1 Kings 19.10 God had 7000 true seruants in secret though their names be not recorded ibid. vers 18. So doubtlesse it was in other most depraued times §. 3. Antiquus Though this were so See Field Church lib. 3. cap. 10. lib. 4. cap. 4. yet the Churches of the New Testament had Prophesies of greater purity Psal 45.13 and by our Sauiours power and care may bee kept without spot or wrinckle Ephes 5.26 27. Antiquissimus Such things are spoken of the best parts of the Church vpon earth washed by Christs blood and made beautifull by his righteousnesse and by their owne practise of holinesse but those are meerly discernable by Gods eye But those places of Scripture specially respect that part of the Church which is triumphant in Heauen and there presented by our Sauiour Ephes 5.27 But the generall face of visible Churches vpon earth haue bin ordinarily stayned with spots and blemishes the Church of Corinth with sects and schismes and other deprauations yea with doubting or denying that great Article of faith the life of Christianity the Resurrection of the dead Galatia erred in the great point of Iustification against which errour Saint Paul opposed his Epistle written to them In the Church of Pergamus some held the doctrine of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans teaching to eate things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication Reu. 2.14 The like was in the Church of Thyatira Reuel 2.20 c. And if there were no possibility or likelihood of errours and heresies in the Churches of the New Testament What needed those warnings and admonitions Keepe your selues from Idols 1 Iohn 5.21 Beware of false prophets in sheepes cloathing Mat. 7.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charge men that they teach no other doctrine 1 Tim. 1.3 Stop the mouthes of the gain-sayers that subuert whole houses Tit. 1.11 And to what end were Visitations Counsels and all Offices and Gouernment in the Church but for maintaining of true doctrine preuenting and rooting out of errours and abuses §. 4. Matth. 18.7 1 Cor. 11.19 Remember that our Sauiour said There must be offences in the world and Saint Paul There must be heresies Yea it is necessary that there be both for the good of the faithfull the good of the faith and the punishment of the faithlesse To which ends God suffers these two causes to concurre and worke to wit the Deuils malice and Mans corruption because God can worke good out of their euill The Diuels malice and policy neuer ceaseth still to pursue the seed of the Woman and to bite the heele seeking both by persecutions and heresies to supplant Gods Church to plant and increase his owne Kingdome He attempted our head Matth. 4.3 and so will doe his members Luke 22.31 2 Cor. 12.7 Ephes 6.11 12. 1 Pet. 5.8 2 Cor. 11.14 Mans corruption and blindnesse is also easie to bee drawne by others and easily drawne by his own affections out of the right way as Micah Iudges 17. to worship God by a siluer Image thinking blindly that euery worke with a good intention would please God and draw blessings from him Salomon by loue to his wiues was drawen to Idolatry Our Eues are weake to be seduced 1 Kings 11.4 strong to seduce vs. Ieroboam by ambitious policy 1 Kings 12.26 Acts 19.24.28 set vp Idolatry to keep his people at home Demetrius and the Ephesians for couetousnesse magnified the Idol of Diana and cryed downe the Gospel Acts 19. Simon Magus through pride bewitched the people Acts 8.9.10 that he might seeme some great man Simon Magus among them These and such other affections and actions God permits to oppose corrupt or blind the truth First for the good oâ— the faithfull that their diligence in searching their wisdome in discerning their constancy in holding the truth their loue to winne the aduersaries their patience to endure opposition disgrace persecution yea Death and Martyrdome for the truth and their many other vertues may shine to Gods glory others example and their owne crowne Reu. 3.11 Secondly for the good of the faith Vt fides habendo tentationem haberet etiam probationem saith Tertullian that our faith being sifted winnowed tried examined may be more approued and appeare more solid sound pure like the gold that is purified in the fire Thirdly for the punishment of the faâ—thles Rom. 1.21.22.23 c. 2 Thes 2.11 for it is iust with God that such as hold the truth in vnrighteousnesse should be punished with losse of the truth and left to their owne errours and damnable corruptions euen to the efficacy of delusion to beleeue lies §. 5. Antiquus Be it so that all other Churches may erre yet the Roman Church which the chiefe Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul planted and where Saint Peter the Vniuersall Pastor of the whole Church liued and dyed leauing his successors to gouerne the whole Church to the end of the world hath this double priuiledge aboue all other Churches both to continue to the end and to be free from errour Antiquissimus A prety imagination but voyde of faith For if the Church of Rome be not as subiect to errours and deprauations yea and to Apostacy as other Churches what needed that Admonition of Saint Paul to the Romans Rom. 11.20 Bee not high-minded but feare For if God spared not the naturall branches the Hebrewes Take heed lest he also spare not thee This was a Caueat for Gentiles and consequently to the Romans which were Gentiles among them The Romans are not excepted or priuiledged Nay they are principally intended for to them that Epistle was written cap. 1. vers 7. To all that be at Rome Beloued of God called to bee Saints To them Saint Paul saith Be not high-minded affecting superiority ouer all Gods Church as if Rome were the root and all other the branches but feare yea feare both errour and apostacy For you may fall from goodnesse and be cut off for verse 10. thou bearest not the root but the root thee be content to be a branch of the Oliue tree as other Churches are they depend not on thee no more then thou on them but all of you alike vpon the root Thou art not the Mother be content to be a Daughter a Sister to the rest Suppose one of the eldest sisters liuing yet the elder may be sicke and neare to death when the yonger are more sound and perfect Marke the 22 verse Behold the goodnesse and seuerity of God on them which fell seuerity but towards thee goodnesse iâ— thou continue in his goodnesse otherwise thou also shalt be also cut off Note if there were no possibility of the Roman Churches falling from the goodnesse which then it had this admonition directed to them were idle but vpon supposition of such falling as other Churches haue done he denounceth absolutely a cutting off Antiquus Such suppositions doe enforce good Caueats and warnings to make that Church watchfull as by Gods grace it
