charity towards Catholicks is but forc't and feigned Whatsoever is required that a Church be truly Catholick is visible in the Roman It may judge and censure all other dissenting congregations without note of partiality or illegality Protestants have no credible nor legal witnesses to testify that their doctrin is the same which Christ and his Apostles taught Roman Catholicks have If all sects of Christians were admitted to general Councells and therin Judges of themselves and of their faith greater illegality it would be and greater partiality then that only Roman Catholicks be Judges of their cause Since the Apostles time one part of the Christians judged the other and the part that judged the other was that which obeyed and stuck to the Bishops of Rome as St. Peters Successors proved in every age vntill this present SECT XII HOw Gods veracity is denyed by Protestancy as also by the prelatick doctrin of fundamental and not fundamental articles of faith The belief of Gods veracity consists not in acknowledging that whatsoever God sayd is true never any heretick denyed that and all hereticks deny Gods veracity but consists in believing that God will not color nor countenance falshood with supernatural and evident signes of truth Protestants give less credit and obedience to Gods Ministers and Orders declared by the Church though qualified with vndeniable signes of Gods truth then they do to a Constable Catchpol or any other the meanest officers of a Court or Commonwealth though their warrants or badges may be more easily counterfeited then the miracles or signes of the Roman Catholick Church They will not believe God speaks or commands by the Roman Catholick Church though it hath the supernatural signes of his trust and sheweth his great seal Miracles but they believe that the King speaks and commands by any Minister of state or inferiour Magistrat No Ministers of judicature or officers of war have so authentick marks of the Kings authority to command the subjects and to end Suits of law as the Roman Catholick Church hath of Gods authority to instruct mankind and determin controversies of faith As it is rebellion to contemn the Kings authority represented by the authentick badges therof in his Ministers so is it heresy to contemn Gods authority represented in the Roman Catholick Church by supernatural signes as miracles sanctity Conversion of nations c. Gods veracity might be lawfully questioned if it were lawfull to judge that he permits the Roman Catholick Church to err in any point of faith whatsoever Proved by a similitude of my Lord Chancelor delivering the Kings mind to the Parliament in his Majesties own hearing and presence Veracity is a vertue inclining to speak truth not only when the person speaks but when any other speaks by his commission for then the person that employes an other to speak is bound by virtue of his own veracity to endeavour to the vttermost of his power that his Minister or Messenger vtter nothing but truth and this is to be vnderstood not only in matters of great but also of small importance Protestants make their own conveniency not Gods veracity the motive of their faith and measure therby which articles are fundamental which not The most fundamental article or the foundation of faith is to believe that God can not permit his Church to err even in not fundamentals A Demonstration ad hominem against the Protestant doctrin of the Churches fallibility in not fundamentalls SECT XIII THe same further demonstrated as also that neither the Protestant faith nor that of the Sure footing in Christianity is christian belief Not the matter believed but the motive and manner of believing makes our belief Christian. Protestants and the Author of the Sure footing believe not any thing in matters of faith which they do not imagin to be evident in it self or evident to them that it is revealed They agree in making cleer or self evidence the rule of faith but vary in the application of that rule the Author of the Sure footing applies it to all or most of the Roman Catholick Tenets Protestants to few The doctrin of the Sure footing can not be excused by the opinion of some Schoolmen that say an act of faith is possible and consistent with evidence of the revelation Christian faith must have a mixture of obscurity Mr. Robert Boyles expression that faith and twilight agree in this property that a mixture of darknes is requisit to both for that with too refulgent light the one vanisheth into knowledge as the other into day is not only witty but agreable to the sense of the ancient Fathers and to Scripture Hebr. 11. To believe is to trust the person believed and take his word for the truth as you doe a mans word or bill for mony Gods worth and veracity being infinit we ought not to admit of any doubt in matters of faith our assurance of faith must not be grounded vpon evidence either of the object or of the revelation but vpon an impossibility that God should by evident signes oblige mankind to believe that he revealed the mysteries of Christianity and yet not reveale them or permit the Church to deceive us God were not omnipotent did he permit the Church to err in any matter of faith though not fundamental because according to the proportion of ones inclination to any thing is the application of his power to effect the same and Gods inclination to truth even in not fundamentalls being infinit he must be infinitly concerned and applied to preserve the Church from falshood in the least articles as well as in fundamentalls The different manner of believing God and men Wee could not believe God if it were evident to us he spoke what we assent vnto Wherin doth consist the guilt of heresy Declared by that of rebellion The absurdity of the privat spirit and of all other Protestant pretexts against the publick testimony and authority of the Roman Catholick Church SECT XIV PIety and policy mistaken in making prelatick Protestancy the legal Religion of the state and in continuing the Sanguinary and penal statuts against the Roman Catholick faith It was want of Christian piety in Q. Elizabeth to introduce the Protestant Religion but not want of human policy because she had no title to the Crown but by Protestancy The title of the Stevards is vnquestionable and therfore they need not the Support of Protestancy How dangerous and damnable a thing it is to make the temporal laws of the land the rule of faith the Protestant prelatick Religion hath no better The Principles and priviledges of Protestancy being inconsistent with Soveraignty and government every Protestant Commonwealth found it necessary to mold and moderat those principles and priviledges by human lawes according to the customs and constitutions of every Kingdom and therfore Episcopacy without which our Parliaments could not be legal was here in England continued with prelatick Protestancy though contrary to the Tenets of Protestancy and to
ought every one to renounce his own judicature of Religion and Scripture tyed to no rules but to his own discretion and to an indiscernable and privat spirit There is greater danger that Protestants may abuse this spiritual Soveraignty by an indirect application therof to temporal affaires then the Pope his who being a stranger and at such a distance can not if he would have the conveniencies oportunities and occasions of plotting rebellion which Natives and subjects may lay hold on with less danger of a discovery and greater hopes of success It is sayd that in time of a Parliament wherin many of the lower House stood vpon higher termes then was thought convenient for the state though warranted by the purest Protestancy a Gentleman presented a petition to King James who seemed to admire that any would sue to him in a time ther were as his Majesty said three hundred Kings sitting in the House of Commons and therfore bid the Gentleman repaire thither for relief We see in the late long Parliament how some few membres of the House of Commons prevail'd against K. Charles I. in his own Court and Citty by making them-selves popular vpon the score of the Protestant Religion and Scripture How afterwards these and their faction were supplanted by Cromwell's sense of Scripture and how that he wanted only the name of King How after his death every Commander had hopes to succeed him in this power and Protectorship and without question some might had not the Duke of Albermalâ— bin so honest We have grounds therfore to say that every Protestant that hath wit and valor and will take hould of the advantages of his Religion may hope to be a King or Protector and we cannot but admire that any states-man doth except against the Roman Catholick Tenets for admitting of one Pope wheras according to the ground and principles of all Protestant Reformations there are as many Popes as Proâ—â—stants and every one of them much more absolute then the Bishops of Rome and their supremacy less consistent whith the security of Princes and peace of the people then his spiritual jurisdiction Besids the stay and security of a state consists in a discreet distribution of publick charges and employments and this in the choyce of persons qualified with such signs of conscience and loyalty as can hardly be counterfeited or misapplied wherof the principal is the profession of the Religion of the state therfore we see non trusted in weighty affaires of the Common-wealth but such as are of the Prince his Religion But if that Religion have no certain rule or only such a rule that maks men of no certain Religion it can be no more a sign of conscience and loyalty or fit to direct â—he King and Councell in their choyce of persons for their purpose and â—ust then a plume of feathers or a garniture of ribands fancied for it's colours The reason is obvious and concluding because the security of a King and the prosperity of his Kingdoms is grounded vpon the loyalty of his subjects and servants who are intrusted with secret designs and publick employments both in the civill and military list their loyalty is directed by their conscience their conscience by their Religion their Religion by their rule of faith If therfore their rule of faith be but their own fancy of Scripture or Scripture as it is interpreted by every man's privat judgment without any obligation of conscience to submit to the contrary interpretation of their national Synâ—â— or Church because neither of them pretend to be infallible then loyalty conscience religion government and King are as subject to the changes of fortune and animosities of faction as the fickle fancy of every privat person is apt to vary according to his weackness of Iudgment or strength of passion and to declare for that party which will be most for his interest This inconstancy of the reformed Religions is acknowledged by them-selves Duditius a learned and zealous protestant quoted and highly commended by Beza for his piety and elegant witt ep 1. ad Andraeam Duditium pag. 13. lamenteth the condition of his reformed Brethren in these words They are carryed about with every wind of doctrin now to this part now to that whose Religion what it is to day you may perhaps know but what it will be to morrow neither you nor they can certainly tell pag. 5. ep Bezae cit In what head of Religion do they agree that impugn the Roman Bishop If you examin all from the head to the foot you shal almost find nothing affirmed by on which another will not averr to be wicked And their Divines do dayly differ from them-selves Menstruam fidem habentes coyning a monthly faith Now what smale hopes there are of remedying this mis-fortune Sands ingeniously confesseth in his relation fol. 82. The Papists have the Pope as a common Father Adviser and Conductor to reconcile their jarrs to decide their differences to draw their Religion by consent of Councels vnto vnity c. wheras on the contrary side Protestants are as severed or rather scattered troups each drawing adiverse way without any means to pacify their quarrels no Patriarch one or more to have a common superintendance or care of their Churches for correspondency and vnity no ordinary way to assemble a generall Councel of their part the only hope remaining ever to assuage their contention To this we may add the saying of Melancton as remarkable as true Quos fugiamus habemus sed quos sequamur non intelligimus we know who we should avoyd meaning the Papists Religions is to believe what you think fit according to your best vnderstanding of a writing you can not vnderstand by any human and privat industry of your own and will not learn from any publik authority of the Church because by following the interpretation of the Church you fancy that you may be mistaken so that for feare of being mistaken in or by publick authority the protestant either falls into obstinacy in his own privat opinion or into an indifferency for all opinions and so becoms to be an Heretick or of no Religion Among the protestant Confessions of faith the 39. Articles of the prelatick Church of England is estem'd an excellent piece and yet the same Articles acknowledg that the visible Church of God hath erred and may err from time to time and by consequence the prelatick may have erred in this very assertion as in most of the 39. Articles How this acknowledged vncertainty of truth can agree with the certainty or Christianity of faith or with any hopes of salvation I can not comprehend But albeit these articles seem as insufficient for salvation as men are vncertain of their truth yet are they thought usefull to the government for though they want the substance that is the certainty of faith yet they have the face of religion and formality of law because they talk of God Christ Trinity c. And are
counterfeited must needs be the effect of prejudice and passion proceeding from want of christianity especialy when they see that others as learned cautious and conscientious as them-selves after weighing all objections and circumstances submit their judgments to the sufficiency of these signs for making the Roman Catholick authority authentickly Divine and that we believe what is proposed with out the least suspition or feare either of fraud or frailty in the Roman Catholick Councells which are the Proposers and Ministers of God's word Besids if Protestants did consider the nature of Veracity and God's Providence they would never doubt of the application of his power to preserve the Roman Catholick Church from error seing it hath so many signs of his truth and Ministery as the conversion of Nations succession and Sanctity of doctrin and Doctors miracles vnity of faith c. For Veracity as Aristotle and all Philosophers define it is a Virtue inclining to speak truth And he is not inclined to speak truth that countenanceth falshood in so particular a manner as God doth the doctrin and jurisdiction of the Roman Catholick Church A King that might if he would and yet doth not hinder his Ambassadors and Ministers or any other persons from abusing other Princes or his own Subjects by their speaking or commanding in his Majesties name or at least in speaking other-wise then he really intended they should and had prescribed by his commission or instructions such a King I say is not inclined to speak truth because he willingly permits his officers or others that pretend to speak in his name or really do speak by his Orders to vtter falshood and misinterpret his words and meaning notwithstanding that he may easily prevent that fraud and frailty and reapeth no benefit by either an evident argument that he is not avers to such false practises No Protestant doubts but that my Lord Chancellor speaks truly the King's mind and sense when he pursues his Majesties speech in Parliament in his Royal presence and hearing and to think other-wise would be not only to tax my Lord Chancellor with folly but the King with an inclination to falshood and a fault unbeseeming the dignity of a Prince the care and charge of the Country's Father as also the sincerity and veracity of an honest man Seing therfore God is as much inclined to speak truth as any thing can be to love it self for God is truth by essence if it be against the dignity of a Prince and against the nature of human veracity and honesty which is but a shadow of the Divine to permit falshood in Ministers of state or in servants sent but of ordinary errands when their Masters can easily prevent it how much more repugnant must it be to the nature of God and to his Divine veracity to permit the Roman Church in his own presence name and hearing tell lyes and disguise them and it self with so probable and plausible signes of his Divine truth and Commission as to seale it's doctrin with marks and miracles so vndeniably supernatural that the most learned Protestants acknowledg they are and can only bewrought by God's power light can as litle concurre to produce darkness as truth to favor falshood Even men that love truth hate to heare others tell lyes and do contradict vntruths if them-selves be present and quoted for Authors of the stories They will not entertain servants given to that vice nor permit them weare their livery much less employ them in matters of concern wherin they may abuse their Master's word and prejudice his friends or Tenants Can Protestants then imagin that God doth not only permit the Roman Catholick Church to weare his livery and his authority but that he doth promote the stories and lies of that Church in case it's doctrin be fals for the space of so many ages with so great signes and testimonies of his Divine approbation that the wisest and wairiest men of the world after much study and examination did and do still preferr it before all other Religions Do they think that God is not as much concern'd in preventing frauds faults and frailties in his Ministers and Messengers as temporal Princes are concern'd in the credit and truth of theirs Wherfore if Protestants judg it a breach of faith or want of truth and worth in a temporal Prince not to endeavor to the vtmost of his power that his Ministers and messengers deceive not his subjects and Allies by mistaking or misapplying his Commands or demands they can not but see the absurdity of believing that God doth permit Ministers and Messengers so supernaturaly qualified as those of the Roman Church are to err in proposing his revelations vnto all man kind his Veracity being as highly concern'd in the infallibility of the Proposers as his power makes him capable of preventing their human mistakes and of confounding the Devill 's malice But Protestants have found out a new device and defence of their distinction They grant it is against God's Veracity to permit the Roman Catholick Church to err in proposing the Fundamental articles of faith that is such articles as Protestants fancy absolutly necessary for saluation which are say they that Scripture is the word of God and JESUS Christ the son of God and Redeemer of the world some add the Mystery of the Trinity hitherto we could never obtain from them a more exact Cathalogue of their Protestant Fundamentals As for the other doctrines of the Roman Catholick Church 〈◊〉 and proposed as Divine Protestants think they may be denyed and questioned without any offence to God denyal or doubt of his veracity I could never heare any other reason or dispâ—rity for this their distinction but that the measure of the infallibility of the Church ought to be our salvation because it was the end proposed by God in the institution and constitution of his Church In such articles therfore say they as are absolutly necessary for salvation the Church cannot but be infallible in the proposal otherwise we could not believe them and consequently not be saved because we can not be sure that God revealed them But this their Fundamental distinction still destroys the foundation of Christian belief which is God's veracity They make their own conveniency and not God's veracity the motive of crediting the Mysteries of faith as if truth it self or God's inclination to speak truth could be greater in on matter then other or that the belief of any article could be more Fundamental or of greater importance and necessity for salvation then to believe that God is as much concerned and as necessarily inclined to speak truth as well by the mouth of his Church as if him-self spoke immediatly as well also in the least matter as in the greatest and by consequence he is as much engaged to preserve the Church from error in on as in the other So that to believe the testimony or proposal of the Church in a matter
only more â—ound in point of Christiatity but more safe in order to the government then any others And though it be a common and true saying that the greatest Clerks are not the wisest men and by consequence not so fit to prescribe rules for governing as wordlings that are not Divines or as wranglers that are Lawyers yet I humbly conceive that when the misfortunes of a government proceed not from want of judgment or resolution in the Councel but from want of faith or which is the same from an acknowledged vncertainty of faith in the Church Catholick Divines seing we are unanimous in matters of Christian belief and do persuade the best part of Christendom that our Church is infallible in the same and if heard we doubt not to prevail with these British Nations also to credit vs in that important point however improbable it may seem to them at first sight I hope this supposed we Catholick Divines may without offence pretend to be better able to shew and salve the spiritual sore of this state then any Protestant Statists or schoolmen who want sufficient unity and assurance of faith in themselves to make their cure and care credible to others Seing therfore the foundation not only of Christian Religion but of a peaceable government doth consist in a firm persuasion of the people governed that the doctrin professed and established by Law is infallible and of Divine inspiration not of human invention and by consequence that the decrees and determinations of the State which in all Governments ought to be proportioned to the doctrin of its Church are lawfull and intended for the common good not designs or devices to fool the multitude feed the ministery or favor the soveraign and that not only evidence of falshood but vncertainty of truth in matters of Christianity must needs render the Church and State that profess such an vncertainty so weak and contemptible that the subjection to either cannot be otherwise secured then by the force and fear of a standing Army and that such a subjection doth savor more of a Turkish slavery then fâ—â—a Christian Society or of a civil subordination to publick authority and therfore is the cause of continual discontents and frequent rebellions and that no Church but the Roman Catholick doth as much as pretend or can persuade it s own infallibility in matters of Religion seing I say all this is manifest by reason and our wofull late experiences I question not but that the Parliament will be pleased to take in good part this humble proposal of saving our souls and of setling this state by the doctrin of the Roman Catholick Church and by the Revenues of the Protestant Prelatick Clergy especially if the corruptions of Scripture and falsifications of Councells and Fathers wherwith I do charge that Clergy and wherby alone they maintain their Protestancy be cleerly demonstrated in this Treatise and patiently heard in a publick Trial. It 's now above a Century of years since the great Statsmen of England have employed their wit and industry in devising how to setle Monarchy vpon Protestancy but vnder favor we Catholick Divines do shew and all Protestants may suspect by the success that in so great an affair they have proceeded like vnskillfull Architects that busy themselves altogether in proportioning and adorning the superstructures without inquiring into the strength and solidity of the foundation They mistook sand for stone fals translations for true Scripture a lay ministery for a lawful Clergy a temporal soveraignty for a spiritual supremacy They layd for the first stone of their New fabrik a sworn spiritual rebellion the oath of supremacy against the chief Prelat and common Father of all Christendom S. Peters Successor No marvail then if this fundation yeelded and the whole fabrik fell to the ground in our late distempers for by an evident parity of reason it must be concluded that it is as lawful for Protestants to depose Kings as Popes by vertue of their privat and arbitrary interpretations of scripture If notwithstanding the legal and long possession or prescription of a suprem spiritual superiority the Bishop of Rome may by the principles and prerogative of Protestancy be reformed and reduced to be only Patriarck of the West or a privat Bishop what temporal soveraignity can be absolute or secure among Protestants The same arguments the same texts of Scripture the same spirit the same interpretations of God's Word that Luther Calvin Cranmer and all other Protestants objected against the Popes supreme spiritual authority did the Presbyterians and other Protestants press by an vnanswerable paralel against the late King 's temporal Soveraignty Wherfore it is much to be feared that notwithstanding the extraordinary prudence of our government we shall be frequently involved in as great troubles and dangers as formerly and that the privat spirit and English Scripture interpreted by Protestants will prevail against lawfull Monarchy whensoever the like circumstances do concurr viz. a Zealous Parliament a mild King a covetous Clergy a stubborn people and resolute Rogues to lead them and declare to the Multitude their own strength as wel as the fundamental principles and priviledges of all Protestant Reformations In Catholick Commonwealths all these circumstances do meet the principles of Protestancy only excepted and yet the Catholick subjects remain immoveable in their obedience in regard of the credit and authority of their Church and Clergy which in privat confessions and publick exhortations continualy inculcat how inconsistant any privat or arbitrary interpretation of Scripture and by consequence any pretext of superiority over the Soveraign is with the Christianity and obsequiousnes of Catholick faith and how principal a part it is of that â—aith to believe not only that the Church is infallible in its doctrin but also that temporal Soveraigns are Gods Vice-regents and absolut in their government and therfore as such ought to be revered and obeyed And when by reason of heavy taxes or other such accidents the fire of sedition somtimes breaks forth among Catholicks it is generally speaking suddenly quencht by the authority and severity of the Clergies Censures against the Authors or by the devotion and reverence which even the most Irreverent of our profession exhibit to the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar that is shewn vpon such emergencies to the mutinous people which notwithstanding their fury and madness immediatly fall down to adore their God and Redeemer and for respect of him whom they beleeve to be realy present are appeased or at least give ear to their Pastors reasons and exhortations with more patience and better success then any Protestant people in the like occasions Wherfore though we Catholicks should grant as we neither do nor can that the Protestant or Prelatick reformation is as safe a way to Heaven as the Roman Religion yet methinks such Protestants as desire to live peaceably or govern prosperously ought to preferr Popery before Protestancy That K. Henry 8. in the heat
r. known p. 296 l. 29 for Sect. 8. r. Sect. 3 4 8. p. 30â— l. 8 omitted not p 302 l. 18 for reverences r. revenues p. 309 l. 31 for reverences r. revenues p. 315 l. 8 for became r. began p. 326 l. 17 for foundeth r. founded p. 327 l. 31 omitted Lutheran Book p. 328 l. 12 for tought r. sought p. 341 l. 23 for Pabam r. Papam p. 355 marg l. 3 for fol. 30 r. fol. 301 p. 156 l. 26 for greer r. geer p. 367 l. marg l. ult for 993 r 789 p. 371 l. 21 for 57 r. 53 p. 377 l. 2 Institiam r. Justitiam p. 378 marg l. 20 for three r. two p. 393 l. 4 for eidoolan r. eidolon p. 393 l. 32 for with r. which p. 396 marg l. 9 for Mat. c. 17. r. Mat. c. 27. p. 396 marg l. 11 12 13. these words Et in Harm in Mat. 26. ver 39. are to Be expung'd p. 407 l. 18 for 1 Thess. r. 2 Thess. p. 417 marg l. 5 for orgilat r. or great p. 424 l. 27 for he r. I p. 425 l. 4 for notice r. Notes p. 430 l. 24 the word and must be expung'd p. 444 l. 8 for restored r. retorted p. 453 l. 5 for report r. detort p. 457 l. 31 for rot r. not p. 458 l. 10 for Pramhalls r. Bramhalls p. 473 l. 9 for ad r. and p. 475 l. 7 for praeras r. praeeras p. 481 marg l. 19 for Figurinis r. Tigurinis p. 482 l. 13 for ad r. and p. 482 marg l. 13 for le r. de p. 495 marg l. 17 thy r. they p. 503 l. 30 for at r. as p. 528 l. 11 r. mentibay nefas in the same line r. hoc for tue p. 508 for 22 r. 32 p. 515 l 10 for our r. your p. 525 l. 21 after return is omitted to p. 540 l. 31 for them r. then p. 549 l. 23 for Anion r. Anjou p. 560 marg l. 6 for Matth 11.12 r. Matth. 11.21 Ibid marg l. 7 for Joan. 10.26 r. Joan 10.25 Ibid marg l. 9 for Joan 2.23 r. Joan 3.2 p. 562 l. 20 for receive r. revive p. 566 l. 5 for this r. thus p. 571 l. 16 at Waldensis omitted cap. 63. n. 6. p 573 marg l. 24 for Moral r. Dialog p. 584 l. 15 for 1664. r. 1604. p. 613 l. 27 for Regal r. Legal pag. ult of the Conclusion l. 8 for Actions 1. Nations A TREATISE OF RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT FIRST PART Of the beginning progress and principles of Protestancy in general and of the Prelatick Church of England in particular SECT I. Hovv necessary a rational Religion is for a peaceable Government What Religion ought to be judged rational That the truth of mysteries of Faith is more credible then cleere A digression concerning the Notions and Natures of things and in particular of a Body Hovv unreasonable it is to judg of impossibilities in order to Gods omnipotency because they seeme so to our human understandings How dangerous it is for a temporal Soueraign to pretend a spiritual iurisdiction ouer his subjects and how the Catolick world ever acknowledged the Bishop of Rome his spiritual iurisdiction ouer all Christians AMongst our Adversaries discourses against the Roman Catholick Religion the inconsistency therof with the soueraignty and safety of Princes seemeth to be most applauded The Protestant Ministers ceas not to proclaim from pulpit and press that Kings are but Tenants at will to the Pope and that his spiritual iurisdiction depriues them of all temporall power We shall rid I hope protestant Princes of that iealousy when we treat of this point by manifesting the calumny In this part of our Treatise we confine ourselues to matters of fact reserving to dispute of the right herafter And indeed none can frame a true iudgment of this or of any other Controuersy before he be informed of the historical part therof Therfore our method is to set down in the beginning of this work the state and belief of the visible Christian and Catholick Church untill the yeaâ—â— 1517. wherin the world heard first of protestancy afterwards we shall proceed to examin whether the soul and state may be better gouerned by the principles of protestancy then of Popery We doubt not with Gods assistance to retort against our adversaries their own arguments and to proue that as no Religion is a safe way to salvation but ours so likewise not any is so fauorable to the soueraignty of lawfull Magistracy and to the peacebleness of human gouernment as the same Roman Catholik We need not inculcat to States-men how euer so Irreligious that the support of gouernment is Religion and that thâ—ir own Masterpiece is to keep the multitude in awe of the lawes not so much by force of armes an expedient more dangerous then durable as by a religious fear of God and a firm persuasion that Soueraigns are his Vice-gerents and divine prouidence so concerned in the maintenance of their authority and prerogatives that neither can be opposed without infallibility of eternall damnation to the opposers This persuasion must not be the sole work or word of the Soueraigns themselves or of their state Ministers their testimony would be suspected by the subjects as partial it must be grounded upon authority credibly reported to be divin as among Christians the holy Scriptures explained by the ancient tradition and sense of Councels and Fathers which by another name we call the Church or Clergy that is men to whom God hath committed the charg of soules and commanded us to follow their directions in spirituall matters as being Jnterpreters of the divin Law which Soveraigns must observe There could not be an expedient more satisfactory then the institution of such a Church Clergy and spiritual Court of Iudicature For if interpretation of Scripture had bin left to the Soveraign the subjects would mistrust his sincerity in explaining the same if to the lay subjects the Soveraign would be as diffident of their explications Wherfore to avoid differences and disputes God appointed the Clergy for spiritual Iudges as being by their institution less concerned in temporal affaires and therfore presumed to be more conscientious and less partial in their sentences then lay persons and Tradition for the rule wherby they must direct their judgments to the end their doctrin be Apostolical not arbitrary or altered from the primitive but rather all novelties and differences concerning matters of Faith be still suppressed and therby all unlawfull pretensions which both Soveraigns and subjects frequently claim under the pretext of Religion be remedied or prevented for that souveraignty is as apt to degenerat into tyranny as subjection into rebellion if not regulated by a religion that makes it as vnlawfull for lay men to intermeddle with the doctrin of the Church as it is improper for Church men to intrude themselves into matters of state But because neither Soueraigns nor subjects are bound to submit their judgments in matters of
