pressed as they know not â—hat to say or whither to turne I appeale to the whole â—â—ditory whether this was not the summe of his reply â—â—d whether he did not heereupon abruptly end cease â— proceed any further with much disgust of the standers â— and small satisfaction to his owne fellow Ministers â—ho came to assist him Howbeit seeing both VVhitaker â— Reynolds distinguish in the same manner as Barbon hath â—â—one and often affirme that the Church may slide in to â—â—rours of probation not of damnation curable not inâ—â—rable I will a little further lay open the falsity of that â—istinction And first I would haue theÌ„ tell me what these â—urable errours be Grosse and fundamentall such as canâ—ot stand with the principles of faith or sleight and indifferent such as do not preiudice the integrity thereof â—â— such We need not for the attayning of saluation be cured of them we may without losse of Gods fauour heere or heereafter perseuere vnto death incurably in them In which case your new Ghospell was needles your outcryes slanderous your breach detestable in making so execrable a schisme diuision from vs for slender matters not necessary to saluation Grosse then and fundamental they be of which we shal be certainely healed before we dye therefore M. Whitaker affirmeth the Church may for a tyme erre in some foundations yet be safe or souÌ„d A crabbed saying for fayth must be entiere or els it is no fayth therefore if the beliefe of the Church be fayling in any one foundation it is no way sound but wholy erres in fayth as M. VVhitaker not many lines before directly auoucheth If any fundamentall point of doctrine be remoued the Church presently falleth A true speach howbeit most contrary and repugnant to the former And yet it is impossible for the Church euer to be ruined impossibly to perish or depart from God at any tyme or moment as hath beene disputed in the former Chapter Therfore impossible â—â— her to be ensnared in any substantiall or fundamental eâ—rour 5. Besides if curable errours be fundamentall whâ— be incurable What greater then fundamentall Or hâ—â— can any be counted incurable when there is none â— damnable which may not be cured by the salue of gracâ— When we dayly see that Arianisme Iudaisme Turcisâ—â— Apostacy Infidelity c. often cured with help from â—boue No errour there is which may not be cured by grace Are they incurable out of which the Church caâ— neuer be recouered But of this neuer Heretique as yâ—â— made question The Donatists who contended that thâ— whole Church crred and perished before their dayes saiâ— it reuiued againe and tooke life in them and so do all heretiks or sectaryes whosoeuer challenge a recouery of the decayed Church But what do I striue against meere fancyes All the arguments I haue heere proposed manifestly conclud that the true Church of Christ is neuer obnoxious to any errour at all little or great curable or incurable necessary or not necessary to saluation For she teacheth Why the Church can fall into no errour curable or incurable all truth the spirit and wordes of God are alwayes in her mouth She is a pure virgin and cannot be stayned with any spot of vnchast doctrine she is alwayes directed by the holy Ghost we are commanded by God alwayes to giue care vnto her But as we can be led into no offense smal nor grieuous materiall nor formal culpable nor inculpable into nothing dissonant or repugnant vnto truth by imbracing the direction or following ProtestaÌ„ts are eÌ„trapped in their own affertions holding the true Church may erre and yet themselus certain of truth the commandment of truth it self so we can tumble into no errour little or great curable or incurrable by following the direction or safe conduct of the Church And truely I wonder at this witch craft of Sathan how he should perswade our miserable sectaryes that they alone haue the purity of the Ghospell the certainty of the spirit the true reformed Church and yet to teach them withall that the true Church may erre For how can they be sure themselues do not erre in their fayth and in appeaching vs of so many superstitioÌ„s if their Church may erre How can their followers be sure they are taught â— truth if their teachers themselues confesse they may â— O drunken heresy O malicious blindnes art thou â—ereft of the light of reason and drowned in the pit of â—lful darknes as to produce no better witnesses for the â— of ours and rising of thy Church then such as may â—e such as may lye and beguile the people S. Augustine Aug. in psal 63. v. 7. â— braydeth the Iewes for labouring to disproue our Saâ—ours resurrection with sleeping watchmen And shall â—t I reuile our Lutheran or Caluinian strumpet for inâ—ing vs of sundry falshoodes by the verdict of errable â—inisters deceauable Reformers Who graunt they may â— blinded with curable errours Of such errours we acâ—se them in all points wherein they disagree from vs â—e proue them guilty by the word of God doome of anâ—â—quity and vniuersall Senate of all the faithfull who â—â—nnot erre Let them by the like Iury acquit themselues â—â—fense their doctrine with the like authority or els in â—â—ine do they bragge of verity or exclaime against our â—â—perstitious abuses Will they runne to the authority of Scripture But either they are infallibly assisted by the holy Ghost neuer to mistake or interprete it amisse and then their Church can neuer erre neither curably nor incurably which they deny or they may sometyme swarue from the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost they may fall into the curable errours of which we attach them and so are condemned by their owne mouthes for insufficient witnesses or accusers of vs. To go one Iren. l. 3. c. 4. 40. l. 1. c. 3. Hier. l. 3. adue Ruf. c. 8. in fine Cypr. epist 55. ad Cornel. Aug. de vnit Eccl. c. 28. 6. As the scripturs before mentioned so the ancient Fathers aboundantly testify the inerrable rule of the true Churches beliefe S. Irenaeus sayth The Apostles haue layd vp in the church as in a rich treasure all truth that he that will may from thence draw the water of life Likewise She keepeth with most sincere diligence the Apostles fayth and preaching In her sayth Saint Hierome is the rule or square of truth The Church sayth S. Cyprian neuer departeth from that which she once hath knowne S. Augustine Behould how after the same sort he addeth of the body which is the Church that he may not permit vs to erre neither in the bridegroome nor in the bride In another place he affirmeth Aug. tom 2. ep 166. fol. 290. that our heauenly Maister forewarneth vs to auoyd schismes In so much as he maketh the people secure of euill gouernourâ— least for them the chayer of holesome doctrine should be forsaken â— which euen
