desire to be vnited with the Church So they which is full enough for your fuller conuiction CHALLENGE IF without the Romane Church some may bee actually saued then the Addition of the word ROMANE caonot be a Declaration of The Catholike Church without which there is no Saluation But the Romane Church is such without which as you confesse some may be actually saued Ergo the Addition of the word ROMANE to the Catholike Church cannot bee a Declaration thereof For although All agree in this as your selues confesse that Without the Catholike Church there is no saluation yet haue you confessed two sorts of Christian Professors namely Excommunicates and Catechumenists to bee actually saued albeit no Members of your Romane Church As for being Saued only by Desire or Vâ—we of being in your Church it is but a wilde and extrauagant piece of learning in the iudgement of your owne Iesuite But we will reason the matter with you Know you not that the Church Catholike is compared by Saint Petor to the Arke of Noah that as all which were within that Arke were saued all without it were drowned although they Desired neuer so much to haue been admitted into the Arke so it is in the Church Catholike whosoeuer are essentiall members thereof cannot possibly perish and contrarily whoseuer is not a reall and vitall member therein cannot but perish The fourth Argument to proue that the Addition of the word ROMANE cannot be a Declaration of the Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed In respect of the Diuine Authority of the Article SECT 7. IT hath alwaies beene the Profession of the Catholike Church it selfe not to esteeme any Doctrine an Article of Faith which is not constituted and to speake with better Emphasis Created by Diuine authority This being a Truth vniuersally consented vnto you if you will make good the Addition of the word ROMANE to the Article of the Catholike Church are iustly challengable either to proue that the Romane Church as it is the Romane Church was constituted by diuine Authority to be rather than any other transcendently THE Catholike Church or else to confesse your Article of Romane Church without which there is no Saluation to be but new and consequently a Doctrine rather of fancie than of Faith The necessity of this Consequence was well foreseene of those your Popes who were the first Authors and Patrons of this Article and therefore haue published in their writings and decrees that The Romane Church was by Diuine Authority ordained to be the Catholike Church This Question dependeth vpon the reason of the Pope of Rome his succession to Saint Peter to wit whether it were allotted to the Bishop of Rome to succed Saint Peter as Head of the Catholike Church by the institution of Christ or else by the fact of Saint Peter himselfe For if it were by command and appointment of Christ then it must be allowed as a Diuine Ordinance but if it issued onely from the fact of Saint Peter then by your owne Confessions it is no doctrine of Faith This being the state of the Question as it is propounded by your selues hereunto we desire to receiue your owne Resolutions To this purpose when wee consult with your choisest Doctors as namely Bellarmine Suarez Soto Paludanus Bannes Augustinus Triumphus Cordubensis Armachanus Waldensis and Others they that speake more ingenuously doe freely grant that the pretended Pontificall Dignity Romane as it is Romane is not from diuine authority because onely from the fact of Peter They that are more affectionate to the Romane See although they attribute it to the Institution of Christ yet dare they not say that this is to be beleeued vpon certainty of Faith but onely as a matter Probable and Coniecturall Nay if you shall haue but a little patience vntill we descend to that point you shall perceiue by the iudgement of the Catholike Church it selfe in a generall Councell of primatiue Antiquity that The Prerogatiue which the Church of Rome then had was but from Humane authority CHALLENGE AN Addition standing onely vpon Probability and Coniecture cannot be infallibly a Declaration of an Article of Faith founded vpon Diuine and Infallible authority But your Addition of the word ROMANE standeth as you confesse vpon probability and Coniecture onely Ergo it cannot be an infallible Declaration of the Apostolicall Article The Catholike Church without which there is no saluation And consequently your word ROMANE added to the Christian Creed thereby to make the Romane Church The Catholike Church without which there is no saluation must necessarily be iudged Antichristian The fift Argument to proue that the Addition of the word ROMANE cannot be a Declaration of the Article The Catholike Church as it is Visible in respect of the Time past whereunto the word CATHOLIKE hath relation euen before Rome was founded a Church SECT 8. WHo knoweth not that your Addition of the word ROMANE vnto the Apostolicall Article of The Catholike Church is to infuse an opinion into the mindes of Christians that Catholike and Romane are termes vniuocall and conuertible which is as much as to say that whensoeuer there was a Romane Church it was The Catholike Church and whensoeuer there was a Catholike Church it was Romane Scarce shall you finde any Romish Professor especially among the vulgar who haue not this conceit of that Article of Christian Faith Notwithstanding your more learned Doctors are not ignorant that this Apostolicall Article The Catholike Church was published before that in Rome was founded a Church and that the Apostolicall Church it selfe was Catholike before the Article of the Catholike Church was proclaimed Which name CATHOLIKE or vniuersall was first attributed to the Church Christian To distinguishit as you know from the Synagogue of the Iewes which was circumscribed and confined to one only nation whereas the Church Catholike is not limited to any one place but is as broad in succession of place as is the whole world Now concerning the Catholike Church in the time of the Apostles Card. Baronius whose History you honour as an heauenly Lampe or torch telleth you that The Creed of the Apostles wherein is the Article of The Catholike Church was composed by them in the yeere of Christ XLIV and that the Catholike Church was extant sometime before this Article was put into the tenor of the Creed Which he demonstrateth from the act of Saint Peter who in the yeere of our Sauiour XXXIX is found Visiting the Churches in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia c. That the same Apostle Saint Peter Constituted the Church of Antioch in the same yeere and after that he had gouerned the See of Antioch seuen yeeres hee in the yeere XLV translated his See from Antioch to Rome Your other Chronologer Genebrard yeeldeth vnto vs eleuen yeeres betweene the Composing of the Apostles Creed and the first foundation of the Church of Rome by the Apostle Saint