which may be seuerally wrought and wrought upon by a corporeal instrument If an Atom be so thick that a corporeal instrument may touch one side therof and not touch or reach the other side there is ground and room enough for Gods power to separat one side from the other for if one side of a Body or Atom can be wrought upon independently of the other it may exist also or be moued independently of the same and by consequence is distinct and separable from it And indeed if to be toucht and not to be toucht be not contradictions sufficient to prove real distinction between the sides or extremes so denominated no kind of contradictions can inferre real distinction To say as Mr. Bonart doth pag 301.303 passim that to be toucht and not toucht argues only a verbal not a real distinction in the Atom wherof one side is realy toucht the other not realy toucht and to pretend that this is cleerly deduced from the first notion or nature of a Body or extense because forsooth the notion of Parts must suppose not only one extense but many with a certain manner and measure of extension and that therfore an Atom may be extended and yet not partible To maintain this discourse I say seemeth to me a begging of the question and as difficult as any other opinion in this matter For 1. It is not easy to conceiue how any extension whatsoeuer can include in its first notion or nature an exclusion of division 2. In M. r Bonart his own principles it seemeth in-intelligible how any Body or Atom that hath so much extension that is so much length bredth and profundity as to be capable of being toucht on the one side with out being toucht on the other is not composed of parts distinct one from the other For pag 303. he grants that if in the expansion or extension of an Atom did appeare any little line or point that line or point would conclude a real distinction of parts in the Atom Now why the touch of any corporeal instrument suppose of a Painters pencil framed and managed by Gods hand may not leaue an impression of it selfe which impression you may call a line or point in that place or side of the Atom that is toucht no reason can be giuen and by consequence there can not be any for denying real distinction and division of the parts in the Atom Lastly It must be concluded that the Atoms are either partible or penetrated Because if they be not partible they do touch each other wholy and euery where according to their dimension and extensions and if they touch in such a manner they are penetrated or in one and the same place And if they be penetrated or penetrable impenetrability can not be the essence or property of the Body which they compose and wherof it only consists This is only sayd by the way to shew that the best wits may mistake the notion and nature not only of a spirit but also of a Body and that they are not the best Guides when they steere themselues and others more by their own privat discourses then by the common sense of the faithfull in mysteries of faith wherof it is a property to be more credible then cleere But if the euidence of sense be fallacious and the reflections of our mind fallible what certain knowledg can we haue of any thing Must we al turn Stoiks or Sceptiks Shall we doubt of all Geometrical Demonstrations No we haue certain Knowledg of our own existence and of some other euident truths And as for the Demonstrations of Geometry Euclid himself neuer pretended that his notions of a point line superficies perfect circle c. did point at the real existence of any such objects as indivisible points lines perfect cercles c. he knew and Mathematicians confess there are no such things in rerum natura And seing Mathematicians are so ingenuous as to acknowledg that their cleerest notions are not real natures or immutable essences I see no reason why Philosophers whose demonstrations are not so cleere should be so positiue in defining things as if they were defyâ—ing Gods omnipotency to make them otherwise then they haue dictated in the Schooles or published in their Bookes And he that thinks to declare the reasonableness of Christian Religion by making the mysteries therof agree rather with his own Philosophical notions then with the common sense of the Church will involue himselfe into a labyrinth of errours The reasonableness therfore of Christian Religion must not be measured by any cleere euidence of truth that human reason discouers either in the works of nature or in the diuine mysteries for we shall proue herafter such euidence to be inconsistent with faith but rather by the cleere euidence of an indispensable obligation that euery man finds and feeles in himselfe of submitting his judgment to the Church when he reflects upon the signs and sufficiency of its authority in order to propose diuine doctrin To submit our reason to a Church or Clergy that hath no cleere and authentick signs of diuine authority is simple and sinfull credulity not to submit to its sufficient authority that is to authority signed with supernatural signs is heretical obstinacy As for the meanes wherby euery one concerned in this spiritual subjection to the Church and Clergy ought to be informed of their miracles authority and jurisdiction they are the same which all men practise and judg to be sufficient for knowing and acknowledging the true and lawfull Heire of a Kingdom or estate The right to temporal dominion is decerned by succession and that succession by Tradition so also the right to gouern soules and decide Controuersies of faith must be acknowledged to reside in them that by a continual succession of Episcopall hands deriue their spiritual caracter or mission from the Apostles and neuer varied from the Apostolical doctrin of which succession of Caracter and continuance of doctrin the best proof is a neuer interrupted Tradition or Testimony of honest and knowing persons in euery age against whose verdict there can be no Lawfull exceptions That Church or Clergy whose doctrin caracter miracles and jurisdiction is witnessed by this Tradition ought to be obeyed as hauing the spiritual superiority wherunto Christ our Saviour commanded both Soueraigns and subjects to submit their iudgments in the mysteries and Controversies of Religion Though this expedient of a Church and Clergy so qualified ought to be acceptable and satisfactory to lay Princes and people yet modern Politicians stand upon such nyceties that the greatest danger and difficulty which they apprehend in the government of a Christian Commonwealth is to order so affaires that the spiritual and temporal jurisdiction may not clash they feare that by mistake or ambition of the Clergy the temporal may be too far intrenched upon and made not only subordinat but subject to the spiritual and the spiritual at length become
and reformations They began in Luthers owne days and still continue to increase and multiply having no rule of faith but an obscure text of Scripture nor no Church or Court of judging the controversies therof with an obligation to submit there-unto but every ons privat opinion which must needs breed diuision add confusion And so it happened in the very beginning to Luther For his Disciples observing that every one of them-selves might pretend to be sent by God by an extraordinary vocation as well as Luthers seing he proved not his Mission by Miracles or by any supernatural sign to reforme the Church divers of them separated from him and set up for them-selves as Zuinglius who invented the Sacramentarian Religion against Christs real presence in the Sacrament and Bernard Rotman Father of Anabaptists c. It were tedious to relate all their divisions and almost impossible We will only assure the Reader that in the space of 30. years after Luther began his Reformation it was divided and subdivided in Germany alone into 130. Sects For first his Disciples divided them-selves into four principal Reformations of plain Lutherans halfe Lutherans Antilutherans or Sacramentarians and Anabaptists These plain Lutherans into eleuen Sects and these againe into soft rigid and extravagant Lutherans the semilutherans or half Lutherans also into eleven Sects The Sacramentarians or Antilutherans into 56. and one of these into 9. The Anabaptists into 13. Sebastianus Traneus a Protestant numbreth 70. How all these have bin subdivided since we may guess at by the variety we see in England of Protestant Religions not with standing the severity of the Laws in favor of the Prelatik Not one of these Sects have subordination to another and agree only in some generall Notions of Christianity and in impugning the Roman Catholick Religion one of the marks wherby the Holy Fathers discerned Heresies Each of them pretend to be a true Church and condemn the rest as Schismatical and Heretical Congregations perpetualy quoting Scripture one against the other but understood according to every on s conveniency fancying or feigning that the Spirit of God inspires him to reform not only the Roman Doctrin but the Protestant reformations But when we call to them for their comission which must be signed by Miracles and desire to know by what authority they presume to take vpon them so high an employment they tell vs that Miracles are ceased in the Church and all ours either counterfeit or Diabolicall wrought by the Devill to confirm us in the Idolatry of the Mass Invocation of Saints c. But because our Miracles exceed the Devills power and can be wrought only by God rather then Protestants will embrace the truth by Miracles testified they teach a blasphemy saying that God doth give power of working true Miracles unto false teachers not to confirm their false and Popish opinions but to tempt those the Indians Iaponeses and Chineses unto whom they be sent By which Paradox they call in question Christianity it self for why might not God tempt the Iews and primitive Christians by Christs Miracles as well as the Indians and Iaponians by others of the same nature and as prodigious If the Indians be not bound to belieue the doctrin preach't to them though confirmed by our true miracles why should the Jews or any others be obliged in conscience to belieue Christ For if God may work true Miracles to make a falshood so plausibly credible as to oblige prudent men to belieue it no prudent man is bound to belieue the truth when it is euidently confirmed with true Miracles and by consequence none was or is bound to belieue in Christ which doctrin is impious and contrary to our Sauiours own words Ioan. 5.36 and against 2. Cor. 12. Hebr. 2.4 and Marc. 16.20 and Joan 15.24 Where our Sauiour declares that the reason why the incredulous Jews did sin in not believing his Diuinity was because he confirmed his doctrin with Miracles Jf I had not don among them the works which no other man did they had not sinned As for their authority of reforming the Roman Catholick faith they answered that they needed no other warrant but Scripture which did cleerly condemn the Popish Tenets Being desired to shew what parts or words of Scripture were Contrary to the Popish Tenets for that after comparing all places and Texts very godly and learned men could find no such opposition between Gods word and the Roman doctrin they replied that the reason why the Popish Diuins and Prelats did not see their own errors afterall their search and study was because they had not the spirit of God which had reuealed to Protestants the true meaning of holy writ though they could not deny but that their own interpretation was new and contrary to that which the visible Church of the 15. â—n age had receiued from the 14 th and the 14 th from the 13 th and so forth Therfore they all conspired in maintaining that the visible Church had erred in doctrin and that the mystery of iniquity began euen with the Apostles or immediatly after But because some parts of Scripture are so cleere against their new doctrin that they could not be wrested against the Roman Catholicks nor reach the Protestant thy framed a new Canon of Scripture and excluded as Apocryphall many Books and Chapters which spook cleerly against them and in their translations of the ould and new Testament into vulgar languages they added to and substracted from Gods word what they thought fit to make the illiterat people belieue that their new inuentions were agreable to Scripture and that Popery was quite contrary to the same And because none of the first Reformers was a Bishop and they knew Bishops only could consecrat other Bishops and Priests and that no Congregation could be esteemed a Church with out that caracter and calling according to the receiued maxim of S. Hieron Ecclesia non est quae non habet Sacerdotem Luther And the rest who pretended a Reformation judged it necessary to alter this doctrin and declare that all Christians both men and women are Priests by baptism yet that only such as are chosen by the Congregation or Magistrat ought to exercise the function for the auoyding of confusion Luther endeauors to proue it at large thus The first office of a Priest is to preach the word c. But this is common to all next is to baptyze and this also may do euen women c. The third is to consecrat bread and wyn but this also is common to all no less then Priests and this I avouch by the authority of Christ him-self saying Do this in remembrance of me this Christ spook to all there present and to come afterwards whosoever should eat of that bread and drink of that wine c. This also is wittnessed by S. Paul who 1. Cor. 11. repeating this applyeth it to all the Corinthians making them all as
their meaning in this particular for feare of scandalizing their brethren abroad that admit of no such Supremacy in temporal Princes In the 24. Article they make it a point of the Protestant faith that Scripture expresly commands the publick prayers and ministring of the Sacraments not to be in Greek Latin or Hebrew wherin the Scriptures were written because the common people vnderstand not these languages but vnder pain of damnation must be in English Dutch Irish Welsh c. as if forsooth it were not lawful for a Priest or publick Minister to offer Sacrifice or negotiat for a multitude of iliterat people in languages they do not vnderstand or as if it were not sufficient for them to vnderstand that in publick or privat prayers they thank God for his benifits and crave new favours So that according to this Article a Greek Priest cannot offer publick prayers for the Latins or even his own Grecians who vnderstand not the learned Greeck nor a latin Priest for the Grecians or any other nation that vnderstands not Latin neither is it sufficient that God who alone is able to grant what is demanded vnderstand the petition and heare the publick Minister but it is necessarily required that the demand be made in a barbarous language because the common people vnderstand no other In the 25. Article they cut of five of the seaven Sacraments as not being Sacraments of the Ghospel or ordained by Christ this extravagancy of doctrin was thought necessary for the disciplin of the protestant Churches which despairing of a succession of true Bishops excluded the Episcopal Caracter and all Sacraments that had dependency therof In the 26. Article they endeavour to excuse their own lewdness and liberty though by inculcating truth to wit that the effects of the Sacraments are not taken away by the defects of the Ministers In the 27. they condemn against their own principle in the 6. Article their Brethren the Anabaptists for not baptizing their children which error cannot be confuted by Scripture without Tradition In the 28. they tel vs it is plain in Scripture that when Christ sayd This is my Body he meant This is not my Body and therfore that Transsubstantiation cannot be proved by holy Writ if they can prove by Scripture that Christ means the contrary of what he speaks we shal confess that neither transsubstantiation nor any other thing can be proved by holy Writ but only this that Scripture cannot be vnderstood nor be a rule of faith They add that the mean wherby the Body of Christ is spiritualy received and taken in the supper is faith To receive and eat spiritualy the Body of Christ if it signifies any thing must signifie that we ought to believe that the Body of Christ is received and eaten And if this belief be true as it must if it be Divine then Christ's Body is realy received and eaten though in a spiritual manner that is in a manner not perceptible by our senses The 29. Article is but a quotation of some words of S. Augustin The 30. Article seems to have bin altered as also the 37. of the supremacy in Q. Elizabeths reign because as we find it now it contradicts not only the doctrin of the chief Protestant Reformers who acknowledg that the Communion vnder both Kinds was always a thing indifferent but also the statut made in Edwards 6. reign and a little before this article was framed The statut 1. Edward 6. cap. 1. ordains indeed that the B. Sacrament be commonly delivered to the people vnder both kinds but addeth except necessity otherwise require And certainly there can be no necessity or possibility for any human power to dispense with Christ's ordinance and commandment which this 30. Article says was contrary to what the statut supposed that both kinds should be administred to all Christian men alike Besids the statut doth in the end declare that by what it commands it doth not condemn the vsage of any Church out of the King his Majesties Dominions which limitation doth demonstrat that the Parliament and English Protestants then believed the communion of the layty vnder both kinds not to be a precept or determination of Christ but an indifferent thing left to the discretion of the Church neither have our modern Protestants who grant no other substance in the Sacrament but that of bread and wine whervnto they add nothing but a remenbrance of Christ's passion any reason to vpraid vs with robing them of half the communion seing we exhort the layty to that remembrance and offer them wine after receiving the species of bread In their 31. Article we are tould that the Sacrifices of Masses in the which it was commonly sayd that the Priests did offer Christ for the quick and the dead to have remission of pain or guilt are blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits And yet S. Cyprian lib. 2. 3. versus finem Et de Coena Domini post med Concil 1. Toletan can 8.5 Origen in numer hom 23. August de Civit. Dei lib. 10. cap. 19. 20. passim S. Clement the Apostles scholler in Apost constit lib. 6. cap. 22. fol. 113. edit Antverp 1564. Concil Nicen. 1. can 14. Augustinus de cura pro mortuis cap. 14. in Enchirid. cap. 110. c. Tertul. ad Scapul cap. 2. Chrisost. hom 27. in act Apost S. Clemens lib. 8. Const. Apost cap. 18. fol. 173. 174. edit Antverp 1564. Augustin de Civit. Dei lib 22. cap. 8. Ciprian de Coena Dom. prope initium S. Ignatius the Apostles Scholler in Epist. ad Smirn. S. Augustin lib. 9. Confes. cap. 12. in Enchirid. cap. 110. de verb. Apost serm 34. Saith that the sacrifice of our price was offered for his Mother Monica being dead and that it is not to be doubted but that the soules of the dead are relieved by the piety of their living friends when for them is offered the sacrifice of the Mediator and that the vniversal Church doth observe as delivered from our Forefathers that for those who are dead in the Communion of Christ's Body and Bloud when in the tyme of sacrifice they be remembred in their place prayer is made for them and besids this prayer it is remembred the sacrifice be offered for them also c. S. Ambrose maks express mention of the Mass lib. 5. epist. 33. Ego mansi in munere Missam facere coepi c. S. Leo epist. 81. ad Dioscor Necesse autem est vt quaedam Populi pars sua devotione privetur si vnius tantum Missae more servato c. S. Augustin serm 91. de Temp. In lectione quae nobis ad Missas legenda est audituri sumas c. Let any Christian be judg whether it be not more safe and more rationaâ—lâ— to rely in matters of faith vpon the Tradition of the whole Catholick Church and it 's ancient Liturgies and vpon the Testimony of all the holy Fathers and Councels
every day rather loose then gain ground and the generality of these Nations can not be wrought vpon either by fair or foul means to thinck wel of that Religion or to submit their Judgments and consciences to the direction of the Bishops and Prelatick ministery The reasons are obvious to such as are not obstinat 1. The incredibility of their pretented spiritual caracter and jurisdiction 2. The incoherency of their doctrin with the fundamental principles of Protestancy Their Episcopal caracter and jurisdiction is as incredible as King Henry 8. spiritual supremacy Queen Elizabeths legitimacy and the validity and solemnity of their first Bishops consecrations They have indeed of late endeavored to excuse the latness of their Masonian Registers discovery and to cleere them from the suspitions of forgery but so faintly and fraudulently that their vindication though pen'd and published by on of the ablest Prelats of their Church hath furnished their adversaries with so many new demonstrations against their Caracter that in steed of a reply the Protestant Bishops have resolued vpon a submission to the evidence of our arguments and changed the controverted and essential part of their forms of Ordination As they endeavored of late to vindicat their Registers from forgery so they long since explained the Queens supremacy but so contrary to the known laws of the land and cleer words of their Oaths both of supremacy and Episcopal homage that neither can bear their fond interpretations and if they could the Bishops would have nothing to shew for their pretended spiritual function and jurisdiction it being manifest they cannot deduce either of them by succession from any Apostolick Church or orthodox Councel and therfor must content them-selves with what they can buy from a lay soveraign and temporal Statuts or acknowledg the truth and confess ingeniously they are but lay-men and have no lawful authority to take vpon them a spiritual function and jurisdiction seing they have no Catholick Predecessours and degenerat from the first Protestant Reformers and are ashamed to claim with Presbiterians and Fanaticks the extravagancy of a privat spirit and extraordinary vocation The incoherency also of the Prelatick doctrin maks these nations averse from the Prelatick Church and Clergy â—n the 39. Articles of Religion they declare with Luther and the first Reformers that no visible sign or ceremony and by consequence no such thing as imposition of Episcopal hands was instituted by Christ or is the necessary matter of a Priest's and Bishop's ordination and yet now of late that visible sign and ceremony is held by them-selves to be so essential that without the same no caracter of Priesthood or Episcopacy is thought to be given to the party ordained and therfor they reordain such Presbiterian Ministers as did neglect or contemn imposition of Episcopal hands 2. They maintain in the same 39. Articles that the Roman Catholick Church hath falen into damnable errors and acknowledg that only such a fal can justify the Protestants separation or excuse them from sin and schism And yet when they are pressed with a consequence that necessarily follows out of this supposition to wit that if the Roman and visible Church had so erred Protestants can have no Christian faith nor certainty of the Scriptur's being God's word or of the Trinity and Incarnation c. which they received and retain vpon the sole Testimony of the Roman Catholick Church having in their own 39. Articles declared the Greeck Church Heretical for the doctrin of the Holy Ghost's procession and therfor it 's testimony even in other Articles is invalid and it's concurrence in those other Articles with the Roman Church is vnsignificant And yet they again contradict them-selves and confess that the Roman Catholick Church is infalible in all articles necessary for saluation 3. The same inconstancy and incoherency they shew in denying that doctrinal Traditions are the word of God or that Tradition it self is a sufficient ground of Divine belief and yet when they are demanded to shew a proof by cleer Scripture of the distinction between single Priesthood and Episcopacy v.g. then they maintain that traditional doctrin is God's word and the testimony of the Roman visisible Church a sufficient evidence therof Their wavering and inconsequent way of proceeding doth manifest to the world that as wel in this as in other particulars of Christian Religion nay even in declaring which are necessary or not necessary points of faith the Prelatick Clergy hath a greater regard to their own conveniency then to God's veracity and to the revenues of â—he Church then to the saluation of souls Otherwise why should they take our Roman Catholick word for Episcopacy and not for the Pop's supremacy for the letter but not for the sence of Scripture for not rebaptising or for receiving relaps'd penitents more then for Purgatory or Transubstantiation or for keeping Sonday and not praying to Saints c. Seeing all these doctrins are equaly proposed to them as Catholick truths by the sole credible testimony and tradition of our one and the same Roman Catholick Church the testimony of the Greeck and all other Churches as hath bin sayd being rendred invalid by the hereticks wherwhith Protestants confess they are infected Some are of opinion that if the more modern Prelaticks had not forsaken their ould way of being ordained Bishops by the Queens letters patents or by some such publick testimony and superficial ceremony of their Congregations without troubling them-selves with the doctrin of the inward caracter given by imposition of Episcopal hands so contrary to the principles of the reformation a broad and to the 23. and 25. of their own 39. Articles at home they had not bin so hard put to it by their Presbiterian Brethrens arguments who stick to the Tenets and Rules of pure and primitive Protestancy detesting those formalities and dregs of Popery which Prelaticks of late have so much affected in ordaining of Ministers Mr. Hooker Dr. Couel and some other Prelaticks in their writings towards the end of Queen Elizabeths reign began to inculcat the doctrin of making Ordination a spiritual caracter imprinted in the soul by imposition of Episcopal hands and not a bare formality of the secular Magistrat's election by some outward ceremony or letters patents as all English Protestants had believed and practised vntil Hooker and Couel broacht this among their other Popish novelties and therfor were publickly blamed and complained of by Prelatick Writers and particularly by Dr. Willet in his worck vpon the 112. Psalm printed 1603. and dedicated to the Queens Majesty page 91. he saith From this fountain have sprung forth these and such other whirlpoints and bubles of new doctrine and amongst others he sets down as a novelty in the Church of England this That there is in ordination given an indelible caracter and then addeth Thus have some bin bould to teach and write who as some Schismaticks the Puritans have disturbed the peace of the Church one
