addeth in another place whosoeuer shall not receiue you nor heare your wordes Math. 10 15. going forth out of the house and citie shake of the dust from your feet Amen I say to you it shal bee more tolerable for the land of the Sodomits and Gomorrheans in the daie of iudgment then for that city Behold how straightly wee are charged to heare and beleeue Christs witnesses the pastors and Doctors of the Catholike church If wee do otherwise wee shal bee taken to despise Christ and to despise his heavenly father and shall find no lesse intollerable iudgment then did the stinking and abhominable Sodomites Moreouer the pastors of the Catholike church are not only Christs bare witnesses and Ambassadors but they bee also our spirituall governors Act. 20.28 Posuit vos Spiritus sanctus regere ecclesiam Dei The holie Ghost hath appointed you to gouerne the church of God If they bee our governors wee must obey them Hebr. 13.17 Obedite prepositis vestris subiacete eis Obey your Prelats and bee subiect vnto them hee that resisteth power Rom. 13.2 resisteth the ordinance of God And of all governors the spirituall that do represent our Saviour in a higher degree are most to bee respected Therfore more hainous is the offence of euerie one that doth obstinatlie withstand them then of others that withstande their temporall prince Math. 18.17 Qui ecclesiam non audiverit sit tibi tanquam Ethnicus Publicanus Hee that will not heare the church let him bee taken for a heathen and a publican whervpon there is commonly in all generall councels Anathema an excommunication and curse vpon all them that shall not beleeue all and euerie article of faith in the same generall couÌ„cell declared and determined which doth most manifestly demonstrate that any man who shall refuse to beleeue any one article of faith by the church declared to bee such is worthie to bee excommunicated that is to bee depriued of the societie of Christians in this world and consequentlie of the fruition of Christ in the world to come if they do not in time repent whence I gather this short argument hee that refuseth to beleeue Gods witnesses the pastors of his church and our spirituall governours in any one article of faith deserueth to bee condemned but they that hope to bee saued in their owne religion of whom wee now speake do refuse to bâ—leeue Gods church in some article or other of the Catholike faith therfore they deserue to bee condemned For the further explication of the great conveniencie and necessitie wee haue to beleeue and obey the Catholike church in matters of faith let is bee well weighed that it doth in manner as much import vs vpon whose credit wee beleeue anie thing as what wee do beleeue for such is the weaknes and vncertaintie of our owne Iudgment that wee neede nothing more then to haue an assured guid to coÌ„duct vs safelie in the high matters of divinitie which do farr surmount our naturall vnderstanding and capacitie Because as the Apostle discourseth divinelie faith is of hearing How shall wee then beleeue Rom. 10. without a preacher and how shall any man preach vnto vs without hee bee sent which is as much to say that without the helpe of some bodie sent from God to teach vs what wee haue to beleeue wee cannot beleeue aright wherfore it doth wonderfully much import vs to make right choice of this instructer for such as our guid and director is such is our faith If our guide bee blind wee following him shall blindly fall into the ditch with him If hee see cleare if he bee well aduised staid and certaine following him wee shall be assured to walke in the streight path For example The Turks beleeue in one God maker of heauen earth as wee do yet haue they not the true faith therof as wee haue because they haue not the same guid and instructer for that article that wee haue They be led to beleeue that by the credit which they giue to the ministers of Mahomet who out of his Alcaron teach them so to beleeue in God wee beleeue the same for that the Catholike church doth so teach vs in the first article of our Creed Ours is the act of true faith because wee are directed by the true church that cannot deceiue vs. The Turkes perswasion is no act of true faith for that hee taketh it on the credit of them that may deceiue him And do without doubt in manie other points deceiue him wherfore whether they do in this or no hee is vncertaine and consequently his persuasion being vncertaine hee cannot haue anie true faith which is certaine and without all peradventure In like manner the Iewes albeit they haue the old testament for their