wee must be vnited if wee will be saued she onely beinge infallable and secure in her doctrine For if she onely beareth the cognissance and inseperable marke of Christ his Church as hath bin demōstrated then necessarily to her only are agreable those prerogatiues which by holy writt are conferred and confirmed on Christ his Church to witt that she is the foundation and pillar of Truth 2. ad Tim. 3. That she hath the spirit of truth ever to abyde with her Pastors to teach her all truth Io. 14. c. and 16. c. That she is the spowse of Christ without wrinkle or blemish which he hath espoused to himselfe by à continuall assistance vnto the consummation of the world Eph. 5. And finally that she is the Church to whose Iugment in Controversies of Religion wee are to referre our selues and to whose determination without further appeale wee ought to obey vnder the penalty of beinge reputed Heathers and publicans Math. 28. Math. 18. Wherfore I thus resolue that seeinge the Romane Church is Christ his true Church if he hath any on earth as most certainly he hath and that in no age or season Christ his true Church can erre in matters of fayth I ame resolued I saye to receive for à verity of fayth that which the Romane Church hath or shall declare to be such and on the contrary reiect and disclayme from whatsoever doctrine she hath or shall disapproue or condemne as repugnant to Gods worde written or vnwritten Let then her Athistical aduersaries presse never soe much to receive nothinge but that which by their naturall reason they can be convinced of I ame prepared accordinge to the advice of the Apostle to Captiuite my vnderstandinge obsequiously to the mysteries of fayth as beinge supernaturall and transeendinge naturall reason And therfore will I rest in the Iudgment of the Church which is ever directed by à supernaturall Agent that teacheth her all Truth Hee that seeketh fayth seeketh not reasō Sayth Tertullian and Chrisologus Athens hath nothing to intermeddle with Hierusalem nor the Academy with the Church our schoole is the porch of Solomon which teacheth vs that wee must search for God with simplicity of Hart and not with frivolous curiositie of naturall reason what wronge doth the Creator to vs if he would haue vs beleiue more then wee are able to comprehend It is not for the iron to aske of the Adamant from whence those charmes and secret influences come wherwith he attracteth and captiuats him It is enough that he followe when God proposeth à verity to vs by the voyce and generall consent of the Church wee are not to appeale to humaine reason and to sence which haue winges tooshort to vndertake such à flight while one proceedeth in this Manner fayth wil be noe true fayth but à fantesy or opinion If S. Peter would not haue beleiued Christ to haue bin the sonne of God except naturall reason and carnall sence had convinced him therof Our Saviour had not pronounced Blessed art thou Simon Bariona for that fleshe and blood hath not revealed it vnto yow c. vpon this Rock will I build my Church For in the comprehension of the verities and the misteries of fayth It is the spirit that quickeneth and the fleshe profitteth nothinge as our blessed Saviour avoucheth against those which were incredulous that the bread which he would giue to eate was his fleshe for the liffe of the world For according to S. Gregoire Fides non habet meritum vbi ratio praebet experimentum and therefore blessed ore those who beleeue and doe not see viz by the evidence of natural reason or sense Lett also Heretickes obiect against any Article of our fayth any Texte of Scriptures perversly or malitiously interpretted and to theire owne perdition misvnderstood according to the dictamen of their owne private vnwarranted spiritt Lett them I saye with noe lesse pryde then madmes proclayme the Churches authority lyable to Error in declaringe what is truly Cōformable or repugnant to the worde I value not their erronious Iudgments knowinge full well that she is ever assisted by the spirit of all teachinge truth accordinge to the infallible promise of Christ and cānot teach any thinge repugnant to the worde of God noe more then God can teach contrary to himselfe who is her director And therfore whosoever harkenneth vnto her voyce that is to the generall Iudgment of the Pastors and teachers heareth the voyce and word of Christ soe that the worde of the Church is the worde of Christ Whence S. Augustin who dilligently observed this rule sayeth The truth of Scripture is holden by vs when wee doe that which know hath pleased the vniversall Church which the authority of the same Scripture doth commend that seeinge the Holy Scripture cannot deceive whosoever feareth to be deceived by the obscurity of this question lett him take Counsell therof from the Church which without any ambiguitie the Scriptures doth demonstrate And in another place he sayth it is most insolent madnes what she professes and practices to call in question Epist. 