stones and in them were written the names of the Lambes twelue Apostles And herein Peter had no preheminence aboue the rest except a primacy of order onely for a Suâ—er omnes â—quo Eccles fortitudo solidatu◠〈◊〉 in Joâ— li. 1 Saint Hierome saith thâ— Church is aequally founded on the doctrine of all the Apostles for these words b Mat. 16.18 Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram aedificabo Ecclesiam were not spoken personally to Peter but generally to all the Apostles who as well as Peter did beleeue and confesse the same faith though in token of vnity they were vttered to one which in vnity did appertaine to all the Apostles c Vnus pro multis vnitas pro â—niuersis Aug. in Psal 88. in whose names Peter alone made this confession Moreouer not Peters person or place but the faith which he confessed is that rocke on which the Church is built as both the whole streame of the Fathers and the generall counsell of Chalcedon doe testifie Vide Aug. de ver dom Ser. 13. Hil. de Trin li. 6. Chrysost inc 16 Mat. Theod. in Cant. Pag 235. Ambros in cap. 2. ad Eph. Epist in Appendice Conc. Chalced 13. Seeing therefore he was called d Aug Retract li. 1. c. 21. Petrus a petra from that rocke of faith which he confessed Thou art the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God which faith the rest of the Apostles held taught and confessed as well as he and sealed it with their blood wee may truely inferre with S. Jerome e Hieron in Amos li. 3. c. 6. that in this respect they were rocks as well as he whereon the Church is founded Yea f Petrus gessit personam Ecclesicut Iudas inimicorum Christi Aug. in Psal 108. S. Aug. saith farther that Peter in confessing Christ and receiuing the power of the keyes sustained the person not onely of the Apostles but of the whole Church Militant as Iudas did of the Church malignant g Jdem 50. in Ioh c. 12. Vnus malus corpus malorum significat quomodo Petrus corpus bonorum corpus ecclesiae As one Iudas signified the whole societie of the wicked so one Peter the whole company of good men the body of the Church Therefore from those words of Christ to Peter Thou art Peter c. who represented not the Apostles onely but the whole Christian Church confessing the same faith it cannot bee inferred that S. Peter and his successors are that rocke on which the Church is founded Those therefore that build their faith on that foundation of the Prophets and Apostles whereof Christ is the chiefe corner-stone by beleeuing confessing and practizing are those wise builders here specified which build their houses on a rocke For the entire and sincere beleefe profession Nota Eccles infaâ—â—bilerâ— and practise of those supernaturall verities which God hath reuealed in his Sonne Christ by the ministery of the Prophets and Apostles and that in veritie is an infallible note of the true Church and of a true member of the true Church All other notes without this are false and counterfeite and may deceiue vs. Notae fallâ—biles 1 Antiquitas 1. Antiquitie without truth is nothing els but a Cypr. epist 74. 63 Vetustas erroris for we must not so much attend vnto or consider what others haue done or thought fit to be done before vs as what Christ hath done who is before all we must not follow the custome of man but the truth of God for the true antiquity is truth it selfe deriued from Christ b Esa 9.6 the Father of aeternitie 2. Successio 2. Personall succession without doctrinall is but as c Mat. 26.1 c. Caiaphas succeeded Aaron and yet was an enemy to the true High Priest Christ Iesus d Naz in laudem Athanasis Such false Pastors or bad members of the visible Church succeeded the true and good as darknesse succeedes the light or sicknesse health or a tempest faire weather or madnesse the right vse of reason 3. Vnitas 3. Vnity without truth is but a diuelish faction and like that of thieues and rebells an accuâ—sed confederacie and wicked conspiracie against the God of truth e Apoc. 19 16. Who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Such though they combine and v … themselues neuer so strongly are but like f Gen. 49.5 Simeon and Leui brethren in euill or like g Luc. 23 12. Herod and Pilate that vnited themselues in a league of friendship to persecute Christ Iesus 4. Vniuersalitas Vniuersalitie or multitude without truth is nothing for one h 1 Reg. 18.19 Elias teaching and professing Gods truth and truely worshiping the true God of Israel is to be preferred befoâ—e foure hundred Prophâ—ts of Baal though brought vp in Ahabs Court and eating bread at Iezabells table and one i Luc. 23 42. poenitent thiefe confessiâ—g Christ before the high Priests and Elders Scribes Pharises Sadduces and thousands of Iewes persecuting him 5. Nomâ—n Catho Nor the specious titles of holy Catholike Apostolike c for that Church which hath these titles without truth is like a boxe in an Apothecaries shop which without hath the title of a soueraigne antidote written in faire Characters