the euill are constrayned to deliuer true things for they aâ—â— Fox actes monuments pag. 999. 464. 1401. 1436. 1286. The Puritans in their discouery in a sermon preached 1588. by Bancroft pag. 34. The Protestants Apology tract 3. sect 7. n. 68. not their owne things which they deliuer but Gods who hath placâ—â— the doctrine of verity in the chayer of vnity We want not heerin the suffrages of Protestants of Foxe himselfe and sundry of his Martyrs of M. Bancroft late Bishop of Canterbury the Puritans not forbearing to carpe and reprehend him for it and of others mentioned in the Protestantâ— Apology for the Roman Church which in euery Chapter so victoriously triumpheth ouer our Reformers innouation by the irrefragable testimonyes of Reformers themselues as M. Morton astonished with the euidence brought against him was suddainly beaten backe from his rash attempt which he neuer since had the hart to prosecute or any other presumeth to take pen in hand to answere that excellent and euer vnanswerable worke 7. The reasons which perswade the infallibility of the Church are sundry and they most forcible For what could moue any Infidell or Atheist to forsake his errours and come vnto the Church if that might also beguile him with errour what meanes had we to condemne an Heretike or disproue his errours if the Church might erre Diuers reasons which coÌ„uince the infallibility of the Church in disprouing of them How should we know where to rest whome to consult in doubts of fayth if the highest Iudges might iudge amisse What assurance haue we of our beliefe religion scripture sacraments of Christ himselfe and all other articles of fayth if the Church which teacheth them might erre in teaching The same inconueniences the same confusion would ensue supposing it If the Church could erre fayth it selfe all things els were vncertayne were limited not to erre only in fundamentall points necessary to saluation For then the vnconstant and wauering Christian might still cast as many doubtes whether the thinges defined where fundamentall or not Whether necessary or not necessary to saluation Then the people might call their Pastours doctrine and definition in question they might examine whether the arâ—â—cles deliuered be substantiall and such wherein their â—â—eachers be freed from errour or no Then new schisms â—â—d contentions would dayly breake forth all things â—ill remaine vncertaine 8. To prosecute a little further one of these reasons For â—t were too much to enlarge them all The tradition or â—estimony of our Church in deliuering the whole canon of scripturs vpon whose authority also most Protestants receaue it of what account do you make it If fallible the An argument vnanswerable fayth you gather from thence the Religion you ground thereon must likewise be fallible vncertayne and no way autenticall For the truth gleaned from the scripturs cannot be more sure then the Scriptures themselues from which it is gathered If infallible You grant what we require For the promises of God the assistance of the holy Ghost which warranteth the testimony of our Church to be of inuiolable authority in this point being generall and without restriction must warrant it also in The same promises of God which assure the Churches infallibility in one thing assure it in all all other traditions interpretations doctrines whatsoeuer and so you that forsake her sentence renounce her definitions renounce the Oracles of truth and decrees vndeceiuable or els shew what exception what limitation the holy Ghost hath made where he restrayned her priuiledge of infalibility to that particuler more then to other articles of our beliefe This is a Gordian knot which breake you may vnty you cannot For suppose you should reply as a Protestant once answered me that it appertayned vnto the prouidence of God to keep safe his holy writ and challenge it from corruption I would further inquire of you whether God hath greater care of the letter or sense of the inward kernell or outward rine of the bone or marrow of his word Of the marrow no doubt Then he preserued that more safe in the harts of his faythfull then the other in the rolles of paper and so as you take the barke and outward letter from the tradition of our Church much more ought you to borrow from her the true sense and sap and heauenly iuyce Finally to what end do Protestants striue so much ProtestaÌ„ts according to their owne groundes haue neither any fayth or religion for the Churches erring but only to depriue themselues therby of Church faith religion For wheras neither religion nor Church can staÌ„d without supernatural faith nor supernaturall faith be atteyned without infallible certeinty of the thinges beleeued if their preachers their Ministers their Church be not vndoubtedly fenced from all daunger of errour the articles they beleeue haue not that inerrable warrant which is necessary to faith Faith saith S. Bernard hath nothing ambiguous or doubtfull if it hath any thing ambiguous it cannot be faith Whereupon it is defined Heb. 11. v. 1. Aug. l. 13. de Trinit c. 10. tract 79. in loan Chrysost in bunc locuÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in explicat psal 115. Chrysost in hunc locuÌ„ Dyonil c. 7. de diuin nom by the Apostle to be the substance c. the argument of thinges not appearing that is a demonstration or conuiction by which our vnderstanding is acerteyned conuineed of the truth or as the greek importeth it is the basis grounde or foundation firme sure stedfast imoueable either of the hoped reuealed verities as S. Basil with S. Iohn Chrysostome indgeth or of them that hope beleeue fastning them in the truth the truth in them according to S. Denis S. Augustine from whence the comon schoole of diuines gather this principle that faith cannot be subiect to falsity no nor to any feare or suspition therof This infallible ground of assurance Protestants haue not beleeuing only vpon the credit of their Church which may beguile them Therefore howsoeuer they bragge of their all-sauing faith not any faith haue they or Church or religion at all August tract 7â— in loan Fidei non potest subesse falsum 9. Heer my aduersaryes cauill with vs that they haue as much fayth as we who rely vpon the definitions of our Popes and Prelates for they are men and euery man is a lyer as the scripture reporteth I answere our supreme Bishops are by nature men by infirmity subiect to lyes deceits yet as they are by faith Christians by inward vnction heyres of heauen so they are by Pastorall authority gouernors of the church officers of God organs of the holy ghost by whose perpetual assistaÌ„ce they caÌ„not erre they cannot in their publique decrees or generall assemblyes deliuer vnto the faithfull what is subiect to vncerteinty because that which they speake Christ speaketh in them that which they deliuer the spirit
CHAP. IX In which it is proued that no Sectary can be saued by beleeuing the chief heads of Religion IN the hartes of such as reuolte from truth there breedeth like a canker this cloaked Atheisme that it importeth little of what religion a man be of so he acknowledge one God receaue the Apostles Creed and beleeue to be saued by the merits of Christ An Atheisme I call it because it secretly tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of all Christian fayth due worship of God The gainsaying of any one article disposeth to a plaine Apostacy denyal of all articles of fayth For as the taking away of a few stones by little and little disposeth to the ruine of a stately building so the remouall or not admittance of some points of fayth most dangerously maketh way to the denyall of all after which manner I shall demonstrate by by how that he which gaynesayth the least article of fayth hath quite lost hiâ— fayth without which it is impossible to please God But first I will begin with some other arguments 2. According to this Atheistical opinion that euery one may be saued in his owne sect the Pelagians Nouatians Donatists Eutichians Monothelites and sundry other plagues of the Church who imbraced the Trinity Incarnation Passion of Christ c. might be put in some hope of future happynes which no Christian I thinke will now confesse Likewise those sectaryes who after the definition of the Church maintayned S. Cyprians and other holy Bishops errour of rebaptization consorted with Catholiks in all other points of beliefe notwithstanding for that alone they were accounted heretikes and so depriued of the benefit of life Of whome Vincen. Lirinensis Vincen. adu prof haeret nouit maketh this exclamation O admirable change of thinges the Authors of one and the same opinion are esteemed Catholiks and their followers are iudged Heretikes Because they without breach of peace before the decree of the Church these after with proud stubbornes presumed to defend it 3. The Quartdecimani who liued about the yeare 186. beleeued all the substantiall heades of faith They beleeued whatsoeuer was publiquely taught receaued in the primitiue Church but only one particuler thing as it should seeme of small importance concerning the celebration of Euseb l. 5. c. 22. Nicep l. 4. cap. 39. the Feast of Easter whether it should be celebrated on the fourteenth Moone then the fast of Lent cease vpon whatsoeuer day it fell or vpon a Sunday according to the generall custome of Christians And yet for this only point they are enrolled in the catalogue of heretikes excluded here from the banquet of the Church supper of the lambe hereafter For S. Austine in his booke of heresyes Aug. haer 29. Epiphan 50. Hier. dial aâ—â—er Lucifer c. 1. Haereticos quoscumque christianos non esse Tit. 3. v. 10. rehearsing them by another name sundry more among whom many beleeued all the forenamed principles of religion he notwithstanding coÌ„cludeth of them the like other heresys besides these may be any one of which whosoeuer shall hold cannot be a Christian catholik S. Ierome presupposeth this as a certeine ground Heretikes whatsoeuer cannot be Christians bargayneth with his colloquutor to speake of an heretique as of a gentile S. Paul chargeth vs to shun the company of euery heretique in what point soeuer he runneth astray saying A man that is an heretique after the first second admonition auoyde knowing that he that is such a one is subuerted sinneth being condemned by his owne iudgment And he casteth all Gal. 5. v. 20. 21. sectaryes with fornicatours murderers and drunkards out of the kingdome of heauen 4. Moreouer the Donatists disagreed from the Catholique Church in a matter not specifyed in the Creed no nor expresly mentioned as S. Augustine auoweth in holy writ This sayth he neither you nor I do read in expresse wordes Aug. l. de vnit Eccl. c. 19. Aug. l. 1. cont Cres c. 33. Lib. 11. de baptis con Donat. c. 4. l. 5. cap. â—4 And in another place Although no example of this matter be found in holy scriptures yet doe we follow in this the truth of the scriptures when we do that which is agreeable to the vniuersall Church commended vnto vs by the authority of the same scripture Likewise The Apostles haue commaunded nothing concerning this matter But the custome which was alleadged against S. Cyprian is to be thought to haue descended from their tradition as diuers other things haue done which the vniuersall Church doth obserue are therefore with great reason beleeued to haue beene commaunded by the Apostles although they be not written So that the Donatistes alteration was about aâ— vnwritten verity They inuocated one God as S. Augustine affirmeth with him they beleeued in the same Christ Augu. in explicatione psal 54. they had the same gospell sung the like psalmes c. they agreed which him in baptisme in keeping the feasts of martyrs in celebrating of Easter In these sayth he they were with me yet not altogether with me in schisme not with me The belief of the Trinity other chiefe articles auayled not the Donatists because they denyed som vnwritten traditioÌ„s in heresy not with me in many thinges with me in a sew not with me these few in which not with me the many could not help them in which they were with me Behold the Donatists could not be holpen they could not receaue any benefit or fruit from God by beleeuing the Trinity the mediatioÌ„ of Christ the Creed the sacramentes the rest because they dissented from the Church in some few traditions not recorded in scripture can our sectaryes looke to enioy the treasures of life denying both vnwritten traditions diuers other articles cleerely expressed in holy writ as I haue proued in the two former partes of this treatise 5. Besides although the beleefe in God in Christ in the articles of the Creed were sufficient to saluation yet this beleefe ought to be one the same in all the faithfull for truth is one vniforme and constant falshood â—arious discordant chaungable But diuers sectes diâ—ersly vnderstand these heades of religion Therefore they â—â—nnot all haue the true vniforme and sauing faith To instance in the dissention of ProtestaÌ„ts from vs. They beleeue that their God doth truly purpose determine and The Protestants beliefe in God is not the same with the true beliefe of Catholikâ— â—o operate vnto sinne yet as a righteous Iudge not as an euill â—â—tâ—ur We beleeue that our true God no way at all with no right intention can concurre thereunto They beleeue a dissembling God with a twofold will one reuealed and detesting the other secret intending sinne We teach that our God hath but one will which wholy disliketh â—â— hateth sinne They beleeue a God so weake or vnmerâ—â—full as there be some sinnes he will
