fratris to receaue the Sacramentes That he demaunded of a Bishop VVhether he agreed with the Catholique Bishops that is with the Roman Church Iocundus also the Arian as Victor reporteth sayd to Kinge Theodoricke Yf you put Armogastes to death the Romans will proclayme him a Victor Vti de pers Van. l. 1. Hier. in ap aduer Ruf. Martyr Where by the Romans he vnderstood Catholiques In like manner Ricemer the Goth and Arian wrote vnto the Genneses Yf he be a Catholique he is a Roman Hence the Roman fayth is tearmed the Catholique fayth the Romen Bishop Bishop of the Catholique Church Bishop of the vniuersall Church Pope of the vniuersall Cypr. l. 3. Ep. 11. Con. Calce act 3. in rela Sanctae Synodi ad Pap. Leonem Poss in vita Augustini ca. 17. Iustin in Epist Hormis papae Cypo epist 52. Leo ep 82. Cypr. l. 4. ep 2. Opt. l. 2. contra Parmen L. in vrbe Roma de statu hom Aug. de ci Deil. 5. c. 15. Art 22. 16. Church His sentence the iudgement of the Catholique Church His definitions Catholique instructions His Sea the roote or matrixe of the Catholique Church His solicitude the care of the vniuersall Church To communicate with him to communicate with the Catholique Church To enter league with him to keepe frendship or society of communion with the vniuersall world 16. In fine as in auncient tymes all people subiect to the Roman Empire were by a generall decree of the ciuill law graced with the name of Roman Cittizens After which sort Saint Augustine testifyeth of some enobled with the title of Roman Senatours who neuer entred the gates of Rome And Saint Paul being borne at Tharsis in Cilicia professed himselfe a Roman borne So in like manner All Churches that liue in communion with the Roman Church All that submit themselues to the obedience of that Sea Al that acknowledge her their head and mother Church borrow from her the denomination of Roman Churches Especially sith that generally denominations are deriued from the most eminent and principall part and neuer any Church neuer any people in any parte of the worlde hath beene taynted with heresy or touched with schisme which tooke the name of Roman Church or Roman people by reason of their communion with the Sea of Rome Therefore as the name Catholique and the thinge signifyed thereby So the name Roman or Romanist is a playne demonstration that our Church is the Gen. 13. 22. flocke of Christ and only seed which our Lord hath blessed and multiplyed like the starrs of heauen and duste of the earth The Kingdome of God whose dominion is extended from one sea to another and from the Riuer to the vttermost boundes of the worlde The Lady or Queene which sitteth one the right hand of her spouse enuironed with Psal 71. see S. Aug. vpon that psalme Pacian ep 3. ad Symp. Malach. c. v. 1. v. 11 the variety of all tribes and Countryes The chosen people which from the rising of the sunne euen to the setting euery where magnifyeth the name of our Lord. And the Protestantes Secte is that deuided faction which rebelleth agaynst him that segregated bunche or festered boyle That harlotry Synagogue which shrowded in corners lyeth in wayte to deceaue our soules to entangle them with fayre wordes and flattery of lippes c. VVhose howse the wayes of hell penetrating to the inward partes of death Prou. 7. CHAP. XX. In which Apostolicall succession is declared to be an apparant note of the true Church Agaynst Mayster Francis Mason AS the Church of Christ cannot possibly continue without the preaching of truth and administration of Sacraments the Sacramēts cannot be ministred nor truth preached without pastours teachers to deliuer the same The Pastours and teachers not still remayne without a perpetuall generation or propagation of them by succession mission and approued ordination Tertullian libro de praescrip Ther ore the ancient Fathers haue alwayes appealed to this lawfull successiō of Priests Bishops as to an illustrious note mark of the Church more plaine more cōspicuous more easily known thē the doctrin of truth to which notwithstanding it is inseparably linked Augustin psal contra partē Do. Tom. 7. libro contra Ep funda Iraeneus libro 3. c. 1. Therefore Tertullian thus prouoked the heretikes of his tyme Let them set forth the beginning of their Churches Let them thew the ranke or order of their Bishops c. Saint Augustine in like sort challenged the Donatistes Recount sayth he the Priestes euen from Peters seate and looke who haue succeeded one another in the ranke of those Fathers After the same manner Saint Iraeneus discomfiteth the Valentinians Saint Epiphanius Epiphan haer 17. Ieronymus dialog vlt. cōtra Lucif Optatus l 2. the Carpocratians Saint Ierome the Luciferians Optatus the heretique Parmenian And he particulerly nameth the Roman Bishops from Peter to Siricius Saint Augustine from Peter to Anastasius affirming that by that succession of Priests and Bishops he was held in the Church 2. Whereunto least some Cauiller should take exception that they speake only of the tyme past of the Augustine Ep. contra Faustum Manich. cap. 4. succession which was before their dayes but they prophecy not of the tyme to come nor do they auow that the like succession shal stil perseuere S. Austine to encoūter this obiection notably writeth in another place The true Church by most certayn successiō of Bishops doth perseuere frō the Apostles tyme vnto ours and to tymes after vs agayne Which is a Augustine libro cont aduers leg Proph. cap. 20. Ecclesia ab Apostolorum tēporibus per Episcoporum successiones certissimas vsque ad nostr ū deniceps tempora perseuerat thinge so cleerly defined in holy writ especially by Saint Paul to the Ephesians and so necessary for the instruction of the infidells edification of the faythfull consummation of the Saints and true essence or being of the Church as no Sacrament can be ministred word preached fayth imbraced or Church remayne where the true vocation or ordinary calling of Bishops and Priestes is at any tyme wanting Neyther doe the more learned of our Aduersaryes make doubt hereof But as the heretikes in Saint Augustines tyme so these now bragge of a certayne figure or similitude of beginning vnder the name of Christians but are indeed withered braunches cut of from the vine For some of them endeauour to steale a beginning or ordinary calling from the temporall Magistrates and suffrages of the people as Caluin and his brats of Geueua Others from the temporall Prince only without the peoples voyces as Brentius and Musculus Others from the Presbitery or meere Priestes that be not Bishops which Monsieur Caluin l. 4. instit c. 3. §. 1. c. 4 §. 11. Brent in prol Mus in locis comun Plessis in tract de Ecclesia cap. vlt. Field in his 3. booke of the
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
The Guide of Faith OR A THIRD PART OF THE ANTIDOTE AGAINST THE PESTIFEROVS WRITINGS OF ALL ENGLISH SECTARIES And in particuler agaynst D. BILSON D. FVLKE D. REYNOLDES D. WHITAKER D. FIELD D. SPARKES D. WHITE and M. MASON the chiefe vpholders some of Protestancy and some of Puritanisme VVherein the Truth and perpetuall Visible Succession of the Catholique Roman Church is cleerly demonstrated By S. N. Doctour of Diuinity 1. Tim. 3. vers 15. The Church of the Liuing God the Pillar and Ground of Truth Permissu Superiorum M. DC XXI TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTY MOST DREAD AND GRACIOVS SOVERAIGNE I know not to whome I should more fitly present these Disputes in matters of Controuersy then to your Highnes who hath Learning to vnderstaÌ„d Wisedom to discerne and Authority to commaund that Faith and Religion be obserued in your Realme which is most conformable to the Scriptures and consonant to the doctrine of the Primitiue Church to which you haue beene pleased long since to submit your Royall Iudgment now of late most prudently forbidden those newfangled writers who spurning at the Testamentes of their Forefathers call the Beliefe of all Antiquity in question Therefore I haue heere laid open to your Princely View that vnspotted truth which the Lambe of God deliuered vpon earth which the Apostles preached and committed to writing which the Auncient Fathers in the first fiue hundred yeares sincerely taught and inuiolably manteyned as I proue not only by their owne irrefragable testimonies but by the confession also of the Aduerse Part which if your Gracious Clemency would giue vs leaue vnder your fauourable winges peaceably to enioy and freely to professe at least in secret without the offence of any it must needes oblige vs more fast to our dutifull Allegiance of which howsoeuer in our greatest extremities we shall neuer be wanting then all the lawes of Conformity Oathes of Fidelity or other Punishments can inforce For what more sure band then the tye of Conscience the obligatioÌ„ of Religion the seale of Fayth and promise we owe to God which being truly kept as our Catholike Profession strictly bindeth vs no daunger of Treason no fewell of Sedition no alienation of Minds from Prince or Countrey can be feared On the contrary side if those heauenly bandes be once violated by any in taking an Oath hurtfull to their conscience preiudiciall to their Religion what trust or security can be reposed in them what hope of fidelity in ciuill affayres who in matters diuine in the most weighty affayres of their Souls haue openly committed the deepest disloyalty Wisely was this obserued by Princes in former tymes When Hunnerike the King of the Vandalls had guilefully proposed an Victor Vticen lib. 3. de persec Vandal paulo post initium entrapping Oath to the Catholique Bishops of Africk those who refused to take it he presently banished from their Seas as enemyes to the Crowne Such as condescended to his will and bound themselues by oath to performe his desire he mistrusting their fidelity commaunded likewise to depart from their Churches and neuer to see them more because contrary to the law of God or commaundement of his Ghospell they presumed to sweare A subtile yet pernicious deuise More coÌ„mendable was the fact of Theodorike Nicepho l. 16. c. 35. Zonaras Cedrenus Theod. lect 2. collectan King of the Gothes Conquerour of Italy For when a fauourite of his very deare vnto him to be more endeared fell to Arianisme which the King imbraced he straight way commaunded him to be beheaded with this cause of condemnation pronounced agaynst him How should I look thou shouldest be true to me a man since thou hast not beene faythfull in thy promise to God Eusebius l. c. 12. de vi Const Zoâ—om l. 1. bist c. â— But most prudent and fittest for my purpose was that of Constantius Father to Constantine the Great Who to discouer the harts and affections of his Subiectes caused it to be promulgated to all of his Court at home Family abroad that free choice liberty was graunted theÌ„ either by sacrificing to the Idols to continue his Fauour enioy their woÌ„ted honours or spoyled of them to leaue his Pallace his friendship familiarity for euer HereupoÌ„ when his Nobles other of his retinue had parted theÌ„selues into two seuerall companies the one yielding the other renouÌ„cing to sacrifice the wise Prince sharply rebuked their timidity basenes who were ready to prostitute themselues tovile Idolatry for preseruing of their temporal dignityes exceedingly commended the Constancy noble Resolution of the others who rather chose to forsake their preferments theÌ„ their religioÌ„ The former he cassiered as Traitours to God and vnworthy his Imperial Seruice For how sayd A notable saying of of Constantius Father to Constantine the Great his fact ensuing as worthy he can they keep their fayth inuiolable to the Emperour of the earth who by so manifest a signe haue shewed theÌ„selues perfidious to the great Monarch of Heauen These therfore he reiected banished his Royal pallace Those who by such an apparent triall profession of Truth were fouÌ„d worthy of God he adopted into the number of his dearest most familiar friendes those he placed about him as GardiaÌ„s of his person those he more esteemed then Exchecquers ful of inestimable treasures affirming that they who had been so loyal vnto God would be most faythfull also and loyall vnto him O that your Princely WisdoÌ„ would imitate herin the Father whose soÌ„ne you worthily praise set before your Royall eyes as a president to behould in the supreme Gouernement of your Soueraigne Estate I would to God you would as you may securely make the like account of such coÌ„stant Recusants who vpon iust feare of offending God forbeare to yield in points of Faith to the lawes of meÌ„ I would their Dutifull Hearts were so well knowne vnto your Highnes as their cause deserueth Then with that famous Constantius you would might iustly esteeme theÌ„ as the true Friends of God Souldiers of Christ Treasures of your Kingdome Suppliants for safety surest Guards of your Crown and Scepter In whose persons I humbly prostrate my selfe at your Maiesties féete beseeching the diuine Maiesty so to prosper your earthly Raygne as after many happy yeares of peaceable gouernement you may passe from this Transitory to his Eternall Kingdome Your Maiesties most humble and deuoted Subiect S. N. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER I Haue often heard this principle recorded by Aristotle much celebrated amongst Deuines Quierrat ad pauca respicit He that erreth looketh into few thinges Which A principle of Aristotle notably verified in our moderne ProtestaÌ„ts learned axiome of so graue a Philosopher the temerity of Protestants teacheth to be true For they with partiall eye haue regard to few thinges when in matters of fayth abandoning al autenticall proofes and argumentes of credibility renouncing so many
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
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
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
impossible their Church should continue so many ages distinct from the Roman Papacy and no monument be left no steppes remayne no notice taken of it at least by the preuayling faction as they terme it of the Romane Church which diligently recorded the names and heresies of euery particuler person who at any tyme stood vp or defended any doctrine contrary to hers Yf the Romane faction tyrannyzed ouer them blotted out their names defaced their Sparke in his answere to M. Iohn d' Albins pag. 53. 54. workes razed their Churches burned their Records as Sparke fayneth some Chronicler or other some frend or enemy some Protestant or Catholike would haue registred those ransackinges or mentioned the vtter abolishments our Gouernours made of them Otherwise what warrant haue Protestants to belieue what euidence to shew they had such professours To belieue without ground in ciull matters is vnaduised lightnes in matters diuine rashnes inexcusable I proceed 6. Two other seeming answeres some of our late Reformers are wont to coyne First That seeing the Papacy Other euasions of our sectaryes reiected preserued the kernell of religion belieued the Trinity the Incarnation and passion of Christ c. their Protestant Church might be saued in it although it separated not it selfe in communion from her But this caÌ„not be For the Pelagians the Donatistes the Circumceâ—â—â—â— held these and many other grounds of true religion yet no maÌ„ could be saued participating with them nor with the Quartadecimani nor with any heretical Congregation although it disseÌ„ted from the true Church but in one heresy alone Therefore although the papacy imbraced the Fulke in c. 1â— A poc sect 2. forenamed principles of fayth yet beccuse it was defiled according to you not with one but sundry heresies which vndermined the castle of heauenly beliefe the maynteyners of Protestancy coulde not be members of the true Church abiding in the false they could not be vnited to God in the house of Belial partake with Christ in the seate of Antichrist as hath beene other where more largely discussed 7. Their second euasion is that ignorance might IgnoraÌ„ce cannot excuse our sectaries auncestors in coÌ„municating with vs if we danably erred free their confederates from the danger of damnation in coÌ„municating with our Church vntill the truth of their Ghospell was reuealed and our errours discouered vnto them But I answere that the plea of ignorance of matters necessary necessitate medij as the only meanes to atteyne saluation in iustification other articles of like tenour on which the summe of religion in Protestants opinion dependeth cannot be admitted in the Court of conscience before the tribunall of heauen For of such ignorance sentence is pronounced by the Apostle Yf any man know not he shall not be knowne And VVhosoeuer haue sinned without the law without the law shall perish Agayne albeit 1. Cor. 14. v. 38. Rom. 2. v. 12. the Church of God may for a tyme be inuincibly ignorant of some truth not necessary to saluation yet neuer of any necessary truth Wherefore if imputatiue iustice if only fayth without merite of workes and many such like protestant articles be necessary to be belieued the ignorance of them must needs cause al their auncestours to forfeit Field in his first booke c. 10. p. 19. eternall blisse especially sith Field therein subscribeth to the Apostle That no man can be saued vnlesse he make confession to saluation c. and by profession of truth make himselfe knowne 8. Besides as the Church cannot be ignorant of a necessary article much lesse can it generally professe any daÌ„nable errour any pernicious falshood as all latent Protestants openly did liuing in the Papacy and publikely professing as they account it our erroneous doctrine This the promise of Christ the assistaÌ„ce of the holy Ghost the protection of God would neuer permit his Church to doe 9. This were to frustrate the comming of Christ the price of the bloud his preaching of his Ghospell For why did he take such paynes to preach the truth if ignorance might excuse vs Why did he suffer death to abolish Matth. 28. Ephes 4. Ioan. 14. 16. all errours if his people haue beene so long ouer whelmed with them How doth he raygne for euer in the Kingdome of his Church if that for these many ages hath been subiect to Sathan Did not he promise that when he should be exalted he would draw all thinges vnto him Did not he promise to cooperat with his Pastours baptizing teaching to the consummation of the world that neither they might erre nor we be carried away with the Tertullia de Praes c. 28. vayne blastes of errour Was not the holy Ghost sent to teach all truth and that for euer Did not God forewarne vs that the preachers of the new Testament should neuer be silent from praysing his name enioying his spirit and deliuering his wordes from generation to generation euerlastingly without interruption Vpon these assurances Tertullian deemed it so great a blasphemy that the whole Church of God should be spotted with errours as he thus Tertul. ib. cap. â—9 prouoketh ValeÌ„tinus the heretik Age nunc c. Go to now haâ—e all Churches erred c. hath the holy Ghost had regarde to no one to leade it vnto truth sent for that end by Christ demaunded for that end of the Father that he might be the Doctour of truth Forsooth the Steward of God the vicar of Christ hath neglected his office permitting the Churches otherwise to vnderstand otherwise to belieue tâ—en he by his Apostle preached A little after he scoffeth at him and others in this sort The truth expected some Marcionistes and Valentinians Lutherans and Caluinistes to be infranchised by them In the meane tyme the Gospell hath beene wrongfully preached wrongfully belieued so many thousand of thousands wrongfully Christned so many workes of faith wrongfully administred so many miracles so many gifts wrongfully imployed so many priesthoods so many offices wrongfully executed in fine so many Martyrdomes wrongfully crowned Yf Tertullian thought â—t a caluÌ„niation so infamous to affirme this of the Church for a little more then a hundred yeares space how monstrous is the report of our Reformers who venture to attach it of superstition ignorance idolatry during the long tract of a thousand yeares 10. Lastly although ignoraÌ„ce may now then excuse the not belieuing of some particuler mysteryes yet the ignorant who otherwise incurre the displeasure of God can neuer gayne his fauour or recouer felicity vnlesse they be pardoned their sinnes and become members of the true Church Out of the Church no pleading for pardon no excuse can be heard to put a sinner in hope of saluation Otherwise the Iewes the Turkes the Pagans al such as haue been misled by heretikes might pleade this excuse But the hiddeÌ„ ProtestaÌ„ts who lurked in the Papacy were not members of the Church They made not the true Church where
reasoneth well against the ProtestaÌ„ts Bishops titulary and antichristian Prelats Doctour Whitgift notwithstanding Mayster Hooker and Francis Mason strengthen confirme it as proceeding from God And the Royall Wisdome of King Iames deliuereth That Bishops ought to be in the Church I euer maynteyned it as an Apostolicall institution so the ordinance of God Which is so mighty a dissention as the one party must needs gainesay the other in a point fundameÌ„tal For eyther this ecclesiastical gouermeÌ„t vsed in England by Archbishops Bishops other inferiour ministers is de iure diuino ordained by God or not If it be Then as the Puritan authour of the twelue generall arguments reasoneth well The Churches of Scotland France low Countries and other places the precisians of England who account it Antichristian cannot be a true Church but the signagogue of Satan contradicting therein both Christ and his gospell If not Then according to the rule of Protestants who appeach all publike and ecclesiasticall administratioÌ„ as sacrilegious policy which is not warranted by the word of God the Puritans will conuince them of tyrannicall vsurpation who establish â—n their Church an ecclesiasticall hierarchy which God â—euer willed nor commaunded them to do These and many other such tragicall diuisions in matters essentiall â—aygne amongst them which the Protestant Relatour sayth tend mainely to the increase of Atheisme within of Mahomeâ—isme Relatour in his relat §. 45. printed at London anno 1605. D. Couell in his iust temper defence art 11. pag. 67. In their ChristiaÌ„ modest off c. p. 1â— published anno Domini 1606. Ibid. p. 16. VVillet in his medit vpon the 122. psal p. 91. ante medium abroad And Doctour Couell a Protestant more modest then Whitaker more sincere then Field plainly protesteth Least any man should thinke our contentions with puritaÌ„s â—â—ere in smaller points difference not great each side hath charged one the other with heresies if not infidelityes nay euen with such as quite ouerthrow the principall foundation of our Christian fayth 6. The Puritans iumpe with him affirming their disagreement from the Protestant Bishops to be of that nature in sundry propositions as if they shold not coÌ„staÌ„tly hold and maynteyne the same against all men they cannot see how possibly by the rules of diuinity the separation of their Churches from the Church of Rome from the Pope the supreme head thereof can be iustified c. A little after they add VVherein if they the Puritans be in errour the Prelats on the contrary haue the truth they protest to all the world that the Pope the Church of Rome in them God and Christ Iesus himselfe haue great wronge indignity offered vnto them in that they are reiected that all the Protestant Churches are schismaticall in forsaking vnity and communion with them Thus they Mayster Willets testimony rehearsing diuers of the forenamed variances adiudging theÌ„ blasphemous were too long to repeate the alleadged wil declare First what small trust is to be reposed in Whitaker Field White c. in other matters who in a thing so manifest are conuicted of falshood Secondly what hatfull quarrells cruell debats this new religion hath bread in England in so much as the poore ignorant people know not whome to follow or what to belieue when their greatest maisters and chiefest guides are at this deadly warre amongst themselues 7. Wherefore as Saint Augustine mourned the vnhappynes Aug. l. 18. de ciuitate Dei ca. 41. of the Athenians and vanity of their City who harboured and gaue countenance to sundry iarring Philosophers directly opposite and fiercely disagreeing one from the other Not sayth he about landes houses or money matters but about those things by which the life of maÌ„ is eyther miserably or happily leade In like sort I may coÌ„miserat and bewayle the dangerous estate of my countrymen and wofull calamity of our distressed Iland which now fostereth in her lappe and nourisheth in her bosome so many factious ministers diuided as you see farre worse then the Athenian Sophisters not in Ciuile brawles or politike diuisions not in morall precepts of life and manners but in the deepest affayres of conscience of fayth of religion which they cannot discusse without danger nor vp hold without infamy nor teach without infection nor long maynteyne without the viperous distraction of themselues and endlesse ruine of innumerable soules Yet So sâ— to seale vp my discourse with the same authours words it is necessary that rent diuided into small peeces they perish who Aug. con Parmen l. â— cap. 4. haue preferred the swelling pride of their haughty slomake before the most holy band of Catholike peace vnity CHAP. XVI Wherin is declared how SaÌ„ctity or Holines is a note of the true Church Agaynst Doctour Whitaker and Doctour Field MANYFOLD and various is the signification of this word Sanctum holy and so it diuersly entitleth and denominateth the Church of God First she is called holy because she is purchased and sanctified by the precious bloud of our innocent and vnspotted Lambe Christ Iesus which Saint Peter 1. Pet. 2. v. 9. insinuated when he stiled the faythfull A holy Nation a people of purchase Secondly it is holy because it is wholy dedicated and consecrated vnto God whereupon he sayd to his people You shal be holy because I am holy Thirdly it is Leuitic 11. 1. Pet. 1. holy for that it consisteth of holy lawes holy precepts holy ceremonyes holy Sacraments all thinges holy Fourthly it is holy by reason of her purity and holynes both in doctrine and manners and this all Catholique writers acknowledge as a proper badge and token of Christs chosen flocke yet not in that sort as purity of doctrine or syncere and true preaching of the word is challenged by the Protestants and refuted by vs a note more hidden then the thing it denoteth but in a farre different sense For Protestants take the vniuersall purity of A differet acception of sanctity of doctrin vsed amongst Catholiks and Protestants doctrine and true preaching of the word as it is opposite to all errours in euery dogmaticall and essentiall point to be a Marke of the true Church We a particuler purity or sanctity or sanctity only not as it excludeth all fundamentall errours contrary to truth but as it excludeth all grosse or palpable absurdityes repugnant to the principles of nature or rules of coÌ„mon reason known to all men this we assigne as an vndoubted recognizance of the immaculate and euer beloued spouse of Christ Wherein Mayster Whitaker hath inexcusably iniuried Cardinal Bellarmine in traducing him for challenging VVhitak contr â— q. 5. ca. 9. fol. 415. 416. Field in his 3. booke ca. 44. f. â—76 this not to haue forsaken his staÌ„ding to haue cowardly fled to their protestaÌ„t campe And Field more main part sawcie then he sayth A lier should haue a good memory c.