118. ad Ianuarium cap. 5. And why I pray is this most insolent madnesse to question what the Church professes and practiseth but because this in effect is to denie or dispute against the Canonicall Scriptures aknowledged on both sides For if in the aknowledged worde of God by most cleare testimonies the authority of Christ his Church is soe highly magnified as that she is styled the pillar and foundation of Truth the vnspotted Spouse without wrinkle his body his Lott his Inheritance and kingdome given him in this world in which he hath placed Apostles Doctors and Pastors to the Consummation of the Electe which Doctors are ever assisted by the spirit that teacheth them all truth and accompanied by our Saviour to the Consummation of the world who Comaunds vs to harken to his Spouse the Church Sub poena of beinge reputed Heathens or Publicans Tell me then is not this most insolent madnesse to call her profession and practice in question Note To be soe Antichristianly proud as to preferr our owne Iudgments and expositions of the worde before the Church which is directed by the Spirit of Truth Is not this in words to boast much of Scriptures and indeed not to follow them for if yow search the Scriptures that is profoundly and not superficiasly or malitiously consider them yow shall finde that the same are they that give testimony of her and how she is to be obeyed and as eagerly followed Wherfore to draw to à Conclusion seeinge the true Church of Christ which is but one cannot Erre in matters of Fayth and onely the Romane Church beareth the vnseperable marke of it To vse the Apostle S. Paules words From hence foward lett noe man trouble me for I beare the markes of my Lorde Iesus in my bodie ad Gal. 5. from hence forth let noe man goe about to molest my conscience for being incorporated in the bodie of
Protestant Religion And seeinge fayth is à fupernaturall guifte descendinge from the Father of Light and the goodnes of the Allmighty of his parte is such that he would haue all saved and forsaketh none that Cordially humbly and perseverantly seeke him It was daylye my earnest and humble petition to him soe to illumenate me that if I were in the right I might be Confirmed therin If not to state me in that Church which is the pillar and foundation of truth assureing my selfe that in such à disposition and resignation of my selfe into the hands of God I should never be confounded but secured accordinge to that of the Royall Prophet hee that dwelleth in the aide of the heighest shall abyde in the protectioÌ„ of the God of heaven And therfore freely excite vs with an Accedite ad Deum illuminamini facies vestrae non confundentur Psal. 33. v. 6. Now then to the eye of the matter amongst many other motiues which warrants my aversion from the Englishe Congregation to omitt the many absurdityes and daingerous Consequences of Protestants Iustification by fayth onely the impossibility of Gods Comaundements the blemishinge the best works with sinne their impious impugnation and hatred to Gods dearly beloved freinds the heavenly Saynts the negation of Frewill the neglect of the Sacrament of pennance and the penitentiall Acts vzt humble confession harty Contrition and effectuall satisfaction the fcoffinge at fasts Corporall mortifications and such lyke Doctrynes of theirs tendinge to vitious liberty of lyfe As allsoe the manifould deceipts falsifications and impostures Protestant wrighters doe practice to support their Religion of whom Sir Edwin Sandes an eminent man amongst Protestants In his relation of matters of Religion pronounceth these words The Protestant writers in relation of things haue abused this present age and preiudiced posteritye Loue and dislyke haue soe dazelled their eyes that they cannot be beleiued Agreeable to which is the Confession of that Learned and ingenious Protestant Zantius in his 10. Epist. to Strumus in the end of the 7. booke and 8. of his Missellans wher he vttereth these words of the proceedings of Protestante wrighters Doctors and pillars of the reformed Church The state of the question that it may not be vnderstood wee often with sett purpose ouerclowde with darknes Things which are manifest wee impudently denye Things false without shame wee auouch Things playeinly impyons wee propose as first principalls of fayth Things Orthodoxal wee condemne of harisye Scripture at our pleasure wee detort to our dreames c. To omitt I saye the prementioned motiues with many more which exceedingly averteth me from the Protestant Congregation the prime motiues which warrante my aversion from Protestants are for that not onely I haue ofen heard them averre that the Church of Christ might erre in matters of fayth and read their many testimonyes that it hadd erred made an vniversall Apostasye and that for à longe space Truth was vnknowne before that Martin Luther an Apostata both from the holy order of S. Augustins Eremitticall Fryers and the Catholique Church became à new Apostle to them whom they tearme à man sent from God to illuminate the world another Elias First Apostle of the pure refined Gospell The father of Protestants and reformer which restored the decayed Church of Christ to the primitiue Modell which is most blasphemous contrary to the predictions of the auncient Note Prophetts contrary to the promises made by God and Christ touchinge the perpetuall existence and assistance of his Church yea