where are such violent enemies against the Oath of allegeance and esteeme all such as take or allow of it as Heretikes as lapsed from the Catholike Romane faith because say they the Pope in his Briefes hath defined and decreed that there are diuers points in it against the Catholike faith Romane he should say and yet I suppose as very cleare that none of the English Secular Priests did expresly know against what speciall points of faith the Oath was till now of late a certaine i A Briefe declaration c. together with a recapitulation c. by H. I. Ignatian recapitulater vnder a double title promising a double book but bringing forth only a short pamphlet and that a namelesse one and therefore a Libell hath shewed in his namelesse defence of the Romane faith that Pope Paul the 5. in his Breues hath k Pag. 32. Ibidem pag. 56. defined the same Oath to bee hereticall and vnlawfull because it denyeth the Popes power to depose Princes and dispose of Kingdomes an article of faith with him in his libell although not naming himselfe I may iustly say l Rom 1. My eares haue heard many Ignatian Priests constantly affirme that Paul the 5. had defined in his late Breues that the oath could not be taken and that his Briefe was a definitioÌ„ of faith so R. B. G. B. I. F. R. L. M. W. T. T T. F. I. K. with diuers others of that profession erubescit cuangelium he is ashamed of his Ghospell But no meruaile that the Ignatians are so well acquainted with the mysteries of the Popes faith for since their Father Ignatius his beatifying vvho had so many m Apud Ribadin in vita Ignat. idle reuelations I doubt not but that they haue receiued newe illustrations from that Code and Deske of all law faith and right the Popes brest which the ancient Church neuer knew But when n The Recapitulater in the Title of his vnlearned and seditious pamphet and for his traiterous doctrine see him page 43. Promised Leonard Lessius commeth forth with his demonstrations for he would seeme to demonstrate in all his bookes as this pamphletter of Louaine not H. I. but P. W. hath couertly promised doubtlesse he will reueale the hidden mysterie which was not knowne in the Primitiue Church though then darkly working but was to be o 2. Thess 2. reuealed in these times with which the world is likely to end But to returne to what I haue to proue It being manifest that Popes and the Romane particular Church with all those of the societie of Ignatius not excepting any one doe dogmatically maintaine that the Pope defining ex Cathedra is the infallible vncontrollable vnappellable and onely necessarie Iudge in all controuersies of faith it should be lost labour in me to stand to proue that this their position is beleeued by them as a point and article of their faith nay I should say as a principle and very maxime of their faith For can any the simplest idiote doubt but that the infallible rule of faith which declareth faith squareth faith must be beleeued as faith and by faith But by this their nouell article of faith by ineuitable consequence it followeth that they differ in the most fundamentall point of beleefe from all such Fathers Councels and Doctors as did maintaine or as yet doe that the most infallible rule of faith is the doctrine of the Scriptures especially when it is publikely declared out of the same Scriptures by the authoritie of free Generall Councels and the publike voice of the vniuersall Christian Church the which rule of faith as I am most assured all p Conc. Hierosol Act. 15. Greg. in ep 1. ad Corinâ—h apud pateriuÌ„ Vinc Lirin contra hereses cap. 4. S. Austen most clearely contra Donat. lib. 2. contra epist funda tract vltimo in Ioh. contra Crescon alibi sepissime Cyprian lib. de vnitate Ecclesiae in epist ad Pomp. Patres conc chal cedo Sinod 6. 7. 8. conc Constan Basil ConstaÌ„tinus apud Euseb in eius vita Con. Constantinopol in epist ad epâ—sc Rom. congregatos â—arissime apud Zozom l. 5. c. 9. l At this preâ—ent now in â—aris it is required of the Ignatians amongst other articles to wit that the Pope cannot depose Princes c. to subscribe also to the superiority of the general Councel â—boue the Pope ancient Fathers did teach and beleeue so it cannot be doubted but that many learned both in Germanie England and q France doe still professe and maintaine to all whom as to the ancient Fathers and Councels the later Popes with their Pontificians who obstinately maintaine and beleeue this nouell rule of faith must in truth be reputed heretikes yea obstinate heretikes because