opening the window as VVhite imagineth deliuer vs this ligot but he termeth them the candles themselues lights of the world VVhite in the place before cited Matt. 5. v. 14. VVhite as before which guide enlighten vs in the heauenly path of true beleefe Wherefore if a light vpon a watch tower in the darcke night may according to White be the only marke whereby to find the tower the doctours Pastours of Christ which our Sauiour auoucheth to be his glorious lights shining in the darke night of this world must by Whites owne allusion be the only marks to find out the faith of Christ They to whome Cornelius to whome S. Paul called from heauen to whome all the ignorant are perpetuall sent by the voyce of God to learne the truth of his doctrine Act. 10. v 5. 6. Act. 9. v. 7. 17. way of his commaundements 6. Fourthly either the sincere preaching of the word in some particuler points is sufficient to descry the Church or it is necessary it be sincere in all pointes of faith both VVhitaker VVhite agree that it must be sincere in al fundameÌ„tal VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. cap. 17. VVhite in his way to the true Church §. points necessary to saluatioÌ„ because diuers heretical conuenticles haue the sincere preaching in some particulers either of Trinity Incarnation Passion or ResurectioÌ„ of Christ yet that sufficeth not therefore it ought to be sincere in all But how shall the ignorant be assured what Church it is which is pure in all these articles who doe not vnderstand the articles themselues neither which be fundamentall nor how many nor wherein the chief foundation of euery article consisteth as necessary to saluation How shall they for example be certeinly perswaded whether the Protestant sect syncerely teacheth the article of imputatiue iustice of originall sinne of predestination of many such in which diuerse learned men haue fowly erred strayed from the truth They I say who cannot examine these pointes by the analogie of holy writ or if they can are not able to iudge of the verity of such deep vnsearchable misteries what course shall they take beleeue their ministers who confesse they may deceaue them beleeue their priuat spirit who haue no meanes in this case to make triall of it whether it accord or disagree from the rule of faith M. Field hath set downe a prudent course which if his owne followers would now embrace we might ioyne handes Field in his epistle dedicatory before his first book tâ—gether concerning this point Seeing the coÌ„trouersies of religioÌ„ in our time are growne in number so many in nature so intricat that few haue time leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them what remayneth for men desirous of satisfaction in thinges of such consequence but diligently to search out which amongst Iren. l. 3. c. 3. 4. Lact. l. 4. diuin insti cap. vlt. Ambr. ep 32. ad Imper ValeÌ„t Aug. de vtilit credend c. 37. VVhite in his way to the church §. 26. fol. 119. Augu. in psal 57. all the societies of men in the world is that blessed company of holy ones that houshold of faith that spouse of Christ Church of the liuing God which is the pillar ground of truth that so they may embrace her communion follow her directions and rest in her iudgment Hither to he I might produce the words of S. Irenaeus Lactantius S. Ambrose and S. Augustine who exhorte vs also to repaire to the Catholique Church to beleeue her to set vp our rest in her and from her Maisters and teachers to learne the truth 7. But VVhite obiecteth the authority of the same S. Augustine seeming to teach the contrary when he sayeth By the face of truth I knâ—w Christ the truth it self By the face of truth I know the Church pertaker of the truth So he perfidiously translateth S. Austines words detorteth his meaning from the scope of his discourse For S. Augustine disputing against them who confined the Church within the borders of Africa proueth out of the holy Scriptures out of the word of God and authour of truth that it is vniuersally spread ouer all the earth After this he inferreth out of the mouth of truth not as he treacherously englisheth it by the face of truth I know Christ the truth it self out of the mouth of truth I know the White falsly traÌ„slateth S. Augustins wordes Church pertaker of the truth that is as by the cleere testimonyes of the word of God I know Christ the truth it self so by the like cleere testimonyes do I know the vniuersality of the thurch partaker of the truth which the donatistes denyed This one property of the Church he learned from the mouth of truth not the true Church it selfe from the pure preaching of the word in all necessary points of faith as White misconstrueth his meaning For S. Augustine expresly teacheth some few leaues after that Christ himself the foundation and ground of all consequently his Incarnation his death Passion cannot Christum ignoret necesse est qui Ecclesiam eius nescit in qua sola cognosi potest Aug. in psal 69. be known but by the Church It is necessary saith he he be ignorant of Christ who is ignorant of his Church in which only he may be knowne Therefore the notice of the Church leadeth vs to the knowledge of Christ and not e contra especially seeing we cannot rightly spell the words and tel the sense of scripture nor know that scriptures are nor vnderstand and beleeue what is signifyed by the name of Christ vnles we were first instructed by the Church 8. Lastly if before we come to the knowledge of the Church we must learne her faith why do wee after seeke to the Church when we haue already obteyned the treasure of truth for which we sought vnto her if before we geue credit to the Church we must examine her doctrine whether it be true or false if before we accept her interpretation of scripture we must try whether it agree with the sense and connexion of the self same scripture if after such collation and diligent conference we may lawfully renounce or follow the Church whereinsoeuer we deeme it sutable or disagreeable to the written word we must be examiners and iudges both of the Church and Scripture priuate men must censure publique vnlearned sheep controle their Pastours the â—reatest and a city confusion and absurdity that can be imagined VVhite in his way to the church §. 30. fol. 127. which yet is nothing the lesse by VVhites colouring of it and saying that They examine and iudge not by their owne priuate humours but by the publike word of God which in the Scripture speaketh Or as he sayth in another place By the spirit of God in the scripture because his spirit his publike Idem § 27 fol. 116. word speaking in the Scripture
approued miracles historyes prescriptions so many infallible traditions testimonyes of truth they betake theÌ„selues to the Scriptures alone to the maine Ocean of Propheticall and Apostolical writings without carde to direct them or pilot to guide them in that sea of difficulties They looke into few thinges when rowing there they passe ouer innumerable euident texts which make against them and take hold of some one which carryeth a little shew and semblance of countenauncing their fancyes For example they once read in S. Matthew The Lord thy God shalt thou adore and Matt. c. 4. v. 10. him only shalt thou serue And without further consideration of what homage he speaketh they peremptorily condemne all religious worship and adoration of Angells of Saints of their tombes reliques so often intimated in other places They once read in S. Iohn It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing and thereupon they depriue their owne soules of the inestimable profit of Christs viuificall Ioan. 6. v. 63. and reall flesh in the sacrament of the Altar notwithstanding it be constantly auouched by the Apostle by S. Iohn all the rest of the Euangelists They once read That Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes That he paid for vs a full and perfect ransom 1. Ioan. 2. v. 2. and they deny all Canonicall or voluntary satisfactions all workes of pennance or expiations of sinne to which the Holy Ghost very often most earnestlâ— exhorteth vs. The like vnaduised and precipitate rashnes I might note in all other articles in which they swarue from vs but it shall be inough to specify it further in their chiefest article of iustification Hosius l. 1. de haeresibus nostri temporis citatur apud Prateolum verb. lustificatorij Gen. â—5 ad Rom. 4. Rom. 5. v. 19. wherein they are so headlong as no sooner do they find any one word sounding to their purpose but they obstinatly cleaue sticke fast vnto it For one Protestant readeth as Hosius diligently pursueth this matter Abraham belieued and it was reputed vnto him for iustice And thence he gathereth his imputatiue iustice by only faith Another readeth we are iustified by his blood he inferreth that the pretious bloud of Christe is our iustice Another readeth As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so also by the obedience of one many shall be made iust he faineth Christs obedience to be the garment of our iustice Another readeth he rose for our iustification and he Rom. 4. v. 25. accounteth Christs resurrection our heauenly vesture Another readeth The holy Ghost shall argue the world of iustice because I goe vnto my Father and he Ioan. 16. v. 8. 9. straight way affirmeth Christs passage to his Father to be our robe of righteousnes Thus they deuise aboue Prateolus in elencho verbo lustificatorij twenty seuerall opinions of that one substantiall point of Iustification alone Againe they looke into few thinges not only in adhering but chiefly in expounding such particuler passages as they first light vpon for neglecting the publique spirit voyce of God which speaketh in his Church neglecting the generall tribunall and consistory of the world they hearken only to the outward letter and to the priuate spirit which resideth in themselues by them only they interprete and by them only they will be tryed whether their interpretatioÌ„ be good or no. As if a theefe accused of felony would deliuer his owne tale as he frameth it ProtestaÌ„ts are fitly compared to the guilty person who admitteth no triall but his owne and admit no examination of witnesses no tryall of iury or sentence of iudge no former presidents or decisions of like case but his owne information voyce of his Soueraigne diuulged in his law which he maketh to sound as himselfe liketh best were not this to stop his eares against all testimonies but his owne to refuse all triall or iudgment which he himselfe being guilty doth not pronounce and yet such is our aduersaryes dealing They expound Scripturs as their secret spirit in wardly perswadeth them and they will trye their spirit by no other touchstone then by the publique word of God interpreted by themselues We appeale to the iudgment of the present Catholik Church they contemne her sentence we ascend to our Ancestours that haue gone before vs they cut off at one clappe the vsage practise and prescription of a thousand yeares space we repaire to the Doctors Fathers of the primitiue Church to the generall Councels and their authenticall decrees to the very sentences of Scripture explayned by them they regard them not any further then they agree in their opinion with the word of God At last we sommon them to their owne Court we presse them with the authority of Protestant writers they answere they were men they might erre no man is bound D. VVhit defens tractat 3. c. 7. to follow them any further then they follow the truth And so these new Reformers will iudge alone what is truth and who are followers and imbracers of it The common shift of Protestants in answering their own writers alleadged against theÌ„ They looke into few things when challenging at least in outward shew one or two they despise all other Sacraments of God ancient ceremonyes of the Church When pleading for fayth alone they gayne say the valew of workes and supernaturall dignity of infinite vertues When scandalized at the licentiousnes of some dissolute liuers in the Catholik Church they admire not the heriocall acts and resplendent sanctity of so many zealous Prelates deuout Priestes Religious Friers Monkes Nunnes and whole armies of Saints which flourish therein When dismayed with the faygned impossibility of keeping Gods Commandements they lift not vp their eyes to his Euangelicall Counsels and workes of supererogation When dazeled with the Sunne of Christs glorious morits they see not the beames of light and aboundant merits he deriueth vnto vs. They see not the efficacy of his sacraments the dowryes of his grace the full indulgence and remission of our sinnes the inherent beauty and splendour of iustice by which he garnisheth vpon earth the soules of his seruants They looke into few thinges in perusing the ancient Fathers When reading in S. Augustine for example That he is a miracle who seeketh for miracles August l. 22. de c uit Dei cap. 8. to belieue they conclude thereupon that all miracles haue ceased not weighing the occasion of S. Augustines wordes not attending to the miracles which in the same Chapter he mentioneth to haue beene S. Ciprian serm de lapsis post medium S. Gregor Nazian in laudem Cypriani Demonum profligationem morborum dâ—pulsionem futuram rerum praescientiam quae quidem omniuÌ„ vel â—ineres ipsi Cypriani modò fides adsit efficiunt Vide etiam illum in funere patris Chrysost l. cont Gentiles Quotidiana â— Martiribus miracula eduntur Hieron