Church c. 39. pag. 156. 157. 158. 159. Sparke in his answere to M. Iohn d'Albins du Plessis and M Doctour Field in some causes eagerly defend Some fly to extraordinary vocation and calling immediatly from God or from the priuiledge of truth which they pretend to deliuer as M. Sparke D. Fulke and D. Whitaker with diuers of the Puritan sect Fulke against Stap. and Martial pag. 2. VVhitak contr 2. c. 6 fol. 368. 371. Some others to the letters Patentes of their Prince and general consent of the Parlament house as many English Protestants did in the dayes of King Edward and at the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raygne But now their new Attorneyes finding the plea of their predecessours cleane ouerthrown in al the former cases they lay clayme to the pedegree of our Bishops to the row of our auncestours So cleare resplendent is this shining marke of our Roman succession as it maketh the very children of darkenes to runne vnto it and seeke to sunne themselues in the beames of her light like forlorne traytours who rebelling agaynst their soueraygne challenge his title to dispoâ—sesse him of his throne So Mayster Francis Mason M. FraÌ„cis Mason l. 1. cap. 2. folio 10. hath set forth a booke in folio to authorize the ordinary calling of their Protestant Ministery by the Canonicall consecration of our Roman Prelates The Mynisters of of England sayth he receaue imposition of handes in lawfull manner from lawfull Bishops indewed with lawfull authority therefore their calling is ordinary Thus he We aske by whome He answereth by the hands of such Bishops as went before them whome he confesseth to be vndoubted Bishops of the Roman Church And therefore telleth vs Archbishop CraÌ„mer and other heroycall he should say diabolicall spirits whoÌ„ the Lord vsed as his instruments to reforme religion in England had the very selfe same ordination and succession whereof you so glory 3. A desperate case when heretikes fly to Catholiques tentes when meere oucrastes eyther degraded or titularyes only would begge nobility from the stocke of such as degraded them But what hope can they haue to draw their lineage from them from whome they deriue Protestant Bishops Priestes haue neyther true successioÌ„ election ordinatioÌ„ or missioÌ„ not as I shall declare any Apostolicall succession canonicall election true ordination lawfull mission or authenticall vocation All which are necessary to an orthodoxall and Catholique Clergy And yet neyther of these maugre M. Masons large bulke to the contrary can be found amongst Protestants For first to an Apostolicall succession besides Election and Ordination of which hereafter two thinges are requisite 1. A place A priuiledge in chartamagna by which Catholike Priests are exempted from all secular power voyde eyther by depriuation voluntary resignation or naturall death Secondly a conformity in fayth with him that went before But when Younge for example Grindall Horne Pilkinton Bullingham c were intruded in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth into the Bishopricks of Yorke London VVinchester Durham Lincolne the true Bishops of those Seas to wit Heath Bonner VVhite Tunstall VVatson were liuing not resigning their dignityes vnto theÌ„ nor yet lawfully depriued of them Therfore the former had no vacant piaces wherein to succeede but were wolues theefes and vsurpers of other mens chayres That Hebr. 13. vers 17. they were not lawfully depriued I proue because Queene Elizabeth her Peeres and other officers who concurred to their dispositioÌ„ were of the layty not coÌ„petent Iudges Matth. 18. v. 18. eyther of ecclesiasticall Prelates or of their causes For such persoÌ„s were euen in criminall matters by the lawes of the Realme by the immunityes of Charta magna not Luc. 10. v. 16. then repealed exempted from subiection to secular Tribunalls vntill they were adiudged and giuen ouer vnto them as none of the former were by the authority of the Matth. 23. v. 3. Ioan. 21. v. 18. Nazian in or at ad ciuestimore perculsos Church Then the Apostle commaundeth all secular people Princes also for his wordes be general without restriction to obey their Prelates and be subiect vnto them Christ chargeth vs to heare them vnder payne of damnation To heare them as himselfe To do what they shall prescribe To be fed and gouerned by them Whereupon Saint Gregory Nazianzen speaking of Emperours saith The Law of Christ hath subiected you to my iurisdiction and to my tribunall For we Athanasius Ep. ad soli vitam agentes Ambros Ep. 32. ad Imp. Val. iuniorem Hosius ap Atha loco citato haue also an Empire yea a greater and more perfect then that of yours vnlesse it be fit to prostrate the soule to the body and heauenly thinges to earthly Saint Athanasius Saint Ambrose and the learned Hosius of Corduba testify the same in such serious manner as Saint Athanasius calleth it the abhomination of desolation foretold by Daniel for an Emperour to preside in ecclesiasticall affayres 4. Yea many zealous and godly Emperours haue wholy disclaymed from all power of intermedlinge with the decision or iudgmeÌ„t of ecclesiasticall matters as Valentinian the first Theodosius the younger Constantine the great whose words are these related by Ruffinus Sozom. lib. 6. cap. 7. Theodorus Ep. ad syn Ephes Bar. Tom. 1. pag. 732. God hath made you Priestes and hath giuen you power to iudge vs and therefore are we rightly iudged by you But you cannot be iudged by men How cleere then is our case that the foresayd Catholike Bishops could not be iudged by Queene Elizabeth and her Councell much lesse haue sentence of deposition pronounced agaynst them without which the ProtestaÌ„t intruders could not be inuested in their rooms nor be lawfully installed in their Episcopall dignity 5. Secondly as those pretended Bishops had no vacant Seas to inherite so they wanted conformity of doctrine which is likewise necessary to true succession they swarued from the fayth of their Catholique predecessours in sundry essentiall pointes And the lineall descent of persons the possession of place if it were truly vacant or resigned is of no force vnlesse it be ioyned with continuance of doctrine which made Saint Irenaeus to Irenaeus l. 4. aduer haere c. 42. Tertullian l. de praes forewarne vs with this caueat You ought to obey those who togeather with the succession of their Bishoprike charge haue receaued the giftes or priuiledges of truth And Tertullian auoucheth the Church to be called Apostolicall not only by reason of her personall succession of Bishops but propter consanguinitatem doctrinae by reason of the consanguinity or conformity Ambrose l. 1. de poeni c. 6. Gregorius NazianzeÌ„ oratione 21. of doctrine Because as Saint Ambrose sayth They enioy not the inheritance of Peter who retayne not the fayth of Peter He sayth Saint Gregory Nazianzen who maynteyneth the same doctrine is also partaker of the same chayre But he who imbraceth a contrary or aduerse fayth is to
be reputed an aduersary while he sitteth in the throne And Saint Paul directly teacheth that the personall line and continuall propagation of Prophets Euangelistes Pastours and Doctours was instituted by God for the perpetuall succession and continuance Ephes 4. v. 11. 12. 13. Ibid. v. 14. of truth That now we be not children wauering and caryed about with euery winde of doctrine c. Therefore the true personall succession cannot be where the succession of doctrine wauereth much lesse where it fayleth which M. Reynolds M. Whitaker and sundry of our Protestant Reynolds in his conference ca. 7. diuis 9. VVhitak contr 1. q. 5. cap. 6. folio 271. aduersaries earnestly auowe and diligently demonstraty to our handes thereby to defeate if they could possible the prerogatiue of our succeeding Bishops But albeit it maketh nothing agaynst vs nay vpholdeth the right of our clayme who agree with our auncestours in al points of fayth yet it vtterly ouerthrowneth the vsurped title they newly challenge to the pedigree of our Bishops froÌ„ whome they dissent in the very many articles of our beliefe For by their owne arguments no participation can they haue with them in chayres no affinity or succession in Priestly thrones agaynst whome they bray forth defiance in doctrine 6. Now as touching Election the third thing which is defectiue in the Protestant ministery that is a priuiledge only due to ecclesiasticall persons For although secular ProtestaÌ„t Bishops want the electioÌ„ of Deane chapter of all clergy persoÌ„s Princes or such as haue auowsans might somtyme present and nominate their Prelates although the consent and approbation of people for greater vnion and peace hath beene also required yet the Election which interesseth the elected entitleth him to his dignity and giueth him a certayne right to his calling This is and euer was only proper to the Pope to the Deane and Chapter or some other of the Clergy and flatly forbidden to the laity vnder payne of excommunication in In Concil gener 8. can 22. ap Grat. distinc 63. c. Hadrian In Syno Niâ— 2. can 3. the eight generall Councell vnder Basil the Emperour and Adrian the Pope Likewise in the second Nicen Synod it is declared That euery Election of Bishop Priest Deacon made by secular powers let it be inualide and of no force And amongst the Canons of the Apostles the thirtith Canon hath these wordes The Bishop who by the fauour of the Princes and Potentates of the world hath gotten his Church let him be deposed But our English Protestant Bishops haue inuaded their Seas by the fauour of Princes by their letters patents without the canonicall election of Pope Deane and Inter can Aposto ca. 30. Chapter or any ecclesiasticall person Therefore they are to be deposed as wolfes vsurpers entring in at the window and not at the dore This defect is not fayned by coniectures as Barlowes consecration is by Mayster Mason nor proued by secret partiall and vnknowne Recordes MasoÌ„ l 3. c. 4. pag. 127. as he doth the ordination of others But it is publikely set downe in the common receaued lawes or Statutes of the Realme For in the first of King Edward the 1. Edward chapter 2. sixt an Act of Parlament was made for disanulling the election of Archbishops and Bishops by the Deane and Chap. taking away the writ of Conge-deslier grauÌ„ted to that purpose The wordes of the Statute are these The writ of Congedeslier was not to be graunted in King Edwards dais whose lawes Queene Elizabeth reestablished 8. Eliza. 1. 7. Be it enacted by the King with the assent of the Lords spirituall and temporall and the Commons in this present Parlament assembled by the authority of the same that from henceforth no such Conge-deslier be graunted nor election of any Archbishop or Bishop by the Deane and Chapter made but that the Kinge may by his letters Patentes at all tymes when any Archbishopricke or Bishopricke be voyde conferre the same to any persons to whome the Kinge shall think meete Can there be a more euident proofe that the Bishops of King Edwards dayes when this Statute was in force wanted their canonical electioÌ„ And after when his lawes repealed by Queene Mary were reestablished by Queene Elizabeth at least in the beginning how beit since they make shew of returning to the auncient custome Can there be likewise a more vehement suspition willfull forgery in M. Masons registers which testify the Writ of Conge-deslier to be graunted forth when by the tenour of that law it could not be graunted 8. Notwithstanding although their Bishops election Mason lib. 2. chap. 10. fol. 88. 89. The ordination of Protestant Priests Bishops vnlawfull inualide noneat all was inualide and succession of no account yet M. Mason stifly vrgeth that their ordination or consecration was good vnlesse we can name some defect eyther in the consecrated or consecratours I answere that the consecratours after their reuolte from the Catholique Church obstinat persisting in schisme heresy were excommunicated and suspended from the due execution and practise of their functions So that although they had beene before true lawfull Bishops as none excepting Cranmer were of the whole Protestant ranke yet then their authority being taken away by the Catholike Church which as she had power to giue had power also to restrayne and disanull their iurisdiction they could not lawfully communicate vnto others that which was suspended in themselues For this cause Saint Athanasius accouÌ„teth them not in the number of true Bâ—shops who are consecrated by heretikes saying By what right can they Athanasius in Concil Arimi Seleuc. § Quae auteÌ„ Seieâ—ciae be Bishops if they receaued their ordination from heretikes as they theÌ„selues accuse them to be Likewise writing in another place in the person of Pope Iulius It is impossible quoth he that the ordinations made by Secundus being an AriaÌ„ could haue any force in the Catholike Church 6. But M. Mason our Protestants Attorney will reply Apol. 2. that S. Athanasius is to be vnderstood of the legitimate and lawfull vse not of the validity of ordination For that euery Bishop communicateth not by reason of his inherent grace or out ward vnion with the Church but by vertue of his episcopall character which no schisme quoth he by deduction out of our writinges no sinne no Mason l. 2. c. 10. fo 88. heresy no censures of the Church no excommunication suspension interdiction degradation nothing nothing at all sauing only death if death can dissolue it Thus he I graunt that the character is indeleble and that alone is sufficient in the consecratour if his intention also be right and if he vse the true matter and forme essentially required thereunto But our English Superintendents after their fal from the Roman Church neyther intended to giue those holy orders which were instituted by Christ neyther did the ordeyned intend to receaue them
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
bastard Church into an adulterous Church Wherefore the only thinge I am to proue is that the Roman church neuer ceased to be the true church of Iesus christ or which is all one that it neuer altered her religion neuer changed in any essentiall point from the purity of fayth which the Apostles togeather with their bloud to speak with Tertullian powred into it Which I first demonstrate TertulliaÌ„ in praes contra haer with this common argument often heretofore insinuated 4. The diuin prouideÌ„ce hath preserued inuiolably the truth of his Gospel in the persoÌ„ of succession inuisible descent of Bishops Priestes and preachers in some place or other for he hath appoynted a perpetuall generation of Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastours Doctours to continue in his Church vntill we meete all into the vnity Ephes 4. v. 13. of sayth and knowledge of the Sonne of God that is vntill the last day The finall end or cause was that now we be not children wauering and carryed about with euery winde of doctrine So that Ibidem v. 14. as an orderly ranke of Pastours and preachers was still to remayne euen so the linke of heauenly truth is perpetually chayned thereunto by the holy Ghost in so much as the gates of hell and all the might of Satan shall neuer separate them but no other row of succeeding Pastours can be named besides those of the Roman Church or such as descending from them in all partes of the world haue likewise agreed with them in fayth and doctrine therefore they are the Doctours and Pastours which our Lord hath appointed to abide in his Church vnto the worke of the ministery vnto the edifying of the body of Christ vntill Ephes 4. v. 12. we all meet in the vnity of fayth 5. Secondly that Church which once was the chast and vndefiled spouse of Christ can neuer cease to be his Three only wayes can a true Church fayle by Schisme heresy or apostacy Schisma est recessus vel diuisio ab vnitate ecclesiae spouse or loose the integrity of sauing fayth vnlesse it be diuorced from him by schisme heresy or apostacy Schisme commeth from the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is defined a departure or diuision from the vnity of the Church by which the band and communion held with a former Church is broken and cut off Heresy as it is now generally taken is a willfull election and firme adhesion to some priuate and singular opinion or rather errour coÌ„trary to the generall approued doctrine of the Church and it is deriued from the Greeke verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth to chuse or voluntarily to preferre one thinge before another Apostacy is a defection or reuolte A description of heresy from God in such manner as it renounceth his faith casteth of the very name and title of a Christian by imbracing Iudaisme Turcisme or Paganisme But the RomaÌ„ Church which once syncerely professed the faith Of Apostacy of Christ neuer deuided it selfe by Schisme from the body of other faythfull Christians It neuer brake the communion or went forth froÌ„ the society of any elder Church The Roman Church neuer failed any of thes waies Not by Schisme Or if it did tell vs whose company it left From whom it went forth And where was the true Church which the Roman forsooke The Grecians and other schismaticall Churches haue separated themselues from her but she neuer went out or reuolted from any Likewise the RomaÌ„ Church hath at no tyme by voluntary election made choyce of any singular or new opinion disagreable to the common receaued doctrine of the Christian world Nor by heresy It hath cleaned in no age to priuate articles or propositions of fayth which were not at the same tyme generally maynteyned in the Church of Christ For who did euer Nor yet by Apostacy taxe the Roman Church of nouelty or innouation in this kinde What true Church did euer disclayme from this singularity or hereticall pertinacy in the Roman Church Did it betwitch all nations in a moment with detestable heresy And was no man left to discouer the M. Nappâ—r vpoÌ„ the reuelation p. 66. and 68. item p. 43. 63. MelancthoÌ„ in locis postremo editis Beza confess general c. 7. sect 12. Humfrey Iesuitis 2. part pag. 6â—4 VVhitak contro 2. q. 4 fol. 144. Fulke in his answer to a counterfeit Catholik pag. 36. infection It can not be Much lesse did it depart from Christ by the crime of Apostacy which necessarily presupposeth a departure from the true Church and a reuolte from the openly professed fayth with the renouncing of Christianity and falling to infidelity Wherefore seeing by no other meanes a Church once true can possibly decay the Roman Church which by neyther of these wayes hath strayed from the truth perseuereth still the Church of Christ vnstained in her fayth 6. Thirdly if the Roman Church euer fayled I aske when By whome Vnder what Pope or Emperour it first beganne to play the aduoutresse Mayster Napper maynteyneth that it did first degenerate about 300. and thirteene yeares after Christ by the meanes of Pope Siluester Melancton about the foure hundred twenty by the vsurpation of Zosimus Beza about the foure hundred and forty by the arrogancy of Leo. Doctour Humfrey about the fiue hundred ninty seaueÌ„ by Gregory the great whom he tearmeth the first Pope and leader of the Popish daunce Why taker and Fulke about the sixe hundred and sixe by Boniface the third his successours For Whitaker affirmeth All that followed Gregory to be true Antichrists Many other dissentions there be amongst them Because the CeÌ„turistes sometymes say that it beganne to be corrupted in Cent. c. 4. col 71. 79. 80. 81. c. Cent. 2. c. 4. col 55. Cent. 1. cap. 10. col 571. c. 584. and. c. 4. col 54. Et conuenientia testimonia non erant Marc. 14. Daniel 13. the three hundred sometymes in the two hundred yeare after Christ Other while they ascend higher and find corruptions euen in the Apostles dayes But as the disagreement of the two wicked Iudges in accusing Susanna one affirming she committed adultery vnder one tree another vnder another was a most apparant testimony in the iudgement of all people of her vnstayned chastity their inueterate malice So if another Daniell would now determine our cause this variance of our aduersaryes in appeaching the Roman Church one auonching she reuolted from Christ and fell into her spiritual adultery vnder one Pope Another vnder another One in the tyme of Siluester Another of Leo A third of Gregory c. must needes be an euident token of her vnchanged fayth and their new forged slaunders For why doe you dreame Mayster Napper that in the dayes of Saint Napper vpon the reuelation p. 66. Siluester and by his default the Roman Church decayed Because sayth
