Traditions Both false depositions both wrongfully imposed crimes A wrongfull crime it is that we traduce the Scriptures as vnperfect We graunt with Vincentius Lyrinensis Vincen. Lyâ—â—nen cap. 2. that the Canon of Scripture is perfect a perfect light and lanterne to our feet a perfect rule and direction of sayth if as he noteth the line of Propheticall and Apostolical interpretation be leuelled according to the square of the Ecclesiastical and Catholike sense As great a wrong that we cleaue to humane and vncertaine Traditions We anker on such as are diuine certaine and infallible authentically warranted by the rules himselfe approueth to descend from Christ or the Church his holy and vndoubted Spouse 17. A like wrongfull crime M. Sparkes fastneth vpon Sparks p. 82. 83. vs when he sayth That we preferre the authority of the Church the wife before Christ the husband that we make the written word of God inferiour in authority to the Church and to haue his Canonicall credit from thence Sure you are as Salomon censureth a guilfull witnesse who furnish your cause Prouerb cap. 14. Testis fidelis non mentitur Profert mendaciâ—â— dolosus testis Io. 4 3. Reg. 3. with such shamefull lyes When many belieued in Christ induced by the speach of the Samaritan woman was her authority prefeâ—â—ed before Christ When King Salomon decreed the infant for which the two harlots contended to belong to her whose bowells were moued at the sentence of his death did he make her therby the mother of the child or declare her to be the mother who was the mother indeed So when we imbrace Gods written word by the externall approbation and testimony of the Church answerable to that of S. Augustine Ego Euangelio non crederem c. I would not belieue the Ghospell vnles the authority of the Church moued me thereunto we extoll not the Aug con ep Fund cap. 5. voice of the Spouse before the voyce of Christ. Nor the Church when it defyneth any booke to be Canonicall Scripture doth giue it thereby diuine and Canonicall credit Bils part 4. pag â—81 Rem cont 1. pag. 619 6â—9 Field l. 4 Stapleton cont 5. de poâ— Eccles quaest â— but commaundeth that to be receaued by others as Canonicall which hath in itselfe Canonicall authority 18. Lastly our Aduersaryes arme themselues with the weapons of the Fathers and M. Bilson marshalleth six togeather in a rancke S. Athanasius S. Chrysostome S. Cyrill S. Ambrose S. Augustine and Vincentius who conformably mantaine the sufficiency of Scripture in all necessary points of fayth Many other to the like purpose are alleadged by M. Reynolds and M. Field To all which I answere First that the Scripture is taught to containe all things necessary to saluation as the vniuersal ground Cyril l. 12. c. vltimo Chrys ho. 3. in 2. Thes 2. Vincent aduersus prophan hae nouit c. 2. Bafil ep 80 Cyril de rect fide ad Regi Hieron in Psal 86. Aug. l 3. con lit Petil Tert. lib. cont haer Athan. l. cont Gent. Aug. l. 2. cap. 9. Rein in his conf c. 2. diuis 2. Aug. l. 10. de Gen. ad lit c. 23. Bils 4. par p. 582. 583. Field in appen 2. p. §. 8. Aug. l. 4. c. 24. Dio. l. Eâ—c bier c. vlt. Orig. in 12. Leuit. bom 8. in cap. 6. epist ad Rom. seed or roote from which whatsoeuer we belieue may either mediately or immediatly be gatheted as S. Cyril and S. Chrysostome auouch Secondly as it teacheth and directeth vs to the authority of the Church and doctrine of her Pastours by which euery point is of may be particulerly and clearely explained Thus Vincentius and others are to be interpreted Thirdly it is affirmed to containe all thinges and that nothing besides the Scripture is to be admitted to wit no priuate customes or particuler Traditions not agreeable or repugnant to the writen word as S. Basil S. Cyrill S. Hierome S. Augustines meaning is in his booke against Petilian Fourthly the Fathers often acknowledge the sufficiency of Scripture to conclude euen in plaine and expresse wordes certaine maine principles of our fayth as that God created all thinges of nothing of which Tertullian against Hermogenes That Christ is the true God That Idolls are not God of which Athanasius writeth Or they teach it clearely comprehends the chiefe articles of our Creed and ten Commandments of which S. Augustine only speaketh in his booke of Christian doctrine so often quoted by M. Reynolds 19. Besides which many other things are necessary to be imbraced as by Fathers Reason and Scripture I haue already conuinced and therfore will close vp my whole discourse with one or two sentences of S. Augustine and Origen S. Augustine sayth The custome of the Church in baptizing Infants is not at all to be belieued vnles it were an Apostolicall Tradition M. Bilson and M. Field haue no other shift to trauerse the euidence of this place then by accusing it of some secret corruption But what was he corrupted also in his booke of Baptisme against the Donatists where he repeateth it againe Was Dionysius was Origen corrupted too who sayth The Church receaued a Tradition from the Apostles to minister Baptisme also to Infants Was this other passage of S. Augustine corrupted likewise Aug. de Bap. con Donat. l. 5â— c. 23. It is an article of faith to belieue this Baptisme to be valide Orig. in c. 3. ad Tit. teste Pamphilo in Apol. prâ— Orig. of the validity of Baptisme ministred by Heretikes The Apostles commanded nothing hereof yet the custome which was opposed herein against Cyprian is to bebelieued to proceed from their Tradition euen as many things be which the whole Church holdeth and are therfore well belieued to be commanded of the Apostles although they be not written I may then conclude with Origen He is an Heretike who professeth himself to beleiue in Christ yet belieueth otherwise of the truth of Christian fayth then the definition of Ecclesiastic all Tradition containeth 20. Notwithstanding to reproue our Aduersaries and satisfy all indifferent Readers that we fly not to the succour of Traditions for want of proofes out of holy writ I will vphold the right of our cause in euery ensuing Controuersy as I promised in my Preface by the irreprouable testimonies of Gods written word THE THIRD CONTROVERSY WHEREIN The Reall Presence is maintayned against D. Bilson and D. Sparkes CHAP. I. AS the vnspeakable riches of Gods infinite loue in no mystery of our fayth appeareth more bountâ—full then in the true and reall Fresence of Christs sacred Body conteyned in the holy Eucharist so the vnsatiable malice of our deadly enemy no where more hatefully bewrayeth it selfe then in seeking to abolish this most blessed dreadfull and admirable Sacrament For besids the Armenians Messalians Grecians and Aquarians Althons de Cast l. 9. adu haer v Eucharist Aug. de haer Epiph haer 26. whose errours