enjoying their temporal liberties and much more vpon the spritual prerogative of Protestancy which according to Luther the first Author and Apostle therof is omnia judicemus regamus Let us judg and govern all things and not only his German Scholler Brentius but our English Bishop Bilson and all Prelaticks grant that the people must be discerners and Judges of that which is taught And the Catholick doctrin of the Church of England explaining the 39. Articles therof saith Authority is given to the Church and to every member of sound judgment in the same to judg controversies of faith c. And this is not the privat opinion of our Church but also the judgment of our godly brethren in forain Nations And it is not only the Tenet of Calvin but of all Protestant Writers that temporal laws oblige not in conscience any Christians to obey It being therfore a principle and priviledg even of Prelatick Protestancy and agreable to the 39. Articles that every member of sound judgment in the Church hath authority to judg controversies of faith and by consequence all other differences that may be reduced thervnto how is it possible for any King to be a Soveraign among Protestants who are all supreme judges both of faith and state for that State-affairs are subordinat to Religion and must be managed according to the Protestant sense of Scripture that is according to the judgment and interpretation of every particular Protestant or of him that can form or foole the multitude into his own opinion Wherfore we ought not be astonished that men constituted supreme Iudges and Interpreters of Scripture by the legal authority and articles of the Church of England and by the Evangelical libertys of Protestancy should presume to make them-selves the King's Iudges For my part I shal thinck it a great providence of God and extraordinary prudence in the government to see any King of England during the profession and legality of such principles in his Kingdom escape the like daunger and do continualy pray that their good Angel may deliver them from the effects of their own Religion His Majesty that by miracle now Reigns long may he live and prosper hath bin forced to lurck for his life in one of those secret places wherunto Priests retire when they are search't for God giving him to vnderstand therby that the most powerfull Princes where Protestancy prevails even in their own Kingdoms are never secure and may be often reduced to as hard shifts and as great extremities as the Poorest Priests and meanest Subjects RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT THE SECOND PART Of the inconsistency of Protestant principles with Christian piety and peaceable Government SECT I. Proved by the very Foundation of the Protestant Reformation which is a supposition of the fallibility and fal of the visible Catholick Church from the pure and primitive doctrin of Christ into notorious superstition IN the beginning of the first Part it hath bin sayd that the groundworck as wel of Policy as of Peace and Piety consists in making that persuasion to be the Religion of the State which is most credible or most agreable to reason because no commands duties taxes or charges will seem intolerable to subjects for the preservation and propagation of such a Religion nor for the maintenance of the spirititual and temporal Ministers to whose charge is committed the government of such a Church and Common-wealth How far all kind of Protestancy even the Prelatick is from having this prerogative we shall demonstrat in this Part of our Treatise and in this Section prove the same by the absurdity of the fundamental Protestant principles Common as well to the Prelatick as to all other Reformations The foundation wherupon all Protestant Reformations are built is this incredible or rather impossible supposition Viz. That all the visible and known Christian Churches of the world â—ell from that purity and truth of doctrin which they had once professed into superstition and damnable errors vntil at length in the 15. age God sent the Protestant Reformers to revive the true faith and Religion whose separation from the Roman Catholick Church and all others then visible is pretended to be free from sin and Schism by reason of the falshood of the Roman Catholick doctrin not consistent with saluation But this supposition is incredible 1. Because Protestants confess the fall and change of Religion was not perceived vntil 1300. or vntil at least 1000. years after it happned and such an imperceptible change in Christian religion involues as plain contradictions as a silent thunder For either it must be granted that all the Pastors and Prelats who lived in the time that any alteration of doctrin began were so stupid as not to take notice of so important and remarcable an object or so wicked as to observe and yet not oppose novelties so destructive to the souls committed to their charges Both which are proved to be groundless calumnies by the acknowledged zeal learning and integrity wherwith many Prelats and Pastors were endued in every age since the Apostles as their works yet extant do testify The truth of this Protestant supposition is not only incredible but impossible because the supposed chang of Christian Religion into Popish superstition is not pretended to have bin only a chang of the inward persuasion but of the outward profession visible and observable in ceremonies and practises answerable to the Mysteries believed as the adoring of the B. Sacrament worship of Jmages Communion in one kind publick prayer in vnknown languages c. How then is it possible that any Christian man or Congregation could begin so discernable and damnable novelties as according to the opinion of our Adversaries The adoration of the Sacrament Transubstantiation worship of Jmages Communion of the layty vnder one kind the Sacrifice of the Mass and publick prayers in an vnknown language the Pop's supremacy the doctrin of Purgatory Jndulgences Praying to Saints the vnmarried life of Priests c. How is it possible I say that any one should begin to teach and practise any of these supposed damnable doctrins and yet never be noted or reprehended by any one Prelat Pastor or Preacher who ar according to Esay the watâ—chmen of te visible Church vntil Luther's times or at least vntil these supposed superstitions had bin so vniversally spread so deeply rooted and plausibly received as Catholick truths and as ancient Traditions of Christ and of the Apostles that they who censured and opposed any of them were for so doing immediatly cryed down and condemned by the then visible and Catholick Church and Counsels as notorious hereticks How come the Preachers and Professors of these pretended Popish errors to escape for so many ages as Protestants confess they had continued vncontroul'd from the censures of Christ's pure Protestant Congregation if there was any vpon earth during that time was there not one Bishop Priest or Preacher in all the world for so many ages
their doctrin and of the sincerity of their Doctor And though it seemeth to me impossible for any man to know what parts of the new Testament the 6. Article and Canon of the Church of England declares Canonical it being so intricatly worded that either it must be non sense or els exclude from the Canon the Epistles of Iames the second of Peter the second and third of John the Epistle of Iude the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Apocalips seing the authority of all and every one of these hath bin doubted of in the Church and the 6. Article of the Protestant Religion of the Church of England is that In the name of the holy Scripture we do vnderstand those Canonical Books of the old and new Testament of whose authority was never any doubt of in the Church Though I say it 's impossible for me to comprehend how common sense and Christianity can meet in this Article but that if the words therof signify any thing out of the English Protestant new Testament must be excluded all the aforsaid Epistles and Apocalyps yet leaving this difficulty to the decision of that Church I wil suppose at the present with D. r Cosins that all these Epistles and Apocalyps are included in the English Canon and come to the examination of the Arguments wherby he pretends to defend it He therfor foreseing the impossibility of giving any reason why the parts of the New Testament hertofore doubted of should rather be received by Protestants into their Canon then the Books of the Old Testament no more questioned by the Church of Christ then the aforsaid epistles and the Apocalyps thought to avoyd the force of this pressing parity by flatly denying pag. 5. alibi That ever any intire Church or any National or Provincial Counsel or any multitude of men in their confessions and Catechisms or other such publick writings rejected or doubted of the sayd epistles c. In case so many solemnities had bin requisit for the questioning of Canonical authority which his Lp knows are not necessary It seems his lordship did not peruse Eusebius his works though he quotes them very often or at least did not thinck that the ancient Churches of Syria and Arabia deserve to be called Churches not that the Lutherans of Germany Denmark Suethland c. who stick to Luther's principles and Canon can make one or many Churches It s a gross mistake in the Doctor to say pag. 4. 5. that Luther or his Lutherans recalled or recanted their error concerning the Epistle of St. James he might see the contrary in the very book him-self cites of Chemnitius the famous Lutheran whose authority and words he placeth in his addition of certain Testimonies in the same rank with sentences of St. Augustin and St. Thomas of Aquin c. This Chemnitius in most of his works as in his Enchirid. pag. 63 and in his examin of the Councel of Trent p. 1. pag. 55. 56. declareth his own sense and that of his Church in these words The second Epistle of St. Peter the second and third of John the Epistle of Jude and the Apocalyps of John are Apocryphal as not having sufficient testimony of their authority His lordship might also have bin better informed of Luther's sence and Church by the saying of Illiricus an other pillar and Writer therof whom Mr. Bell in his regiment of the Church pag. 28. termeth a very famous Writer and most worthy defender of the Christian truth his words are Luther in his preface vpon St. Iem's Epistle giveth great reasons why this epistle ought in no case to be accompted for a writing of an Apostolick authority vnto which reasons I think every godly man ought to yeeld Luther's reasons are to be seen in the ancient editions of Jene and are comprehended in these few words of his The Epistle of Iames is contentious swelling dry strawy and vnworthy an Apostolick spirit And because these words and others were omitted in the later editions of Wittemberg by some Divins that would fain reform Luther's Canon Religion and Church the chief Lutheran Doctors mett in a Synod at Altembury complained of their Adversaries corrupting Luther's books and resolved to stick to the ancient editions and to the literal sence of his words So that in case it were true the Canon of Scripture could not be sayd to have bin questioned by any Protestant Congregation whithout declaring their doubt in a publick confession of faith we see the Lutheran doth so as also in their confession of Wittemberg quoted by Belarmin lib. 1. de verb. Dei cap. 7. init which is seconded by all hereticks of these tims saith Belarmin the Calvinist only excepted But the Doctor is so much mistaken in the necessity of such a formality that the Arians were condemned as hereticks notwithstanding that in their publick confessions of faith they endeavored rather to disguise then declare their errors It is wel known that Lutheran Churches in Germany not only do reject from their Canon the Epistles of S. Iames Iude the second of Peter and third of S. Iohn the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Apocalyps but are so obstinat in denying them to be in any wise Canonical Scripture that they do not as much as print them in their Bibles And if my Lord of Duresme thinks that the rigid and moderat Lutherans half Lutherans and other Protestant Congregations wherin are many as learned Ministers and Writers as him-self deserve not the name of a Church he may expect that they wil censure his Church after the same manner and perhaps with as much reason But lett them agree as wel as they can it concerns not vs. Yet I hope he wil not pronounce so severe a Censure against the Greeck and Latin Churches and vn-church both Wherof S. Hierom in epist. ad Dordunum testifieth that the Greeks doubted as much of the Apocalyps against the common consent of the Latins as the Latins did of the Epistle to the Hebrews against the common consent of the Church Seing therfor it is evident by the confession both of ancient Fathers and modern Proâ—estants that in the primitive Church the Canonical Scriptures were not generally received all at once but in so great variety of pretended Scriptures great care and search was requisit to determin which Scriptures were Canonical and which not wherby it came to pass thaâ— sundry books and parts were for a long time misdoubted by some Churches and Fathers and by some Councels omitted or not received which yet afterward vpon greater search and consideration were generally acknowledged it must be very great obstinacy in Doctor Cozins and other Protestants to reject the Canon which the Councel of Trent proposeth and embraceth because forsooth some books therin contained were not as soon believed by all Catholicks to be Canonical as the others Or to deny the authority and authentikness of some books of the old Testament because they were not in
mind of that folly in very cleer termes and excuse farther disputes by telling them plainly and without going about the bush that the Machabees was not Canonical Scripture nor fit to be quoted in matters of Religious controversies But the Doctor argues pag. 110. that St. Austin tells Gaudentius the Christian Church receiveth those books not vnprofitably if they be discreetly or soberly read or heard what then All discreet and sober men say the same not only of the books of the Machabees but of all the other books and parts of Scripture and St. Peter sayth the same in substance of St. Paul's epistles Will the Doctor conclude from thense that St. Paul's epistles are not Canonical Scripture because men may read them indiscreetly and deprave them to their own damnation Or that there is no Scripture at all because he himself or some of his Bishoprick of Duresme do not read the Bible with sobriety and discretion these words of St. Austin in the Doctor 's judgment pag. 108. are so cleerly against the Canonical authority of the Machabees that he says Cardinal Belarmin layd his thumb vpon them and durst not relate them I am sure he pointed at them with his Pen and directed all the world to see and examin them by his quoting the book and Chapter where they are as my Lord of Duresme him-self confesseth in the margent neither could Belarmin Peron or any oâ—her Catholick Writer observe any disadvantage to their cause in those following words of S. Austin Which Doctor Cozins pretends to be so notoriously prejudicial Recepta est ab Ecclesia non invtiliter c. The Machabees is received by the Church for holy Scripture not vnprofitably if it be soberly read or heard That is sayth Doctor Cozins pag. 110. As St. Augustin els wher expoundeth him-self but where Doctor Cozins doth not because he cannot tell If those things that we read there be conferred with the sacred and Canonical Scriptures that whatsoever is therevnto agreeable may be approved and what is otherwise may be rejected According to this acute explanation which Doctor Cozins falsly fathers vpon S. Austin the most profane books and Romances Esop's Fables and Don Quixote may be received by the Church for holy Scripture as well as the Machabees if those things that we read therin be conferr'd with the sacred and Canonical Scriptures and whatsoever is thervnto agreable be approved and what is otherwise be rejected It were too tedious to note all Doctor Cozins his mistakes Let these few serve to know by what a pillar the English Canon and Church is supported SECT IV. Protestants so grossly mistaken in their letter and Translations of the Scriptures that they can not have any certainty of faith and are forc't at length by their principles to question the truth of Scriptures and of them who writ the Canonical books therof THe holy Scriptures were writen by the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists either in Hebrew Greeck or Latin the old Testament excepting some few parts writen in Chaldaick and Syriack was writen in Hebrew the new Testament for the greatest part in Greeck S. Mathew's Ghospel in Hebrew S. Marck's in Latin We have not the original writings of these Prophets and Apostles nor of the 70. Interpreters who translated the old Testament into Greek some 300. years before the comming of Christ we have only Copies for the truth and exactness wherof we must rely vpon the testimony and tradition of the Church which in so important a point God would never permit to err at least it must have bin so infallible therin as that the Copy be sufficiently authentick to be a rule of deciding controversies of faith and of directing men to holiness of life though perhaps no copy is so exact but therin may remain some erratas of the press and pen yet easily discoverable by it's coherency or incoherency with other parts of the Text. Notwithstanding the necessity of admitting some true and authentick copy of Scripture for what can it availe a Christian to believe that Scripture is the word of God if he be vncertain which copy or Translation is true and authentick Scripture Protestants pretend there is no authentick copy of Scripture in the world as may be seen in the preface of the Tigurin edition of the Bible and in all their books of Controversy seing therin they condemn the Councel of Trent for declaring that the old Latin Translation is authentick and yet themselves name no other for authentick and therfore though the Lutherans fancy Luther's Translation the Calvinists that of Geneva the Zuinglians that of Zuinglius the English some times one somtimes an other yet because they do not hold any one to be infallibly authentick it followeth from their exceptions against the infallibility of the Roman Catholick Church in declaring or decreeing a true and authentick copy of Scripture and their confession of the vncertainty of their own translations that they have no certainty of Scripture nor even of faith which they ground vpon Scripture alone Most of the old Testament as it is in the vulgar Latin Translation which the Councel of Trent declares to be authentick was â—ranslated out of Hebrew by St. Hierom and the new Testament had bin before his time translated out of Greek but was by him revewed and such faults as had crept in through negligence of the Transcribers were corrected You constraine me sayth he to make a new work of an old that I after so many copies of the Scripture dispersed through the world should sit as a certain Iudg and determin which of them agree with the true Greek and in this Cathalogue he saith Novum Testamentum graecae fidei reddidi vetus juxta haebraicum transtuli The antiquity and sincerity of the first Interpreter and the great Commendations therof to be seene in St. Austin de Civit. Dei lib. 18. c. 43. Non defuit temporibus nostris Presbiter Hieronymus homo doctissimus omnium trium linguarum peritissimus qui non è Graeco sed ex Haebraeo in Latinum eloquium easdem Scripturas converterit Cujus tamen litterarum laborem Judaei fatentur esse veracem And lib. 2. doct Christi cap. 15. togeather with the eminent Sanctity and learning of S. Hierom forceth our Adversarie Bâ—eza to confess Annotationibus in caput 1. Luc. That the old Interpreter seemeth to have interpreted the holy books with marveilous sincerity and Religion and in praefat novi Testam The vulgar edition I do for the most part embrace and preferr before all others Carolus Molinaeus in nov Testam part 30. I can very hardly depart from the vulgar and accustomed reading which in Luc. 17. he professeth to preferr before Erasmus Bucer Bullinger Brentius the Tigurin Translation and even before Iohn Calvins and all others Doctor Humfrey de ratione interpret l. 1. pag. 74. The old Interpreter seemeth to be much addicted to the propriety of the words and truly with too much
doctrinal Reformation he and all Reformers after him pretended an extraordinary and immediat vocation and mission from God to teach an other faith contrary to that which the then visible Church professed and could not be proved that any precedent Congregation ever held If there had been right beleevers saith Georgius Milius pag. 138. that went before Luther in his office there had then bin no need of a Lutheran Reformation Therfore we say that Luther was raised vp divinitus extra ordinem by God's special apointment and extraordinarily See Luther in loc Com. class 4. pag. 51. Bucer in epist. ad Episcop Hereford calls Luther the first Apostle of the reformed doctrin Beza in epist. Theolog. ep 5. Ergo de extraordinaria vocatione videamus Huic vero tum demum locum esse dicimus cum vel nulla vel penè nulla est ordinaria vocatio sicut nostris temporibus accidit in Papatu cum expectari extraordinaria vocatio quae nusquam erit nec debuit nec potuit Bishop Iewell in his Apology for the Church of England part 4. cap. 4. divis 2. And in his defence of the Apology pag. 426. The truth was vnknown at that time when Martin Luther and Vldrick Zuinglius first came vnto the knowledg and preaching of the Ghospel Mr. Parkins in his exposition vpon the Creed pag· 400. and in his works printed 1605. fol. 365. And in his reformed Catholick pag. 329. We say that before the days of Luther for the space of many hundred years an vniversal Apostasy overspread the whole face of the earth and that our Church was not then visible to the world Calvin in Institut lib. 4. cap. 3. sect 4. Quod Dominus nobis iniunxit c. Lascicius in proof of his extraordinary vocation lib. de Russorum Relig. pag. 23. alledgeth Calvin saying Because the succession or Series of ordination hath bin interrupted by the Pop's tyranny there is need of a new subsidy c. And this guift was altogeather extraordinary Mr. Fulk against Stapleton pag. 2. The Protestants that first preacht in these last days had likwise extraordinary calling Mr. Perkens saith the same in his works printed 1605. fol. 916. Mr. Symonds pag. 123. vpon the Revelations affirmeth a calling to preach by the civil Magistrat a holy and sufficient calling saith he in the time of these confusions But this pretext and presumption of theirs is groundless 1. Because the ordinary Ministery of Christ's Church being to continue as S. Paul says to the consummation of Saints and end of the world there could be no necessity of an extraordinary contrary mission or ministery but rather it must be concluded that there is an impossibility therof seing it is impossible that God should send men to contradict him-self or that doctrin which he promised should continue vntill he day of judgment by the Ministery and means of the ordinary Pastors and Doctors of the Church 2. Whensoever God sent any extraordinary Ministers or Reformers he confirm'd their mission and Ministery with vndoubted miracles as is manifest by the example of Moyses and the Prophets of the old Testament and of the Apostles in the new But no such thing appeared in Luther or any Protestant Their ordinary excuse that Miracles are ceased in the Church is confuted by their own acknowledging that in the Indies God by means of the Jesuits and other Catholick Preachers worketh Miracles for the conversion of Pagans And Philippus Nicolai confesseth that the Jesuits and other Spanish and Portugal Preachers converted both Indies Iapon Cataia c. And wrought many true Miracles in those parts and in our age but Withall addeth lib. 1. of his Comentaries de Regno Christi pag. 91. 312. 313. 314. 318. 219. That such Miracles wrought by the Jesuits and other professed Papists proceed not from their faith as it was Roman Catholick but as it was Lutheran See him pag. 91. 53. pag. 91. he sets down some mysteries of Christianity wherin Lutherans agree with Roman Catholick and attributs the Miracles to them only concluding Hucvsque enim Lutheranisant Wheras it is well known that the Jesuits inculcat to their Prâ—selits in all parts of the world the Romnn Catechisms and in the Indies Iapon China c. bid them beware of the English Holanders and other Protestants doctrin as of heresy And many of their Miracles are wrought at â—he intercession of our B. Lady S. Jgnatius S. Francis Xaverius c. and by application of their Reliques Mr. Hartwell is more reasonable he confesseth loc cit that the conversion of Congo was accomplished by massing Priests and after the Romish manner and this action saith he which tendeth to the Glory of God shall it be concealed and not committed to memory because it was perform'd by Popish Priests and Popish means God forbid Now if God works miracles for the Conversion of Pagans to our Catholick Religion it must be confessed that either ours is the true Religion or that God deceives those poore soules which by our Ministery and his miracles are thervnto converted Besid's if what Protestants say and that whervpon they ground their Reformaâ—ions be true viz that for above 1000. years the true Church hath bin invisible or suppress'd and the world abused by Popish Impostors and counterfeited miracles c. the innocent and illiterat Papists who are supposed to have bin seduced seeme as fit an object for Divine mercy and miracles as the Indian Idolaters But seing not one vndoubted miracle hath ever bin wrought to convert them from Popery to Protestancy it must necessarily follow that either God doth not approve of Protestancy or hath altered the vsual Stile of his providence which never failed to work miracles for the conversion of the Israelits and Hereticks when most guilty of heresy and idolatry T' is strang he should not observe the same custom with Popish Christians and convert them by the means and miracles of holy Protestants if these be his chosen people and sent by him to preach the Ghospel Not on Protestant Preacher could hitherto be prudently taken for an ordinary Prophet or for a person of extraordinary piety even the first Protestant Reformers are convicted of dishonest dealing and scandalous conversation and are farr from that degree J do not say of sanctity but of morality requir'd in men pretending to reform others We grant that a true Religion may be abused by the wickedness of it's Professors yet never was the truth of Religion planted or revived by the ministery of wicked persons Let us run over all Christendom and we shall find every Province therof converted to the Roman Catholick Religion by men not only Apostolical in their lives and conversation but also in Miracles We shall find not to leave our own Ilands an Austin in England a Patrik in Ireland a Columban in Scotland and almost in every county of these Kingdoms a miraculous Saint that converted our Ancestors to Popery How
diximus tali lege vt quae hic damus anno aetatis nostrae quadragesimo secundo propendeant eis quae quadragesimo dederamus quando ut diximus tempori potius scripsimus quam rei sic jubente Domino vt tali ratione aedificemus ne inter initia Canes Porci nos rumpant He had no great opinion of the Apostles writings as is proved by his altering the very Text of Scripture contrary to all copies both Greek and Latin and by his saying that S. Paul did not attribut so much to his own Epistles as to think that all therin contained was sacred for that were to impute immoderat arrogancy to the Apostle tom 2. Elench contra Catabaptistas fol. 10. And because the other Cantons of the Suitzers would not accept of this Reformation he sticking to the principles therof endeavored by force of arms to bring them vnder subjection and to his own Ghospel and in this attempt Zuinglius was killed sealing with his bloud what he had writ tom 1. in explanat art 42. fol. 84. that Kings and Magistrats may be deposed when they resist the Ghospel that is any privat Protestant interpretation of Scripture As for the Reformers of the Protestant Church of England they were King Henry 8. Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Peter Martyr Hooper Rogers Ridley Bucer Okin The Revivers were Jewel Parker Horn c. of whose lives and conversations we have sayd somthing and enough to prove they were not fit men to reform christian Religion their doctrin they borrowed from Luther and Zwinglius the supremacy only excepted which King Henry 8. invented and therfore Bishop Iewel the chief maintainer both of the Protestant doctrin and Prelatick caracter of the Church of England in his defence of the Apology edit 1571. pag. 426. as also in the Apology part 4. c. 4. thought it necessary for the credit of the 39. Articles of the English Religion which had bin compiled out of Luther and Zwinglius writings to commend those two Pillars of Protestancy as most excellent men even sent by God to give light to the whole world in the midst of darkness when the truth was vnknown and vnheard of As for B. p Iewel him-self we remit the reader to Doctor Hardings Confutation of the Apology wherin he may cleerly discern the false lustre of this counterfeit Jewel and the value which men ought to set vpon this pretious stone layd for a foundation of the Prelatick Church and vpon the rotten stuff which he and his Successours have sould for Divine truth to English Protestants ever since he vndertook to maintaine their cause for as Doctor Heylin ingeniously acknowledgeth in his Ecclesia restaurata all the learned English Protestant Writers have borrowed from B. p Jewel what they have sayd in defense of the Protestant Religion and that is one reason why their works are so full of manifest vntruths and them-selves so frequently convicted of gross mistakes they rely too much vpon this reviver of their faith or at least would make the world believe that he may be relyed vpon in matters of faith But because Doctor Heylin makes it his busines to persuade the world that Ievel then did make good the caracter and ordinary vocation of the Church of England against Harding and that Doctor Bramhall late Protestant Primat of Ireland triumph'd over the supposed Jesuits who renewed Harding's quarrel I judged it necessary to cleer both these mistaks in few words As for Bishop Iewel we have sayd in the 1. part sect 7. of this Treatise how easily he might have stop't Harding's mouth by only naming the Bishop who consecrated Parker and his Camerades for Harding vsed no other Argument against the nullity of the English Protestant Clergy but this A Bishop must be ordained by an other Bishop but Parker and his Camerades were not ordained Bishops by any other Bishop Ergo. His proof that they were not ordain'd by any Bishop was this name the Bishop that ordained them name the place where they were consecrated This was a demand soon satisfied if ever Parker or his fellows had bin ordained Bishops especially with so much ceremony and solemnity as the new records of Lambeth report that matter Yet Jewel could never name Parker's and the first Protestant Bishops Consecrators he named indeed Parker for his own Consecrator but being press'd by Harding to name Parkers insteed of answering Harding's question whervpon depended the whole controversy the credit of his Clergy and the satisfaction of the Reader he maks an impertinent digression and long discours of the obligation which some pretended to have bin in ancient times of consulting the Bishop of Rome before they proceeded to the election and consecration of Bishops but never returned to the point of naming the first Protestant Bishop's Consecrator whom he would have named to Harding if ever they had bin consecrated And this is one part of the great victory which Doctor Heylin so much brags of The other part concerns Bramhall and the supposed Iesuits The true relation wherof is as followeth After that his Majesty and the Royal Family had bin driven out of England and France by the late vsurped powers and all Christian Princes thought it their conveniency to court the Rebells and not entertain in their Dominions the Person of our King much less embrace his quarrell it happen'd on day at Bruges that Doctor Crouder Chaplain to his Royal Highness the Duke of York in his Master's Chamber and presence without any provocation or occasion given by any of the Roman profession vtter'd very intemperat words against Doctor Goff Almoner to the Queen Mother for having taken orders in the Church of Rome after that he had received them in the Church of England To which a Catholick Gentleman answered he had don no more then what all other Protestant Ministers who became Roman Priests had continually practised and as he believed vpon good grounds Whervpon the Doctor notwithstanding the King was come to his Brother's chamber reassum'd his Argument and continued to dispute with such vehemency that being caled to read morning prayers he mistook the time of the day and in the morning read evening prayers to the congregation The cause of his mistake being known and many believing that his excess of choler argu'd a weakness in his cause Doctor Bramhall late Primat of Ireland Writ a Treatise in vindication of the English Clergys caracter which is the book so much applauded by the Prelaticks and by Doctor Heylin as vnanswerable wheras it was sudainly and so substantially answered that Primat Bramhall never durst reply notwithstanding the general concern of his Clergy and his own particular engagement and the Church of England perceiving the evidence of our arguments against the validity of their forms of ordination thought their best answer was to confess the force of our reasons and correct the errors of their Bishops by changing the forms they had composed of Priesthood and Episcopacy