c. he maketh this comment The holy virgin seemeth no lesse spitefully to restraine the power of God then before Zacharias did c. Neither ought wee to labour much to free her froÌ„ all vice I omit how he termeth many other Saintes Goblins or Night-ghostes shaddowes Butchers and beasts The filthines I haue already discouered is more then inough to iustifye our Maiesties prohibition Aegidius Hunnius in libro cui titulus inscribitur Caluinus iudaizans c. Illiricus in defens confess Aug. c. 7. Osian in Enchirid. cont Caluin c. 7. pag. 198. of such diuelish workes and to terrifie all Christians from reading of them which men of his owne sect if Protestantes combine in one secte haue already detested proscribed as full of Iudaisme Arianisme and other most execrable heresies whereof Aegidius Hunnius a Lutheran doctour and professour of diuinity in the vniuersity of Wittenberg hath printed a booke whose title beginneth thus Caluinus Iudaizans c. Caluin Iudaizing or playing the Iewe and Illiricus a prime sectary of their profession giueth testimony that Caluins liturgie is defiled not with one only sacriledge that it hath carried innumerable soules into eternall perdition Luke Osiander another Protestant confuting certaine assertions of the Caluinists calleth them a gulfe whirlepoole or hell of Caluinian doctrine Besides these Lutherans Castalio a Sacramentary Humfred de rat interpret l. 1. pag. 26. much commended by M. Doctour Humfrey so farre abhorreth the opinion of Caluin in feigning God to be the authour of sinne damnation in the reprobate as he distinguisheth that supposed God of Castal in l. ad Calu. de praedestin Caluin from the true God described in the scripture his wordes are these The false God that is the God which Caluin frameth to himself is slowe to mercy See the iudgment of Protestants coÌ„cerning Caluins holding God to be the Authour of sinne and daÌ„nation prone to anger who hath created the grâ—atest parte of the world to destruction and hath predestinate them not only to damnation but also to the cause of damnatioÌ„ Therefore he hath decreed from all eternity and he will haue it so he doth bring it to passe that they necessarily sinne so that neither theftes nor murders nor adulteries are comitted but by his constraint impulsion For he suggesteth vnto men euill dishonest affections not only by permission but effectually that is by drawing them to such affections doth harden them in such sorte that when they perpetrate euill they doe rather the worke of God then their owne he maketh the deuill a lier so that nowe not the deuill but the God of Caluin is the Father of lies But that God which the holy scriptures teach is altogeather contrary to this God of Caluin c. Imediatly after for the true God came to destroy the worke of that Caluinian God these two Gods as they are by nature contrary one to another so they beget and bring forth children of contrary dispositions to wit that God of Caluin children without mercy proud c. Hither to Castalio To whom I add the like censure of Stancarus a ProtestaÌ„t also of no smal fame who writing to Caluin saluteth him thus VVhat diuell Stancarus cont Calu. K. 4. Vide etiam lib. de Tri. K. 8. O Caluin hath seduced thee to speake with Arius against the sonne of God that thou mightst proclaime him to be depriued of his glory now to intreate to haue it giuen him as though he had not alwayes had it That Antichrist of the North whome thou doest impudently adore Melancthon the Grammarian hath done this At length he concludeth with this earnest admonitioÌ„ Beware O Christian Reader especially all you Ministers beware of the books of Caluin and principally in the articles of the Trinity Incarnation Mediatour the sacrament of Baptisme predestination For they containe wicked doctrine Arian blasphemyes In so much as the spirit or soule of burned Seruetus may seem according to the Platonists to haue entred into Caluin So he Whose caueat or serious admonition togeather with the prohibition of our Soueraigne censures of Gods Church will be a warning I hope to my dearest Countrymen to abhorre the writtings of that AriaÌ„ Seruetian Iudaicall Simonian Manichean Sectary whome Heauen and Earth God and Man Cathelikes and Protestants Lutherans and Sacramentaryes iustly condemne of such hatefull impietyes THE PROEME THE most sublime and weighty subiect of this present Discourse is of such importance as it is the principall ground on which dependeth the whole decision of all other debatable controuersies For the Church of God is as Epiphanius writeth the kinges high way by Epiphan haeres 85. which a man is sure to trauaile towardes the truth And Eusebius Emissenus The fayth of the Catholik church useb or Eucherius hom 2. de Symbolo is sayth he the light of our soule the gate of life the ground of euerlasting saluation whosoeuer forsaketh this doth follow his owne head as a most bad guide whosoeuer doth thinke that by his owne wit and vnderstanding he can attaine to the secrets of supernaturall misteryes he Origen ho. 8. in Liuit tract 29. 30. in Matth. hom 6. in Ezech. Iren. l. 3. c. 3 4. Augu. in psal 103. l. 7. cont Crescon c. 33. ep 118. Field in his epist dedicatory before his first booke doth iust like vnto him who without a foundation would build a house or letting passe the doore would enter by the roofe or like vnto him who in a dark night going without a lanterne doth with closed eyes cast himselfe headlong into a deep dungeon Origen Irenaeus S. Augustine inculcate the same In so much as M Field ingenuously auoucheth There is no part of heauenly knowledg more necessary then that which concerneth the Church For seeing the controuersies of Religion in our tyme are growne in number so many and in nature so intricate that few haue tyme and leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them what remayneth for men desirous of satisfaction in things of such consequence but diligently to search out which among all the societyes of men in the world is that blessed company of holynes that houshould of faith that spouse of Christ Church of the liuing God which is the pillar and ground â—f truth tâ—at so they may imbrace her communion folâ—ow her directions and rest in her iudgments I would to God al Protestants would yield to the aduise of this Protestant writer in seeking and adhering to the true Church which that they may the easier doe I addresse this Treatise vnto them wherein I will first lay open what the Church is and who are of it Then that it is one visible apparant neuer hidden or obscure That it cannot faile or erre That it is the mistresse of fayth or supreme iudge of all our spirituall debates That no saluation can be hoped out of it
Lastly that there be certaine markes wherby it may be infallibly known By all which I wil manifestly decipher the RomaÌ„ Church spread through the world to be the only house of God and hauen of saluation no conuenticle of Protestants no assembly of sectaryes whatsoeuer This controuersy I should haue laid in the beginning as the corner stone or marblestay of al other disputs yet because the aduersary complayned of the aduantage we tooke in ouerswaying him still with the power of the Church and that we declined to enter within the listes of holy Writ I omitted to oppresse him with her authority vntill in other mayne questions I had giuen him the foyle by the testimonyes of scripture God of his infinite mercy giue him grace to see his errours and acknowledge his fault least by swelling pride and stubborne Isa 6. v. 9. Marc. 4. v. 12. rebellion he be forsaken with them who seeing saw not nor hearing vnderstood the embassye of life deliuered vnto them CHAP. I. Wherein is examined what the Church is and who are of it TO begin with the Etimologie of the Churches name euer fearefull and fatall to Heretiks the latin word Ecclesia a Churth is deriued from the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to call or assemble together because the members of the Church are called by God from infidelity to faith from errour to truth from impurity vncleanes to sanctification holines Whereupon S. Paul writeth to some of them by this title 1. Cor. 2. v. 2. to the sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saincts and S. Peter He that called you out of darcknes to an admirable lighte The end of this happie calling is to enrich vs here with the blessinges 1. Pet. 2. v. 8. of Christ to reward vs hereafter with the sight of his countenance with the glory of his king dome Both which the foresaid Apostles liuely expresse S. 1 Pet. 3. v. 9. 1. Tim. 6. v. 23. Peter Vnto this you are called that you may by inheritance possesse a benediction S. Paul to Timothy Fighte the good combate of Faith apprehend eternall life wherein thou art called Not that all who repaire vnto the Church arriue vnto this immortall happines but that it is the intent purpose of God to sett vs in the way direct vs thereunto when by him 1. Cor 1. v. 8. we are called as Paul saieth into the societie of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. Wherupon a great question heer ariseth betwen Ambr. in coÌ„m in c. 2. 2. Tim. Aug libel de haeres haer 88. Aug ibid. haer 69. l. 3. contra Parm. c. 2. VVicklif apud walden tom 1. l. 2. c 8. 9. Husse art 1. 2. 3. 5. 6. vt habetur in Concil Constant sess 15. VVhitak contro 2. q. 1. c. 3. Fulke in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 10. VVhitak contro 2. q. 1. c. 3. VVhitak contr 2 q 3. c. 3. Ibid. q. 1. c. 3. 4. 5. 6. cap. 7. Quaest 5. pag. 301. q. 1. c. 10. q. 3. cap. 3. fol. â—12 213. q 1. c. 6. 7. vs our aduersaries First what maketh vs of this society of the sonne of God for seeing the maine army of this selected company is so great as it filleth the whole world is dispersed throughout all natioÌ„s is distinguished by diuers languages lawes rites customes the chiefe difficulty is what linketh combineth them together in the band or family of Christ 2. The Nouatians taught as S. Ambrose noteth that is was entire purity which made this conuinction affirming the pure only and entirely iuste to be of the Church Of which opinion the Pelagians also were who required hereunto the full complement absolute perfection of all kind of such vertues vnto which by their labour industry they presumed to atteyne Secondly the Donatistes craued not so much they indeed exacted grace iustice receauing only the good and iust into the fold of Christ and excluding all grieuous sinners yet not the weake and imperfect as the former did Thirdly VVickliffe Iohn Husse desired neither complete sanctity nor any dram of inward grace but the outward election and predestination of God auouching all the predestinate none els to appertaine to the true Church which is the body of Christ Of this triple generation of prodigious broodes VVhitaker with whome Fulke seemeth to agree begettethone hideous monster formed composed of them all together saying The Catholique Church consisteth not of any wicked and reprobate but only of the elect iust holy predestinate Yet if you beleeue his wordes he differeth from the first opinion because he taketh neither iust men as the Nouitians nor perfect as the Pelagians for such as haue not their faultes imperfections he dissenteth from the second because he excludeth none once iustified by true beliefe let theÌ„s all into neuer so detestable crimes He varieth from the third because he requireth internall faith in the predestinate before they can be admitted into the lappe of the Church And then he cunningly complyeth with theÌ„ all againe affirming no faultes or imperfections to be imputed to the holy regenerate nor any grieuous crimes to be hurtefull to the iust or make them loose their iustice all the faith full to be righteous and iust and none truly faithfull but only the electe Thus he plaieth fast and loose and vseth many iugling trickes which I shall most plainly discouer hereafter 3. Nowe I declare that not the perfecte iuste and elect only but that the wicked reprobate and much more the imperfect are lodged in the house of God as S. Augustine largely prooueth by maÌ„y parables of holy scripture Aug. l. 3. c. 2. 9. 12. 28. contra Petil. Dona. post collat c 4. 6. Matth. 3. 13. 15. 25. 2. Tim. 2. where Christ speaking of his Church resembleth it to the floore of our Lord in which there is wheate chaffe To the net cast into the sea in which there be good and euill fishes To the kingdome of heauen in which there are wise foolish virgins To the Field in which the cockle groweth with the good seed vntill the haruest that is the wicked reprobate are mingled with the iuste vntill the end of the worlde To a great house wherin there be some vessels of honour some of contumely The Church of the Thessalonians the Church of the Corinthiains S. Paul acknowledgeth to be 2. Thess 3. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Cor. 1. 1. Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 3. VVhitak con 2. q. 1. 2. Fulke in c. 22. Matth. sect 2. August tract 6. in Ioan. Cypri l. 4. ep 2. Hieron in dial cont Lucifer Fulg. l. de fide ad Petra c. 43. true Churches in which there were some not withstanding walking inordinately some puffed with pride some contentious some iniuries fraudes some such fornication as was not to be heard of amongst Gentills M. VVhitaker
Augustine to this purpose interpreteth that verse of the Psalme â—rue de manu canis vnicam meam deliuer my only one from the clawe of the * By the dogge Eusebius vnderstaÌ„deth the Diuell whome the Heathens feigned to be the three headed Cerberus Cypr. de vnit Eccle. dogge Where by his only one he vnderstandeth vnicam Ecclesiam his only Church S. Cyprian proueth it diuers wayes illustrateth it with many fine similitudes By the fountaine which is only one although deuided into many riuers By the root or tree which is one albeit it brauncheth into diuers bowes By the lighte of the sun which is one notwithstanding is casteth forth sundry beames so the Church is only one howbeit â—he stretcheth her dominions into innumerable Counteryes The same he confirmeth by the Coat of Christ without seame which figured his one and vndeuided Church But I will not depart from the oracle of the Apostle 3. When S. Paul calleth christ head of the body of the church Of what Church I pray is he head of the inuisible Coloss 1. v. 17. or of the visible If of the inuisible the visible is without a head if of this that is a headlesse monster or if of both one head you prodigiously ioyne to sundry bodyes Likewise the same Apostle sayth I haue despoused you to one man 2. Cor. 11. â— 2. to present you a chast virgin vnto Christ Where I aske which is that chast virgin spouse of our Lord your inuisible Church Then your visible is a harlot a concubin no virgin of Christ and yet it was a visible Church to which S. Paul wrote visible which he conuerted and preserued in chastity of truth which he vndefiled despoused vnto Christ Therefore if your visible also be made his spouse together with the inuisible two spouses As Christ cannot haue two spouses so neither two churches you betroth vnto him not one virgin as the Apostlâ— writeth pure incorrupted but two one which cannot be defiled with adulterous errour the other which may dishonour her husband play the harlot And arâ— we bound to beleeue the one conuerse with the other beleeue in the chast virgin follow her that may fall into aduoutry beleeue in her that cannot beguile vs imbrace her counsailes that may lead vs into pernicious damnable deceits O God what in iury were this to thee what abuse to men For to what end didst thou graunt such priuiledges vnto thy Church why didst thou build it vpon a rocke guard it with thy Angells endow it with thy spirit assiste and protect it with thy dayly presence but that we might securely conuerse coÌ„municate with it Did he afford these prerogatiues to one Church commaund vs to beleeue in it and after guid vs gouerne vs nay deceaue vs with another as Laban deceaued Iacob promising Rachel beguiling him with â—ia Gen. 29. v. 19. 23. 4. Is not the Apostolique Church is not the Catholique Church the true Church which yâ—â— beleeue 〈◊〉 what Church is Apostolique but that which the Apostles planted with their preaching edified with their liues watered with their bloud What Catholique but that which beginning at Ierusalem increased spread it selfe in the view of all men throughout the world And iâ— not the same the visible Church mother of vs all in whose wombe we were coÌ„ceaued in whose lap we haue been nourished and from whose dugges we haue sucked the sweetest milke of heauenly doctrine The Church which we beleue is as you confesse the house of God not built vpon the sand but vpon a rocke against which the windes Matt. 7. v. 29. blew the raine beat the floodes came but would not batter to the ground And yet the same in S. Pauls iudgment is the house in which we should liue conuerse These thinges I write to 1. Tim. 3. v. 14. Fulke in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 10. thee c. that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to conuerse in the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God Fulke auoucheth Whitaker will not deny but that their inuisible holy Catholike Church is the Church for which Christ â—yed that he might sanctify it cleanse it by the lauer of water in his worde Notwithstanding if it were not â—â—so the visible Church by which we are directed and â—ouerned how could S. Paul exhort the Priestes or Pastors Art 10. v. 28. thereof Take heed to your selues to the whole flocke wherein the holy ghost hath placed you Bishops to rule the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud 5. Moreouer what Church do we beleeue but that which is the communion of Saintes of which it is said in the Creed I beleeue the holy Catholique Churche the communion of Saintes therefore the same we beleeue The Protestants euasion answered with which we communicate I know you will say there are two sortes of communion one visible in giuing receauing the outward seales sacramentes of the Church in preaching heaâ—â—ng the word in externall profession of fayth many mutuall offices of charity another inuisible which consisteth in the inward regeneraâ—ion fructification of the word in the inward saithfull beleefe â—hat you obserue honour in the visible church this you truly acknowâ—edg beleeue in the inuisible What Are the sacraments ministred 〈…〉 â—nother Is the outward lotion preaching in one ◠〈…〉 â—â—istred 〈◊〉 one Church and giue grace in another the inward regeneratioÌ„ beleefe in another And whâ— more absurd then to deuide the sacramentes from their effectes the instrumentes of grace from grace it selfe by diuersity of Churches what more absurde then to make the pastour pillers foundation in one Church the true fabricke of the Church in another Is it possible is should not be the same Church where baptisme incorporateth vs in Christ where the body of Christ is where Paul planteth Apollo watereth God giueth the 1. Cor. 3. v. 46. increase Although I yeald vnto you that the outward lotion preaching be visible the increase of grace and true beleefe inuisible yet may not the same Church consist As man consisteth of a visible body and inuisible soule so the same Church may haue some visible other inuisible partes of diuers partes some visible some inuisible some seene others beleeued Is not euery particuler man one the same composed of a visible body inuisible soule iâ— not Christ one the same whose humanity was seene diuinity beleeued Therefore as you do not make two men of one nor two Christes of the sonne of God although he comprehend partes visible inuisible onâ— thing that is seene another beleeued so neither twâ— Churches but one the same which compriseth some visible some inuisible partes 6. But to launce this sore a litle deeper The visible Church say you coÌ„sisteth of good bad