chastise all the members of Christs mysticall body Thirdly he subioyneth Whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth it shall be bound also in the heauens Fourthly whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth it shall be loosed also in the heauens that is whatsoeuer punishment thou shalt inflict either of excoÌ„munication suspension interdiction or degradation or whatsoeuer other spirituall Censure for he speaketh without restriction the same shall be ratified by Almighty God whatsoeuer of these thou shalt release the same shall be released in the heauens aboue Vpon which words Origen obserueth no small Orig. tract 6. in Math. difference betweene Peter and the rest of the Apostles because to them the Keyes of one heauen were giuen to Peter of many Whereupon he inferreth they had not authority in such perfection as Peter to bind and loose in all the heauens 5. Our Aduersaryes not doubting of the highest soueraignty M. Reyn-in his CoÌ„ference with M. Hart c. 2. diuis 1. M. Bils in his booke of Christian subiection par 1. fol. 62. 63. Reyn. ibi diuis 2. which by these singular priuiledges are betokened apply some to Christ some to all the Apostles but none peculiar to Peter alone For the first prerogatiue both M. Reynoldes and M. Bilson attribute vnto Christ affirming either him to be the Rocke vpon which the Church is built or the fayth which Peter pronounced of him and not Peter pronouncing the same The second the third and fourth Reynolds extendeth to all the Apostles because to them all the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen were giuen the power of binding and loosing and not only to Peter Silly men who see not how they crosse themselues in their owne answeres For our Sauiour speaking of one matter to one person in one and the same sentence to whomesoeuer he made the first promise to him he made the rest Therefore if he promised the Keyes to all the Apostles vpon them all he promised to build his Church and not vpon Christ Or if he promised to build his Church vpon himselfe to himselfe he promised the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen to himselfe he promised all power of binding loosing which had beene as impertinent to our Sauiours discourse as dissonant from truth For Christ had all that power before euen from the first houre he began to plante his Church he already enioyed those priuiledges not giuen by himselfe as the iurisdiction heere mentioned but imparted by his Father from whome he was sent 6. Againe as those answeres encounter one another The words of Christ import some extraordinary fauour to S Peter alone so they offer violence to the Text ech of them depriuing Peter of that soueraigne dignity which the whole passage of the place conueyeth vnto him For the wordes of Christ are purposly addressed to the person of Peter his name is only changed at this tyme and not any of the other Apostles he is called Rocke and none of the rest he only speaketh and professeth Christ to be the Sonne of the liuing God our Sauiour only nameth him and continually vseth the singular number yea he addeth the name of his Father to distinguish him not only from the Apostles in generall but also from the other Simon And shall not all these particiculer descriptions denote something in Peter more then in the rest If we appeale to the Greeke to the Hebrew especially to the Syriacke text in which Fabri in diction Syro-caldaicolero in c. 2. ad Gala â— language our Sauiour vttered this whole discourse it so euidently sheweth the very first promise to haue beene made to Peter and not to Christ as nothing can be more cleere For he speaking in Syriacke sayd vnto Peter Thou art Cephas and vpon this Cephas will I build my Church where the same word Cephas signifying as Guido Fabritius and S. Hierome testify a Rocke or Stone is vsed in both places And the Greeke wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though different in termination signify the same Wherefore as if Christ speaking in English had imposed vnto Simon the name of a Rocke therupon had sayd Thou art a Rocke and vpon this Rocke will I build my church there would haue beene no doubt but that he had builded his Church vpon Simon the Rocke so neither in this present speaking the same in Syrtacke 7. M. Reynolds not able to resist confesseth at length Rain c. 2. diuis 1. pag. 24. that Fabritius translateth Cephas a Rocke But Fabritius sayth he sheweth further that Cephas signifyeth a Stone also And in the page immediatly following he addeth Cephas in Greeke is expounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in English signifyeth a Stone Whereupon he counteth this a fit traÌ„slation of the former Syriacke wordes Thou art a Stone and vpon this Stone will I build my Church And what is this but to graunt the substance of the thing and wrangle about wordes For whether Peter were tearmed Rocke or Stone as long as he was that stone that singular stone which after Christ vpholdeth the frame of the militant Church of which the Apostles were part he was the fundamentall Cyr. l. 2. in Ioan c. 2. Cyâ— ep ad Quintum Tertul. l. de praescript Epipha in Ancorato Amb ser 47. Nazianz orat de moder ser Basil l. 2. in Eunomium Aug. in Psal conâ— partem Donati Bils part 1. pag. 62. Stone vpon which both they and all others were built And seeing the foundation is the same to a house which a head to a body he was the head of the whole body of the Church 8. The Fathers generally fortify the same S. Cyril writeth that Christ called Peter by the name of Rocke because on him as on a stedfast rocke or stone immoueable he was to build his Church S. Cyprian sayth Christ chose Peter vpon whome he builded his Church Tertullian tearmeth him Ecclesiae Petram The Rocke or foundation of the Church Reade the like in Epiphanius S. Ambrose S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Basil and S. Augustine of whome M. Bilson most wrongfully and slaunderously writeth That Peter is the Rocke on which the Church is built S. Augustine and others do plainely deny But what if S. Augustine deny it not plainely What if he deny it not at all What if he plainely auouch it and that in diuers places Will you euer giue credit againe to M. Bilsons writings Therfore he vpon the Psalmes sayth O Church that is O Peter because vpon this Rocke wâ—ll I build my Church Read the like vpon the 69. Psalme in his Sermons Our Lord named Peter the foundation of his Church therfore the Church rightly honoured this foundation vpon which the height of the Ecclesiasticall edifice is raysed Againe Only Peter August conc 2. in Psal 30. in Psal 69. Et ser 15. de Sanct. ser 29. qui est 5. de S. Petro Paulo Aug. l. 1. Retract cap. 21. Bils â—