what is this field in which the cockle groweth with the wheate the reprobate with the elect â—ut the visible Church of Christ In which visible pastors shall plante water sow the seed of heauenly doctrine visible flocke shall increase fructify by in ward faith outward profession outward obedience outward subordination and comunication of sacramentes vntill the end of all thinges notwithstanding if any here expound with the Donatistes the Field for the world not for the Church I answere him with S. Augustine The world is named put for the Church because the Aug. post collat c. 6. cap. 8. church is foreshewed that it shal be dispersed throughout the worlde which he proueth by these euident textes of holy scripture God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself who truly quoth he recoÌ„ciled not any but his Church vnto him And then The sonne of man came not to iudge the worlde but 2. Cor 5. v. 19. Ioan. 3. v. 17. that the world might be saued by him howbeir he saued none but the faithful of his Church Therfore by the world his Church is vnderstood 3. I hope you will not cauill againe That although the seed be visibly sowed in all the world yet it shall not visibly so continue Yf you do the voyce of our Sauiour cryeth against you That it shall grow vnto the haruest which cannot be without the visible ministry of pastors submission of people without the visible preaching conuerting of natious Likewise S. Augustine beateth back this obiection made by the Donatistes both by this very place of S. Matthew by that of S. Paule to the Collossians The truth of the gospell is in the whole world and fructifyeth and groweth euen as in you alleaging Coloss 1. v. 5. â— these passages especially the former disputeth thus VVhat new doctrine doe you preach vnto vs VVhat is the good seed Aug. de vnit Eccl. c. 17. to be sowed againe whereas since it was first sowed it increaseth vntill the haruest if you say it hath perished in those places wherein it was first sowed by the Apostles and therefore ought to be sowed againe out of Affrike out of Germany by Luther out of The like he hath de vnitat Eccles cap. 15. France by Caluin read vs this out of Gods diuine oracles which truly you cannot read vnles you first conuince that to be false which is written the seed there sowen increaseth and fructifieth euen vntill the haruest Eusebius Caesariensis Cyrillus Alexandrinus S. Ambrose S. Ierome confirme the same in most plaine termes but none better then my forenamed S. Augustine De vnit Eccl. c. 25. Euseb Cesar de Demon. Euan. l. 4. c. 9. Cyril Alex. l. 5. in Isa c. 54. Amb. l. 4. HexaÌ„ c. 2. Ierom. in c. 4. Isa Aug. in psal 101. conc 2. Aug. ibid. Augu. in eundem psaâ—m who in another place exclayming against the former cauillation of our Reformers prosecuteth it thus The Church which was of all nations now is not it hath perished this they say who are not in it O impudent speach she is not because thou art not in her Beware therefore least thou art not For she shal be although thou be not This abhominable and detestable speach full of presumption falsity vnder propped with no truth enlightned with no wisedome seasoned with no salt vaine temerarious rash pernicious the spirit of God foresaw disproueth according to him by many testimoÌ„ies of scripture by which he witnesseth the continuance of the Church in the vniuersall world vntill the consummation of all things wherupon he concludeth VVhat is this thou sayest the Church to haue perished out of all nations when as to this end the gospell is preached that it may be in all nations Therfore euen to the end of the world the Church is in all nations this is the shortnes of her dayes Which he auoucheth not of the inuisible but of that visible Church in which Emperours promulgate lawes against heretikes oâ— that Augu. de vnit Eccl. c. 25. non aliqua terrarum parte sed vbique notissima est church which assembleth people into one of that which draweth kingdoms to serue our Lord of that which preacheth the ghospell in the whole world in testimony of al natioÌ„s of that which not in any part of the earth but euery wher is most known of that which is so huge a mountain as it spreâ—eth it self ouer all the earth they are blind who do not see so great a mountain who shut their eyes against a candle placed vpon a caÌ„dlestik Of that wherof he writeth how wilt thou beleeue Christ whom August tom 9. in ep Ioan. Tract 1. 2. item epist 166. thou seest not if thou beleeue not the Church which thou seest 4. But let this sauage fiction take place that the visible society of Gods children hath perished the kingdome of Christ hath beene ouerthrowne as Caluin doteth religion abolished the Church destroyed and all hope of saluation vtterly extinguished Let it be that all the fountaines of Gods word Calu. in resp ad Sadol haue beene stopped the diuine light wholly put out in so much as no sparke there of hath remayned From whence then I pray did â—â—otestantes receaue the light of their gospell By whome The Apology of the Church of England f. 4. 5. 6. Were they instructed in faith fed with the milke nourished with the food of celestiall doctrine by scriptures But fayth is by hearing neither do the Scriptures expound themselues or expresse the meaning of their hidden misteryes but euery where sendes vs to our pastours and teachers to heare from their mouthes sucke from their lippes the streames of life yea Caluin himself sayth Because sayth is by hearing there wil be no sayth vnles there be some Cal. in 1. ad Tim. 3. v. 15. that preach Who preached then to Luther Who to Zuinglius Or to any other Protestant when he first began How crept they into the world Children without parents Schollers without Maisters With this argument S. Augustine triuÌ„phed against the Donatists If the Church was not c. From whence is Donatus or Luther come vnto vs Out of what soyle is he sprung Out of what sea hath he peept From what Augu. l. 3. de Bapt. cont Don. c. 2. Lib. 3. c. 2. cont epist Parm. heauen is he fallen Againe VVhy do you labour in vaine VVhy doe you boast that you haue a Church if the Church in former tymes hath perished Let them tell me by whome Maiorinus or Donatus Luther or Caluin were begotten that by them Parmenian and Priminianus Lutherans and Caluinists might be borne c. But if not finding hâ—â— they might haue their beeing of them selues let them cease to bragge that the Church hath remayned with them which they affirme to haue wholy perished in former dayes 5. Lastly they that admit a defection of
of God deliuereth 2. Cor. 1â— v. â— Psal 8. â— Hier. l. â— comm in 6. â— ad Gal. Dâ—os eos esse manifestum est qui auteâ— Dij sunâ— tradunt Dei Euangelium non hominis In which respect S. Ierome doubteth not to call S. Peter S. Paul such as enioy their priuiledg after the phrase of scripture by the name of Gods thereupon maketh this illation But they that are Gods deliuer the Gospell of God not of man 10. Yet let vs view some other allegations which these erring and lying Ministers bring in to find the church guilty of errour Marry VVhitaker Reynoldes depose that which befalleth to one may befall to the whole but euery one in particuler may erre therefore the whole may erre which is a most false deposition plaine Sophisme arguing from each deuided member of the Church to the whole body ioyntly considered as if a cauiller should say This stone it self cannot be sufficient to raise a tower nor this nor that VVhitak contr 2 q. 4. c. 3. fol. 274. Reynoldes in his secoÌ„d conclusion fol. 628. as it is printed togeather with his conference nor any one a part Therefore a whole huge heap together cannot suffice It is a meere sophisticall kind of reasoning For we see that many do raise that which one or a few cannot Many forces of men vnited are able to draw that which no man in particuler can mooue A whole Army of souldiers vanquisheth a kingdom which on one the most valiaÌ„t captaine can annoy So the whole Church may preserue the truth vnspotted which no pâ—rticuler can doe Chiefly because the whole is guarded by Gods promise assisted by the holy Ghost the shield of her defence which deuided Churches want but the holy ghost saieth Whitaker and Fulke is also promised to euery one in particuler Christ prayed to sanctify euery one confirme him in D. VVhit contro 2. q. 4. c. 2. f. 168. Fulk in c. 16. Ioan. sect 5. in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 9. verity as he did for the whole for the laity aswell as for the Clergy for the people as much as for the Priestes It is true he prayed for all and each particuler promised the holy ghost to euery one but in a diuers manner according to euery ones seuerall state degree he praied for the Apostles and Bishops their Successours he assured theÌ„ the holy ghost as to parentes maisters shepheards of his fold to the laity euery one of the faithfull as to children schollers and sheep to be directed by them They haue the holy ghost 〈◊〉 their mouthes to teach preach instruct anâ— How the spirit of God in â—â—â—â—ised to the whole Church and how to 〈…〉 particular member VVhitak cont 2. q. â— c. ap 3. fol. â—8â— Seueruâ— l. 2. Theod. c. 19. Ream linguam non facis nisi rea mens VVitnes S. Athan. epist ad â—rancâ—s â—â—â—erne these in their hartes to obey beleeue keep vnity peace submission They his publique assistance for the publique function profit of the Church these his priuar direction for their owne priuate comfort particuler saluation Therefore as the Pastours Gouernours cannot erre in teaching defining or publiquely condemning false opinions so neither any one of the faithfull in beleeuing obeying or shunning those whom the Church hath censured Thus the whole and euery part securely trauayleth towardes the coast of heauen with the safe conduct of the holy ghost for the edificatioÌ„ complement and full perfection of the misticall body of Christ 11. Whitaker obiecteth againe that all Churches Arianized and consequently erred when the whole world aâ— S. Ierome reporteth groaned wondred to see â— selfe an Arian But S. Ierome by the figure Synecdoche vseth the whole for a great parte who were deceaued in the Councell of Arimine partly by the fraude of Valens the Arian Bishop partly by imbecillity of wit yet diuers of them materially only Wherefore seeing it is â—n Axiome in the law that the tongue it not made guilty but by the guilty mind they reteyning the true Catholique faith in their hartes formally also in open profession yeilded not properly to Arianisme but stil preserued the true state of the Church which was likewise at the same time inuiolably maynteyned in the West especially in those renowned Bishops and their flock S. Hilary S. Ambrose S. Eusebius of Verselles in Athanasius and others of Greece And that boysterous tempest continued but three yeares for then as S. Hierome relateth the beast