foundation yet being destitute of an vndoubtable directer and taking for their blind guides their Talmud and Rabbins are cleane voide of all true faith because their perswasion also relieth vpon them that may and do verie often misleade and beguile them For come to some other question of faith yea to the principall and ground of all the rest that is to beleeue Iesus Christ to bee the sonne of God and the true Messias and redeemer of the world The Turke not finding that in his Alcaron nor the Iew in the old testament according to the exposition of their Sinagogue do most blindly and obstinatlie refuse to beleeue it See then of what importance the direction of a true sincere guide is in all matters of faith wherfore it hath pleased the vnsearchable wisdome of our blessed Saviour to giue vnto all his faithfull servants for a most assured guide his best beloued spouse the Catholike church 1. Tim 3. the piller and ground of truth to whom hee being to depart out of this world bequeathed the holie Ghost to teach her all truth Ioh. 14.16 and that at all times vnto the worlds end I will aske my father and hee will giue you another Paraclete that hee may abide with you for euer Ioh. 16. when the Spirit of truth cometh hee shall teach you all truth Therfore it is great reason that wee should both acknowledge our blessed maisters carefull providence over vs in providing vs such a guide and also take our selues fast bound to obey the same holie church in all her declarations made to that purpose It is not then without exceeding great cause that all good Christians even from their infancy are taught to beleeue this that they neuer afterward faile therin And that they may the better remenber the same good lesson which doth so much import all men to learne perfectly they do from thence forth make dailie profession therof when they saie in their creed I beleeue the holie Catholike church That is I do not onlie beleeue that there is one holie Catholike church but I professe to beleeue what the same church doth teach mee to beleeue all and everie article of faith
sed etiam discipulo suo buius vocabuli gratiam non negauit dicens illi super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam portae inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam S. Augustin Peter did confessâ— Christ to bee the sonne of God and in that confession was called a rocke vpon the which Christ was to build his church Paulinus Christ is the rock and yet he denied not the grace of this name to his disciple peter saying to him vpoÌ„ this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Petrus Chrisologus Peter is the keeper of the faith Petrus Chrysolog serm 107. Petrus est custos fidei petra ecclesiae â—anitorque coelorum Leo hom de transfigurat Tantum in hac fidei sublimitate comâ—laâ—rit vt beatitudinis faelicitate donatus saâ—rae â—nviolabilis Petrae acciperet firmitatem supra quam fundata Ecclesia portis inferi â—â—ortis legibus praâ— aleret the rock of the church the porter of the heauens Leo the great Peter did so much please â—n the sublimity of this faith that hee being rewarded with the felicitie of blessednes receiued the holie â—ouÌ„dnes of an inuiolable rocke vpon which the church being founded doth preuaile against hell the lawes of death Gregor lib 6. regiâ— epist 37. Quis enim nescit sanctam ecclesâ—am â—n Apostolorum principu solidâ—tate firmatam qui firmitatem mentu traxit in nomine vt Petrus à â—â—tra 〈◊〉 â—retur Gregory the great who knoweth not the holy church to be setled in the soundnes of the prince of the Apostles because hee in his name hath drawen firmeness of mynd that of a roâ—ke was named Peter S. Isidore Simon Peter the sonne of Iohn Isidor de vita sanctorum cap. 69. Simon Petrus filius Ioannis frater Andreae Apostolorum princeps est pastor humani gregu petra ecclesiae Clavicularius regni c. Idem de officijs eccles lib. 2. cap. 5. In novo testamento post Christum sacerdotalis ordo à Petro Apostolo caepit ipsi enim primus pontificatus datus est in ecclesia Christi Sic enim loquitur ad eum dominus Tu es Petrus super hanc petram adificabo ecclesiam meam c. Prosper de vocatione gentium l. 2. cap. 28. Quis ergo ambigat quis ignorat hanc fortissimam petram Petrum qui ab illa principali petra communionem virtutis sumpsit nominis hoc desiderium habuisse c. the brother of Andrew is priÌ„ce of the Apostles pastor of the flocke of meÌ„ the rocke of the church Againe in the newe testament priestly order after Christ began of S. Peter for to him was giuen the chiefest byshoprick in the church of