers In this point of Corruption the Children will teach the Fathers to speake and alter their testimonies and testaments at their pleasure §. 9. Index Expurg Belg. fol. 4. per Iunium edit pag. 12. 3 By deuised glosses and witty but wrong interpretations they wrest the sentences of the Fathers to meane otherwise then the Fathers intended This is confessed by the Diuines of the Vniuersity of Doway speaking of Bertrams booke The title Vt liber Bertrami presbyteri de Corp. sang Domini tolerari emendatus queat Iudicium Vniversitatis Duacensis Censoribus probatum Then their iudgement followes with some reasons why they rather mend the book then forbid it lest the forbidding should make men more desirously seeke it and greedily reade it and condemne the Church for abrogating all antiquity that is alleadged against them c. Therefore they will vse it as they doe other ancient Catholike bookes which they deliuer in these words Cumâ— in Catholicis veteribus alijs plâ—â—â—os feramus errores extenuemus excusemus excogâ—â—â—â—omento persaepe negemus commodum ijs seasum â—ffingamus dum opponuntur in disputationibus aut in confactionibus cum aduersarijs non videmus cur non candem aequitatem diligentem recognitionem mereatur Bertramus c. that is Seeing in other ancient Catholike writers we beare with many errors and we extenuate excuse and oftentimes by witty expositions deny and dâ—uise a commodious sense vnto them when they are opposed in disputations and conflicts with our aduersaries we see no reason why Bertram may not deserue the same equity and diligent recognition In this passage we may obserue these things 1 They acknowledge many errours to be in ancient Writers whom yet they account Catholickes and of their owne Church or Religion Otherwise they must haue a small and the Protestants a large Church 2 That those opinions though many which they Call errors make for their aduersaries the Protestants and are against Romes present doctrine and so obiected by the Protestants 3 How they auoyd them euen by applying their Art Wit and Learning Gods talents committed to them to obscure the Truth corrupt the witnesse thereof deceiue the simple and gull the learned making all beleeue that the ancient Writers are nothing at all against them but fully for them by peruerting their allegations to speake quite contrary to the Authors meaning O wit and learning wickedly bestowed conscience seared poore people miserably deluded And note further 4 the generality of this practise Iudicium Vniuersitatis Duacensis Censoribus approbatum confessed professed by a whole Vniuersity at once and deliuered for their deliberate iudgement and approoued by the most learned and iudicious censors appointed to that great office by the Hierarchy of the Church of Rome though this practice was a long time closely carried in darkenesse yet now it is defended in the open light by Gretzer the Iesuite §. 10. 4 The Roman Doctors may bring in whole Armies of witnesses on their side when they change the question and proue what no body denies a Bedel letters to Wadworth pag. 109. As when the question is whether the pope haue a Monarchy ouer all Christians an vncontroulable Iurisdiction an Infallible Iudgement c. b Bellar. de summo Pontifice lib. 2. cap. 15. 16 answered by D. Field lib. 5. cap. 35 36. Bellarmine alleadgeth a number of Fathers Greeke and Latin to proue onely that Saint Peter had a primacy of honour and authority which is farre short of that supremacy which the popes now claime and which is the question So to proue the verity of Christs Body and Blood in the Lords Supper c Bellar de Eucharistia lâ—b 2. toto Bellarmine spends the whole booke in citing the Fathers of seuerall Ages To what purpose when the
question is not of the truth of the presence but of the manner whether it be to the teeth or belly which he in a manner denies or to the soule and faith of the Receiuer So also d Bellarm. De Purgat lib. 1. cap 6. Bellarmine for the proofe of Purgatory alleadgeth a number of Fathers as Ambrose Hilary Origen Basil Lactansius Jerom but farre from the purpose of the question and quite beside their meaning for they spake of the fire at the end of the world as e Sixtus Senens Bibl. lib. 5. Annot 171. Sixtus Senensis saith and Bellarmine cites them for the fire of Purgatory before the end f Bellarâ—ib Hee cites many other Fathers also to proue Purgatory because they commended prayer for the dead though he well knew that proceeded from an g Sâ—arez in 3. pa t â—â—ome qu. 59. art 6. disp 57. §. 1. pag. 1159. errour which they held that mens soules were not iudged till the last day nor rewarded or punished but reserued in some secret receptacles vnto the vniuersall Iudgement Which opinion is as contrary to Purgatory to confirme which he alleadgeth them as it is to the truth and therefore they are guilefully alleadged beside their meaning Antiquus These practises of alleadging counterfeit bookâ—s vnder the reuerend names of ancient holy Fathers of corrupting the genuine writings of the Fathers and of auoyding or peruerting their true meaning by any sophisticall interpretations and of producing them in shew to the purpose but indeed beside the purpose and the true question and by all or any of these meanes to seeke the victory by obscuring the truth are things to my heart and soule odious and abhominable Neither should I beleeue that euer any such thing was done by Men that professe Religion but I should thinke it rather a malicious slander deuised by their aduersaries if I had not seene