and within is full of deadly poyson Bare titles will not serue the turne for those haeretikes in Saint Bernards time who in truth were Apostatici because they reuolted from the Catholike faith tearmed themselues Apostolici though they could shew no signe of their Apostleship a Ber. Ser. 64. in Cant. and in our dayes Popish Catholikes tearme themselues Catholikes and Iebusites Iesuites and the Synagogue of lust the family of loue Applicat Be not therefore carryed away from the rocke of Christs Sacred truth with any or all those glistering shewes which that painted whore of Babylon makes of antiquitie succession vnitievniue rsalitie or the goodly titles of holy Catholike Apostolike c. for all these are but the b 2 Reg. 9.30 painted face of that whorish Iezabell or her c Apoc. 17.4 golden cup glistering without but within full of the wine of her abhominations and filthinesse of her fornications the truth of Gods word alone is that firme and immnoueable rocke on which euery wise Christian must build the spirituall aedifice of his soule and conscience 1 Petra regenerat 1. This is that rocke out of which wee are spiritually hewen Esa 51.2 that is the Rocke of our regeneration for d 1 Pet. 1.23 we are borne againe not of corruptible seed but incorruptible by the word of God which liueth and abideth for euer 2 Nutrit 2. The rocke of our spirituall nourishment vnto saluation whence doe flowe 1. the waters of life to refresh our fainting soules as e Exod. 17 16. streames of Waters flowed from the rocke in Rephidim to refresh the thirsting bodies of the Israelites 2. The
f Bulla Pii 4 super formae profess fidei The publike profession of the Orthodoxall faith to be vniformely professed and obserued and likewise he may adde ten commandements of the Church to the ten commandements of Almighty God which I haue seene in an English Roman Catechisme which must be kept with all Religious obedience of all the Popes Disciples and dispence against the commandements of God by allowing incestuous marriages and the religious vowes of children made without the consent yea against the will of their parents and the deposing and murthering of Princes for the aduancement of the Catholike Religion These be strange conclusions to be drawne from Christs prayer for Peter that his faith should not faile which place a Aug. de corrept gra 12. S. Aug. will haue to be meant onely of Peters own particular sauing faith whereby he should after his fall resist the temptations of Sathan and stand fast vnto aeternall life and comfort and strengthen his brethren falling as he did with the same comforts wherewith himselfe was comforted of God which exposition seemes most consonant to the scope of the text But admit it to be meant of that doctrine of faith which S. Peter should teach the Christian Church shall they therfore deriue the effect of Christs prayer from Peter to the Popes of Rome from an holy Apostle diuinely inspired and directed by Gods vnerring spirit into all truth b Ioh. 16.13 according to Christs promise made to his Apostles to a ranke and succession of men among whom their owne Histories do testifie that there haue been found Atheists Infidells Idolaters Heretikes Schismatikes incarnate diuells and hatefull monsters of mankind vndoubtedly so good praemises will ill beare so bad conclusions Jnst I need not goe farre for instances their owne histories afford such plenty c Baron Annal. Anno. 3033. 1. Marcellin turned Pagan and sacrificed to heathenish Idols for which hee was condemned in the counsaile of Sinuessa 2. d Idem An. 357. Liberius was an Arrian and subscribed to the vniust condemnation of Athanasius 3. Honorius was a Monothelite holding that Christ had but one will consequently but one nature for which he was condemned in e Synod 6. act 4.12 13. 7. act vlt. 8. act 7. three seuerall counsailes 4. f Theod Niem de schism li. 3. c. 44. The counsailes of Pisa and Constance condemned Greg. 12. and Benedict 13. for notorious Schismatikes obstinate Haeretikes scandalizers of the whhle Church and vnworthy the Papacy 5. g Conc. Constan 5.73 Bin. Com. Conc. P. 1584. And the same Counsaile of Constance condemned Iohn the twenty three for an Atheist because he held as his iudgement that there was no immortality of the soule nor resurrection of the body nor life euerlasting 6. h Conc. Basill sect 34. The counsaile of Basill deposed Eugenius the fourth declaring him to be a Simonist a periured wretch an incorrigible schismatike and an obstinate haeretike And a Watson quodâ—bet Bellarmine being demanded after the death of Sixtus 5. what hee thought became of him answered Quantum capio quantum sapio quantum intelligo descendit ad infernum As farre as I can thinke conceiue or vnderstand he is gone directly vnto hell It is strange therefore that those that haue no faith themselues should be such infallible rules to guide the faith of others and to lead others to heauen while themselues goe to hell seeing no norme or