elect reprobat mingled together the inuisible only is composed of the elect iust holy See you not how this very distinction Many absurdities ensue of deuising two churches choaketh it selfe how one member fightetâ— diuers wayes against the other For first separate the elecâ— from the society of the reprobat to frame your inuisible you destroy the visible Church leaue them conioyne with the reprobat to make your visible the inuisiblâ— fayleth Secondly you grant I weene that the elect as thâ—â— liue vpon earth mingled with the reprobat raise the visible as they are seuered by imagination concurre to blinâ— the fabrick of the inuisible church Therefore your inuisible is meerely imaginary fained chimericall tâ—â— visible only the true and reall Church the true misticall body of Christ which is exercised heere in the warfare of this life Thirdly this you crosse againe and say the visible Church is no true Church but only as it contayneth the inuisible that is the sacred number of the elect who make no society and consequently no Church Fourthly the elect by this meanes are in two Churches in the visible and in the inuisible whereas the reprobate only are in the visible yet because their reprobation is as hidden as the others election why should not these make an inuisible assembly as well as they Fiftly when the elect are separated to mak your inuisible who remayneth in the visible but a rable of reprobate a rout of infidels and shall they compose your visible Church Shal Christs visible body on earth be wholy compacted of the reproued vessels members of Sathan O intricate confusioÌ„ which confoundeth also me in rehearsing it O monstruous paradoxes which implyeth so many contradictions â—â—â—any absurdityes against which if I should cite the â—â—thorityes of the Fathers I should neuer make an end They all iointly praise magnify and extoll one visible and Catholike Church one and the same whose prerogatiue we belieue and fellowship must imbrace the same by whose preaching we must be born by whose spirit we liue S. Cyprian the glorious Bishop and Martyr Cypr. de vnit Eccl. sayth One Mother there is by the fecundity of her issue copious and fertile by her increase we are borne with her milke we are nourithed we are animated with her spirit The spouse of Christ cannot play the aduoutresse she is immuculate and vndefiled she knoweth one house she keepeth with chast bashfulnes the sanctity of one bed This Church preserueth vs in God this aduanceth to the kingdome the children she hath brought forth whosoeuer diuided from the Church cleaueth to the aduoutresse is separated from the promises of the Church 7. S. Augustine also often auerreth That the true Catholique Church conteyneth in it good and bad reprobate elect That the kingdom of Christ is but one one great citty one mountain comprehending the whole world The authority sayth he of the Catholike Church c. iâ— establiâ—hed vntill this day by the line of Bishops succeeding one another Aug. cont Faust l. 11. c. 2. and by the consent of so many people By which succession consent and power of miracles he testifieth that he is held in Catholica Ecclesia in the Catholik Church Then that the whole multitude of belieuers gathered togeather by miracles is the Catholike August cont epist Funda c. 3. 4. Aug. de vtil credendi c. 16. Church Therefore the Catholike Church is the same whose succession is visible propagation visible consent visible miracles visible multitude visible and which it selfe is also visible the same is the Catholike Church which we belieue and visible multitude to which we ought to linke in fellowship communion which appeareth so cleare in M. Fields sight howsoeuer those his former Coronels VVhitaker and Fulke were blinded with the contrary as he writeth thus VVe say that all they are of Field in his first booke of the Church c. 2. fol. 23. the Church that outwardly hold the fayth of Christ and that that society wherein the sincere outward profession of the truth of God is preserued is that true Church of God whose communion we must imbrace that happy mother in whose womb we are conceaued with whose milke we are nourished and to whose censures we must submit our selues After assigning diuers considerations of the Church some different conditions of her members he addeth Notwithstanding all which differences for that they all concurre in the same holy profession and vse of the same happy meanes of saluation they make one holy Catholike Church in which only the light of heauenly truth is to be sought So he flying the noueltye of his first Reformers and varying from them in a Field dissentethfroÌ„ Whitaker in apoint fundamental point fundamentall for what more substantiall variance then to differ about the Church we ought to belieue as an article of fayth About the Catholike Church in which the happy meanes of saluation are only to be found Whether that be visible or inuisible 8. Peraduenture some will excuse M. Whitaker that he meaneth not that the true Church should be wholy inuisible not seene to any but so latent scattered and compounded of so few as they can hardly be discerned amongst them selues much lesse to strangers enemyes VVhitak contr 2 q. 2. c. 1. But this excuse will not couer his fault For VVhitaker auoucheth that indeed but of the visible not of the Catholike Church he flatly protesteth the whole Catholike VVhitak ibidem q. 3. c. 1. fol. 178. Fulke in c. 5. Matth. sect 3. iâ— 2. Thess 2. sect 5. Sparkes in his answer to M. Iohn D. Albins pag. 54. 126. Church to be inuisible both militant triumphant The visible also sayth he may sometyme consist of a fâ—w and they scattered obscure vnknowne who hide themselues in corners Which although M. Field stoutly gainesayth as shal be declared yet because Fulke Sparkes and others vphold the same to vnderproppe the paper walles of their new founded Synagogue it will not be labour lost to conuince the falsity thereof CHAP. III. In which is declared that the true visible Church is apparently knowne and famous to the world against D. Whitaker D. Fulke and D. Sparkes THE first authours and beginners of ProtestaÌ„cy departing from the known band and vnity of Gods people vpon earth and not finding any predecessours or mantayners of their new hatched fictions to whome they should lincke and conioyne themselues in profession not finding any Countrey Prouince Citty Village Temple or Oratory who communicateth with them infayth seruice publique sacraments wretchedly imagined besides their Catholike and wholy inuisible Church another visible assembly of faythfull belieuers who are some so hidden as they are not knowne to D. VVhit contro 2. q. 3. cap. 1. f. 178. 179. VVhitak aduâ— Duâ— p. 274. D. Sparks in his answer to M. Io. d'Albin p 54. 126. Fulke in c. 5. Matt. sect 3. 2. Thess
2. sect 5. Isa c. 61. Gen. 2â— v. 17. Gen. 28. v. 14. Matt. 24. v. 23. Hiero. in comm cap. 24. Matt. Aug. lib. 9. c. 16. cont Petil. Aug. de vnit Eccl. c. 6. 7. 8. 9. Matt. 5. v. 14. Art 1. v. 8 Dan. 2. v. 44. Psal 88. v. 38. Matt. 5. v. 14. Aug. in psal 47. omnibus terrarum partibus nota Aug. l. 3. c. 5. cont Parm. Isa 2. v. 2. Psal 44. v. 16. any strangers sometymes so latent as they are no way aparent to the world VVe confesse sayth Whitaker a certaine number of them who piously worship Christ to be alwayes on earth but we say that this number is not alwayes visible It may come to passe that no certaine and true visible Church may be knowne or sound out in the world Likewise we all clearely know the visible church to haue perished aâ— thou knowest a man to be dead D. Sparks and D. Fulke trâ—ce the same steps how beit God witnesseth of the progeny of his Church by the mouth of Isay Their seed and generation shall be knowne amongst the Gentills and amongst the people all that see them shall know them that these are the seed which our Lord hath blessed I will multiply thy seed like the stares of the heauen and like the sandes of the sea Thou shalt be dilated from East to VVest from South to North. In so much as Christ himself fore warneth vs not to giue eare to them who auouch his Church to be at any tyme latent or restrained to corners If any man shall say vnto you loe heere is Christ or there do not belieue him Whereupon S. Hierome Do yee not go forth doe yee not belieue that the sonne of man is either in the desert of Gentills or in the closets of heretikes but from the East to the VVest his fayth shineth in the Catholike Church S. Augustine Dost thou think the sheep of Christ are so depriued of all sense to whome it is sayd do yee not beleeue that they will heare the wolse affirming behould heere iâ— Christ and will not heare the Pastour saying that he is throughout all Nations beginning at Ierusalem And in another place he willeth vs not to credit him who draweth Christ or his Church from the communion or fellowship of all nations christned to one corner towne or Countrey For this cause Christ calleth his shepheards the light of the world the witnesses of his truth to the most parts of the earth He compareth his Church to a renowned kingdom that shall break in peeces consume all other kingdoms To a magnificent throne as resplendent as the sunne To a lofty Citty placed vpon a mountayne which as S. Augustine affirmeth cannot be hid but shal be knowne to all the coasts of the earth To a mountaine prepared in the top of mountaines eleuated aboue the little hilles vnto which all Nations shall flow to the Temple of a king to a tabernacle seated in the sunne Whereupon S. Augustine he put his tabernacle Aug. in in eundem psal in the sunne that is his Church in manifâ—station or open view not in a corner not such as is hidden as if it were couered c. In the sunne he put his tabernacle what doest thou meane O heretike to fly into darknes What doest thou meane to hide the light to deface the thorne to dispeople the Citty to shroud in corners the kingdome of thy Lord the most famous monarchy of the world Three reasons why the Church must be alwayes visible 2. The reasons why the empyre or monarchy of the Church must be alwayes so manifest or resplendent are diuers but chiefly three First for the instruction of the faithful for to guide direct them to the port of saluation to teach them the truth preserue them from the wiles of errour For to this end pastours are appointed in the Church they are commaunded to take care of their flocke to gouerne feed them to defend them from the wolues the people are charged to heare obey them not to giue care to the voyce of strangers to receaue from theÌ„ the food of life Therefore both the one the other must be alwayes visible or els they cannot mutually performe these offices And because these faithfull seruantes of God shall continue in the most famous countreyes of the World this visible Church must needes perseuer in the view of al. Secondly it must also abid opeÌ„ly known for the extirpation of heresyes correction of delinquentes for the amendment of these auoyding of their company because S. Paul willeth vs to shun the hereticall person not to ioyne league with infidells We are also commaunded Tit. 3â— v. 10. 2. Cor. 6. v. 14. Rom. 16. v. 17. Matt. 18. v. 17. to note such as breed scandalls among vs to tell the Church of them that be in corrigible Which werâ— to no purpose if the Church at any time lay hidden Thirdly it is necessary it should be alwayes conspicuous manifestly apparent not only to the members but euen to strangers enemies there of to wit for their conuersion vocation of gentills Hence Isay prophesieth Thy gates shal be open continually day and night they shall not be shut that the strength of Isa 60. â— â—1 the gentils may be brought to thee and their kinges may be brought Which cannot be fullfilled if the Church be couched in darcknes if it be not alwayes a mountaine in the top of mountaines Isa c. 2. v. 2. Cap. 62. v. 6. Melan. in praef l. corp doct Christ in Eccl. Sax. c. impr Lipsiae anno 561. See him also in Repe conf Aug offerendae synod Tri. c. de Eccle. in resp ad impios art Baua inquis q. â— D. Humf. Iesu par 2. rat â— pag. â—41 item pag. 281. Field l. 1 c. 10. fol. â—1 VVhitak contro 2. q. 3. c. 1. Con. 2. q. 2. c. 2. cont 2 q. 3. cap. 1. Perkins in his exposition of the Creed pag. 400. Fulk in c. 2. Thess sect 4. vnto which all nations may flow and say Come let vs goe vp to the Mount of our Lord and to the house of the God of Iacob he will teach vs his wayes we shall walke in his pathes If it be not alwayes true which God himselfe foretold Vpon thy walles Ierusalem I haue appointed watchmen all the day and all the night for euer they shall not hold their peace 3. These reasons weighed so much with Melancthon as he bitterly inueigheth against such as impugne them saying VVhereunto tendeth this monstrous speach which denieth the visible Church It abolisheth all testimonies of antiquity It taketh away all iudgements It causeth an endlesse confusion and induceth a common wealth of vnruly Russians or Atheists wherein no one careth for another And our English Protestant Doctour Humfrey Obscure or hidden retirements c. are not Christian assemblyes Likewise It is a most manifest conclusion
that the Church ought to be conspicuous Who is seconded also by M. Field That there is and alwayes hath beene a visible Church and that not consisting of some few scattered Christians without order of Ministry or vse of sacramentes we do most willingly yeald vnto But how many more will yeald besides you hauing no rule of agreement so strangely dissent in euery assertion as I know not who els will subscribe hereunto Sure I am that VVhitaker as mainly contradicteth it as words can expresse saying The Church may sometimes consist of a few and they scattered obscure vnknown who hide themselues in corners Therefore he answereth to the former testimonyes of scripture that many promises are made of the glory splendour of the Church vnder the Messias but none that the state of the Church should be perpetually such For it may come to passe that no true visible Church may be found out in the world Perkins sayth in his exposition of the Creed Before the dayes of Luther for the space of many hundred yeares an vniuersall apostacy ouerspread the whole face of the earth Fulke There was a certaine generall apostacy of the visible Church And a litle before The reuolt spoken of before by S. Paul is called by Caluin A certeine generall defection of the visible Church which being hardly builded was by the tyranny subtilty of Antichrist ouerthrowne as a house with a suddaine tempest and lay long in the ruines Againe The visible Church may become an adultersse Fulk in his answere to a counterfet Catholike p. 79. VVilet in his Synop. pa. 54. Sparkes in his answer to M. Iohn d' Albins pag. 53. 54. 126. c. A grosse absurd answere of one whoÌ„ the Lord de la Ware brought to dispute with a Catholik GentlemaÌ„ be diuórced from Christ. M. VVillet D. Sparkes hâ—ue many sayings to the like purpose By which M. Field may see how farre his fellowes are from agreeing with him or yeilding to vs in this substantiall point of faith especially they who pressed to describe where their Church hath held the scepter of her raign in former ages retire to the hidden story of inuisible conuenticles as a Puritan Champion of my Lord de la VVares did in a set conference appointed by him others for the discouery of truth who being vrged by a Catholique gentelman that the Protestant Church could not be true because it hath not alwayes continued since Christ his time not alwayes visible as he then disputed nor alwayes inuisible nor sometime visible sometime inuisible The Lords Champion answered that it continued sometime inuisible To which the Catholique replyed that during the time in which it was inuisible it could not be the Church of Iesus Christ for he argued thus That is the true Church of Iesus Christ which he comaundeth vs to obey and pumsheth vs if we obey not But he cannot commaund vs to obey an inuisible Church nor punish vs if we obey it not Therefore an inuisible Church cannot be the true Church of Iesus Christ He might haue asked him of whome his inuisible church consisteth of men or Diuels Fayries Goblins or what other night-Ghostes who would not be seene or heard to speake God not excused from tyranny by the Protestants answere The Minor denyed was proued in this manner God cannot commaund much lesse punish vs for a thing vnpossible But it is vnpossible to heare vnpossible to obey an inuisible Church Therefore God can not commaund much lesse punish vs for not obeying an inuisible Church 4. Here the defendant granted that God commaunded a thing impossible and punished men for not performing that which was impossible whereupon when the disputant inferred That God must needes be in that case a tyrant in punishing without desert he after much stammering strugling which himselfe answered No because that impossibility fell out by their owne default At which reply the Minister his assistant began to leap for ioye brake off the dispute without more ado as if the Argument had beene satisfied or the diuine goodnes exempted from prodigious cruelty by a fault of his creatures which when they incurred no man knowes nor can yet deuise what fault it should be nor why the harmeles of spring should be euerlastingly tormeÌ„ted for their predecessours offence of eclipsing the Church and making The Lord de la War his false report vaine boasting of a disput held betwixt a Catholik a Protestant in his owne presence Melanct. D. Humf. D. Field in the places aboue cited it inuisible which they neither actually committed by their owne proper will nor originally contracted from the will of another Yet such answeres run currant in Protestants iudgments the good Lord himself was not ashamed vauntingly to report that his defendant departed enobled with victory when he flinched away notoriously disgraced with the ignominious blot of one most monstruous absurdity euen in Melancthons D. Humfreys M. Fields diuinity court that the ProtestaÌ„ts Church was sometimes inuisible and another vnauoidablâ— blasphemy in the high tribunall seat of all Diuines thaâ— God doth command and eternally punish vs for not performing thinges impossible 5. Both these odious barbarismes the Puritan welâ— perceaued and although as he ignorantly or vnaduisedly rowled into theÌ„ so he vaingloriously after the fashion of heretikes defended them for a while yet immediatly after at the same conference the same argumeÌ„t being proposed by another he durst not stand to the same manner of answering as I shall heere relate At the closing vp of the former dispute another learned Catholike entred the roome and being vrged to alleage some reasons why the English Protestant Church could not be the true Church of Iesus Christ not hearing what had passed before he thus began THE CATHOLIKE The true Church of Christ hath alwayes perseuered 〈…〉 Church haâ—h not alwaye◠〈◊〉 Therefore the English Church is not the true Church of Chrisâ— THE PVRITAN I deny the Minor I say the English Church hath alwayes preseuered THE CATHOLIKE I take the tyme from Gregory to Luther for the space of 900. yeares If your Church was extant in these ages either is was visible or inuisible but neither can be sayd Therefore it was not then extant THE PVRITAN I answere it was visible as it appeareth out of M. Foxes Chronicle in which the Actes and monuments of our Church in all those ages are recorded and wherein it is cleerely demonstrated that some egreâ—ious Martyrs and confessours of our Church flourished in euery Counâ—â—ey who couragiously opposed themselues against the Roman errours 〈◊〉 superstitions Behould the inconstancy of this fellow who first â—raunted that the Protestant Church was sometyme inuisible and scant hauing breathed since he defended it to haue beene in euery age or Countrey visible from S. Gregory to Luther For when was is latent When inuisible If in none of those ages Before S. Gregory you all confesse it was conspicuous although