manifest proofe of all by their owne bookes layed open before mine eyes But to let passe my iust griefe of this for the present I must adde that CHAP. 3. Of the differences of the Fathers and Protestants and of their contentions § 1. Many Fathers are confessed by all sides to haue held some erronious opinions which none are boun◠〈◊〉 receiue and yet in the substance of Religion were good Catholicke Christians and our predecessors 2 Many differences also are noted among Romish Doctors which yet hinder them not from being all accounted Catholickes 3 The differences among Protestants are nothing so great or many as those afore noted of the Fathers and the Romish The especiall one about Christs presence in the Sacrament is much lesse then it seemeth 4 The Popes vnwillingnesse to reforme manifest abuses by the way of generall Councels was the cause of all differences in Reformed Churches 5 The Protestants contentions for Gods cause as they take it are nothing so hote or troublesome as the contentions of many ancient holy Fathers haue beene about smaller matters §. 1. Antiquus YEt I cannot thinke but in the vndoubted and vncorrupted writings of the Fathers you find many things differing from the Doctrine of Protestants It cannot be otherwise for the Protestants differ among themselues the English from the German the German from the French one Nation from another and in euery Nation one company from another It is possible the Fathers may disagree from them all but to agree with them all that agree not among themselues it is impossible Besides the Protestants disagreements are so great with such bitter contentions and virulent writing one against another that they shew themselues not to be of the Church of God which is a City at vnity in it selfe and consists of men more mortifyed in their affections I tell you truely these disagreements and contentions do mightily alienate mens affections from your Religion Antiquissimus Your obiection hath three parts 1 Differences of the Fathers from vs 2 Differences among our selues 3 The hot contentions of Protestants for these differences Let me answer them in order First I doe ingenuously confesse that the Fathers do in many things differ from vs and no whit lesse from you Though they were very Reuerend learned holy men yet still they were men and had their errours and imperfections Your owne men first discouered them as Cham did his Fathers nakednesse and told his brethren Gen. 9. and we cannot hide them though wee gladly would and with Sem and Japhet turne our backs on theÌ„ neither is it now expedient when you so much vilifie the Scriptures and magnifie the Fathers beyond their right and seeke to draw the tryall of the truth of Religion rather then the Riuelets of Fathers and Histories then from the Fountaine of the Scriptures We must therfore tell you more necessarily theÌ„ willingly what your own men haue said of the Fathers slips and errours wherein not onely we but themselues are constrained for the truthes sake to forsake them And yet both wee and they account the same Fathers our predecessors for the other necessary points of sauing faith which they soundly held neither doe we any way doubt but that they are blessed Saints in Heauen Baron an 118. n. 2. Senous Bibl. lib. 5. amos 233. 1 Your Cardinall Baronius and Sixtus Senensis reckon vp many Fathers that held the Millenary errour to wit Papias the scholler of Iohn the Apostle Evangelist Apollinarius Irenaeus Tertullianus Victorinus Lactantius Seuerus Sulpitius Justin Martyr many other Catholike Fathers being deceiued by Papias Bish of Hierapolis a man much reuerenced for opinion of his Holinesse and learning Baron ib. n. 5. c. n. 2. citing Eusebius but yet homo ingenij pertenuis saith Eusebius who taught it as a tradition receiued from the Apostles and grounded vpon Revel 20. v. 4 5. The matter was this That there should be two Resurrections the first of the godly to liue with Christ a thousand yeeres on earth in all worldly happinesse before the wicked should awake out of the sleepe of death and after that thousand yeeres the second Resurrection of the wicked should be to eternall death and the godly should ascend to eternall life Baron an 373. n. 14. This errour continued almost two hundred yeeres after it began before it was condemned for an heresie and was held by so many Church-men of great account and Martyrs that Saint Augustine and Ierom did very modestly dissent saith Senensis ib. Concil Carthag in Cypriani operib 2 Saint Cyprian held that such as were baptized by heretickes should be rebaptized and so determined with a whole Councell of African Bishops Contrary to the African Bishops in the time of Aurelius and contrary to Cornelius Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Italian Bishops And yet was Cyprian alwayes counted a Saint a true member of the Church an holy Martyr Bellar. de confir lib. 2. cap. 7. §. respond ad 1. Aug. cont 2. ep Pelag. lib. 4. c. 8. Aug.