distructiue of Christ himselfe The new Testament The Creed of the Apostles and exceedingly strengthennige and advantaginge the perverse Sinagogue of the Iewes as here after in place convenyent I will further declare not onely I saye this which principally moveth me aboue all but allsoe that I finde in the 39. Articles of the publique Confession of the fayth and Religion of English Protestants that particuler Churches as namely Ierusalem Antioch c. might as well erre in matter of fayth as in livinge and Ceremonyes Now seeinge in reallitye the Englishe reformed Congregation is but à particuler Church not onely for place but for that it is never able to demonstrate that any other Congregation of men in the vniversall World eyther before Luther or since Luther ever had Communion with them in the 39. Articles which is the propper essence of our Englisse Protestant Religion Note Howbeit by the way I doe graÌ„t that as ther are many falsityes howsoever different compared to each other yet all are against one truth Soe lykewise all Sects that formerly were and now are as Protestants Anabaptists Puritanes Brownists Sacramentaryes Hugonotes Arminians Gomorists Sosinians Semilutherans c. howsoever they iarr and impugne one another in many and werghty controuersies of fayth as appeare by their innumerable bookes eagerly writt against one another yet in this one thinge they accord by Common vnion or rather Conspire to witt against the Roman Church which clerely discovereth it to be the true Church of Christ were all Catholiques silent in her behalfe If then the English Congregation be but à particular Church For that it wants Communion with the Christian World in the 39. Articles of their Religion consequently by her owne acknowledgment shee may erre in matters of fayth Which beinge soe what infallable assurance generally I pray yow can the meÌ„bers of such à Church haue for their salvation Seeinge accordinge to the testimony of holy witt It is impossible to please God without fayth wzâ—t orthodoxall much lesse to inioy him Beinge then that the Certaynety of the salvation of the Churches members necessarily dependes on the Certaynty of à true fayth without which they cannot please God noe members that really tenders their soules salvation can with à secure Conscience followe or haue Communion with such à Church which by her owne confession is lyable to erre in fayth which is further thus demonstrated For eyther such à one followeth his whole Churches authority and doctrine or he dissents from it If he follow his Church and generall doctrine of his Pastors and teachers then hath he noe certaynty or securitie seeinge she is subiect to erre in matters of fayth accordnge to his owne Confession If he dissents from her then is he more perplexed and endaingered for if his whole Church be lyable to erre in matters of fayth how much more any private member therof and indeed it were intollerable pride for any inferior member to arrogate without showinge anye Divyne warrant such à privilidge of not erringe in fayth which his whole Church as he supposed accordinge to his owne confession doth not participate Now to come to the pretended foundation of Protestant Religion which is vsually to all other heretickes the more colorably to disguise their errors imitatinge the Divells transformation into an Angell of light and vsurpation of That it is written I meane the Byble which they soe much appeale too though with as little
out of the Apostle S. Paul A text for its Clearnes able to Comment its Comment to witt that Christ hath placed in his Church Pastors and Doctors to the Consummation of Saints till wee all meet in the vnitie of the fayth That is as Doctor Fulke à ProtestaÌ„t divine expounds for ever Calvin himselfe expowndinge it thus Concluds in these words The Church cannot at any tyme want Postors and Doctors Now that these Pastors and Doctors must not at any tyme in their office and dutyes be sylent It is not onely witnessed by the Holy Ghost I saye 62. but allsoe besydes the nature of their function requiringe it acknowledged by Protestants And therfore Doctor Fulke sayth well Truth cannot be continued in the world but by the Ministry of the Pastors and Doctors In lyke sort touchinge the administration of the Sacraments the same is more particulerly evicted from the cleare words of our Saviour and S. Paul seinge by the help of them wee shall Shew the Lords death till he come 1. Cor. 11. A point soe evydent that it lyeth out of the way of all contradiction And therfore Willett à Protestante in playne words mayntaineh that the absence of the Sacraments makes à nullity of the Church And againe in Doctor Whittakres phrase That The administration of the word and Sacraments being present Constitute à Church beinge absent doe subuert it And againe as the some Doctor styleth them they are Ecclesiae essentiales proprietates Thus doth Protestants ioyntly with Catholiques teach that not at same tymes onely the Church of Christ beinge his insepable and immaculate Spouse with whom he isto the Consummation of the world is to enioy Pastors and Doctors for the vse of the word and Sacraments at other tymes to be wholly destitute of them