pressed as they know not â—hat to say or whither to turne I appeale to the whole â—â—ditory whether this was not the summe of his reply â—â—d whether he did not heereupon abruptly end cease â— proceed any further with much disgust of the standers â— and small satisfaction to his owne fellow Ministers â—ho came to assist him Howbeit seeing both VVhitaker â— Reynolds distinguish in the same manner as Barbon hath â—â—one and often affirme that the Church may slide in to â—â—rours of probation not of damnation curable not inâ—â—rable I will a little further lay open the falsity of that â—istinction And first I would haue theÌ„ tell me what these â—urable errours be Grosse and fundamentall such as canâ—ot stand with the principles of faith or sleight and indifferent such as do not preiudice the integrity thereof â—â— such We need not for the attayning of saluation be cured of them we may without losse of Gods fauour heere or heereafter perseuere vnto death incurably in them In which case your new Ghospell was needles your outcryes slanderous your breach detestable in making so execrable a schisme diuision from vs for slender matters not necessary to saluation Grosse then and fundamental they be of which we shal be certainely healed before we dye therefore M. Whitaker affirmeth the Church may for a tyme erre in some foundations yet be safe or souÌ„d A crabbed saying for fayth must be entiere or els it is no fayth therefore if the beliefe of the Church be fayling in any one foundation it is no way sound but wholy erres in fayth as M. VVhitaker not many lines before directly auoucheth If any fundamentall point of doctrine be remoued the Church presently falleth A true speach howbeit most contrary and repugnant to the former And yet it is impossible for the Church euer to be ruined impossibly to perish or depart from God at any tyme or moment as hath beene disputed in the former Chapter Therfore impossible â—â— her to be ensnared in any substantiall or fundamental eâ—rour 5. Besides if curable errours be fundamentall whâ— be incurable What greater then fundamentall Or hâ—â— can any be counted incurable when there is none â— damnable which may not be cured by the salue of gracâ— When we dayly see that Arianisme Iudaisme Turcisâ—â— Apostacy Infidelity c. often cured with help from â—boue No errour there is which may not be cured by grace Are they incurable out of which the Church caâ— neuer be recouered But of this neuer Heretique as yâ—â— made question The Donatists who contended that thâ— whole Church crred and perished before their dayes saiâ— it reuiued againe and tooke life in them and so do all heretiks or sectaryes whosoeuer challenge a recouery of the decayed Church But what do I striue against meere fancyes All the arguments I haue heere proposed manifestly conclud that the true Church of Christ is neuer obnoxious to any errour at all little or great curable or incurable necessary or not necessary to saluation For she teacheth Why the Church can fall into no errour curable or incurable all truth the spirit and wordes of God are alwayes in her mouth She is a pure virgin and cannot be stayned with any spot of vnchast doctrine she is alwayes directed by the holy Ghost we are commanded by God alwayes to giue care vnto her But as we can be led into no offense smal nor grieuous materiall nor formal culpable nor inculpable into nothing dissonant or repugnant vnto truth by imbracing the direction or following ProtestaÌ„ts are eÌ„trapped in their own affertions holding the true Church may erre and yet themselus certain of truth the commandment of truth it self so we can tumble into no errour little or great curable or incurrable by following the direction or safe conduct of the Church And truely I wonder at this witch craft of Sathan how he should perswade our miserable sectaryes that they alone haue the purity of the Ghospell the certainty of the spirit the true reformed Church and yet to teach them withall that the true Church may erre For how can they be sure themselues do not erre in their fayth and in appeaching vs of so many superstitioÌ„s if their Church may erre How can their followers be sure they are taught â— truth if their teachers themselues confesse they may â— O drunken heresy O malicious blindnes art thou â—ereft of the light of reason and drowned in the pit of â—lful darknes as to produce no better witnesses for the â— of ours and rising of thy Church then such as may â—e such as may lye and beguile the people S. Augustine Aug. in psal 63. v. 7. â— braydeth the Iewes for labouring to disproue our Saâ—ours resurrection with sleeping watchmen And shall â—t I reuile our Lutheran or Caluinian strumpet for inâ—ing vs of sundry falshoodes by the verdict of errable â—inisters deceauable Reformers Who graunt they may â— blinded with curable errours Of such errours we acâ—se them in all points wherein they disagree from vs â—e proue them guilty by the word of God doome of anâ—â—quity and vniuersall Senate of all the faithfull who â—â—nnot erre Let them by the like Iury acquit themselues â—â—fense their doctrine with the like authority or els in â—â—ine do they bragge of verity or exclaime against our â—â—perstitious abuses Will they runne to the authority of Scripture But either they are infallibly assisted by the holy Ghost neuer to mistake or interprete it amisse and then their Church can neuer erre neither curably nor incurably which they deny or they may sometyme swarue from the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost they may fall into the curable errours of which we attach them and so are condemned by their owne mouthes for insufficient witnesses or accusers of vs. To go one Iren. l. 3. c. 4. 40. l. 1. c. 3. Hier. l. 3. adue Ruf. c. 8. in fine Cypr. epist 55. ad Cornel. Aug. de vnit Eccl. c. 28. 6. As the scripturs before mentioned so the ancient Fathers aboundantly testify the inerrable rule of the true Churches beliefe S. Irenaeus sayth The Apostles haue layd vp in the church as in a rich treasure all truth that he that will may from thence draw the water of life Likewise She keepeth with most sincere diligence the Apostles fayth and preaching In her sayth Saint Hierome is the rule or square of truth The Church sayth S. Cyprian neuer departeth from that which she once hath knowne S. Augustine Behould how after the same sort he addeth of the body which is the Church that he may not permit vs to erre neither in the bridegroome nor in the bride In another place he affirmeth Aug. tom 2. ep 166. fol. 290. that our heauenly Maister forewarneth vs to auoyd schismes In so much as he maketh the people secure of euill gouernourâ— least for them the chayer of holesome doctrine should be forsaken â— which euen
I would holde my self to those by whose commaundement I beleeued the gospell c. VVhose authority being infringed weakned I could not now There is no raâ—son we should beleeue the authority of the Roman Church in deliuering scripture and Protestants in expounding it contrary to her authority beleeue euen the gospell itself Imediatly before If thou say Beleeue not the Catholiques it is not the right way by the ghospell to driue me to the faith of Manichaens of Protestants because I beleeued the ghospell it self by the preaching of Catholiques 8. Yet if against all sense and reason if against both God and man you should perswade vs to beleeue your new constructions of Sâ—riptuee against theÌ„ who taught you both Christ and Scripture do we not belieue the authority of men the voyce as you account your selues of the faythfull so submit our iudgments to the exposition of the Church 9. Further more the Church is the treasury or store-house of God to which he committeth all his heauenly ministeryes All thinges which I haue heard of my Father I haue made knowne to you It is his mouth or oracle which openeth the same to others his trumpet or cryer which promulgateth The Church is the store-house of truth Ioan. 15. v. â—â— them to the world Go and teach all Nations c. teaching all thinges which I haue commaunded you It is the messenger which reuealeth his will The witnes which giueth testimony of his wordes and sayings The VicegereÌ„t which supplyeth the roome of his beloued You shal be witnesses to me in Hierusalem and in all lury c. As my Father hath sent me so I also do send you But Christ was sente from Matt. vlt. v. 19. Act. 1. v. 8. Ioan. 20. v. â—2 the throne of his Father with most ample power to decide all doubtes in matters of faith Therefore the Church succedeth him in this soueraigne authority she baptizeth now in his person sacrificeth in his person teacheth in his person gouerneth in his person excoÌ„municateth in his person so she determineth with infallible assistance and iudgeth all Controuersies in his person If we be commanded to heare her obey her belieue her be ruled by her If we must open our owne faults complayne of our brethren to her be bound or loosed The Church iudgeth of the writings of the Apostles she coÌ„poseth the Canon of Scripture she iudgeth of the true sense and interpretation of scripture of our sinns by her if she must cleare out doubts examine our causes redresse our scandals quiet our contentions she no doubt is the supreme iudge of all our spiritual affayres When any doubt is made of the writings of the Apostles whether they be theirs or no as whether the Epistle of S. Paul to the Laodiceans be his or not it belongeth to the Church to decide the matter to receaue or reiect it Therfore she iudgeth of the Apostolicall doctrin of the sacred Canon she iudgeth what is consonant to the diuine spirit of God and what is dissonant thereunto When any heresy springeth from the false interpreration of scripture she also censureth she condemneth it Therefore she is the iudge not only of the scriptures but also of the true sense and exposition of them And thus in all tymes and places whensoeuer occasion hath beene offered the Church hath exercised her iudiciall power CHAP. VII Wherein is manifested the conformable practise of the Church other authorityes alleadged the imagined circle obiected against vs auoyded IN the Apostles dayes a controuersy arose concerning the obseruation of the legall Ceremonyes it was diligently argued discussed and iudged by the Church with this diuine and Act. 15. v. 28. infallible resolutioÌ„ It hath seemed good to the holy Ghost and vs c. Some few yeares after a great debate fell out about the celebratioÌ„ of the feast of Easter whether it should be kept alwayes on the Sunday or on the 14. day of the first moneth the matter was referred examined iudged by the Church with such an vncontrolable sentence as they who resisted were absolutely censured and condemned for heretikes called Quartadecimani Witnes S. Augustine Epiphanius Tertullian others In all succeeding ages some such doubts questions or heresyes haue sprung vp and haue beene Aug. haer â—6 Epiphan haer 50. Tertul. in Praescrip alwayes sifted determined and iudged by the Church From her the Nouatians Arians Nestorians Eutichians Pelagians Monothelites and the rest haue still receaued their finall doome and irreuocable damnation in such iudiciall manner as no appeale no dispute no further examinations of their opinions hath beene after Hooker in the preface to his book of Eccles poli pag. 24. 25. 26. 27. Couel in his defence of M. Hooker permitted as not only M. Hooker and M. Doctour Couell two moderne Protestants but S. Athanasius also testifyeth of the Churches decrees in the Nicen Councell against the Arians Let no man thinke a matter discussed by so many Bishops confirmed with most cleare testimonyes may be called againe in question least if a thing so often iudged be reuised and knowne againe the curiosity of knowing vtterly want all end of knowing And Martian the Emperour He doth wronge to the iudgement of the most reuerend Synod who contendeth to rippe vp or publiquely argue and dispute of such thinges as be once iudged and rightly ordered Theodosius Athan. in decr Nice Syno Martian in rescript ad Pallad Praefect Preto C. desum Trin. l. 5. Cod. l. 1. tit leg damnat also and Valentinian those two Catholike Emperous who held the Imperiall Scepter in the yeare of our Lord 428. haue most catholikely enacted a law allowing the Churches definitiue sentence in sundry CouÌ„cels VVhosoeuer in this holy Citty or other where do follow the prophane peruersity of Eutiches condeÌ„ned in the late Councell gathered at ChalcedoÌ„ do not so beleeue in all points of fayth as the 318. holy Fathers of the Nicene Councell as the 150. venerable Bishops assembled togeather in the Councell of Constantinople or the other two CouÌ„cells following of Ephesus and Chalcedon let them know that they are heretiks But as thâ— Churches tribunall in condemning heresyes so in establishing true doctrine in all doubtfull cases hath beene esteemed infallible Hence that common saying of S. Augustine VVhosoeuer feareth to be ensnared Aug. l. 1. cont Cres c. 33. by the obscurity or hardnes of this question let him consult the Church thereof which the holy Scripture without all ambiguity doth demonstrate 2. Hence S. Paul immediatly instructed from the mouth of God when false seducers sought to caluminate Gal. 2. v. 2. Tertul. l. 4. contra Marc. c. 2. his heauenly doctrine had recourse vnto the Church for approbation of his Ghospell Least perhaps in vaine I should runne or had runne Whereupon Tertullian If he from whom S. Luke receaued his light desired to haue his fayth and preaching authorized by his predecessours how
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
Hier. q. ad Edibiam kingdome of Christ wherin such as refuse to liue are rebelles and traytours to God It is the house (b) Orig. in Iesu Naue hom 3. Cypr. de simplicitate Praelat Ambr. lib. de Salom. c. 5. of â—ahaâ— from whence whosoeuer departeth is guilty of his own death It is the (c) Ioan. 21. Luc. 5. Ambr ser 11. l. de Salom. c. 4. Concil Later c. 1. Vna est fidelium vniuersalis Ecclesia extra quaÌ„ nullus omnino saluatur Aug. tom 7. concione ad plebem de Emerita post medium Cypr. epist 62. ad â—omponium Iren. l. 3. aduer haeres c. 40. Ship of Peter out of which whosoeuer sayleth suffereth ship wracke Therfore the CouÌ„cell of Lateran hath truly and carefully defined There is one vniuersall Church of the faythfull out of which no man is saued This decree of that most holy and generall Councell the vniforme consent of the Fathers ratify and confirme a few with such as I haue alleadged shall speake for the rest S. Augustine Out of the Catholike Church a man may haue all things excepting saluation he may haue orders he may haue Sacraments he may sing Alleluia he may answere Amen he may haue the Ghospell he may haue and preach the fayth in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost but he can by no meanes obtayne saluation but in the Catholike Church S. Cyprian Neither can they writing of excommunicated persons liue without sith the house of God is one and no man can haue saluation but in the Church Irenaeus In the Church God hath appointed Apostles Prophets Doctours and the whole operation or ministery of the spirit of which they all are depriued who repaire not to the Church VVhere the Church is there is the spirit of God and where the spirit of God is there is the Church and all grace Then he interreth that such as do not partake of that spirit estranged from truth are iustly tumbled into euery errour Lactantius it is only the Catholike Lactant. l. 4 diuin instit cap. vlt. Church that hath the true worship and seruice of God this is the well spring of truth the dwelling place of fayth the temple of God into which whosoeuer entreth not and from which whosoeuer departeth is without all hope of life and eternall saluation Thus Lactantius With whom our chiefest aduersaries likewise accord Field confesseth one holy Catholike Church in which only the light of heauenly Field in his first booke of the Church c. 2. fol. 23. truth is to be sought where only grace mercy remission of sinnes and hope of eternall happynes are found And to maintaine this he citeth the aforesayd sentence of Lactantius 4. Caluin also speaking of the Church our Mother sayth There is no other entry into life vnles she conceaue vs in her Calu. l. 4. instit c. 1. §. 4. wombe vnles she bring vs forth vnles she feed vs with her breastes finally vnles she keep vs vnder her custody and gouernance vntill such tyme as being vnclothed of mortall flesh we shall be like vnto Angells The reason heereof is the secret and vnchangeable will of God who sent his Sonne into the world to erect one Church one fayth one religion one house and chosen company to whom he bequeathed the keyes of paradise That only Church he purchased with his bloud that only he loued for that he deliuered himselfe to sanctify her cleansing Act. 20. v. 28. Ephes 5. v. 25. 26. her with the lauer of water in the word of life In that only Church he hath left as Irenaeus obserued his Pastors and Doctours In that his word and Sacraments in that the embassage of reconciliation benefite of remitting sinnes To that only Church he communicateth his spirit To one only Church doth God commit the keyes of heauen and benefit of reconciliation promiseth his assistance imparteth his grace vertue and spirituall endowements therefore whosoeuer is deuided or separated from that is wholy bereft of Gods celestiall comforts Most of the learned Protestants consent with vs That out of the Church there is no saluation yet this couert they seeke to saue themselues That they are of the Church either of the same with vs as some imagine or of a distinct by themselues as others vphold or at least that euery one is sufficiently in the Church of saluation as long as he beleeueth the Trinity Incarnation Passion and other principle mysteryes of fayth But that they haue no distinct Church planted by Christ watered by his Apostles and perpetually continued vntill their dayes which is necessary for the true Church I shall demonstrate heereafter in the eleuenth twelueth and thirtenth Chapters of this booke Now that they are not any part of the Roman Church nor all one with vs I manifestly conuince 5. Because they abhorre our sacrifice condemne our Fulke in c. 5. Ephes sect 3. In cap. 13. Apoc. sect 2. Fulk in c. 24. Luc. sect 4. 1. Ioan. 2. sect 9. VVhitak contr 2. q. 6. cap. 1. ibidem c. 3. Reynoldes in his fifth conclusion Fulke in c. 13. Apo. sect 2. in c. 5. ad Ephes sect 3. Rogers in his booke 39. articles of Protestancy Sacraments forbeare all participation with vs and we with them in fayth and religion we excommunicate cut them off from the communion of our Church which they also renounce as superstitious blasphemous and antichristian It is certaine sayth Fulke the Church of Rome cannot be the true Church of Christ Againe The whole religion of Popery is nothing but blasphemy against God and Christ and his Church For this cause he calleth it the whore of Babylon the seate of Antichrist the malignant and Antichristian Church of Rome VVhitaker disclaymeth from it with the like reproachfull termes and addeth That the Papists are Idolaters and their Church Idolatricall Besides he reckoneth vp eighteen fundamentall points by which it ouerthrouweth in his conceit the grounds of true religion M. Iohn Reynolds labouring to discouer the like entitleth his fift conclusioÌ„ after this manner The Roman Church not the Catholike Church nor a sound member of the Catholike Church Yea he Fulke Rogers and others recount togeather with those which VVhitaker nameth aboue foure and thirty articles in which the Roman Church hath damnably erred and in euery one shaken the fabrike razed the foundation as they blaspheme of true beliefe Therefore it is impossible any Protestant should thinke his religion the same with ours shall substantiall points impossible he should looke to be saued in the lappe of our Church which his râ—rest men and stoutest patrons so spitefully traduce and purposely detest as the most contagious heretical and idolatrical Church that euer was As impossible it is that euery sectary should hope for the blessinges of heauen in his own sect by imbracing only the principall grounds of religion as the ensuing Chapter shall further declare
mind that is to fayth What shall I call this treacherous VVhitak ibidem fol. 501. or foolish dealing to answere one thing wheÌ„ another is demanded we now dispute of the sensible markes to discouer the visible Church of such markes as may be seene and perceaued by sense and not of the act of fayth or thing belieued wholy in that respect inuisible and obscure because fayth according to the Apostles definition Is the argument of thinges not appearing Which Hebr. 11. v. 1. to confound with the precedent motiues inducing vs to accept these thinges as the misteryes of beliefe is knauish treachery or notorious folly For as the naturall reasons which the Philosopher alleadgeth to perswade the Atheist there is a God are not the thing he belieueth or obiect of his fayth but as it were the outward Ambassâ—dours he vseth to winne him to accept that first ground of beliefe so the visible signes which leade vs to the knowledge of the Church are not reuealed articles imbraced by fayth but the forerunning messengers which The outward markes which leade vs to the Church must be apparaot to sense propose vnto vs that article of belieue They appertaine to the eye of the body to the manifest feeling and touch of sense or els they could be no signes at all to giue notice vnto vs of a true visible and sensible Church 3. M. VVhite harpeth vpon another string but with as false a stroake as VVhitaker For he teacheth Faith is the cause of the Church and therefore more knowne then the Church it selfe c. as euery cause is more apparant to our vnderst anding and better knowne to our iudgment then the effect I graunt that faith is the cause of the Church but that causes are more apparant VVhite in his way to the church §. 26. fol. 112 113. VVhitak loc citat to vs imprisoned in a Cottage of earth wintered amongst the cloudes of sense then their effects is euidently false contradicted by VVhitaker disproued also by many experiences of the eclipse of the Moone of the ebbing and flowing of the sea of the Remora his hindering the course of a ship and of a thousand such naturall effectes whose causes are vnknowne from whence the knowledge of Philosophy had her first being For many learned men woundring at these and the like effects began to search out the hidden causes and reasons of theÌ„ And what Is Aristotle of another mind whome M. VVhite VVhite in the same place so boldly quoteth as countenancing his absurdity I am fully assured he hath not so much as any sillable sounding that way For he distinguisheth two kind of knowledges one in respect of vs the other in the nature of the Aristotle no where teacheth causes to be more knowne to vs then their effects as White falsifyeth him thing in it selfe that is the thing in the perfection of his owne nature is more intelligible although by reason of our imbecility we cannot reach vnto it Thus Aristotle in the very places obiected by VVhite only teacheth that causes are both before their effects and better knowne to wit in nature but not to vs not to our vnderstanding not to our iudgment as he wretchedly applyeth and abuseth his wordes whether of malice or of ignorance I will not iudge but although he had beene wholy vnacquainted and ignorant in Aristotle yet VVhitaker his maister who affirmeth the same and with the same distinction as Aristotle doth might haue taught him the truth if some euill humour had not possessed his hart 4. Thirdly the true preaching of the word and doctrine of saluation is the very being it selfe or essence of the Church it is the only thing we require in searching it out Wherefore to assigne that for a marke is to delude the seeker and to giue the substance as a figne of ProtestaÌ„tâ— markes meer collusions the thing required For example if a stranger should demand where the Mayor of the Citty or chiefest Magistrate lodgeth Were it not a mockery to say Where he dwelleth who hath the whole command of the towne or were the stranger any whit the neerer by this reply No more is any Protestant the neer of finding the Church by these her essentiall Markes which doe not openly appeare or shine in her forehead but are closely hidden in her secret bowells For so S. Augustine sayth That truth remayneth Aug. in psal 57. in the wombe or bosome of the Church as all essences are couched vnder the veyles of accidents by vs who borrow our knowledge from outward senses must needs be vnderstood before we vnderstand the natures themselues Therfore we must first repaire to the Church before we can find the truth inclosed therein 5. M. VVhite admitteth with S. Augustine that true faith is in closed in the bosome of the Church but as a VVhite in his way to the true Church §. 28. fol. 118. 119. light saith he in a watch tower as a candle standing in a lanterne which by it owne light can guid vs infallibly to the Church c. as the firmament is seene by the light of the sun though it self hold out the sun vnto vs These be his examples as farre wide from his purpose as he from sincerity in alleaging of them For the light manifesteth it self without the help of the tower the sun vseth not the working of the firmament to cast forth his beames They both doe naturally shine and giue light vnto vs the truth not so that cannot be seene vnles it be manifested opened by the Church Faith is Rom. 10. v. 17. Psal 118. v. 130. by hearing heard it cannot be without it be vttered vttered it must be by the Preachers of the Church the Preachers then are they that giue notice of the Truth Therefore the Royall Prophet doth not say that Gods truth of it self but that the declaration opening of his words illuminateth and giueth vnderstanding Againe By the light we discouer the parts of the tower by the sun the firmament quite coÌ„trary in our case for we arriue not first by beames of faith to take notice of our preachers but by our preachers we are instructed in all pointes of faith which order of proceeding is manifestly expressed by the Prophet Isay speaking Isa 2. v. 3. in the person of such as trauaile to learne the truth Come let vs go vp to the mount of our Lord to the house of the God of Iacob he will teach vs his wayes c. Loe they first knew the mount of the Church to which they ascended and knew it to be the mount of our Lord the house of the God of Iacob and then were taught and instructed in his lawes The spleÌ„dour of the Church guided them to the light of truth not her reuealed light to know the Church For this cause our Sauiour termed his Apostles their successors not the towers or houses only which hold bâ—