admitted Acts 2 after one sermon of Saint Peter wherin he had taught the principall heads of faith in Christ in one day 3000 men were baptized who whithout doubt knew nothing else but those necessary things And therefore it is added that after baptisme they perseuered in the Doctrine of the Apostles that is they learned what yet they had not heard of Christian Misteries c. B. Vsher Sermon at Wanstâ—d pag. 32. See also his booke De Christianarum eccles successu statu cap. 1. § 15. This our Bishop Vsher agreeth vnto alledging the Apostles sermons to that purpose which treated onely of the first principles of the Doctrine of Christ vpon the receiuing whereof as of sufficient doctrine to make them Christians men were baptized And this he further confirmeth by the writings of Irenaeus and Tertullian and the Creeds receiued by the Church the Apostles Creed the Creed of Athanasius The Creed of the East Church See before cap. 1. sect 2. subject 1. §. 2. recited and confirmed for the beleefe of the whole Church in the Councells of Nice and Constantinople and the late Councell of Trent Whereof I haue spoken already § 5. D. Field of the Church booke 3. chap 4. Our Doctor Field doth more fully and perfectly describe those things that so neerely touch the very life and being of Christian Faith and Religion that euery one is bound particulaâ—ly and expresly to know and beleeue them vpon paine of eternall damnation He reduceth them to sixe principall heades First concerning God whom to know is eternall life we must beleeue and acknowledge the vnity of an infinite incomprehensible and eternall essence full of righteousnesse goodnesse mercy and trueth The Trinity of persons subsisting in the same essence the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost coessentiall coeternall and coequall the Father not created nor begotten the Sonne not created but begotten the holy Ghost not created nor begotten but proceeding Secondly we must know and beleeue that God made all things of nothing that in them he might manifest his wisdome power and goodnesse that he made men and Angels capable of supernaturall blessednesse consisting in the vision and enioying of himselfe that he gaue them abilities to attaine thereunto and lawes to guide them in the wayes that lead vnto it that nothing was made euill in the beginning that all euill entred into the world by the voluntary aversion of men and Angels from God their Creator that the sinne of Angels was not generall but that some fell and other continued in their first estate that the sinne of those Angels that fell is irremissible and their fall irrevocable that these are become deuils and spirits of errour seeking the destruction of the sonnes of men that by the misperswasion of these lying spirits the first man that euer was in the world fell from God by sinnefull disobedience and apostacy that the sinne of the first man is deriued to all his posterity not by imitation onely but by propagation and descent subiecting all to curse and malediction yet not without possibility and hope of mercifull deliuerance Thirdly we must beleeue that for the working of this deliuerance the Sonne of God assumed the nature of man into the vnity of his Diuine person so that he subsisteth in the nature of God and Man without all corruption confusion or conuersion of one of them into another that in the nature of man thus assumed he suffered death but being God could not be holden of it but rose againe and triumphantly ascended into heauen that he satisfied the wrath of his Father obtained for vs remission of sinnes past the grace of repentant conuersion and a new conuersation ioyned with assured hope desire and expectation of eternall happinesse Fourthly we must constantly beleeue that God doth call and gather to himselfe out of the manifold confusions of erring ignorant and wretched men whom hee pleaseth to be partakers of these precious benefits of eternall saluation the happy number and ioyfull society of whom we name the Church of God whether they were before or since the manifestation of Christ the Sonne of God in our flesh For both had the same faith hope and spirit of adoption whereby they were sealed vnto eternall life though there be a great difference in the degree and measure of knowledge and the excellency of the meanes which God hath vouchsafed the one more then the other Fiftly we must know and beleeue that for the publishing of this ioyfull deliuerance and the communicating of the benefits of the same the Sonne of God committed to those his followers whom he chose to bee witnesses of all things he did or suffered not onely the word of Reconciliation but also the dispensation of sacred and sacramentall assurances of his loue set meanes of his gracious working that those first messengeâ—s whom he sent with immediate commission were infallibly led into all truth and left vnto posterities that summe of Christian Doctrine that must for euer be the rule of our faith that these blessed messengers of so good and happy tidings departing hence left the Ministery of Reconciliation to those whom they appointed to succeed them in the worke so happily began by them Lastly we must know and be assuredly perswaded that seeing the renouation of our spirits and mindes is not perfect and the redemption of our bodies still remaining corruptible is not yet therefore God hath appointed a time when Christ shall returne againe raise vp the dead and giue eternall life to all that with repentant sorrow turne from their euill and wicked wayes while it is yet the accepted time and day of saluation and contrary wayes cast out into vtter darkenesse and into the fire that neuer shall be quenched all those that neglect despise so great saluation All these things and these onely doe directly concerne the matter of eternall saluation saith Doctor Field These things saith he make the rule of faith whereof a man cannot be ignorant and bee saued By these all the holy Fathers Bishops and Pastors of the Church measured and made their Sermons Commentaries and interpretations of Scripture This rule is deliuered by Tertullian Irenaeus Tertull. de praescriptionibus adversus hareticos adversus Praxcam Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 3. See here before cap. 1. sect 2. subsect 1. §. 2. and other of the Fathers and with addition of conclusions most easily clearely and vnavoydably deduced hence by Theodoret in his Epitome Dogmatum For a second sort of things there are that attend on these first as consequents deduced from them or some way appertaining to them such as a man being perswaded of these will see the necessary consequence and deduction of them from these if they be propounded vnto him As that there are two wills in Christ that there is no saluation remission of sinnes or hope of eternall life out of the Church c. In such second things clearely deduced from the first principles if a man