vtter Haeb. 5. 22. Ioan. 16. v. 12. And heerein they traced the footsteps of their Lord and Maister Iesus Christ who sayd to his Disciples Many thinges I haue to say to you but you cannot beare them now Whereupon S. Gregory Nazianzen affirmeth the Diuinity of the holy Ghost to be one of the misteryes Christ reuealed Greg. de theol orat â— not to his Disciples at that tyme. Which moued the Eunomians to tearme him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The vnwritten God Yea S. Paul himselfe referreth exhorteth recommendeth vnto vs besides his written word many vnwritten 1. ad Tim. c. vltimo 1. Cor. 11. 2. 2 Thes c. 2. 14. Bâ—sil de Spir. Sancto c. 29. Basil ibid. cap. 27. verityes To Timothy O Timothy keep the Depositum To the Corinthians I praise you brethren that in all thinges you be mindfull of me and as I haue deliuered vnto you keep my precepts or Traditions according to the Greeke To the Tessalonians Hold the Traditions which you haue learned whether it be by word or epistle Vpon which wordes S. Basil accounteth it Apostolike to perseuere firmely euen in vnwritten Traditions And a little before Of such articles of Religion as are kept and preached in the Church some were taught by the written word other some we haue receaued by the tradition of the Apostles deliuered vnto vs as it were from hand to hand in misteryes both which be of one force to godlines and these things no man wil deny S. Epiphanius cyting the forenamed place of S. Epiphan har 61. Chrysost in 2. ad Thess â—om 4. Hieron aduers Lucifer Orig. in proem l. â— de Prin. Aug ep 86. ad Casulan Paul sayth We must vse traditions for the Scripture conteyneth not all thinges and therefore the Apostles deliuered certaine things by writing certaine by Tradition S. Chrysostome vpon the same text The Apostles did not deliuer all thinges by writing but many thinges without and these be as worthy of credit as the other S. Hierome Although there were no authority oâ— proofe out of Scripture the consent of the whole world in this behalfe should stand in lieu of a precept For many other thinges also which by tradition are obserued in the Church haue gotten the force and strength of a written law Origen That truth is only to be belieued which in nothing swarueth from Ecclesiasticall tradition S. Augustine Concerning those thinges of which the Scripture maketh no mention the custome of Gods people or the constitutions of our Ancestours are to be held in place of a law 6. Some of these Fathers M. Reynoldes faythfully Reyn. conclus 1. p. 689. Reyn. ibid. pag. 620. cyteth yet for that they vtterly exclude his fond and fayned glosse of the Apostles wordes aboue mentioned he one while answereth I tooke not vpon me to controle them but let the Church iudge if they considered with aduice inough c. And some few leaues before of S. Basil and S. Epiphanins he malepartly protesteth They were deceaued But if they were deceaued S. Cyprian Tertullian S. Chrysostome S. Fulke against purgatory p. 362. 303. c. Vvhâ—tak de sacra Scriptura p. 678. 68â— 683. 685. Tertul. l. de cor mil. Chrys ho. 1. in Acta Hier l. coÌ„â— Lucif c. 4. ep 28. ad Licâ— Aug. de Ge ad lit l 20. cap. 23 â— Cor. 3. 20 lere 31. 33. Euseb l. r. de demâ—n cap. 8. Tull. l. de lâ—g Isocra ep ad Philip. Maced Hierome S. Augustine S. Leo whome M. Fulke and Whitaker reproue for affirming the like were likewise deceaued S. Paul himselfe was deceaued who for this cause tearmeth the Corinthians the Epistleof Christ written not with inke but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in the tables carnall of the hart The holy Ghost also was deceaued who prophesing of the new Testament by the mouth of Ieremy sayth I will put my law into their bowels and in their harts will I write it The reasons are manifest because our harts are farre surer Registers of Gods word farre lesse subiect to destruction then leaues of paper Because it is not meet that the perfect documents of the new law of the law of spirit life and truth should be wholy figured in dead and senseles Characters Because the infinite knowledge of the holy Ghost daily teaching instructing his Church was not to be restrained to any limited volumes Because as new doubtes new cloudes of diffiâ—â—ltyes arise amongst vs so new beames of light new instructions or explications are needfull to cleare those mists Because precepts of manners as Tully obserueth are more sweetly sowed and engrafted in a Commonwealth by obseruation and custome then by restraint of Iawes Because as Isocrates teacheth the liuely voice oracles of the mind are more forcible to perswade of greater account and estimation then the records of writing 7. And therfore as the Romans locked vp in the Capitoll the Oracles of the Sybils and permitted them not Fenestella l. 1. cap 13. de magist Clemens Alex. strom 5. Dion Bas Eus vs infra 1. Cor. cap. 2. 6. Bils 2. part pag. 265. Reyn. conclus 1. Dyon Eccles hier cap. 1. Basil locis citatis Leo. ep 8. ad Flauia Euseb l. 1. de demonst euang c. 8. 1. Cor. 11. v. 2. 2. Thess 2. 14. 1. Tim. vlt. v. 20. 1. Cor. 2. 6. 1. Cor. 11. v. 34. Ad Tit. 1. v. 5. Haeb. 5. v. 11. Aug. l. â—onâ— epist Fund c. 4 5. to the view of any but only their Priests as the Aegyptians according to Clemens Alexandrinus report did not publish the knowledge of their diuine secretes but only to them as were to be aduanced either to Royall or Priestly dignity so S. Dionyse S. Basil and Eusebius witnesse that the Apostles thought meete to couer some hidden misteryes of our fayth from the contempt of the vulgar and by secret Tradition to deliuer them onely to such as were more fit and capable Of whome S. Paul sayd We speake wisedome among the perfect Notwithstanding M. Bilson cauelleth That albeit the Church had some Rites and Ceremonyes yet no matter of fayth sayth he Nothing necessary to saluation sayth M. Reynolds vnwritten Meere cauils For S. Dionyse calleth the concealed misteryes Chiefe and supersubstantiall S. Basil Principall parts of our Faith S. Leo Constitutions which appertaine to the pith and substance of fayth Eusebius All the precepts which Christ gaue as it were to the wiser and most spirituall sort of men which the testimonyes themselues seeme to pronounce For can we thinke the Traditions which S. Paul equally ballanced with his own Epistle the Depositum he so earnestly recommended to Timothy the wisedome he vttered among the perfect only and among such as were fit to teach others can we thinke the thinges he had to prescribe concerning the vse and administration of the Blessed Sacrament the forme he appointed about the ordering of Priests the speach