pertinaciously erring in the very fundamentall rule of all faith And if any learned Priest retort against me and say that as I heere confesse all Papists concurre not to maintaine this pontifician rule of faith and that many Sorbonist Doctors teach it not neither do beleeue it This is true indeed but let him take this inference with him that notwithstanding all their bragges for the certainty of their faith they are yet most vncertaine as being not as yet agreed vpon the rule of faith yea they are so opposite that one side beleeueth as the Pope with his what the other disbeleeueth and condemneth as erroneous yea and this in Councels as in those r Conc. Constan Basil opposite to the Lateran vnder Leo the 10. and the Florent vnder Eugenius the 4. deposed by the Fathers at Basil of Laterane Florence Constance Basill Frankeford Colen c. which being so that themselues are not agreed vpon the rule of faith why will they not giue leaue and allow to true Christians the word of God as it is expounded clearely constantly and vniuersally by the ancient Fathers to be the inerrable rule of faith as his most excellent Maiestie in his learned premonition to Christian Princes iustly requireth and exacteth according to ancient and learned Å¿ Vincent contra heres cap. 4. Vincentius his rule It followeth that I demonstrate this rule of faith deuised by the Popes and Pontificians to support the Romane soueraignties to be meere noueltie and so to prescribe against it by antiquitie This I must now doe contractly not doubting but that I shall haue occasion more to enlarge my authorities and reasons when these my motiues shall be impugned as doubtlesse they will be vnlesse it seeme good to the wise men of Saint Omers as their owne libel termes them to answere them by some libelling ballade as they of late haue thought meete to answere t An answere made vpon Sheldons booke to a priuate friend beginning laugh laugh c. which libell hath ofteÌ„ moued the persons against whom it is to very much laughing at the Ignatians follies and wisdomes with a libell a certaine Priests booke for the oath of allegeance for Quicquid
had beene an infallible assembly it selfe it must necessarily follow that all those who pertinaciously follow him heerein are to bee accounted pertinacious Heretikes Heretofore Christians were taught that holy Scriptures expounded by the Vniuersall and Generall voice of the Church were the rule of faith and accordingly all agreeing in this rule they were called Catholikes but this rule being left by Popes and the infallibility being giuen to them by their followers thereupon worthily of Popes the heads of their faith they haue beene and are called Pontificians and Papists I may iustly thinke that vpon beleefe of this rule some late Pontificians haue plainely graunted to me that the Christians of these times are bound to beleeue explicitly and expresly somewhat which the Apostles themselues and the Primitiue Christians did not expresly and in explicit termes beleeue An example at first was graunted in transubstantiation it selfe but vpon better consideration denyed againe but when I roundly vrged them to shew me where or how in explicit or equiualent termes transubstantiation was beleeued in the Apostles times because they faltered in their answeres and defences our conference ended to no small comfort of my soule so lately deliuered out of the Aegyptian seruitude The Aduersaries seeme to produce diuers authorities to proue infallibility of iudgement in the Pope but in truth they force not Ouerthrow two and the rest fall of themselues I will take a little paines with these two The first of them is taken out of ſ Math. 16. St. Mathew where the Euangelist bringeth in Christ thus speaking of St. Peter vpon his confessing of Christs diuinitie Tues Petrus super hanc petram c. Thou art a Rocke and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it There the aduersarie triumpheth saying it is cleare that Christ builded his Church vpon Peter for by those wordes this Rocke Peter is most expresly designed I will not now stand to confute this exposition by the authorities of Scriptures and testimonies of some ancient Fathers who with St. Austen expound those wordes this Rocke for Christ the Rocke whom Peter had confessed and from whom Peter had his name as t In sacro eloquio c. In holy Writ when the word Rock is put in the singular number who else is signified but Christ Paul witnessing but the Rocke was Christ but when rocks are so called in the