Augustine to this purpose interpreteth that verse of the Psalme â—rue de manu canis vnicam meam deliuer my only one from the clawe of the * By the dogge Eusebius vnderstaÌ„deth the Diuell whome the Heathens feigned to be the three headed Cerberus Cypr. de vnit Eccle. dogge Where by his only one he vnderstandeth vnicam Ecclesiam his only Church S. Cyprian proueth it diuers wayes illustrateth it with many fine similitudes By the fountaine which is only one although deuided into many riuers By the root or tree which is one albeit it brauncheth into diuers bowes By the lighte of the sun which is one notwithstanding is casteth forth sundry beames so the Church is only one howbeit â—he stretcheth her dominions into innumerable Counteryes The same he confirmeth by the Coat of Christ without seame which figured his one and vndeuided Church But I will not depart from the oracle of the Apostle 3. When S. Paul calleth christ head of the body of the church Of what Church I pray is he head of the inuisible Coloss 1. v. 17. or of the visible If of the inuisible the visible is without a head if of this that is a headlesse monster or if of both one head you prodigiously ioyne to sundry bodyes Likewise the same Apostle sayth I haue despoused you to one man 2. Cor. 11. â— 2. to present you a chast virgin vnto Christ Where I aske which is that chast virgin spouse of our Lord your inuisible Church Then your visible is a harlot a concubin no virgin of Christ and yet it was a visible Church to which S. Paul wrote visible which he conuerted and preserued in chastity of truth which he vndefiled despoused vnto Christ Therefore if your visible also be made his spouse together with the inuisible two spouses As Christ cannot haue two spouses so neither two churches you betroth vnto him not one virgin as the Apostlâ— writeth pure incorrupted but two one which cannot be defiled with adulterous errour the other which may dishonour her husband play the harlot And arâ— we bound to beleeue the one conuerse with the other beleeue in the chast virgin follow her that may fall into aduoutry beleeue in her that cannot beguile vs imbrace her counsailes that may lead vs into pernicious damnable deceits O God what in iury were this to thee what abuse to men For to what end didst thou graunt such priuiledges vnto thy Church why didst thou build it vpon a rocke guard it with thy Angells endow it with thy spirit assiste and protect it with thy dayly presence but that we might securely conuerse coÌ„municate with it Did he afford these prerogatiues to one Church commaund vs to beleeue in it and after guid vs gouerne vs nay deceaue vs with another as Laban deceaued Iacob promising Rachel beguiling him with â—ia Gen. 29. v. 19. 23. 4. Is not the Apostolique Church is not the Catholique Church the true Church which yâ—â— beleeue 〈◊〉 what Church is Apostolique but that which the Apostles planted with their preaching edified with their liues watered with their bloud What Catholique but that which beginning at Ierusalem increased spread it selfe in the view of all men throughout the world And iâ— not the same the visible Church mother of vs all in whose wombe we were coÌ„ceaued in whose lap we haue been nourished and from whose dugges we haue sucked the sweetest milke of heauenly doctrine The Church which we beleue is as you confesse the house of God not built vpon the sand but vpon a rocke against which the windes Matt. 7. v. 29. blew the raine beat the floodes came but would not batter to the ground And yet the same in S. Pauls iudgment is the house in which we should liue conuerse These thinges I write to 1. Tim. 3. v. 14. Fulke in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 10. thee c. that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to conuerse in the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God Fulke auoucheth Whitaker will not deny but that their inuisible holy Catholike Church is the Church for which Christ â—yed that he might sanctify it cleanse it by the lauer of water in his worde Notwithstanding if it were not â—â—so the visible Church by which we are directed and â—ouerned how could S. Paul exhort the Priestes or Pastors Art 10. v. 28. thereof Take heed to your selues to the whole flocke wherein the holy ghost hath placed you Bishops to rule the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud 5. Moreouer what Church do we beleeue but that which is the communion of Saintes of which it is said in the Creed I beleeue the holy Catholique Churche the communion of Saintes therefore the same we beleeue The Protestants euasion answered with which we communicate I know you will say there are two sortes of communion one visible in giuing receauing the outward seales sacramentes of the Church in preaching heaâ—â—ng the word in externall profession of fayth many mutuall offices of charity another inuisible which consisteth in the inward regeneraâ—ion fructification of the word in the inward saithfull beleefe â—hat you obserue honour in the visible church this you truly acknowâ—edg beleeue in the inuisible What Are the sacraments ministred 〈…〉 â—nother Is the outward lotion preaching in one ◠〈…〉 â—â—istred 〈◊〉 one Church and giue grace in another the inward regeneratioÌ„ beleefe in another And whâ— more absurd then to deuide the sacramentes from their effectes the instrumentes of grace from grace it selfe by diuersity of Churches what more absurde then to make the pastour pillers foundation in one Church the true fabricke of the Church in another Is it possible is should not be the same Church where baptisme incorporateth vs in Christ where the body of Christ is where Paul planteth Apollo watereth God giueth the 1. Cor. 3. v. 46. increase Although I yeald vnto you that the outward lotion preaching be visible the increase of grace and true beleefe inuisible yet may not the same Church consist As man consisteth of a visible body and inuisible soule so the same Church may haue some visible other inuisible partes of diuers partes some visible some inuisible some seene others beleeued Is not euery particuler man one the same composed of a visible body inuisible soule iâ— not Christ one the same whose humanity was seene diuinity beleeued Therefore as you do not make two men of one nor two Christes of the sonne of God although he comprehend partes visible inuisible onâ— thing that is seene another beleeued so neither twâ— Churches but one the same which compriseth some visible some inuisible partes 6. But to launce this sore a litle deeper The visible Church say you coÌ„sisteth of good bad
of God deliuereth 2. Cor. 1â— v. â— Psal 8. â— Hier. l. â— comm in 6. â— ad Gal. Dâ—os eos esse manifestum est qui auteâ— Dij sunâ— tradunt Dei Euangelium non hominis In which respect S. Ierome doubteth not to call S. Peter S. Paul such as enioy their priuiledg after the phrase of scripture by the name of Gods thereupon maketh this illation But they that are Gods deliuer the Gospell of God not of man 10. Yet let vs view some other allegations which these erring and lying Ministers bring in to find the church guilty of errour Marry VVhitaker Reynoldes depose that which befalleth to one may befall to the whole but euery one in particuler may erre therefore the whole may erre which is a most false deposition plaine Sophisme arguing from each deuided member of the Church to the whole body ioyntly considered as if a cauiller should say This stone it self cannot be sufficient to raise a tower nor this nor that VVhitak contr 2 q. 4. c. 3. fol. 274. Reynoldes in his secoÌ„d conclusion fol. 628. as it is printed togeather with his conference nor any one a part Therefore a whole huge heap together cannot suffice It is a meere sophisticall kind of reasoning For we see that many do raise that which one or a few cannot Many forces of men vnited are able to draw that which no man in particuler can mooue A whole Army of souldiers vanquisheth a kingdom which on one the most valiaÌ„t captaine can annoy So the whole Church may preserue the truth vnspotted which no pâ—rticuler can doe Chiefly because the whole is guarded by Gods promise assisted by the holy Ghost the shield of her defence which deuided Churches want but the holy ghost saieth Whitaker and Fulke is also promised to euery one in particuler Christ prayed to sanctify euery one