Christ for thus doth our lord speak vnto him Thou art Peter and vpon this rock I will build my church Prosper who can doubt that this most valiant rocke Peter who received of that principall rocke Christ participation both of name and vertue had alwaies a burning desire to die constantly for Christ Maximus this is Peter Maximus sermone 51. de Petro Paulo Hic est Petrus cui dominus communionem sui nominis libenter indulsit vt enim sicut Apostolus Paulus edocuit Petra erat Christus ita per Christum Petrus factus est petra dicente ei domino tu es Petrus supra hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam to whom our lord fauorably gaue the felowship of his own name for as the Apostle S. Paul teacheth Christ was the rock euen so by Christ Peter was made the rock our lord saying vnto him thou art Peter and vpon this rock will I build my church Lower I will not descend for these Latin fathers doe suffice to certifie any reasonable reader that this was the common opinion of the most approved writers in the west church which being linkt vnto the other dozen of most renowmed Grecians all famous Authors and for the greater part the most godly and best learned prelates of most Christian nations of the world These I say such excellent qualified personages the masters and mirrours of Christian Religion with one consent agreeing that our Saviour Christ Iesus did coÌ„municate his owne name of Rocke vnto S. Peter and vpon him as vpon a most sound rocke built his church by which as they vnderstood it he gave vnto him the Charge over the whole church to governe and rule it as chief pastor therof to containe and vphold the whole frame of that heavenly building and holy howse of God next vnto Christ the principall foundation and head cornerstone All this and much more they whom both Catholikes and Protestants hold for the best learned and most worthy prelates of Christes church teaching so plainly what Christian hart that hath anie sparke of godlines or any care of embracing the trueth when it is shewed him had not rather believe and follow their Iudgment therin then the new opinions of late writers partially pleading for their owne fancies specially if they please to consider what weake reasons they alleage to delude that comon exposition of the ancient faâ—hers Amonge which these as principall M. Abbot hath heere made choice of The first is that Christ is the rocke vpon which hee built his church vpon this that thou hast confessed saith saint Austin and acknowledged that is vpon my self I will build my church I Answer out of the fathers before rehearsed that both be true Christ is the rock and yet he gaue the same name and title to S. Peter as both S Hierome Paulinus Prosper and Maximus abouecited do testify with whom a Ambrosi l. 6. in Lucam cap. 9. Tertul. l. 4. Co. Marcio c. 13. Christus chariss discipulo nomen communicauit suum S. Ambrose doth agree affirming our Saviour to haue communicated most of his titles to his disciples b S. Basil homil 29. ex varijs ad populum de poenitentia Licet Petrus sit petra non tamen sicut Christus nam Christus vere est immobilis petra Petrus vero propter petram axiomata namque sua Iesus largitur alijs non evacuatus sed nihilominus habens luâ—e est vos estis lux mundi inquit Sacerdos est facit Sacerdotes petra est petram facit qua sua sunt largitur seruis suis argumentum hoc est opulenti and in particuler to S. Peter that of a Rock and so doth Tertullian to whom S. Basil addeth Christ is the rock and Peter is the rock Christ an vnmoveable rocke of himself But Peter through Christ Christ saith this great doctour imparts his dignities vnto others without depriving himself of them hee is the light of the world yet saies to his Apostles yee are the light of the world hee is the priest and hee maketh priests hee is the rocke and hee maketh a rocke with whom accordeth S. Leo saying I am saith our Saviour a rocke S. Leo 3.