plurall number then holy men are signified which are cōfirmed by his strength Greg. apud Pater in 1. ad Cor. Aug. tract vltim in Ioh in Retractationib ' Chrysoft homil 55. in Math. Greg. in Psal Paenit super illud initio tu Domine Isidor lib. 7. Etym c. 9. St. Gregorie and St. Austen expound it or else of Peters confession and faith Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God as u Theophil in Math. 16. Hilardo Trin. lib. 2. The Papists will not by any meanes in the words of consecration of the Sacrament this is my body admit the demonstratiue article this to demonstrate the bread which Christ taking into his handes giuing thankes broke and deliuered saying take eate this is my body the cause is because if the article this doe demonstrate Bread which cannot possibly be Christs true body no more then his body can bee true bread then they should be constrained to admit of a sacramentall presence only of Christs body in the Sacrament which they cannot abide but here the article this must needes demonstrate the person of Peter because it maketh for their Popes supremacies Theophilactus expoundeth it but I will only demand at this present how they can violently against the nature of the demonstratiue article this draw it vnto Peters person who in the same proposition of Christ to him was designed by the article demonstratiue thou as though thou and this in one proposition when one person is spoken vnto must needes both of them demonstrate the very same one person to whom the speech is made and not rather according to the nature of the pronounes demonstratiue one of them to wit thou demonstrate the person to whom the speech is made and the pronounce this to demonstrate the thing or person of whom the speech was made before I put a familiar example Iohn hath two sonnes Thomas and William he calleth his eldest sonne Thomas with his brother vnto him demanding a question or two of him and withall discourseth of his yonger brothers wit and capacitie for learning To which his eldest Sonne accordingly answereth that his brother is indeede witty and fit for the Vniuersitie To which his Father replying saith Thomas thou art my eldest sonne and shalt inherite my liuing and this sonne I will send to the Vniuersitie there to make profit in learning what might Thomas conceaue vpon this speech that hee should bee sent to the Vniuersitie and not rather his brother William many like comparisons might bee made by which it would appeare that the demonstratiue article this being vnderstood personally doth not demonstrate the person to whom but rather the person of whom the speech was made Againe manifest it is that Christ built his Church vpon that Rocke against which the gates of hell should neuer preuaile But if the wordes this Rocke bee applyed not only to Peter but also to his Successours themselues cannot denie but that the gates of hell haue often preuailed against many of those stones or rockes to the ruine and perdition of innumerable soules As against Boniface the 8. Siluester the 2. Iohn the 12. Stephen the 6. I am assured x Platina in vitis Platina will not sticke to auouch so much in effect of two Bonifaces the 7. and 8. and of Siluester the 2. and y Genebrard in Chronol lib 4. saeculo 10. ad ann 107. alias saepe Genebrard a most furious enemy against the reformed Churches doth boldly pronounce that diuers Popes were rather Apostaticall then Apostolicall and that they came not in the right way by election but through the backe-dore by intrusion What z Baron ann Baronius himselfe recounteth of the Monster Stephen 6. one of their Popes how he abused the body of his Predecessour Formosus arraining it condemning it cutting off his fingers and casting the body into Tiber and in a Synode gathered euen in Rome that See and Rocke which cannot erre as it pleaseth our Aduersaries he decreed all such as had beene ordained by Formosus to be reordained againe Of Iohn the 12. this Cardinall cannot write bitterly enough and yet he inueigheth against Otho the first renowned and worthy Emperour and the whole Clergie of Rome who in a Synode gathered in Rome the infallible Sea deposed that monster Iohn and placed in his steede Leo a worthy man But to make hast for of like examples of Apostaticall Popes much might be said I doe in good earnest aske of any of Baronius his profession whether the gates of hell preuailed