defect of pronouncing Shibboleth euen as the Character of a man is seene by his speach CHALLENGE IN Examination of these Premises you may finde iust matter for Challenge of your owne Proctors and Pleaders for the Popes Primacy from these Popes by reason of their fourefold Iniurie First to their Aduersaries the Protestants whom they traduce as enemies to Antiquity in not admitting the Testimonies of so holy Popes of the Primitiue age which all Christians ought to beleeue and reuerence But in this clamour they abuse their Readers by deliuering vnto them onely the names of Popes Epistles as is vsuall in false Certificates wherein a man shall reade a Catalogue of names of men whereunto the parties themselues neuer yeelded their consent or as in a Stage-play wherein are presented Personates instead of Persons themselues and to the chins of boyes are fixed the beards of old men Is not this a theatricall forgery Secondly to your Popes by vrging writings in their nameâ— which if they were theirs must proue them to haue beene foolish false and barbarous Our zeale therefore to those blessed Popes doth challenge your Obiectors of extreme iniury to their memory Thirdly to the Church of Rome as well Ancient as Successiue that when you boast so much of the truth of your Traditions as a Nuncupatiue Testament of Christ wherein your Chiefest Article is your Doctrine of Papall Monarchy yet when we are to consult with the first witnesses that should testifie this Article in tht Romane Church it selfe namely those Ancient Popes we can haue no better assurance of their Testimonies than as of such as are confessed to bee both fraught with Errors and also falsely imposed vpon those Popes Which is in effect to condemne your Romane Church of sacrilegious negligence and vnfaithfulnesse in not preseruing that sacrum Depositum as you call the Ancient Tradition of Popes from hand to hand and consequently must inferre a iust suspition of Falshood in the Chiefest ground of your Romish Faith the pretended Law of Tradition Is not this also an iniury But the greatest Iniury that we lament is the wrong which your Obiectors doe vnto their own Consciences when some will haue all those Epistles to be Authenticall and worthy of absolute Beleefe without Exception yet are condemned by the most learned among you who confesse and proue that they are mixed both with Theologicall Chronologicall falshoods Some againe especially your Cardinal obtruding Epistles in the names of Popes and yet doubting whether they be truely the Epistles of these Popes or no and some other-where also reiecting some of them as Counterfeits So foolish is his Obiection in alleaging them for Ancient who could not be ignorant that there haue beene Ancient forgeries of which stampe your owne iudicious Authors haue noted these to bee And that which exceedeth almost the highest note of to speake mildely Inconsideration to proue your Doctrine of Romish Primacy from the word Primatus mentioned sometimes by the Bishops of Rome in their Epistles which as your owne Contius teacheth is an Argument to iudge them not to be so Ancient because that that word was not of currant stampe in that age And what great iniurie can any man doe than that which he doth to his owne Conscience Finally pardon vs if we cannot impute such a degree of Impiety to those holy Popes that they who liued in the times of those bloudy Massacres wherin most of them with infinite other godly Professors in the same Church of Rome bequeathed their bodies to the sword for the Faith of Christ and their soules and spirits by Martyrdome to his armes of blessednesse should be wholly busyed in their Epistles about poynts of Ordination of Priests Inuention of Ceremonies and aduancing the Prerogatiues of the Romane Church but neuer to vtter any syllable of Exhortation and Consolation in behalfe of the Flocke of Christ dayly in the iawes of the Wooluish Persecutors of these times as those Epistles by you obiected do make appeare Your Obiections from the Testimonies of Ancient Popes of the Second Three hundred yeeres and the Vanity thereof discouered SECT 12. FOr the Second Three hundred yeeres are presented before vs a Second Iury of Twelue Popes to giue their Verdicts for proofe of the extent of their owne Papall and Monarchicall power and Iurisdiction Ecclesiasticall ouer the whole Church of Christ throughout the world Manifold haue been the Answers of Many to these Testimonies which the breuity that we haue propounded to our selues in this Treatise will not suffer vs to relate our Answers shall be no lesse plaine and yet more compendious 1. Almost all of these Testimonies may be denied in that sense of absolute Monarchie for the which they are propounded As for the first man of the Inquest viz. Pope Iulius he plainely speaketh of Document Instruction receiued from Peter and not of Dominion or Iurisdiction which may be an Answer to many of the rest 2. Some speake not but their Counterfeits as the last Iurist Pope Gregory in an Epistle wherein Eusebius Bishop of Constantinople is said to haue beene Subiect vnto him when as as our Doctor Reynolds hath proued there was no Eusebius Bishop of Constantinople in the daies of Saint Gregory This tricke of corrupting the writings of Antient Popes as you haue seene in their Epistles for the first Three hundred yeeres giue vs iuster cause to suspect the Popish Scribes in the Second Three hundred yeeres 3. Some haue beene already satisfied by Parallels 4. Reuerence say some Popes is due to the Apostolike See So you know Saint Peter doth require of the Husband Honour towards his Wife and Saint Paul of a Bishop Reuerence vnto Widowes Reuerence therefore which is nothing else but a due estimation of all persons according to their Order and Degree may bee exacted without any Note of Dominion 5. Nine of these Popes call the Church of Rome and Bishop thereof either Head of all Churches or One that hath the Care of all Churches or one hauing Principality Euery of which as you know were antiently ascribed to other Churches and Bishops besides the Romane 6. Some may be checked by Retorsion as in the first and last witnesse For the first if from the words obiected out of that Epistle of Iulius you shall inferre that he had Vniuersall Monarchy throughout the Catholike Church then may wee more iustly conclude that the same Pope being challenged by the Bishops of the East whom he calleth Most dearely beloued both for writing to them Alone and from his owne Authority and also for transgressing the Canons of the Church by admitting men vnto his Communion that had beene by them deposed and answering to the one that Although he wrote alone vnto them yet that he did it by consent of his fellow Bishops and to the other standing onely vpon his iustification in not transgressing the Canons of Ancient Councels