dyed there succeeded Hier. dial aduer Lucifer a calme From the Church our aduersaryes flye to the Councells representing the Church and draw bills of enditement to conuict them of errour but their allegations are voyd and insufficient For such Councells as they meane were either vnlawfull conuenticles tumutuously assembled or if lawfully gathered not lawfully continued or not wholy approued or falsly accused or they erred only in some matter of fact not in any point of doctrine or article of beliefe 12. At least say they the old Church and Synagogue of the Iewes wholy erred when Aaron and the Two other obiections of aduersaries answered Exod. 3â— Mar. 14. whole multitude adored the golden Calfe and when Caiphaâ— the chiefe Bishop and whole Councell of Priestes adiuged Christ to death I answere that Aaron was not then inuested with the authority of high Priest but that office was imparted long after vnto him as appeareth out of the last of Exodus Then the Leuits neuer consented to that Idolatry nor Moyses in whome the supreme Priestly dignity still remayned To the second obiection I answere The infalibility of the Sinagogue when christ bad established his Church that the Councell of the Scribes Pharisces was tumultuously gathered not to interpret the law or teach the people but to pronounce sentence in a matter of fact against the Sonne of God or if they did erre in a chiefe point of faith it maketh nothing against vs for Christ had then planted his Church preached his doctrin Therfore the infallible assistance of the Holy Ghost was no longer tyed to the Synagogue Christ being present the head of his Church and hauing sufficiently promulgated his Ghospell 13. Therfore to draw to an end seeing the true Church neuer did or euer can stray from the truth as the Scriptures The Protestants Church cannot be the true Church of Iesus Christ by their own confessioÌ„ Fathers reasons conuince And seeing Protestants confesse that their Church may erre or goe astray for a tyme we must needs conclude that their Church is not the inerrable spouse of Iesus Christ but the harlot of Sathan the Temple of Baal the Stewes of an aduoutresse or if they now recant and yield vnto vs that the true Church cannot step awry in any one generally receaued point of beliefe it necessarily followeth that all their pretended reformations of her errours haue beene innouations
ought or should but what they shal infallibly do 4. Likewise wheresoeuer there is question of the law of the coÌ„mandement of ceremonies of Iustifications shew it them I meciatly Paral. 19. v. 10. after there is a distinction made betwene spirituall and ciuill affaires betwene spirituall and temporall authority Ananias the Priest your Bishop shable chief in these things Ioseph l. 2. cont Apion Philo l. 3. de vita Moysis Aelian var. hist l. 14. c. 34. Strabo Geor. l. 17. Cicero l. 2. de leg Euseb in Chron. Casar de bello Galli l. 6. Ioseph antiq lib. 14 c. 16. To the Church belong all the conditions necessary in a Iudge which perteine to God Moreouer Zabadias the sonne of Ismael who is the Prince of the house of Iuda shal be ouer those workes which apperteine to the kinges office And Iosephus witnesseth That the Priestes were appointed by Moyses to be ouerseers of all thinges iudges of controuersies and punishers of the condemned persons whereby it is euident that it belonged to them not only to decide Ciuill of which Philo also maketh mention but much more Ecclesiasticall matters touching the law the commaundement and iustifications neither was this only ordeyned by God amongst his chosen people the Iewes but by ingrafted perswasion of nature agreed vpon amongst all nations For Aelianus writeth that amongst the Aegiptians their priestes were Iudges determiners of all debates and that the most auncient of them had the chiefest voyce Strabo testifieth the like of the Aethiopians Cicero of the Romans of the Persians Eusebius Caesar of the Frenchmen that their Priestes called Druidae had the same authority Iosephus of the Athenians affirming that their Priestes were Iudges the chiefest among them gathered the suffrages of the rest 5. Moreouer all conditions necessarily required in a suprem Iudge confirme vnto the Church her soueraignty of iudgment for the Iudge must be able to heare vnderstand examine the matters in strife giue a cleere resolute sentence whereby he acquite the innocent and condemne the guilty these propertyes appertaine to the Prelates of the Church They and not the Scriptures nor the priuate spirit haue eares to heare skill to knowe She can heare examine determin debates meanes to examine a liuely intelligent voyce to pronounce such a sentence of approbation or condemnation as all may discerne on whose side it is giuen Againe the Iudge ought to be publique openly knowne that all who are desirous may haue accesse vnto him of infallible authority not only in himselfe but also in respect of vs that we may safely rely build the foundation of faith vppon him He ought to be autenticall warranted by God indewed with power that the humble may with awfull reuerence imbrace his decrees and the stubborne by due constraint punishment be forced to submit otherwise his tribunall were vn profitable iudgment She is publique known to all friuolous The Church is so conspicuous patent generally knowne as there are few Iewes or Turkes no Christians who are ignorant of it howbeit many are ignoraÌ„t of the holy scriptures Her sentence is certeine infallible She cannot be inueigled with errour nor She is infallible corrupted with giftes nor seduced with fauour because she is the faithfull spouse of Christ and piller of truth The scriptures although they be certeine in themselues yet in respect of vs they may be adulterated suborned changed misconstrued 6. The Church hath the seale of Gods warrant whereby we are bound to obey it bound to follow and imbrace her finall resolution If he will not heare the Church let him be to thee like the heathen publican yet we are no way tyed She is authenticall and warranted by God Matt. 18. v. 17. 1. Cor. 5. v. 3. 4. 5. to the written word any further then it is deliuered expounded vnto vs. The Church hath power to excomunicate suspend degrade enforce by her censures compell vs by her punishmentes to conformity and obedience as S. Paul did the incestuous Corinthian I indeed absent in body but present in spirit haue already iudged as presente him that hath so done in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ you being gathered together my spirit with the â—ertue of our Lord Iesus 2. Cor. vlt. v. 10. v. 2. Christ to deliuer such a one to Sathan By this and many other places it is plaine that the pastours of the Church haue a coactiue power of constrayning the rebellious to submit themselues vnto her triall definition which the Scriptures haue not 7. Many other proofes may be brought to strengthen this high tribunall of the Church For she is the mother She is the first Mistresse of our fayth which first begetteth vs which sealeth vs in baptisme with the character of Christians She teacheth vs the first elementes of our beliefe the articles of our Creed She spelleth vnto vs the meaning of Christ of Iesus of Sauiour of God the authour of grace of his Sacraments sacrifices faith and gospell which from the written worde without her instruction we could neuer learne To which purpose very true is that sayng of M. Hooker Hooker 2. booke of Eccle. poli fol. 118. The scripture could not teache vs the thinges which are of God vnles we did credit men who haue taught vs that the wordes of scripture doe signifie those thinges Therefore the men of the Church not the scripture are the first maisters of our faith Yea say you but after our first reformers did more copiously partake The Protestants idle euasion reiected the beames of lighte they found the scriptures peruerted not rightly expounded by such as had them before in custodye Is it so Were their expositions false and scriptures true Must we beleeue on their worde the canon of scriptures and learne of you the interpretation of them as though they who canonized them with authority in regard of vs could not open their meaning better then you or he who preserued by them the dead letter vncorrupted did not more diligently preserue the liuely sense and meaning inuiolable Can any guide vs more safely in the way of saluation in the pathe of Christ then such as teache vs there is a Christ meanes of saluation Egregiously S. Augustine reasoneth with the Aug. l. de vtil credeÌ„ c. 14. Manichees as we may now with Protestants VVhy should I not most diligently inquire amongst them what thing Christ commaunded by whose authority perswaded I haue now beleeued that Christ commaunded some thing VVilt thou better tell me what he sayed whome I would not thinke to haue beene at all or to be if I must Aug. com â— cont ep Manich. c. 5. beleeue because thou sâ—â—est is VVhat madnes is this Giue credit iâ— them that Christ is to be beleeued learne of vs what he said In Another place If thou doest holde thy selfe to the ghospell
much more reason haue I to desire the like for the Ghospell of S. Luke seeing the same was so necessary for the Ghospell of his Maister And S. Augustine The Apostle S. Paul Aug. tom 6. cont Faust Manic l. 28. c. 4. Hier. ep 11. called from heauen if he had not found the Apostles with whome by conferring his Ghospell he might appeare to be of the same society the Church would not beleeue him at all S. Hierome hath the like whose authorityes togeather with the president of S. Paul so pinch our aduersaryes as they haue nothing to answere which deserueth confutation Notwithstanding A cauil of the aduersary reproued against the former recited examples of the Church they cauill that she pronounced iudgment in the beginning out of the written word and so made the scripture iudge rather then her selfe of all doubtfull occurrences We grant that the Scriptures were the outward law the The scripture is the outward law and needeth a liuely iudge or interpreter compasse or square which the Church followed in giuing her sentence both then and euer since yet as the law is dumbe and needeth an interpreter the compasse square not able to direct without the guide of the Architect to leuell it aright so the Scriptures can neuer giue a diffinitiue sentence to compose debates vnles they be managed guided and interpreted by the Church The scriptures are the dead and silent the Church the liuely speaking intelligible Iudge more easy then the scriptures more ancient then the scriptures more necessary Iren. l. 3. c. 4. Hilar. de Syno aduer Arian then the scriptures more necessary because many sucking babes who dye after baptisme many ignorāt people as Ireneus and S. Hilary note are saued without scriptures but not without the Church more ancient because the scriptures were penned by the holy Prophets and Apostles The last resolution of fayth is diuersly made by which we auoyd the circle obiected against vs by many Protestāts members of the Church more easy and perspicuous because that which the scriptures in sundry darke hard and general tearmes obscurely contayne the church in open plaine and particuler declarations applyable to the sundry exigentes of speciall occurrents cleerly expresseth Therefore although the scriptures haue a kind of iudgment as the inanimate law can iudge togeather with the Church yet the Church hath the principall primary supreme and most irreprouable voyce in this spirituall consistory or court of religion 3. Howbeit the last resolution of our beliefe is not so referred either to scriptures or to the Church but that the prime verity and other prudent motiues haue also their speciall concurrence whereby we easily auoyd that idle and impertinent circle with which VVhitaker and First it is resolued into the authority of God his fellowes would seeme to disgrace vs of prouing the scriptures by the Church and Church againe by scriptures For when it is demanded why we belieue the scriptures the infallible authority of the Church the mystery of the Trinity or any other article of our beliefe we reply that if you aske the formall reason which winneth the assent of our vnderstanding to belieue we beleeue Secondly into the proposition of the Church them for the diuine authority which is the formall obiect of fayth and of infinit force and ability to perswade immediatly by it selfe without the help of any other formall inducement whatsoeuer if you demand what warranteth or proposeth vnto vs this or that article to be credited by the testimony of God We answere it is the Catholike Church guided