confirme him in D. VVhit contro 2. q. 4. c. 2. f. 168. Fulk in c. 16. Ioan. sect 5. in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 9. verity as he did for the whole for the laity aswell as for the Clergy for the people as much as for the Priestes It is true he prayed for all and each particuler promised the holy ghost to euery one but in a diuers manner according to euery ones seuerall state degree he praied for the Apostles and Bishops their Successours he assured theÌ„ the holy ghost as to parentes maisters shepheards of his fold to the laity euery one of the faithfull as to children schollers and sheep to be directed by them They haue the holy ghost 〈◊〉 their mouthes to teach preach instruct anâ— How the spirit of God in â—â—â—â—ised to the whole Church and how to 〈…〉 particular member VVhitak cont 2. q. â— c. ap 3. fol. â—8â— Seueruâ— l. 2. Theod. c. 19. Ream linguam non facis nisi rea mens VVitnes S. Athan. epist ad â—rancâ—s â—â—â—erne these in their hartes to obey beleeue keep vnity peace submission They his publique assistance for the publique function profit of the Church these his priuar direction for their owne priuate comfort particuler saluation Therefore as the Pastours Gouernours cannot erre in teaching defining or publiquely condemning false opinions so neither any one of the faithfull in beleeuing obeying or shunning those whom the Church hath censured Thus the whole and euery part securely trauayleth towardes the coast of heauen with the safe conduct of the holy ghost for the edificatioÌ„ complement and full perfection of the misticall body of Christ 11. Whitaker obiecteth againe that all Churches Arianized and consequently erred when the whole world aâ— S. Ierome reporteth groaned wondred to see â— selfe an Arian But S. Ierome by the figure Synecdoche vseth the whole for a great parte who were deceaued in the Councell of Arimine partly by the fraude of Valens the Arian Bishop partly by imbecillity of wit yet diuers of them materially only Wherefore seeing it is â—n Axiome in the law that the tongue it not made guilty but by the guilty mind they reteyning the true Catholique faith in their hartes formally also in open profession yeilded not properly to Arianisme but stil preserued the true state of the Church which was likewise at the same time inuiolably maynteyned in the West especially in those renowned Bishops and their flock S. Hilary S. Ambrose S. Eusebius of Verselles in Athanasius and others of Greece And that boysterous tempest continued but three yeares for then as S. Hierome relateth the beast dyed there succeeded Hier. dial aduer Lucifer a calme From the Church our aduersaryes flye to the Councells representing the Church and draw bills of enditement to conuict them of errour but their allegations are voyd and insufficient For such Councells as they meane were either vnlawfull conuenticles tumutuously assembled or if lawfully gathered not lawfully continued or not wholy approued or falsly accused or they erred only in some matter of fact not in any point of doctrine or article of beliefe 12. At least say they the old Church and Synagogue of the Iewes wholy erred when Aaron and the Two other obiections of aduersaries answered Exod. 3â— Mar. 14. whole multitude adored the golden Calfe and when Caiphaâ— the chiefe Bishop and whole Councell of Priestes adiuged Christ to death I answere that Aaron was not then inuested with the authority of high Priest but that office was imparted long after vnto him as appeareth out of the last of Exodus Then the Leuits neuer consented to that Idolatry nor Moyses in whome the supreme Priestly dignity still remayned To the second obiection I answere The infalibility of the Sinagogue when christ bad established his Church that the Councell of the Scribes Pharisces was tumultuously gathered not to interpret the law or teach the people but to pronounce sentence in a matter of fact against the Sonne of God or if they did erre in a chiefe point of faith it maketh nothing against vs for Christ had then planted his Church preached his doctrin Therfore the infallible assistance of the Holy Ghost was no longer tyed to the Synagogue Christ being present the head of his Church and hauing sufficiently promulgated his Ghospell 13. Therfore to draw to an end seeing the true Church neuer did or euer can stray from the truth as the Scriptures The Protestants Church cannot be the true Church of Iesus Christ by their own confessioÌ„ Fathers reasons conuince And seeing Protestants confesse that their Church may erre or goe astray for a tyme we must needs conclude that their Church is not the inerrable spouse of Iesus Christ but the harlot of Sathan the Temple of Baal the Stewes of an aduoutresse or if they now recant and yield vnto vs that the true Church cannot step awry in any one generally receaued point of beliefe it necessarily followeth that all their pretended reformations of her errours haue beene innouations
Hier. q. ad Edibiam kingdome of Christ wherin such as refuse to liue are rebelles and traytours to God It is the house (b) Orig. in Iesu Naue hom 3. Cypr. de simplicitate Praelat Ambr. lib. de Salom. c. 5. of â—ahaâ— from whence whosoeuer departeth is guilty of his own death It is the (c) Ioan. 21. Luc. 5. Ambr ser 11. l. de Salom. c. 4. Concil Later c. 1. Vna est fidelium vniuersalis Ecclesia extra quaÌ„ nullus omnino saluatur Aug. tom 7. concione ad plebem de Emerita post medium Cypr. epist 62. ad â—omponium Iren. l. 3. aduer haeres c. 40. Ship of Peter out of which whosoeuer sayleth suffereth ship wracke Therfore the CouÌ„cell of Lateran hath truly and carefully defined There is one vniuersall Church of the faythfull out of which no man is saued This decree of that most holy and generall Councell the vniforme consent of the Fathers ratify and confirme a few with such as I haue alleadged shall speake for the rest S. Augustine Out of the Catholike Church a man may haue all things excepting saluation he may haue orders he may haue Sacraments he may sing Alleluia he may answere Amen he may haue the Ghospell he may haue and preach the fayth in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost but he can by no meanes obtayne saluation but in the Catholike Church S. Cyprian Neither can they writing of excommunicated persons liue without sith the house of God is one and no man can haue saluation but in the Church Irenaeus In the Church God hath appointed Apostles Prophets Doctours and the whole operation or ministery of the spirit of which they all are depriued who repaire not to the Church VVhere the Church is there is the spirit of God and where the spirit of God is there is the Church and all grace Then he interreth that such as do not partake of that spirit estranged from truth are iustly tumbled into euery errour Lactantius it is only the Catholike Lactant. l. 4 diuin instit cap. vlt. Church that hath the true worship and seruice of God this is the well spring of truth the dwelling place of fayth the temple of God into which whosoeuer entreth not and from which whosoeuer departeth is without all hope of life and eternall saluation Thus Lactantius With whom our chiefest aduersaries likewise accord Field confesseth one holy Catholike Church in which only the light of heauenly Field in his first booke of the Church c. 2. fol. 23. truth is to be sought where only grace mercy remission of sinnes and hope of eternall happynes are found And to maintaine this he citeth the aforesayd sentence of Lactantius 4. Caluin also speaking of the Church our Mother sayth There is no other entry into life vnles she conceaue vs in her Calu. l. 4. instit c. 1. §. 