none but Ignorants For your fuller Satisfaction herein We thought good vpon Contemplation of the Premisses to descend vnto this DETERMINATION of the Cause which wee shall performe punctually by certaine Theses or Positions by which are repelled those Popular Obiections which you vsually cast as Impediments in our way This Tractate then we diuide into foure parts I. Concerning All Churches in generall II. Particularly comparing the Romane Church with other now Remote Churches III. Comparing her with the Churches of Protestants at the time of LVTHERS departure from her IV. Comparing her with the Churches of Protestants at this day The first part of Comparison which is by Generall Theses I. THESIS An Absolute Decay of the Catholike Church was neuer defended by any Protestants SECT 2. MAny Papists in their aduersnesse to Protestants whom they seeke to traduce do impute vnto them this faithlesse Paradox as to say that the Catholike Church is sometime extinguished whereas Caluine and other Protestants grant saith your Cardinall that the Catholike Church cannot perish And therefore he telleth those MANY that they do but Loose their time in proouing the perpetuall existence of the Catholike Church Hee might as well haue noted in them a Losse of good Conscience by their falsly imposing vpon Protestants a false Doctrine which they neuer taught as you may more perfectly see afterwards by a Sentence of Caluin himselfe II. THESIS The Church Symbolicall and properly called Catholike cannot erre in Faith SECT 3. THat wee call the Symbolicall and properly Catholike Church as it is Militant which is set downe in the Apostles Symbol or Creed beleeued of all Christians viz. The multitude of all Christian Beleeuers whensoeuer and wheresoeuer dispersed through-out the world vnto which belong all those Royall Promises made by Christ vnto her of being Led into all truth Ioh. 16. Of hauing his residence with it Vnto the ends of the world Matth. 28. Of Hell-gates not preuailing against it Matth. 16. Neuer shall you find any Protestant gain-saying this Truth III. THESIS How the Church Representatiue improperly called the Catholike Church may bee said to be subiect to Errour SECT 4. THe Church improperly called Catholike is the Congregation of Christians assembled in a Generall Synod as being the Representatiue body of the Church in the Symbol properly called Catholike whereof wee say no more than Saint Augustine spake to wit that Sometimes former Generall Councels may be corrected by the latter Vnto which sentence of Augustine you could not hitherto giue any Answer but that which Saint Augustine if he were aliue would say is directly contradictory to his meaning For Augustine saith your Cardinall spake not of matter of Faith but of Fact nor of a point of Doctrine but of Manners Whereas the whole dispute of Augustine in that place is about a Doctrine of Faith Whether there can be true Baptisme in a false Church And what hath Saint Augustine said herein which Some of your owne Romish Schoole haue not thorowly auouched viz. that Generall Councels rightly gathered haue erred and that A Generall Councell so erring doth not preiudice the Catholike Church Because A Generall Councell is not the Catholike Church but onely a part thereof Which erring yet notwithstanding Some of the Church shall be still assisted to vphold the truth So they Nor doth this any whit impeach the Promise of Christ to wit * Whensoeuer two or three shall be gathered together in my Name there I will be in the middest of them For Christ promising his presence to all Christians Assembled in his Name did not thereby promise that all Christian Assemblies should be gathered in his Name duly that is with sincere hearts to inuocate him and to subscribe to his reuealed Truth It was an Academicall and Scepticall Paradox to say that because one Sense might be deceiued therefore no Sense was to be belieued Whereunto the Answer was that euery Sense as it might be deceiued so might it also be not deceiued if requisite Circumstances were duely obserued as namely if the Organ and Instrument were sound the Medium rightly disposed the Obiect proper the Distance due and proportionable Accordingly in Councels if the persons assembled as it were the Organs be sincerely affected to Gods glorie with desire of Truth as their proper Obiect and in the maior part thereof not led with the spirit of Contention and Faction which is the Cause of vnequall difference and Distance and if their Diaphanum and Medium be illuminated with the true light as Saint Peter calleth the holy Scripture Then is it not possible for such an Assembly to erre in any principle of Faith So then the difference betweene the Romane Church and the Church of the Protestants is no more but this that the Romanists say that all Generall Councels may erre except they bee confirmed and authorized by the Pope but Protestants say that all Generall Councels may erre except they be directed by the Spirit of Gods word as our Church of England hath truly defined In which difference we seeke no other moderation than the iudgement of the first fiue Generall Councels which in points of Faith propounded to themselues the holy Scripture as the onely Rule of their Doctrines esteemed of the Popes iudgement no otherwise than of a particular suffrage and in it selfe but equall excepting the Dignitie of Order vnto the voices of other Patriarches and Bishops as hath bene prooued IV. THESIS Protestants hold not any greater Inuisibilitie or rather Obscuritie of the Church Catholike than that which the Romanists themselues are forced to confesse SECT 5. NOt but that many of you pretend and boast of a Catholike Church not onely Visible but also Conspicuously and notoriously Visible alwaies both in the Amplitude of compasse and in the Multitude of Beleeuers as the Perpetuall note of the Church which our Sauiour Christ compareth to a Citie set vpon a hill And you are not ignorant of the Epistle which Mr. Fisher a Iesuite presented not long agoe vnto our late Soueraigne King Iames of blessed memorie wherein he professeth a Catholike Church to be alwaies so conspicuous that The whole knowne world may take notice of her yea euen in the dayes of Antichrist shall she be visibly vniuersall for she shall be then euery-where persecuted which she could not bee except she were euery where Visible So He Who neuer regarded that the Church of Christ as it is sometime in lustre glorious as the Sunne so againe it is according to the iudgement of Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose sometime as the Moone which hath her encreases and decreases In which respect we are to obserue two Seasons of the Church the one long since past in the dayes of that Deluge of the Arian Heresie the other prophesied to happen in the dayes of Antichrist Of both which as well Fathers as your owne Authors say as much concerning the Ecclipse and obscurity of