squire can make other things squared thereby straight lf it selfe be crooked nor any man iudicially determine otherwise than himselfe iudgeth vnlesse there be such a vertue annexed to the Papall chaire that be the Pope what he will when hee sits downe therein he shall be like b Num. 23.11 Balaam to blesse where he meanes to curse or like c Ioh. 11.50.51 Caiaphas to prophecye and speake truth not vnderstanding what he saith d Dr. Field of the Church li. 3. in Append. Moreouer it is the iudgement of many of their owne diuines namely Bozius Gerson Occam Almaine Alphonsus a Castro and the Sorbonists that the Pope may not onely be an Haeretike himselfe but write teach preach and define Haeresie and that è Cathedra .i. by his Papall authority And diuers instances are giuen by our e Dr. VVhite of the Church sect 36. learned Diuines wherein they haue actually erred not onely in Church Canons dispensations and Papall decrees but euen in matters of faith defined by them both in Prouinciall and generall Counsailes And one of their owne Canonists saith f Apud Grat. D. 4. Si Papa That if the Pope be found so negligent of his owne and his brethrens saluation that he draw innumerable soules by troopes with himselfe to be damned in hell no man may say vnto him why doest thou so What a lamentable thing is this that poore seduced soules should thus forsake the rocke of truth to build their faith on such sandy foundations namely the Churches Traditions as they are deliuered by the Pope and the Churches authoritie which is in effect nothing els but the Popes infallibility who is the Church g Greg. de Valentia T. 3. disp 1. P. 24. virtually because all the power of the Church rests wholy in him and yet he a man that may be and often hath beene an obstinate Haeretike Schismatike Atheist c. and teach preach and define error and lead thousands with himselfe headlong vnto hell But let vs renounce such sandy foundations and build our faith on the rocke of truth contained in the Scripture for the sacred Scripture is that a Zanc. de scrip Paradise of God in the midst whereof are first the tree of knowledge bearing no forbidden fruit for b Deut. 29.29 reuealed things are for vs and our children Secondly c Apoc. 2.7 The tree of life Christ Iesus the kernell and pith of the scriptures and no d Gen. 3. vlt. Cherubin set with a flaming sword to keepe vs from it but the way left wide open and all inuited to come vnto it e Mat. 11.28 Come vnto me c. Thirdly f Psal 23.2 Riuers of liuing waters to refresh and comfort our soules in temptation affliction and persecution Fourthly A coelestiall aire sweetly breathing in the midst thereof videlicet g 2. Tim. 3.16 afflatus Spiritus Sancti the inspiration of the holy Ghost inspiring both the penmen of it and all that with faith humility and reuerence reade or heare it Fiftly God walking in the midst of this Eden whose voice doth teach reprooue correct instruct and comfort euery sonne of Adam that doth heare and doe it making him h V. 15. wise vnto saluation through the faith that is in Christ Jesus 2. A second sort of those that build on the sand are Prophane sinners who build on the sand of their owne securitie and praesumption of Gods mercy i Rom. 6.11 continuing in
that is the Pope and Popish Prelates whereas the Scriptures are written but with inke and paper These traditions they make of three sorts e D. Bysb contra Pâ—rk de Trad. 1. Diuine deliuered by Christ himselfe 2. Apostolicall deliuered by the Apostles 3. Ecclesiasticall deliuered by the Church 1 Diuine 1. Concerning diuine traditions if they bee truely such we most reuerently and religiously receiue them but wee acknowledge none for such but onely those doctrines of faith of Gods worship which are either expresly or by necessary coÌ„sequence contained in the old new TestameÌ„t For although we know and acknowledge that f Bulling de ver Dei the substance of the old Testament was deliuered among the Patriarches from hand to hand by tradition from Adam to Moses and of the new till it was penned by the Apostles and Euangelists g D. Abbot cont Bysh de Trad. as some thinke for eight as others for twenty as others for fourescore yeares yet wee teach that when God had taken the custody of his owne tradition to himselfe by selecting and inspiring choise vessells of grace to commit them to writing least the streames of truth should haue beene polluted by running through the muddy channells of mens mouths then the Church was bound to receiue nothing for diuine truth but what is contained in the Scriptures or necessarily deduced therefrom and firmely grounded thereupon As when God had conueighed the whole light of the world h Gen. 1.3 which before was dispersed in the first dayes creation into the body of the Sunne i v. 14. c. created the fourth day then he would haue the Moone and Starres to deriue their light from thence and the whole earth to be therewith enlightened so though in his first plantation of his Church God