being therevnto vrged by manifest truth and reason that it is not enough for them vpon their bare wordes to affirme this or that is a tradition Apostolicall or this or that is a doctrine Apostolicall because it is now generally obserued through out all those Churches which communicate with the Bishop of Rome no though at such times when there was no notorious or famous Church on earth to oppose against her and whereof no expresse beginning can bee shewed vnlesse they can withall for such their Traditions ascending vpwards euen vnto the Apostles times or the dayes of their immediate Successors and Schollers clearly and soundly deduct by graue testimonies of Ancient and Catholike authours that such thinges were euer more or lesse obserued and receiued as from the Apostles themselues throughout the Church of Christ if they will refuse this honorable triall of their Traditions and stand only vpon this idle answere and defence that the Church Romane now generally hath them and there is no beginning of them to bee shewed ergo they are Apostolicall they shall shew themselues to be meere wranglers wilfully wedded to most corrupt errours as I will most clearly demonstrate And herein I dare boldly challenge being most confident of this truth any Pontifician whatsoeuer be he Benedictine Fransciscan or Ignatian to shew me some ancient sufficient authority out of Councels or ancient Fathers that whatsoeuer might be obserued or should bee obserued in the later times of the Romane Church whereof no expresse beginning could be shewed should be therfore accounted Apostolicall because generally obserued in her g Epist 118. ad Ianuar. St. Austen indeede is vrged by the Aduersaries to affirme so much of some vnwritten Traditions in his time generally obserued throughout the whole Church but St. Austen is misvnderstood and his rule commonly cited not without corruption misvnderstood because his rule is of such Traditions whereof although nothing is written in holy Scripture yet they are mentioned in approued Authours and Historians more or lesse from the Apostles daies till his times besides great is the difference of 1200. yeares for so long is the time from St. Austens daies to vs for carrying downe of Traditions from the Apostles and in so many ages many thinges vnapostolicall h See Onuphr Genebrard and Platina supra pag. 3. might creepe into particular Churches and consequently into the whole whereof no certaine beginning might be shewed Againe St. Austens rule is commonly mis-cited For whereas that Father writeth thus in effect in his Epistle to i Epist 118. Ianuarius If the authority of diuine Scripture prescribe in any of these rites and ceremonies what is to bee done I I cite not the expresse words of the Father because editions are so different but all haue thus in effect answere there is no doubt to be made but that wee must doe as we reade the like I say if any of these rites which we obserue and the whole Church throughout the world at this present time obserueth for to dispure that we should doe otherwise were insolent madnesse but the Aduersaries commonly when they cite this place leaue out first what he writeth in the beginning of the sentence touching the authority of Scriptures Againe they leaue out commonly those words which restraine his meaning to his daies And in Saint Austens time it is manifest that the Christian Churches were not so diuided as since his times they haue beene and withall that a little before his time the generall Councels of Nice and Sardica had ordered most things and brought many things to light and yet notwithstanding this rule it is well knowne how Saint S. Aust in the same Epistle pronounceth that Christ instituted very few ceremonies Epist 118. Austen complained against multiplicitie of rites and ceremonies brought into diuers particular Churches in his daies wherewith the Christians were more heauily clogged then the ancient Iewes had beene vnder Moses which if it were euer true then it is now amongst the Pontificians most true who haue from their Popes some 1000 of rites and haue also innuerable lawes binding vnder the censure of their curses and heauiest excommunications and so frequently that a man may iustly suppose that there are few of that profession who are not more or lesse touched It is not credible to what number their Excommunications are growne since their tyranical vse of them See Nauar. Man cap. 27. num 50. by their lesser or greater excommunications his holinesse onely excepted who will be bound to no lawes no not to those which he sweareth inuiolably to keepe â—e being indeed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exlex