giueth instance in the Churches of Corinth and Galatia both which Saint Paul stileth Churches of the Saints albeit the one is reprehended by the Apostle for denying the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. the other for teaching a necessary Obseruation of the Law of Moses with the Gospell of Christ. Gal. 1. So he Yet lest you may erre in terming that a True Church which is wilfuliy intangled in any Heresie he giueth this Condition that The same that erre be ready to be reformed and to obey the truth as were the Corinthians and Galatians Otherwise to bee vnwilling either to learne or to yeeld vnto a manifest truth is proper saith your Author vnto a Satanicall Synagogue and to the Churches of the Malignant So your Cardinall and that most truely THESIS VI. Some Vnsound Churches are necessarily to bee auoided and the iust Causes why SECT 7. AS Leprousie Plague and whatsoeuer contagious Diseases are necessarie causes of separation from vnsound houses so Obstinacie of error in Teachers affected Ignorance and obduration of people Idolatry in Gods Worship Tyrannie and Persecution against the true and sincere Professors may be iudged necessary Causes of Separation from any particular Churches Against a generall Obstinacie of false-Teachers opposing to the wholesome doctrine We haue a Caueat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Depart from such 1 Tim. 6.5 Against the generall Obdurancie of hearts our Caueat is both Christ's Shake off the dust of your feet in departing and Saint Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When certaine obstinate persons speake euill of the Word of God before the people he departed from them and separated the Disciples Act. 19.9 because else they should heare nothing but blasphemies against the truth of God Against the Corruption of Gods Worship Idolatrously the Command is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flie from Idolatry 1 Cor. 10.4 euen as vnto the people vnder the Law when Bethel that is the House of God was turned into Bethauen that is the House of Vanity the Epithet of Idolatry then the Watch-word to the Faithfull was Separate your selues from among them Hos. 10. Against Tyrannie in Persecuting of Preachers or Professors in any one City the warning is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 likewise Flie vnto another Mat. 10.23 And lastly in the time of Antichristian Tyrannie and Idolatry in Romish Babylon the Spiâ—it saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come out of her my people Apoc. 18.4 THESIS VII No vniust Excommunication out of a true Church can preiudice the Saluation of the Excommunicate SECT 8. YOur Romance Glosse authorized by Pope Gregory the XIII will speake as much as need be said to wit The Keyes of the Church erring in her binding and loosing the partie so bound is not then bound with God for it happeneth many times that he who is excommunicated out of the Church Militant is notwithstandeng in the Church Triumphant So your owne Glosse According as it hath beene obserued by you in the Blinde-man cured by Christ and professing the power of Christ whom therefore the Church of the Iewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cast out of their Synagogues Ioh. 9.34 That is saith your Cardinall they excommunicated and separated him from the communion of Them who at that time were accounted faithful but yet happie was that Blinde-man who was Excommunicated for the name of Christ. So he And so may we say of Luther who was as one borne Blinde whilst hee continued in your Church according to your Assumption true vntill that Christ opened his eyes and he for acknowledging the diuine light was Excommunicate by your High Priest Yet happie man he who was taken into the protection of Christ whom he professed and worshipped Something more of Excommunication you may reade in the XV. Section Following The Second Part is concerning Departure from Rome more particularly comparing the Church of Rome with other Churches We are approached to the Walls of Rome and behold wee discouer in her iust iust Causes of Separation from her which we shall represent vnto you in that due place whereunto we now proceed by certaine Theses as it were by iust pases Comparing her first with other Remote Christian Churâ—hes THESIS I. The Church of Rome is as subiect to Errors as any other Church SECT 9. WHat Prerogatiue had the Church-of your Romanes aboue the Church of the Ephesians or Thessalonians in respect of any possibilitie of not Erring or of Contemning other Churches in respect of her selfe to which that may be obiected which the Apostle writ to the Corinthians to wit Came the Word of God first from you nay came it not First from Hierusalem to Antioch and many other places before Rome and at length from Greece to Rome And after that Rome is established a Church was it freed from Erring more than other through the Primacie which it challengeth ouer Others By what Law Humane that could not Diuine that did not authorize any such Primacy Which you are compellable to Confesse except you will say that the Catholike Church hath erred in the Generall Councell of Chalcedon which as hath beene confessed denied that Rome had her Primacie from diuine Ordinance except you will also Grant that the Church of Rome it selfe hath erred in her Councell of Constance which maintained the same Axiome to wit that the Church of Rome held not her Primacie from diuine authority Lastly except you will impeach the Apostle Saint Paul of error who by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught an indifferencie of all spirituall respect to Rome with other Churches as hath beene proued Take vnto you one infallible Argument that the Church of Rome may erre in matter of Faith It hath erred Ergo It may possibly erre That it hath one confessed instance may sufficiently resolue you if it bee pregnant Such is the doctrine of the Administration of the Eucharist vnto Infants vpâ—n Necessity of Saluation A doctrine by your owne Confession at this day false and yet at that day as is likewise Confessed taugh and continued in the Church of Rome for the space of 600 yeeres together THESIS II. That the Church of Rome is more subiect to Erring than any other Church Christian. SECT 10. WHy is it that Christ said The whole need not the Physitian but those that be sicke but onely to shew that the state of one in an health falsly-conceited is farre more desperate than the state of the most extreme disease sensibly â—elt in as much as that man is more incapable of remedie that feeleth not his owne maladie than hee that is sensible of his griefe Such is the Case of the Romane Church which is so much more obnoxious to Error as shee is flalsly perswaded shee cannot possibly erre and that vpon two notoriously-erroneous Articles which are fancied and fained onely by her selfe One is that shee beleeueth as an Article of her Faith that shee the Romane Church is that The Catholike Church which cannot erre Which