ouerthrowes it by the consequence of many opinions and practises now generally retained in it As the Galatians held the foundation to wit saluation by Iesus Christ and yet withall held a necessity of ioyning circumcision with Christ which doctrine by consequence destroyed the very foundation for so Saint Paul wrote vnto them Gal. 5 2 4. If they were circumcised Christ profited them nothing he became of none effect vnto them they were fallen from grace In like manner saith he The Church of Rome professâ—ng to hold the foundation of faith yet by ioyning other things with Christ and by teaching many things pernicious in Christian faith doth by consequence plainely ouerthrow the foundation of faith Plainely saith his Margen in all mens sight whose eyes God hath enlightned to behold his truth for they which are in errour are in darkenesse and see not that which in light is plaine One of their pernicious errors he toucheth there in the Margensaying Ibid. §. 11. They hold the same with Nestorius fully the same with Eutiches about the proprieties of Christs Nature More he mentioneth else where in the text calling them such Impieties as by their law they haue established and wherevnto all that are among them either doe indeed assent or else are by powerfull meanes forced in shew and appearance to subiect themselues See also ibid. § 2â— For example In the Church of Rome is maintained that the same credit and reuerence that we giue to the Scriptures of God ought also to be giuen to vnwritten verities that the Pope is supreme head ministeriall ouer the vniuersall Church militant That the bread in the Eucharist is Transubstantiated into Christ That it is to be adored and to be offered vnto God as a sacrifice propitiatory for quicke and dead That Images are to be worshipped Saints to be called vpon as Intercessors and such like §. 3. Antiquus How agrees this with that you said before that the Church of Rome excepting the Papacy therein continued to be the Church of God till Luthers time for euen those whom you call the Church of God liued and dyed in the profession of these errours which now you say destroy the foundation of the Church of God Antiquissimus Vnderstand vs right They that hold these and such like errours for worldly respects knowing them to be heresies and make semblance of allowing that which in heart and iudgement they condemne as also they that heretically maintaine them by holding them obstinately after wholsome admonition Mr. Hooker makes no doubt Cyprian cited beâ—ore cap. 1. Sect. 4 § 3. T it 3 1â— 11. so alâ—o â—il 3.2 gal 3. â—0 12. 1 7 8 9. but their condemnation without an actuall repentance is inevitable And this is confirmed by Saint Cyprians famous sentence by me cited before and by Saint Paul saying A man that is an hereticke after the first and second admonition reiect knowing that he that is such is subuerted and sinneth being condemned of himselfe But many liued in these errors in the Church of Rome not knowing them to be errors or heresies Hooker ibid. § 12. nor euer vnderstanding that the consequent thereof destroyed the Foundation of Faith They following the conduct of their guides and obseruing exactly what was prescribed them Ibid. § 13. thought they did God good seruice when indeed they did dishonour him They did but erroniously practise what their guides hereticallly taught And though the pit bee ordinarily the end both of the guide and of the guided in blindnesse yet Gods mercy might saue them that sinned onely of erroneous piety and were merely deceiued by thinking too well and trusting too much their hereticall teachers not being in the rank of them who receiued not the loue of the truth to beleeue it and had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse and so were worthy to be giuen ouer to strong delusions and damnation 2 thes 2.10 11 12. This is confirmed likewise by the former sentence of Saint Cyprian Cyprian cited before cap. 1. sect 4. sect 3. Augustine cited before cap. 1. sect 4. in the V. Reason 1 Cor. 1.2 15.14 gal 1.2 5 2 4 10. Hook ib. § 26. and by the iudgement of Saint Augustine formerly alleadged and by Saint Pauls imbracing the Corinthians and Galatians as Churches of Christ notwithstanding the errours which they held being of mere ignorance and seduced by false Teachers For the false teachers of circumcision or the froward stiffe-necked and obstinate defenders thereof after wholsome admonition Saint Paul calleth dogges Phil. 3.2 and wisheth them cut off Gal. 5 12. and pronounceth them accursed Gal 1.8 But them that held the same errour of ignorance not knowing the dangerous consequence of it and retained a mind docible and desirous to be instructed in the truth and to follow it Them Saint Paul pittieth to them he writeth as to the Church of Christ Gal. 1.2 them with fatherly tendernesse he admonisheth instructeth and imbraceth as his children §. 4. And although many of our Fathers in the Church of Rome dyed in their errors not knowing them to be errors and therefore may be thought neuer to haue repented of them yet the same may be said of the Corinthians and Galatians that many of them dyed before S. Paul either heard of their seducing or had time to reduce them but of their the liuing also in the very beginning of his Epistles before he deliuered his instructions he spake comfortably and saluted theÌ„ as the Churches and Saints of God Hooker ibid. § 18. 20. And Mr. Hooker giues a reason why they that hold the foundation of Christian Religion cannot be said to dye without some kind of Repentance euen for vnknowen sinnes The least sinne in deed word or thought is to be accounted deadly without repentance and Gods mercy Yet many sins escape vs without knowledge of them many which we obserue not to be sinnes and without actuall and particular knowledge or obseruation of them there can be no actuall or particular repentance of them yet for as much as all that hold the foundation of religion inviolable in their harts haue a general hatred of all sin thogh for actuall knowne sinnes an actuall and particular repentance is required See Archb. Abbot ag Hil. reason 5. § 28. yet for secret and vnknowne sins as common ouersights errours and such as we either know not or know them not to be sins a generall hatred and a generall repentance of all obtaines the mercy of God through the mediation of Iesus Christ Psal 51. title Psal 19.12 Dauid repented actually particularly and punctually for his knowne particular sinnes but of others he saith in generall who can vnderstand his errours or know how oft he offendeth Lord clense thou me from my secret faults See heere chap. 3. § 1.13 Many ancient Fathers erroneously held free-will and yet were not accounted heretickes because it was of meere ignorance whereof they were neuer conuicted