did for a time continue the knowledge of his truth by immediate reuelation thereof vnto some chosen men which might deliuer it to his Church from hand to hand yet now since he hath conueighed the whole light of diuine truth into the Canon of the Scripture hee will haue all the Pastors and members of the Church to deriue their light of sauing knowledge and true faith from thence onely so that the doctrine of the Scriptures is now the onely diuine Tradition 2. Touching Apostolicall Traditions wee acknowledge them likewise for diuine if they vnderstand thereby 2 Apost Trad. that diuine doctrine which the Apostles first preached then wrot in the Scriptures as the pillar and foundation of our faith of which S. Paul speakes a Cor. 11.23 Accepi a Domino quod tradidi vobis I haue receiued of the Lord that which I haue also deliuered vnto you c. b Gal. 1.11 12. for the Gospell which was preached of me I receiued it not of man nor was taught it by man but by the reuelation of Iesus Christ And this is the holy and diuine Tradition which c Iren. li. 3. c. 1. Ireneus d Cypr. Epist 74. c. Script est Cyprian and other auncient Fathers speake of contained in the Euangelists Apostolicall Epistles and Acts of the Apostles all which are written Scriptures of the new Testament This diuine and Apostolicall Tradition we call with Tertullian The rule of truth 1 Regula veritatis Tertul. 2 Doctrinae Cypr. 3 Rectitudinis Basil 4 CredendoruÌ„ agendorum Dyonis Carthus and with Cyprian The rule of doctrine and with Basill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The rule of right or straight rule of perfection and with their owne Carthusian The rule of faith and manners or of all things to be beleeued and practised for wee constantly auerre with Cyril e Cyril Catech. Hierosol That the securitie of our faith ariseth from the euidence and demonstration of the diuine Scripture so that no man presume aboue that which is written 1. Cor. 4.6 Also we reuerently receiue such Apostolicall Traditions as haue their ground in Scripture though not expresly f Act. 20.7 as the celebration of the Sabboth on the first day of the week g Apoc. 1.10 the Baptisme of Infants c. 3 Eccles Trad. 3. Touching Ecclesiasticall Traditions wee receiue for such First those doctrines of faith which the ancient Primitiue Counsailes haue determined against Haeretikes hauing their ground in Scripture as that there is a Trinitie of persons in the vnitie of the diuine essence and that the Sunne is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is consubstantiall and coaequall with the Father c. yet we dare not say with daring h Enchiâ— controv c. 1. Costerius That the first foure generall Counsailes are to bee receiued as we receiue the foure Gospells Secondly those rules which the Primitiue Church hath set downe for order and comelinesse in the seruice of God yea a Perk. de Trad. we acknowledge that the present Church hath power to make Canons to that purpose so they bee consonant to the generall Canons of the Scripture namely 1. That they tend to b 1 Cor. 14.26.40 decency and order 2. To aedification 3. That they be free from superstition 4. That the Church be not ouerburthened with the multitude of them Trad. Papist But if by the Churches Traditions they vnderstand the Canons of their latter Counsailes which were but conuenticles or confaederacies against Christ and his truth for the maintenance of Papall Hierarchy and wherein all the Bishops were the Popes sworne seruants and directed by him as by an Oracle what to doe and decree or the decrees of their Popes some of which haue beene Idolatrous some haereticall and some superstitious or if vnder that name they would thrust vpon vs euery Fryers dreame rotten reliques base costome and idle ceremony of the Romish Church then we reiect their vnwritten Traditions as sandy foundations to build our faith vpon and means to lead vs into a sea of errors and vncertaineties wherein there is neither banke nor bottome And such Traditions as these bee the sandy foundations whereon they build many articles of their Romish Creed namely priuate Masses halfe Communions Transubstantiation adoration of the host of Images and reliques Innocation of Saints and Angells Purgatory and the Popes transcendent authoritie in things Ecclesiastical and temporall For c Andrad in Orthodox Explicat Conc. Trident. li. 2. one of their owne plainly confesseth That many points of their Romish faith would reele and totter if they were not supported by Traditions And this is the reason why they refuse their triall by the Scriptures and thinke d Conference betweene Dr. Feately and M. Fisher. Christ and his Apostles both incompetent Iudges and partiall witnesses for the decision of their cause Yea Bellarmine their great Goliah saith peremptorily a Bell. li. 4. de ver dei non scripto c. 12. That it was not the proper end of the Scriptures to bee rule of our faith and that they are at the best but Regula partialis non