did as one that had bene freed take another wife by the authority of the Church and consent of her Parents by which wife after some yeares he had children But loe his former wife vnlooked for returneth againe and requireth to haue her husband againe that had done ill in marrying another The man maruailing hereat and being loath to be diuorced from his latter wife maketh long delaies yet at length brought into Law and being cast gaue way to the Truth and taketh his first wife againe by the iudgement of the Church When now the Parents friends of the latter wife made the like wonderment as these men do against me saying vnto him thou hel-hound thou wicked couenāt-breaker c. And if a man would consider this businesse shall he not see as it were in a glasse the very image of that Husband in me For indeed I seeing I beleeued that no such Truth of obedience had bene c. I compelled my selfe in a second Couenant and thereto plighted my troth Wherefore I thought that I had kept lawfull Companie but when the TRVTH came which is euery mans first wife maried to him in publike Baptisme which wil require the first Promise at al mens hands to her I applyed to her I cleaued and from my second knot as of none effect by the iudgement of my Church I departed And shall any man thinke it indifferent that I shall be called a Liar because I obey the Truth c. I am by most graue iudgement of the Truth diuorced from the Church of Rome which it was not lawfull for me to keepe still and am compelled to take my wife TRVTH to me when she cometh againe Thus farre B. Gardiner The right and accurate Sence of this Similitude may as the beames of the Sunne dispell the foggie myst of Romish error concerning the Question we now haue in hand it being taken from the consideration of our Christian Vow made in Baptisme Wherein we are to obserue the Parties betrothed together which are the Soule of a Christian and the Truth of God in Christ and secondly the Parties and if I may so say Parents by whose consent and Authoritie this mariage is made which in the inward is our Father euen GOD in the vnity of Three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost and in the outward is our spirituall Mother mentioned in our Creed at the rime of our Vow in Baptisme The holy Catholike Church It especially therefore concerneth euery Votarie that hath vowed himselfe in Baptisme to learne to acknowledge his true Father his true Mother and his owne true Wife For Father he is baptized in the name of the Blessed Trinitie in the vnity of one God euerlasting not in the name of any man whatsoeuer as Saint Paul prooueth against the Schismatikes in the Church of Corinth that would seeme Some to hold of Cephas that is Peter Some of Paul as though the Gospell or Truth were Pauls or Peters he answereth them No his Reason is interrogatiuely Were you baptized in the name of Paul As much as to say He onely is essentially your spirituall Father in whose Name you are baptized Secondly the Mother is mentioned in our Vow at Baptisme to be The holy Catholike or Vniuersall Church not any particular Church though by the particular Church I am brought into the Catholike We say not any Particular Church because euery Particular Church as hath beene Confessed may possibly erre and Apostate from Truth But the Catholike is built vpon a Rocke immoueable as the earth yea or the highest heauens Lastly the Wife whereunto euery Soule is betroathed in Baptisme is onely that Truth which was first reuealed by Christ vnto his Apostles as the Apostle teacheth If any preach any other Gospell than that which you haue receiued that is to say already hold him Accursed Now giue vs leaue to trie what kind of Mariage is made by your Votaries in the Church of Rome First by beleeuing the Infallibility of the Pope in whatsoeuer Reuelations which he shall propound to be beleeued of all Christians it is to assume a new Father which is thus prooued If I saith Saint Paul or an Angel from heauen preach otherwise let him be Accursed but who in all the Church of Rome will say Though the Pope teach vs otherwise then was Apostolically and Primitiuely taught from the immediate Doctrine of Christ I shall account him Anathema Next the Partie baptized in your Church is Catechized to beleeue the Church of Rome to be The Catholike and Mother-Church of all other Churches which wee through-out this Treatise haue prooued to be an Imposterous Schismaticall and Blasphemous Article First Imposterous because The Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed was extant in the dayes of the Apostles diuerse yeares before Rome was that we may so say Baptized to haue the name of a Church Secondly Schismaticall because it being as hath bene shewed but a Particular Church and vsurping the Title of The Catholike Church doth thereby peremptorily diuide her selfe from All other Churches of Christ which both for Truth and Extent make a farre more Catholike Church than she is Thirdly Blasphemous in Damning by this Article of the Catholike Romane Church all the most glorious Christian Fathers Martyrs Professors and Churches as well Primitiue as Successiue which are infinite that haue denyed Subiection to the Romane Church All which Particulars haue bene prooued at large In the last place each Christian in Baptisme being espoused to his wife Truth which can be but One euen that whereof Saint Paul spoke saying That which you haue receiued before and accordingly Saint Iude Contend for the Faith which once was deliuered to the Saints therefore euery other New Article of Faith as it were a later Consort and wife that shall bee admitted is no true loyall wife but an vnlawfull Concubine and strumpet So then so many Concubines may the Church of Rome be said to betroath her Children vnto as she hath set downe New Articles in her Romane Creed and imposed vpon all her Ecclesiastikes vnder the bond of an Oath Among which is your Article of Indulgences from which as from a supposititious wife Luther necessarily made his diuorce returning vnto the Primitiue Truth whereunto in holy Baptisme he had formerly plighted his Troth THESIS VI. Your Second and most Popular Obiection against LVTHER in his Opposition to your Romane Church vrging in him to prooue his Doctrine by immediate Succession and by Naming his Teachers Before him is as fond as the other SECT 19. I. FOr the no-Necessitie of Name we reade first that our Sauiour Christ answering a question concerning Diuorce whether it were lawfull for the husband to put away his wife at his pleasure or no an Abuse which by the hardnesse of the Iewes hearts had continued among them many hundred yeares sendeth them to Gods first Institution of Marriage set downe in the beginning of Scripture saying From the beginning it