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
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
remission of sinnes is only to be had apart by themselues nor together with vs vnles they acknowledge our church to be true Which if they graunt as needs they must vnlesse they precipitate their forefathers into hell by diuiding them from the band of Gods spirituall campe they ought to returne their chiefest ringleaders all their complices for blasphemous slaunderers in calumniating the spouse of Christ in calling his Virgin with a sacrilegious Hieron in dialogâ— ad Luciferia cap. 8. tongue for these be Saint Hieromes wordes the strumpet of the Diuell the whore of Babilon the seat of Antichrist the â—inagogue of Sathan c. They are bound as Field counsayleth â—hem to imbrace her communion follow her directions rest in her Field in his dedicatory Epistle to the Arhâ—bishop of CaÌ„terbury â—â—dgements They are bound to belieue Transubstantiation â—â—rgatory inherent Iustice Intercession of Saints worship of Images â—â— all other articles which she in her generall Councells out of the word of God by lawfull authority hath publikely enacted or els they are to be accounted heathens publicans who obey not the Church they are to be ceÌ„sured as heretiks who rebell agaynst it 11. Yf ours were the true Church howsoeuer they imagine it to be stayned with errours yet their separation from her is an Apostacy from Christ a diuorce from his spouse a dismembring from his body and a most execrable disunion and schisme from the vnity of Gods chosen flocke Which cannot by any ignorance be excused in you nor by any ill liues of our Prelates tyranny of publike or abuses of our priuate men be warranted to be lawfull For Saint Paul repreheÌ„ded Aug. l. 3. coÌ„t ep Par. cap. 4. Incests Contentions and many other faultes in the church of Corinth The Prophets did the like in the church of the Iewes yet they neuer presumed to separate themselues from them in fellowship and communion Moyses hâ—â—h cryed sayth Saint Augustine Isay hath cryed Ieremy hath cryed let vs see whether they deuided the people of God how â—oatly did Ieremy rebuke the wicked liuers of his people yet he was amongst Aug. l. 2. cont lit Petil. c. 51. them he entred the Temple togeather with them he frequented the same Sacraments in that Congregation of the wicked he liued In another place writing of the Prelates faults which ought not to cause any schisme in the people he thus challengeth the Donatist PetiliaÌ„ the CaluiniaÌ„ ProtestaÌ„t VVhy doest thou call the Apostolike chayre the chayre of pestilence Yf for the meÌ„ why Did our Lord Iesus Christ for the Pharises any wrong to the Chayre wherin they sate Did he not commend that Chayre of Moyses and preseruing the honour of the Chayre reprooue them For he saith They sate vpon the Chayre of Moyses that which they say do ye These thinges if you did well consider you would not for the men whome you defame blaspheme the Sea Apostolike wherewith you do not communicate Ibid ca 61. And a few Chapters after Neyther for the Pharisees iâ— whome you compare vs not of wisdome but of malice did our Lord coÌ„maund the Chayre of Moyses to be forsaken In which Chayre verily he figured his own For he warneth the people to do that which they say not to do that which they doe and that the holines of the Chayre be in no case forÌ„saken nor the vnity of the flocke deuided for the naughty pastours Caluin lib. 4. instit c. 1. §. 12. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 12. Yea Caluin also discoursing of this matter sayth There may some faultines creepe into the Church in the administration of the doctrine and of the Sacraments which ought not to estraunge vs from the communion of it A little after For as much as there is no man which is not wrapped with some little cloud of ignorance eyther we must leane no Church at all or we must pardon a being deceaued in such thinges as may be vnknown without violating the sum of Religion Where he proueth by the testimony of S. Cyprian by the former example of Saint Paul of the Prophets of Christ himselfe That neyther the pestilence of vices nor corruption of manners doctrine in matters of such moment as do not endanger saluation should euer withdraw vs from the fellowship of Christs flock yea he there auerreth that the departing from the Church is a denying of God and of Christ c. Neyther can there be imagined sayth he a fault more Caluin â—b cap. 1. §. 10. haynous then with wicked breach of fayth to defile the mariage which the only begotten sonne of God hath vouchsafed to contract with vs. Hitherto Caluin 13. By which you see that if the Roman Church was at Luthers rising the true Church of Christ he should not haue forsaken the band of her communion Yf it was not no Church remayned by which he might be â—â—â—ne or you propagated none in which the truth was â—â—eached Sacraments ministred so no Church can â—ou find by your own essentiall propertyes of finding the Church In liew of which I shall display such euident â—â—parent marks as al both rude learned simple wise â—ay manifestly discouer the true Church of Christ And â—â—rst I will handle fowre most honourably meÌ„tioned both â—n the Nicen Constantinople creed that it is one holy Caâ—holike Apostolicall wherin vnity consent in fayth sanâ—â—ity in doctrine manners the name Catholike with â—â—e sense meaning therof Apostolicall succession are â—lainly intimated as the vndoubted notes badges of the Church CHAP. XIIII In which Vnity is explayned and strongly proued to be a marke of the Church Agaynst Doctour Whitaker and Doctour Fielde AS the soueraigne and incompatable goodnes the prime verity and truth it selfe is one the same constant vnchaungeable So whatsoeuer parâ—â—keth most of vnity constancy and integrity that approacheth neerest to the perfection of truth and whatsoeuer is variable chaungeable seuered by schisme rent by diuision that proceeds from obliquity of errour that iâ— infected with the corruption of falshood Hence it commeth that vnity is a cleere and manifest token of the true Church a note of Christes Kingdome whereas diuision schisme and variance is the brand of heresy a proper peculiar blot of the peruerse wicked and Sathanicall synagogue by which it falleth vpon a sudayne to irreparable ruine and vtter desolation as our Sauiour diuinely witnessed saying Euery Kingdome deuided agaynst it selfe shal be made desolate and house vpon house shall fall So we read that discorde and rebellion hath beene the generall destruction Luc. 11. 17. and bane of common wealthes and vnion peace and concord hath beene alwayes the stay and preseruation of them 2. I speake not heere of that which the Philosophers call numericall or indiuiduall vnity by which the Church is on it selfe and deuided from all false or hereticall assemblies but of the vnity of
Bellarmine diuideth his tractes of the notes of the Church into two parts In the first he sayth truth sanctity of doctrin is no note of the Church In the later he reckoneth it amongst the rest But let vs pardon him this ouer sight It was no ouer sight M. Field in Cardinall Bellarmyne but it is rashnes in you to speake the least or too much officiousnes to offer pardon where none is required or fault committed For that renowmed Prelate vsing sanctity in the aforesaid sense doth no way decline to the in â—â—â—icate darkenes of your cloudy notes because although it be an endlesse and insuperable difficulty S. Aug. de Gen. ad lit cap. 14. to the most part of men to seuere the purity of doctrine from all substantiall errours yet it is no great matter as S. Augustine auerreth then to discerne the spirit when it arriueth or leadeth to some such thinges which are agaynst good manners or Catholiks belieue many thinges aboue but nothing repugnant to the light of reason agaynst the rule of sayth For then it is espied of many To such enormityes leadeth the beguiling spirit and beliefe of our Gospellers but the Religion of Catholikes is sincere and holy pure from such misguiding errours For albeit we teach and belieue many obscure and supernaturall verityes aboue the reach of humane capacity as the Trinity Incarnation of Christ resurrection of the flesh with others of like sort yet nothing manifestly discordant to the common â—ynderisis or light of nature as Tertullian Arnobius Clemens Alexandrinus Saint Augustine Saint Thomas haue plenteously demonstrated agaynst the Pagans and heathenish Philosophers Neyther do we teach any lesson of liberty pernicious to good manners but all thinges which tend to piety deuotion Sanctity and perfection 2. Our doctrine for example of the freedom of will and powerfulnes of grace to fullfill the law Of reprobation and damnation that it proceeds from our selues not from God That we may do some good workes pleasing Many points of Catholike doctrine specified which wholy teÌ„de to the increase of piety and reformation of manners to his Maiesty and meritorious of heauen That his fauour once gotten may be lost That concupiscence or euil suggestions without consent be not sinnes but stoutly resisted occasions of merit That we haue a stedfast hope yet no assurance of saluation All these articles and diuers other which I omit to recount are conformable to Scripture agreeable to reason sutable to the goodnes and bounty of God and most auayleable to the purchase of celestiall riches to which all our precepts also of manners and admonitions are aymed For we exhort to the mortification of our passions abnegation of our selues contempt of honours riches and worldly pleasures We preach voluntary pennance chastisement of our bodyes watching fasting contrition confession and satisfaction for sinnes We incite and stirre vp our followers not only to the performance of Gods commaundements by the help of his Protestant doctrin ether disposeth to all wickednes or stoppeth the course of vertue grace but to the imbracement also of his Euangelicall counsayles to Religious pouerty consecrated chastity vowed obedience To such vnion with God to such contemplation of heauen to such neglect separation perpetuall diuorcement from all earthly affayres as those who zealously imbrace and feruently put in practise the exhortations of our Church seeme rather to liue in mortall flesh Angelicall then humane liues 3. The Protestants Ghospell venteth the quite Fulke in c. 27. act see 3 ad Gal. 5. contrary doctrine For firstit denyeth the liberty of free-will Euery one sayth Fulke is free from coaction but not from the thraldome and slauery of sinne Secondly it VVhitak contr 1. q. 6. ca. 3. fol. 580. teacheth the commaundements of God impossible to be kept and therefore Whitaker inferreth That no man ought to hope for iustice or saluation expresly agaynst the wordes of Christ by the obedience he yealdeth to the law both which stoppeth the race of vertue and clippeth the winges of all honourable attemps For who will euer assay to do which he hath power to wil or possibility to performe Who caÌ„ with any courage vndergo to aske he knoweth before haÌ„d to be aboue his strength Thirdly our Gospellers hold Protestant doctrin iniurious to God making him to hate his owne who breedeth loue in all others to â—he rish their ofspringe That God doth purpose decree cooperate to the blindnes and obstinacy of the wicked and that whatsoeuer he willeth and decreeeth must of incuitable necessity infallibly ensue that he createth some and ordeyneth them to destruction hatred which are as I haue exactly haÌ„dled heretofore the greatest blasphemyes that euer were brayed forth agaynst the tender bowells of infinite mercy For he that ingendreth a naturall affection in all creatures to loue their of spring cannot himselfe hate the works he produceth 4. Fourthly they defend all our good works euen our best dutyes exacted by God to be stayned with sinne and seuerely weighed to be displeasing to him merit damnation An assertion repugnant to the very light of nature reason and voyce of God often reiterated in holy writte They many of them at least directly VVhitak contr â— q. 5. pag. â—01 teach That a man once iustifyed cannot loose his iustice what mischief soeuer he wilfully incurreth That Dauid was the child of God when he committed adultery That sinnâ— are not hurtfull to him that belieueth That God doth not impute to the faythful the vncleanes of their dishonest liues Fulke in c. ad 7. Rom. sect 6. in c. 5 ad Gal. sect 2. Fulke ibid Could any Epieure or Mahometan desire more pleasing dreames to flesh and bloud Ffthly They allow not distinction of veniall and mortall sinnes but all sinnes euen the sudayne in voluntary motions of concupiscence to be of their owne nature damnable and deadly yet if they haue true fayth there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Do you not perceaue what rufull gappes these passadges open to a floud of iniquity How they playne the way to al licentious riot For he who perswadeth himselfe That no ambition pride voluptuousnes or other offences can be hurtful vnto him that they cannot procure the wrack of damnation he who knoweth the first motions or euill suggestions to be deadly and mortall as well as the consent or consumation of them what preuayling barre or forcible restraint should this man haue from the satisfying of his violent passions or full accomplishing of his carnall desires Especially if he should reason thus Sith I am already caught by the waues of sinne it importeth little to be more or lesse carryed away as long as I am sure to be brought backe to the shore agayne sure to haue no imputation of one or other of consent or surreption layd to my charge do you not perceaue O you deare soules so vnhappily misled do you
Father hath not planted shal be rooted vp 2. By this marke you shall see that the profession of our new gospellers is a bastardly slippe and the Romane Foure notes or branches of stability by which the RomaÌ„ Church is proued to be the true Church of Christ Fayth the only stable and vnconquerable truth First if you consider how this Roman fayth alone hath beene euer impugned by all kind of aduersaryes yet still remayned victorious Secondly how by it selfe it maynteyned her right agaynst them all without any forrayne helpe or succour Thirdly how it hath alwayes orderly proceeded by subduing them as a Queene or Empresse by absolute authority and iuridicall power Fourthly how in these encounters it hath neuer altered or changed her fayth neuer relented or yealded to her enemyes in any point little or great but hath still florished and preuayled agaynst them 3. Euery one of these notes are prerogatiues of The Roman Church shewed to be true because that alone is impugned by al false and hereticall conuenticles the true Church For all vices and errours though contrary in themselues agree in this that they are opposite vnto vertue opposite vnto truth So all sectes and heresies though neuer so repugnant one from the other yet all ioyne to make open warre agaynst the true fayth and Church of God The Sadduceans Pharisies Herodians were at deadly foe amongst themselues notwithstanding they made league and linked togeather in persecuting of Christ Thus the Roman Church only no other hath beene euer pursued by all the rebellious sects that euer were Agaynst her the Simonians Cerinthians Micolaits Eutichians Nacedonians in former tymes Agaynst her the Anabaptistes Brownistes Lutherans Caluinists Armenians Gomotistes and all Protestants bid battayle now a dayes Agaynst her the Turkes Iewes Pagans Polititians and Atheistes pitch their tents Against her the heathenish and other wicked Emperours haue bent their forces Dioclesian Valens Iulian Constantius Leo Isaurus Constantinus Copronymus Fredericus c Against her all the powers of hell and might of Sathan hath opposed yet could neuer preuayle She is therefore the house of God built vpon a rocke on Matt. 7. v. 24. 25. which the rayne fell the flouds came the windes blew but cold not ouerthrow it She is the Campe of Israell assaulted by all her bordering enemies yet neuer vanquished by any The 2. Reg. 7. throne of Salomon established for euer The Kingdome of Christ often impugned yet victoriously triumphing Aug. inps 47. The Roman Church the vncoÌ„querable truth because it resisteth ouercommeth by it self without help of others ouer all the Kingdomes of the earth 4. Secondly the Roman Church hath thus defended her selfe and gotten the victory without the association or confederacy of any Church She by her selfe vnder the protection of God hath stoutly atchieued these wonderfull conquests She by her owne men by the Bishops Prelates and other secular and religious persons of her owne profession hath maynteyned her Catholike Orthodoxall fayth with patience agaynst the stormes of persecutours with reasons agaynst the subtility of Philosophers with Scriptures against heretikes with prophecies agaynst the Iewes with prescriptions agaynst the Turkes with Christian prudence agaynst the Macihuelians with naturall arguments agaynst the Atheists Pagans with miracles agaynst the weake with consent fame and authority agaynst the proude and haughty Agaynst these and all others our Church alone hath in all ages euer since Christ his tyme with vnmatcheable wisdome and power vncontrolable vpholden the right and glory of her cause by helpes taken out of her owne armory with weapons of her owne Whereas her aduersaryes haue still ayded one another still called vpon forayne Sect aryes and false Churches are forced to borrow help one from the other succours to support backe them as our sectaries now implore the ayde of sundry heretiks to make some mâ—ster or shew of pretended Gospellers to encounter with vs not vnlike to Cataline the rebell who associated himselfe with all the dissolute ruffianlike vicious and forlorne refuse of what kind soeuer they were to warre agaynst his Countrey For so our English ProtestaÌ„ts linke in communion first with their fellow Puritans whome one of their owne brethren tearmeth Apostolikes Aerians Tull. orat 1. 2. 3. in Catal. Ormer dia. 1. Pepuzians Petrobusians Florinians Cerinthians Nazarens Beguardines Ebionites Catabaptides Catharists Iouianistes c. Then both Puritans and Protestants band with the Lutherans Caluinists Hussites Wickelifists Albigenses As heretiks begge men so likewise munition from forrenners VVhitak in resp ad Sand. Col. l 4. iust c. 9. §. 8. Fulk in his confutation of Purgatory Beza epist Theo. 81. VVhitg in his def Hooker in his preface to his eccl pol. pa. 24. 25. 26. 27. The Bish Confer at Hampt Court Picards with other such monsters more hideous and mishapen in profession then ill fauoured in names With them they ioyne frendship to fill vp the number of their mutinous and disloyall Army 5. Neither is it inough for theÌ„ to beg the supply of forrayne souldiers but their weapons also they steale froÌ„ others For when the Protestant would annoy the Puritan he putteth on the armour of our doctours Councells ordinances and prescriptions When he defendeth his quarrell agaynst Catholikes he flyeth to the secret ambushes and retrayts of Puritans he relieth wholy on their hidden spirit by it he will trye the sayings of Fathers and decrees of Councells By that Whitaker cassieereth a full senate of Fathers Caluin examineth general CouÌ„cells Fulke maketh hauocke of all antiquity Farre otherwise doth Beza with the Trinitaryes Mayster Whitgift with Cartwright Maister Hooker Doctour Couell and the Protestant Bishops in their coÌ„ference with Puritans disprouing them by our principles of tradition Besides from vs they borow their Scriptures their lawes their constitutions their ecclesiasticall gouernement and hierarchy of their Clergy With these rags of popery as both their and our enemyes seeke to disgrace them with these stollen feathers they are wont to glory like the Horatian daw In so much as some of their owne Protestants complaine of the present Ministry and Church of England That their Pontificall wherby they consecrate Bishops make ministers and deacons is nothing else but a thinge word for word drawn out Admo to the Parlia of the Popes Pontificall 6. Besides as they embezell from vs all that is laudable orderly or good amongst them so their dregges of Aug. l. de bar cap. 53. Guido Carmelit in su Coal l. de histor Hussi Syn. Constann sess 8. Lat. l. ad BereÌ„g Nicep in hist eccles l. 16. ca. 27. Bucching in eccl hist Prat. ver Nouatiani Ierem. lib. contra Virgilan Euthimius in Panopl par 2. tit 21. Theod. l. 4. haer fab Dam. l. de cent haer Iero. in lib. ad Vigil Ioui Ionas Aureliaâ—ensis apud SaÌ„d l. 7. de de visi mo Irae l. 1. c. 20. Epiph haer 64 Theod. l. 4. haer