touching Christ so high so inexplicable so farre aboue the reach of the Iews were not necessary if not for euery particuler member yet for the saluation of the body of the Church 8. Moreouer to draw to some particuler issue First to belieue the Scriptures themselues the Ghospell of S. Iohn the Epstls of S. Paul al the books of holy Writ is necessary to saluation which notwithstanding we only know as S. Augustine teacheth by the Tradition of the Church Secondly to belieue imbrace the true sense of Scripture is necessarie to saluation which as S. Ambrose S. Ambser 25. 34. Iero Epist ad Mar. Cyp. lib. 1. Epist 12. Ierome S. Cyprian accord we are vndoubtedly taught by the Traditions of the Church Thirdly to beleeue the baptisme of Infants Fourthly the pepetuall virginity of our Blessed Lady Fistly the procession of the holy Ghost from the Father and the Son Sixtly The celebration of the Feast of Easter vpon a Sunday Seauenthly the Father to be vnbegotten Eightly the Sonne to be consubstantiall is necessary to saluation and yet where do we learne them but from the Traditions of the Church For although the substance of some of these points be Rein. c. 2. diuis 2. p. 51. 52. darkly insinuated in Holy Writ as M. Reynolds answereth to the latter instances and others reply to the former yet the precise termes and cleare explication the Aug. Ep. 174 â—â—n Max. Ari subuersion of errour and light of our profession we read not expressed as S. Augustine argueth in the diuine Scriptures 9. Lastly to be able to conuince heretikes is necessary to the saluation of the Church yet Tertullian and Vincentius Field l. citato Euseb l. 5. histor Lirinensis with whom D. Field also closeth herein shew that they cannot be refuted but by Tradition By which the same Tertullian repressed the Marcionists Irenaeus the Valentinians S. Cyprian the Nouatians Epiphanius the Apostolikes S. Hierome the Heluidians S. Augustine the Donatists and S. Athanasius which other Doctours of his Epiphani haer â—1 Beza con Trinitar Vvhitgift cont Cart. Barlow in the conference p. 10 13. p. 68. Beza epist Theol 8â— p. 334. 335. tyme the Arians Yea the Sectaries themselues at this day to refell their Aduersaries runne to the supply of vnwritten Traditions Beza against the Trinitaries Whitgift against Cartwight our Protestant ministers in the conference before the Kings Maiesty against the Puritans where by Tradition they proue Confirmation Absolution the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme and the like Beza addeth that without the tearmes of Essence Person Nature Property c. borrowed from men the blasphemous Arian Nestorian and Eutichian heresies cannot sufficiently be reproued In fine all you who professe the exact following of the written word against the same written word imbrace the Tradition and practise of the Church The word of God commaundeth vs to abstaine from bloud and strangled meates which all Christians obserued fot some hundred yeares togeather you contrary to the word of God contrary to the primitiue Church Act. 15. v. 20. Exod. 31. v. 17. Iere. 17. v. 24. Field l. 4. cap. 20. presume to feed on these forbidden meates only warranted by our Tradition The word of God commaundeth Saturday to be the Saboath-day of our Lord and to be kept holy as an euerlasting couenant you without any precept of Scripture to vse D. Fields owne words chaunge it into Sunday only authorized by our Tradition 10. Diuers English Puritans oppose against this point that the obseruation of Sunday is proued out of Scripture Act. â—0 vers 7. Out of the acts of the Apostles where it is said In the first of the Saboath when we were assembled to breake bread out of the first to the Corinthians In the Saboath let euery one of you put apart with himselfe out the Apocalips I was in spirit â— Cor. 16. v. 2. in the Dominicall day Haue they not spon a faire thrid in quoting these places If we should produce no better for Purgatory prayer for the dead inuocation of Saints the like they might haue good cause indeed to laugh Apoc. cap. â— v. 10. vs to scorne for where is it written that these were festiuall dayes in which those meetings were kept Or where is it ordayned they should be alwayes hereafter obserued Or which is the summe of all where is it decreed that the obseruation of our Lords day or of the first of the Saboath should abrogate abolish the sanctifying of the Saboath which God coÌ„manded euerlastingly to be kept Not one of these is expressed in the written word Notwithstanding such stuffe as this others bring to proue the Baptisme of infants also out of Scripture to wit Circumcision was ministred to infants but Baptisme succedeth in the place of Circumcision therefore Baptisme ought to be ministred vnto them Sure a subtile kind of reasoning Calu. l. 4. instis c. 16. §. 16. §. 6. 7. by which it followeth that women ought not to be baptized nor children neyther before nor after the eight day But women sayth Caluin are of the sanctified seed of Israel they are comprehended in the couenant made to Abraham They are so And are now in the new law conteyned therein as much as they were in the old How chaunceth it then they may not in these dayes be made heires of Gods promise without the Sacrament of Baptisme as well as in those without the seale of Circumcision if you haue no better auctority for baptizing female infants then the abrogated precept of Circumcision which neuer could oblige their sexe at all 11. M. Field wisely coÌ„sidering the force of these replyes Field l. 4. cap. 20. weake oppositions of his fellow-Ghospellers leauing them coÌ„plyeth with vs so far in this point as if the dregs of their foule ingredients had not filled his Pen he might haue beene graced with the name of a Catholike writer We admit sayth he first the bookes of Scripture Canonicall as deliuered by Tradition secondly the chiefe heads of Christian doctrine contained in the Creed thirdly the forme of Christian dostrine and distinct explication of many thinges somewhat obscurely contained in Scripture c. fourthly the continued practise of such thinges as are not expressed in Scripture fifthly such obseruations as are not particulerly commanded in Scripture Among these and the former he reckoneth the fast of Lent the Baptisme of Infants and Obseruation of our Lords day he addeth also some few leaues after That many other thinges there are which the Apostles doubtles deliuered by Tradition Such is the force of truth as is often breaketh forth out of the mouths of her enemyes 12. Well then if the sense and explication of many obscure places of Scripture if these chiefe heads and articles of our beliefe if diuers practices obseruations and sundry other things not decreed in Scripture are to be learned by Tradition euen by the testimony of