was not so But how Flat contrary Therefore shall a man leaue Father and Mother and cleaue to his wife and they shall be one flesh Willingly passing ouer all mention or meaning of any former Teacher for the space of thousands of yeares Teaching vs thereby first that there can be no truer Doctors than Gods word secondly no better Argument than Proofe that It was not so from the beginning II. Saint Cyprian being busied in a Question concerning Baptisme Wee are not to regard saith he what any hath done before vs but what he did who is before all Christ our Lord not following the Custome of men but the Truth of God III. Suarez your most celebrious Spanish Iesuite and publike Professor Sometimes saith he we know the beginning of a Tradition onely Negatiuely because it may appeare that sometime it was not so neare the beginning of the Church So he in your publike Schooles teaching you that if it may be shewed concerning any Doctrinall Tradition that there was a time neare to the beginning of the Church namely in the dayes of the Apostles when it was not taught it will bee a sufficient Confutation therof to proue it to be but an humane Inuention without any further enquirie after the Names of Persons who in succeeding ages haue gone before vs. IV. An Example we may take from your owne former Relation of a Tradition professed by Pope Innocentius the first who taught that The administration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist was necessary to Infants for their Saluation Which doctrine and practize continued about 600. yeares in the Church namely of Rome but since is reiected thereby So you Here had bene a Matter for your Obiectors to haue argued vpon if they had liued at the end of those 600. yeares when this Error was first reiected Would they haue said Shew vs that any Fathers by name for 600. yeares passed euer taught the contrary or else we must continue this custome still Thus should they condemne the Present Church of Rome which hath reiected that Custome Or would they haue said We regard not the time of the Continuance thereof for so many hundred yeeres seeing it may bee prooued that before that time there was no such Doctrine And the Institution of Christ which requireth Remembrance in them that partake of this Sacrament doth instruct vs otherwise And so must they as they ought condemne the former Romane Church in the daies of Innocentius and from henceforth silence themselues in exacting the Names of Persons who immediately before that time had taught the Contrarie because according to your Iesuites Confession it is lawfull in such a Case to proceed Persaltum Negatiuely saying It was not so neare the beginning of the Church Ergo it is not a necessarie Tradition Which was the very Apologie that Luther made against the doctrine of Indulgences in his first Opposition against your Church of Rome and the same is the defence of Protestants in their whole Profession at this day V. But supposing a Necessity of Names why aske Yov names As though the Church of Rome had beene then The Catholike Church without which there was none then or before the daies of Luther who reiected the doctrine of Romish Indulgences and of Papall Iurisdiction as well as he when as you haue heard there were euen since the Apostles times the Churches of the Grecians Aethiopians Aegyptians Assyrians Russians and indeed a world of faithfull Christians that wanted not names who Communicated not with the Church of Rome And what meaneth this Importunity or rather peruersnes to seeke for that which is by your owne Historians set before your eyes the Protesters against your Romish Nouelties before Luther whom they call Albigenses Waldenses Wiclefians Hussites c. Could these bee so called by your selues who persecuted them vnder these names without Names Yet know that this diuersity of Names may not argue the Sects and differences of their Religion no more than many names giuen vnto the same Riuer passing through diuers countries can argue a diuersity of the streames But these Professors and their Names you may vnderstand if you will reade Them who haue purposely entreated of this Subiect who are furnished with answers and can shew you out of your owne Authors their Innocent conuersation of life their Multitudes in number their Consent and Constancie in their Profession by enduring of Imprisonments banishment deaths and whatsoeuer Cruelties your Inquisitors could inflict on them And were these then Namelesse trowe you VI. And if this may not content you what then if we shall name them Romanes for such were Luther Melancthon and other Protestants at the beginning of their Opposition as sound Members of an vnfound Particular Church from whence it was lawfull and necessary for them to depart as hath beene proued Thus much in confutation of your Vulgar Obiection by Six Answers which deserueth onely this briefe Answer It is friuolous and superfluous THESIS VII Your Obiection That all Changes of Doctrines haue beene Notorious in the Persons and Places of their first Beginnings is false SECT 20. A principall Obiection wherewith your Cardinall doth colourably delude his Disciples is this In al Changes of doctrines in any Church the tokens there are visible in the Author Time Place and Person oppugning the same So he that so hee may iustifie many Errors which must therefore seeme Truths because there is none of these visible Notes of Changes to discouer them We answer that this your Obiection conctradicteth the ordinarie growth of Heresie the experience of former Heretikes the Changes of Doctrine in the Romish Church and the Confession of your owne Schooles I. The nature of Heresie as Saint Paul describeth it 2. Tim. 2.17 is like a Cancer or Gangraena By which as you know both the Greeke and Latines vnderstand that vlcer which is bredd in womans papps which if it be not preuented doth putrifie by by little and little vntill it possesse all the parts of the Body Therefore an insensible groweth at the beginning II. The experience of an hundred Heresies whose Authors haue not beene notorious might bee propounded vnto you but that taste may suffice which your owne Prateolus doth offer vnto you by an Instance in the Abstinents of which Heretikes it is not remembred saith he what time they liued In the Acephali of which kinde saith he the first Author is not found In the Aquarij whose Author saith he is not mentioned by any And in the Predestinati whose first leader saith he is not knowne Wee migh reckon vp the Alogiani Anthropomorphitae Aphthratodocitae Collyridiani Gnostici Concerning all whom and many others as the Angelici Apostolici Cainani Catharistae Ophitae Passionistae because you your selues cannot tell vs from whom they first arose or By whom they were impugned it appeareth that you obiect you know not what III. And as though forsooth no such Gangrene or disease could be found in the