4. wombe vnles she bring vs forth vnles she feed vs with her breastes finally vnles she keep vs vnder her custody and gouernance vntill such tyme as being vnclothed of mortall flesh we shall be like vnto Angells The reason heereof is the secret and vnchangeable will of God who sent his Sonne into the world to erect one Church one fayth one religion one house and chosen company to whom he bequeathed the keyes of paradise That only Church he purchased with his bloud that only he loued for that he deliuered himselfe to sanctify her cleansing Act. 20. v. 28. Ephes 5. v. 25. 26. her with the lauer of water in the word of life In that only Church he hath left as Irenaeus obserued his Pastors and Doctours In that his word and Sacraments in that the embassage of reconciliation benefite of remitting sinnes To that only Church he communicateth his spirit To one only Church doth God commit the keyes of heauen and benefit of reconciliation promiseth his assistance imparteth his grace vertue and spirituall endowements therefore whosoeuer is deuided or separated from that is wholy bereft of Gods celestiall comforts Most of the learned Protestants consent with vs That out of the Church there is no saluation yet this couert they seeke to saue themselues That they are of the Church either of the same with vs as some imagine or of a distinct by themselues as others vphold or at least that euery one is sufficiently in the Church of saluation as long as he beleeueth the Trinity Incarnation Passion and other principle mysteryes of fayth But that they haue no distinct Church planted by Christ watered by his Apostles and perpetually continued vntill their dayes which is necessary for the true Church I shall demonstrate heereafter in the eleuenth twelueth and thirtenth Chapters of this booke Now that they are not any part of the Roman Church nor all one with vs I manifestly conuince 5. Because they abhorre our sacrifice condemne our Fulke in c. 5. Ephes sect 3. In cap. 13. Apoc. sect 2. Fulk in c. 24. Luc. sect 4. 1. Ioan. 2. sect 9. VVhitak contr 2. q. 6. cap. 1. ibidem c. 3. Reynoldes in his fifth conclusion Fulke in c. 13. Apo. sect 2. in c. 5. ad Ephes sect 3. Rogers in his booke 39. articles of Protestancy Sacraments forbeare all participation with vs and we with them in fayth and religion we excommunicate cut them off from the communion of our Church which they also renounce as superstitious blasphemous and antichristian It is certaine sayth Fulke the Church of Rome cannot be the true Church of Christ Againe The whole religion of Popery is nothing but blasphemy against God and Christ and his Church For this cause he calleth it the whore of Babylon the seate of Antichrist the malignant and Antichristian Church of Rome VVhitaker disclaymeth from it with the like reproachfull termes and addeth That the Papists are Idolaters and their Church Idolatricall Besides he reckoneth vp eighteen fundamentall points by which it ouerthrouweth in his conceit the grounds of true religion M. Iohn Reynolds labouring to discouer the like entitleth his fift conclusioÌ„ after this manner The Roman Church not the Catholike Church nor a sound member of the Catholike Church Yea he Fulke Rogers and others recount togeather with those which VVhitaker nameth aboue foure and thirty articles in which the Roman Church hath damnably erred and in euery one shaken the fabrike razed the foundation as they blaspheme of true beliefe Therefore it is impossible any Protestant should thinke his religion the same with ours shall substantiall points impossible he should looke to be saued in the lappe of our Church which his râ—rest men and stoutest patrons so spitefully traduce and purposely detest as the most contagious heretical and idolatrical Church that euer was As impossible it is that euery sectary should hope for the blessinges of heauen in his own sect by imbracing only the principall grounds of religion as the ensuing Chapter shall further declare
impossible their Church should continue so many ages distinct from the Roman Papacy and no monument be left no steppes remayne no notice taken of it at least by the preuayling faction as they terme it of the Romane Church which diligently recorded the names and heresies of euery particuler person who at any tyme stood vp or defended any doctrine contrary to hers Yf the Romane faction tyrannyzed ouer them blotted out their names defaced their Sparke in his answere to M. Iohn d' Albins pag. 53. 54. workes razed their Churches burned their Records as Sparke fayneth some Chronicler or other some frend or enemy some Protestant or Catholike would haue registred those ransackinges or mentioned the vtter abolishments our Gouernours made of them Otherwise what warrant haue Protestants to belieue what euidence to shew they had such professours To belieue without ground in ciull matters is vnaduised lightnes in matters diuine rashnes inexcusable I proceed 6. Two other seeming answeres some of our late Reformers are wont to coyne First That seeing the Papacy Other euasions of our sectaryes reiected preserued the kernell of religion belieued the Trinity the Incarnation and passion of Christ c. their Protestant Church might be saued in it although it separated not it selfe in communion from her But this caÌ„not be For the Pelagians the Donatistes the Circumceâ—â—â—â— held these and many other grounds of true religion yet no maÌ„ could be saued participating with them nor with the Quartadecimani nor with any heretical Congregation although it disseÌ„ted from the true Church but in one heresy alone Therefore although the papacy imbraced the Fulke in c. 1â— A poc sect 2. forenamed principles of fayth yet beccuse it was defiled according to you not with one but sundry heresies which vndermined the castle of heauenly beliefe the maynteyners of Protestancy coulde not be members of the true Church abiding in the false they could not be vnited to God in the house of Belial partake with Christ in the seate of Antichrist as hath beene other where more largely discussed 7. Their second euasion is that ignorance might IgnoraÌ„ce cannot excuse our sectaries auncestors in coÌ„municating with vs if we danably erred free their confederates from the danger of damnation in coÌ„municating with our Church vntill the truth of their Ghospell was reuealed and our errours discouered vnto them But I answere that the plea of ignorance of matters necessary necessitate medij as the only meanes to atteyne saluation in iustification other articles of like tenour on which the summe of religion in Protestants opinion dependeth cannot be admitted in the Court of conscience before the tribunall of heauen For of such ignorance sentence is pronounced by the Apostle Yf any man know not he shall not be knowne And VVhosoeuer haue sinned without the law without the law shall perish Agayne albeit 1. Cor. 14. v. 38. Rom. 2. v. 12. the Church of God may for a tyme be inuincibly ignorant of some truth not necessary to saluation yet neuer of any necessary truth Wherefore if imputatiue iustice if only fayth without merite of workes and many such like protestant articles be necessary to be belieued the ignorance of them must needs cause al their auncestours to forfeit Field in his first booke c. 10. p. 19. eternall blisse especially sith Field therein subscribeth to the Apostle That no man can be saued vnlesse he make confession to saluation c. and by profession of truth make himselfe knowne 8. Besides as the Church cannot be ignorant of a necessary article much lesse can it generally professe any daÌ„nable errour any pernicious falshood as all latent Protestants openly did liuing in the Papacy and publikely professing as they account it our erroneous doctrine This the promise of Christ the assistaÌ„ce of the holy Ghost the protection of God would neuer permit his Church to doe 9. This were to frustrate the comming of Christ the price of the bloud his preaching of his Ghospell For why did he take such paynes to preach the truth if ignorance might excuse vs Why did he suffer death to abolish Matth. 