ague lyke havinge their accesses and remissions but that at all tymes and in all ages in all seasons the Church without any interruption is to Continew in his full Orbe by ever inioyinge the aforesayd meanes of salvation Hence it is that the Fathers to confound hereticall congregations presse heretickes to shew their contynuall succession of Pastors and professors of their doctrine because if they go to scriptures interpretating it according to their owne iudgement there can be noe determination or end Thus S. Ireneus confounded Valentinus Cedron and Marcion By this ordynation of succession sayth he the tradition which is from the Apostles received into the Church and the publishinge of fayth hath come even vnto vs wee beinge able to shew wee put all those to confusion that through vayne glory ond ignorance broach new doctrines in the Church l. 3. c. 3. 4. 5. For none of these Heretickes can deryue their succession from the Apostles nor shew how their doctrine was received by tradition from thence Thus Turtullian de praes. c. 11. confoundeth Valétinus Apelleus and other heretickes Lett them publishe the Origens of their Church sayth hee let them vnfould the order of their Bishopps soe proceedinge by successions from the begininge so that the first Bishopps haue predecessors some Apostle or Apostolicall man perseveringe with the Apostles in that manner they produce the sence of the Apostolicall Church In this sort doth S. Cyprian confound Novatian because he cannot proue his suâ—cession accordinge to Apostolicall tradition Novatian sayth he l. 1. Ep. 7. is neyther Bishopp nor member of the Church who Contemninge Evangelicall and Apostolicall tradition succeeding noe man is ordayned of himselfe Thus doth S. Augustin l. 2. cont. Retil c. 51. confound the Donatists and Sectaryes of his tyme Number sayth he Your Preists even from the seate of Peter and observe that order of fathers who succeeded one another and the Successions of Bishopps was one thinge amongst others that kept the same S. Augustin gloryous Doctor of the Church from departinge out of the bosome of the Catholique Church for thus he sayth in his Epistle to the Manicheans Many things most iustly retayneinge me in the bosome of the Church the succession of Preists from Peters seate to this present Bishopp keepes me in the Church the name Catholique keepes me c. Fynally hence it is that S. Ierome thus Counselleth In that Church wee ought to abyde which founded by the Apostles to this very day lasteth yea such an evydent veritie it is that Christ true Church shall never want at any tyme Professors and members therof as that it extorts this testimony from her aduersarie D. Whitakre Not without great ioy of mynde wee doe beleive that Christ Church hitherto hath endured neyther shall it perish soe longe as the world stands and the Contrary opinion wee esteeme as à prophane heresie From this established foundation is erected this discourse for my purpose Note The true Church of Christ which is but one shall in all ages ever inioye à succession of Pastors and Doctors for the administration of the worde and Sacraments Therfore the true Church of Christ hath ever remayned without interruption of such Pastors and Teachers from the Apostles tyme even vntill this daye But noe Church extant in the world can be assigned to haue remayned without interruption of Pastors for the administration of the worde and Sacraments saue only the Roman Church Therfore irrefragablie it followeth that the Roman Church only and those which haue CoÌ„munyon of fayth with her to be the only true Church of Christ or else which is most absurde and Blasphemous that Christ hath noe Church vpon earth but that the gates of hell to her destruction hath prevayled against her contrary to Christ promyse That there is noe Christian Church extant but the Roman Church that hath withont interruption in all ages enioyed both Pastors and Doctors is esilie demonstrated for neyther the Protestant Church nor the Iewes nor the Arians Donatists Manicheans Pelagians Wicklefians Graecians Mahometans or any other Church can be assigned but the Roman Therfore c. First concerninge the Protestant Church it is but new and began from Luther from whence it is called Lutheran and reformed which is manifest by the restimonies of the learned Protestants and Luther himselfe which I will here inserte Let then first their ChamppoÌ„ of the Englishe Church Iuell speake in the first place he in his Apologie of the Church of EnglaÌ„d in the fowerth parte and fowerth Chapter And in his defence of the Apologie Anno 1571 pag. 426. Truth sayth he was vnknowne all that tyme and vnheard of when Martin Luther and Vldericke Zwinglius first came into the knowledge and preachinge of the Gospell M. Perkins sayth in the exposition of the Creed and in his Reformed Catholicke Wee affirme sayth he that before Luthers dayes for many hundred yeares our Church was not visible to the world an vniversall Apostasie over spredinge the whole face of the earth In soe much as Bucer in his epistle to the Bishopp of Hereford calls Luther The first Apostle of the reformed Gospell whose vocation sayth Conradus Sohlussburg by reason of the