he the Church to be a Companie of men obedient to the Bishop of Rome for the time being and we affirme the Church of Rome to be alone the Catholike and Apostolike Church The Third and last thus None doth communicate saith he with the Catholike Church except he subiect himselfe vnto the Pope yea although otherwise he professe the Catholike Faith For vnion with the Head is a note of the Church So standeth the now Article of your Romane Faith Foure remarkeable Points more distinctly to be obserued in your former Romane Profession concerning the Article of The Catholike Romane Church SECT 5. FIrst obserue that the word ROMANE is not added only for distinction-sake to discerne it from other Churches which in respect of the Catholike doctrine of Faith professed in them haue equally had that Addition as to bee called the Catholike Corinthian or the Catholike Ephesian the Catholike Thessalonian or as we now the Catholike English Church because so it could be no more Catholike than other particular Churches as your Iesuite confesseth and consequently there could be no matter of controuersie But now the word ROMANE is added to the Article of the Catholike Church by way of Transcendencie and as the same Iesuite resolueth supreamly comprehending all other Churches professing the Catholike faith vnder the obedience of the Pope of Rome as the vniuersall Vicar of Christ. So that this Article is become not onely one point of Controuersie but indeede the chiefe Head of all the Controuersies which are between the said Romane Church and all other Churches at this day Secondly you conceiue this Appropriation to be Diuini Iuris in a strict sence ordained by Christ himselfe and not onely by Ecclesiasticall Institution Thirdly vpon this pretended Ordinance you exact from all other Churches Christian a Necessitie of Vnion with your Church of Rome and the Bishop thereof both in Faith Subiection Fourthly this Necessity of Subiection you beleeue to be Absolute as to exclude from hope of Saluation not onely all them that shall refuse to be subiect to the Romane Primacie but euen all them also that do not beleeue euery soule of man to be vtterly Damned that is not subiect thereunto The GENERALL CHALLENGE against this your former Romane Profession and the Summe of our contrarie Defence SECT 6. IF therefore wee may giue credit vnto your now Romane Church to your later Romane Bishops to your Romane Councels and Creed to your selues and other sworne Professors of the same Romane faith then must wee beleeue all the seuerall points and as it were the Particles of this one Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church without subiection whereunto there is no saluation Which notwithstanding wee hold and beleeue to be respectiuely False Vnconscionable Scandalous Schismaticall Hereticall Blasphemous and euery way Damnable And this we coÌ„fidently hope God assisting vs to proue from such your owne Grounds and from so manifest Demonstrations as that you shall fully perceiue vs to plead not so much our owne Cause as the Cause of the holy Apostles of the renowned Martyrs and Confessors of Christ of the most Orthodoxe Christian Professors of the holy Faith euen in the Primitiue Times of other innumerable Churches of Christendoâ—e still partakers of the Common Saluation yea and of the Catholike and Vniuersall Church of Christ it selfe Our proofes for the maintaining of this Challenge may be reduced vnto two heads The first is the Consideration of the common Article of our Christian faith to wit The holy Catholike Church The second from the state of the Visible Church of Christ it selfe as well Primitiue as Successiue CHAP. II. The first Generall Foundation of our CHALLENGE is taken from the Article in the Apostles Creed viz. The Catholike Church SECT 1. WE lay the first ground of our Challenge vpon the Apostles Creed and Symbol so called you know as being A forme of Faith composed by the Apostles accordingly as the ancient Fathers haue commonly taught Which the Schollers of Christ ought to get by hart as a watch-word in our Christian discipline whereby the faithfull Professors as by a perfect Shibboleth may be distinguished from the Iewish and Hereticall Which Christian Symbol although it be called the Apostles Creed yet it is so termed not because they were Deuisers but onely Collectors thereof by reducing the fundamentall Articles into one Briefe euen as a posie is called his that gathered trimmed it not that he created the flowers but because he composed the bundle and like as the writers of the Gospell were not Inuentors and Dictators but onely Pen-men of the holy Ghost and Scribes of Christ as the Fathers vse to speake Which the Euangelists themselues do sufficiently teach by inscribing their worke The Gospell of Iesus Christ. And accordingly all the Apostles in receiuing the doctrine of saluation are called Disciples not Doctors or Masters in respect of Christ. So then we haue in this posie a briefe Collection of those flowers of sauing truth which spring in the Paradise of God the Gospell of Iesus Christ. That the Church hath no power to ordaine any new Article of faith SECT 2. HE onely can make an Article of faith as necessarily belonging vnto the saluation of soules who can create a soule and after make a Gospell or Testament to saue this soule and then giue vnto that soule the gift of faith to beleeue this Gospell and next institute a Sacrament for confirmation of that faith and in the end bestow saluation vpon the same faithfull beleeuer This we should prooue from Scriptures and from the constant iudgement of the Fathers if it were not a doctrine acknowledged in your owne Schooles and professed by all Christians I proceed to that which followeth That the false Additions to the Creed are new Articles SECT 3. THere are two kinds of additions vnto the Apostolicall Creed the one is of Explication the other is of Deprauation The addition onely of Explication is iustifiable as appeareth by the addition of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consubstantiall filioque which haue bene set downe in Declaratiue Creeds composed by ancient Councels for the clearer vnderstanding of the great mysterie of the Trinitie In which case those additions may be truly called as Lirinensis saith of the like Non noua sed nouè dicta But the Addition of Deprauation of the sence of the Creed in any essentiall and fundamentall part thereof which is to be beleeued as necessary to saluation must needs be a new Article and euery such new Article in true construction a new Heresie Now what one Professor is there in the Romane Church who whensoeuer he repeateth that one Article of our Christian Creed The Catholike Church doth not vnderstand thereby the Romane onely And againe what one is there among you that hearing mention made of the Romane Catholike Church doth not take the addition of the word ROMANE to be a Declaration and exposition of the