places The same S. Paul writing to the Corinthians sayth As we haue 1. Cor. 15. v. 49. borne the image of the earthly let vs also beare the image of the heauenly but the Image of earthly Adam we haue truly borne by the deadly impression of internall and hatefull sinne Cent. 3. c. 4. Column 48. therefore we must truly beare the figure of Christ by the beautifull stampe of internall and acceptable grace as Origen cyted by the Centurists doth plainely insinuate and the Apostle likewise confirmeth in his Epistle to the Ephesians Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man which according to God is created in Iustice and holynes of Ephes 4. v. 24. truth behold we haue not the new man imputed vnto vs but we put him on vs formed and created not in signe and sanctification but in iustice and holynes of truth and that according to God Besides it is sayd We are buryed with him by ad Rom. 6. Baptisme to the end that as Christ did rise from death so we may walke in newnes of life Vpon which wordes S. Augustine auerreth Aug. in Enchir. cap. 52. That as in Christ there was a true resurrection so in vs there is a true iustification Whosoeuer then detracteth from the truth of our infused iustice detracteth from the verity of Christs resurrection and whosoeuer impayreth the perfection of this darkneth also the glory of that S. Chrysostome commenting vpon that passage of S. Paul aboue cyted You are washed you are sanctifyed you are â— ad Cor. 6. v. 11. iustifyed sayth He sheweth that you are not only made cleane but holy and iust Illuminated and made perfect sayth S. Clement of Alexandria Of old made new of humane diuine sayth S. Gregory Nazianzen Which are most euident testimonyes Clem. l. 1. Pedago cap. 6. Nazian ora in san bap for my purpose yet to leaue no place of tergiuersation to wrangling Sophisters I will further corroborate this chiefe and fundamentall article with other most cleare and irrefragable arguments 8. That grace and renouation is perfect entire and not the effect but the true cause of our iustification by the VVhitak l. 8. aduers Dutaeum very consent of our Aduersaryes which absolueth vs from sinne endueth vs with purity and holynes in the eyes of our Creatour engrafteth vs into Christ vniteth vs vnto God and giueth vs life in him maketh vs his adopted children entitleth vs to the right and purchaseth the inheritance of our eternall kingdome All this is wrought not by any other precedent cause but by that inherent Rom. â— v. 4. iustice or infused charity which God deriueth into our soules therefore that maketh vs truly righteous and iust before the Tribunall of his highnes First it cleanseth vs Ibid. v. 7. from our sins as S. Paul to the Romans defineth saying We are buryed togeather with Christ by Baptisme into death Rom. 8. v. 2. Tertul. l. de resur carn c. 46. Basil de spir san c. 15. Aug. l. 1. de nupt concup c. 22. Lib. de lib. arbit c. 14. 15. 16. de sprit liter 8. 17. What death but the death of sinne of which it immediatly followeth he that is dead is iustifyed from sinne to wit is released and absolued from sinne by the newnes of life wherin he resembleth the resurrection of Christ Againe The law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath deliuered me from the law of sinne where Tertullian insteed of deliuered vseth the word manu misit hath set free like a bound man enfranchized and set at liberty by the benignity of his Maister S. Basil explicating the former place sayth The spirit infuseth liuely and reuiuing force recouering our soules from the death of sinne into a new life And S. Augustine the later writeth thus The law of the spirit of life in Christ hath dissolued the guilt of concupiscence procuring remission of all sinnes who doth also often testify that the law of the spirit of life is the grace of the new Testament written in our harts Secondly it doth not only expell the mists of sinne but garnisheth also our soules with the lustre of vertue as I haue already conuinced in my first encounter against M. Abbot which cannot be interpreted Ephes 1. v. 4. of signes of beauty grateful to men who pierce not into the closet of our soule nor behould the light and brightnes therof mentioned aboue Therefore it must Ioan. 15. 1. Cor. c. 12. v 26. needs be expounded of the purity splendour and holynes it displayeth before the face of God according to that of S. Paul He chosevs that we should be holy and immaculate in his sight in charity that is by meanes of his habituall charity harboured in our brests 9. Thirdly this inward renouation doth truely incorporate vs in the mysticall body of our Lord Sauiour Coloss 3. v. 13. Gal. 3. v. 17 Rom. 8. v. 11. Aug. de spir lit c. 29. Rom. 13. v. 13. 14. it engrafteth vs like liuely branches into him our true vine it maketh vs the body of Christ and members of member Doinge on sayth S. Paul to the Collossians the new man him that is renewed vnto knowledge according to the image of him that created him To the Galathians as many of you as are baptized in Christ haue put on Christ. And how haue yee put him on but as the same Apostle testifyeth By his spirit dwelling in you Wherof S. Augustine sayth By the spirit of Christ incorporated made a member of Christ euery one may inwardly affoarding increase accoÌ„plish works of iustice Besids that very word to put on Christ often vsed in holy Write doe on the armour of light doe yee on our Lord Iesus Christ according to the Hebrew * Indui haebraicâ— laâ—aâ— Isa 61. Chrys in 1. c. ad Gal. in c. 3. ad Rom. Cyril l. 9. in Genes Hieron ad Pamach Rom. 6. v. 10. 1. Cor. 6. v. 17. Ioan. 14. v. 23. 1 Cor. 3. v. 16. 17. 1. ep Ioan. c. 3 v. 24. 1. Ioan. 4. v. 16. 1. Ioan. 4. v. 17. Rom. 6. v. 11. Augu. de verbis Apostol ser 18. 28. l. de ciuit Dei c. 24. phrase and allusion to the long gownes of the Iewes signifyeth great plenty and aboundance of grace sanctity and iustice with which they that put on Christ are inwardly clad as it were with a rich and gorgeous robe which doth not only couer the nakednes but wholy adorneth the temple of our soules with heauenly rayes of incomparable vertues Therefore Isay calleth it The vestment of saluation the garment of iustice or coate of ioy as the 70. Interpreters or vestment Iesus as other translate it wherof read S. Chrysostome S. Cyrill S. Hierome 10. Fourthly by this inhabiting grace a true vnion is made a league is contracted betweene God and vs We liue to him Are one spirit with him