appeare at the Assizes and Sessions in England professe your selfe a Catholike Will they not all iudge you a Roman Catholike And are they not also often forced for distinction sake to stile vs by that name Aug. de vera relig cap. 7. Aug. con ep fund c. 4. because they could not otherwise be vnderstood as S. Austine saith especially when they discourse with straungers who are vnaquainted with the nicknames they impose vpon vs and therefore the same Saint Augustine noteth it in another place as a secret and hidden iudgement of God That whereas all heretikes would haue themselues called Catholikes yet to Sleidan lib. 7. fo 96. Fox Acts and monu pag. 613. Iacob inhis reasons p. 5. 24. Fulke in act â—1 sect 4. Humf. in vita Iuelli pag. 102. a straunger demaunding where a man might repayre to the Catholike assembly none of the heretikes dare shew their owne conuenticles or meeting place Trauaile through the free state of Germany where our Religion and Protestants are publikly permitted propound this question to the Lutherans Zuinglians or Caluinists there aske where the Catholikes meete at seruice And they will point you to our Churches And not only in priuate talke but in publike writings discourses some of our sectaryes attribute vnto vs the priuiledge of this name as Sleidan M. Fox and M. Iacob often doe Doctour Fulke termeth it a vayne sound Doctour Humfery scornfully disgraceth it Others vtterly renouÌ„ce discard it as certayn Lutherans did at the Synode holden In col Altemberg in resp ad accus corr fol. 154. at Altemberge who wheÌ„ their aduersaries obiected a saying of Luther agaynst them in which the word Catholike was found they reiected it as counterfeit saying These wordes Catholikely vnderstood sauournot of Luthers stile 7. And M. Abbot now supposed Bishop of Sarisbury The name of Catholike was an honourable name and the Abbot in his answer to Doctour Bishopsep to the King fol. 16. and 17. peculiar title of the children of the Church but now by their abuse who haue vniustly taken that name vnto themselues it is become a name of course and shame with the people of God and the proper badge of Apostatas heretikes c. Then he denyeth it sectmates and attributeth vnto vs that literall name saying Let them haue the shell so that we haue the kernell Let them vaunt themselues of the empty letter so long as we haue the true vertue and signification of the name But of the signification hereafter in the insewing Chapter Here it appeareth by his renuntiation and flat deposition That we of the Roman profession and only we are commonly designed by the name Catholike We only enioy the liuely badge and are inuested with the liuery of the true professours of Christ Neyther can M. Abbot or M. Whitaker dismantle vs of that royalty by VVhitak contr â— q. 5. ca. 2 fol. 295. Abbot loco citato saying Names may be falsly imposed to things or vniustly vsurped For this name is not imposed by man not vsurped by abuse but imparted by God inspired by the holy Ghost as I haue proued aboue who cannot apparell vs with any faygned attire nor can the diuell take from Gods people their cognizance or nobilitate his vassalls with the colours of Christ But such hath beene the diuine prouidence in preseruing the honour of this title to his Beloued spouse as there was neuer any schismaticall or hereticall assembly commonly called or stiled Catholike neuer any people generally of all parties knowne by that name who were not indeed the true flocke of Christ Heretikes quoth Fulke could neuer obtayne to be so called by true Fulk in lo. citato Christians Wherefore seeing Protestants for the most part and all others Christians yea Iewes and infidells discerne vs by this marke we are the true followers beleeuers in Christ 8. Fulke Field and Whitaker obiect agayne that Fulke ibid. Field l. 2. c. 9. VVhitak contr 2. q. 5. cap. 2. Field ibid. folio 58. we are also called by seuerall names Some Benedictins Franciscans Dominicans c. some Thomists Scotists and the like I answere these names import not any difference in matters of fayth as Field testifyeth with me but in order of life in courses as he saith of monasticall profession or in questionable matters not defined by the Church in controuersies of religion to vse his wordes not yet determined by the consent of the whole vniuersall Church Yf the spirit of modesty if the spirit of truth guided his pen to answere this in our behalfe imagine with your selues what spirit of giddines what spirit of contradiction incensed his hart to controule his owne speach and calumniate vs without a cause For as in the old law some were called Rechabites Iare 35. 2. 5. 6. Num. 6. 2. 5. 13. some Nazarites so now we may haue diuers names as long as they argue not the least chaunge or innouation in any necessary point of beliefe which none of the former doe related by M. Field nor any other by which he and his associates scornfully miscall vs. For the name Papist designeth not any particuler man or new manner of beliefe but only our submission and adhereÌ„ce to the Pope our head The name Romanist so rife in the pen of M. Field declareth the chiefe Citty or seate of his residence and our communion with it Both which haue euer beene speciall tokens of faythfull Christians Whereupon Saint Augustine sayd of Cecilian that he needed Aug. ep 162. not seare the conspiring multitude of African Bishops as longe as he communicated with Melchiades the Pope And Optatus to omit Optatus l. 2. contra Parme. Saint Ierome whose wordes I recited in another place maynteyning league with Siricius the Pope with whom the whole world as he sayth was vnited cassiereth the Donatistes out of the number of Catholikes because they communicated not with the Roman Church Why our sectaries are called ProtestaÌ„ts 9. But as the very nicknames our enemyes deuise to disgrace vs plainly bewray both the equity of our cause and truth of our religion So all the titles we giue vnto them and such as they arrogate to themselues burne them in the forhead with the print of heresy For some we call Sacramentaryes for denying the truth of Christes presence in the Sacrament Others Caluinistes After what manner they may be fitly tearmed Ghopellers others Lutherans of the innouation and chaunge which Luther and Caluin first inuented in matters of fayth Protestants and Gospellers they all tearme themselues because they ioyned togeather to make open protestation agaynst the whole body of Christendome in the Councell of Trent Gospellers because they pretend though falsly as other heretikes are wont to follow the gospell and pure word of God Yet in a contrary sense they may enioy the outward splendour of that empty name in that they offer violence to the gospell in writhing it to their phansies
the Protestants and Puritans in England of whome M. Ormerod witnesseth Puritans differ from Protestants in thinges fundamentall and substantiall Puritans doe not agree with Protestants in all matters of fayth So the Arminians dissente from the Orme dia. 2. Gomoristes in the law Countryes The Caluinistes of Geneua from the Lutherans of Saxony The Lutherans of Saxony from the Zuinglians of Tygurum They from the Aug. tom 7. de vnit eccl cap. 3. Osiandrines of Prussia the Osiandrines from the Anabaptistes of Westphalia c. as hath beene partly vnfolded in the first note of vnity 3. Therefore as Saint Augustine disputed agaynst diuers heretikes of his age Yf the holy Scriptures designe the Church in Africa only c. the Donatistes alone counteyne the Church Yf in a few Mores of the prouince of Cesarea we must repayre to the Regatistes c. If in the Easterne people only Amongst the Arians Macedonians and Eunonians c. the Church is to be sought After the like manner if the Caluinistes haue the truth to Geneua a few Cantons in France we must all resort Yf the Protestants to England if the Zuinglians to Tigurum if the rigide Lutherans to Saxony if the soft to Wittemberge Lipsia and Magdeburge c. For all these being so opposit cannot enioy the right fayth or if they could they be but parts of the world small tractes of the earth farre lesse then Africa farre lesse then the East to which the Church of God as Saint Augustine discourseth could not be confined For he goeth forward in the alleadged place Aug. lo ci But if the Church of Christ by diuine and most certayne testimonies of canonicall Scriptures be described in all nations whatsoeuer they shall Aug. tom 4. q. euang l. 1. q. 38. bringe or from whencesoeuer they shall write it who say behold here is Christ behold there Let vs listen rather if we be his sheepe to the voyce of our pastour saying doe you not belieeue because his Church quoth he shal manifestly shine like a lightning frō the east to the west that is ouer all the world 4. Now if the Kingdome of the Messias be the greatest and largest amongst all that professe the name of Christ if it be the sole and vniuersall Kingdome of all nations and if this be the thinge signified by the name Catholike not only that title which M. Abbot alloweth vs but the thinge also entitled the thinge betokened thereby the prerogatiue of Vniuersality appertayneth to vs. Fo◠we farre exceede the Protestants and all other sectaries of our dayes in multitude of people in variety of nations in troupes of followers in dignity of patrons in society of Princes who linke themselues to the body of our Church In so much as I may vrge M. Abbot as Saint Pacian did Sympronian Number if you can our Catholike flockes Abbot in his answ to D. Bishops epist to the King pag. 16. and 17. Paciā ep 3. ad Symp. sub finem Count vpon your fingers the swarmes of our people not those now which are dispersed throughout the world aboundant in all countryes but those brother Sympronian which dwell with you in the allied prouinces in the neighbour cittyes Contemplate how many of ours thou alone beholdest with how many of our people thou alone meetest Art thou not swallowed vp by vs as the eue droppings by great fountaynes as by the Ocean little bubles of water are consumed 5. Yf we should now compare Roman Catholikes with Protestants euen in these regions of Europe the same might we auouch of their paucity in respect of vs. Catholiks are in all countryes wher protestants raygne openly knowne But if we should passe out of Europe what townes or villages what Chappell 's or Oratoryes can they reckon vp in Asia Africa America c. how many Indians Ethiophians Iaponians How many of their sect can they name in China in Brasilia in Magellanica Not any one no publike Church haue they or Chappell out of Europe of any other then such as traffike in these parts Notwithstanding as we abound with many of our religion in all those remote Protestāts not hard of in a hundred Kingdomes where Catholikes flourish and forrayne Countries where the name of Protestants is vnknowne So in all the Prouinces in euery corner which sectaryes in habite we want not those who openly defend and professe our fayth We haue them in Germany low Countryes England and the Cantons of France To which purpose Saint Augustine speaking of sundry heresies and of the Church very fitly sayth They in many nations where this is are not found but this which is euery where there where they are is also found Aug. de vn eccles c. 3. 6. The first reason why God would haue his Church so vniuersall was to manifest his loue to all creatures that all people might partake of the riches of his Isay 54. v. 5. mercy That all might receaue the happy tidinges of their redemption and meanes of saluation And that he who was God of Israel might now as I say prophesied be God Prou. 14. vers 28. of all the earth The second reason was for the honour of the Son of God for the glory of his name for the reward of his merits To which effect S. Austine applyeth that saying Iero. dialo aduer Lucifer of Salomon In the multitude of people the dignity of the King and in the fewnes of people the ignominy of the Prince Therefore Saint Ierome accounteth it a great ignominy to Christ to haue the Empires of his Church the trophies of his Crosse Optat. l. ◠cōtra Par. as he tearmeth them restrayned to corners And Optatus blameth Parmenian for the like Yf so at your pleasure you barre vp the Church in a narrow roome if you withdraw all nations where Psal 2. is that which the sonne of God hath merited VVhere is that which his Father willingly bestowed vpon him saying I will giue thee Gentills forthy inheritance endes of the earth thy possession VVhy do you violate such a promise that the latitude of Kingdomes should be shut vp by you as it were in a prison How labour you to resist so great piety what meane you to make warre agaynst the merits of our Sauiour Permit the Sonne to enioy his legacies Permit the Father to fullfill his promises VVhy place you bounds why appoint you limits 7. The third and last reason is for the perswasion and stay of the faythfull For what greater motiue of credibility can we haue then the authority of so many and so learned men the fame celebrity consent of all nations This S. Augustine often proposeth as a weighty Aug vtil credendi c. 14. 17. argument which first induced and after strengthened him in our Catholike fayth Others by the very light of nature esteemed it also as a thinge most worthy of credite Seneca sayd VVe are wont to attribute much
to the presumption Seneca ep 118. or opinion of all men and it is with vs a great argument of truth that it hath beene liked of all Pliny likewise in his panegyticall oration to Traian hath recorded this notable sentence Better are all belieued then each particular all Plinius in pa. ad Traianump 125. Melius oÌ„nibus quaÌ„ singulis creditur singuli oÌ„nes decipere decipi possuÌ„t nemo omnes â—eminem oÌ„nes fefellerunt Aug. lib. l. 22. de ciui Dei cap. 8. magnum est ipse prodigium qui mundo credente non credit Great rashnes in Protestants to belieue one man agaynst al men Luther Pres l. de abrog missa priuata And the like he hath tom 4 annot breuis Item tom 5. in Gala. particular men may deceaue and be deceaued No man hath deceaued all men all men haue not deceaued any man Whereupon S. Augustine despiseth him as a strange and monstruous wonder who the world belieuing belieueth not Strange people then not to speake more hardly of them strange people are the Protestants of our age who will not belieue the articles of our fayth which all the Christian world excepting their little handfull constantly beleeueth and for this thousand yeares by their owne confession haue vnuariably perseuered in the same beliefe 8. Yf all men neuer beguiled any and yet if each particular maÌ„ may beguile be beguiled how can Protestants belieue aright who credited one Luther for there was not any other of his Religion when he first beganne agaynst all the world One man that might deceaue them agaynst al men that could not deceaue them With this opposition of al men Luther at the first was so much troubled as he testifyeth of himselfe How often did my treÌ„bling hart pant within me and reprehending me obiect against me that most stronge argument Art thou only wise Doe so many worldes erre VVere so many agesignorant VVhat if you thou errest Fulke in c. 5 Math. sect 3. 2. ad Thessa 2. sect 4. 5. VVhitak contro 2. q. 2. ca. 2. 3. cap. 3. q. 5. cap. 3. Field in his 2. book c. 8. and drawest so many into errour to be damned with thee euerlastingly So Luther with the same singularity of themselues generall contradictioÌ„ of others his followers were much daunted at the beginning But since hauing somewhat increased their number they eyther answere that truth doth not consist in multitude and largenes of extent or that they haue many others besides themselues of their fayth and religion dispersed throughout the world who although they be hidden from the eyes of men are notwithstanding well known to God or to the Fathers who often inculcat the large dominion of Christs flock they reply that the Church did perspicuously flourish Aug l. de vtil cred con Ep. Fund l. 1. contra lul l. 3. con Crescon c. 66. l. item 4. cap. 53. euery where was visibly spread thoughout all nations in Saint Augustines Saint Ierome and Optatus dayes but afterward it fayled at least froÌ„ being manifest publikely known These are the common shiftes of M. Fulke M. Whitaker and M. Field our moderne Protestants and these were the trickes of auncient heretikes including the former arguments 9. To the first therefore I answere that not euery multitude but an holy learned famous Matth. 8. longe continued and vnited multitude of all nations in supernaturall pointes of fayth this is an euident Apoca. 7. token of the true Church as Saint Augustine vrgeth Aug. loco citato l. 2. cont aduers leg Prophet c. vltimo agaynst the Donatistes Manichees and other heretikes VVho pretended that truth was often among a few and that it was the fault of many to erre This was the obiection of Cresconius the Grammarian agaynst whome he proueth by the many who shall come from the east and west and repose with Abraham in the Kingdome of heauen By that great and innumerable multitude which Saint Iohn describeth of all nations tribes people and tongues standing before the throne that multitude is no hinderance to truth and yet he often affirmeth That to vaunt and glory in paucity of followers is the the property of heretikes and a signe of falshood 10. Their second euasion that they haue many hidden ghospellers in all Countryes knowne to God is Augustine libro de ouibus cap. 10. ridiculous and absurd as Saint Augustine tearmeth it to humansense For how shall we belieue they haue any such vnlesse they be seene and mentioned by some men Or how should their Vniuersality be a marke of the true Church if they be not knowen nor marked by any Then Saint Augustine declareth that the vniuersall Church of which the Scriptures speake is apparantly seene and knowne to the world Reade his explication vpon that verse of the Psaâ—mist Be exalted aboue the heauens O God and thy glory vpon all the earth O hereticall madnes sayth Psal 56. Aug. tom 8. in ps 56. he that which thou seest not thou belieuest with me that which thou seest thou denâ—est thou belieuest with me Christ exalted aboue all the heauens which we do not see and thou deniest his glory vpon all the earth which we do see Marke these wordes which we do see Therefore the splendour of the Church is visible and Aug. libro vnitate Ec. cap. 8. conspicuous euery where In another place From whence quoth he is his glory vpon all the earth but because his Church is ouer all the earth Immediatly after he presseth his aduersaryes VVVhy do you preach Christ exalted aboue the heauens and doe not communicate with his glory vpon all the earth Whereupon it followeth that if our Ghospellers had any such latent Protestants in other Countryes as they fayne who agreed with them in their beliefe yet that were not inough to make their Church vniuersall vnlesse they had some other communication or society togeather because for want of this alone Saint Augustine excludeth Petilian al other Donatistes froÌ„ being members of the Church First of him he sayth I obiect vnto thee the cryme of schisme Aug. libro 2. contra Fetil c. 16. which thou wilt deny but I will instantly proue it For thou doest not communicate with all nations Then he cassiereth the rest and bindeth Catholikes in the vnity of the Church saying VVe holde the inheritance of Christ they holde it not For they do not communicate with the whole worlde they do not communicate with the vniuersality redeemed by the bloud of our Lord we are secure of his inheritance 11. Their last retrayte vsed by Mayster Field and often iterated by M. Whitker That the Church in Field in his 2. booke of the Church chapter 8. VVhitak contro 2. q. 2 cap 2. Ibidem q. 3. cap. 1. q. 5. cap 4 5 Saint Augustines and the rest of those Fathers dayes was in her growth Now in her declining Then flourishing in all partes