neither was there any full sufficient setling of the truth of that point in the Church before their times nor the euill consequence thereof discerned And heresie is the obstinate maintaining of such errours after the truth is plainely taught sufficient to convict them The like may be said of the Millenary errour See ibid. and many other which diuers of the ancient Fathers held as afore is mentioned §. 5. Here you may obserue First the Church of Rome is charged with errours Hock ibid. § 17. by consequence whereof the very foundation of faith is plainly ouerthrowen and the force of the blood of Iesus Christ extinguished Secondly the wilfull and obstinate maintainers thereof after wholesome admonition are guilty of vnauoydable condemnation without actuall repentance Thirdly our Fathers that liued in those errours D. Whiâ—â— Woy pag. 448. Mornâ—y church cap. 9. end and held them onely vpon ignorance as they were taught not thinking they did amisse and neuer vnderstanding the dangerous consequence of them might by their generall hatred and repentance of all sinne though vnknowne be saued through Gods mercy and by holding the foundation and nothing in their knowledge and intent contrary therevnto were to bee accounted members of the true Church of God Fourthly this ignorance in these times cannot giue any colour of excuse since by reason of Luthers opposition these things haue beene better discussed the errours discouered and the dangerous consequence of them sufficiently published to the world not onely by the Diuines of other Countries but euen by our owne English So that after so large a publication thereof we may say as Saint Paul 2 Cor. 4.3 2 Cor. 4.3 4. If our Gospel he hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beleeue not lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the Image of God should shine vnto vnto them 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. And 2 Thess 2.10 In them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued for which cause God sendeth them strong delusion that they should beleeue a lie that they might all be damned who beleeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse §. 6. Antiquus You bring forth but one man and make him great with praises as if with his great person and big words like Goliah he were sufficient to scarre and and fright the whole army of God Antiquissimus No Sir I bring him forth as humble Dauid against your Goliah of Rome and I will if you require it adioyne vnto him many other Worthies like Dauids able to quell all your Giants not with bigge words but with sound blowes D. Field appendix to the fift booke pag. vlt. Secondly Our worthy Doctor Field in his whole fiue bookes of the Church euery where sheweth your corruptions and refuteth them But for the present read onely the last page of his whole worke where hee layeth to the charge of the present Church of Rome 2 number of erroneous points wherein men liuing and dying can neuer be saued and wherein that Church sheweth her selfe to be the Synagogue of Sathan the faction of Antichrist and that Babylon out of which we must flie vnlesse we will be partakers of her plagues Thirdly our worthy Bishop Downam in his bookes De Antichristâ— sheweth the same His whole third booke setteth out the opposition of the Pope to Christs especially the sixt and seuenth Chapters containe a Catalogue of the errors and heresies of the present Roman Church and the eight Chapter sheweth her opposition against the offices and benefits of Christ euery where alledging your owne authors for confirmation of that the saith Fourthly The like doth D. Gabriell Powell in his two bookes De Antichristo De Ecclesia Antichristi If I should but reckon vp the names onely of Protestants which write of these points Punctually as these aboue named or otherwise other largly or briefely either purposely or occasionally and obiter by the way I should be needlesly tedious Fifthly M. Perkins vpon the Epistle of S. Jude pag. 261. I will therefore conclude with one in stead of all to wit Mr. Perkins In his Lectures vpon Iude verse 19 he saith we may not separate from the visible particular Church 1 for the corrupt manners of Men except from the priuate society of notorious offendors onely in priuate conuersation 1. cor 5.11 but onely for errors in doctrine 2 and not for all errors but onely for errors great and waighty for smaller errors cut not of saluation and therefore must not cause a seperation 1 cor 3 15 and 3 for those waighty errors euen in the substance of doctrine or in the Foundation if they beheld onely of frailty we may not seperate but if they be held and maintained with obstinacy then with good conscience we may and must seperate from the maintainers of them 1 tim 6.3 4.5 Acts 19.9.2 Chron. 11.4 16 17. Antiquus I like well of Mr. Perkins Iudgement that we may not make seperation for any other cause but onely for great and waighty errors against the foundation of Religion and for those onely when they are held with obstinacy But where doth he charge the Church of Rome with any such Antiquissimus Euen in the same Exposition of that Epistle of Saint Iude verse 3 where he speaketh of the points of Common Saluation from pag. 37 to pag 97. There he describeth 21 grounds of Faith and 11 groundes of Gods seruice and good life which the Church of Rome as there he sheweth doth very much infringe and in many things ouerthrow by the points of doctrine and practise which it maintaineth Reed and waigh them aduisedly Section 4. § 1. There is a necessity or great profit of Preaching euen to them that are well grounded in all necessary Principles § 2. As Israel needed all helpes after the giuing of the Law and all were too little § 3. The profits of Preaching in generall § 4. Some particulars for continuall spirituall food cordiall medicine and comfort memory armour c. § 5. The continuall need thereof was found in all Churches planted euen by the Apostles and in their times §. 1. Antiquus I will reade them at my better leasure But now by the way by your allowing these principall grounds of Religion to be sufficient for all men to saluation You seeme to cut off all necessity of so much preaching as is vsed amongst you For what needes so much preaching and hearing when men are already instructed in all points necessary to saluation Antiquissimus Preaching is still necessary because faith and regeneration must continually receiue increase 2 Pet. 3 1â— As S. Peter exhorteth in the last words of his later Epistle Grow in grace and in knowledge c. If knowledge and grace were so perfect in all beleeuers at the first instant that no reliques of blindnesse or