erre he can hardly be saued A third sort of things there are which are not so clearely deduced froÌ„ those first indubitate principles as namely concerning the place of the Fathers rest before the comming of our Sauiour Christ concerning the locall descending of Christ into the hell of the damned c. Of this third sort a man may be ignorant and erre in them without danger of damnation if errour be not ioyned with pertinacy §. 6. The like doctrine doth our Bishop Vsher deliuer B. Vsher Sermon at Wansled pag. 33. 1 Cor. 3.12 in words of analogy to Saint Pauls similitude of building Some build vpon this foundation gold Siluer pretious Stones Wood Hay Stubble Some saith he proceed from one degree of wholesome Knowledge vnto another increasing their maine stocke by the addition of those other sacred truthes that are reuealed in the word of God and these build vpon the foundation gold and siluer and pretious stones Others retaine the pretious foundation but lay base matter vpon it wood hay stubble and such other either vnprofitable or more dangerous stuffe and others goe so farre that they ouerthrow the very foundation it selfe The first of these be wise the second foolish the third madde builders When day of triall commeth the first mans worke shall abide Ibid. v. 14 15. and hee himselfe shall receiue a reward the second shall lose his worke but not himselfe The third shall lose both himselfe and his worke together And as in buildings there is great difference to bee made betwixt such parts as are more contiguous to the foundation and such as be remoter off So the doctrines or conclusions neerely conioyned to the first principles of Religion and grate vpon the foundation may more establish or endanger the building then those that come not neere the foundation and therefore the nearer they are to the foundation the more important be the truthes and the more perilous be the errours And againe the farther they are remoued off the lesse necessary is the knowledge of such verities and the swaruing from the truth lesse dangerous §. 7. Out of all this we may deduce these consequents First to these fundamentall points which are absolutely necessary to saluation the vnity of faith is to be restrained and beyond them not to be extended So that such as hold diuersity of opinions in other points of lesse moment not crossing these may still be of one faith or Church and heires of saluation as long as they hold the true foundation Secondly by this rule the ancient Fathers are cleared to be sound Christians This we haue shewed in the former chapter For though many of them as is aforesaid held the millenary errour many held that the soules of iust men shall not see God till the resurrection many that the very Deuils should not be tormented in hell till the Iudgement Many taught free-will before Grace Some taught the Omnipresence and Omniscience of Saints departed Cyprian and many more held rebaptization necessary for such as were baptized by Heretickes Saint Augustine and the greatest part of the Curch for sixe hundred yeeres held a necessity of the Eucharist to Infants and in many other things they differed one from another and from the Church in the aftertimes See D. Field Church book 3. chap. 5. § All these Yet because they all entirely and stedfastly held all the necessary fundamentall principles which these errours did not infringe neither held they these errours obstinately or incorrigibly but onely for want of better information they were certainely of the same Church and Relâ—gion whereof we are and whereof all are that hold the same principles vnweakned by any other Thirdly the lâ—ke is to be said of the Waldenses though many of those smaller errours were true which as I haue shewed before were falsely imputed vnto them Fourthly the same may be said also of our Fathers that liued in the Communion of the Church of Rome before Luthers time and bâ—fore the Councell of Trent Their holding and professing thâ—se necessary fundamentall points as I haue shewed before * See before chap. 1. sect 4. per tot was sufficient to make them true Christians if in life and death they shewed the power and vertue thereof and maintained not obstinately any grosse points that infringed the foundation Fiftly the same may be also said of all the Churches in the world where the ancient foundations are retained B. Vshers serm at Wansted pag. 43. The Greeke Armenian Aeâ—hiopian Russian c. For if we should take a generall view of them all putting by the points wherein they differ one from another and gathering into one body the rest of the Articles wherein they all did generally agree wee should finde that in those propositions which without all controuersie are vniuersally