1. Reg li. 6. cap. 3. Gregorie yea and S. Gregorie speaking of another matter thus that which never was said to them of the old testament is now said to the vniversall church whatsoever thou shalt bind vpon earth which sheweth some difference between the old and new testament but nothing coÌ„cerneth these wordes of Christ Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my church which is another kind of matter then that whatsoever thou shalt bind vpon earth c. Againe is M. Abbot so simple as to thinke that the power of binding loosing is giuen to every particuler member af the church can women and Children bind and loose all a like perhaps in the protestants church but it is not so with vs. yet that power maie bee said to bee given to the whole church because it is given to the benefitt of the whole though the charge and administration therof be not committed and giuen to all and everie person in the church But to returne to S. Austin he saith Aug de ver Dominiser 13. that the name Peter was given to him that by that figure hee might signifie the church bicause Christ is petra the rocke therfore Peter is the people of Christ So M. Abbot well let all this bee true what is this allegoricall interpretation of the name of Peter to our present purpose It cannot bee but a great honor to Saint Peter to haue had a name given him by our Saviour derived out of his owne name and that maie represent the people of Christ and further which followeth in that place of S. Austin though M. Abbot thought it policie to suppresse it Apostolorum principatum tenens S. Peter held the principalitie amoÌ„g the Apostles all this maketh much for S. Peters preheminence but doth it follow thervpon that nothing which Christ said to S. Peter doth properlie appertaine to him but all is to bee imparted to all Christian people how absurd were it to vnderstand so iudicious a Doctors words as S. Austin was after that childish manner thou art Peter that is after this new glosse all my people and vpon this rocke which containes also all Christes people I will build my church so that the sence after M. Abbots exposition must bee Christ did build all his people vpon all his people One might verie well bee chosen out of the rest as a foundation vpon whom Christ might lay all the rest but how all the people should bee built vpon all the people passeth I think all vnderstanding Epistola 165. But S. Austin elswhere saith M. Abbot hath these words to S. Peter bearing the figure of the whole church our lord said vpon this rocke c. bee it so that S. Peter bare the person of the church that doth not hinder the words to bee spoken to him effectuallie but rather argueth him to bee the chief governor of the church Aug. in Psal 108. câ—cione 1. as the same saint in the like places doth expresse in this manner Cuius Ecclesiae ille agnoscitur in figura gestasse personam propter primatum quem in discipulis habuit the person of which church Peter is acknowledged in figure to haue represented by reason of the primacie that hee had among the disciples And yet more plainly in another place thus Aug. Quaest ex nouo testam quaest 75 Saluator cum pro se Petro dari iubet pro omnibus â—xoluisse videtur quia sicut in domino erant omnes causa magisterij ita post Saluatorem in Petro omnes continentur Ipsum enim constituit esse caput eorum vt pastor esset gregis dominici when our Saviour commaunded tribute to bee paid for himself and for Peter hee seemeth to haue paid for all for like as in our Saviour there were all the partes of a maister so after him all were contained in Peter for hee coÌ„stituted Peter head of the rest that hee might bee the pastor of our lords flocke By which words of S. Austin wee gather that S. Peter sometimes did represent the whole church because he was head and chief pastor therof as a king doth in some cases represent a kingdome which is so for of from disproouing S. Peters supremacy that hence wee maie take a strong argument to prooue it and withall the propagation therof to his successors for we are taught out of these wordes of S. Austen to say that S. Peter maie bee considered either as a priuate person or as a publike magistrate that which pleased our Saviour to bestow vpon him as a private person was proper to himself and continued no longer then hee liued but that which Christ bestowed vpon S. Peter as a publike magistrate that was granted to the whole church and was to continue with the church to the worlds end like as that which is granted to a king as a publike person is holden as annexed to the Crowne and to descend alwaies after to all his successors now to our purpose S. Austin when hee said that that prerogatiue was giuen to S. Peter as representing the whole church doth not deny it to bee given him trulie and actually but doth signifie that it was given him not for his owne proper vse but for the benefitt of the whole church and therfore giuen in remainder for ever vnto his successors which was in the fullest and best sort that could bee Having thus answered all M. Abbots obiections and declared how S. Peter is the speciall rock vpoÌ„ which our Saviour built his church and how the other Apostles and everie constant ChristiaÌ„ may bee called rockes