28. Ephes 4. Ioan. 14. 16. all errours if his people haue beene so long ouer whelmed with them How doth he raygne for euer in the Kingdome of his Church if that for these many ages hath been subiect to Sathan Did not he promise that when he should be exalted he would draw all thinges vnto him Did not he promise to cooperat with his Pastours baptizing teaching to the consummation of the world that neither they might erre nor we be carried away with the Tertullia de Praes c. 28. vayne blastes of errour Was not the holy Ghost sent to teach all truth and that for euer Did not God forewarne vs that the preachers of the new Testament should neuer be silent from praysing his name enioying his spirit and deliuering his wordes from generation to generation euerlastingly without interruption Vpon these assurances Tertullian deemed it so great a blasphemy that the whole Church of God should be spotted with errours as he thus Tertul. ib. cap. â—9 prouoketh ValeÌ„tinus the heretik Age nunc c. Go to now haâ—e all Churches erred c. hath the holy Ghost had regarde to no one to leade it vnto truth sent for that end by Christ demaunded for that end of the Father that he might be the Doctour of truth Forsooth the Steward of God the vicar of Christ hath neglected his office permitting the Churches otherwise to vnderstand otherwise to belieue tâ—en he by his Apostle preached A little after he scoffeth at him and others in this sort The truth expected some Marcionistes and Valentinians Lutherans and Caluinistes to be infranchised by them In the meane tyme the Gospell hath beene wrongfully preached wrongfully belieued so many thousand of thousands wrongfully Christned so many workes of faith wrongfully administred so many miracles so many gifts wrongfully imployed so many priesthoods so many offices wrongfully executed in fine so many Martyrdomes wrongfully crowned Yf Tertullian thought â—t a caluÌ„niation so infamous to affirme this of the Church for a little more then a hundred yeares space how monstrous is the report of our Reformers who venture to attach it of superstition ignorance idolatry during the long tract of a thousand yeares 10. Lastly although ignoraÌ„ce may now then excuse the not belieuing of some particuler mysteryes yet the ignorant who otherwise incurre the displeasure of God can neuer gayne his fauour or recouer felicity vnlesse they be pardoned their sinnes and become members of the true Church Out of the Church no pleading for pardon no excuse can be heard to put a sinner in hope of saluation Otherwise the Iewes the Turkes the Pagans al such as haue been misled by heretikes might pleade this excuse But the hiddeÌ„ ProtestaÌ„ts who lurked in the Papacy were not members of the Church They made not the true Church where
saying It is all one to despise the minister of Christes catholique Church and to despise Christ So S. Augustine expoundeth the former of S. Matthew Fulk vpon this place sect 2. Aug. in psal 101. conc 2. Hiero. l. 4. in Matth. S. Ierome he who promiseth that he wil be with his disciples vntill the consumation of the world both sheweth that they shall alwayes liue as also that he will neuer depart from the faithfull Which the very words both heere elswhere importe all dayes vntill the consumation of the world vntill we all meet c. for euer And the ends also of graunting this authority require the same which were the propagation of the truth the edification of the body of Christ the confirmation of the faithfull the conseruation of the vnity of faith these are at all times and perpetually needfull Therefore the perpetuall asistance of the holy Ghost is alwayes necessary thereunto 2. Likewise the Prophet Osee in the person of God sayd vnto the Church I will despouse thee to me for euer c. Osee 2. v. 19. 20. will despouse thee to me in faith Therefore this pure imaculate spouse is euerlastingly wedded to Christ in synceritâ— of fayth she can neuer be stayned with adulterous errour neuer separated by schisme or heresy neuer be diuorced by any apostacy from her honourable bridegroome The same was also foretold by the Prophet Isay Isa 59. v. 21. My spirit that is in thee and my wordes that I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed and out of the mouth of thy seedes seed saith our Lord from this present and for euer Now what spirit was there in the Prophet Isay but the spirit of God What wordes in his mouth but the wordes of truth Therefore the spirit of God and wordes of truth shall not depart he doth not say from the hartes only but not from the mouthes of the Churches generation from that present for euer can any thing be written more effectually So effectual it seemeth to diuers sectaries as the publique Glosers vpon the English Protestant translation confesse the truth thereof Cal. in c. 59. Isaiae in hunc vers in their marginall notes vpon that place And Caluin in his commentaries explaning the same text God promiseth quoth he that his Church shall neuer be spoyled of this inestimablâ— good but that it shal be gouerned by the holy ghost and vnderpropped with heauenly doctrine c. and soone after Such is the promise that our Lord will so assist his Church and will haue that protection and care of it as he will neuer permit it to be depriued of his doctrine For if it once could be depriued of truth fall into any errour this oracle were frustrated If it could fall into errour the gates of hell which our Sauiour denieth Matt. 16. v. 18. 2. Tim. 3. v. 15. 1. Ioan. 17. v. 17. 2. Cor. 11. v. 2. Matt. 18. v. 17. should preuaile against it if it could erre it were not as S. Paul witnesseth the piller and firmament of truth If it could erre in vaine did Christ pray to sanctify it in verity If it could erre it were not that vnspotted virgin of which the Apostle writeth I haue espoused you to one man to exhibite you a chast virgin vnto Christ Lastly if it could erre the Son of God could not command euery one to submit himselfe to the doctrine of his Church with that heauy commination If he will not heare the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and Publican that is let him be like the excommunicated or vnbeleeuing miscreant who is cast of from Christ and vtterly abandoned to euerlasting misery But God could not threaten vs vnder this curse of damnation to heare and obey his Church if his Church could beguile vs with errour For theÌ„ God should be the cause of that errour then we might be beguiled by following his Commandment which is impossible Therefore the Church cannot teach or deliuer any errour vnto vs as a Priest imprisoned at Dauentry vrged M. Barbon the Minister at an appointed disputation held of that matter before many of the towne other Gentelmen of thâ— A conference held at Dauentry in Northampthonshire betweene a Priest ther impisoned and M. Barbon a Minister Country which Argument the Minister first laboureâ— to elude