and preaching the kingdome of God no man forbidding him He called them in his Epistle Beloued oâ— God Rom. 1.7 8. Saints and saith their Faith was spoken of throughout the whole world Rom. â—5 14 and that they were full of goodnesse filled with all knowledge able also to admonish one another And yet Saint Paul was faine to admonish the same Romans to marke them which caused diuisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which they had heard and learned and to auoid them For such serue not our Lord Iesus but their owne belly and by good words and fayre speaches deceiue the hearts of the simple Rom. 16.17 18 The same Saint Paul had planted a famous Church at Corinth continuing there a yeare and an halfe so famous that he said of it 1 Cor. 1.5 I thanke God that in euery thing ye are inriched by God in all vtterance and knowledge c. But that Church of Corinth which Paul had planted Acts 18.11 Apollo watered and God so encreased The Diuell and wicked men corrupted both in life 1 Cor. 5.1 to suffer such wickednesse as was not so much as named among the Gentils and in doctrine to embrace such points as made the Apostles preaching vaine 1 Cor. 15.14 19. and their faith vaine Yea and made Christians of all men most miserable Whâ—ch Saint Paul was faine laboriously to reforme by writing two large Epistles vnto them The Galations erred so dangerously about the doctrine of Iustification Gal. 5.2 4. that Saint Paul told them if they reformed it not they were fallen from grace and Christ profited them nothing The Philippians had among them dogs euill workers Phil. 3.2 18 19 enemies to the crosse of Christ whose God was their belly whose glory was in their shame whose end was damnation Of whome Saint Paul tels them weeping Saint Paul praised the Colossians Col. 1.3 4 6. Col. 2.8 16 21 22. yet he found it necessary to warne them of the danger of vaine philosophy traditions worshipping of Angels and other fruitlesse obseruations after the commandements and doctrines of men He praised the Thessalonians also 1 Thes 1.2 3. c. 2.13 14. ib. cap. 3.7 5. 2 Thes 2.2 3. Yet he found it fit to send Timothy to strengthen and comfort them least the tempter should by some meanes tempt them and frustrate his labour And by two Epistles he stirres them vp to continuance and stedfastnesse in the truth and giues them many good precepts of life As he doth also in all his other Epistles to other Churches The seuen Churches of Asia had their imperfections Reu. 2.4 5. their dangers and their need of helpes against them Ephesus fell from her first loue verse 7. Smyrna dwelt by the Synagogue of Sathan Pergamus by Satans seat verse 13. in danger of Balaams stumbling blocks and the Nicolaitans hatefull Doctrine Thyatyra tempted by Iezabels fornication and Idols verse 20. Sardis had a name to liue and was dead Reu. 3.1 Philadelphia had but little strength verse 8. verse 15. Laodicea was neither hot nor colde thought all well and knew not she was wretched miserable poore blinde and naked These Churches to which it may be presumed all other may in some sort more or lesse be resembled and ranked had the foundation well layed in them but yet they stood in need of continual renewed instructioÌ„s excitations exhortations consolations armour against temptations physicke against diseases and food against faintings and consequently of the Word of God which is all these to dwell plentifully among them and duely and daily to be ministred vnto them I verely thinke the want of frequenting our Sermons is the cause that so many fall away to the Romish It is the policy of your seducers to keepe them by all meanes from hearing and knowing the truth 2. Thes 2.10 11 12. Otherwise they could neuer be so blinded to beleeue lies to take Nouelty for Antiquity Idolatry for Gods worship treasons and massacres for holy acts to take pleasure in vnrighteousnesse and be carried away with such other strong delusions and withall deceiuablenesse of vnrighteousnesse to their owne perdidition and not rather receiue the loue of the truth that they might be saued Psal 58.4 â— These deafe Adders might be charmed if they did not willfully stop their eares against the voice of the Charmer Heb. 4.12 2 cor 10.4 5. charme he neuer so wisely For the word of God iâ— quick and powerfull and sharper then any two-edged sword piercing euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the Ioints and marow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart The fruit whereof you may see where it is plentifull and graceously preached obseruing how religious deuout iust and truely honest the people become how temperate sober charitable vpright dealing and blessed people abhorring all sinne desirous and diligent to practise all good duties that tend to the honor of God and the good of men I doe not thinke but if your backsliders would carefully heare many of our Preachers they would be as Saint Paul saith conuinced of all 2 Cor. 14.24 25. and iudged of all the very secrets of their hearts made manifest and so falling downe on their faces would worship God and report that God is in the Preachers of a truth Antiquus Oh Sir so we thinke of our Priests wee reuerence them as Gods Angels we heare them as sent from God as God himselfe or as men sent and endued with power from God to teach vs the true way to heauen to absolue vs from our sinnes to offer vp the reall sacrifice of Christs body and blood for vs and to giue vs the true naturall body of Christ himselfe into our moothes to our eternall saluation Which priuiledges your titulary Ministers haue not They are no Priests they are meere secular men without any power and authority from God to doe any of these things And therefore we haue no reason to heare them or to reuerence them otherwise then we doe other ordinary men for their personall honesty or ciuility not for their offices You haue therefore offered mee iust occasion to proceed and vrge this thing as CHAP. 5. Of the succession of the Protestants Bishops and Ministers from the Apostles Section 1. The necessity thereof vrged without which there can be no such Church 2. This succession is clamourously denyed to Protestants 3. But manifestly proued and the slanders confuted 4. Particularly in Cranmer our first Archbishop 5. Jn other Bishops of King Henry 8 his time 6. And of Edward 6. and of Queene Maries time 7. And of Queene Elizabeths time 8. The false reports hereof doe alienate many from the Reformed Religion 9. A proofe of the sufficient ordination of Ministers in forraigne Reformed Churches 10. Which is further confirmed by the Doctrine and practise of the Romish Section 1. Antiquus ANother