that received the English extinct Protestancy to have the honor of being Authors or Reformers let him be pleased to read the Cronicles of this Nation and compare the integrity of them that pretended to reform Popery and revive Protestancy with as many more Members of precedent English Parliaments and he wil find there was never found in this Kingdom or in any other such a number of men or a Parliament that deserved less credit in matters of Religion then they who admitted and setled Protestancy He may observe how in King Henry 8. days to humor his lewdness and couetousness they cryed down the Pope and flattered a temporal Soveraign with a spiritual Supremacy and yet persecuted as heresies all other points of the Protestant Reformation In Edward 6. days he may see how the same men to comply with Seamors folly and Dudleys ambition declared the doctrin which them-selves had profess'd as Catholick in King Henry 8. reign to be notorious heresy In Queen Maries time he may read in the statuts and in this Treatise 1. part sect 6. how they recanted and condemned them-selves and censured the King's Supremacy togeather with all points of Protestancy as heresy and with in six years after see them pass the same censure against the Roman Catholick doctrin to which they had bin so solemnly reconciled again and revive the Supremacy togeather with other points of Protestancy So that in the space of less then 16. years they changed their Religion by publick Acts of Parliament five of six tyms to humor the factions which then prevailed Wherfore it cannot be denyed but that these Parliaments and persons deserve as little credit in matters of Religion as Luther Zuinglius Calvin or any other privat sectary SECT VII Protestants mistaken in the application of the Prophecies of Scripture concerning the conversion of the Kings and Nations of the Gentils from Paganism to Christianity foretould as an infallible marke of the true Church and wherof the Protestant is deprived SAint Augustin saith Obscurius dixerunt Prophâ—tae de Christo quam de Ecclesia puto propterea quod videbant in Spiritu contra Ecclesiam homines facturos esse particulares de Christo non tantam litem habituros de Ecclesia magnas contentiones excitaturos ideo illud vnde majores lites futurae erant planiùs praedictum est The Prophets did speak more cleerly of the true Church then of Christ him-self and giveth this reason because they did forsee in spirit that there would arise greater doubts and heresies against the Church then against our Saviour Therfore to stop the mouths of hereticks it was fit that God should describe the Church in Scripture by so remarkable and obvious signes that neither ignorance nor obstinacy might be excusable by pretending want of knowledg of the truth or means of repairing to that Guide of faith wherby the illiterat ought to be instructed and the learned directed in all doubts and controversies of Christian Religion Amongst all the marks of God's Church mentioned in Scripture not any is more discernable and less subject to mistakes then the conversion of Kings and Nations from Paganism to Christianity Miracles may admit of disputes whether they be true or false But the conversion of Nations from Paganism to Christian Religion cannot be counterfeited nor concealed If therfore the Protestant Congregations never converted any Kings or Nations of the Gentils to the Christian faith not any nor all of them can be the true Church of God For The Prophet Esay foretelleth of the true Church thaâ— all Nations shall flow to it And concerning the Gentills coming to the Church in abundance Thou shalt see and shine they heart shall be astonished and enlarged because the multitude of the Sea shall be converted to thee the Iles shall waite for thee their Kings shall minister to thee and thy gates shall be continually open neither day nor night shall they be shut that men may bring to thee the riches of the Gentills And that their Kings may bee brought thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentills and the brest of Kings Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and Queens thy Mothers I will give thee the earth for thy inheritance and the end of the earth for thy possession Thou must prophesy again vnto Nations Peoples Tongues and many Kings Apocal. 20.11 All Protestants as well as Catholicks apply these prophecies to the conversion of the Gentills In like manner do Protestants and Catholicks agree that these prophecies of God have bin accomplish'd but not in the first 300. years because as Barlow saith in his defence of the Articles of the Protestant Religion pag. 34. Jn the primitive Nonage of the Church the promise of Kings alleigance thervnto was not so fully accomplish'd because in those day 's that prophecy of our Saviour was rather verefied you shall be brought before Kings for my nam 's sake by them to be persecuted even to death From the time of Constantin the Great vntill the time of Gregory the great or Boniface the third Bishops of Rome which was 200. and od years few Kings professed the Christian faith the Emperours of the East and West only excepted and even of those some revolted as Julian the Apostat and sundry others were Arians as Constans Constantius Valens c. And in case any illiterat Protestant should pretend that the Religion profess'd by Constantin and propagated in those 200. and do years was not the Roman Catholick but the Protestant we remit him to his own learned Writers and to Eusebius de vita Constantine and particularly to the Centurists in their fowrth Century dedicated to Queen Elizabeth in which they vndertake to deliver to her Majesty the state of the Church which in Constantin's time illustrated the whole world and yet do charge the Fathers and Doctors of that and th' ensuing ages with the Popish doctrines of Iustification and merit by works Confession of sins to a Priest Invocation of Saints Purgatory the real presence and Transubstantiation worshiping of the Sacrament confirmed by miracles offering it in Sacrifice to God as being propitiatory for the living and dead with solemn translating of Saints Reliques and their t worship with pilgrimage to them with Images in the Churches with numbring prayers vpon litle stones or beades worshiping of the Cross and by it's vertue driving away Devills single life of Priests the Bishop of Rome his Supremacy Iure Divino c. So that in those 200. and od years Protestants cannot pretend that any Kings or Nations were converted to their Religion Therfore they desire the decision of this controversy concerning the Conversion 〈◊〉 Pagan Kings and nations to Christianity may be reduced 〈◊〉 these last thousand and od years from St. Gregory the great his time to ours which point being open matter of fact and
by faith in Christ not by good works which they in no wise did affect We Catholicks do not pretend to have no evill-livers in our Church but this we may say with truth and I hope without offence that the difference between Protestant and Catholick â—â—â—ll-livers is that when Protestants sin they do nothing but what they are encouraged vnto by their justifying faith and the other principles of their Religion but when Catholicks sin they go against the known Tenets of their faith and profession Even our Pardons and Jndulgences how-ever so plenary are so far from encouraging vs to a continuance or relapse of sinning that they involue as a precedent and necessary condition a serious and sincere repentance of our former offences and afirm purpose and resolution of never returning to the like crimes and after all is don we pretend to no such vndoubted certainty of being pardon'd either by confession or Indulgences because we are not certain whether we do al as we ought as Protestants presume to have of their justification and saluation by only faith The nature of this justifying faith and of other Protestant principles considered We Catholicks have reason to thanck God that the prudence â—f the Prince and moderation of his Ministers is so extraordinary that it keeps the indiscreed zeal of a multitude so strangly principl'd if not as much with in the limits of Christianity and civility towards their fellow subjects as were to be wished yet so that the execution of the sanguinary and penal statuts is not altogeather so distructive as the Presbiterians and others endeavor Untill the generality of these Nations reflect vpon the impiety of the first Reformers and vpon their own mistakes in preferring the mad fancies of a few dissolute Friars concerning the nature of Christian faith before the constant Testimony and doctrin of the whole visible Church we cannot expect that they who govern so mistaken a multitude can make justice the rule of the publick Decrees which depend of the concurrence and acceptance of men whose greatest care is to promote Protestancy and persecute Popery SECT IX Protestants mistaken in the consistency of Christian faith humility Charity peace either in Church or state with their making Scripture as interpreted by privat persons or fallible Synods or fancied general Councells composed of all discenting Christian Churches the rule of faith and Iudg of Controversies in Religion How every Protestant is a Pope and how much also they are overseen in making the 39. Articles or the oath of Supremacy a distinctive sign of Loyalty to our Protestant Kings LVther Zuinglius Calvin Cranmer and all others that pretended to reform the doctrin of the Church of Rome seing they could not prove their new Religions or Reformations by testimonies from antiquity or by probability of Reason were inforc't to imitat the example of all Heretiks who as S. Austin says l. 1. de Trin. c. 3. endeavour to defend their falls and deceitfull opinions out of the Scriptures If on shall ask any Heretick saith that ancient Father Vincentius lyr l. 1. cons. Haer. c. 35. from whence do you prove from whence do you teach that I ought to forsake the vniuersal and ancient faith of the Catholik Church Presently he answereth scriptum est It is written and forthwith he prepareth a thousand testimonies a thousand examples a thousand authorities from the law from the Apostles from the Prophets This shift is so ordinary and notorious that Luther him-self postill Wittemberg in 2. con 8. Dom. post Trin. fol. 118. Dom. post Trin. fol. 118. affirmeth the sacred Scripture is the book of Heretiks because Heretiks are accustomed to appeale to that book neither did there arise at any time any heresy so pestiferous and so foolish which did not endeavor to hide it self under the vaile of Scripture And yet Luther Calvin Cranmer c. finding nothing to say for them-selves either in History or Fathers and seing Tradition so cleerly bent against them that they could not name as much as on Parish or person which ever professed their protestant doctrines they appeal'd from the word of God proposed by the visible and Catholick Church and Counâ—â—ls to their own Canon and Translations of Scripture and from that sense of Scripture which the Church and Councells had follow'd for 1500. years to that which their own privat spirit temporal interest or fallacious reason diâ—â—â—ted to them-selves and so did others that followed their examples making every privat Protestant or at least every reforâ—â—d Congregation Judg of Scripture Church Councells and Fathers In so much that Luther tom 2. Wittemberg cap. de Sacram. fol. 375. setteth down this rule for all Protestants to be directed 〈◊〉 The Governors of Churches and Pastors of Christ's sheep 〈◊〉 indeed power to teach but the sheep must judge whâ—â—â—er they propose the voice of Christ 〈◊〉 of strangers c. Wherfore let Popes Bishops Councells c. decree order enact what they please we shal not hinder but we who are Christ's sheep and heare his voice will judge whether they propose things true and agreable to the voice of our Pastor and they must yeeld to us and subscribe and obey our sentence and censure Calvin though contrary to Luthâ—â— in many other things yet in this doth agree as being the ground wherupon all protestant Reformations must rely in his lib. 4. Institut cap. 9. § 8. he says The definitions of Councels must be examined by Scripture and Scripture interpreted by his rules and Spirit The same is maintained by the Church of England as appears in the defence of the 39. Articles printed by authority 1633. wherin it is sayd pag. 103. Authority is given to the Church and to every member of sound judgment in the same to judg controversies of faith c. And this is not the privat opinion of our Church but also the judgment of our godly brethren in foreign Nations And by Mr. Bilson Bishop of Winchester in his true difference c. part 2. pag. 353. The people must be Discerners and Judges of that which is taught How inconsistent this doctrin is with Christian faith is evident by the pretended fallibility and fall of the visible Church which all Protestants do suppose and must maintain to make good the necessity and lawfullness of their own interpretations and Reformations For if the Roman Catholik and ever Visible Church may and from time to time hath erred as the Church of England declares in the 39. Articles no reformed Congregations whether Lutheran Presbiterian or Prelatick can have infallible certainty but that them-selves have fallen into as great errors as those which they have pretended to reform in the Roman Church And if they have not infallible certainty of the truth of their reformed doctrin they can not pretend to Christianity of faith that involves an assurance of truth which assurance is impossible if that the Church can be mistaken in it's proposall So that Christianity of faith including
and being desirous to know the cause J found there had bin Popes And proceeding from this conceipt of the Popes prevailing against Christ in vtter overthrow of the whole visible Church he concludeth that he who founded and purchased the Church with such pains and at so deere a rate could not be Christ because he wanted power or providence to preserve it and therfore Ochin tourned Iew and taught circumsion and Polygamy Upon the same motives Adam Neuserus a most learned Protestant and chief Pastor of Heydelbergh turned Turk and was circumsised at Constantinople persuading many of his flock to become Mahometans Allemanus esteemed and beloved by Beza for his learning seing that the predictions of the Prophets were not fulfilled in the Protestant Churches and being resolved not to be a Papist held that the Messias was not come and so renouncing Christianity became a blasphemous Iew. Calvin the Oracle of Protestant learning and the most plausible Reformer of Popery is not only by Catholicks but by sundry Protestants charged with Judaism in so much that the famous Protestant Writer Egidius Hunnius Doctor and publick Professor in the University of Wittembergh and chief Disputant in the conference of Ratisbone against the Catholicks writ a Book intituled Calvinus Judaizans And another Protestant book was printed 1586 and reprinted 1592. the Author wherof is the learned Ioannes Modestinus and it's Title A Demonstration out of God's word that the Calvinists are not Christians but only baptized Jews and Mahometans and an other very learned Protestant John Scutz in lib. 50. causarum cap. 48. affirmeth Mahometism Arianism and Calvinism to be brothers and Sisters and three pair of hose made of one cloath The Calvinists do and may say the same of the Lutherans and of every other Sect of Protestants they are all made of one cloath and differ only in the fashion according to the diversity of their fancies They all agree in cloathing and covering their errors with Scripture but some like one mode some an other Calvin and his faction seem to approve most of the Arian to which also most Protestants incline by reason of difficulty they find in the Mystery of the Trinity explained after the Catholick manner But non of them will tye himself to an others fashion seing their Rule of faith is their own fancy Wherfore notwithstanding the Confessions of faith of their sundry Churches they do not hold them-selves obliged to Profess that or any faith longer then it agreeth with every on 's privat sense of Scripture which he changes as often as further study information or seeming reason moves him to the contrary So that not only Mahometism Arianism and Calvinism are three paire of hose made of one Cloath according to Scutz expression but his Lutheranism and all other Protestant Reformations are remnants of the same piece with different trimmings and patches and though they be hose this day to morrow they would perhaps be Turbants or Jews garments had not those formes and fashions bin so generally cry'd down as ridiculous in these parts of the world that the learned Protestants who think them more Religious then their own despaire of ever making them the mode So true it is that the bare letter of Scripture without Tradition the rule of faith makes men Hereticks Turcks Jews and the worst of Infidells The learned Protestants who are not Iews Turks or Arians become Atheists or meer Rationalists Because there is not any thing moves learned men so much either to Atheism or to have no Religion but naturall reason as the diversity of Religions and the confessed vncertainty of such as are professed The interpretation of Scripture and Fathers being left by their principles of the Reformation to every particular person's discretion maks Protestants differ as much in Christian belief as in human opinions concerning any ordinary and obscure matter and their supposition of the fall of the visible Church into errors of doctrin togeather with the acknowledged fallibility and vncertainty of their own Congregations takes away as we proved in the last Section all certainty and Christianity of belief What doubt therfore can be made but that such learned Protestants as turn not Jews Mahometans or Arians will either become Atheists Socinians or meer Rationalists such as observe that the Prophecies sett-down in Scripture concerning the spendor extent and propagation of Christ's Church vpon Earth are not accomplished in their own petty Reformations and withall are so peevish and maliciously bent against the Roman Catholick faith as not to examin it's truth turn Jews Mahometans or Atheists But such as are ashamed or afraid to renounce the name of Christians and yet are as obstinat against the Roman Catholick doctrin as the aforsaid Protestants fall from on reformed sect to an other and at length perceiving there is no reason to preferr on before an other renounce all and rely only vpon their own reason most of them follow Chillingworth Fauckland Stilling-fleet and become Socinians denying or doubting of Christ's Divinity and are driven to that impiety partly by the incoherency of the Protestant Tenets and partly by their contempt of Tradition but most of all by the foolish presumption of their own wit and judgment and by that secret pride so manifest in Protestants and proper to Hereticks There is not any one Protestant Writer in whose works you may not find this heretical Strain Neither is it to be admired that men whose Religion is occasioned by pride and grounded vpon singularity of judgment do betray and declare those passions in their discourses they being the chief ingredients of their Symbols and the Conclusions most cleerly deduced from their principles I will omit all others at present and only mention a passage of Socinus against Volanus pa. 2. wherin you may see to what a pass Protestants are brought by their own proud and privat spirit and by their contempt of Catholick Tradition Thus therfore he saith To what purpose should I answer that which thou borrowest from the Papists c. especially where thou opposest to vs the perpetuall consent of the Church very excellently doubtless in this behalf hath Hosius a Papist discours'd against you wounding you with your own sword And therfore you are no less fals in urging against us the Churches perpetual consent for the Divinity of Christ then are the Papists in their vrging therof against you and vs. And ibid. pag. 222. We propose to vs in this question concerning the Divinity of Christ non for Master or Interpreter but only the holy Ghost c. we do not think that we are to stand to the judgment of any men though never so learned of any Councels though in shew never so holy and lawfully assembled of any visible Church though never so perfect and vniversall Even Uolanus himself disputing against the Iesuits is inforced to reject the examples sayings and deeds of Athanasius Hierom Austin Theodoret and other Fathers whose authority he now opposeth against
not from the son to be heresy though now too late they would fain moderat the censure as also be reconciled to all Sects of Protestants in Europe 2. At the same time they endeavour to make this league offensive and defensive against the Roman Catholick Church their chief writers profess there is no cause to quarell with that Church because it is also a Christian Congregation and differs from Protestants only in things indifferent among which they place even the Worship of Images the Sacrifice of the Mass the communion under one kind the Pop's supremacy c. Wheâ—ce it must needs follow that their Protestant separation from the Roman Church can not be justifyed as confessedly not having sufficient ground to break the communion of the Church vpon the score of doctrin acknowledged by them-selves to be lawful and therfore their Protestant Reformations must be concluded schismatical This their Prelatick moderation towards our Roman Catholick doctrin is the effect of a necessary compliance with our Adversaries condemned hereticks not of any Christian charity that they bear to our principles or persons as appeareth by their quite contrary expressions in other occasions and by the severity of their statutes against Priests and Papists They can hardly excuse the errors of Arrians Nestorians c. And yet accuse vs of heresy nor can they maintain the Greek worshipping of Images to be lawfull and yet condemn the same in vs as idolatry But that which they most press against the Roman Catholick Church and wherin all sectaries dissenting from it are concerned to ioyn with Protestants is that we say ourselves are the sole Catholicks and the Pope and general Councels supreme Judges of hereticks Rather then admit our Church to be the Catholick they cantonize God's Church into dissenting congregations and canonize for Orthodox all sects of hereticks though they have no subordination connexion or communication among themselves much less that care of the common good that is among the Suitzers whose Commonwealth they would fain make a patern of Christ's Church To this end they sent their Agents to Ieremias Patriarch of Constantinople and in their printed books make honorable mention of Nestorius Dioscorus Eutiches and other hereticks brood and branches that are dispers'd in Egypt Ethiopia and East Jndies as if they had bin their Brethren wheras they do not know their Tenets and brag of their numbers in comparison wherof they say the Romanists are but few and at the best but a part of the vniversal Church and if a part they ought not to judg of the whole if they do their sentence must be slighted as invalid and partiall And though the Schismaticks and Hereticks of the Greek Church whom the Protestants so much courted have by a particular definitive sentence of Iâ—â—â—mias their Patriarch disown'd the doctrin and refused the communion of all Protestants yet are the so deserted and despised reformed Churches compell'd to maintain the indifferency of the eastern heresies even of those which the Greeks them-selves twelue times recanted having bin so many times reconciled to the Church of Rome though now again revolted and returned to some of their former errors but not without a visible marke of God's indignation and justice Protestants therfore are content to excuse the errors of the Greeks and of all other Christians though Hereticks hoping therby to obtain for them-selves the name of Catholiks and are so kind as not to exclude any that professeth Christ even after the Arrian manner from their Protestant communion not doubting but that for a return of civility them-selves will by virtue of that general appellation of Christians be countenanced by the enemies of the Church of Rome and protected from it's severity But the Greek Patriarch smelt their design and though a Rebell against the sea of Rome yet he condemned the Protestant doctrin and contemned their flattery giving them to vnderstand that the truth of Religion is never annexed to many dissenting Churches and that their agrement in Protestant fundamentalls can not be an argument of Catholick vnity or vniversality And to be rid of future importunities condemned their opinions as heresies declaring how different they are from those of the Greek Church as appeareth by his Sententia definitiva Jeremiae Patriarchae Constantinopolotani sententia definititiva de doctrina Religione Wittembergensium Theologorum edit an 1586. in this Book the Greeks detest the Protestant Religion wherof see further Hospinian in Histor. Sacram. part 2. and Responsio Basilii Magni Ducis Muscoviae c. an 1570. it appeareth by a Treatise set forth even by the Protestant Divines of Wittemberg intituled Acta Theologorum Wittembergensium Ieremiae Patriarchae Constantinop de Augustana Confessione c. That the Greek Church yet to this day professeth and teacheth invocation of Saints and Angells pag. 55. 102.128 Reliques pag. 244. 368. worshipping of Images pag. 243.244.247 251. Transsubstantiation pag. 86.96.100.240.318 Sacrifice pag. 102 104 The signifying ceremonies of the Mass pag. 97.99.100 Auricular Confession in praefat in lib. pag. 87 130. Confirmation with Chrisme pag. 78.238 extreme Vnction pag. 242.326 All the seaven Sacraments pag. 77.242 prayer for the dead pag. 93.102.109 Sacrifice for the dead pag. 95.104 Monachisme pag. 132.257 That Priests may not marry after orders taken pag. 129. See Sir Edward Sands also in his relation c. On the last leaf but five where he confirms all we have related here of the Greeks concurrence in Religion with the Roman Church As for the Protestant Doctors and Prelats exceptions against the Roman Church and Councells not being Catholick or Universall they can be of no force because their own Logicians may cleer the mistake â—y putting them in mind of the definition of Catholick or Universal which is vnum in multis one in many for â—nâ—â—â—rsality requireth two and but two conditions vnity or ideâ—â—ity of form and multitude of Subjects That a Church therfore be Universal or Catholick it is necessary and sufficient there be an vnity or identity of form which is faith and multitude of subjects which are the Professors of that faith Whether the subject of the form which is called universall be more or less so they be many is not material as to the nature and denomination of Universal or Catholick though there were but 200. men living homo say Logicians would be as much Universal as now it is with so many millions of men In like manâ—er we say though there were but 200. men in the world professing the true faith that faith would be still Universal or Catholick because it would be still one and the same in many and 200. are as properly many though not so many as 200. millions We grant that it hath bin prophecied the multitude of believers should be very numerous and spread over the whole world and accordingly it hath bin fulfill'd and now Roman Catholicks are every where multiplied yet there hath bin a time when the
1260. years And pag. â—4â— From the time of Constantine vntill these our days even 1260. years the Pope and his Clergy hath possessed the outward visible Church of Christians And their chief Doctors ingeniously acknowledg that their Churches were either so obscure or so opprest that notwithstanding their own serious examinatiâ—â— and diligent search into all histories both sacred and profane they can not find in the space of at least 1300. years as much as a record or Tradition of any on person to beare witness that their faith sense of Scripture or Reformation was preach't by Christ and his Apostles Sebastianus Francus in ep de Abrog Statutis ecclesiast saith Statim post Apostolos c. Presently after the Apostles times all things were turneâ— vpside down c. And that for certain through the work of Anti-christ the externall Church togeather with the faith and the Sacraments vanished away presently after the Apostles departure and that for these 1400. years the Church hath bin no wher externall and visible Peter Martyr so much commended by Calvin and sent for by Cranmer to help to frame the Religion of the Church of England pag. 462. of his work de caelibatu votis saith as for the judgment of the Fathers because our Adversaires the Papists both in this and other controversies are accustomed to appeale to them J do not think it the part of a Christian to appeale from the Scriptures of God to the judgments of men And pag. 476. So long as we go no further then the Councells and Fathers we shall always remain in the same errors This Sophister would faine make Protestants believe that the question is whether the Fathers sense of Scriptures ought to be preferred before the sense of the Protestants them-selves confess that both Councells and Fathers are contrary to their interpretation Whitaker on of the learned'st Protestants that ever writ answering Duraeus and acknowledging the truth of the assertion coms off with this poore evasion l. 7. pag. 478. Jt is sufficient for us to know by conferring the Popish doctrin with Scripture that they do not agree let Histories say what they list So litle do the Ecclesiastical Annals favour Protestancy that never any point therof is mentioned without mentioning also how it began and was comdemned as heresy Now let Protestants examin our Roman Catholick witnesses we do not stop as they must at the last age 1500. we produce in every Century of years the most eminent persons for Sanctity and learning that then lived who not only professed our faith living but also dying as by the Traditions of all Christendom their own writings and the confession of our Adversaries is manifest wherof the Divines of Magdeburg hertofore quoted writ copiously in their Centuries These Fathers and Doctors of the Church in each respective Century delivered the Roman Catholick faith to the next succeeding not as a privat opinion of their own but as the publick pure primitive Apostolick saith which they had received as such from the precedent age confirmed by the vnanimous testimony of their known Catholick immediat Predecessours What exceptions or objections can Protestants pretend against the holy and learned Fathers so impartial Iudges and witnesses They could not be ignorant of what was the publick and vniversal faith or Church in their times and they were men of so great integrity that they would not for any temporal interest conceale the truth in a matter wherof depended eternity They were not angry saith S. Augustin disputing against the Pelagians advers Julian l. 2. prope finem lib. 3. c. 17. lib. 4. c. 12. neither at you or vs what they have found in the Church that they have holden they have taught what they have learn't what they have received from their fore-fathers they have delivered to posterity The most learned Protestants decline the Fathers judgment and testimony for no other reason but because they find them to be Roman Catholicks in their writings so that the question is not whether they by for vs but whether their testimony for vs averring that the Roman Catholick sense of Scripture is the same which Christ and his Apostles deliuered ought to be preferred before the contrary testimony of Luther Calvin Cranmer or of the other Convocations and Parliaments of England of Edward 6. and Queen Elizabeth who prove not their reformed sense of Scripture by ancient tradition but by a new arbitrary interpretation of Scripture And in what Court of Judicature would such an vncertain guess pass for a legal proof Wheras tradition is the only evidence wherby the greatest civil controversies even of regal successions and titles are decided in the Protestants Courts Therfore it ought not to be excluded as superfluous or superstitious from the Church SVBSET III. AS to their exception that the Roman Catholick Church is but a part and ought not to be judge of all other Christians we answer that not by all Christians but by on part were all controversies in the Church decided since the Apostles times and the other part which did not submitt to the judgment of that one in matters of faith and disciplin were censured hereticks That the Judgment and censures in all ages were issued but by on part and this the Roman Catholick party that lived in communion with the Bishop of Rome and the Councells that acknowledged his jurisdiction we prove by the confessed examples of every Century In the first the controversy of the legal ceremonies was determined by S. Peter and the Apostles in a Councell wherin S. Peter presided Act. 15. In the second Century the Christians were divided about celebrating E'aster the controversy was decided by S. Victor Bishop of Rome as S. Peter's successor and because the Churches of Asia would not conform themselves to his sentence he excommunicated them Euseb. l. 5. hist. c. 23. 24. And though S. Irenaeus approved not of S. Victor's severity yet he never questioned his jurisdiction or supremacy or the legality of his censures And because some Christians persisted obstinatly in not conforming to the Pop's Decree of celebrating Easter they were for that obstinacy declared hereticks and as such numbred in Catalogues by S. Epiphanius haeres 50. S. Augustin haeres 26. and by Tertullian de praescript in fine and called Quarto-decimans In the third Century by the Pope Cornelius and his Roman Councell the Novatian heresy was condemned Euseb. ex versione Rufini lib. 6. histor cap. 33. and though there were not as many Bishops in that Roman Councell as at Trent yet the whole Church thought the authority sufficient and legal to declare the Novatians hereticks The same Pope and Stephen his Successour condemned such Christians as thought and taught that they who had bin baptised by hereticks ought to be rebaptised In the forth Century the Arian heresy was condemned by the Councell of Nice wherin were but 318. Bishops whose testimony was thought sufficient and legal against a far greater