by answering that the Church indeed could noâ— erre as long as it heard followed the voyce of God but if it swarued from his word it might precipitate iâ— self into errour whereunto it was then replyed by thâ— Priest My argument said he prooueth it cannot possiblâ— swarue from the word of God For to swarue from thâ— word of God is to erre I proue it cannot erre Thereforâ— I proue it cannot swarue from the word of God Againe to affirme that the Church erreth not as long as it agreeth with the word of God is to graunt her no priuâ—â—edge aboue any hereticall or heathenish conuenticle For no Heretike Infidell Iewe or Turke no nor the diuell himselfe can erre as long as he speaketh conformable to Gods word 3. The Minister deuised another sleight and distinguished A fond distinctioÌ„ which ProtestaÌ„ts make of curable incurableerrors two kind of errours one curable another incurable one to probation another to damnation and so answered that the Church might fall herself and lead her children into curable errours out of which they may afterward escape not into incurable or damnable from which they shall neuer be deliuered But the Priest resuming his former probation insisted againe that it could leade her children into no errour at all because VVhosoeuer heareth the Church followeth the commaundement of God But no errour curable or incurable can we incurre by following the commaundement of God Therefore no errour curable or incurable can we incurre by hearing the Church The Minor only questionable was proued thus No offense to God can we incurre by following Gods commaundement But euery errour curable or incurable is an * Material or formal offense of God Therfore no errour curable or incurable can we incurre by following Gods commaundement 4. Here M. Barbon sweating and chafing yet not knowing what to deny peruersly denyed the arguâ—â—â—â— M. 〈◊〉 breaketh off the dispute cauilling at the sillogisticall forme yet could not discouer any fault neither in matter nor form The former idle distinctioÌ„ of Protestants further refelled VVhitak contro 2. q. 5. c. 17. fol. 490. Ecclesia adtempus etiam in fundameÌ„tis quibusdam errare potest tuÌ„ salua esse Whitaker contradicteth himselfe in manifest termes Si fundamentale aliquoddogma tollatur Ecclesia statim corruit â—elfe and carped at the Sillogisme as if it had foure â—â—mes the last and only collusion which he his sectâ—â—es are wont to vse to bleare the eyes of the vnlearned â—â—en otherwise they are so
the euill are constrayned to deliuer true things for they aâ—â— Fox actes monuments pag. 999. 464. 1401. 1436. 1286. The Puritans in their discouery in a sermon preached 1588. by Bancroft pag. 34. The Protestants Apology tract 3. sect 7. n. 68. not their owne things which they deliuer but Gods who hath placâ—â— the doctrine of verity in the chayer of vnity We want not heerin the suffrages of Protestants of Foxe himselfe and sundry of his Martyrs of M. Bancroft late Bishop of Canterbury the Puritans not forbearing to carpe and reprehend him for it and of others mentioned in the Protestantâ— Apology for the Roman Church which in euery Chapter so victoriously triumpheth ouer our Reformers innouation by the irrefragable testimonyes of Reformers themselues as M. Morton astonished with the euidence brought against him was suddainly beaten backe from his rash attempt which he neuer since had the hart to prosecute or any other presumeth to take pen in hand to answere that excellent and euer vnanswerable worke 7. The reasons which perswade the infallibility of the Church are sundry and they most forcible For what could moue any Infidell or Atheist to forsake his errours and come vnto the Church if that might also beguile him with errour what meanes had we to condemne an Heretike or disproue his errours if the Church might erre Diuers reasons which coÌ„uince the infallibility of the Church in disprouing of them How should we know where to rest whome to consult in doubts of fayth if the highest Iudges might iudge amisse What assurance haue we of our beliefe religion scripture sacraments of Christ himselfe and all other articles of fayth if the Church which teacheth them might erre in teaching The same inconueniences the same confusion would ensue supposing it If the Church could erre fayth it selfe all things els were vncertayne were limited not to erre only in fundamentall points necessary to saluation For then the vnconstant and wauering Christian might still cast as many doubtes whether the thinges defined where fundamentall or not Whether necessary or not necessary to saluation Then the people might call their Pastours doctrine and definition in question they might examine whether the arâ—â—cles deliuered be substantiall and such wherein their â—â—eachers be freed from errour or no Then new schisms â—â—d contentions would dayly breake forth all things â—ill remaine vncertaine 8. To prosecute a little further one of these reasons For â—t were too much to enlarge them all The tradition or â—estimony of our Church in deliuering the whole canon of scripturs vpon whose authority also most Protestants receaue it of what account do you make it If fallible the An argument vnanswerable fayth you gather from thence the Religion you ground thereon must likewise be fallible vncertayne and no way autenticall For the truth gleaned from the scripturs cannot be more sure then the Scriptures themselues from which it is gathered If infallible You grant what we require For the promises of God the assistance of the holy Ghost which warranteth the testimony of our Church to be of inuiolable authority in this point being generall and without restriction must warrant it also in The same promises of God which assure the Churches infallibility in one thing assure it in all all other traditions interpretations doctrines whatsoeuer and so you that forsake her sentence renounce her definitions renounce the Oracles of truth and decrees vndeceiuable or els shew what exception what limitation the holy Ghost hath made where he restrayned her priuiledge of infalibility to that particuler more then to other articles of our beliefe This is a Gordian knot which breake you may vnty you cannot For suppose you should reply as a Protestant once answered me that it appertayned vnto the prouidence of God to keep safe his holy writ and challenge it from corruption I would further inquire of you whether God hath greater care of the letter or sense of the inward kernell or outward rine of the bone or marrow of his word Of the marrow no doubt Then he preserued that more safe in the harts of his faythfull then the other in the rolles of paper and so as you take the barke and outward letter from the tradition of our Church much more ought you to borrow from her the true sense and sap and heauenly iuyce Finally to what end do Protestants striue so much ProtestaÌ„ts according to their owne groundes haue neither any fayth or religion for the Churches erring but only to depriue themselues therby of Church faith religion For wheras neither religion nor Church can staÌ„d without supernatural faith nor supernaturall faith be atteyned without infallible certeinty of the thinges beleeued if their preachers their Ministers their Church be not vndoubtedly fenced from all daunger of errour the articles they beleeue haue not that inerrable warrant which is necessary to faith Faith saith S. Bernard hath nothing ambiguous or doubtfull if it hath any thing ambiguous it cannot be faith Whereupon it is defined Heb. 11. v. 1. Aug. l. 