Lord without blame Scan I pray these foure things First that they walked not in any one only but in all the commandments Secondly that they were iustifications which made them iust Thirdly before God Fourhly without blame viz. without any vicious defect or culpable imperfection which might eyther stayne the splendour of their iustice or hinder their ful complete obseruation of the law which God required at their hands 4. Lastly the keeping of the commandments is the sole marke and true cognizance of a beleeuing Christian Ioan. 14. v. 15. v. 21. â— Ioan. 2. v. 3. 4. If you loue me keepe my commandments He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loueth me And In this we know that we haue knowne him if we obserue his commandments He that sayth he knoweth him and keepeth not his commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him Wherefore if Protestants cannot obserue the Commandments they are not Abbot c. 4. sect 43. fol. 566. 568. VVbitak l. 8 aduers Duraeum Fulke in c. 1. Luc. sect 7. Ioan. 14. sect 1. Perkins in the 4. cha of bis reform Cath. louers nor knowers of God or if they challenge his loue and boast of his knowledge not fullfilling his law they are lyars blasphemers and the truth is not in them Their Ministers stinged with this sharpe censure begin to startle and perswade their fauourits that they keep the law correspondently to the proportion of their loue and knowledge that is haltingly weakly imperfectly as their loue is halting their knowledge imperfect Are these the new Apostles diuine lightned Reformers who sit in the sun-shine of their Ghospell and rise to illuminate the world with their radiant beames And do they confesse their beames of truth to be dimmed with clouds their flames of loue frozen with cold with such misty clouds with such nipping frost as violate the precept of knowing the commandment of louing God For as their raw and imperfect obseruations which hath been demonstrated before in the precedent Controuersy are of their owne nature true breaches of the law so their lame knowledge their imperfect loue is a transgression of the precept of loue a preuarication of the commandment of beliefe which is the supernaturall knowledge of God whereof S. Iohn speaketh But if they violate the precept of fayth as often as they beleeue with what conscience can they exercise an act of beliefe who are charged neuer to infringe the will of God With what hart can they iudge that precept imposed when neyther in this life nor in the next for then fayth ceaseth and vanisheth away it can be euer accomplished With what tongue can they bragge of true beliefe for this is commaÌ„ded wheras theirs transgresseth the commandment of God With that false stringed tongue with that hollow hart with that seared conscience with which they presume to auerre that the Father of heauen doth esteeme and account their breaches obseruations their violations accomplishments of what Isa 5. v. â—0 he commandeth forcing him to vnder go for the loue of their persons that heauy curse he threatneth to others Wo be vnto you that call euill good and good euill esteeming darknes light and light darknes accounting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter 5. Yet on the other side if abhorring these blasphemyes they dare pronounce their knowledge or beliefe such as it fulfilleth the precept of fayth as far as it ought thence we argue that they may likewise obserue the precept Rom. 13. v. 10. of charity as far forth as they ought and by consequence wholy obserue and fulfill the law For Charity is the fulnes of the law the summe or knot of perfection on which the Concil Arausic c. vlti Hilar. in Psal 118 whole law and Prophets depend Hence it is defined in the secoÌ„d Arausican Councell That all the Christned hauing receaued grace by Baptisme Christ ayding and cooperating may and ought if they will diligently labour to fullfill all things which belong to saluation S. Hilary saity It is not hard if the will be prompt to obey the precept of our Lord. S. Hierome No man doubteth of this but that God hath commanded things possible S. Augustine Neyther Hier. l. 3. cont Pela Aug. ser 61. 191. de tempo Aug. lib. de natur gratia cap. 43. Cent. 2. 4. col 58. Author respon ad quaest 130. Cent. 2. c. 4. col 61. Ibidem col 61. Obedientiam legalem reâ—atis omnino possi bilem esse magno errore iudicauit Cent. 3. c. 4. col 78. Orig. hom â— super Exod. Videtur asseuerare quòd baptizati per omnia possint legem implere Cypr. ser de Baps. Christ. God who is iust can command things impossible nor condenme man who is pious for that which he could not auoyd And agayne Thinges impossible God commandeth not but by coÌ„manding warneth thee both to doe what thou art able and to aske what thou art not able and he helpeth thee that thou mayest be able Yet because Protestants will strayne their wits to bow these sayings to some crooked sense I will stand to the iudgement of such as their owne fellow Protestans furnish me withall and whome they iudge to hold with vs without exception 6. For the Century-writers affime that the authour of Replyes extant among the workes or Iustin with full mouth breaketh into these words What is all the iustice of the law to loue God more then himselfe and his neighbour as himselfe which truely is not impossible to men that are willing Of Clemens Alexandrinus mayster to Origen they auouch He with great errour iudged the legall obedience to be altogeather possible to the regenerate Then passing to the three hundred years of Christ thus they deliuer their generall verdict of the Fathers of that age They held concerning the law very exhorbitant opinions as Tertullian in his booke against the Iewes disputeth that the Saints in the old testament as Noë Abraham Melchisedech others were iust by the iustice of the natural law Hence with the like error I vse the Centurists phrase Origen heer and there inculcateth many things of the possibility of the law as in his eyght homily vpon Exodus where expounding the Decalogue he seemeth to asseuere that the baptized may according to all things fulfil the law The same sayth the Authour of homilyes vpon the Canticle The diuine word is not mis-shapen or without order neyther doth it command things impossible And Cyprian because sayth he we know that which is to be done and can do that which we know thou conimandest me o Lord that I loue thee this both I can and ought to do Hitherto the Centurists producing witnesses against themselues THE SECOND CHAPTER IN WHICH The possibility of keeping the Law is maintayned by other reasons and obiections answered FIRST it were no lesse then tyranny to punish men euerlastingly for not keeping the Commandments if it be not