beleeued by as many as shall be saued y In â—ulla juramenti de prosess fidei These 12 new Articles you may see also in the Epistle Dedicatory to B. Iewels workes in euery Church In Onuphrius added to Platina in vita Pij 4. 7 We beleeue that the true God is to be worshipped in Spirit and Truth and according as himselfe hath prescribed and you yeeld that therein we doe well but you adde that he may be analogically relatiuely worshipped by Images and by other Doctrines deuised by Men which are not commanded but sharply reproued by the Scriptures Exod. 20.4 5. Deut. 4.15 16. Mat. 15.9 Mar. 7 3 4.7 Col. 2.18 22 23. God grant we may serue him as himselfe hath prescribed and then we shall be sure to be happy enough See D. Hall Roma irreconciliabilis sect 21. 8 We beleeue we ought to pray with feruency and sincerity of heart with a purpose to forsake all sinne and to serue God truely and with faith and hope to be heard you beleeue so also but you adde wee may pray in an vnknowne tongue without vnderstanding sense or feeling what we say with many repetitions and by number vpon Beads without weight and that such prayers are satâ—sfactory for sin and meritorious of grace You doe not say I hope we ough to pray in a tongue vnknowne but we may doe it So you condemne not our custome lest you condemne Saint Paul also 1 Cor 14.15 c. but onely excuse your owne 9 We beleeue we ought to pray vnto God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost you yeeld it to be good but you adde not that we are commanded but that we may also pray vnto Angels and Saints deceased But surely the worship and inuocation of Angels is forbidden by the Councell of Laodicaea much more of Saints For they that vrged the worship of Angels alledged that for our better accesse vnto God we we must vse the intercession of Angels as Gods Courtiers and Attendants and this is your reason for your prayers vnto Saints The Councell therefore that forbiddeth the one implieth the prohibition of the other See more of this in Bishop Mortons Protestants Appeal lib. 2. cap. 12. section 1 2 3 4 5 6 c and compendiously sâ—ct 13. 10 We beleeue that our Lord â—esus Christ is our Mediator both of Redemption and intâ—rcession You grant this to be true but you adde vnto him Angels and Saints vpon whose intercession and merits you also in part relye See B. Morton ib. lib. 2. cap. 12. specially sect 10 11 12 13. Perk. â—esor Cath. points 15. 11 We beleeue that the glorified Saints beare most louing â—ffection to the Saints liuing on earth and pray in generall for the Church Militant You beleeue so to but you adde that they heare mens prayers made vnto them pray for particular men and know their wants which hearing and knowledge we say is proper to God alone But your greatest Clerkes cannot determine how the Saints know our hearts and prayers whether by hearing or seeing or presence euery where or by Gods relating or reueâ—ling mens prayers and needs vnto them All which wayes some of your Doctors hold as probable or possible and others deny and and confute them as vntrue Of this see Bishop Morton Appeal lib. 2. cap. 12. sect 5. and lib. 5. cap. 2 sect 2. Perkins reformed Catholicke point 14. 12 We honour Gods Saints deceased as the Prophets Apostles Martyrs and other holy sâ—ruants of God both by reuerend memorials of them praises to God for them and for his benâ—fits to the Church by them and by imitation of their vertues Their true Reliques vertues bookes good workâ—s and eâ—amples we respect with reuerence And their bodily Reliques we despise not but reuerently keepe them if we may without offence This you like well but whereas you further worship the Saints theâ—r Images or Reliques with kneeling Inuocation dedication of Churches and Festiuall dayes and Pilgrimages to their Shrines or Reliques you step too farre into superstition and Idolatry See B. Mortons Appeal lib. 5 cap. 2. sect 3 4 5. and cap. 3. sect Doctor Hall Roma irreconciliabilis section 20. and 21. 13 We beleeue tâ—at man is iustified by the merits and passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Antic 11. 1562. you beleeue so too but you aâ—de that he must be further iustified by his owne merits or satisfactions Of Iustification and of Merits see a large discourse afterwards 14 We beleeue also that as Christs most perfect righteousnesse is most necâ—ssary to be imputed vnto vs for our Iustâ—fication so our owne inherent righteousnesse wrought in vs by Gods Spirit for sanctification of life is necessary to saluation and that he is no good Christian that shewes not his true conuersion by the fruits of a good life You cannot mislike this And yet you charge vs that we open a gate to all licentiousnesse of life because we teach that we are not iustified by our owne good works which are farre short of perfection but by Christs righteousnesse imputed vnto vs which alone is most perfect and able to satisfie Gods Iustice and his Law We vrge good workes as much as you as absolute necessary effects of Iustifying grace but not causes thereof saying with S. Bernard They are Via regni non causa regnandi The way whereby we must walke to felicity or else we shall neuer come to it but not the meritorious cause of felicity 15 Yea we vrge good workes more then you doe We teach that in true conuersion a man must be wounded in his conscience by the sense of hâ—s sinnes his contrition must be compungent and vâ—hement brusing breaking renting the heart and feeling the throwes as a woman labouring of Child bâ—fore the new creature be brought forth or Christ truely formed in him It is not done without bitternesse of the soule without study care indignatioâ— râ—uâ—nge 2 Cor. 7 11. But as some Infants are bâ—â—ne with lâ—sse paine to the Mother and some with more so may the new man be regenerated in some with more in some with lesse anxiety of trauell But surely grace is not infused into the heart of any sinner except there be at least so great affliction of spirit for sinne foregoing that he cannot but feele it otherwise he might make a confâ—ssion without contrition Thus we vrge sinners to a true feeling and sorrow for their sinne And for scandalous faults we vrge open sinners to open acknowledgement satisfaction of the Church and to â—ndure the censures thereof and all men to practise the actions of holy deuotion the better to humble and dispose themselues to be more capable of reconciliation with God and to promise and vow amendment of life and set down with themselues the best fitting courses for it See D. Francis White Orthodoxe Faith p. 16. We teach though they must be iustified by Christs merits onely applied and made theirs by faith yet that