receiued in the whole Christian world so much truth is contained as being ioyned with holy obedience may be sufficient to bring a man to euerlasting saluation B. Vsher ib. D. Field church book 3. chap. 5. This is Bishop Vshers opinion and Doctor Fields of these Churches Section 3. § 1. Obiection If holding the foundation will serue then we may safely obtaine saluation in the Church of Rome § 2. Answer The Curch of Rome holds many things which by consequent destroyes the Foundation by master Hookers Iudgement § 3. Obiection This crosseth what was said before That many before Luthers time might be saued in the Roman Church Answ no for they liued in those errors of ignorance not obstinacy and not knowing any dangerous consequence of them § 4. Such men by particular repentance of sinnes knowne and generall repentance of vnknowne might by Gods mercy be saued § 5. Obseruations hereof § 6. Other learned Protestants ioyne in opinion with master Hooker §. 1. Antiquus If this be so then to omit other Churches I see no reason but wee may well and safely continue in the Roman Church and therein receiue saluation because as you haue said and it appeares by Azorius and all the schoole-diuines that Church holdes the Foundation which is by your owne confession sufficient to saluation though she hath added many otheâ— things not necessary absolutely to saluation yet profitable for the fuller seruice of God beauty of the Church and pious life §. 2. Antiquissimus If shee added none but such things wee should account them not onely tollerable but commendable But wee charge her with addition of such doctrines and practises as being obstinately pursued spoile and ouerthrow the Foundation which shee professeth to hold Whereof heare one man Mr. Richard Hooker a man of great account for learning Iudgement and moderation who vsed very carefully to waigh in the ballance of impartiall discretion all the words sentences and phrases which he wrote and whose workes haue been already sixetimes printed without any alteration Hookers Discourse of Iustification § 17. Hee grants that the Church of Rome holds the foundation in profession but
corruptions remayned in their vnderstanding 1 Cor. 13.9 12. rom 7.23 gal 5.17 eph 6.11 12 13 c. will and affection no temptation auocations suffocations and seductions in the world to withdraw them your speech were to some purpose But since these things are so common in this world and so powerfull it is most necessary to vse of all those meanes which God hath prescribed especially the continuall vse of the publike Ministery which by the inward working of the Holy Ghost reneweth raiseth and bloweth vp as Bellowes doe the fire our faith and loue which else would soone waxe cold die out and be extinguished 2 Cor. 4.10 But by these meanes whatsoeuer become of the outward Man the Inward man is renewed day by day §. 2. When the Israelites were already taught the grounds of Religion in the ten Commandements Exod. 20. Yet the Lord thought it necessary to adde Interpretations and fuller explications thereof and many ceremonies for their better training and exercise in those grounds and for the better keeping of them from the Idolatry of the Gentiles He thought it also necessary to giue them a Deuteronomie or Repetition of the Law Deut. 1.3 6. c after it had beene fully deliuered Beside the extraordinary testimonies of his continuall presence with them Exod. 13.21 16.11 14. 17.5 by the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day by Manna from heauen Quaiks from the Sea water from the Rock strange victories deliuerances signes wonders blessings and punishments all which were Sermons vnto them of Gods power and loue to keepe them in his obedience and seruice And in the land of Canaan Acts 15.21 where they were setled they had continuall reading and interpreting of the Law euery Sabboth day continuall vse of the Sacraments Circumcision and the Passeouer and of all sacrifices and ceremonies to keepe them in memory of the Couenant to stirre them vp and exercise them to obedience comfort faith and hope in the Promised Messias the saluation and glory of the world And yet all these were too little to keepe them in the true seruice of God or from falling away to the Idolatry of the Nations See 1 Cor. 10. the 11. first verses For all this many fell to Idolatry Adultery tempting of God murmuring and other sinnes so that multitudes of them were one way or other destroyed And all these things happened vnto them for our examples §. 3. Therefore we also haue need not only of the grounds well layed but of continuall explications and applications thereof excitations of our affections exhortations to obedience renouations of our memories armour against temptations of seductions or prophanenesse comforts against all afflictions food against all faintings and phisicke against all the maladies of the soule All which the contiunall vse of the Preaching of the word Ministreth vnto vs. Col. 3.16 Heb. 10.25 Heb. 3.12 13. Psal 1.1 Deut. 6.6 7 8 9. Heb. 6.1 Eph. 4 11 12 13 14. 