wine to be turned into the body and bloud of Christ But what strang effect doe our Protestants heere assigne Euen none at all For M. Bilson will haue blessing to be nothing els but earnest prayer to God and no action at all immediatly applyed to worke any effect in the element of bread And so maketh the Euangelists vainly to coÌ„found thankesgiuing to God with blessing of his creatures checketh S. Paul who appropriateth the blessing directly to the Chalice it selfe controlleth S. CypriaÌ„ calling it The cup consecrated with solemne blessing 6. If we vrge some other circumstances the place was miraculously chosen to be betoken a rarer miracle to ensue The time was that very night in which he was betraied Marc. â—4 Luc. 22. a tyme when the Law of figures was to be abolished law of truth begaÌ„ The persons to whom he spak were the twelue Apostles the chiefest Prelates and Gouernours of his Church the matter of which he treated was concerning a law which then he enacted as appeareth by those wordes of commaund Take eate Do this It was touching his last Will and Testament which then he made as himselfe auoucheth This is my bloud of Matth. 2â— the new Testament It was belonging to the perpetuall memory and euerlasting inheritance he then bequeathed to the whole Church his beloued Spouse Excuse vs then O Lord excuse and free vs from the calumniations of our Aduersaryes if we attribute so much wisedom vnto thee as to thinke that in such a place at such a tyme to such persons concerning such weighty affaires thou wouldest not disclose thy mind in any secret hidden or ambiguous tearmes 7. We see all Law-makers most carefull in penning the Statutes Canons and Decrees of their lawes which must be obserued by their subiects according to the natiue sound and construction of the wordes We find all Testatours exact and diligent in setting downe their last Wils and Testaments least any cauils arise after their decease And shall we not graunt this care and prouidence to our Sauiour Christ Shall we either thinke he wanted wordes to expresse or diligence to record or power to performe his will in this behalfe When an earthly Testatour Inleg Non afiter ff delega 3. for examples sake bestoweth a Pretious stone vpon any one of his friends which he determinately nameth the Executors whome the law commandeth not to depart from the proper signification of the words cannot satisfy him with a painted pearle and when our heauenly Testatour namely leaueth and bequeatheth vnto vs the diuine legacy the inestimable Iewel of his own sacred body may we be contented with the signe shadow and seale thereof May we thinke he meant a figuratiue body By conference of places we shal discouer no doubt the drift of his meaning 8. Before Christ instituted this Sacrament he promised it Iohn 6. The bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the World according to the Greeke 〈◊〉 â— Now what construction can our Aduersaryes heer make of these wordes without appeaching our Sauiour Christ of manifest falshood For he auoucheth that the bread which he will giue is his flesh vsing the word est is in the present tense and yet it was not then a signe of his flesh neither could it take the name of the thing signed which is M. Bilsons common answere For the Sacrament was Bils 4. â—ar pag. 754. c. not then instituted but only promised as the word dabo I will giue doth demonstrate Most falsly then had Christ sayd The bread which I will giue is my flesh to wit is a signe or seale of my flesh seeing then it was neither signe seale or token except you will haue it a signe before it was made a signe before the Sacrament was instituted or Bils 4 par pag. 753. Consecration vsed which is impossible as M. Bilson himselfe will instruct you 9. Againe our Sauiour inculcateth the same with an oath or solemne asseueration saying Amen Amen I say Ioan. 6. vnto you except you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you shall haue no life in you And then that no doubt as S. Hilary teacheth might be made of the truth Hilar. l. 8. de Trinit This word verè may be translated truly or indeed Chrys hom 46 in IoaÌ„ hom 60 ad popu 83 in Mat. Cyr. Alex. l. 10. in Io. c. â—â— l. 1â— c. 26. 27. item l. 4. c. 17. of his flesh and bloud he addeth My flesh is meate indeed and my bloud is drinke iadeed Hearken M. Bilson hearken M. Sparkes harken all yee Sacramentaryes my flesh is not figuratiuely nor metaphorically but truely meate and my bloud truely drinke Where S. Chrysostome sayth That Christ vseth these wordes that he might not be thought to speake parabolically And in another place By eating his flesh he reduceth vs as he writeth into one and the selfe same masse with him Neque id fide tantùm sed reipsa nos corpus suum efficit And that not only by fayth but he maketh vs his body indeed S. Cyril of Alexandria Christ dwelleth corporally in vs And a little after He is in vs non habitudine tantùm verùm etiam participatione naturali Not by relation only but by naturall participation also And in other places he affirmeth him to be naturally substantially carnally or according to the flesh vnited vnto vs. 10. As the promise was agreable to the performaÌ„ce the performance answerable to the promise so the practise â— Cor. cap 10. v. 1â— Iren. l. 5. cont haer c. 2. Note his wordes of the Apostles mentioned by S. Paul is correspondent to both The chalice of benediction which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ And the bread which we breake is it not the participation of the body of our Lord Wherupon S. Irenaeus inferreth That our bodyes are capable of incorruption by partaking of the body bloud of Christ not according to the spirituall and inuisible man but according to the true man who consisted of flesh bones and sinewes Againe S. Paul sayth â— Cor. 11. v. â—9 Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the Chalice of our Lord vnworthily shall be guilty of the body and bloud of our Lord. But how can we incurre this heinous guilt but only as Theodoret affirmeth By taking Christs holy body with vnclean Theod. vpon this place Cypr. serm de laps Chrys ho. de non contâ—m Eccle. hands and by putting it into a defiled and vnchast mouth By offering violence as S. Cyprian teacheth to his body and bloud Yea and villany as S. Chrysostome sayth to Christs owne Person Which cannot be verifyed by our Aduersaryes any more in this Sacrament then in Baptisme in which our Sauiour in their opinion is as much present as heer Let vs now conferre Moyses with Christ the Prophets with the Apostles