Saint Saint Athanasius was Excommunicated by Pope Liberius and notwithstanding remained a Saint The very names of Baronius and Bellarmine we know carry such Authority with you that they will preponderate whatsoeuer can be said against them who ioyntly consent in this that followeth Pope Liberius say they through the faction of Arian Heretikes is by the Authority of Constantius the Emperour sent into banishment By the same Hereticall Arian Bishops is Felix made Bishop and placed in the Romane Sea When Liberius perceiued Felix to be intruded into his Chaire he after two yeares Banishment enuying and grieuing hereat doth ioyne communion with those Heretikes and gaue consent to the condemnation of Athanasius So they Our Assumption will be this that Athanasius neither before nor after the death of Felix did regard this Excommunication of Liberius Immediatly after this you esteeme Felix to be the Legitimate Pope but pronounce Liberius a Schismatike and one remooued from the societie of Catholikes and from his Papall function Which your Conclusions do notably fight against your owne Principles First this that There cannot be two Popes together in one Sea because this were as horrible a monster as a body with two heads One Pope then must be acknowledged Your next Principle is that No Pope can be deposed except he appeare to be a manifest Heretike whereby he ceasseth ipso facto to be a Pope without any other iudgement at all Yet grant you concerning Liberius that He was a Catholike in his inward iudgement notwithstanding his outward communion with Heretikes Your last Principle is that The Pope cannot be iudged of any on earth because he is Prince and therefore superior vnto the whole Church Catholike throughout the earth All these Premises being reduced into a Logicall forme will make vp our Conclusion thus No Catholike Bishop of Rome can be iudged or deposed But Liberius notwithstanding his consenting to the Condemnation of Athanasius and Communicating with Heretikes was a Catholike Bishop Ergo He could not be iudged or deposed from his Popedome If therefore Athanasius being Excommunicated by Liberius neuer sought as you all know any Vnion either with him or yet with Felix in his stead it must follow that he all that time contemned his Excommunication After the death of Felix who was Pope one yeare and some few moneths Liberius obtaineth againe your good reputation for presenly he was accompted the Legitimate Pope Why It is euident saith your Cardinall that Felix being dead Liberius vnited the Church of Rome which was then rent and diuided into a Schisme and became one Sheapheard of one sheepefold So they Where it will be as euident that during the time of Felix Athanasius if hee would haue sought Vnion with the Church of Rome could not know where to find it because the Catholike Church being but One Body One Spouse One Sheepfold how could now the Romane Church be called the Catholike which was as is confessed rent by a Schisme from it selfe But why stand wee wrestling with you for that which of your owne accord you are ready to grant willingly vnto vs It is a matter worthy consideration saith your Cardinall and so indeed it is to know what Liberius did after the death of Felix about the time of the Councell of Arimine which happened to be some two yeares after the departure of Felix And what this is he will haue vs vnderstand from the Epistle of Liberius vnto Athanasius principally thus This is our Confession most wished Athanasius wherein if you consent with me I pray you euen before our Iudge God and Christ to subscribe thereunto that I may be made the more secure thereby and readily performe your Command So the Pope to Athanasius Which Profession of Liberius saith your Cardinall was a solliciter for the repayring of the rent of that Communion which had bene formerly betweene them So he CHALLENGE IF therefore you will not regard our Inferences yet Liberius his owne Epistle and your Cardinall his Comment must giue light to any that shall not wilfully stupifie and blindfold himselfe namely to discerne That there was a breach of Communion betweene Pope Liberius and Athanasius That this continued two yeares for so long it was betweene the death of Felix and that Councell of Arimine whilest that Liberius was throughout the Church of Rome vniuersally acknowledged the Ligitimate Pope That the Seeker for this Communion was not Athanasius who had bene Excommunicate but Liberius who was the Excommunicator euen now being the true Pope That the tenor of the same Epistle is written in all submission both of his vnderstanding to the iudgment of Athanasius if he should happily consent also in the same behalfe to his will whatsoeuer he should Command If the like Epistle had bene written by Athanasius to Liberius we know how diligently and exactly and with what boldnesse you would haue pressed euery syllable thereof scarce could you examine any one word which should not haue seemed to weigh the weight of a Pope We conclude Athanasius being diuided from the Communion of the Pope so long time and not seeking to be reconciled before he was sought vnto by the Pope himselfe doth euidently shew that he belieued not at all your Article of Vnion with the Pope of Rome as with the Head of the Catholike Church vpon Necessity of Saluation Must we therefore iudge Athanasius therein damned nay rather damned be this your Article as Imposterous Scandalous Schismaticall and Hereticall whereby such a Saint should be damned who as your Author confesseth was so excellent an Organ of Truth that If all the commendations of ancient Fathers should be gathered together yet were they not sufficient to set forth the conflicts which this one hath had for defence of the Faith because no one I speake confidently sayth your Lippelous hath after the Apostles vndergone more continuall and grieuous conflicts for the patronage of Truth than he whom Gregory Nazianzene therefore calleth the Eie of the world the chiefe Captaine and Master of Priests and the stay and pillar of Faith So he So admirable was his Faith and Constancy in impugning their Obiections and induring their infinite Calumniations and persecutions IV. Saint Basil Bishop of Caesarea belieued not the Article of necessary Subiection to Rome SECT 4. LOoke againe into your Romane Calendar and you shall reade thus Saint Basil Bishop and Confessor A Saint then he was without exception in whom you will seeme to haue some Interest as though he would beare witnesse to the Antiquity of your Article of Vniuersall Romish Iurisdiction ouer all other Churches of Christ. Your Obiection SAint Basil writ an Epistle to Saint Athanasius whence if we belieue your Cardinall you may conclude that Saint Basil attributed vnto the Bishop of Rome authority of visiting the Churches in the East by whom he pleased and of making Decrees by his Authority and disanulling Generall Councels such as