2 Pet. 1 5-10 And therefore wee are euery where exhorted that the word of God may dwel plentifully among vs that wee forsake not the assemblies that we exhort and stirre vp one another that wee meditate vpon the law of God day and night that we grow vp to perfection to a full measure of knowledge and holines that wee be not as children tossed to and fro and caried about with euery wind of doctrine by the sleights of men and cunning craftines that by adding to Faith vertue and to vertue knowledge by continuall adding further degrees to our first graces wee make our calling and election sure and put our selues out of danger of falling away Something 's are absolutly necessary Necessitate finis to attaine the end as are these Fundameâ—tall doctrines other things are also necessary but Necessitate mediâ— as profitable meanes to be vsed for that end such are the remouing of all hindrances and the vsing of all furtherances wherein the Preaching of the word of God is a principall Instrument §. 4. Luke 8.11 1 Pet. 2.2 Heb. 5.12 13 14. 1 Gods word is not onely seed to be once sowen but food to be often Ministred milke for babes and strong meat for men growen As our bodies by corporall so our soules by continuall vse of spirituall food must grow increase and be strengthened 2 Not onely food but wine See psal 119.49.50 9â— 2 Cor. 1.4 5. Acts 2.46 3.15.31 or medicine to comfort the fainting heart in all afflictions in life or death The beleeuers did eate their meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart And receiuing letters from the Apostles reioyced for their consolation 3 And for renewing of weake memories 1 Pet. 1.12 13. Rom. 15.14 15. Phil. 3.1 2. Thess 2.5 St. Peter saith he would not be negligent to put them alwayes in remembrance though they knew the things before and were established in the present truth The like saith Saint Paul to the Romans Philippians Thessalonians Vpon which last place Saint Chrysostome Commenting saith thus much in effect that we had need often to review and renew the seed we haue sowne couer it well from the Fowles of the ayre hedge and fence it from the beasts of the field weed and water it that it may grow c. 4 For preseruing the doctrine of saluation pure and sound from corruption which may come into the Church by wicked teachers and witlesse hearers Some may teach other doctrine and turne aside to vaine jangling yea to loose faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.3 6 19. 4.1 2 Tim. 3.6 7 8. to depart from the faith and giue heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Deuils Some creepe into houses and lead captiue silly women laden with sinnes led away with diuers lusts euer learning and neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith And of witlesse hearers Saint Paul saith also 2 Tim. 4.3.4 The time will come when men will not endure to heare sound doctrine but after their owne lusts they will heape to themselues Teachers hauing itching eares and will turne away their eares from the truth and will be turned vnto Fables To preuent which mischiefe 2 Tim. 4.1 2. Saint Paul for an especiall remedy seuerely chargeth Timothy to preach the Word be instant in season out of season reprooue rebuke exhort withall long suffering and doctrine And giues him especiall warning To hould fast the foundation the forme of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 which Saint Paul had taught him in Faith and loue which is in Christ Iesus §. 5. These warnings which Saint Paul gaue to Timothy we shall finde needefull in all Churches euen in those of the new Testament where the foundation was substantially layed by the Apostles themselues Saint Paul had planted a glorious Church at Rome Acts 28.30 31 continuing there two yeares together in his owne hired house receiuing all commers
Pope cannot possibly be grounded neither doe the Fathers come neere to proue it which are alledged for it as he sheweth Antiq. For the places of Saint Matthew 16. and St. Iohn 21. Vpon this Rocke and Feed my sheepe since you haue proued by the Fathers iudgement e Before chap. 6 section 6 7. that they belong as well to the other Apostles as to Saint Peter I relye not vpon them nor vpon the Fathers who by f ib. sect 12. refusing the Popes supreme gouernment seeme thereby also to deny his infallibility But there is another thing vrged by g Bellar. de pont lib. 4. cap. 3. §. quarto probatur many and seemes to be of great force to proue this questioned infallibility That the high Priest of the old Testament had in his brest-place the Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28. 30. that is Doctrine and Verity which is expounded in the 17. 9. of Deuteronomy where the Lord commands them that doubt of the sence of the diuine Law to repayre to the Chiefe Priest and enquire of him adding That he shall tell them the truth of iudgement Therefore both by signes and by words the Lord hath promised that in the brest of the Chiefe Priest shall reside Doctrine and Verity and therefore that he cannot erre when he teacheth the people And if this was fit for the Aaronicall chiefe Priest much more for the Christian Conformable whereunto h Ioh. 11.51 Rhemists thervpon Caiphas the Iewes high Priest in a Councell prophesied truly that Christ should dye for the Nation Vpon which Text the Rhemists do note That the gifts of the holy Ghost follow the Order and Office not the merits and persons of men as Caiphas a man many wayes wicked and in part an vsurper in the time when the Priesthood began to decline and giue place to the new ordinance of Christ had yet some assistance of God for vtterance of truth which Caiphas himselfe meant not therefore we should not maruell that Christ deliuereth his truth by Prelats his officers though wicked and vnworthy of their office as also i Canus loc theol lib. 5. cap. vlt. §. Ad id Canus saith alleadging the same text and Bishop Fisher also k Roffensis contra Assert Lutheri veritat 3. pag. 12. Antiquis The high Priests by their education office reading