13. de Trinit c. 10. tract 79. in loan Chrysost in bunc locuÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in explicat psal 115. Chrysost in hunc locuÌ„ Dyonil c. 7. de diuin nom by the Apostle to be the substance c. the argument of thinges not appearing that is a demonstration or conuiction by which our vnderstanding is acerteyned conuineed of the truth or as the greek importeth it is the basis grounde or foundation firme sure stedfast imoueable either of the hoped reuealed verities as S. Basil with S. Iohn Chrysostome indgeth or of them that hope beleeue fastning them in the truth the truth in them according to S. Denis S. Augustine from whence the comon schoole of diuines gather this principle that faith cannot be subiect to falsity no nor to any feare or suspition therof This infallible ground of assurance Protestants haue not beleeuing only vpon the credit of their Church which may beguile them Therefore howsoeuer they bragge of their all-sauing faith not any faith haue they or Church or religion at all August tract 7â— in loan Fidei non potest subesse falsum 9. Heer my aduersaryes cauill with vs that they haue as much fayth as we who rely vpon the definitions of our Popes and Prelates for they are men and euery man is a lyer as the scripture reporteth I answere our supreme Bishops are by nature men by infirmity subiect to lyes deceits yet as they are by faith Christians by inward vnction heyres of heauen so they are by Pastorall authority gouernors of the church officers of God organs of the holy ghost by whose perpetual assistaÌ„ce they caÌ„not erre they cannot in their publique decrees or generall assemblyes deliuer vnto the faithfull what is subiect to vncerteinty because that which they speake Christ speaketh in them that which they deliuer the spirit
to the presumption Seneca ep 118. or opinion of all men and it is with vs a great argument of truth that it hath beene liked of all Pliny likewise in his panegyticall oration to Traian hath recorded this notable sentence Better are all belieued then each particular all Plinius in pa. ad Traianump 125. Melius oÌ„nibus quaÌ„ singulis creditur singuli oÌ„nes decipere decipi possuÌ„t nemo omnes â—eminem oÌ„nes fefellerunt Aug. lib. l. 22. de ciui Dei cap. 8. magnum est ipse prodigium qui mundo credente non credit Great rashnes in Protestants to belieue one man agaynst al men Luther Pres l. de abrog missa priuata And the like he hath tom 4 annot breuis Item tom 5. in Gala. particular men may deceaue and be deceaued No man hath deceaued all men all men haue not deceaued any man Whereupon S. Augustine despiseth him as a strange and monstruous wonder who the world belieuing belieueth not Strange people then not to speake more hardly of them strange people are the Protestants of our age who will not belieue the articles of our fayth which all the Christian world excepting their little handfull constantly beleeueth and for this thousand yeares by their owne confession haue vnuariably perseuered in the same beliefe 8. Yf all men neuer beguiled any and yet if each particular maÌ„ may beguile be beguiled how can Protestants belieue aright who credited one Luther for there was not any other of his Religion when he first beganne agaynst all the world One man that might deceaue them agaynst al men that could not deceaue them With this opposition of al men Luther at the first was so much troubled as he testifyeth of himselfe How often did my treÌ„bling hart pant within me and reprehending me obiect against me that most stronge argument Art thou only wise Doe so many worldes erre VVere so many agesignorant VVhat if you thou errest Fulke in c. 5 Math. sect 3. 2. ad Thessa 2. sect 4. 5. VVhitak contro 2. q. 2. ca. 2. 3. cap. 3. q. 5. cap. 3. Field in his 2. book c. 8. and drawest so many into errour to be damned with thee euerlastingly So Luther with the same singularity of themselues generall contradictioÌ„ of others his followers were much daunted at the beginning But since hauing somewhat increased their number they eyther answere that truth doth not consist in multitude and largenes of extent or that they haue many others besides themselues of their fayth and religion dispersed throughout the world who although they be hidden from the eyes of men are notwithstanding well known to God or to the Fathers who often inculcat the large dominion of Christs flock they reply that the Church did perspicuously flourish Aug l. de vtil cred con Ep. Fund l. 1. contra lul l. 3. con Crescon c. 66. l. item 4. cap. 53. euery where was visibly spread thoughout all nations in Saint Augustines Saint Ierome and Optatus dayes but afterward it fayled at least froÌ„ being manifest publikely known These are the common shiftes of M. Fulke M. Whitaker and M. Field our moderne Protestants and these were the trickes of auncient heretikes including the former arguments 9. To the first therefore I answere that not euery multitude but an holy learned famous Matth. 8. longe continued and vnited multitude of all nations in supernaturall pointes of fayth this is an euident Apoca. 7. token of the true Church as Saint Augustine vrgeth Aug. loco citato l. 2. cont aduers leg Prophet c. vltimo agaynst the Donatistes Manichees and other heretikes VVho pretended that truth was often among a few and that it was the fault of many to erre This was the obiection of Cresconius the Grammarian agaynst whome he proueth by the many who shall come from the east and west and repose with Abraham in the Kingdome of heauen By that great and innumerable multitude which Saint Iohn describeth of all nations tribes people and tongues standing before the throne that multitude is no hinderance to truth and yet he often affirmeth That to vaunt and glory in paucity of followers is the the property of heretikes and a signe of falshood 10. Their second euasion that they haue many hidden ghospellers in all Countryes knowne to God is Augustine libro de ouibus cap. 10. ridiculous and absurd as Saint Augustine tearmeth it to humansense For how shall we belieue they haue any such vnlesse they be seene and mentioned by some men Or how should their Vniuersality be a marke of the true Church if they be not knowen nor marked by any Then Saint Augustine declareth that the vniuersall Church of which the Scriptures speake is apparantly seene and knowne to the world Reade his explication vpon that verse of the Psaâ—mist Be exalted aboue the heauens O God and thy glory vpon all the earth O hereticall madnes sayth Psal 56. Aug. tom 8. in ps 56. he that which thou seest not thou belieuest with me that which thou seest thou denâ—est thou belieuest with me Christ exalted aboue all the heauens which we do not see and thou deniest his glory vpon all the earth which we do see Marke these wordes which we do see Therefore the splendour of the Church is visible and Aug. libro vnitate Ec. cap. 8. conspicuous euery where In another place From whence quoth he is his glory vpon all the earth but because his Church is ouer all the earth Immediatly after he presseth his aduersaryes VVVhy do you preach Christ exalted aboue the heauens and doe not communicate with his glory vpon all the earth Whereupon it followeth that if our Ghospellers had any such latent Protestants in other Countryes as they fayne who agreed with them in their beliefe yet that were not inough to make their Church vniuersall vnlesse they had some other communication or society togeather because for want of this alone Saint Augustine excludeth Petilian al other Donatistes froÌ„ being members of the Church First of him he sayth I obiect vnto thee the cryme of schisme Aug. libro 2. contra Fetil c. 16. which thou wilt deny but I will instantly proue it For thou doest not communicate with all nations Then he cassiereth the rest and bindeth Catholikes in the vnity of the Church saying VVe holde the inheritance of Christ they holde it not For they do not communicate with the whole worlde they do not communicate with the vniuersality redeemed by the bloud of our Lord we are secure of his inheritance 11. Their last retrayte vsed by Mayster Field and often iterated by M. Whitker That the Church in Field in his 2. booke of the Church chapter 8. VVhitak contro 2. q. 2 cap 2. Ibidem q. 3. cap. 1. q. 5. cap 4 5 Saint Augustines and the rest of those Fathers dayes was in her growth Now in her declining Then flourishing in all partes