by the holy Ghost which cannot propose or deliuer any falshood If you demaund what moueth our will to accept this Church for an infallible witnes in sealing those articles We answere they are arguments of credibility which prudently induce Thirdly into certaine motiues of credibility and stir vs vp to credit her report the argumentes are these glory of miracles consent of Nations perpetuall succession interrupted continuance admirable propagation and increase of the Church force of doctrin conuersion of soules change of manners fortitude of Martyrs vnity sanctity antiquity the like which preuailed so much with our most learned S. Augustine as he recounting those thinges which iustly detayned him in Aug. con◠epist Manich 4. the Catholike Church sayth There holdeth me in her bosome the consent of people and nations there holdeth an authority begotten with miracles nourished with hope increased by charity Aug. de vtil cred c. 14. Populorū atque gentiū confirmatae opinioni ac famae admodum celeberrimae strengthned by antiquity there holdeth from the seate of Peter the Apostle to whome our Lord after his resurrection recommended the feeding of his sheep euen to this present Bishopricke the succession of Priests Lastly there holdeth me the name Catholike c. And in another place he sayth that by no other reasons was he induced to belieue in Christ then by giuing credit to the approued opinion of people Nations and to a most renowned and famous report These then were the motiues of credibility which first perswaded him to imbrace both Christ and his Ghospell 4. Then the mouth which vttered oracle which proposed them was the Church it self I for my part quoth Aug. con ep Fund c. 5. he would not beleeue the gospell vnles the authority of the Catholike Church moued me But the formall ground or chief reason which wonne his assent was the veracity prime verity or testimonye of God who could not with such prudent motiues euident argumentes of credibility testifye any thing either by himselfe or others which was not sealed with infallible truth Thus no round or circulation is made because the same thing is not proued but after a diuers seueral manner Secondly we escap another way The second way of escaping the circle the daunger of circulation if against them who deny the one graunt the other we borrow argumentes from the scriptures for exāple which they graunt to establish the Church which they denie or from the true Church if that be admitted to authorize the scriptures which are wrongfully impugned Thirdly that idle circle is declined The third way auoiding the same when we canonize the scriptures by the testimony of the present Church proue the Church by the interpretation of scriptures not made by the same Church which now is or lately was in the Councell of Trent but so expounded by the ancient Church in former dayes in the Councell of Carthage in the time of S. Augustin S. Ambrose and the rest of those Doctours or so expounded by the primitiue Church so expounded by the Apostles who receaued it from Christ he from his Father What round is heer or circle committed 5. Lastly it is no absurdity or begging of the question in hand if the Church approue the scripture by her owne testimony and by the same also her infallible authority
which peruerted as they falsly auouch the very foundations themselues of Christian religioÌ„ They answere that the stiffe professours and maynteyners of Popery were not the true Church but a daungerous and wicked saction tyrannyzing ouer mens consciences A disease a contagion outwardly cleaning to the Church or breeding as a gangrene within and corrupting the pure doctrine but by a little and little vnder which faction notwithstanding and even in the midest thereof the true Church continued In which manner say they the Church was in the papacy but the papacy was not the Church 2. This is their last most deceiptful mask by which they thinke to duske mens eyes and amaze their wittes with disguised wordes when they cannot satisfy their Aug. l. de bapt cont Donat. ca. 6. 7. consciences with any substantiall answere for although the contagion of the papacy by little and little corrupted the pure doctrine yet it came to be deadly and damnable according to them in diuers points for many yeares ago Whereupon I dispute although not altogeather with the same wordes yet with the same force of reason as Saint Augustine doth agaynst the Donatistes When that contagion or the Roman errours came to be deadly eyther they contaminated the Church or did not contaminate it Choose which of these you will say they contaminated An vnauoydable dilemma coÌ„cluding agaynst Protestants it that is defiled it with such hereticall and blasphemous doctrine as could not stand with the being thereof the Church hath perished as Saint Augustine inferreth Christs promise hath fayled there was no meanes left for you to be propagated or new borne in Christ no meanes of catechizing or instructing you Say they defiled not the Church neyther could they haue defiled you by remayning in it why then did you separate your selues from August in same place it Why erected you an Altar agaynst the Altar of the world Why with the sacriledge of most haynous schisme presumed you to diuide the vnity of the Church How cometh it to passe that whilest by shunning the small faultes Aug. ibid. which your selues do faygne you runne into the sacriledge of schisme more grieuous then all other faultes For is not this sacrilegious and schismaticall diuision to preach new doctrine to minister Field in his third book of the Church ca. 6. 7. fol. 72. 73. 74. 75. new Sacraments and not to participate with your mother Church in fayth and communion 3. Both Mayster Field and White make answere that the errours of the Roman Church defiled not the whole but some part of Christs mystical body as a canker which corrupteth not the whole but some part of mans flesh after which manner they call it a faction a disease VVhite in his way to the true Chu §. 45. § 50. In his defence of the same chap. 44. pag. 420. The Protestants caÌ„not say they communicated with the Papacy which infected the papacy but not the Church and so pretend that they haue separated themselues from the coÌ„tagious faction not from the true Church But they still walke in mystes out of which we must leade them with this second dilemma Eyther the true Church whose Society our Protestants challenge did so continue with the papacy as it participated with it in sacrifice and Sacraments in publike faith and open communion Or did not participate but made a Church by it selfe mynistring Sacraments and preaching the word apart from the Papists If it participated with that preuayling faction they were contaminated with their heresies defiled with their errours and so the papacy was not only a contagion outwardly cleaning to the Church or infecting it in part but inwardly canckering and corrupting the whole all â—ere made partakers of her disease who openly admitted and professed her doctrine 4. Agayne if the Protestant Church communicated with the Papacy and submitted her selfe to the tyranny of her faction at least for feare and in outward shew howsoeuer they belieued aright in their inward harts they were all eyther hypocrites or base dissemblers all open idolaters and deniers of Christ they were all depriued Luc. 9. v. 26. Rom. 10. vers 10. of the meanes of saluation For he that shal be ashamed of me and of my wordes him the Son of man shal be ashamed of when he shall come in his maiesty And with the hart we belieue to iustice with the mouth confession is made to saluation Which as I haue already confirmed by the testimony of Caluin so now I Field l. 1. c. 10 fo 1â— strengthen with the authority of M. Field Seeing sayth he the Church is the multitude of them that shal be saued and no man can be saued vnlesse he make confession vnto saluation for Faith hid in the hart and concealed doth not suffice It cannot be but they that are of the true Church must by the profession of the truth make themselues knowne in such sort that by their profession practise they may be discerned from other men So he 5. Moreouer if the true Church of the elect did communicat with the Papacy in preaching of the word and administration of Sacraments from Saint Gregory the great till Luthers dayes for almost a thousand yeares space eyther the Papacy it selfe was the true Church or Christ had all that while no true Church no spouse vpon earth because the true Church cannot possible be without the true preaching of the word and administration of Sacraments which are euen in our aduersaryes opinion the essentiall markes and properties of the Church and where they cease the Church according to them must perish Whitak in his answere to the third reason of M. Campian and decay VVe ascribe quoth Whitaker those properties to the Church which comprise the true nature of the Church whose presence make a Church and their absence marre or destroy a Church Wherefore sith no other truth was preached in the Papacy then the Roman Catholike fayth eyther that was true or no other true fayth was openly professed vpon earth On the other side if our aduersaryes do answere They caÌ„not answere they communicated not with the papacy that they communicated not in fayth and Sacraments with the Papacy but made a separate Church by themselues distinct from it in which the true word was preached and Sacraments mynistred Then that pure Protestant Church needed not the reformation of ProtestaÌ„ts from that Luther should haue learned his faith to that he and followers should haue ioyned themselues Then if they challenge such a Church they are engaged to name the persons who maynteyned their doctrine the people who imbraced it the tymes and places in which it was ProtestaÌ„ts vrged to shew their temples councels and countryes conuerted by them taught they must shew vs what Temples they built what Councells they gathered what bookes they wrote what heretikes they condemned what Countryes they haue conuerted and instructed in the fayth For it is
vayne to be ready to obey him who reiect his Mynisters Therefore he commaundeth the word and doctrine to be required from the mouth of Prophets and Doctours who teach in his name and by his warrant least we foolishly hunt after new reuelations Yf this be so how durst your M. Caluin How durst our sectaryes deliuer a Gospell they neuer tooke from the mouth of any Prophet or Doctour Caluinus contra errores Serueti With what face doe they vaunt of obeying God when they disobey his Mynisters the interpreters of his will How shall we know that they who follow not the setled course prescribed by him doe not foolishly hunt after new reuelations Michael Seruetus forsooke that ordinary way he vsed the like pretense as M. Mason doth of reuelation froÌ„ Scripture the same Caluin inueighed agaynst him That like another Mahomet he rose a restorer of a new world with a new and vnknowne reuelation Is not this sayth he to make voyd the whole glory which Christ hath gotteÌ„ By thy own saying I coÌ„demne thee and thy fellowes o vngracious seruant For by the same argument thou o Caluin art like another Mahomet Caluin his followers come like Mahomet with new reuelations the English sectaryes progenitours like so many Mahomets who contrary to the publike truth receaued in the Church challenged another reuealed to them out of holy Scripture With whome I reason thus When Cranmer in England or any other beganne to vent their reformed Gospell eyther the same Gospell was preached by some lawfull Pastours in some partes of the world or not Yf it were not The Church of Protestants was no where extant the glory of Christs Church in their conceit was wholy extinguished If it were FroÌ„ those Pastours our sectaryes should haue deriued their succession To theÌ„ they ought to haue gone for their holy Orders 29. Or if the shell of ordinution from the Priestes of Tertullian in praes ca. 20. Antichrist was good inough for their Antichristian synagogue at least from them they ought to haue taken rraducem fidei semina doctrinae their letters patents and commission to preach From them they should haue gleaned the kernell of doctrine they should haue drawne from those pure Churches the line of fayth and seeds of doctrine as Tertullian anoucheth Aug. l. 5. de baps contra donatist cap. 26. which aduise S. Cyprian also giueth and S. Augustine much commendeth it saying That which he Cyprian admonisheth that we repayre to the conduite head that is to Apostolicall tradition and from thence direct the pipe to our tymes is an excellent The succession