study and conference must in all reason haue knowledge farre beyond ordinary people for signe whereof they might weare the Vrim and Thummim and the people were to repayre to them for direction in their doubts as now to their learned Ministers whose lips must preserue knowledge But the people were not to take all for infallible which they said l B Morton Appeal l. 3 c. 15 sect 3. D. Field Church booke 5. c. 42. The Iewes had a glosse vpon that text If the Iudge shall tell thee that the right hand is the left and affirme â—he left to be the right thou must beleeue him But this is absurd saith their Lyranus for no iudgement that is manifestly false must be beleeued from any man of what authority soeuer he be But the people are appointed onely to doe all things which the high Priests shall teach according to the Law Deut. 17.11 Whereupon Christ saith m Mat. 23.2 The Scribes and Pharisees sit vpon Moses Chayre and therefore are to be harkened vnto not in all things generally whatsoeuer they say but onely when they vtter and deliuer pertinentia ad Cathedram things agreeable to Moses doctrine as the author of the ordinary glosse noteth n Glossa in â—undem locum See Raynolds Hert. This therefore proues no infallibility in the high Priest nor in the Pope no more doth that of o Ioh. 11.49 c. Caiphas to whom wee wonder that you in earnest parallell your Pope For he spake once in the Councell truely and prophetically God directing him and the euent confirming it but he spake also in the Councell most vntruely and blasphemously when he said that Christ blasphemed p Mat 26.65 as Bellarmine saith well q Bellar. lib. 2. de conciliis cap. 8. § alii dicunt Therefore to establish an opinion of an infallible Iudge by an example of a Iudge blasphemously erroneous in iudgement is little better then to erect a Roman Caiphas §. 2. You see therefore by the insufficiency of your proofes first that you haue no probability of your Popes infallibility Now I tell you secondly there is no necessity of any such thing in any one man in the Church of God because a Bellar. de Verbo Dei li. 4. c. 11. §. hic notatis Costerus Enchir ca. 1. §. caetorum we haue all the points of Christian doctrine necessary to saluation b Coster ib. Aug. Doctr. Christiana l 2. c. 9. Bellar de iustif lib 3. cap. 8. § primara plainely and infallibly deliuered in the Scriptures Saint Peter was c Mat. 16.17 infallibly guided by the holy Ghost and freed from all error in doctrine either by teaching then presently or deliuered by writing to posterity so were all the other Apostles And e Bellar. de verbo Dei l. 4. c. 11. § his notatis what they taught necessary for all men to beleeue vnto saluation d 2 Tim. 3.16 Gal. 1.12 2 Pet. 1.21 1 Thes 1.13 what they wrote and left for the instruction of the Church in succeeding ages to the end of the world whereupon all true Christians may and must stay themselues for all points touching the foundation of Religion necessary to saluation If it were possible f Gal. 1.8 9. for an Angell from heauen to come and teach otherwise St. Paul doth confidently and doubly pronounce him Anathema As long as any men or Churches hold fast what the Apostles haue deliuered they doe g Bellar de verbo Dei lib. 1. c. 2. § quare caÌ„ Faber Stapulensis praefatione in Euangeistas vnfallibly hold the truth when they swarue from that they swarue from the Rule of truth and may quickly lose themselues in inextricable errors The latitude of this vnfallible necessary sauing knowledge I haue described before h In the 6. chapter next before and it is that wee must earnestly contend for as Saint Iude saith Earnestly contend for the Faith which was once deliuered to the Saints i Iude vers 3. once deliuered that is first and once for all deliuered by the Apostles to the first Church and neuer after to be altered for that contend earnestly and for other profitable doctrines that are thence deducted by manifest consequence of Reason contend also but more moderately For things obscurely thence deducted and not profitable at all contend not Let euery mans iudgement submit to the rule of the absolutely necessary points sufficient for saluation once and first giuen and we shall need no more nor further infallibility in any man §. 3. But if this so much spoken of
ouerthrowes it by the consequence of many opinions and practises now generally retained in it As the Galatians held the foundation to wit saluation by Iesus Christ and yet withall held a necessity of ioyning circumcision with Christ which doctrine by consequence destroyed the very foundation for so Saint Paul wrote vnto them Gal. 5 2 4. If they were circumcised Christ profited them nothing he became of none effect vnto them they were fallen from grace In like manner saith he The Church of Rome professâ—ng to hold the foundation of faith yet by ioyning other things with Christ and by teaching many things pernicious in Christian faith doth by consequence plainely ouerthrow the foundation of faith Plainely saith his Margen in all mens sight whose eyes God hath enlightned to behold his truth for they which are in errour are in darkenesse and see not that which in light is plaine One of their pernicious errors he toucheth there in the Margensaying Ibid. §. 