iniqnus outlaw which Saint k 2. Thes 2. Paul hath prophecied should sit in the Temple of God as I will more fully declare hereafter But I will demonstrate that there are diuers practises and customes obserued throughout their Roman Church vniuersally wherof no beinning can be shewed which themselues wil not dare to affirme to be Apostolicall and so their rule by their owne confessions shall to the ground First is it not an vniuersall though impious practise throughout the Pontifician Church to paint God the Father in the forme of an old man and God the holy Ghost in the forme of a Doue by the same not onely to represent two persons of the most inenarrable and inexpressible Trinitie but also by the same and in the same to adore and worship those two infinite Persons what will they or can they shew me when this custome prâ—cisely began No I wis what must it therefore be a tradition Apostolicall it were impudencie or meere ignorance so to affirme and I thinke there is none of them as yet so shamelesse as to affirme it Nouell I am assured it is vtterly forbidden by the ancient Fathers of the sixt l Sinod 6. Cano. 82. generall Councell reputed an impudent thing by worthy Iohn m Damas Orthodox sid lib. 4. â—ap 17. Sinod Nicen. 2. act 4. 5. 6. 7. Damascene reputed a renowned Saint in their Church and a famous Patrone for the vse of other Images and by their Italian n Polid. lib. de inuentor Polidore Virgil accounted meere folly and which of their own men o Abulens Lira Alij commenting vpon the fourth of Exodus do not more or lesse condemne it and yet now the present Romane Church is so generally infected thereby with the leprosie of superstitious Idolatry that no man whose heart is zealous of Gods honour cannot seeing it but lament therefore Of this kinde also is the prostrate adoring of the Crucifixe it selfe vpon good Friday generally obserued throughout the Romane Church Can their best antiquarie amongst them shew me a beginning hereof no God wot what is it therefore a tradition Apostolicall shame will not suffer them to affirme it To this I adioyne their most Catholike and vaine custome of adorning their Images like as the old Paynims adorned Venus Iuno Ceres their vaine Gods
hath been by my selfe euer obserued that such as adict themselues to the reading of holy Scriptures are euer more or lesse inclining to think well of the reformed Churches and of their doctrines which are so liuely deliuered in them and out of my reading of holy Scriptures which I haue euer daily vsed more or lesse it hath fallen out that I haue many times contended for argument sake against some doctrines and practises of the Romane Church and therefore it is that the wise mens libeller chargeth mee with the spirit of Contradiction blessed bee that spirit of contradiction which hath brought me to be a child of adoption as I humbly trust and beleeue I now am z 1. Peter 2. A second Generall Head of Motiues out of their wicked Lawes COnsidering many and vniust Lawes vnto which the Romane Bishops haue against all Christian holy liberty and to the subuersion of many soules and the great dishonour of God tied their followers the which as I haue oftentimes heeretofore greatly admired not seeing how they might be defended so God now vouchsafing to open my vnderstanding I doe greatly detest them For me to expresse all those which are both paradoxicall and pernitious were too great a labour I will therefore touch some few of them which are in truth very many and yet I meruaile they are no more Considering the pernitious and shamelesse Doctrine of Cardinall a Bellar. lib. 4. de pont cap. 5. lib. Pecog in recog li. de summe Pont. cap. 19. Bellarmine who both in his controuersies and in his recognitions reacheth that although the Popes should command any things in their Lawes as Vertues which are Vices yet the whole Church is bound to obey the voice of their pastor and to receiue the same vicious Lawes as if they were Lawes of Vertues but hee will seeme to mitigate this his strange position forsooth by adding that this his doctrine is to bee vnderstood of lawes concerning doubtful Acts of Vertues or Vices not in Acts necessary Thus hee very wisely breatheth heare and cold together and what c Bellar. columeÌ„ Ecclesie et 〈◊〉 tempestutio Augustinus â—â—dâ—mi confutat l Anti. p. 48. O Bellarmine tell me you that are by Andrew Eudemon your Cretensian Ignatian brother called the Piller of the Church and the Augustine of this our time cannot the infalliblenesse