propagation of truth which heer we seeke cannot be learned out of Scripture 2. Pet. â— v. 16. thinge and without doubt to be obserued especially seeing in this mark of succession it is not the bare truth for which we inquire but the propagation traditioÌ„ reception coÌ„tinuance lineall descent of the truth how it hath been coÌ„ueyed by Pastour to Pastour in al succeeding ages how taught how belieued from the Apostles dayes euen vnto ours This cannot be learned out of Scripture because it followeth after the Scripture The succession of doctrine came after the Scriptures were written how shall it then be proued by the precedeÌ„t Scriptures which were in the Apostles time who endited them depraued and Athanasius ora 2. contra Arian peruerted by some to their owne perdition as S. Peter witnesseth and why may not such deprauatours much more be now How can the Scriptures beare witnes of the publication progresse true perseuerance of that Eos qui aliunde quaÌ„ a tota successione Cathedrae ecclesiastica originem fidei suae deducunt haereticos esse which fell out many yeares after their authours compilers were dead So that for the true doctrinal you must needs haue recourse to the true Pastoral succession which are inseparably chayned and linked togeather To leaue this way and endeauour eyther by Scriptures or by any other meanes to vphould the continuall descent propagation of fayth is an euident brand or note of heresy as S. Athanasius anoweth saying They are heretikes who de riue the origen of their fayth any where els then from the whole succession of the Ecclesiasticall chayre which he accounteth Aug tract 37. in Ioan there an excellent and an admirable way to fiâ—d out an hereticall sect And S. Augustine affirmeth That to be the Catholike fayth which comming from the doctrine of the Apostles is planted in vs by the line of succession S. Irenaeus also more auncient Irenaeus l. 4. cap. 45. then he sayth VVith whome the succession of Bishops from the Apostles tyme downeward remayned these are they who conserue our sayth doe expound the Scriptures vnto vs without danger 30. By this tyme thou perceauest courteous Reader the peruerse vnto ward course of Protestants who departed from the Pastours of the Church to the written word wheras they should haue repayred to her Pastours to haue learned without daunger the meaning of that word Thou perceauest the beggary or nullity rather of their prophane secular ministery which vndertaketh the care of sonles without any true election ordination succession or mission Thou perceauest how vainly they confide in their reuelations from Scripture who haue no certayne rule or publike warrant as Catholikes haue to knowe whether their reuelations proceed from God or no. Thou seest how they beare about them the earemarke of heretiks in deriuing their fayth from another Origene then the line of Apostolicall succession Thou seest how dangerously they vsurpe the functioÌ„ of Pastours who are wolfs robbers and soule-killers of the sheep so deadly bought with the bloud of Christ CHAP. XXI In which the Beginning Propagation Continuance of the true Fayth is proued to be a Note of the true Church and only to appertayne to the Roman Church which neuer altered the Faith it first receaued from the Apostles I SAY prophecying of the true Church and of the very place from whence Isay 2. v. 3. the preaching of the euangelical gospell should begin sayd The law shall come from Sion and the word of our Lord froÌ„ Act. 1. v. 8. IerusaleÌ„ Our Sauiour doth not only assigne the same beginning but foretelleth Luc. 24. v. 46. 47. the growth increase and continuance therof in these wordes You shal be witnesses vnto me in Ierusalem and in all Iury and Samaria and euen to the vtmost of the earth And Matth. 13. v. 37. 39. item 24. v. 14. It behooued pennance to be preached in his name and remission of sinns vnto all nations beginning at Ierusalem Then he auerreth that the seede of his word thus sowed in the field of the world shold increase and grow vntill the haruest That is vntill the last day vntill the consummation of all thinges Hence S Augustine Aug. de vnit Eccl. cap. 10. maketh this illation Let vs therefore holde the Church
Ep 22. ad Eustoch vide miracula diuersa ad Sanctorum monumenta â—dita Reade him also de muliere septies icta in vita Hilarionis supernaturally wrought by the Reliques of S. Steuen Not hearkning to the miracles which S. CypriaÌ„ S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Chysostome S. Hierome a thousand historiographers very plentifully recount the powerfull hand of God in sundry Countryes dayly atchieueth They looke into few things when angled with the conterfet bayte and vayne promise of truth cast forth by their Ghospellers they diue not into the manifold absurdityes and open repugnancyes implied in their doctrine They consider not their corruptions falsifications detorting of Scripture and racking of the Fathers which they commonly vse to writh them to their purpose Thus they skimme of in Luther in Caluin other their predecessours the froth of their noweltyes and ouerslip diuers notorious barbarismes diuers atheisticall and blasphemous speaches couched in their writinges which haue beene often layd open by the learned of our side Yet to approue the vigilancy and wisedome of our soueraigne King IAMES who hath prudently inhibited the reading of such new brued and poysoned workes to the noble students of his two famous Vniuersityes I will briefly insinuate some few of Caluin the chiefe late Nouelist his Atheismes wherin he appeacheth the diuine goodnes it selfe of iniustice impotency dissimulation his beloued sonne Christ Iesus of ignorance incongruity in his speach superfluons inferences rashnes timidity desperation The immaculate Virgin his dearest Mother of sinnefull enclosing the omnipotency of God within the boundes of Nature For first he often inculcateth that God is chiefe author of his own iust vengeance and Satan is but only a minister therof That God Calu. lib. 1 inflit c. 18. §. 1. 2. 3. c l. 2. c. 4. §. 2. l. 3. c. â—1 Ibid. l. 3. c. 23. §. 8. purposeth willeth moueth loueth and commandeth the wickednes of sinners their obstinate blindnes and hardnes of hart Then that thâ— will of God is a necessity of things From whence it ensueth that the reprobate necessarily sinne by the appointement of God which they cannot auoyd and that God is vniust for punishing them without cause Likewise it followeth that sinne it selfe is no sinne but an vpright action consonant vnto reason For the wil of God saith Caluin Calu l. 3. c. 23. §. 2. is so the highest rule of righteousnes that whatsoeuer he willeth euen for this that he willeth it it ought to be takeÌ„ for righteous But God according to him willeth sinne therefore sinne is righteous good according to rule Secondly it followeth that Good decreeth those Ibid. l. 1. inflit c. 18. §. 13. thinges with his secret purpose which he hath openly forbidden by his lawe and so he both willeth and willeth not the same thing which without dissimulatioÌ„ or contrariety cannot be conceaued Besides he denieth Gods absolute power of effecting all thinges Ibid l. 3. c. 23. §. 2. We trust not quoth he in the feygned deuise of absolute power which as it is prophane so worthily ought it to be abhorred of vs. No lesse impious is he against God then malepart and audacious against our Sauiour Christ in accusing him of ignorance That he knew In c. 24. Matt. 36. Matt. 21. v. 18. In cap. 9. Matt. v. 2. Quod quidam existimaÌ„t Christum diuinitùs conscium fuisseipsoâ—um fidei quae occultantiùs lat ebat mihi coactum videtur Matt. 7. v. 12. Calu. in eum locum Superuacua est illatio Calu. l. 2. instit cap. 16. §. 12. Ibid. §. 10. Ibidem not as man the day of iudgment nor of what kinde the figge tree was that grew by the way side nor the inward thoughts of the hart saying That which some think that Christ was acquainted from aboue with their saith which lay hild within seemeth to me aforced astrayned thing he accuseth him likewise of incoÌ„gruity in his speach to wit That Christ promiseth from God reward to fasting is an improper speach of superfluous infereÌ„ce for when Christ inferred All thinges therfore whatsoeuer you will c. Caluin giueth it this glose It is a vaine or superfluous illation Of timiditye and searefulnes in these wordes Theeues and other euill doers doe obstinately hast to death many doe with hauty courage despise some other doe mildly suffer it But what constancy or stout courage were it for the some of God to be astonished and in a manner stricken dead which feare of it c. howe shamefull a tendernes as I sayd should this haue beene to be so far tormented with feare of comon death as to melte in bloudy sweate and not to be able to be comforted but by sight of Angells Wherupon he brayeth forth another sacrilege that our Sauiour besides his corporall death suffered the death of his soule he suffered that death wherwith God in his wrathstriketh wicked doers He felte the rigour of Gods vengeance in his soule he suffered the terrible tormentes of a damned and forsakes man His Matt. 26. Calu. in harm super eum locum v. 38. Calu. in harm in c. 27. Matt. v. 46. Sed absurdè videtur Christo elapsam desperationis voceÌ„ solutio facilis est quamuis enim sensus carnis exitum apprehenderit fixa tamen stetit sides in corde Calu. in harm in c. 1. Luc. v. 34. Videtur Sancta virgo non minus malignè Dei praesentiam restringere quà m priùs Zacharias c. nec magnopere laborandum est vt eam purgemus ab omni vitio Calu. l. 3. insti c. 20. §. 24. 27. l. de rat reforma Ecclesiae sanctos vocat laruas carnifices vmbras bestias vâ—nome is not yet spent He traduceth also the diuine Wisedome as rash and inconsiderate in those wordes which he vttered Father if it be possible let this cupp passe from me This prayer saith Caluin of Christ was not premeditate but the force and extremity of grief wringed from him this hasty speach To which a correction or recalling was presently added The same vehemeÌ„cy drewe from him the presente memory of the heauenly decree At length he concludeth that Christ was so amazed with feare at the iudgements of God as he was drouen to despaire at least in outward wordes For obiecting to himself how absurde it should seeme that a speach of desperation should fall from â—hrist he answereth The solution is easye for although the sense of fleshe did apprehend destruction yet faith remayned stable in his harte as though he should say his tongue vttered wordes of despaire although his hart were still fixed in God Where the sonne of God is thus blasphemed can the Mother of God be free from disgrace the venomous wretch very seldome discourseth of that heauenly Queene but by a word which he vttereth you may throghly ghesseat his malicious spirit Vpon that question of our Ladies to the Angel Gabriell how shall this be done