him might answerably maintaine him vphold his authority and all his proceedings with the disgrace and beating downe of all his or their aduersaries §. 2. See Hist concil Trent lib. 2. pag. 167. 169. 170. an 1546. lib. 4. pag. 322. This course was found to be very hurtfull to the Church and was complained of by many learned men in the following Ages and in the late Councell of Trent Reformation thereof was very earnestly called for by many Bishops especially the Spanish as a thing that vtterly abolished the Apostles Institution and the holy Fathers practise took away the Bishops office and was the cause why all things were out of order and so had growne by degrees from bad to worse for three hundred yeeres Neither was it possible to amend them wh le these ambulatory Monkes and Fryars did so swarme in the world with priuiledge to preach where and what they list against the Bishops willes Vpon such great and frequent complaints in Trent Ibid. pag. 170. the pope and Cardinals at Rome tooke the matter into their consideration and they quickly saw that if these exemptions and priuiledges of preaching Monkes and Fryers were taken away the popes authority would decay For it was a cleare case that after the six hundredth yeare the primacy of the Apostolicke Sea had beene vpheld by the Benedictine Monkes exempted and after by the Congregations of Clunie and Cistercium and other Monasticall Assemblies vntill the Mendicant Fryars arose by whom it had beene maintained till that time And therefore to take away those priuiledges were directly to oppugne the Papacy with a manifest depression of the Court of Rome These motions therefore were by all possible meanes to be silenced Note by the way something of the Monkes here named and the Ages they liued in §. 3. Tritem de viris illustr ord Benediclini lib. 1. cap. 2. 5. Tritemius writes that of the Benedictines there were before the Councell of Constance 15000 Religious houses and that out of this order there had beene taken of Popes eighteene Cardinals one hundred and eighty Archbishops one thousand one hundred sixty foure Bishops three thousand fiue hundred and twelue by which you may gesse at the multitudes power estimation and authority that this order had in the world Azor. instit moral lib. 12. c. 21. Azorius saith when this order grew slacke and swarued from their first rule the Cluniacenses arose out of them an 913. And the Câ—sternienses anno 1198. And these were they that vpheld the Papacy so notably in those middle times of darkenesse when all Learning both Diuine and Humane yea and almost all goodnesse was decayed out of the world and ignorant men were apt to beleeue any thing and take it for currant and authenticall which their seeming-holy Church-men taught being no way able to examine the truth thereof §. 4. Legend Aur. Iacobi de Voragine in vita Dominici c. Also in vita Dominici addita Lipomano De historia Sanctorum These things they say were made knowne to diuers deuout Monkes by Visions or Reuelations whereof Iacobus de Voragine Bishop of Genua reciteth some In legenda S. Dominici But in succeeding times when the worlds eyes were better opened and the opposers of the Papacy specially the Waldenses or Albigenses grew to greater numbers and strength Innocent 3. hit vpon better meanes against them by the two orders of begging Fryers newly deuised by S S. Dominick and Francis There is a wicked and prophane story which I thought the learned of this Age had beene ashamed of but that I find it new written againe by Costerus the Iesuite in the Preface of his Institutions how that Iesus Christ was in a great chafe that the Albigenses increased so fast and seemed to ouercome the world so that he said he would presently destroy the world But the holy Virgin his Mother prayed him to be patient a while that she might first send two men into the world S. Dominicke and S. Francis and if they could ouercome them all should be well if not then let him take his pleasure They write also that Dominicus hauing deuised a new order against Heretickes better then any former came to pope Innocent 3. to haue it confirmed The pope in some suspence whether to grant or deny it one night saw in his dream the great church of Lateran shrinking in his ioynts and ready to finke to the earth whereat affrighted he thought he saw Dominick presently come and hold it vp with his shoulders Vpon which vision he confirmed his new order Thus writes Vincentius in Speculo histor Antoninus Theodoricus Bertrandus Bonav de vita Francisci cap. 3. in fine apud Lipomanum Baptista Mantuanus But Bonaventure saith It was Saint Francis that held vp the Church See Bishop Vsher De successu Ecclesiae cap 9. § 9 10. Howsoeuer it is certaine they that wrote and they that beleeued these stories had a strong conceit that these two Orders were magnae spes altera Romae Strong successiue props to vphold the Maiesty of the Papacy And so they were many wayes 1 by their multitude for they quickly spread ouer the face of the earth some say Chawcer in the wife of Bathes tale as thicke as the Locusts darkning the ayre Reuel 9 or as Chawcer saith as thicke as motes in the Sunne Beame 2 By their credit and estimation among the people for they were receiued and admired as most holy men vowing pouerty forswearing riches lands or other worldly goods for Christs sake contented with their Houses Gardens and Orchards liuing on Almes begged or brought to them simply cloathed with ropes for their girdles and preaching very diligently in all places specially quaint Tales and Legends delighting the people But the sense of their credit made them vntolerably audacious See these things at large in Mat. Paris pag 404. and 673. And in B. Vsher De Eccles cap. 9. §. 14. seq in vilifying all ordinary Ministers of the Gospell creeping into and vsurping their Offices and magnifying themselues as the onely men of Gods priuy Councell full of inspirations and Reuelations they onely knew how to distinguish lepram à lepra one sinne from another how to open hard and knotty questions resolue all doubts giue true penance and absolution c. And they kept bookes of the names of all theit Clients that chose them to be their Confessors and counsellours and by such deuises drew infinite store of people and much wealth after them whereby they built very stately houses like Kings Palaces and professing pouerty abounded with all wealth and superfluity and so robbed the ordinary Ministers of their maintenance and brought them into such contempt and pouerty that they made grieuous complaints thereof to the Emperour Pope and Cardinals in which complaints some Bishops ioyned with them Yea the famous Vniuersity of Paris complained to the Popes of their wrongs also but all in vaine for