the shaddows with the truth and see whether any place sentence or sillable of holy Writ disaduantage our cause The bread and wine of Melchisedech Gen. 14. v. 18. Exod. 12. 16. Deuter. 8. the Pascall Lambe the Manna which God rayned from heauen were figures of this Sacrament as the ancient Fathers witnesse But what Were they figures of any other figure Were they shaddowes of a shaddow only Againe figures are as far inferiour to the thing figured as the Image or picture of the King to the King himselfe For which cause our Sauiour preferreth the Eucharist many degrees before Manna in the sixt of S. Iohn And yet such as make it a signe or resemblance do not preferre it but much debase it beneath the excellent food of Manna whereby the Iewes fed vpon Christ by fayth farre more daintily then the Protestants by their bare Communion of which the Prophesyes also make tooto honorable mention to accord with them 11. The Prophet Esay speaking in commendation of Esa 25. v. 6. this feast calleth it A banquet of fat things of fat things full of marrow of purified and refined wines Zachary tearmeth it The wheat of Gods elect the wine which springeth Virgins Malachy A cleane oblation Iacob The delight of King S Iohn Zach. 9. v. 17. Mala. 1. v. 11. Gen. 49. v. 20. Apoc. 2. v. 17. Psal 77. 110. 71. Hidden Manna Holy Dauid the bread of Angels the memory of Gods meruailous workes the stability or strength in earth vpon tops of Mountaines Now vpon what table did these blessed Prophets looke when they so highly praised this Celestial feast Did they commend the poore and beggarly supper of the Caluinists their Wheaten bread which hath no prerogatiue aboue the Iewish naked Elements their wine of grapes which may be fitlier tearmed wine in which lechery raigneth to vse Saint Pauls phrase then wine which springeth Virgins No no. They looked vpon ad Eph. 5. 18. this diuine and heauenly table of ours This this is that magnificall banquet that memorable Wheat those refined wines that cleane Oblation that bread of Angels those delights of Kings which worthily deserue such Our Reall Presence is manifestly gathered out of the Acts of the 1. Nicen out of the general Councell of Ephesus vo constat ex ep Cyr. ad Nestorium out of the Councell of Chalcedon art 3. admirable titles 12. I will not here speake of innumerable myracles of generall Councels of authenticall Histories of the Sibillian Oracles truely recorded in confirmation of this truth I only adde that the whole Lutheran sect vntil this day the whole Church of England in the time of King Henry euen after his reuolt in publicke Parlament decred the Reall Presence of Christs body in the Sacrament And now of late after the repealing of that and certaine other Articles after the vtter abolishment and manifold condemnation for many yeares of the former doctrine it is with great applause reuiued againe by the Bishop of Ely who writing of the Reall Presence in the holy Eucharist against Cardinall Bellarmine saith We agree with you concerning the obiect all the strife is about the manner And then We beleeue the Presence we beleeue I say the true Presence aswell as you concerning the manner of the Presence we do not vnaduisedly define Which priuate assertion of his Casaubon alloweth in his Maiesties name coÌ„fidently CasauboÌ„ in the answer to the Card. Peron to the first instance fol. 31. in English Moys Ha. com in Ps 36. Symeon l. qui inscribitur Reuelatio sâ—cretor Caha in Gen. c. 49. graceth with this publik approbation This is the fayth of the King this is the faith of the church of EnglaÌ„d which being so I might surcease my paines and spare the search of further proofes in a matter already confessed by the aduerse part 13. But I adde that the ancient Iewish Rabbins ratifie and confirme the same as Rabby Moyses Hadarsan Rabby Simeon Rabby Cahana whose words to let passe many others are these In the Sacrifice which shall be made of bread notwithstanding it be white as milke the substance shall be turned into the substance of the body of the Messias And there shal be in the sacrifice it self the substaÌ„ce of the bloud of the Messias red as wine There shal be also in the sacrifice the bloud flesh of the Messias both shal be in the bread because the body of the Messias cannot be diuided And then he assigneth another reason Because the flesh without the bloud and so againe the bloud without the flesh are dead things But the Body of the Messias after his Resurrection because it shall be glorified shall alwaies liue 14. Doctor Sparkes and sundry others of the learned Protestants vanquished with these euident and irreprouable Sparks in his answer to M. Iohn Albines pa. 108. 10â— 110. c. testimonies confesse the Reall presence of Christs body in the Eucharist but to the faith forsooth of the right Receiuer not to the mouth of euery Communicant D. Sparkes further boasteth That he learned of Christ of his Apostles of all the ancient writers of credit and account in the Church for 700. or 800. yeares togeather to denie our Reall Presence to the mouth of all Receiuers I wonder he blushed not to publish so vaine a bragge when Christ when the Apostles when all the famous writers as I haue already conuinced most manifestly teach the contrary when S. CypriaÌ„ saith speaking of the lapsed That they more offended our Lord with their hands and mouth who vnworthily receiue then Cyp. ser 5. de lap Aug. â—iâ— coÌ„ adu leg Proph. â—ap 9. when they denied him S. Augustine We receiue with a faithfull heart and mouth the Mediator of God and man Christ Iesus giuing vs his flesh to eate and bloud to drinke S. Leo This is taken with the mouth which is beleeued with faith S. Gregory What is the bloud of the Lambe now not by hearing but by drinking you haue learned which bloud is sprinckled vpon both posts Leo. ser â— de iâ—iu 7. menfis Greg. ho. 22. in euan Tertu l. de resur car cap. 8. Nyss ora cate c. 37. Cyril l. 10. in Io. c. 13. Chrys ho. 69. ad po Idem de Eu cha in En. caen Aug. in Ps 33. Cyr. Alex. li. 10. in Ioan. c. 23. when not onely with the mouth of the body but with the mouth of the heart it is drunke When Tertullian writeth That the flesh is fed with the body and bloud of Christ S. Gregory Nissen That the body of Christ is admitted into the bowels of maÌ„ S. Cyril That it is tempered mingled and ioyned with vs like other wax powred into melted wax S. Chrysostome That our hand deuideth his flesh and our tongue becommeth red with his tooto dreadfull bloud And in another place Imagine saith he that wholsome bloud to flow out of the diuine and vndefiled breast