11. They hold the same with Nestorius fully the same with Eutiches about the proprieties of Christs Nature More he mentioneth else where in the text calling them such Impieties as by their law they haue established and wherevnto all that are among them either doe indeed assent or else are by powerfull meanes forced in shew and appearance to subiect themselues See also ibid. § 2â— For example In the Church of Rome is maintained that the same credit and reuerence that we giue to the Scriptures of God ought also to be giuen to vnwritten verities that the Pope is supreme head ministeriall ouer the vniuersall Church militant That the bread in the Eucharist is Transubstantiated into Christ That it is to be adored and to be offered vnto God as a sacrifice propitiatory for quicke and dead That Images are to be worshipped Saints to be called vpon as Intercessors and such like §. 3. Antiquus How agrees this with that you said before that the Church of Rome excepting the Papacy therein continued to be the Church of God till Luthers time for euen those whom you call the Church of God liued and dyed in the profession of these errours which now you say destroy the foundation of the Church of God Antiquissimus Vnderstand vs right They that hold these and such like errours for worldly respects knowing them to be heresies and make semblance of allowing that which in heart and iudgement they condemne as also they that heretically maintaine them by holding them obstinately after wholsome admonition Mr. Hooker makes no doubt Cyprian cited beâ—ore cap. 1. Sect. 4 § 3. T it 3 1â— 11. so alâ—o â—il 3.2 gal 3. â—0 12. 1 7 8 9. but their condemnation without an actuall repentance is inevitable And this is confirmed by Saint Cyprians famous sentence by me cited before and by Saint Paul saying A man that is an hereticke after the first and second admonition reiect knowing that he that is such is subuerted and sinneth being condemned of himselfe But many liued in these errors in the Church of Rome not knowing them to be errors or heresies Hooker ibid. § 12. nor euer vnderstanding that the consequent thereof destroyed the Foundation of Faith They following the conduct of their guides and obseruing exactly what was prescribed them Ibid. § 13. thought they did God good seruice when indeed they did dishonour him They did but erroniously practise what their guides hereticallly taught And though the pit bee ordinarily the end both of the guide and of the guided in blindnesse yet Gods mercy might saue them that sinned onely of erroneous piety and were merely deceiued by thinking too well and trusting too much their hereticall teachers not being in the rank of them who receiued not the loue of the truth to beleeue it and had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse and so were worthy to be giuen ouer to strong delusions and damnation 2 thes 2.10 11 12. This is confirmed likewise by the former sentence of Saint Cyprian Cyprian cited before cap. 1. sect 4. sect 3. Augustine cited before cap. 1. sect 4. in the V. Reason 1 Cor. 1.2 15.14 gal 1.2 5 2 4 10. Hook ib. § 26. and by the iudgement of Saint Augustine formerly alleadged and by Saint Pauls imbracing the Corinthians and Galatians as Churches of Christ notwithstanding the errours which they held being of mere ignorance and seduced by false Teachers For the false teachers of circumcision or the froward stiffe-necked and obstinate defenders thereof after wholsome admonition Saint Paul calleth dogges Phil. 3.2 and wisheth them cut off Gal. 5 12. and pronounceth them accursed Gal 1.8 But them that held the same errour of ignorance not knowing the dangerous consequence of it and retained a mind docible and desirous to be instructed in the truth and to follow it Them Saint Paul pittieth to them he writeth as to the Church of Christ Gal. 1.2 them with fatherly tendernesse he admonisheth instructeth and imbraceth as his children §. 4. And although many of our Fathers in the Church of Rome dyed in their errors not knowing them to be errors and therefore may be thought neuer to haue repented of them yet the same may be said of the Corinthians and Galatians that many of them dyed before S. Paul either heard of their seducing or had time to reduce them but of their the liuing also in the very beginning of his Epistles before he deliuered his instructions he spake comfortably and saluted theÌ„ as the Churches and Saints of God Hooker ibid. § 18. 20. And Mr. Hooker giues a reason why they that hold the foundation of Christian Religion cannot be said to dye without some kind of Repentance euen for vnknowen sinnes The least sinne in deed word or thought is to be accounted deadly without repentance and Gods mercy Yet many sins escape vs without knowledge of them many which we obserue not to be sinnes and without actuall and particular knowledge or obseruation of them there can be no actuall or particular repentance of them yet for as much as all that hold the foundation of religion inviolable in their harts haue a general hatred of all sin thogh for actuall knowne sinnes an actuall and particular repentance is required See Archb. Abbot ag Hil. reason 5. § 28. yet for secret and vnknowne sins as common ouersights errours and such as we either know not or know them not to be sins a generall hatred and a generall repentance of all obtaines the mercy of God through the mediation of Iesus Christ Psal 51. title Psal 19.12 Dauid repented actually particularly and punctually for his knowne particular sinnes but of others he saith in generall who can vnderstand his errours or know how oft he offendeth Lord clense thou me from my secret faults See heere chap. 3. § 1.13 Many ancient Fathers erroneously held free-will and yet were not accounted heretickes because it was of meere ignorance whereof they were neuer conuicted