one truth not destroying but rather fortifieing the other I now come to cleere that imputation of dishonestie which M. Abbot would with no great honestie haue cast on mee I did affirme that it might bee deduced out of the ancient fathers that the Bishop or sea of Rome was that rocke vpon which the church was builded M. Abbot was bold to saie that I belied the fathers therin and doth avouch peremptorilie that never anie of them so vnderstood these words of our Saviour well let vs see whether of vs is like to prove the honester man of his word I do heere omitt the manifold deductions in this Chapter before mentioned and will add one more out of Saint Austins words by M. Abbot himself last before cited thus whatsoever was said to S. Peter as representing the person of the church is taken to bee said to all his successors as before hath been declared but those words of Christe vpon this rocke I will build my church were spoken to S. Perer as representing the person of the church by the verdit of S. Austin approved by M. Abbot himself therfore these verie words are to bee vnderstood as spoken vnto all S. Peters successors who being the Bishops of Rome as in due place shal bee proved it followeth evidentlie that the Bishops or church of Rome for I take both them for the same
giue mee leaue to imploy one probable presumption that in my poore opinion doth much fortifie the same It is collected out of those letters which in ancient time were called literae formatae and granted either vnto Bishops at their first creation or vnto priests that were dismissed by licence from their ordinary This kind of letters was in great vse in the primitiue church for no stranger was admitted into communion among the Catholiks without them The invention of these leters is referred to the first generall councell holden at Nice and the forme of them is recorded authentically in the end of the Chalcedon councell immediatlie before the letters of the Illustrious persons that wrote in or about that councell vnder this title Atticus Episcopus qualiter formata Epistola fiat In this epistle fower letters principally were set for an assured token that hee in whose favour they were granted was a sound Catholike The three former letters were the first letters of the father of the sonne and of the holy Ghost to testifie that hee believed aright in the blessed Trinitie and therfore was no Arrian Sabellian Macedonian or such like heretike the fourth letter in that formall Epistle was a the first letter of S. Peters name therby to signifie that the bearer was receiued into the vnitie of that church of which S. Peter as chief governor kept the keies the other letters of his name that graÌ„ted that Epistle Distinct 73. ca. 1. to whom it was granted I omitt as not necessary to this purpose hee that will may see a copiâ— of such an Epistle sett downe at large in Gratian where the misterie also of these letters is deciphered to bee such as I haue declared namely that the fourth letter was put for S. Peters name to make knowen that the bearer therof was a true member of that church in qua Petro datum est ius ligandi atque absoluendi in which to S. Peter was giuen the right of binding and loosing Out of which notable monument of antiquitie I draw this argument so well assured it was and a thing so notoriously knowne and approved in those purer daies of the primitiue church that S. Peter and the popes of Rome his successors were the chief governors of Christs church and the insoluble band of the vnitie therof that the first letter of S. Peters name was chosen for an vndoubted badge and token of being a sound member receiued into the vnity of the said Catholike church for why should the first letter of S. Peters name rather then any other of the Apostles bee taken for such an infallible marke of society with the catholike church had it not been a cleere overuled case that hee who like an even squared stone lay vpon that rocke and did adhere vnto the head of the church was vndoubtedly a true member therof This argument as it shall serue for a coÌ„clusion of that which goeth before so it will make a conuenient passage to that which followeth in M. Abbots text 15 There was saith hee a church when there was no Roman church at all how then could that church bee builded vpon the Roman church This is a verie poore obiection for speaking as wee now do of the church which was since our Saviours time if hee take that season next to Christs ascension S. Peter was head of that church during his owne life and after him the Bishops of Rome his lawfull