of the world Since retired to some few particuler and vnknown coastes Since perished out of view of all nations is heretofore resuted at large in the fourth chapter of this treatise And Saint Augustine detesteth it as a rash temerarious false and abhominable deuise He thinketh it strange to be spoken of and asketh what inuader Christ suffered to robbe him of his goods Of the whole world the price of his bloud Besides the places of Scripture by which S. Aug. tomo 8 in psal 101. conci 2. Augustine demonstrateth the Kingdome of Christ to be euery where extended to replenish the whole face of the earth to possesse all the endes of the world are not prophesies only of S. Augustines of Optatus of Saint Ieromes age they specify not their dayes any more then ours but they are indeterminably Aug. Exp. 2. in psal 21. written by the holy Ghost for all times ages Therefore they are as truly verified now as then as iustly vrged by vs agaynst Protestants as by them agaynst Luciferians or Donatistes And the exceptions taken by their aduersaries are the same which are now pursued by ours 12. Let me pose you M. Whitaker Doth he not deserue as great a curse who shall now deny the Passion and Resurrection of Christ as any heretike should doe in gaynsaying it in Saint Augustines tymes And yet S. Augustine maketh a like comparison between those mysteryes Aug. Ep. 48. and this of the Churches vniuersality As sayth he he shal be anathema which preacheth that Christ neyther suffered nor rose agayne because we learne by the Ghospell that it behoued Christ to suffer and to rise againe the third day So he shall also be anathema whosoeuer preacheth the Church to be elswhere then in the communion of all nations because by the selfe same gospell we learne in the words next following And pennance to be preached in his name and remission of sinnes thoughout all nations Wherfore as the former textes of Scripturre touching his death and resurrection so these concerning the amplitude of his Church are generally verifyed of all times and ages 13. But Doctour Whitaker obiecteth that there VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. c. 6. was a tyme at the beginning when the Church was not vniuersal I answere that as there is a tyme when a child new borne cannot actually laugh or exercise the function of man yet is then a true man and hath the power or faculty of laughing So the Church in her infancy was not actually dilated and propagated ouer all countryes yet it was then planted to be vniuersall and had the property of vniuersality belonging to it Because Christ at the first erecting of it sayd Teach ye all nations Going Matt. viti v. 19. Marc. 56. vers 15. Act. 1. v. 8. into the whole world preach the gospell to all creatures You shal be witnesses vnto one in Ierusalem and in all Iury and Samaria and euen to the vtmost of the earth Therefore although not the actuall extension yet the prerogatiue of Vniuersality apperteyned to the Church from the beginning and after that she should once obteyne her vniuersall and actuall propagation the diuine oracles often witnesse it should so continue vnto the end of the world As hath beene shewed both here in the fourth chapter of this third part Howbeit Mayster Whitaker ceaseth not to wrangle For because he cannot challenge the right of the thinge he picketh a quarrell at the etimology of the name Catholike he will not haue it to signify vniuersality of place but only of the truth saying That Church is VVhitak contro 2. q. 5. c. 2. q. 6. c. 2. Eulke in c. 24. Luc. sect 4. in name and deed Catholike which Catholikely and truly teacheth all the points of religion whatsoeuer ought to be learned and belieued of a Christian man The same is also auerred by Doctour Fulke 14. But how can it thus be a note of the true Church The true doctrine in all dogmaticall poyntes as I haue heretofore declared is more obscure and hidden then the Church It is the inward substance or dowry of the Church It cannot possibly be discerned especially by the vnlearned nor consequently guide them to the knowledge of the Church It is constantly challenged by all heretikes whatsoeuer Aske the Arian the Pelagian the Gnosticke the Anabaptist c. Euery one of them whosoeuer else will tell you that he alone hath the vniuersall truth and it would be a bootlesse labour to goe about by that marke taken in that sense to perswade him the contrary Yet into this labyrinth other heretikes of former tymes haue craftily retired For Vincentius the Rogatian would haue the word Catholike to Aug. Ep. 48. ad Vincentium Rogatian import the like integrity of fayth and vniuersall keeping of the commandements whome S. Augustine refelleth in this manner Thou seemest to haue found out a witty deuise when thou doest interprete the name Catholike not of the communion of all the world but of the obseruation of all the diuine precepts al the Sacramēts which deuise of his new burnished now Aug. de vt credendi c. 7. by our aduersaries he vtterly reiecteth immediatly after alleadgeth the sentence before cited with this preamble whatsoeuer crooked trains any mā weaueth against the simplicity of whatsoeuer he casteth of wily falshood euen as he shal be ana thema who preacheth that Christ hath not suffered nor risen So he that shall Aug. in ps 18. expo 2. deny the Church to be in the communion of the world Because both are learned out of the same Ghospell Besides Saint Augustine flatly distinguisheth this not of vniuersality or amplitude Fulke in c. 24. Lu. sect 2. in 2. ad Thess 2. sectione 5. VVhitak contro 2. from the verity of the Church in all mysteries of faith saying The Church is one as algraunt if you regard the whole worlde more stored with multitude and as they that know affirme more syncere in truth then all the rest but of the truth it is another question Loe M. Whitaker how you confound questions affect obscurities lurke in holes that you maynteyne a part in faction who might hold all in peace concord Abbot in his answere to M. D. Bishop Ep. to the King pag 15. 15. The last obiection repeated by M. Fulke Mayster Whitaker and Rhetorically dilated by M. Robert Abbot against our restraining the Citty of God vnto the Sea of Rome hath beene often answered by our men That we take not the Roman Church for the particuler diocesse which belonges to Rome but for the latitude of all people and countryes who consort with the Pope in Sacramentes fayth and communion acknowledging him for Christes vicar vpon earth And thus the Roman Church hath beene euer accounted all one with the Catholike and vniuersall Church For Saint Ambrose writeth of his Brother Satyrus desyring in pilgrimage Ambrosius in serm de ob
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
consent and agreement by which the members of the same Church though of diuers nations languages customes dispositions yet are all vnited in the same fayth lawes sacrifice religion They are all carefull as Saint Paul exhorteth to keep the vnity of the spirit in the band of peace To be of one accord and one iudgemet For which cause Christ earnestly prayed and vsed many other effectuall meanes he ordeyned vs all to one end and goale of felicity You are called in one hope of your vocation He taught vs to acknowledge as Saint Paul writeth in the â—ame place one Lord one fayth one Baptisme one God and Father of Eph. 4. v. 3. Phil. 2. v. 2. Ioan. 17. v. 11. Eph. 4. v. 4. v. 5. 1. Cor. 10. v. 17. 18. all He nourisheth vs with one bread his owne sacred flesh He incorporateth vs in one body He guideth vs with one and the same spirit and that all thinges might be orderly disposed he submitteth vs in his absence to the obedieâ—ce of one head his vice gereÌ„t vpon earth by which the pâ—erogatiue of vnity is principally maynteyned and â—â—â—refore Saint Augustine termeth the sea of his residence Câ—â—hedram vnitatis the Chayre of vnity And Saint Cyprian Aug. ep 166. CypriaÌ„ ep 73. Optat. l. 2. con Parm. Iero. con Iouin cont Lucif Leo ep 84. Bernard l. 3. ad Eug. Irae l. 1. c. 3. 〈◊〉 Peter vpon whome our Lord built his Church he instituted and â—â—wed the beginning of vnity The like hath Optatus rhe like S. â—â—rome and Saint Leo. 3. By the assistance of Gods holy spirit and â—y the subordination of the people Priestes Pastours Bishops to this supreme head the Pope of Rome which Saint Bernard resembleth to the subordination of the Angells Archangells Cherubims and Scraphims to Almighty God there is preserued in the vniuersall Church spread ouer all the world that admirable peace and perfect argrement as if it dwelled to vse Saint Irenaeus words â—â— one house enioyed one soule and one hart she preacheth teacheth and deliuereth the thinges shee belieueth so conformably as if she spake with one mouth For sayth he Although there be different languages yet the vertue of traditioÌ„ is one the same Neyther do those Churches which are founded in Germany belieue otherwise or otherwise deliuer Nor those that are amongst the Hiberians nor those that are in the East nor those that are in Aegypt nor such as are in Libya nor such as are planted in the midest of the earth But as the sunne that workemanship of God is one and the same in the vniuersall world so the light the preaching of truth euery where shineth and enlighteneth all who will come to the knowledge therof 4. This conformaty of doctrine which Irenaeus marked in the vniuersall Church of his tyme where can we now discouer but amongst the Professours of the Roman fayth Goe into Asia Goe into Africa sayle into India passe into Iaponia compasse the East and returne into Al Catho like professours are vnius Labij of the same speach or language the West and you shall behold all Countryes all prouinces all Cittyes euery professor of our Religion vnius Labij of one language of one hart and soule in Sacraments sacrifice and all Articles of fayth The reason is because they all as I â—outhed aboue submit themselues to the iudgement of one soueraygne and supreme head who guided by Gods spirit infallibly gouerneth and vnâ—â—â—th the whole body From whome if any dissent he is seuâ—red and cut of from the rest of the members 5. Amongst Protestants no such thinge nothing but schismes iarres and mutuall discordes such as Saâ—â—t Aug. l. 18. de ciuitat Dei ca. 41 Iraen l. 1. Tertull. de praes Hil. l. 7. de Tri. ChrysostoÌ„ Hom. 20. operis impersect in Matth. Parkes agaynst VVillets Limbomastix Augustine discouered amongst the heathen Philosophers â— such as Irenaeus Tertullian S. Hilary and S. Chrysostom amongst auncient heretikes For example trauayle into these ouâ— Sectaryes dominions one fayth shall you find in one Countrey another in another one in Saxony another in Germany another in England This at Geneua that at Zuricke c. What shall I speake of Citties and countries examine the fauorites of any particuler sect no agreemeÌ„â— amongst them no towne no village no man perseuereth long in the same beliefe But they often change and vary from themselues coyning as Saint Hilary reporteth of the Arians yearely and monethly faythes Euery man sayth M. Parkes maketh Religion the handmaid of his affections VVe may say now that there are so many faithes as willes and so many doctrines as manners of men whiles eyther we write them as we list or vnderstand Beza ep 1. and Andr. Dud. repeateth his wordes M VVilliam Reynolds in his preface before his refutation of M. VVhitaker reprehen Cauils them as we please in so much that many are brought to their wits ends not knowing what to do Which Duditius an emineÌ„t Protestant in the fight of Beza obiecteth agaynst his own brethren which Maister VVilliam Reynolds our Catholike writer notably declareth in the changes and alterations of our English gospellers in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth and I might further specify in many particulers since the raygne of our gracious King Iames. 6. For in her dayes the reall presence was * VVhitaker cont 2. q. 5. c. 7. pag. 89. Reynoldes in his fifth cont folio 657. Sparks in his answere to M. Iohn de Albins fol. 235. See these wordes of the Bishop of Ely allowed by Casaub in his aforesayd answ to Car. Peron â—â— 16. Causab pag. 33. In the conf at Hâ—mp court Reynolds in his 4. coâ—lus Field in his â— book c. 10. 11. Field in his third booke of the Church c. 22. fol. 118. Illiricus in clauo Scripturae de varia c. tract 6. dupl iustit instific Field in the place before cited impugned as implying contradiction and destroying the humane nature of Christ Now it is allowed as nothing impossible VVe agree with you sayth the Bishop of Ely concerning the obiect all the strife is aboue the manner c. we belieue the presence we belieue I say the true presence as well as you c. Then yearely shrift or auricular confession was an antichristian and popish bondage a butchery of mens consciences now the Fathers who ordeyned it had their reasons why they thought that such manner of confession would further the easier atteyning to saluâ—â—tion Then to pray for the dead that their soules might thereby be reliued was new fantasticall and superstitiâ—us popery Now to desire of God rest for their soules was an aunâ—â—ent custome and is referred by his Maiesty to the head of thinges proâ—â—able or lawfull Then when a woman was head a woman might lawfully baptize and Christen infants Now the midwifes christing is vnallowable and of no force at all Then the holy Catholike Church which we belieue
was the whole company of Gods elest c. which is hidden and inuisible Now it is the visible society wherein the syncere outward profession of the truth of God is preserued Then all workes of man performed in grace were so stayned with sinne as they could not deserue any reward at the handes of God Now a distinctioÌ„ is found of two Courtes The one of exact triall the other of new obedience in which God sitting giueth commaundement of workes of righteousnes and duly rewardeth them When we are iustified sayth Field God requireth of vs a new obedience iudgeth vs according to it crowneth vs for it Diuers other articles I might recount in which our aduersaryes pressed by Catholikes haue slidden out of the path which their predecessours haue trodden But of their variances more hereafter 7. This inconstancy disagreement of theirs proceedeth not from that they come single into the field to encounter with vs wel secoÌ„ded by our friends as a worthy knight of the Protestants religioÌ„ wold once haue excused the matter to me but it ariseth as another writer of their Sir Edwin Sands in his relatioÌ„ own beareth witnes for want of some one Patriarch or more to haue a common superintendance and care of their Church for correspondency and vnity For want of some ordinary way to assemble a generall Councell of their part the only hope remayning euer to asswage their contentions From want of due subordination that the CypriaÌ„ l. 1. Ephes 3. ad Cornel. Priest of God as Saint Cyprian teacheth is not obeyed nor one Priest in the Church for the tyme nor one Iudge in liew of Christ is had in minde From want of one supreme certeyne and infallible rule of deciding debates which fall out amonge them For although the scriptures vpon which they seeme to rely be as Whitaker vrgeth constant sure and inflexiblâ— in themselues yet they imbracing their owne constructions VVhitak cont 1. cont 2 q. 5. cap. 8. pa. 407. and interpretations of them what meruayle though they be shaken with as many winds of contrary doctrins as there be seuerall humours and affections of men Whilst euery one as Tertullian noteth doth forme and fashion that which he receaueth according as of his owne minde he deuised it Whilest nouices haue liberty to controle their superiours scholers sayth Irenaeus may boast and glory to be reformers of their Tertull. in praes adu haer 42. Iren. l. c. 5. 8. maysters For as the forenamed Tertullian pithily discourseth The same is lawfull to the Valentinians which was lawfull to Valentinus to the Marcionists which to Marcion to the Caluinistes which to Caluin of their owne to frame or reforme their fayth Because euery one may challenge the same spirit the same gift of interpreting as his forerunner did This pretense Tertull. in the same place is often alleadged by euery Puritan and Protestant who varieth from the opinion of his first authour or beginner Luther for example and his chiefe disciples are VVhitak coÌ„t Durae pag. 28. VVhitak cont Sand. pag. 92. VVhitgift defens tra c. 7. p. 20. in my opinion ib. pag. 291. cited agaynst Whitaker He answereth VVhat is that to me I care not what they misliked And Whitgift of Caluin sayth I am not so wholy addicted vnto him that I will contemne other mens iudgements c. VVhen as in my opinion they come neerer to the true meaning and sense of Scripture then he doth Others he reiecteth saying They were men and therfore though otherwise very watch full yet such as slept sometyme Thus with shew of modesty if they can if not The spirit of God say they is not tyed to any man but breatheth where he lists and therefore he that imagineth he is carryed with this gale hath sufficient warrant to ruffle in Scripture and expound it as his owne priuate perswasion seemeth to leade him FroÌ„ hence spring such flouds of dissentions as I may verify of Protestants that which a diligent historiographer noted in the Turkes only changing the wordes Touching the law The Alcoran Septeme cast 20 Mahomet himselfe there is that discord and difference amongst them as if a hundred of them be asked what they hold in these pointes not onâ— will answere to the minde of another Examen when you will yâ—ur Mynisters apart or conferre their workes and wriâ—â—ngs one with another you shall not need any further â—â—oofe You shall see no two in the world consorting toâ—â—ather in all essentiall pointes of fayth if I say they be â—el sifted by interrogatories on euery point examined â— part 8. But two thinges are here opposed by our aduersaryes The one agaynst our vnity The other in excuse of their diuisions Against vs Field obiecteth the vnity agreemeÌ„t of the Armenians Aethiopians Christians of Field in his 2. booke c. 7. pag. 54. VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. cap. 8. Muscouia Russia Whitaker the accord coÌ„spiratioÌ„ of â—he wicked in euill of Pirates in Piracy of Rebells in rebellioÌ„ Therfore vnity say they is no signe of truth I answere not any vnity or accord in some one point whatsoeuer maketh this marke for all heretiks agree in rebelling gaynst truth many may accord in some one schisme or heresy as they whome M. Field rehearseth do Likewise a small number of desperate fellowes vpon a set plot in some one or two designements in hope of gayne or preferment may as Whitaker vrgeth for a short time combine togeather But without any such hope league or coÌ„bination for innumerable millions so far dispersed in so darke obscure manifold mysteryes of fayth to the preiudice of their estates losse of their liues so many ages so vniformly to agree notwithstanding such alienations of mynds diuersity of factions by people Prince notwithstanding so many other strifes and debates so many Ioseph Hal in his book intitled the Feace of Rome Read of this S. Aug. l. â—8 de ciuit Dei ca. 41. Field in his 3. booke c. 4â— â—nd in app 1. part fol. 23. 24. VVhite in his way to the Church §. 33. VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. chaunges alterations reuolutions of common wealths notwithstanding such alteration variety of opinions which M. Ioseph Hall heapeth togeather in matters indifferent or then not defined for in all the great and idle muster he maketh not one essentiall variance doth he meÌ„tion that euer was amongst the Professors of our Church This I say is an euident and irreprouable token of some diuine and heauenly spirit in breathing guiding vniting the harts of Roman Catholikes 9. In excuse of their diuisions Field White Whitaker reply that they are likewise but verball vpon mistaking not materiall or essential not in substantiall or fundamental points And Field most hypocritically addeth I dare confidently pronounâ—â— that after ful and due examination of each others meaning there shaâ—â— no difference found touching the matter of the