Church he hath fallen into the Fundamental error and foundation of Protestancy but yet with this difference that albeit he agreeth with Protestants in making cleer evidence of the revelation the ground or rule of faith and by consequence in destroying all Christian belief yet he takes a contrary way from them Protestants by reducing their evidence to very few points reject most of the articles of the Roman Catholick Church as incredible but the Author of the sure footing by amplifying and applying his evidence to every article of our faith makes them all more then credible that is self evident He and Protestants agree in the rule but differr in the application Neither of them will believe any thing but what they fancy evident but on party fancies all is evident the other fancies litle or nothing is evident Jf they vnderstand on another they may soon come to an accord and the sequell of their principle will be to take away all Christian belief for Christian belief must of necessity involue some obscurity in that Act or at least formality wherby we assent vnto the mystery believed Otherwise if the essence or nature of Christian faith were consistent with cleer evidence and with the want of all obscurity why may it not be sayd that the blessed have faith in heaven nay why may it not be sayd that the second person of the Trinity hath â—aith ab 〈◊〉 if it be sufficient for faith that on assentâ— to truth for 〈…〉 and speaking of an other though 〈◊〉 evidently 〈…〉 and sees also that the other speaks The sure footing therfore doth faile and 〈…〉 â—eason of the Author 's confounding the evidence of our obligation to belieue the articles proposed by the Church with the evidenâ—e of God's revealing them by the 〈◊〉 proposal of the Church The testimony of the Church confirmed by so many supernatural signes makes it cleerly euident to vs that we are bound to believe God revealed all the doctrin delivered as his by the tradition and testimony of the Church but the tradition or signes of the Church do not make 〈◊〉 or self 〈◊〉 that God hath de facto revealed 〈…〉 which the Church proposeth as Divine It is moraly evident that God revealed it but not Metaphysicaly evident according to Schoolmens expression This moral evidence of God's revealing what the Church proposeth induceth a clâ—â—r and evident obligation vpon the will and soul of man to adheare as vnalterably to the doctrin of the Church as if we had metaphysical or cleer evidence that God revealed the same and the motiue of our faith and of this adhesion is God's veracity because it is manifest by the very light of Nature that we ought to believe God would not permit such a miraculous and moral evidence of his own revealing or speaking the mysteries of christianity by the mouth of our Church vnless he did realy speake by the same Church For want of this doctrin and distinction many vnderstand not how a man can possibly or at least prudently adheare or assent to an object with greater assurance then he sees cleer reason for If by cleer reason for an assent of Divine faith be meant that the truth of the mystery assented vnto must of necessity be cleer to the Assenter either in it self or in it's necessaire connection with the Revelation it is a gross mystake for that the difference between an assent grounded vpon cleer evidence of the truth or of reason and an assent grounded vpon Divine authority is that the first is a cleer intellectual sight of the truth itself the second is not so but a cleer sight of our own obligation of assenting to the truth revealed or related because wee see cleer and convincing signs of the sincerity and veracity of the Author or relator Now our obligation of believing God to be the Author of the doctrin of the Church being evident to ourselves we are bound to assent to the same Doctrin according to the evidence of our obligation that is with greather assurance then appearance of the truth The evidence of our obligation to assent is a sufficient ground for our assurance of the truth assented vnto Wherfore albeit some Catholick Divines have pretended to maintain in their schoole disputations that God by the infinitness of his supernatural power may concurr to an Act of faith though the existence of the revelation itself were evident to the believer yet besides that most of them speak irresolutly and incoherently in that point they all grant that our Christian faith must always involve obscurity in it's assent and that that faith which would have evidence both of the existence of the revelation and of the revealers veracity would be an other kind of faith much differring from our Christian and Catholick Besides we ought to consider that it is one thing to dispute in schooles of what God may do and an other thing to believe in the Church what he hath don In the schooles they dispute even of impossibilities because they make it their business to exercise witt in speculations but in the Catholick Church our chief business consists in believing and practising The reason why Faith doth require a mixture of obscurity or want of cleer evidence is because to believe is to trust him whom you believe for the truth signified by his words and if you did see the truth in it self or know that it cannot be separated from the words spoken you can no more trust the speaker for the truth so connected with his words then trust him for the money you know to be contained in a purse which he delivers vnto your hands for though you do not see the money you see the purse wherin you have cleer evidence the money is contained To believe therfore is to take on 's word for the truth as you do his bond or bill for money for which you have no other security but his worth and veracity and the greater on s worth and veracity is the more you ought to rely vpon it and doubt the less of his performance and therfore if you require any greater assurance or evidence of the truth then his supposed inclination to the same or his veracity you do him a great injury and resolve not to trust or believe him Wherfore God's worth veracity or inclination to truth being infinit we ought not to exact a cleer sight of the truth it self nor of any things evidently connected therwith if we do we neither trust nor believe him his inclination therfore to truth being infinit we ought not to retain the least suspition or feare of being deceived either by himself or by the Church whervnto he gives the charge and signes of declaring and proposing his word to vs because he who is infinitly inclined to speak truth is inclined to do it not only when himself speaks but every way that truth can be spoken or by every person and Organ that may be prudently taken to speak by his
commission The Roman Church therfore being prudently taken for the Organ of God's voice it is as impossible we should be misledd by it's doctrin as it is that God should go against his infinit inclination to truth or should violat his own veracity Had God's veracity bin limited to his own personal or immediat speech and not extended to what-soever he delivers by the mouth and ministery of others and of his Church it had not bin infinit his credit would have ended with Christ's preaching to the Apostles and though they were bound to believe their Master non could be obliged to believe them But seing God's veracity is infinit and his words must continue for ever they can be as little confined to the persons or Pastors of any on certain age as infinit veracity to on particular truth or infinit excellency and goodness to any one degree of perfection Now seing that God's worth and veracity or his infinit inclination to speak truth cannot be greatet in on matter nor in on age then in an other and that according to on 's inclination to any thing must be the application of his power to effect it we must conclude that God is as much engaged by his worth and goodness and as much inclined by his veracity and as much applied by his omnipotency to speak truth by the mouth of the Church as by his own and in the least matter as much as in the greatest and in every succeeding age as in that of the Apostles and that vnless his worth wisdom veracity goodness and omnipotency faile that Church which beareth the miraculous marks of his authority and exerciseth his ministery must be infallible in proposing and declaring his will and word in all Controversies whatsoever So that they who grant the Church 〈◊〉 infallible only in fundamental articles of faith deny Godâ—â—oodness worth veracity and omnipotency and they who believe not the doctrin of the Roman Catholick Church as the word of God because forsooth they have not cleer evidence that it is the word of God do no more believe nor trust God in the other they assent vnto then he who says he believes and trusts a man whose word or writing he will not take for 100. pounds vnless he delivers to him at the same time that summe of money not only sealed but seen in a bag The reason of this last assertion is cleer because one of the differences between the word of God and the word of men is that you mistrust men for the truth though you heare their own voice and have evidence that they speak the imperfection of their nature making their speech subject to falshood and themselves to frailty therfore we may mistrust their veracity and doubt they be mistaken or deceive vs though they pretend and profess to speak nothing but truth It is not so with God whose nature being infinitly perfect and truth it self it is manifest by natural reason that he can neither be mistaken nor deceive vs by his words and by consequence if we knew evidently that him-self speaks or that the words or doctrin vttered by the Church are his we can no more mistrust or not believe him then mistrust his Deity or feare a flaw in his perfections and fraud in his proceedings So that Protestants resolving not to believe the doctrin of the Church of Rome made sufficiently credible by supernatural signes to be Divine vntill it be made cleerly evident to them that it is the word of God resolve their faith into heretical obstinacy because they resolve not to believe or trust God that evidence which they exact not being compatible with the merit trust obscurity and obsequiousness of Christian belief nor with the duty of rationall Creatures They may be compared to some Irish or Scotch Rebells refusing to obey the King's Lieu-tenant and Commissioners because for-sooth they have not clear evidence that the commissions and commands are signed by the King though they see his Majesty's hand and seale for the authority set over them which also is obeyd and acknowledged by the better sort and greater part of both Nations yet the Rebells will not submit to any Orders vnless the King leave England go in person to rule them and satisfie every particular fellow that he hath named such a Lieu-tenant or Commissioner or vnless his Majesty will immediatly by him-self exercise his royal Jurisdiction signe and seale his commissions in their sight c. Some will think there is a great disparity in the comparison for that God may without trouble or prejudice to him-self reveale his will and pleasure to every particular person which Kings can no more do then be in many places at one time Therfore what inconveniency can it be that God make evident to every particular person either by a clear signe of his presence or by an evident proof of his spirit which doctrin is Divine which not without obliging men to believe that the Roman Catholick or any other Church is infallible and can not propose falshood for God's word To this we answer that God might not only reveale his mysteries to every person but save us also without subordination to any Church or Pastors or dependency of Sacraments but all Christians agree that he hath bin pleased not to do so so that the question is not what he could have don but what he hath don But it appears by the light of reason that ther is a certain distance and decorum due to Majesty and superiority by virtue wherof God or even a Creature that is supreme in any government may command his inferiors and subjects by subordinat officers and warant these officer's authority by some outward signes and seales of his Soveraignty which signes though they may be possibly counterfeited yet oblige the People so governed to obey Ministers so qualified as submissively as if him-self had immediatly delivered his own commands Wherfore though it were possible that a King might without trouble write and deliver all his oâ—ders immediatly or without the assistance of Secretaries Ministers and Messengers yet it were not fit And why the Protestant Doctors that write of this subject should think fit that God ought to deprive him-self of a decency and decorum due even to human Majesty to humor their curiosity or to comply with their obstinacy J can not comprehended nor attribute to any other thing but to want of humility and excess of heresy the malice wherof consists in contemning God's authority and denying his veracity when sufficiently appearing in the Church and though not self evidently yet so convincingly as to make our obligation of submitting thervnto evident Jt is therfore agross absurdity to think or say that the reverence due to the Divine authority obligeth vs not to submit or not assent therunto vnless it be more then moraly evident and by consequence more them sufficiently evident vnto us that we can not be mistaken in our submission or assent For hence
would follow the greater the authority is the more slow we ought to be in submitting therunto or which is the same the more inclined God is to truth and the more powerfull he is to practise the same and to keep the Church stedy to truth the more slow we ought to be in believing the Church or God's known Ministers and Messengers SECT XIV Reasons for liberty of Conscience and how much both Piety and Policy is mistaken in making Prelatick Protestancy the Religion of the state by continuing and pressing the sanguinary and penal statutes against the Roman Catholick faith and the Act of vniformity against sectaries THere is not any thing more damnable to soules or more dangerous to states then to make the laws of the land the rule of faith and temporal statuts the ground of spiritual jurisdiction It is endeed Christian piety to fence and favour Religion with Imperial edicts and Royal Decrees and therfore it was prophecied of the Church Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and Queens thy Mothers but to found the belief of eternal verities and of Christian Religion vpon temporal statuts and to frame the doctrin of the Church and the Caracter of the Clergy according to Acts of Parliament and to the interest of the Prince is neither piety nor policy in lawfull and vndoubted Soveraigns What Queen Elizabeth did to salue the sore of her illegitimacy was as great a prejudice and ought as litle be made a president to the royall family of the Stewards as Oliver Cromwel's Tyrany the laws and Religion of both equaly tending to it's total ruin and exclusion from the Crown with this only difference that Queen Elizabeth destroy'd the Stewards by reforming the Old Religion whervpon their right was grounded but Cromwell destroy'd them by reforming the New Religion whervnto they had conformed and wherby they endeavored to setle their Throne And indeed Souveraigns can expect no greater security or better success then the Royal family of the Stewards hath had whilst the Religion which their Subjects profess hath no other certainty or setlement but what is received from an arbitrary interpretation of Scripture confirmed by temporal statuts That the Protestant prelatick Religion hath no other rule but this and the laws of the Lands is manifest by so many changes of it's articles liturgy caracter and Translations of Scripture by publick and Parliamentory authority That it hath no certainty from it's own principleâ— is manifest by the acknowledged fallibility of that Church and by the liberty of interpreting God's word and by the prerogative of judging controversies of faith which the Tenets of all the Reformations and example of the first Reformers allow to any particular person that will claim the privilege of a reformed Christian or the spirit of a godly or guifted Protestant This liberty of professing and the vncertainty of protestancy having proved in all places and persons wherunto it had access a seed of rebellion destructive not only of the substance of Religion but of the tye of alleigance it was thought necessary for the preservation of Princes and the peace of their subjects to reduce the variety and regulat the extravagancy of the dissenting reformed doctrines into publick professions of protestancy as sutable to the interest of the souveraigns and inclinations of the subjects and customs of their Countries as could be devised And because the government of England continued Monarchical and that Episcopacy doth favor Monarchy and is essential to Parliaments the protestancy of the Church of England was made prelatick notwithstanding the incoherency of Episcopacy with the very foundation of the first and pure pretended reformations And seing ther is such antipathy between the caracter of Episcopacy and the principles of protestancy that the Church of England in the beginning of Q. Elizabeths reign durst not claim that caracter or any spiritual jurisdiction by succession from the Apostles and their successors the ensuing Catholick Bishops it was content to receive both as also the confirmation of it's prelatick doctrin from an vnheard-of spiritual supremacy of a lay Prince and from Acts of Parliament and so was it made the legal Religion of the state contrary to the principles both of the ancient Catholick faith and of the new protestant reformations How contrary this setlement of prelatick protestancy by a persecution of Popery is to Christian piety may easily appeare to them who will remember what hath bin sayd hertofore of the sanctity antiquity and continuall succession of the Roman Catholick Religion from the Apostles to this present and reflect vpon the principles begining and progress of protestancy in general and of the prelatick in particular How inconsistent with policy it is to press by the severity of laws a profession so generally dislik't as the prelatick it being contrary to the ancient Religion and not agreeing with the new Reformations experience hath demonstrated when not only all foreign Roman Catholick Princes and people stood neuters not much concerned whether Protestant Prelacy or Presbytery should prevaile in England they pittied indeed the Royal family and wish'd them good success against their rebellious subjects but this they wish'd to them as Princes not as Prelatiks not only Isay foreign Catholicks were neuters but all the Protestant Churches abroad were more inclined to favor the Presbiterian and fanatick English and Scotch Congregations then the King's Religion for that they come neerer to them and to the primitive and fundamental principles of Protestancy The reason why the Prelatick persuasion is so odious to the reformed Churches abroad and so opposed by Presbiterians and other Protestant Congregations at home is because the formality of it's ceremonies and the legality of it's discipline are incompatible with the primitive spirit liberty and principles of protestancy The protestant Bishops would fain Lord it over their brethren not content with the name and power of Protestant superintendents they strive to imitat the authory and severity of the Catholick Episcopal jurisdiction in their Courts and do what they can to retain a ceremonious decency in there Churches but neither is agreable with the nature and spirit of the Protestant Reformations which consist in an independency and exemption from all spiritual superiority and ceremonie of a particular person being supreme Judge and Interpreter of Scripture This spiritual judicature is the spiritual birth-right of every Protestant and the ground wherupon Luther and his followers raised their reformations and their new sense of the Ghospel Wherfore the resâ—raiâ— of this Protestant evangelical liberty and birth-right by the rigor of our lawes in favor of the prelatick jurisdiction and disciplin must needs make the law-makers and their religion as odious to all zealous Protestants as liberty of opinion and fancied Scripture are deere to a stubborn and humorâ—om peopâ—â— Let it then be maturely considered whether any thing can be more daungerous to the safety of the Soveraign or to the tranquillity of the state then to enact lawes
protestant principles to the discovery of the frauds and â—â—â—â—â—fications wherwith the prâ—â—atick Clergy doth disguise them and divert their flocks from reflecting vpon those sad effects which they have wrought and must work wheresoever they are 〈◊〉 the Religion of the staâ—e A TREATISE OF RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT THE THIRD PART Containing a plain discovery of the Protestant Clergies frauds and falsifications wherby alone their doctrin is supported and made credible The conscience and conveniency of restoring or tolerating the Roman Catholick Religion demonstrated SECT I. That either the learned Protestant or Roman Catholick Clergy are Cheats and how every illiterat protestant may easily discern by wich of the two Clergieâ— he is cheated and therfore is obliged vnder pain of damnation to examin so neer a concern and to renounce the doctrin and communion of that Church wherin he is cheated of the true Church being so conspicuous and manifest by such eminent and visible marks Christ might well forbid the faithfull to communicat with Hereticks and Schismaticks for that their conventicles 〈◊〉 never be mistaken for the whole or even a part of the Catholick Church vnless men â—ill be so simple as to take their â—are word when they say Hic est Christus aut illic wheras if it were possible for learned men to be innocently mistaken Christ's command had not bin obligatory for in such â— case we were not bound to believe that Christ is rather in one Church then other seing each Church had reason sufficient to excuse learned parties from schism and â—â—resy But it being impossible that God should command vs to believe on Congregation of Christians and not believe others that pretend also to be the true Church of Christ without confirming the testimony and doctrin of that one Congregation which he bids vs believe and preferr before the rest with such cleer signes of the truth and so evident marks of Divine authority that the others compared therwith can have no probability two things must be granted 1. that the Catholiâ—â— Church of Christ cannot be composed of all or any dissenting Congregations 2. That the one only Congregation which is the true and Catholick Church can never be so eclipsed but that it must appeare much more eminent in sanctity miracles conversion of Nations and much more credible in it's testimonies then any other Wherfore we conclude that either the learned protestant clergy or the catholick must be cheats seing that notwithstanding the evident and eminent signes and marks of God's Church can not be found in both or in any two Congregations dissenting in their doctrin and rule of faith yet each of them make their illiterat flocks believe that their own is the true Church of God whervpon the signes and seales of his authority and veracity do cleerly shine No human art or industry if not born-out with more then ordinary and notorious impudencie can pretend to discredit or darken the spendor of true Miracles Sanctity Successiâ—â— become Masters of the Comerce as shall be proved I hope these considerations will invite and incite them to examin which of both the Clergies the Roman Catholick that petitions for â—r the Prelatick Protestant that opposeth liberty of conscience are the cheats And that they may find it out withouâ— much trouble I have thought sit to lett them know there is not any one controversy between them and vs which hath not bin handled in English and argued to the full on both sides now the summe of our disputes being this whether the primitive Church was Roman Catholick or rather Protestant in the controverted points as Praying to Saints Transsubstantiation Purgatory worship of Images the Canonicall letter and sense of Scripturâ— c. To decide the Controversy each side quotes the words of Scripture Councells and Fathers because the true doctrine hath bin preserved and recorded in these writings Let him therfore that doubts of the sense of the Text and of the sincerity of him that quotes it compare the Authors words with the 〈…〉 he will infallibly find out who is the Cheat. For he that doth corrupt the words or change the sense of Scripâ—â—re Councells and Fathers doth not stick to the doctrin of the primitive Church And because I have spent some time both before and after my conversion to the Catholick faith in examining the falsifications and frauds of Protestants and their objections against Papists in the same kind I may speak with more assurance then others who have not so much experience and do protest that I never thought it possible before I found it was so de facto that men pretending not only to the name of reformed Christianity but to the Reality and Sanctity of an Episcopal caracter and charge of soules could be so vnconsiderable vnworthy and vncharitable in matters of eternity as I have â—ound the Protestant writers and in particular the prelaticks of the Church of England Let any who desires to satisfie his conscience or curiosity pervse and compare either the books of Jevel and Harding or of Bishop Morton and Father Pesons the nature or essence of a body Or whether quantity be a thing distinct from that which we call a corporeal substance SVBSECT I. VVith what impudency and hipocrisy Bishop Ievell and other prelatick writers began to maintain the Protestancy of the Church of England And how they were blamed for appealing to antiquity by some of their own Brethren TO manifest the impudency and hypocrisy wherwith Prelatick Protestancy was broach't and imposed vpon the layty in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign I will begin with Bishop Jevell's famous challenge and his Seconds that offered to maintain the primitive antiquity of Protestancy and the novelty of Popery His words are As I sayd before I say again I am content to yeeld and subscribe if any of our learned Adversaries or if all the learned men that be alive be able to bring one sufficient sentence out of any one Catholick Doctor or Father or out of any old Generall Councell c. for the space of 600. years after Christ c Protesting also that he affirmeth thus much not as carried away with the heat of zeale but as moved with the simple truth least any of you should happily be deceived and think there is more weight on the other side then in conclusion will be found c. And then he brake into this vehement Apostrophe O mercifull God! who could think that there could be so much wilfulness in the heart of man Then exclaimes O Gregory O Austin O Hierom O Chrysostom O Leo O Dionise O Anaclâ—tus O Calixtus O Paul O Christ Jf we be 〈◊〉 acknowledged the impossibility of defending the Protestant Religion by Tradition or by any monuments oâ— examples from antiquity or by the sayings of Fathers and Councells Insomuch that Archbishop Whitgift in his defence against the reply of Cartwright pag. 472. 473. doth not stick to say that almost all the Bishops and learned Writers of