goodnesse who calleth things that are not as though they were euen in that Ministery gaue grace vnto his Saints Bishop Carlton wrote a booke of purpose entituled Consensus Ecclesiae catholica contra Tridentines to shew that although the doctrine of Christian Religion was much altered in the chiefest Articles of Faith by Fryers yet a great number of godly learned men held the ancient truth and preserued the Church vntill the times of Reformation and that the Reformed Churches still continue the same and are separated onely from the Roman Court so farre as the Roman Court had separated it selfe from the Roman Church and that our Fathers and Ancestors liuing dying in the Roman Church had sufficient meanes to bring them to saluation And this he sheweth in the seuerall discourses of the principall fundamentall points of faith See of this matter also Bishop Vsher De successione Ecclesiarum cap. 6 § 8 9. and his Sermon And Archbishop Abbot against Hill Reason 5. § 28. And Mr. Richard Hookers discourse of Iustification §. 2. Their Reasons are I. The corruptions in the Roman Church sprung not vp all at once nor came to their full height vntill these late yeres and were not so dangerous in their Spring as in their full growth and strength D. Field book 3. chap. 6. Of the Church Append to the 5. booke part 3. pag. 8. c. II. They were not generally receiued by all men nor as the vndoubted determinations of the Church but controuerted and variously disputed among the learned and holden with great liberty of iudgement by the greatest Doctors as appeares by thier owne bookes of Controuersies written by Bellarmine Suares Azorius c. which confute their owne writers as much as they doe Protestants and by those 27 points which D. Field mentions in his Appendixe to the seuenth Chapter of the third booke of the Church printed at the end of the fourth booke for had they beene the vndoubted doctrines and determinations of the Church all men would haue holden them vniformely entirely and constantly as they held the doctrine of the Trinity and other articles of the Faith As long therefore as men yeelded outward obedience to the Church-ceremonies without scandall and in other things were suffered to abound in their owne sence there was no such danger in holding the right faith III. Our forefathers held the true foundation of Religion that is Iustification and Saluation by Iesus Christ his merits onely and so were taught ordinarily in their bookes of visitation and consolation of the sicke * As we shall shew in the article of Iustification and they erred onely in points inferiour of lesse moment and danger which defaced indeed and blemished but did not nullifie or take away the beeing of the Church Diseases in the heart braine liuer and vitall parts are dangerous and deadly but wounds or blemishes in the fleshly sensuall or organicall parts onely as the hands feet eares eyes c. doe onely impaire the beauty and actions but endanger not the life nor cut of hope of recouery Greg. Nissen de opific. hom cap. vlt. It is Saint Gregory Nissens Simile So saith he it is with the Church of God and Religion A man is a man while he hath life though he be sore diseased as Naaman was in his leprosie IIII. They misliked and derided as Chawcers plowman many of their ceremonies and idle things as holy water pardons relickes c. and deplored the greater corruptions and abuses and cryed for reformation most readily receiuing it when it came V. In what they erred they erred ignorantly Aug de vtilitate credendi ad Honorat Idem epist 162. ad Donat. with mindes ready to be reformed vpon better information Saint Augustine puts a difference betwixt Heretickes and them that beleeue Heretickes And he saith They that defend an opinion false and peruerse without pertinacious animosity especially which not the boldnesse of their owne presumption hath begotten but which from their seduced and erroneous Parents they haue receiued and themselues doe seeke the truth with care and diligence ready to amend their errour when they find the truth they are in no wise to be reckoned among Heretickes This was the case of our fathers vnder the Papacy VI. If any did erre in points fundamentall as long as they denyed not the foundation directly See of this more chap. 4. sect 3. for that is plaine infidelity or apostacy and quite cuts them off from the Church if they did it onely vpon meere ignorance with a mind ready to reforme their errour vpon better instruction those were still the accounted members of the true Church For this was the case of the Corinthians denying the resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15.10 and of the Galatians erring dangerously about Iustification Gal. 3.3 4 5. 5.4 whom yet Saint Paul calles Churches of God 1 Cor. 1.2 Gal. 1.2 and doubtlesse he would not haue taken such paines to write vnto them except he had so thought them and had hope to find them tractable and recouerable §. 3. Antiquus Sir I heartily thanke you I need heare no more nor trouble you any longer since you allow the Church of Rome to be the true Church of God wherein saluation may be had and you alledge great Doctors of your owne side and good reasons for it I am satisfied I haue no reason to cleaue to your Church which all our Catholickes condemne for hereticall and schismaticall and to leaue the Roman which you acknowledge to be the true Church wherein saluation is to be had The Roman Church is iustified on all hands by friends and enemies to be safe yours is condemned of all but your selues I will take my leaue See this more at large in D. Field in the places before alledged and B. Carlton Iurisdiction consensus c. Antiquissimus Stay good sir and draw no more out of my words then they yeeld you I spake of the Church of Rome as it was till Luthers time and you conclude of the Church of Rome as it is now Deceiue not your selfe there is great difference betwixt them betwixt the times then and now and betwixt that Church then and now In those times the errours of our forefathers were of meere ignorance what they perceiued to be euill they misliked they desired knowledge they wished many things reformed and gladly embraced reformation when they found it comming But now it is all otherwise now men are admonished of their errours offer is made them to be better instructed and yet either they dote on their owne old opinions vnwilling to be instructed in the reuealed truth or after sufficient knowledge and conviction for some worldly respects they wilfully and obstinately persist in their old errours and which is farre worse they hate and persecute the maintainers of the truth Saint Cyprian saith if any of our predecessors Cypr. ep 63. §. 13. either of ignorance or simplicity