saying It is all one to despise the minister of Christes catholique Church and to despise Christ So S. Augustine expoundeth the former of S. Matthew Fulk vpon this place sect 2. Aug. in psal 101. conc 2. Hiero. l. 4. in Matth. S. Ierome he who promiseth that he wil be with his disciples vntill the consumation of the world both sheweth that they shall alwayes liue as also that he will neuer depart from the faithfull Which the very words both heere elswhere importe all dayes vntill the consumation of the world vntill we all meet c. for euer And the ends also of graunting this authority require the same which were the propagation of the truth the edification of the body of Christ the confirmation of the faithfull the conseruation of the vnity of faith these are at all times and perpetually needfull Therefore the perpetuall asistance of the holy Ghost is alwayes necessary thereunto 2. Likewise the Prophet Osee in the person of God sayd vnto the Church I will despouse thee to me for euer c. Osee 2. v. 19. 20. will despouse thee to me in faith Therefore this pure imaculate spouse is euerlastingly wedded to Christ in synceritâ— of fayth she can neuer be stayned with adulterous errour neuer separated by schisme or heresy neuer be diuorced by any apostacy from her honourable bridegroome The same was also foretold by the Prophet Isay Isa 59. v. 21. My spirit that is in thee and my wordes that I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed and out of the mouth of thy seedes seed saith our Lord from this present and for euer Now what spirit was there in the Prophet Isay but the spirit of God What wordes in his mouth but the wordes of truth Therefore the spirit of God and wordes of truth shall not depart he doth not say from the hartes only but not from the mouthes of the Churches generation from that present for euer can any thing be written more effectually So effectual it seemeth to diuers sectaries as the publique Glosers vpon the English Protestant translation confesse the truth thereof Cal. in c. 59. Isaiae in hunc vers in their marginall notes vpon that place And Caluin in his commentaries explaning the same text God promiseth quoth he that his Church shall neuer be spoyled of this inestimablâ— good but that it shal be gouerned by the holy ghost and vnderpropped with heauenly doctrine c. and soone after Such is the promise that our Lord will so assist his Church and will haue that protection and care of it as he will neuer permit it to be depriued of his doctrine For if it once could be depriued of truth fall into any errour this oracle were frustrated If it could fall into errour the gates of hell which our Sauiour denieth Matt. 16. v. 18. 2. Tim. 3. v. 15. 1. Ioan. 17. v. 17. 2. Cor. 11. v. 2. Matt. 18. v. 17. should preuaile against it if it could erre it were not as S. Paul witnesseth the piller and firmament of truth If it could erre in vaine did Christ pray to sanctify it in verity If it could erre it were not that vnspotted virgin of which the Apostle writeth I haue espoused you to one man to exhibite you a chast virgin vnto Christ Lastly if it could erre the Son of God could not command euery one to submit himselfe to the doctrine of his Church with that heauy commination If he will not heare the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and Publican that is let him be like the excommunicated or vnbeleeuing miscreant who is cast of from Christ and vtterly abandoned to euerlasting misery But God could not threaten vs vnder this curse of damnation to heare and obey his Church if his Church could beguile vs with errour For theÌ„ God should be the cause of that errour then we might be beguiled by following his Commandment which is impossible Therefore the Church cannot teach or deliuer any errour vnto vs as a Priest imprisoned at Dauentry vrged M. Barbon the Minister at an appointed disputation held of that matter before many of the towne other Gentelmen of thâ— A conference held at Dauentry in Northampthonshire betweene a Priest ther impisoned and M. Barbon a Minister Country which Argument the Minister first laboureâ— to elude by answering that the Church indeed could noâ— erre as long as it heard followed the voyce of God but if it swarued from his word it might precipitate iâ— self into errour whereunto it was then replyed by thâ— Priest My argument said he prooueth it cannot possiblâ— swarue from the word of God For to swarue from thâ— word of God is to erre I proue it cannot erre Thereforâ— I proue it cannot swarue from the word of God Againe to affirme that the Church erreth not as long as it agreeth with the word of God is to graunt her no priuâ—â—edge aboue any hereticall or heathenish conuenticle For no Heretike Infidell Iewe or Turke no nor the diuell himselfe can erre as long as he speaketh conformable to Gods word 3. The Minister deuised another sleight and distinguished A fond distinctioÌ„ which ProtestaÌ„ts make of curable incurableerrors two kind of errours one curable another incurable one to probation another to damnation and so answered that the Church might fall herself and lead her children into curable errours out of which they may afterward escape not into incurable or damnable from which they shall neuer be deliuered But the Priest resuming his former probation insisted againe that it could leade her children into no errour at all because VVhosoeuer heareth the Church followeth the commaundement of God But no errour curable or incurable can we incurre by following the commaundement of God Therefore no errour curable or incurable can we incurre by hearing the Church The Minor only questionable was proued thus No offense to God can we incurre by following Gods commaundement But euery errour curable or incurable is an * Material or formal offense of God Therfore no errour curable or incurable can we incurre by following Gods commaundement 4. Here M. Barbon sweating and chafing yet not knowing what to deny peruersly denyed the arguâ—â—â—â— M. 〈◊〉 breaketh off the dispute cauilling at the sillogisticall forme yet could not discouer any fault neither in matter nor form The former idle distinctioÌ„ of Protestants further refelled VVhitak contro 2. q. 5. c. 17. fol. 490. Ecclesia adtempus etiam in fundameÌ„tis quibusdam errare potest tuÌ„ salua esse Whitaker contradicteth himselfe in manifest termes Si fundamentale aliquoddogma tollatur Ecclesia statim corruit â—elfe and carped at the Sillogisme as if it had foure â—â—mes the last and only collusion which he his sectâ—â—es are wont to vse to bleare the eyes of the vnlearned â—â—en otherwise they are so
with the Apostle That neither fornicatours nor seruers of idolls nor aduowtrers c. shall possesse the kingdome of God So it is no presumption or defect in vs but zeale of Gods honour loue of soules so dearely purchased with the bloud of Christ to giue the same warning iudgment of those who run into schisme heresy or any sect whatsoeuer seeing they are reckoned by the mouth of the same Apostle in the number of such as are excluded heauen The workes of the flesh saith he are manifest fornication vncleanes c. seruing of idolls c. dissentions sectes c. which I foretell you as I haue fortold you that they which doe such thinges shall not obtayne the kingdome of God Marke them thâ—â— make dissensions and scandalls contrary to the doctrine which you haue learned and auoyd them for such doe not serue Christ our Lord. A man that is an heretike after the first and second admonition auoyd knowing that he that is such an one is subuerted and sinneth being condemned by his owne iudgment In which case it skilleth not with what heresy he be infected as S. Cyprian intimated to Antonianus curiously demanding to know the heresyes Cypr epist 502. which Nouatianus taught No matter quoth he what heresyes he hath or teacheth when he teacheth without that is out of the schoole of Gods holy Church In the same case his morall life modest carriage chastity prayer or almes deeds auayleth him nothing to the gayning of heauen as you may read in these wordes of Saint Augustine Let vs sayth he suppose a man to be chast continent not couetous not seruing Aug. l. 4. con Dona. c. 8. Constituaâ—us aliqueÌ„ c. idols ministring hospitality to the needy enemy to none not contentious patient quiet emulating none enuying none sober frugall but yet an heretike truly no man maketh doubt but for this alone that he is an heretike he shall not possesse the kingdome of God 16. My aduersaryes perehance will reply That they are not to be accounted Heretikes because they do not with contumacy defend any falshood nor stubbornely deny any knowne truth But I answere that they are not only heretiks who with pertinacy maintayne their peruerse and â—rased opinions but such as doubt wauer or call in question any matters of fayth such as willfully follow the heresy of others such as slouthfully deferre or fearefully put of the imbracing of truth when it is sufficiently opened and proposed vnto them Al these if not in the strict acception or outward bench of the Church yet in the inward Court and chancery of conscience are attainted for the crime of heresy and for such arraigned before the face of God Neuertheles let it be although it be very hard that some few may quit themselues from the imputation of that horrible cryme yet if they once commit any other mortall sinne into which they fall so often as Fulke auerreth That there is no man which liueth Fulke in c. 3. Apo. sect 2. after Baptisme but he committeth sinne worthy of death euery day they cannot receaue forgiuenes out of the bosome of the Church There only are left the Sacraments of reconciliation the conduits of grace the salues for sinnes medecines for our soules which whosoeuer refuseth to participate is iustly depriued of all celestiall fauours not for his heresy but for other offences he hath incurred 17. Let no man therefore of what sect soeuer feed himselfe with the hopefull solace or expectation of blisse who hauing heard of the true Catholike fayth is negligent in searching finding it out or hauing found it out doth not sincerely imbrace and intirely belieue euery braunch and point thereof or belieuing euery point doth not also communicate in outward profession and participation of Sacraments with the members of that Church or communicating with them flying the society of all others doth not renew his life in sanctification and holynes in the pursuite of vertue and hatred of vice as the diuine precepts of God and lawes of his Church direct and teach him These be the steps of Iacobs ladder by which only we ascend to the mount of heauen and whosoeuer slippeth from any one of them slideth downe to the bottome of hell CHAP. X. Wherein is disproued the false Markes which Protestants alleadge to find out the Church Against D. Whitaker and M. White Bâ—CAVSE the true Church is the holy sanctuary of God and only port of saluation out of which none can escape the gulfes of sinne billowes of dissention and miserable shipwracke of eternall perdition therore all Sectaryes make to this harbour of rest all challenge to themselues as Lactantius noteth to be the true flocke of Christ The waspes sayth Tertullian make hony combes and the Marcionists Churches To Lact. l. 4. c. 10. which purpose they commonly describe that heauenly campe by such generall or hidden signes as euery one may pretend a like clay me vnto it Such is M. Whitakers Tertu l. 4. con Marc. and our Protestants fraud who delineate set it forth by these two markes By the sincere preaching of the word and lawfull administration of Sacraments And what Heretike is Cont. 2. q. 5. cap. 17. fol 489. there or euer hath beene who doth not vaunt of these The Anabaptists now a dayes the Brownists The Arians Nestorians giue out that they alone haue the true preaching of the word administration of Sacraments which they all proue by testimonyes of Scripture by conference of places and by the in ward motion as they are perswaded of the holy Ghost as good Recordes as any Protestant Minister can bring for the truth which VVhitak contr 2. q. 5. cap. 18. he preacheth yet if they be deceaued by false perswasion if they abuse the Scriptures as VVhitaker often answereth may not we iustly suspect the like abuse in him 2. Secondly the signe ought to be more knowne The signe ought to be more knowne to vs theÌ„ the thing it signeth and not only Natura notius then the thing signed because by discerning that I must come to the knowledge of this but the true preaching of the word is more secret and vnknowne then the Church it selfe Therefore it cannot be a marke to descry the Church vnto vs. And when VVhitaker replyeth That the purity of doctrine is more hidden to vs yet more knowne in it selfe or more knowne in the nature of the thing he rather fortifyeth then weakneth the force of my argument For that which must be a signe to vs to discouer the vnknowne Church must be more sensibly knowne and apparant to D. VVhit contro 2. q. 5. c. 18. f. 500. vs or els we may seeke long inough before it lead vs to the knowledg therof VVhitaker denyeth my consequence because to espy the Church Is not sayth he the knowledge of sense but of fayth it appertayneth not to the eye of the body but to the eye of the