by falshood notwithstanding J say there can be no hopes of salvation in such a Church no tollerable excuse for such imposturs yet the writers and writings are cryed vp and still in credit because they maintain that mistaken Reformation wherin Protestant have bin brought vp And though this particular case of Doctor Taylors one of the ablest Protestant Divines now living is sufficient to demonstrat the falshood of all Protestants and Protestancy in general yet for information and proofe that his â—rrors fell not by chance from his pen and that he hath not changed the arguments but is constant to the ancient falsifying Method the only way of all his Predecessours the Protestant Writers I will give particular instances of the most renowned from Luther to Taylor himself that is from the very first to the last But before I set down the particulars of Protestant falsifications I will prove in general that the Roman Catholicks can not be prudently suspected of the like practises and that Protestants are cleerly convicted therof SECT II. That there can be no reason to suspect the sincerity of the Roman Catholick Clergy in matters of Religion and that Protestancy can not be maintained otherwise then by impostures wherof there are such evidences that to give the Protestant Clergy any credit in matters of their Religion is a sufficient cause of damnation SVBSECT I. THE first part of this assertion 〈◊〉 easily proved because that which may prudently induce men to suspect the sincerity of any Clergy in proposing the Mysteries of Christian Religion and the true sense of Scripture is temporal interest viz when by changing and corrupting the ancient 〈◊〉 the Clergy 〈◊〉 obtain honours and conveniences wher of they might despaire if they are raised aboue the meaness or mediocrity of their birth and fortune such were the first Protestant-Bishops and Reformers not one of them that J can learn of was born a Gentleman neither could they expect to be raised to any great employment either in Church or state vnless they had embroyled both and fish't in troubled waters and such also were they who pretenâ—ed to reform the ancient doctrin in former ages If we search into the Ecclesiasticall history we shall find that Hereticks always devised novelties to make them-selves considerable by dividing the Church into schisms and factions according to the vulgar saying Divide impera after that they had bin disapointed of some dignity whervnto they pretended and therfore Saint Augustin lib de Pastoribus cap. 8. doth attribute all heresies to pride Theobutes one of the first hereticks having bin refused a Bishoprick saith Aegisippus began to corrupt and perturbe the Church After him Simon Magus broach't his damnable doctrines because the Apostles would not sell to him the spiritual caracter of Episcopacy Act. 8. Then followed Valentinus of whom Tertullian gives this testimony to those of his Sect Valentinus expected to be a Bishop for his wit and Eloquence but being postponed he broke from the rule of the Church as ambitious and revengefull minds vse to do The same saith St. Epiphanius haeres 42. of Marcion Theodoret of Montanus Novatian Arius and Aerius Socrates of Salbatius Waldensis of Wacleff the same we say of Luther Calvin Cranmer c. But the Roman Catholick Clergy are commonly persons of quality that are not put to the shifts of hereticks that is of inventing new doctrin their birth helps to raise them to the dignity of the Church and none can be made a secular Priest that hath not a patrimony wherwith to subsist Besides it is an acknowledged difference between the two controverted Religions that the Roman Catholick is so ancient that even they who charge it with novelty can not tell when it began and grant that it hath bin at least these 1000. years generaly embraced by the visible Church as the very same which Christ and his Apostles taught the Protestant Reformation on the contrary is so modern that they who brag of it's antiquity can go no further then Luther and Calvin or Cranmer Hence it must be concluded that as in temporal Common-wealths they can not be questioned as Usurpers or suspected as Cheats whose possession and succession is so ancient that no memory occurreth to the contrary and moreover shew publick records and sentences of the Courts of Judicature sign'd with the great seale of the Soveraing in confirmation of their Estates and Titles against divers pretenderâ— in sundry ages 〈◊〉 in the Roman Catholick Church the doctrin and dignity of our Bishops having bin derived 〈…〉 and tradition 〈…〉 the contrary and having bin confirmâ—◠〈…〉 of general Councels yet extant vpon recoâ—d 〈…〉 hereticks and signed with God's great sealâ— Miracles there can be no objection but obstinacy against the truth therof nor no prudent ground to suspect the integrity and sincerity of our Clergy in maintaining as well their doctrin as the revenues which were bestowed vpon them for supporting that doctrin and their Ministery Men who have such vndeniable and publick evidences to shew for the truth of their doctrin and for their right to the temporalities of the Church can not be presâ—â—ed to forge or falsify scripture records Councells or Fathers for maintaining their right or reverences they need no such practises which would rather prejudice then profit their cause To what end should Catholick Bishops forge records of their Consecration when their very Adversaries confess the validity and legality therof to be so authentik that their chief study is how to derive their own Caracter from ours To what purpose should we falsify the ancient Councells and Fathers when all the Protestant writers who have any conscience or knowledge grant they are for us And 〈◊〉 such of them as are vers'd in antiquity will not have their reformation tryed by Fathers and Councells but by Scripture alone Why should we corrupt the letter of Scripture when our Adversaries grant our latin vulgata to be the most true and authentik Translation therof as we have proved heretofore Why should we alter the Roman Catholik sense of Scripture that is as ancient as the letter and delivered to us by the same testimony and tradition as God's true meaning But the protestant Clergy who are but vpstarts by brith and doctrin can not be great in Church or state otherwise then by inventing and promoting new religions and to that end do corrupt the letter and change the sense of Scripture which was delivered to the primitive Church pretending that the true Church of Christ was invisible and that the protestant evidences and miracles perished by reason of the iniquity of the times and the persecution of Popes But let us come to the triall and to particular instances of their false dealing SVBSECT II. Of Edward 6. Protestant and prelatick Clergies frauds falsifications and formes of ordination their hypocrisy incontinency Atheism c And whether it be fit to terme them and others like them Cheats when they are convicted of willfull
the Protestant Clergy abuse the layty and illiterat people making 〈◊〉 believe that in all ages there hath bin a Church teaching and professing the Protestant doctrin and because some of the hereticks to 〈◊〉 â—â—ckleffians Hussits 〈◊〉 Lollards whom he names Martyrs and witnesses of his Evangelical truth were condemned not 〈◊〉 by the Church but by Acts of Parliaâ—â—nt he tellâ—â—h you that though the statuâ—s 〈…〉 persons preaching divers sermons 〈◊〉 herelies 〈◊〉 doctrin and 〈◊〉 errors to the blemish of Christian faith c yet notwithstanding whosoever readeth histories and the 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 see these to be no false teachers 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 c. and to have taught no other 〈…〉 then now 〈…〉 their own preachers in 〈…〉 And 〈…〉 Sr John 〈…〉 is produced by Fox as a witness for the Protestant 〈◊〉 and a chief member of that Church and he in his professiâ—◠〈◊〉 faith said 〈…〉 Church I believe to be divided into three sorts or companâ—â—◠〈…〉 now in heaven c. the second sort are in 〈…〉 of God and a full deliveraâ—â—e of paine The 〈…〉 earth c. Iohn Fox to this speech of Purgatory addeth 〈◊〉 parenthesis of his own as if it had bin part of Oldcastles profession of faith if any such 〈…〉 Scriptures fearing his Reader might take notice how Sr. 〈…〉 was no Protestant And such frauds he vseth in most other occasions as you may see in the three Converâ—â—â—ns of England writ to confute his acts and Monuments and from whence we have borrowed most of what hath bin sayd concerning Fox and his Martyrs Now we will treat of others no less fals and deceitfull in maintaining the Protestant Religion SVBSECT III. Doctor Chark's falsification of St. Austin and how he excuseth Luther's doctrin of the lawfulness of adultery and incest DOctor Chark was so great a pillar of protestancy in Q. Elizabeths days that he was thought the fittest man to dispute against learned Campian in the Tower but 〈◊〉 behaved himself in that occasion very insolently ignoâ—â—â—â— and vncharitably he writ a â—ook in answer to the 〈◊〉 which was published of himself Luther Calvin Beza 〈◊〉 â—any other falsifications of Mr. Chark to defend 〈◊〉 Protesâ—â—nt doctrin his adversary objects pag. 122 â— that 〈…〉 St. Augustin's Text about the doctrin of conâ—â—â—scence where the Censure had alleadged besides the Testiâ—â—ny of many other Fathers one most plain out of that great 〈◊〉 saying concupiscence is not sin in the regenerate if consent 〈◊〉 yeelded vnto her for accomplishment of vnlawfull works Mr. 〈◊〉 alleadgeth another authority out of St. Austin in the same 〈◊〉 that doth as he says expound his meaning for thus 〈◊〉 writeth Augustin's place is expounded by himself afterward saying concupiscence is not so forgiven in baptism that it is not sin 〈◊〉 that it is not imputed as sin where the word sin in the first place is put in by Mr. Chark for that St. Austin's words are Dâ—â—itti Concupiscentiam carnis in Baptismo non ut non sit sed ut in peccatum non imputetur quamvis reatu suo jam soluto manet 〈◊〉 Concupiscence is forgiven in Baptisme not so that it is not or remain not in the regenerat but that it be not imputed as SVBSECT IV. Falsifications of Cranmer and Peter Martyr against Transubstantiation and the Sacrifice of the Mass c. AFter that Cranmer had bin publikly convinced both by Scripture and Fathers 〈◊〉 his disputation at Oxford â—s will appeare to any that will read even his friend 〈◊〉 concerning that subject the Catholick disputants objeâ—â—ed falsifications and corruptions of his in the Books which 〈◊〉 had composed against the real presence one was that wheras 〈◊〉 Martyr who flourished in the beginning of the second 〈◊〉 answering to them who sayd the Christians adored bread 〈◊〉 we do not take this for common bread and drink but like as â—â—sus Christ our Saviour Incarnat by the word of God had flesh and 〈…〉 Salvation even so we be taught the food where-with our 〈◊〉 and blood is nourished by alteration when it is consecrated by the 〈◊〉 of his prayer instituted by him to be the flesh and blood of the same Jesus Incarnat Cranmer thus translated the words of that ancient Father Bread water and wine are not to be taken as other 〈◊〉 and drinks be but they be ordained purposly to give thanks to 〈◊〉 and therfore be called Eucharistia and be called the Body and blood of Christ and that it is lawfull for none to eat and drink of them but that profess Christ and live according to the same and yet that meat and drink is changed into our flesh and Blood and nourisheth our bodys After Cranmer's confessing that the former Catholicks Translation was the right he excuseth his villany saying he did not translate Justin word by word wheras he set down all as Justin's words but only gave the meaning let any Protestant be Iudge whether he gave Iustin's meaning You have corrupted Emissenus saith Doctor Weston to Cranmer for insteed of cibis satiâ—ndus that is to be filled hath pro omni paena for all pain your Book omitteth many things there Thus you see Brethren saith Doctor Weston the truth stedfast and invincible you see also the craft and deceit of hereticks And thus concludeth Fox himself the disputation with Cranmer Doctor Chedley did also object to Cranmer his corruption of St. Hillaries words putting in vero sub Mysterio for verè sub mysterio by which the whole sense was altered because verè sub mysterio sheweth that we do truly receive in the mystery of the Sacrament Christ's flesh and blood and vero sub mysterio proves only the reality or verity of a Sacrament or a mystery not of the body and blood of Christ. To this after many excuses Cranmer answered that the change of one letter for an other was but â— small matter But Weston told that Pastor was a Bishop and â—â—stor a Baker and yet there was but one letters change As for Peter Martyr's falsifications they appear sufficiently 〈◊〉 the places themselâ—â—â— which Fox alleadgeth for him out of 〈◊〉 or twelve Fathers in his disputations at Oxford an 1549. wherof the reader will scarce find one truly cited in all respects but that either the words next going before or immediatly following making wholy against Protestants are purâ—â—sely left out and others put in or mistranslated as hath bin evidently demonstrated part 3. c. 19. 20. 21. of the â—â—eatise of the three conversions of England and therfore we â—â—â—â—eare what every one may see in a Book no less obvious then profitable SECT VI. How some Protestant 〈◊〉 in Q. Elizabeths time seing their fellowes were proved Falsifiers waved the Testimonies of the ancient Fathers and 〈◊〉 the others continued their former course of falsifying both Fathers and Councells THE discovery of Iewell 's 〈◊〉 other mens falsificatiâ—â—â— made some Protestant writers more wary and take an other course for defence
what they say in Controversies of Religion Had Luther Calvin Beza Kemnitius Melancton and Jewell bin as sincere in their writings against Catholicks as Canisius Coccius Bellarmin Gualterus Peron and Baronius are against Protestants we could not have discovered so many palpable falsifications in the later Protestant writers as our Books manifest to the world wherof I have sayd more J fear then my Readers will have patience to peruse Yet I shall entreat them for the Conclusion of this matter to permit me to mention somewhat of Luther's and Calvin's sincerity the two chief Apostles of the Protestant Reformation and of two others the most eminent Prelats and writers of the Church of England Usher and Laud one called the Irish Saint the other the English Martyr When such Primats are proved Falsifiers we need not examin further the writings of the Inferior Clergy and petty Ministers but remit the â—ealous defenders of their sincerity to such Books as discover their frauds and are easily found wherof we have given heretofore a Catalogue SECT XI Calumnies and Falsifications of Luther Calvin Archbishop Laud and Primat Vsher to discredit Catholick Religion against their own knowledge and conscience LUther in postilla ad Evang. Dominicoe Annuntiationis saith Among the Papists every one maketh recourse vnto Mary expecting from her more favour and grace then from Christ himself Calvin saith every Papist hath chosen peculiar Saints to whom he hath devoted himself as to so many helping Gods 〈◊〉 are their Gods now according to the number of their Cittyes as the Prophet vpbraided the Jsraelits but according to the number of their very persons This our Popish Babylon saith Luther hath so far extinguished faith in this Sacrament of Pennance as with a shamless forehead she denyeth faith to be necessary nay further she hath with an Anti-christian impiety defended that it is an heresy if any man affirme faith to be necessary His Scholler Philip Melancton saith the same The School-Doctors have foolishly and wickedly taught that sins are forgiven without faith Without doubt the illiterat Protestants who all take Luther to be a Saint at least do not believe him to be an Jmpostor question not but that Roman Catholicks are such men as Luther Calvin c. describe them and will not so much as turn to the Councell of Trent or to any other Book where our Tenets are to be found there they might see that we hold faith to be the beginning and foundation of man's saluation and the root of all Justification without which it is impossible to please God c. And in him that doth repent it is of necessity that faith go before pennance Concerning the necessity of Grace Luther saith The Papists do teach that a man may keep the Commandements of God with the proper forces of nature without God's grace Concerning the immortality of the soul he saith The Papists at this day do not believe at all the Immortality of the soul. And again in the Lateran Councell that was celebrated in the year 1515. in time of Pope Julius it was first of all known and decreed that the resurrection of the Dead was to be believed Of this wicked Friars corruptions of Scripture see Zuinglius tom 2. ad Luth. de sâ—c fol. 412. and many more Authors As for Fathers and Councells he did not value them so much as to trouble himself with falsifying or corrupting their writings though sometimes to impose vpon illiterat people that the holy Fathers were hereticks or ignorant he endeavors in his writings to discredit their persons and condemn their doctrin See what he sayes of them hertofore part 1. 2. SVBSECT II. Of Calvin's calumnies against Catholicks and their Doctrin MR. Walsingham in his search pag. 152. acknowledgeth he had such an opinion of Calvin's Sanctity and sincerity that having read in his Institutions cap. 11. lib. 1. That in the first 500. years after Christ there were never any Images in Christian Churches both himself and other Ministers did often alledge the same as a certain truth to such as knew less then themselves but perceiving that the Papists laughed at them for it he began to doubt and after examination of twenty Authors or witnesses within the first 500. years which Coccius citeth against Calvin he found them truly cited and Calvin a Lyar. How litle Calvin valued the practise or doctrin of the ancient Church he declareth lib. 3. Instit. c. 5. § 10. where he saith when the adversaries object against me that prayer for the Dead hath bin vsed above 1300. years I ask them again by what word of God revelation or example it 〈◊〉 bin so vsed c. But the very old Fathers themselves that prayed for the dead did see that herein they wanted both Commandment of God and lawfull example So as 〈◊〉 accuseth all the holy Fathers because they were Papists of superstition In all the Hymns and Litanies of the Papists saith Calâ—â—â— there is never any mention of Christ but wheras always they pray to dead Saints the name of Christ never occurreth And yet this Impostor could not be ignorant that our Litanies begin Kyrie eleison Christe eleison Lord have mercy â—pon us Christ have mercy vpon us Christe audi nos Christe exaudi 〈◊〉 c. And our hymns he knew were made by St. Ambrose St. Gregory Prudentius Sedulius and other ancient Fathers and conclude Gloria tibi Domine qui natus es de Virgine c. In the very same Book and Chapter Calvin affirmeth that is the third Councell of Carthage wherin St. Austin was present it was forbiden that we should say Sancte Petre ora pro nobis which is fals it was indeed decreed Quod cum Altari assistitur semper ad patrem dirigatur Oratio That when the Priest did assist at the Altar he should offer his prayer and sacrifice to God the Father The Papists do shamefully and impiously define saith Calvin that dayly pennance must only be don for venial sin As though we taught that for mortal sin pennance was not necessary Jn the same place he saith the Papists speak not at all when they treat of pennance of the internal renovation of mind which bringeth true amendment of life and again ibid. 29. they hold that they are reconciled once only by the grace of God when they are Baptised post Baptismum resurgendum esse per satisfactiones but after baptism a man must rise again from sin by satisfactions Wheras this impudent fellow knew well enough that we hold all rising from sin or reconciliation vnto God whether before or after baptism must be by Grace and that satisfactions only are for temporal punishments after the guilt of sin is remitted by Reconciliation In his institutions l. 4. c. 7. he saith that Pope Iohn 2â— affirmed mens souls to be mortal and to perish together with the Body vntill the day of resurrection which calumny we have confuted hertofore In the same
these are his words and concealed by the Bishop who also striks out of Vincentius Lirin other words wherby it did appear what a kind of keeper the Church is of the truths deposited with her and how litle danger there is of corrupting the old or admitting of new doctrin The Bishop pag. 38. sets down the sentence thus Ecclesia depositorum apud se dogmatum Custos c. Denique quid vnquam Conciliorum Decretis enisa est nisi vt quod antea simpliciter credebatur hoc idem postea diligentius crederetur c. But in Vincentius Lirinensis It is thus Christi vero Eoclesia sedula cauta depositorum apud se dogmatum Custos here first he skips over these two words sedula cauta diligent and wary because they spoiled his plot of persuading us that the Church might by negligence of its Pastors be insensibly changed and corrupted To the same intent he conceales with an c. the rest that followes which would have cleered all and left no room for the Bishops fraud for Vincentius Lirin his words are But the Church of Christ is a diligent Depositary or Keeper of the truths committed to her never changes any thing at all in them lessens nothing adds nothing nether cuts away things necessary nor adjoyns things superfluous neither looseth what is hers nor vsurpes what belongs to others Let any Christian or honest Pagan Iudge whether these words be not Diametrically contrary to what the Bishop pretends vnto in this passage viz. suspition and possibility of the Churches adding novitia veteribus novelties to the old doctrin of making a change of that faith she first received from Christ and his Apostles and of becoming Lupanar errorum which this good man and holy Martyr sayes he is loath to english and yet leaves out cuts and corrupts the Latin text of set purpose to fix vpon Christs Espouse the greatest infamy How Bp. Laud falsifies Occham to infringe St. Austins authority concerning the infallibility of the Church in succeeding ages as well as in that of the Apostles and is forced by his error to resolve his prelatick faith into the light of Scripture and the privat Spirit of Fanaticks which he palliates vnder the name of grace and therby warrants all rebellions against Church and state AN act of divine faith must be prudent that is men are not bound to believe any article therof v. g. that Scripture is the word of God vnless there evidently appear prudent and sufficient motives to exclude all moral possibility that any but God is the Author of the doctrin proposed to be believed These motives of credibility we call the signs of the Church and are the miracles of Christ and his Disciples sanctity and succession of his doctrin and Doctors Conversion of Kings and nations to christianity c. These signs or motives of credibility though they do not evidence demonstratively that our faith is true or that the Church or Congregation of men wherin they be found is the Catholick yet they demonstrat an obligation in us of believing it as we have proved elsewhere in so much that if no such signs or motives of credibility had bin none would be bound to believe any point of Christian Religion with certainty of faith and therfore St. Austin sayd he would not believe the Scripture had he not bin moved therunto by the authority of the Church because Scripture of it self hath no sufficient arguments and signs to ground a prudent and undoubted belief of its being the word of God but the signs and motives of credibility invest the Church with sufficient authority to declare both that and all other mysteries of faith and to make our Ecclesiastical Ministery and Mission more authentikly divin then any Regal Commissions or human Badges can set forth the truth and dignity of Ministers of state and officers of war Therfore as not to believe or to contemn men so qualified when they command in the Kings name is by the light of reason and consent of all nations judged obstinacy and rebellion not to be excused by pretending ignorance or want of greater evidence then those vsual signs of their employments afford so must it be obstinat heresy not to believe that what is proposed by the Church qualified with the aforesaid signs is revealed by God This supposed the main Controversy between Protestants and Catholicks is about the resolution of Christian faith for though both parties pretend that they believe because God revealed to the Prophets and Apostles the Mysteries of faith yet we say that Protestants can not shew how it may be prudently believed that Christ preached or revealed any such doctrin as is pretended vnless it be acknowledged that the Church of every succeeding age was and this present is as truly and realy though perhaps not so highly quoad modum infallible in delivering the Apostles doctrin as the Apostles were in delivering that of Christ. We do not say that Tradition or the Testimony of the Church confirmed by the foresaid signs is the prime motive and last resolution of faith but that the Tradition and Testimony of the present Church is infallible to the end it may infallibly apply the prime motive which is Gods veracity to vs and we prudently assent thervnto But the Bishop denying this is driven with Presbyterians and Fanaticks to an inbredâ—light of Scripture and to the privat Fanatick spirit with this only difference that where they say they are infallibly resolved that Scripture is the word of God by the Testimony of the Spirit within them his Lordship pag. 83.84 averrs he hath the same assurance by grace And because we object and admire that no Catholick could ever perceive this inward and inbred light of Scripture wherby all Protestants pretend they are assured it is the word of God he concurrs pag. 86 with Fanatitks in telling vs that blind eyes can not and pervers eyes will not see it It s strange his Lordship did not foresee the sad effects which this Protestant principle and presumption wrought against himself and his Prelatick Church within a very short time after he writ this doctrin and applyed the same against the Roman Catholicks He might be sure it would be retorted against the Church of England for why may not every Protestant Sectary pretend that the Prelatick Church of England is as blind and pervers in not seing the light of Scripture as Luther and Laud pretend the Roman Catholick is It is but every particular mans fancy and word no other proof is required by Protestants nor indeed can any better be produced to make good that so many honest and learned searchers of Scripture as have bin and are in the Roman Catholick Church can not or will not see the pretended light of Scripture so largely diffused among Protestants and distributed to every Fanatick Presbyterian and Prelatick whose faith can not be maintained without this rash judgment and most dangerous
who began and perfected the reformation were grosly mistaken and themselves misled in one of the most essential points of Christianity and in one without which there can be no Church Had the dispute between them and us bin about conveniency of disciplin or decency of Ceremonies a change in such things alterable according to the circumstances of time place and persons might be pious and prudent because it might take away occasion of cavills but to alter the essential forms of Priesthood and Episcopacy and to add therunto now after a Century of years words which hitherto wanting concludes the Nullity of their Church and Clergy must rather augment the doubt then avoyd the cavil If they were satisfied of the validity of that form wherby themselves since Ed. 6. vntill this present had bin ordained what needed any addition of Priesthood and Episcopacy which we argued and they denyed to be wanting did they imagin that such an addition would end the dispute I believe it hath for it is an acknowledgment that our exceptions were well grounded but why should they give vs this advantage J fancy they have hopes that some other Spalato will Apostatize and then by this new vndoubted form make them real Bishops Yet that will not serve their turn their want of spiritual Jurisdiction makes their caracter vseless and want of jurisdiction together with their errors in Doctrin doth vn-Church a Congregation as well as want of Orders As this want of ordination renders them incapable of the Benefices and Bishopricks which they enjoy so their corruptions of Scripture and Falsifications of Councells and Fathers make them vnworthy And he can not be a true Christian that will stick to their interest after that he is informed of the nullity of their calling and of the falshood of their doctrin Wherfore it will not be in the power of any prelatick polititian to make himself popular vpon the score of patronizing such a cause or Clergy against Liberty of conscience or Conferences and the Prelatick caracter and disciplin is to all other Protestant parties as odious as our late distempers have evidenced The only objection now remaining is that Presbyterians and other Sectaries will take the advantage of an Act for Liberty of Conscience or even for a change in Religion in case the Parliament should resolve vpon it for crying down of Monarchy But as we said t' is well known these Sectaries either desire Liberty of Conscience or their animosity is as great against Prelatick Protestancy as against Popery and if now they be kept in obedience and aw of the government the King and Parliament will be better able hereafter in case of any such liberty or change to keep them to their duty by the addition of the Church revenues then they are at present Besides it is very certain that among those Sectaries many are moral and conscientious persons and would conform to the truth of the Roman Catholick Religion had they bin rightly informed and the Tenets therof had not bin rendred odious and ridiculous by the impostures of Protestant preachers and the vulgar errors of a homly education all which obstacles will be easily removed if Catholicks have liberty to speak and reason for themselves So that considering the influence which Truth alwayes hath vpon honest dispositions such as our English are and the prejudice which all men retain against falshood when it is discovered and it is not their interest to promote it I see no danger of drawing the people into a Rebellion vpon the account of Liberty of Conscience or of opposing a change from Protestancy into the old Religion especialy seing the generality may hope thereby to see the Church Revenues lawfully and legaly applyed to their own ease and against all disturbers of the peace and Trade of these Nations Let us therfore have a fair Trial and conference in order to Liberty of Conscience and then judge of the truth and sincerity of both Clergys and of both Religions Notwithstanding the evident conveniency of this humble proposal I fear we do in vain flatter our selves with the hopes of a publick Conference We are inclined to believe what we wish for notwithstanding that former experience and our learned Adversaries knowledge of so cleer evidences on our side casts vs again into despair Did the busines depend of the vote of the whole multitude of the Protestant Clergy we might assure our selves of a conference because many of the ordinary Persons are honest and most so ignorant that they believe themselves to be in the right way of saluation for they take all that Bishop Jewell and Iohn Fox say for truth never examining it further But the Bishops and great Doctors are of another stamp I fear their guilt of conscience will busy them in opposing all Treaties and Trials of Truth and yet methinks not any one thing should render them more suspected of fraud and falshood then so vnreasonable an opposition 1. Because it argues diffidence of their cause 2. Because their Church being confessedly fallible and by consequence vncertain of the truth they ought not to refuse any means wherby men may be further informed therof Though we Papists believe the Roman Catholick Church infallible in matters of doctrin yet whensoever our Adversaries desire to conferr about Religion their Request is granted nay the Councell of Trent how ever inconsiderable Protestants make it invited all the learned Protestants of the world to propose therin all their doubts and difficulties offering all safety and civility to their persons And though the infallibility of our Church be not consistent with a submission of our faith to the judgment of a Third in point of doctrin yet that prerogative doth not debarr us from submitting ourselves in matter of fact and falsifications to a fair trial of indifferent persons As for the Pope and general Councells not submitting to a Third in controversies with Protestants it is no pride but a prerogative of all supreme Magistrats whether spiritual or temporal as our Adversaries confess and contest to be reasonable when their own Bishops deal with Non-conformists and all Lay Soveraigns must maintain the same when they treat with their revolted Subjects which Subjects are judged very vnreasonable if they refuse to treat with their King of grievances vnless he submits the controversy to the decision of a Third and much more intollerable if no competent Third were to be found as it is in our case vnless we think that Turks Iews or Pagans are fit men to judge of Christian Religion Wherefore if the Church of England thinks it unreasonable that her Sectaries should not conferr with prelatick Divines unless they have it under the seal and powers of Canterbury that the Arch-Bishops or the Convocation will submit to the judgment of a Third I understand not how Arch-Bishhop Laud could exact the like condition from the Pope or a general Council before Protestants would confer with Roman Catholicks The other reasons alledged