of the Popes Spirit so guide and assist him that he shall not erre in proposing any vniuersall law to the Church the which shee is bound to receiue as you say And tell mee O Ignatian pillar what mattereth it to saluation or damnation whether the things of themselues bee necessary or not if the Pope by his Commandement make them so necessarie as the whole Church shall be bound vnder paine of mortall sinne and consequently vnder paine of damnation to receiue them though vitious as you teach alas how perplexed is the state of Pontificians if this Bellarminian doctrine bee true they must commit vice to obey the Pope and so bee condemned therefore or else for the Popes sake God will fauour them so much as not to iudge them according to their workes but according to the Popes corrupt affection contrarie to his generall decree deliuered by his d Ad Rom. 2. 13. Psal 61. Iob. 34. Apostle that euery man shall receiue according to his workes The first Law AMongst many of these Lawes first occurreth to my minde that where-with the vncharitable Popes straightly charge that e Caput à vobis secundo cap. sacris de sententia excomm CoÌ„cil Trident. Sess 22. cap. 2. 6. Aqu. 3. q. 79. art 7. ad 2. Sotus lib 9. de instit q. 2. art 2. ad 3. the sacrifice of their Masse the which they beleeue to bee the propitiatorie oblation and selfe same Christ which was sacrificed for the whole world vpon the Crosse to be offered by any of their Priests for any excommunicated person or by name for any Infidels and Heretikes by them for such reputed whether they be subiects or Soueraignes A law and custome most contrarie to the nature of the propitiatorie sacrifice of the Crosse the which as it was once most sufficiently and abundantly offered for the redemption of all so it should be continually remembred and faithfully beleeued for the saluation of the whole Church of Gods Elect yea and most religiously to be inuocated and praied vnto for the conuersion and saluation of all sinners whatsoeuer Turkes Iewes Heretikes or Infidels for so much as may lie in vs to doe and procure considering that it is the holy f 1. Tim. 2. will of the most immaculate and pious sacrifice of the crosse himselfe that all men should come to the knowledge of his truth for which cause also his blessed Apostle the vessell of election ordained that obsecrations orations postulations and thanksgiuings should be made for all Men for all Magistrates and all such as are in Authoritie and hee giueth the reason of this his ordinance because as much as in him is God would haue all men to bee saued and to come to the knowledge of his truth And although the Pontifician g Remists Annotations in 2. Tim. 2. Remists themselues doe vehemently challenge by these foure different kinds of praiers that the whole order of their Masse is comprehended and specially distinguished citing h Aug. Epist 59 Austens authoritie for the same yet malice suffereth them not to see their owne errout most clearely condemned in this ordinance of the holie Apostle euen as it is by themselues expounded in which hee expresly appointeth that those foure kindes of praiers of which the very second the i Annot. ibidem Remists themselues eagerly expound of that part of their Masse when their Consecration is made and when their Christ sacrificed is most specially offered Obsecrations Orations Postulations and Thanksgiuings and yet who conceiueth their Diuinitie that the word Orations in English in Latine Orationes in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should signifie properly their Consecration Transubstantiation or Propitiatorie oblation to bee made for all men for Kings who were Heathens when this ordinance was made and all that are in preeminencie But let the holie Apostle ordaine what hee will let the Father St. Austen and others euen in their owne sense expound this ordinance of their propitiatorie Sacrifice yet forsooth the Romane Bishops will seeme to bee so pure that they will not onely refuse Communion with such persons as they doe excommunicate and with Infidels but they will further also out of more then pharisaicall coÌ„tempt renounce the communion of charitie due to enemies and refuse so much as to pray in their publike sacrifice and seruice by name for the * Conflit Clem. lib. 8. cap. 15. conuersion of Infidels or any Heretikes much lesse for any Temporall blessings and prosperities to them yea although they bee their Magistrates their Liege Soueraignes Who knoweth not how the zealous Pontificians and