Truth But when God by the Scriptures reuealed it vnto them they both preached it themselues commended it to posterity So that the thinges reuealed vnto them in Scripture was all the Our Ghospellers haue no certayne rule to know their reuelation froÌ„ Scripture to be true warrant they had to preach such Protestant articles as they now maynteyne contrary to the approued doctrin of the Church 25. But I inquire of M. Mason what reuelation it was they had from Scripture Was it the priuate interpretation they made thereof That is fallible and subiect to errour That reuelation euery heretique challengeth and with as much reason maynteyneth it as any Protestant doth his Was it as others pretend the publique voyce of God which spake in Scripture But this In the first part of the Antidote in the first second chapter is a meere collusion of words to beguile the simple For the voyce of God speaking in Scripture is nothing els but the very text of Scripture the wordes and sentences vttered in Scripture as I haue elsewhere often declared Was it their industry labour in conferring reading finding out the true sense of Scripture But this industry was also deceauable as I haue inuincibly demonstrated Our Ghospellers haue not the true Christian fayth concerning any article whatsoeuer in the first controuersy of my Antidote Therefore Protestantes could haue no reuelation from Scripture wherreby they might be infallibly certayn which is necessary to sayth of the truth they deliuered Yea although they should haue lighted vpon the true meaning of some essentiall article of beliefe yet that article so taught and belieued because they so interprete that place of Scripture was not any article of Christian fayth not that diuine fayth which we are commanded to imbrace but a meere humane verity a humane fayth The reason is In the 9. chapter of this third part because the thing belieued causeth not fayth but the infallible motiue for which we belieue it that motiue in Protestants is altogeather fallible as hath been elswhere more largely conuinced Therefore the reuealed truth Luther in expo Ep. ad Galat. cap. 1. folio 215. printed ad VVittemberge by Ioan. Luâ—â— 1954. which they belieue is also fallible 26. Besides Truth reuealed to Protestants in holy Scripture is not sufficient for their Legantine power vnles the legacy also or charge of preaching be coÌ„mitted vnto them It is not inough sayth Luther their chiefe Patriarch for a man to haue the word and purity of doctrine but also he must be assured of his calling not of his calling oÌ„ly to Prieststood by the shell as you tearme it of succession or ceremony of ordination but of his calling and commission giuen to preach and recommend vnto posterity the kernell of Luther ibidem folio 276. doctrine This Mission this vocation he must also haue and that from men or els although thou wert as Luther sayth wiser then Salomon wiser then Daniell if thou be not called more then hell beware thou cast not out a word And many leaues Ierom. 23. v. 21. after he protesteth of himselfe that although he could deliuer soules from errour and damnation by his holesome doctrine yet he ought to commit the matter to God and not to preach Ezech. 13. v. 6. vnlesse he be called by men For such as do otherwise he tearmeth them impostors miscarryed not with a good but a wicked spirit They are those of whome Ieremy and Ezechiell fore warned vs I sent not the Prophets and they ranne I spake not vnto them they prophesied They see vayne thinges and they diuine lyes saying our Lord sayth whereas our Lord sent them not 27. Therefore albeit we should suppose that these new Gospellers had as Mayster Mason insinuateth power from vs to preach truth which notwithstanding is most false yet when they beganne to preach other doctrine then was deliuered vnto them other then was put into their mouthes by their predecessours therein they lost their calling ranne of themselues preached of themselues not sent from God with extraordinary miracles nor yet from men with ordinary commission to publish that fayth For as he who hath authority Aâ— Ambassadourâ— who alter the legacy of their Prince are not therein to be tearmed his Ambassadours no more can ProtestaÌ„ts be sayd to be sent to alter the coÌ„mission of those that sent them Optatus l. 2. contra Parmen from his Kinge to deliuer an Embassage if he alter or change the Massage of his Prince he cannot therein be truly sayd to be his legate or Ambassadour especially if the King recall or countermaunde whatsoeuer he proposeth contrary to his minde No more can Protestant Ministers though rightly ordered and lawfully called maynteyne their calling or vocation to preach any other truth then such as was commended vnto them much lesse if our Bishops reuerse their commission contradict their doctrine labour by al meanes vtterly to suppresse it For who doubteth but that such as haue power to communicate haue power also to reuoke moderate and restreyne the authority which they giue And whosoeuer persisteth after the reuocation or whosoeuer altereth the tenour of his commission he runneth not sent he prophesieth that which our Lord neuer sayd nor any of his seruants deliuered vnto him he is therein as Optatus wittily iesteth at Victor the Donaeist A sonne without a Father a Nouice without an instructour disciple without a mayster follower without a predecessour prodigiously borne a preacher of himselfe teaching a lesson which he neuer learned of any before For to go backe and say with M. Mason that God by Scriptures reuealed it vnto him is no authenticall or sufficient calling because generally all heretiques boast of the like reuelation all pretend their Mission and calling by Scripture That the Donatistes the Circumcellians the Arians arrogated and had as good warrant God leaueth not Scripture to euery ones priuat exposition but to the interpretation only of his Church for the true meaning of Scripture as any Protestant hath for his exposition Wherefore to auoyd the confusion occasions of errour which might ensue of leauing the Scripture to the particuler interpretations of priuat men it pleaseth God to vnfold the true sense meaning of his will to the publike Pastours preachers of his Church to them he infallibly deliuereth the inheritance of truth of them only we must seeke it to them we are bound to repayre to haue it opened vnto vs from them alone we can haue our vocation to preach it Otherwise euery mad and fanaticall spirit might fondly deuise as Protestants doe what constructions what reuelations he list 28. This reason Iohn Caluin the chiefe Architect of M. Masons religion assigneth why God teacheth not eyther by himselfe or by Angells but by the voyce and Caluin in c. 59. Isa speach of men This order quoth he God hath setled in his Church that they may vaunt themselues in
Church as a flatterer stileth him wrote directly agaynst them Where was that ordinary succession ordinary calling common consecration of Protestant superintendents of which M. Mason braggeth so much by three of our Bishops or such as were ordeyned by them when Whitaker denyed their Prelates and ministers to be ordeyned by Papisticall Bishops When he â—aught that they ought not to be created by them That the manner of consecrating by three Bishops Ibid. f. 308. did not take place in their lapsed Church That Catholique Bishops could not be induced to lay hands vpon Ricard Stock in dedicatory epist to my them That their succession was extraordinary not according to the receaued manner Were Masons ordinations then a foote His forged consecrations euery where practised when Whitaker so often and so aduisedly Lord Knowles protesteth the contrary But into such contradictions they are wont to fal who wrongfully lay claim to false pretended titles Mason lib. 1. 2. 3. 22. The chiefe reason which moued Mayster Whitaker Mayster Fulke and their consortes thus to disclaime froÌ„ the ordination of Catholike Bishops was because VVhitak contro 2. q. 3. cap 1. folio 184. Episcopi qui secuti GregoriuÌ„ magnum verifuerunt Antichristi Fulke in c. 20. Apo. sect 2. Sparke in his answere to M. Iohn d' Aâ—bins p. 23. they most iniuriously accounted them antichristian Prelates The Bishops sayth Whitaker which followed Gregory the great were true Antichrists They were as Fulke miscalleth them Prelates of the Antichristian Church Right Priests of Antichrist sayth D. Sparke yea nothing is more common among them then to cal our people the limmes of Antichrist our Church the congregation of Antichrist our Priests Fulke in c. 2. ad Thess sect 9. and in c. 17. Apo. sect 1. 4 in other of his works and Bishops the slaues and shauelinges of Antichrist our Popes euen Antichrists themselues Which although they be most malicious and spiâ—ifull calumniations howsoeuer Mayster Powell belieueth the letter as an article of faith Yet see the misery of English Superintendents when to the condemnation of all their neighbour brethren who want that calling they are fayne to begge their spirituall power from such as they misdeeme Antichristian Gabriel Powel in tract de Antichristo p. 2. Bishops when they cannot enter the folde of Christ but by the back-dore of Antichrist nor minister his Sacraments but by ordination from Antichrist nor feede his sheepe but by commission from Antichrist nor receaue holy orders and conferre them to others but by the authority ProtestaÌ„ts aredriuen to great extremityes wheÌ„ they beg from Antichrist all their christian rites of Antichrist Was the sonne of God so needy The Church his spouse become so bankrupt as not to haue any power or iurisdiction left but what it borrowed from Antichrist her deadly enemy Was Christ disrobed of all his inheritance and after so many ages did he repaire to you to restore him his right by the meanes of Antichrist By his slauish army by his Antichristian Idolatours O M. Mason how base are your thoughts how miserable your clergy when you are forced to run to this miserable refuge To go on Protestant mynisters want true mission or vocatioÌ„ to preach 23. The last defect of Protestant ministery is mission or vocation to preach which is so necessary to the function of a lawfull Pastour and duâ—y of the faythfull as Saint Paul sayth How shall they belieue him whome they haue not heard And how shall heare without a preacher But how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent In which words he chaineth together in a linke inseparably these fower thinges Fayth Hearing Rom. 10. v. 14. 15. Preacher and Mission and as Hearing is requisite in the belieuer that â—e may rightly belieue so Mission in the preacher that he may lawfully preach This mission or calling is of two sortes the one immediatly from God which is called an extraordinary Mission ought to be proued by apparant miracles the irreproueable seales conformations of Gods will The other mediatly only by authority communicated vnto them from Apostolicall men the vicegerents of Christ vpon earth which is tearmed an ordinary vocation the vsuall Mission now Matth. 28. Rom. 10. Eph. 4. Luther Tom. 5. â— VViteÌ„ in c. 1. ad Galat. folio 376. practised in the Church and which hath continued according to the promise of Christ and testimony of the Apostle confessed by Luther and shall continue euen to the end of the world without which whosoeuer arrogateth the name of a Preacher he is an vsurper an intruder that rusheth in at the window and entreth not at the dore he is a wolfe a theefe who cometh not but to steale kill destroy 24. Wherefore although we should bestow vpon Protestants the almes of ordination they so importunatly begge although they could deriue a true consecration Eavocatio durauit vsque ad nostra teÌ„pora durabit vsque ad finem muÌ„di which they shall neuer be able from Catholique Bishops yet their Commission and warrant to preach their Caluinisticall doctrine their vocation thereunto they can neuer shew For let them tell me who called them to that office Who gaue them authority to preach their Protestant fayth Temporall Princes and secular people whome Mayster Whitaker assigneth They cannot communicat that spirituall power they cannot preach themselues much lesse enable others to discharge that office VVhitak contro 2. q. 5. ca. 6. f. 36â— Agayne what Princes or people might they be No Catholike Princes would giue them commission to preach Protestant doctrine No Protestant Princes or people were heard of vntill Luther and his disciples had publiquely In vayne do ProtestaÌ„t mynisters pretend their calling from temporall Princes or secular magistrates preached their Protestant Ghospell In vayne then doe they seeke their calling from these Will they pleade it from some ecclesiasticall persons Priestes or Bishops But I haue often inculcated that there was not any Protestant Priest or Bishop in the world when these Sectaryes first beganne and as for Catholique Bishops they were so farre from giuing them any Commission to preach or power to mynister Sacraments after their manner as they excommunicated and forbad them all pulpits and oratoryes renounced all society and participation in Sacraments with them laboured by all meanes possible to hinder suppresse their false and new coyned Gospell Therefore M. Mason striueth to vnderprop their Mission not by letters of credit from any secular magistrates or orthodoxall Bishops but by the broad seale forsooth as he falsly supposeth of holy Scripture the common warrant to which euery heretique seemeth to lay clayme saying Cranmer the rest receaued Mason l. 2. c. 2. folio 11. from you the shell of succession without the kernell of doctrine For though our Church did giue men power to preach the truth yet being bewitched with Antichrist in many things it did not reueale the