A holy life and conversation if not confirmed by supernatural signs is not sufficient to canonize a Roman Catholick Saint because hypocrisy may deceive all human observation and outward appearances of morality are no infallible evidence of the internal acts wherby men are justifyed and wherof God alone is witnes and Iudge and therfore before his declaration and approbation of the persons true sanctity by working vndoubted miracles none can be honored by the Church as his faithful and beloved servant In the inquiry and examination of witnesses concerning the truth of miracles the care and caution of the Bishops and other officers is no less then the importance of a matter wherin the credit not only of themselves but of the whole Catholick Church is concerned and therfore the quality and capacity of the Jnformers and Jnquisitors is considered as well as the nature and circumstances of the miracle and the judgment of able Physitians when it is a cure demanded least some natural accident or art might pass for a supernatural miracle And this not only of late hath bin the practice of the Church but continualy since the primitive times as you may read in St. Austin Breviar Collat. di 2. cap. 14. who also de oper Monach. c. 28. reprehendeth some vain and wicked Monks that for filthy lucre carried about fals or doubtfull reliques of Martyrs But the Church always provided Antidots against such Jmpostures witnes the 14. Canon of the 5. Councell of Carthage against revelations and Reliques not approved of and St. Gregory the Great in his letters to St. Augustin our Apostle of England ep 9. And Innocent 3. in the Councell of Lateran c. 2. And if the same be not exactly observed in these British Kingdoms it must be attributed to the want of the States permission to the Roman Clergy for exercising that power which Catholick Canons give them over such as pretend to be Miraculists Prophets or to have revelations c. Where the Roman disciplin and doctrin is obeyed there are officers or Jnquisitors appointed whose duty it is to inquire after and examin the life doctrin and conversation of such as pretend to have supernatural gifts and extraordinary illuminations or to work miracles which none dares to allow for true much less print or publish vntil the fact and circumstances be maturely examined by the Bishops and their Divines or by the Jnquisition Whefore all these diligences being applyed in so many different and distant places by indifferent and eminent persons it is as impossible the miracles returned by them as authentick should be counterfeited as it is that such men no way related either among themselves or to the person of whose life and conversation they inquire and inform should conspire to discredit and damn themselves for an imposture that can not be concealed and wherby they are to expect no benefit but the loss of their benefices dignities perpetual imprisonment and infamy No marvel therfore if it was never heard that any one miracle related in the process or Bull of any Saints Canonization was found to be fals or as much as contradicted by any credible Testimony so wary and circumspect the Church hath always bin as also the Congregation of Cardinals and Prelats to which that charge is committed Besides some miracles are not only credible by relation and Tradition but so visible and permanent even to this day that they need no proof but eyes and will to see them Such are divers Bodys of Saints preserved from corruption not by Egyptian Mummies or human art but by divin power Such is to omitt many others that most stupendious miracle of St. Ianuarius Martyr and Bishop of Beneventum whose blood kept in a Vial of glass at Naples is congealed and looks dull and dry like earth but when in the festival of the Saint or at other times it is carryed in procession or layd on the Altar at Mass together with the head it is liquified and dissolved in such sort that it seemeth to boil and assume a lively and fresh colour This happens every year and never faileth but when some great and general calamity doth immediatly ensue and fall vpon the City and Kingdom of Naples By this permanent miracle which every Protestant Traveller may see is confirmed our Roman Catholick Religion in general and in particular the Sacrifice of the Mass Transubstantiation prayer to Saints and the worship of their Reliques Other miracles there are so credible in regard of the Testimony and Tradition wherby they are delivered to vs and of other remarkable circumstances that no man in his wits can deny the fact though Protestants dispute the power whether it was a divin or diabolical But when the miracle exceeds the Devils power then they are puzzeld and troubled As for example Father Marcello Mastrilli a noble man by birth and a Jesuit by profession was struck in the temples of the head by a weighty hammer that fell from a great height and in that condition was carried from the work wherof he was Overseer to his bed where he lay without sens or motion for some days vntill the houre of his approaching death to the great grief of all the nobility of Naples his friends and relations who came to the Iesuits Colledge of that City to see this sad spectacle and the next day to the Church to assist at his funeral the Altars having bin the night before covered with black for that his brethren were to say the mass of the dead for his soul after that the Physitians and Chyrurgions had given him over and judged he would expire before the next morning Some noble men who came early to the Colledge rather to pray for his soul then to inquire of his health were surprized to see him saying Mass at the Altar and could not credit their eyes vntill they were informed of the admirable means wherby he was rather revived then recovered The manner was this Jn the dead of the night the Fathers that watched with â—ying Mastrilli observed that he not only moved and turned towards the wall but heard him speak wherat they were astonished a litle after he sate vp in his bed called for his cloaths pen and ink Then he writ with his own hand how at that instant St. Francis Xaverius Apostle of India China Iâ—pan c. and one of the first Companions of St. Ignatius Founder of the Jesuits had appeared to him in a pilgrims habit but very glorious and calling him by his name askt whether he desired to live and go preach the Roman Catholick Religion to Japan as he had formerly promised but could not persuade the Superiors to send him he being of a weak constitution vnfit for that labor and voyage Marcello answered that he resigned himself wholy into Gods hands to do what was most for his divin glory Xaverius then told him it was Gods will he should go to Iapan and shed his blood for his divin faith
all antiquity did believe and record 3. They may be ashamed of the first broachers of their Protestant doctrin against the worship of Images Iews Saracens and condemned hereticks who as Tarasius proved in the second Councell of Nice corrupted the holy Scriptures to assert their heresies But leaving these things we will mention a few miracles Eusebius and others in the Ecclesiasticall History relate how the woman that was cured by touching Christs garment Math. 9.21 returning home set vp for memory of this benefit the statue of Christ as also her own adoring him and that he himself had seen them and that an vnknown herb did grow at the bottom of Christs statue which so soon as it came to touch the garment of the statue did cure all diseases In the year 362. Iulian the Apostata vexed to see this statue worship't and the worship therof confirmed with so many miracles commanded the same to be thrown down and broken in peeces and sett vp his own in steed therof but his was immediatly destroyed by fire from heaven and the Christians gathering together the peeces of Christs statue placed it in the Church where it was as Sozomenus writeth vnto his time The honest Centutists against all truth of History not having the Authority of as much as one Writer thought by lying impudently to conceal the evidence of this miracle from the illiterat Protestants and some English have imitated their example in so shamfull an imposture saying that Christs statue not Iulians was destroyed by fire from heaven An other miracle you may read in the second General Councell of Nice produced by 350. Bishops as an vndeniable evidence against the heresy of the Image-breakers for the confutation wherof they were assembled and the miracle happened but some 20. years before The wicked Iews in the City of Beritus in Syria crucified the Image of Christ and peirced with a lance the side therof whence suddenly issued such abundance of blood and water that the Churches both of the East and West received reliques therof and with it all diseases were cured By so great and so many miracles those obstinat people were converted and the Church of God appointed a day to celebrat the memory of so notorious a favor And Athanasius a learned Bishop of that age writ a Book intituled De Passione Imaginis Domini The conversion of Iews to Christianity hath seldom bin effected without great miracles None can be moâ—e stupendious then that which St. Vincent Ferrer an 1412. wrought vpon their whole Synagogue in Salamanca wherinto he entred with a Crucifix in his hand on their Saboth and preaching with great fervor of that mystery On a suddain both men and women found white Crosses vpon their Cloaths which made such an impression in their hearts that they all were baptized and turned their Synagogue into a Christian Church which they called of the holy Cross. This Saint Vincent was a Dominican Frier whose preaching against hereticks and Iews God confirmed by miracles 38. dead were revived by his intercession he cured all diseases with the sign of the Cross holy water c. and was of so great esteem among Catholicks that when Martin King of Aragon dyed without issue the naming of a Successor was left to St. Vincent and all the Competitors acquiesced in his choice See all this in St. Antoninus tit 23. cap. 8. The chief Champion of Gods Church against the heresy of Image-breakers was St. Iohn Damascen and therfore was so much hated by the Emperor Leo Jauricus by whose tyranny and Decree that heresy was professed and the Catholicks persecuted at the instance of a Jew his Favorite that Iohn Damascen being in high esteem with the Prince of the Saracens at Damasco the Emperor by the means of Skilful scribes counterfeited his hand and sent a letter to the Saracen pretended to have bin writ by John Damascen to his Majesty inviting him to besiege Damasco and giving him assurance of assistance and good success Whereat the Saracen Prince was so enraged that he commanded Johns right hand to be cut off The Saint retiring to his Oratory and prostrated before an Jmage of our Blessed Lady beggd her intercession for the restitution of that hand which had bin employed vntill then in defending her sons honor and her own against the Iconoclasts and should continue for the future if restored in the same service Wherupon he seemed to sleep and had a vision of the Mother of God and when he waked found his hand joyned as it had bin formerly to his arm The Saracen Prince seing the miracle earnestly intreated him to remain in his Court But St. John Damascen retired to the desert and there writ the praises of our Lady and three excellent Treatises yet extant in defence of the worship of Images All which you may see more at large in his life writ by John Patriarck of Ierusalem and other Authors of those times Jn the Ecclesiastical History it is recounted by Zonaras how in the time that Leo Armenus persecuted Catholicks for worshipping Jmages his son Sabatius Constantinus who had bin dumb came to the statue of St. Gregory Nazianzen praying inwardly in his heart to the Saint that he might obtain of God the vse of his tong which immediatly God was pleased to grant There is scarce a Countrey or County where the exercise of Catholick Religion is publick which aboundeth not with Miraculous Jmages I will only at this time mention that famous miracle don at Sichem an 16â—4 Related by Iustus Lipsius and found to bee true by sundry Protestant Gentlemen attending on the Earle of Hartford Ambassador in Flanders who did see and conferr with the party cured and were satisfied by the publick and credible testimony given to them of the whole matter as followeth Iohn Clement whose Mother being at her delivery of him cut therupon died leaving behind her this her son lame from his Nativity and of a monstrous composition of body his thighes and feet were contracted and turned towards the forepart of his breast so as his knees did grow and stick thereto his body was round or spherical vnfit to stand ly or walk Having from his birth continued in this estate for 20. years and so known to the Jnhabitants of Bruxells and other places adjoyning he was moved in his mind to go to our Ladies Chappel in or neer the town in Brabant called Sicham where he had heard of many miraculous cures credibly published to have bin don Being come thither in a Wagon and having confessed his sins and received the B. Sacrament hee did in the end feel his contracted and bound feet to bee loosed and stretched forth so as presently he stood on his feet himself and the beholders being â—mazed therat Many such or greatet miracles have bin don at â—oreto Zaragoca Guadalupe c. Neither can they be denyed 〈◊〉 any who is not either very obstinat or ignorant Let the most precise and peevish Protestant
desired him at her death to remember her in his Sacrifice of the Altar Calvin saith it was but an old wives request which her son never examined according to the Scriptures and after his own privat affection would have the same approved by others As Calvin Luther and all the first Protestant Reformers contemn the Catholick Churches authority in matters of doctrin when it is contrary to their new interpretations and extravagant fancies of Scripture so do they and their Successors in that of miracles Jf any Miracles be recounted that confirm the mysteries which Protestants reject though delivered by the same Author and in the same book they must needs be old wives tales not duly examined c. And yet the foolish and fals stories of such a frantick and crackt-braind fellow as Iohn Fox was known to be and his Acts and Monuments shew him to have bin are credited by persons that have no other ground to beleive his fables and follies but their education in Protestancy and aversion to Popery His lies and simple storyes must pass for a true Ecclesiastical History notwithstanding that they are contradicted by all the Histories of the world and that many of his Martyrs were found following their trades after that he had described their torments and deaths very particularly and patheticaly his miracles in confirmation of protestancy and indeed his whole book are so ridiculous that I admire some Protestant zealots if they would have the reformation be thought a Religion do not suppress or reform the work He tells for a stupendious miracle that a stone fell from a ruinous building vpon Luthers stool after he had bin eased or weary of sitting vpon it An other that a multitude of German Clowns debauched Clergy men and libertins embraced Luthers reformation it being so indulgent to liberty sensuality and vice and that the Bishop of Rome and other Catholick Prelates Censures did not stop the violent cours and Torrent of their pervers inclinations He makes dreams revelations Merchants Expounders of the Apocalyps and not to seem partial how himself was made a fool by revelation But in steed of suppressing or correcting Fox his foolish Acts and Monuments the Protestant Clergy have reprinted that book divers times since his death with new comments chronologies and great commendations of the work every Parish Church is to have one and few privat families will endure the want of so great a spiritual treasure And though the Bishops know it is not only a very absurd piece but also the chief thing that makes Puritanism and Presbytery spread and so popular in England yet becaus it persuades the simple and vulgar sort that Popery is idolatry they countenance a book so prejudicial to themselves Our Catholick miracles are of a different nature and not related by such lying foolish fellows as Fox but by the greatest Saints and wisest men of Gods Church men so much esteemed for their vertue learning and judgment that Protestants themselves are ashamed to vndervalue their testimony in matters of faith and a fortiori ought to beleive them in matters of fact if they intend to believe any thing at all that is not mentioned particularly in Scripture I say particularly because Christ our Saviour assured us in generall as our Adversaries confess that miracles should continue in the Church forever as signs of the true belief Marc. 16. 20. Ioan. 14.12 2. Cor. 12.12 The Conclusion I have sayd as much as I think necessary for the information and instruction of such Protestants as desire to know the truth and do not find my conscience guilty of any one falsification in this whole Treatise And truly it were a great absurdity in me to commit wittingly that crime which J so much cry down in others Such mistakes as have crept into the printed book will J hope he attributed to the Printer or Transcriber I am sure I have bin so diligent in examining the quotations and assertions pro and con the Catholick cause that want of care cannot be objected and if there be no want of sufficiency in the work that commendation is not due to me but to the goodnes and evidence of the cause I maintain For what acutenes of wit is requisit to defend a Religion that never was impugned but by persons so leud and vnreasonable that at the very first appearance of their opposition they were condemned as hereticks by the whole visible Church that then was What profundity of judgment can be thought necessary to demonstrat that the ancient primitive letter and sense of Scripture ought to be preferred before the Devils interpretation therof embraced by Luther or before any new Canon and fancies of the like debauched fryers and Priests What litle learning is not more then sufficient to discover so palpable frauds and falsifications as the Protestant Writers practise to make their Reformations seem agreable to Gods word What Erudition is so mean that doth not surpass the history of one age or of Protestancy a Religion so lately sprung vp and raysed from the pride ambition liberty and lewdnes of the first reformers and confined to the Northern parts of this least part of the world How can such a Religion be Catholick either in length of time extent of Territories or Conversion of Nations Jts true that for the space of 100. yeares England hath bin so blind as not to see such gross errors but this misfortune was occasioned by their fondnes of Q. Elizabeth to make good her title to the Crown they separated themselves from the communion of the Church and when her interest vanished with her death and for want of posterity few were living after her long reign that observed the motives of her reformation most Englishmen beleived the changes she made had no relation to her illegitimacy but proceeded from pure zeal of the Ghospell Her new Clergy both then and eversince have endeavored to confirm the people in that persuasion by falsifying Scripture Councells and Fathers but the discovery of the frauds and the principles of Protestancy practised against the late innocent King have opend the eyes of many to discern the flaws of the Reformation and the fallacies of their own education And now that it is as much the concern of the whole Nation to tolerat the Roman Catholick faith as it was Q. Elizabeths interest to change it into protestancy I doubt not but that every particular persons ease in the addition of a revenue to the publick will excite both conscience and curiosity to examin whether the prelatick Religion and Clergy of England have not more of human invention then of divin institution And if after perusing this Treatise and proposing the arguments and instances therof to their learned Ministery no satisfactory answer can be given to the particulars wherwith their doctrin and function is charged to what purpose should men continue in mistakes so damnable to the soul and dangerous to the state But if the Protestant Clergy
the tendernes of her conscience was satisfied there could be no scruple of Sacriledge in applying with consent of the true owners ecclesiastical livings to pious and publick vses And now I hope I may conclude this Treatise with humbly desiring a Conference or examination of Protestant and Catholick books at least of one for each side let the quotations of Doctor Taylors Dissuasive be viewed and that book or any other writ against the Roman Religion stand for the Protestants sincerity t is like he writ nothing carelesly or rashly his declared drift being to make a whole Nation Protestants and professing himself to be only Amanuensis to a prelatick Convocation of reformed Bishops which in his Preface he compares with that Assembly of the Apostles wherin choyce was made of Iudas his Successor and sayes the lot of St. Mathias fell vpon himself and that some other like himself was Barnabas the just Jf this holy Convocation of Protestant Apostles should set forth a Book that hath more lyes then leaves I hope men may advise their friends to consider whether a Religion that cannot be maintained but by such men and means and a Clergy that practiseth such frauds and falsifications ought to be preferred before a Religion and Clergy that not only professeth as all others do to write truth but presseth to come to a publick trial therof in a â—egall way and rather then fail herein are content that the controversy be decided by them that are known to be most zealously devoted to Protestancy I do not instance Bp. Taylors Dissuasive from Popery for the Trial as if his falsifications to maintain Protestancy were more numerous or more enormous then those of other writers that have defended the same cause No. He is more waâ—y then many and more moderat then most of his predecessors or equalls But I instance his book to give my adversaries all the advantages that the learning of the Author and the Authority of a Convocation can afford Jf they have a better opinion of the sufficiency of Bishop Jevell then of Bp. Taylor they may fix rather vpon his Apology for the Church of England then vpon Doctor Taylors Dissuasive from Popery authorized by the Church of Ireland To Jevells Apology we oppose Harding Stapleton and Rastalls Answers To Taylors Dissuasive Worsley Lengar and Sergeants Annotations But if they refuse this offer as pointing but at two particular Doctors of their Church let them be pleased to have the truth of their Reformation and the sincerity of their whole Clergy examined by answering to the frauds and falsifications wherwith I charge their whole Church and calling in this book FINIS The Summe of this Treatise Containing the Substance of every Section THE FIRST PART Containing the Matter of Fact of the Beginning Progress Principles and effects of Protestancy SECTION I. HOw necessary a rational religion is for a peaceable government and wherin doth the reasonableness of Religion consist How dangerous for a temporal Soveraign to pretend a spiritual supremacy over his subjects Heathen Princes durst not assume it without a persuasion in their subjects that it was due by descent from some Deity or that the Gods signified their approbation therof by prodigies and miracles The great Turk notwithstanding his tyranny thinks it not policy to pretend a spiritual jurisdiction over his subjects though slaves The ground of policy piety and peace consists in establishing by law a Religion confirmed by miracles that such a Religion will make the Prince powerfull and popular the Prelats respected the people willing to obey and pay taxes It takes away all pretexts of rebellion vpon the score of a tenderness of conscience How necessary it is for the Government to have a devout Clergy and that Clergy at the Soveraigns devotion and Some of them emploied in State affairs Therby all disputes between the spirituall and temporall jurisdictions are prevented With how much reason Statesmen dread such disputes For the space of 1500. years the Catholick world believed that the Bishop of Rome had the supreme spiritual jurisdiction over souls as being Christ's Vicar vpon earth and that only such as were of his Communion and vnder his obedience were members of the Catholick Church and therfore the Greeks for exempting the Bishop of Constantinople and themselves from that obedience were declared Schismaticks others were condemned as Hereticks for teaching and professing doctrin contrary to the Roman Both the doctrin and authority of the Roman Bishops and Clergy hath been confirmed by vndeniable true miracles even here in England Jt was held to be the only Catholick doctrin in St. Gregory the great his time That faith which wee Roman Catholicks now profess is the same in every particular with that of St. Gregory and of all Orthodox Christians of his time and for confirmation wherof true miracles have been wrought SECT II. OF the Author and beginning of Protestancy The first Preacher therof was Martin Luther an Augustin Friar who from his youth had bin lianted by the Devil and presumed to have bin possessed He resolved to preach and write against the Mass praying to Saints and other Catholick Tenets after that the Devil had appeared to him and convinced him by Protestant arguments How weakly the Protestant writers endeavour to excuse Luthers disputation instruction and familiarity with the Devil Others acknowledge it and maintain that the Devils doctrin ought to be believed when it agrees with the Protestant interpretation of Scripture that is with every privat interpretation contrary to the sense of the whole visible Church How much it is against piety and policy to make the Protestant or any other privat interpretation of Scripture the Religion of the State or to preferr it before that of the Church and of the holy ancient Fathers quoted subsect 1. passim SECT III. OF the principles ad propagation of Protestancy How Luther begun his reformation by gaining Poets Players Painters and Printers to discredit by their Poems Pamphlets pictures and ballads the Roman Catholick Religion and its Clergy How he drew also many dissolute Friars and Priests to his side and married nine of them to so many Nuns in one day taking also one to himself How he made his reformation plausible to Libertins by teaching that only Faith was necessary for Salvation without troubling themselves with good works and popular by preaching that no Christian ought to be subject to an other and how therupon the Clowns and Tenants of Germany rebelled against their Princes and Landlords The three fundamental principles of Protestancy are 1. That for many ages the whole visible Church had bin in damnable errors and so continued vntill Luthers reformation 2. That there is no rule of faith but Scripture as Protestants are pleased to interpret it 3. That men are justified by only faith How from these principles have issued innumerable Protestant Religions contrary one to the other Luther did see his own reformation divided into 130. disagreing sects of