bastard Church into an adulterous Church Wherefore the only thinge I am to proue is that the Roman church neuer ceased to be the true church of Iesus christ or which is all one that it neuer altered her religion neuer changed in any essentiall point from the purity of fayth which the Apostles togeather with their bloud to speak with Tertullian powred into it Which I first demonstrate TertulliaÌ„ in praes contra haer with this common argument often heretofore insinuated 4. The diuin prouideÌ„ce hath preserued inuiolably the truth of his Gospel in the persoÌ„ of succession inuisible descent of Bishops Priestes and preachers in some place or other for he hath appoynted a perpetuall generation of Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastours Doctours to continue in his Church vntill we meete all into the vnity Ephes 4. v. 13. of sayth and knowledge of the Sonne of God that is vntill the last day The finall end or cause was that now we be not children wauering and carryed about with euery winde of doctrine So that Ibidem v. 14. as an orderly ranke of Pastours and preachers was still to remayne euen so the linke of heauenly truth is perpetually chayned thereunto by the holy Ghost in so much as the gates of hell and all the might of Satan shall neuer separate them but no other row of succeeding Pastours can be named besides those of the Roman Church or such as descending from them in all partes of the world haue likewise agreed with them in fayth and doctrine therefore they are the Doctours and Pastours which our Lord hath appointed to abide in his Church vnto the worke of the ministery vnto the edifying of the body of Christ vntill Ephes 4. v. 12. we all meet in the vnity of fayth 5. Secondly that Church which once was the chast and vndefiled spouse of Christ can neuer cease to be his Three only wayes can a true Church fayle by Schisme heresy or apostacy Schisma est recessus vel diuisio ab vnitate ecclesiae spouse or loose the integrity of sauing fayth vnlesse it be diuorced from him by schisme heresy or apostacy Schisme commeth from the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is defined a departure or diuision from the vnity of the Church by which the band and communion held with a former Church is broken and cut off Heresy as it is now generally taken is a willfull election and firme adhesion to some priuate and singular opinion or rather errour coÌ„trary to the generall approued doctrine of the Church and it is deriued from the Greeke verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth to chuse or voluntarily to preferre one thinge before another Apostacy is a defection or reuolte A description of heresy from God in such manner as it renounceth his faith casteth of the very name and title of a Christian by imbracing Iudaisme Turcisme or Paganisme But the RomaÌ„ Church which once syncerely professed the faith Of Apostacy of Christ neuer deuided it selfe by Schisme from the body of other faythfull Christians It neuer brake the communion or went forth froÌ„ the society of any elder Church The Roman Church neuer failed any of thes waies Not by Schisme Or if it did tell vs whose company it left From whom it went forth And where was the true Church which the Roman forsooke The Grecians and other schismaticall Churches haue separated themselues from her but she neuer went out or reuolted from any Likewise the RomaÌ„ Church hath at no tyme by voluntary election made choyce of any singular or new opinion disagreable to the common receaued doctrine of the Christian world Nor by heresy It hath cleaned in no age to priuate articles or propositions of fayth which were not at the same tyme generally maynteyned in the Church of Christ For who did euer Nor yet by Apostacy taxe the Roman Church of nouelty or innouation in this kinde What true Church did euer disclayme from this singularity or hereticall pertinacy in the Roman Church Did it betwitch all nations in a moment with detestable heresy And was no man left to discouer the M. Nappâ—r vpoÌ„ the reuelation p. 66. and 68. item p. 43. 63. MelancthoÌ„ in locis postremo editis Beza confess general c. 7. sect 12. Humfrey Iesuitis 2. part pag. 6â—4 VVhitak contro 2. q. 4 fol. 144. Fulke in his answer to a counterfeit Catholik pag. 36. infection It can not be Much lesse did it depart from Christ by the crime of Apostacy which necessarily presupposeth a departure from the true Church and a reuolte from the openly professed fayth with the renouncing of Christianity and falling to infidelity Wherefore seeing by no other meanes a Church once true can possibly decay the Roman Church which by neyther of these wayes hath strayed from the truth perseuereth still the Church of Christ vnstained in her fayth 6. Thirdly if the Roman Church euer fayled I aske when By whome Vnder what Pope or Emperour it first beganne to play the aduoutresse Mayster Napper maynteyneth that it did first degenerate about 300. and thirteene yeares after Christ by the meanes of Pope Siluester Melancton about the foure hundred twenty by the vsurpation of Zosimus Beza about the foure hundred and forty by the arrogancy of Leo. Doctour Humfrey about the fiue hundred ninty seaueÌ„ by Gregory the great whom he tearmeth the first Pope and leader of the Popish daunce Why taker and Fulke about the sixe hundred and sixe by Boniface the third his successours For Whitaker affirmeth All that followed Gregory to be true Antichrists Many other dissentions there be amongst them Because the CeÌ„turistes sometymes say that it beganne to be corrupted in Cent. c. 4. col 71. 79. 80. 81. c. Cent. 2. c. 4. col 55. Cent. 1. cap. 10. col 571. c. 584. and. c. 4. col 54. Et conuenientia testimonia non erant Marc. 14. Daniel 13. the three hundred sometymes in the two hundred yeare after Christ Other while they ascend higher and find corruptions euen in the Apostles dayes But as the disagreement of the two wicked Iudges in accusing Susanna one affirming she committed adultery vnder one tree another vnder another was a most apparant testimony in the iudgement of all people of her vnstayned chastity their inueterate malice So if another Daniell would now determine our cause this variance of our aduersaryes in appeaching the Roman Church one auonching she reuolted from Christ and fell into her spiritual adultery vnder one Pope Another vnder another One in the tyme of Siluester Another of Leo A third of Gregory c. must needes be an euident token of her vnchanged fayth and their new forged slaunders For why doe you dreame Mayster Napper that in the dayes of Saint Napper vpon the reuelation p. 66. Siluester and by his default the Roman Church decayed Because sayth