admitted Acts 2 after one sermon of Saint Peter wherin he had taught the principall heads of faith in Christ in one day 3000 men were baptized who whithout doubt knew nothing else but those necessary things And therefore it is added that after baptisme they perseuered in the Doctrine of the Apostles that is they learned what yet they had not heard of Christian Misteries c. B. Vsher Sermon at Wanstâ—d pag. 32. See also his booke De Christianarum eccles successu statu cap. 1. § 15. This our Bishop Vsher agreeth vnto alledging the Apostles sermons to that purpose which treated onely of the first principles of the Doctrine of Christ vpon the receiuing whereof as of sufficient doctrine to make them Christians men were baptized And this he further confirmeth by the writings of Irenaeus and Tertullian and the Creeds receiued by the Church the Apostles Creed the Creed of Athanasius The Creed of the East Church See before cap. 1. sect 2. subject 1. §. 2. recited and confirmed for the beleefe of the whole Church in the Councells of Nice and Constantinople and the late Councell of Trent Whereof I haue spoken already § 5. D. Field of the Church booke 3. chap 4. Our Doctor Field doth more fully and perfectly describe those things that so neerely touch the very life and being of Christian Faith and Religion that euery one is bound particulaâ—ly and expresly to know and beleeue them vpon paine of eternall damnation He reduceth them to sixe principall heades First concerning God whom to know is eternall life we must beleeue and acknowledge the vnity of an infinite incomprehensible and eternall essence full of righteousnesse goodnesse mercy and trueth The Trinity of persons subsisting in the same essence the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost coessentiall coeternall and coequall the Father not created nor begotten the Sonne not created but begotten the holy Ghost not created nor begotten but proceeding Secondly we must know and beleeue that God made all things of nothing that in them he might manifest his wisdome power and goodnesse that he made men and Angels capable of supernaturall blessednesse consisting in the vision and enioying of himselfe that he gaue them abilities to attaine thereunto and lawes to guide them in the wayes that lead vnto it that nothing was made euill in the beginning that all euill entred into the world by the voluntary aversion of men and Angels from God their Creator that the sinne of Angels was not generall but that some fell and other continued in their first estate that the sinne of those Angels that fell is irremissible and their fall irrevocable that these are become deuils and spirits of errour seeking the destruction of the sonnes of men that by the misperswasion of these lying spirits the first man that euer was in the world fell from God by sinnefull disobedience and apostacy that the sinne of the first man is deriued to all his posterity not by imitation onely but by propagation and descent subiecting all to curse and malediction yet not without possibility and hope of mercifull deliuerance Thirdly we must beleeue that for the working of this deliuerance the Sonne of God assumed the nature of man into the vnity of his Diuine person so that he subsisteth in the nature of God and Man without all corruption confusion or conuersion of one of them into another that in the nature of man thus assumed he suffered death but being God could not be holden of it but rose againe and triumphantly ascended into heauen that he satisfied the wrath of his Father obtained for vs remission of sinnes past the grace of repentant conuersion and a new conuersation ioyned with assured hope desire and expectation of eternall happinesse Fourthly we must constantly beleeue that God doth call and gather to himselfe out of the manifold confusions of erring ignorant and wretched men whom hee pleaseth to be partakers of these precious benefits of eternall saluation the happy number and ioyfull society of whom we name the Church of God whether they were before or since the manifestation of Christ the Sonne of God in our flesh For both had the same faith hope and spirit of adoption whereby they were sealed vnto eternall life though there be a great difference in the degree and measure of knowledge and the excellency of the meanes which God hath vouchsafed the one more then the other Fiftly we must know and beleeue that for the publishing of this ioyfull deliuerance and the communicating of the benefits of the same the Sonne of God committed to those his followers whom he chose to bee witnesses of all things he did or suffered not onely the word of Reconciliation but also the dispensation of sacred and sacramentall assurances of his loue set meanes of his gracious working that those first messengeâ—s whom he sent with immediate commission were infallibly led into all truth and left vnto posterities that summe of Christian Doctrine that must for euer be the rule of our faith that these blessed messengers of so good and happy tidings departing hence left the Ministery of Reconciliation to those whom they appointed to succeed them in the worke so happily began by them Lastly we must know and be assuredly perswaded that seeing the renouation of our spirits and mindes is not perfect and the redemption of our bodies still remaining corruptible is not yet therefore God hath appointed a time when Christ shall returne againe raise vp the dead and giue eternall life to all that with repentant sorrow turne from their euill and wicked wayes while it is yet the accepted time and day of saluation and contrary wayes cast out into vtter darkenesse and into the fire that neuer shall be quenched all those that neglect despise so great saluation All these things and these onely doe directly concerne the matter of eternall saluation saith Doctor Field These things saith he make the rule of faith whereof a man cannot be ignorant and bee saued By these all the holy Fathers Bishops and Pastors of the Church measured and made their Sermons Commentaries and interpretations of Scripture This rule is deliuered by Tertullian Irenaeus Tertull. de praescriptionibus adversus hareticos adversus Praxcam Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 3. See here before cap. 1. sect 2. subsect 1. §. 2. and other of the Fathers and with addition of conclusions most easily clearely and vnavoydably deduced hence by Theodoret in his Epitome Dogmatum For a second sort of things there are that attend on these first as consequents deduced from them or some way appertaining to them such as a man being perswaded of these will see the necessary consequence and deduction of them from these if they be propounded vnto him As that there are two wills in Christ that there is no saluation remission of sinnes or hope of eternall life out of the Church c. In such second things clearely deduced from the first principles if a man