the examples of other Protestant Churches Whence followeth continual discontents and designs of the generality of these Protestant nations against their prelatick Clergy and the little esteeme and affection there is for the same Clergy among the reformed Churches abroad How vnsafe it is for the Prince and government to establish by law a Religion and Clergy so generaly hated and that acknowledgeth it self to be fallible in doctrin and therfore for all they know lead their flocks to eternal damnation Laws enacted to favor Religion ought to suppose not pretend to make the Religion reasonable Reason is the ground of human laws but human laws can not be the ground of Religion How dangerous it is to press too much the Act of vniformity against so great and zealous a multitude as the Sectaries are Their errors ought to be confuted with reason not rigor The prelatick Clergy whose spiritual Censures and authority ought to quash all dissentions doth cause the mischief and engageth the state in perpetual troubles for maintaining by force of law the improbability of their caracter and jurisdiction against the evidence of reason SVBSECT I. THe prelatick caracter and Religion is so incredible that few serious men in their judgments continue any long time Prelaticks By pretending a mean and moderation between Papists and Presbiterians the Prelaticks fall into manifest contradictions in defending their own caracter doctrin and disciplin How learned Protestants are forc't to confess that the Prince may force his subjects by laws to his Protestant persuasion and that every Protestant subject notwithstanding the Prince his prerogative hath a privat authority to judge of the Prince his Religion and is bound to stick to his own contrary judgment What great confusion this must occasion It is the nature of all Religions that give privat men liberty to judge of Religious controversies to cause such disorders How this inconvenience is prevented in the Roman Catholick One of the differences between it and the Protestant is that when Protestants rebell they do not violat the principles of Protestancy which makes every man Supreme in matters of faith and by consequence of state When Catholicks rebell they go against their principles that give no such supremacy or liberty Jn these last one hundred years there have bin more rebellions vpon the score of Protestancy then have bin since Christs time vpon the score of the Roman Catholick Religion In what sense the Roman Catholick is a growing Religion Whether it be policy to persecute a Religion that encreaseth against the rigor of the lawes and to promote a Religion that doth not encrease with all the helps of lawes and favors of the Prince The sanguinary and penal statuts are thought to be so vnjust even by Protestants that no honest and sober man thinks them fit to be put in execution Whether it be policy to continue such statuts All seditious persons begin their designs against the government with pressing the execution of the statuts and somtimes therby make the zealous and giddy multitude rebell Whether it were not piety and policy to repeal statuts that if put in execution make the nation and government infamous if not put in execution may occasion rebellion by reason of an indiscreet zeal in the giddy multitude Besides their being enacted to suppress the principles and destroy the persons of the Catholick party which maintained the Stevards right to the Crown ought to facilitat the repeal SVBSECT II. THe sanguinary and penall statuts of England against Catholicks can not be justified by the proceeding of the Inquisition or by laws and edicts of Christian Kings and Emperors against hereticks The first English Protestants acknowledged themselves to be hereticks when they petitioned to the Parliament 1. Ed. 6. for a repeal of all ancient statuts against hereticks not daring to preach and profess their reformed doctrin vntill the Parliament had condescended to their petition Queen Elizabeths reformation confirmed by Sanguinary statuts diametricaly opposit to primitive Christianity and therfore very strange that men so knowing as the English nobility and gentry should continue them or that persons so pious loyall and well bred should not either out of Christian charity to Catholicks or out of a dutifull civility to the Royal family that now reigns repeale laws enacted by Q. Elizabeth for ruin of the Stevards party and for excluding themselves from the Crown THE THIRD PART COntaining the conscience and conveniency of tolerating the Roman Catholick religion by Act of parliament proved by the little conscience of the Protestant clergy in maintaining Protestancy with frauds and falsifications and by the great inconveniencies this Monarchy suffers by pressing the prelatick and Protestant Religion vpon tender consciences SECT I. DEmonstrated that either the learned Protestant or the Roman Catholick Clergy are Cheats Proved by the impossibility of concealing the truth of Christianity and of the true Church otherwise then by the frauds and falsifications of either Clergy So manifest are the signs of the Catholick Church and so particularly mentioned in Scripture And as one of the two Clergyes are Cheats so either the Catholick or Protestant layty are damnably careless in matters of salvation Reasons why the Catholick layty can not be thought carless the Protestant may How easily the truth may be known and how the Protestant layty may be considerably eased from extraordinary taxes by informing themselves of the truth of Religion The impudency and impiety wherwith Bp. Ievell and the first prelatick clergy imposed Protestancy vpon this nation to favor Q. Elizab pretensions and to raise themselves from Pedantry to Peerage Proved by Ievells Challenge and Sermon at Paules Cross and by his and the Prelatick clergyes Apology for their Church of England pretending that the Catholick Church for the first 600. years was Protestant How this imposture was confuted by the Catholick writers and the Protestant writers forced to acknowledge their own error How the same imposture was again maintained by succeeding prelaticks and how vnsuccesfully How Taylor revived now again the same shamfull imposture and with how great infamy to his person and discredit to his cause The Protestant layty can not without committing a damnable sin give any credit to their Clergy in matters of Religion after so many and so manifest Discoveries of the frauds and falsifications wherby alone they defend Protestancy How a conference and Triall about this matter can not be conscientiously denyed nor the denyall stand with good policy SECT II. THe same further demonstrated and that there can be no reason to suspect the sincerity of the Roman Catholick Clergy SVBECT I. AND II. WHether it be charity to treat Cheats with ceremony when they are convicted of damning souls by frauds and wilfull falsifications And whether the first reformers of the English Church Cranmer and his Camerades ought not to be censured accordingly The frauds and wilful falsifications hypocrisy incontinency impiety and Atheism of the prelalatick Protestant Clergy in K. Edward
a ridiculous Church of Protestants he fancies and deduceth only from the time of Pope Innocent 3. and composeth of a rablement of all sectaries divided among themselves and dissenting also from Protestants Proved in particular instances of VValdenses Albigenses Wickleff and others His three simple Miracles of Luthers and how Fox describes a revelation of his own and how he was made a fool by revelation The Prelatik clergy recommend Fox his works to all Godly people though the learned of them know it to be a collection of frauds follies and fables SUBSECT I. IOhn Fox his Calendar of Protestant Saints In all 456. wherof Bishops Martyrs 5. and Cranmer the principal by him you may judge of the rest Bishops Confessors 1. Virgin Martyrs none Mayd Martyrs 3. Kings and Queens Martyrs and Confessors 1. Edward 6. Other men and women Martyrs 393 other men and women Confessors 57. The greatest disputers against the Catholick Bishops of these Martyrs were a Cook a Cowheard a Taylor a Blaksmith a millers wife a Cutlers wife and a married mayd So Fox calls her How madly these poor souls ran to the fire Fox his Martyrs were all fanaticks SUBSECT II. WIlfull falsifications committed by John Fox in his acts and monuments He falsifies St. Bede and an ancient english Synod to make them Quartodecimans and to favor the Protestant doctrin of divorces He falsifies also St. Antoninus to discredit Pope Gregory 7. alias Hildebrand and a Councell to favor the mariage of Priests The ancient Greeks and Latin Churches held the single life of Priests 120. lyes in three leaves of Fox his book and more in the whole then in Sleydans History though eleven thousand are gathered out of Sleydan by the German writers His censuring Acts of ancient English Parliaments for condemning Rebells and heretiks His falsifying Sr. John Oldcastles profession of faith to make us believe he was a Protestant in the point of Purgatory SUBSECT III. DOctor Charks egregious falsification of St. Austin and how falsly he excuseth Luthers doctrin of the lawfulness of Adultery and incest SUBSECT IV. ARch Cranmer and Peter Martyrs falsifications against transubstantiation and the Sacrifice of the Mass. SECT VI. HOw some Protestant writers in Q. Elizabeths time seing their fellows proved falsifiers waved the testimonies of the ancient Fathers and Councells and yet the others continued their former cours of falsifying both Fathers and Councells Of Whitaker Arch. Whitgift and Fulk How they contemn the Fathers and Church when they relate ancient condemned heresies that Protestants now profess Doctor Willet a great Impostor how impudently he falsifies taking God to witness he will speak nothing but truth it is the general custom of Protestant writers SECT VII FAlsifications and frauds of the prelatick and Protestant Clergy ever since the beginning of K. James his reign for continuing and maintaining Protestancy SUBSECT I. THeir corruptions of Scripture notwithstanding that the King commanded the English Bibles to be corrected They corrected some few things that gave advantage to the Puritans against Episcopacy leaving other corruptions as formerly Insteed of correcting their fals Scripture they forged new Registers How they falsify Scripture in the first commandement Exod. 20.4 and yet object against vs Catholiks that wee take away the 2. commandement How absurd this their objection is See also how they corrupt Scripture to humour K. James in the supremacy divers others Arch. Abbots and the Bp. of Glocester altered the true translation of St. Peters epistle to impugn Purgatory accused of this impiety by Sir Henry Savill that translated it rightly How they corrupt Scripture against prayer to Saints That Saints in heaven do hear our prayers proved by reason and authority Whether it be not more then credible that Arch. Abbots who falsified Scripture would forge Registers How vnreasonably the prelatick Clergy in their Dedicatory to King Iames set before the new translation of Scripture desire his Majesty to protect the same against the objections of Puritans and Papists SUBSECT II. OF Dean Walsinghams scruples and Search into matters of Religion and how by discovering the frauds and falsifications of his own Protestant Clergy he became a Roman Catholick The occasion of his doubts His memorial to K. Iames as being head of the church for satisfaction His reading of the Defence of the Censure and his judgment therof How that book proves Scripture is more cleare for Catholick Tenets then for Protestant of Dean Walsinghams appearance before his Grace at Lambeth his conference with Doctor Covell This Doctors fraud and folly in diverting Walsingham from the truth Of Dean Walsinghams third and fourth appearance before my Lord of Canterbury How he was abused and threatned by his Grace for desiring to know the truth Of the Knight of the corner Perkins and his persuasions How the Archbishop to be rid of a man that pressed to know the truth remitted Dean Walsingham to the Commissary of St. Albans and to others who gave him no satisfaction Of Bells libells delivered by the Arch-bishop to satisfy Mr. Walsingham His last appearance before the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and an assembly of Diuines How in their presence he produced the corruptions and falsifications of the Protestant books recommended vnto him by his Grace and yet neither he nor that assembly durst compare Mr. VValsinghams notes of frauds with the same books as Mr. VValsingham desired but dismissed him wishing he were far enough for discovering their cheat and the weakness of their Religion SUBSECT III. REflexions vpon Mr. VValsinghams Relation This like case and cheat doth happen as often as the Protestant Clergy observeth any conscientious person troubled in conscience through the vnreasonableness of their Religion A case of conscience concerning one millions of revennue proposed and desired it be decided by the Parliament and that some knowing person my Lord Chancellor be the Moderator of the conference for that purpose SUBSECT IV. A Relation of a Trial held in France about Religion How necessary the like is in England for the credit of Protestants and convenience of the state SECT VIII PRotestant falsifications to persuade that the Roman Catholick doctrin is inconsistent with the Soveraignty and safety of Kings and with civil Society between Catholicks and Protestants How the Protestant writers having bin worsted at Scripture Councells Fathers c now endeavour to defend Protestancy by reasons of state and become vnfortunat Polititians Divers falsifications touching this subject published by Morton Bishop of Duresm How he answers some objections with new lyes others whith laying the blame vpon the Archbishop of Canterbury and Dr. Stork c. To most objections he gives no answer The whole National Synod and Protestant Clergy concurr in an imposture concerning the sign of the Cross in Baptism against Roman Catholicks The Protestants falsifications of the Canon Law about deposing of Kings About cheating excommunicated persons About murthering and massacring Protestants Diuers falsifications to assert a spiritual Supremacy in Kings According to the
had bin members of Christ if any contradicts this sentence he is belieued not to be a Christian but an Eunomian or a Vigilantian S. Aug lib 3. c. 4. contra lit Petil chargeth and reproueth Petilian with his foul mouth he proceedeth to the dispraysing of Monks of Monasteries He also chargeth the Donatists Circumcellions with the same crime saying they use to say what meaneth the name of Monks shew where it is to be found in Scripture Aug. in Psalm 132. S. Hierom contra Vigillan c. 1. saith What do the Churches of the East What those of Egypt and of the Apostolick Sea Which receaue Priests either Virgins or Continent or if they haue wiues they cease to be husbands S. Epiphanius haer 59. But you will tell me that in some places Priests Deacons and Subdeacons haue children But that is not according to the Canon but according to mens minds c. S. Aust. de vnit Eccl. c. 12. reporteth the Donatists as heretiks for saith he they vsed to collect certaine places of Scripture ea detorquere in Ecclesiam Dei that it might seem to haue perished in the whol world And in Psalm 101. conc 2. relateth their words the Church hath apostatised and perished in all nations this they say who are not in the Church O impudentem vocem [g] Bishop Ieuell in his sermon at Pauls Cross and iterated challeng appeales for the truth and purity of the Protestant Religion to S. Gregory the great Bishop of Rome And so also doth Whitaker in respons ad Campian rat 5. pag. 50. in behalf of all the English Clergy his words are O Campian the speech of Jeuell was most true and constant when provoking you to the 600. yeares he offered you c. It is the offer of us all the same we do all promise and will be as good as our vvords which was to be Catholicks if any Father of the first 600. yeares wherof S. Gregory the Pope was named had any sentence in fauour of Popery Bishop Godvvin [h] in his Catalogue of the Bishops of England pag. 3. saith that blessed and holy Father S. Gregory was the occasion of replanting the Christian Faith in our Country The same in substance saith Whitaker c. contra Duraeum lib. 5. pag. 394. D. r Humfrey in Iesuitismi part 2. rat 5. pag. 624 Gregorius nomine quidem magnus re vera magnus Vir magnis multis divinae gratiae dotibus c. M. r Thomas Bell in his suruey of Popery pag. 187. termeth him S. Gregory surnamed the Great the holy and learned Bishop of Rome S. Damascen a Father of the Greck Church in Orat. de Defunctis saith Gregory Bishop of the more ancient Rome as all haue known as well for Holiness of life as learning excelent and famous Isidore de Scriptor Eccles. c. 27. saith Gregory Bishop of the Apostolick Sea of Rome c. was by the grace of the holy Ghost so greatly endued with light of knowledg as no Doctor of this present age or in tyms past was equal to him S. Gregories communion with the Bishops of Greece may be seene l. 4. epist. 56. vniversis Episcopis per Hollodiam c. l. 1. epist. 43. l. 4. epist. 7. Vniversis Episcopis per Illyricum d. l. 4. epist. 53. Episcopo Corinthiorum For the Patriarchs of Constantinople see l. 7. ep 64. Ioanni Episcopo Syracusano ep 65. For Africk see in l. 7. ep 30. l. 5. ep 60. His Epistles to Eulogius Patriarch of Alexandria and see l. 4. ep 3. l. 6. ep 32. Dominico Episcopo Cartaginensi item l. 6. ep 2. Columbo Episcopo Numidiae For Asia see his Epis. to Isicius Bishop of Hierusalem l. 9. ep 40. see further l. 9. ep 27. Maximiano Episcopo Arabiae In his epistle to the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch l. 6. ep 24.32 ep 24. [i] See Holinsheads Chronicle vol. 1. l. 5. c. 21. pag. 102. acknowledging how St. Austin Monck restored sight to one that was blind as Bede recounts it hist. l. 2 c. 2. whervpon the Britans present ther at acknowledged that his doctrin was true See Holinshead also pag. 100. and Mr. Fox Act. and mon. printed 1576. pag. 117. and Bishop Godwin in his Catalogue of Bishops pag. 4. see Holinshead also in his great Chronicle volum 2. pag. 108. 109. and Fox cit pag. 120. 121. [k] This letter of St. Gregor is extant in Bede hist. l. 1. c. 31. and mentioned by Holinshead pag. 102. [l] Dr. Humfrey in Jesuitismi part 2. rat 5. 627. [m] The Century writers of Magdeburg in their 6. Century cap. 10. col 748. and collecting elswher in the same Booke out of St. Gregories own writings by them cited his Popish Tenets They do in the Index of that 6. Century after the first edition therof at the word Gregory specially set down his supposed Popish errors as Mass Purgatory c. and particularly with his claim and exercise of Iurisdiction and Supremacy over all Churches col 425. usque ad 432. Concerning his other Popish doctrin see them c. 10. col 748.369.376.381.384.364 seqs 693. seq col 425. usque ad 432. [n] Carion in Chron. l. 4. pag. 567. seq [o] Luke Osiander in his Epitome Hist. Eccl. Centur. 6. pag. 288. seq 289. John Bale in Act. Rom. Pontif. edit Basil. 1558. pag. 44.45.46.47 Centur. 1. fol. 3. Fulck in his Confutation of Purgatory pag 333. Mr Willet in his Teâ—rasticon papismi pag 122. Osiander in Epitâ—m Centur 6. pag 290. [a[ Luther in his epist. to his father extant to 2. Wittemberg fol. 269. saith It seemeth that Sathan did forsee somthing in me of what he now suffers and therfore endeavoured to destroy me by incredible stratagems [b] Mallius Luthers own Scholler in loc commun pag. 42. 43. saith that always after the apparitions of firebrands in the night to Luther his head did ake grieuously And at Coburg one of these apparitions of three flying firebrands was so terrible that he was almost cast into a sound in prevention wherof oyle was distilled into his eare and his feet rubb'd with hott Cloaths c. [d] See Luthers words in Sleydan l. 13. fol. 177. [e] Luther in appellatione prima ad Leonem X. tom 1. Wittemberg fol. 219. [f] Luther apud Sleydan l. 13. fol. 177.178 [c] Cochleus a vertuous and learned man who lived with Luther many years and writ his life very exactly from year to year sets down therin as a known truth how that one day when the Ghospell Matthew 9. of Christs casting out a dumb and deaf Devill was read in the quire Luther fell down to the ground and cryed non sum non sum I am not and without doubt if Luther was possessed it was not by a dumb Devill [g] Sleidan l. 1. fol. 10. saith Martin Luthers Appellation from the Pope being contemned his offers despised looking for no more help nor health at the Popes hands
Aug. cit cap. 20. [3] Aug. cit 16. Concil Tolet. 1. Can. 5. Cyprian de Coena Dom. post med Origen in num hom 23. [4] Cyprian lib. 2. epist. 3. Augustin de Civit. Dei lib. 16. cap. 22. passim Aug. [5] de Civit. Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. lib. 20. contra Faustum cap. 18. Hieron lib. 3. contra Pelag. August tom 8. in Psalm 33. con 2. saith Ipse de Corpore et Sanguine suo instituit Sacrificium secundum Ordinem Melchisedech S. Chrisost. in lib. 1. cor hom 24. saith of Christ Ipsum mutavit Sacrificium et pro caede brutorum seipsum jussit offerri [6] Aug. in Enchirid. cap. 110. de cura pro mortuis cap. 18. [7] Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 10. cap. 20. Cyprian de coena Dom. [8] S. Ireneus lib. 4. cap. 32. August de gratia novi Testam cap. 18. [9] Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 17. cap. 20. S. Clement the Apostles scholler in Apost Constit. edit Antverp 1564. lib. 6. cap. 22. fol. 123. [10] Tertulian ad Scapul cap. â— saith Sacrificamus pro salute Imperatoris [11] Chrysost. hom 27. in Acta Apost Pro infirmis etiam sacrificamus [12] Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. saith one went and offered in the house infected the Sacrifice of Christs Body praying that the vexation might cease and by Gods mercy it ceased immediatly [13] Basil in Liturgia fol. 40. Chrisost. in Mart. Rom. 83. Cyprian de Coena Dom. prope initium Origen Athan. c. quoted by Crastonius cit [a] Osiander a Protestant writer epist. cent 16. pag. 90. saith Leonard Keppen on the 7. day of April 1523. brought to Wittemberg nine Nuns from the Monastery Nimptsen among which number one was Catharin Borenâ— whom afterwards Luther married Peter Martyr and Bucer married Nuns Luthers example of marriag was followed by all the Disciples though professed Monks not only in Germany but in euery other country Here with us these Protestant Bishops ensuing Hoopâ—r of Worcester Barlow of Chicester Dounham of Chester Scory of Herefort Barkley of Bath and Wells Couerdale of Excester all Monks Cranmer of Canterbury and Sandes of York Priests [b] S. Austin haeres 82. saith of Jouinian teaching the Lawfulness of Priests and Votaries mariage This heresy was quickly extinct neyther could it euer preuail to the deceiuing so much as of any one Priest And lib. 2 retrac cap. 22. that Jouinian with his heresy deceiued but only nonnullas Sanctimoniales some few Nuns But Luther deceiued Priests Monks and Nuns or rather they concurred with him to deceiue others [c] Luther de seculari potestate in tom 6. Germ. saith Among Christians no man can or ought to be Magistrat but each one is to other equaly subject c. Among Christian men none is superior save only Christ And in his Sermons englishd by William Gage pag. 97. and tom 7. Wittemberg fol. 327. he saith Therfore is Christ our Lord that he may make us such as himself is and as he cannot suffer himself to be tyed and bound by laws c. So also ought not the conscience of a Christian to suffer them Afterwards he taught to moderat this liberty by explaining that subjects ought to haue an obedience rather of policy then conscience which is as much to say as to dissemble and obey when they cannot help it but if euer they can rebell with probability of success they may do it with a safe conscience And therfore in the same Sermons pag. 261. he doth admonish we obey the ciuil Magistrat prouided it be not pretended that it is necessary for saluation to obey Most Protestants follow this obedience of policy not of conscience see Whitaker in resp at Rat. Camp rat 8. pag. 154. And Danaeus against Belarmin pag. 1127. [d] Luther in Comment ad cap. 2. ad Galat. saith When it is taught Faith in Christ doth indeed justify but with all its necessary to keep Gods commandments there Christ is denyed and faith is abolished because that which is proper of God alone is attributed to the commandements of God or to the Law See also Luther in Colloq Mensal Ger. fol. 152. 153. M. r Willet in his Synopsis Papismi pag. 564. saith The Law remaineth stil impossible to be kept by vs through the weakness of our flesh neither doth God giue vs ability to keep it but Christ hath fulfilled it for vs. D. r Whitaker de Eccles. pag. 301. We say that if a man haue an aâ—t of faith sins do not hurt him this truly Luther affirming this we all say Hofman de Poenitentiâ edit 1540. lib. 2. fol. 113. saith according to the Protestant principles Whosoeuer truly belieueth suffereth God to work for him and dispose eternall life for him himself taking no labor nor working any thing for himself [a] Lutherus lib. de servo arbitrio contra Eras. edit 1. Cnoglerus symbola tria pag. 152. nullus nemo G. 6 pag. 153. [b] The Catholik Doctrin of the Church of England pag. 103. in the explanation of the 20. article of Religion saith Authority is given to the Church and to every member of sound judgment in the same to judg in controversies of faith and so in their places to embrase the truth and to avoyd and improve Antichristianity and errors and this is not the privat opinion of our Church but the straight commandment of God him-self particularly to all teachers and hearers of Gods word and generally unto the whole Church and also the Iudgment of our Godly Brethren in forreign Countreys [c] Mr. Bilson Bishop of Winchester in his true difference c. part 2. pag. 353. saith The people must be Discerners and Judg. of that which is taught The Catholik Doctrin of the Church of England art 19. Proposition 6. pag. 94. saith The visible Church may and from tyme to tyme hath errd both in Doctrin and conversation pag. 95 concludeth This with us the Churches in their Confessions do acknowledg Dr. Whitaker de Eccles pa. 301. We say that if a man have an art of faith sins do not hurt him this truly Luther affirmeth this we also say [d] Jrenaeus l. 1. c. 5. saith Videmus nunc eorum inconstantem Sententiam cum sint duo vel tres quemadmodum de iisdem eadem non dicunt And c. 18. Cum autem discrepant ad invicem doctrina traditione qui recentiores eorum adnoscuntur affectant per singulos dies novum aliquid invenire c. Durum est enim omnium describere sententias Tertullian de Praescrip adv haer cap. 42. saith Mentior si non etiam a regulis suis variant inter se dum vnusquisque proinde modulatur quae accepit quemadmodum de suo arbitrio composuit c. Denique inspect haereses omnes in multis cum authoribus suis dissentientes deprehunduntur And see cap. 37. Chrystom oper imperfect in
as an essential requisit the vndoubted assurance of the truth of what is proposed by the Church as revealed by God and Protestancy necessarily supposing fallibility or possibility of error in that same Church and proposal Christian faith is ther by rendred impossible and the Protestant Doctrin demonstrated 〈◊〉 be inconsistent with the nature of Catholick Religion with the certainty of Divine faith and with the Authority of Christ's Church Neither is the Protestant doctrin in this particular less consistent with Christian charity and humility then with Catholick faith For what judgment can be more rash injurious and contrary to Christian charity then to assert that so many holy and learned Doctors as have bin and are confessed Papists and even the whole visible Church for the space at least of 1000. years could either ignorantly mistake or would wilfully forsake the true sence of God's word so cleerly shining in Scripture as every petty Protestant doth pretend or what is more repugnant 〈◊〉 Christian modesty and humility then that homely Doctors and half witted wits should preferr their own privat opinions in matters of faith before the common consent and belief of 〈◊〉 Fathers of the Church the Definitions of general Councels the Tradition and testimony of so many ages Jt is both a ridiculous and sad spectacle to see how every student of the University that hath learn'â— to conster 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 or to quibble or scribble some-what in Greek English or Latin takes vpon him to talk of Religion and to censure St. 〈◊〉 St. Austin St. Christom c. and contemn both ancient and modern Catholick Avthors preferring before the whole Church him-self and his Poâ—antick Tutors or Fellows of Oxford and Cambrige Collâ—gâ—s Nay the illiterat people even the women are grown to that height of spiritual pride an infallible 〈◊〉 of Heresy that they pitty our Popish ignorance and fancy they can 〈◊〉 with the Text of their English Bibles falsly translated and fondly interpreted the greatest Roman Divines So true is the saying of St. Hierom in Epist. ad Paulinum Scripture is the only art which all people teach before they have learn't The pratling woman the old doting man c. And therfore advers Lucifer bids men not flatter them-selves with quoting Scripture to confirm their opinions seing the Devill him-self made vse of God's word which consists more in the sense then in the letter How impossible is it to govern peaceably so pratling and presuming a Protestant multitude either in Church or state is too manifest by the last experiences in England wher the endeavours of reducing this Protestant arrogancy to some kind of reason was the occasion and object of the Rebellion King Charles I. and his Councel for attempting to make the inferiors subordinat to their superiors in doctrin and disciplin and the subjects obedient to the laws of the land were aspers'd as Papists and destroy'd as enemies to the Evangelical liberty of Protestancy and as subverters of the fundamental principles of the Reformation Popish rebellions happen because the Promotors therof fall from that fervor of their faith and devotion which they ought to practise but the English Protestant Rebellion was raised and continued by the most devout pure fervent and zealous sort of Protestants in persuance and maintenance of their Religion Other rebellions are commonly vnexpected chances springing from a sudain fury or feare of desperat people but the late Rebellion was and is to this day pretended by many to have bin a pious and sober proceeding the King's murther only excepted of the prudent and Religious men of the Nation assembl'd in Parliament and is so justifiable by the principles of Protestancy that he must be thought not only a wise but a fortunat King of England that can prevent or suppress the like revolution in his Reign so long as Protestancy doth reign with him The reason is as manifest as the experience and the cause as the effect For if a Common-wealth were so instituted that every privat person might pretend by his birth-right or Privilege to admit of no other Iudg or Interpreter of the laws but him-self or at least might lawfully and legaly appeale from all Courts of Judicature even from the highest which is the Parliament to his own privat Judgment what intollerable confusion would it breed what justice subordination peace propriety or prosperity could be expected in such a government The same laws and authority which ought to decide all differences would be the subject and occasion of perpetual quarrells This is the condition and constitution of Protestant Churches and States Every privat person is a supreme Iudg of Religion and sole Interpreter of Scripture he may appeale both from Soveraigns and Bishops from their temporal and Ecclesiastical laws to his own privat judgment or spirit and him-self must determin the difference and conclude whether the Decrees of Church and State be agreable to God's word that is to his own Interpretation therof which commonly is byassed by privat interest or some singular fancy of his own And though the Governors and Clergy of his Church and Country tell him he ought to suspend his judgment and submit the same to 〈◊〉 Parliament or to a general Councel not like that of Trent but to one composed of all Nations and Christian Congregations called by the joynt authorâ—â—y of all temporal Princes but in the mean time he must 〈◊〉 to the Decrees of the Church and state wherof he is a member when they inculcat this lesson vnto a zealous Protestant◠〈…〉 not so simple as to believe that they who read this 〈◊〉 speak as they think or that they believe any such general Councel is possible for that every 〈◊〉 knows temporal Princes will never agree about the President time place and other circumstances of such a Counceâ—â— and though they should and the Turck and other Infidels give way to such a sâ—spitious Assembly of Christians yet when they mâ—tâ— nothing could be resolu'd â—or want of their agrement in a 〈◊〉 of judging of controversies every sect â—â—icking to it 's own principles and proper sence of Scripture So thaâ— every Protestant vnderstands the design of this doctrin to be but a fetch of their own Clergy to make it-self in the mean time solâ— Judg of Religion contrary to the principles and privileges of Protestancy and therfore laugh at the folly of such a proposal and pretext We Roman Catholicks need no such Devices nor delays we are content to submit to such general Councels as may be had our Popes and Councels define according to the tradition and sense of Scripture of the true Church our Censures must suppose known causes and crimes and if with all these cautions the Pop's spiritual jurisdiction is thought to be so dangerous to the soveraignty of Kings and peace of subjects least forsooth it might be indirectly applyed to temporal matters that all Protestants vpon that score renounce the Papal authority with how much more reason