successors No man ever said that the church or Bishop of Rome was head of the church before S. Peter had placed his seate there If M. Abbot will accord vs that ever since that time the church of Rome hath been head of the rest as in truth it hath been wee will easily grant him that before it had no such priviledg Another like slugg M. Abbot thrusteth forth thus If the church of Rome bee that rock and other churches bee builded thervpon then it would follow that the gates of hell should never haue prevailed against any other of those churches but it hath prevayled against them Ergo. True good Sir if those other churches had stuck close to the said rocke the gates of hell had never prevailed against them but they foolishly flitting from that firme rocke were sowsed in the surging seas and swallowed vp by the gulfe of hell M. Abbot saw this to bee so full an answere that hee could not tell what to saie to it but that wee haue no assurance that the church of Rome shall continue alwaies builded vpon Christ Iesus this is M. Abbots last refuge and to it as to a safe anchor he doth twenty times fly in this book wherfore it shall haue a full answer in its due place but let vs first see whether the Bishops of Rome be S. Peters lawfull successors because that comes next M. Abbot doth either graunt it to bee true or at least hee supposeth it for true for hee disproues it not wherfore I need not staÌ„d loÌ„g about it so much the rather because it is recorded by S. Iraeneus Iren. l. 3. v. 3. Tertull. de prescr 36. Euseb l. 2. hist c. 2. Epiphar heres 27. Optat. mi leuit l. 2. perm Hieron de viris ill 1. August Epistola 1â—5 Tertullian Eusebius Optatus mileuitanus S. Hierom S. Austin and briefly by the full consent of all that haue made anie Catalogue of S. Peters successors It is evident and confessed by both sides that our Saviour established such a forme of government in his church that hee would haue to continew as long as the same church continued that is alwaies to the worlds end which was according to our doctrine that one should bee head and supreme gouernor over all the rest to preserue vnity in faith and conformity in rites of religion And by name that one was S. Peter for his life time All which I haue before proved out of holy scriptures and the ancient fathers S. Peter finally making choise of Rome for the seat of his Bishoprick liued there many yeres and in the end died Bishop of Rome wherfore they that were choseÌ„ Bishops of Rome were to succede him as in that seate so in that supreme governmeÌ„t of Christs church which daily experience teacheth vs. for wee see that whosoever is chosen bishop of any place for example of Canterburie hee presentlie vpon his installing entreth vpon all the priuiledges of honour and government which the former Bishops his predecessors died possessed of so that no sooner any man is created Archbishop of Canterbury but that imÌ„ediatly hee is therby Metropolitane of England and hath comanding authority ouer all the Bishops of that prouince with law full Iurisdiction to heare and determyne all such causes that by appeale do come to his courts In like maÌ„ner Linus being chosen Bishop of Rome after the death of S. Peter entred into possession of full power authoritie not onlie ouer the Diocese of Rome but also over all the Bishops of Christs church
but M. Abbot saīth ouer lauishly and as it were dotingly that I do report them falsly for he himself as you shall presently see cannot denie but that I alleage them truly Let vs examin the particulers Ambros in oratione de obitu satyri fratris S. Ambrose say I tooke it to bee all one to saie the Catholike or the Roman church yea he putteth the Romā church as an explication of the Catholike church His good brother satyrus after a shipwrack arrived in Sardinia which was infected with the Luciferiā heresie being carefull not to cōmunicate with any heretikes demāded of that Bishop whom he had sent for to baptise him Aduocauit ad se Episcopum nec vllam veram putauit nisi vera fidei gratiam percontatusque ex eo est vtrumnam cum Episcopis Catholicis hoc est cum Romana Ecclesia conueniret sorte ad id locorum in schismate regionis illius ecclesiae erat whether he did accord with the Catholike Bishops that is with the church of Rome He feared lest the name Catholike was not sufficient to describe true beleevers in an hereticall countrie bicause heretikes do oftentimes call themselues Catholikes and therfore asked whether they were such Catholikes as accorded with the church of Rome that is whether he was a Roman Catholike or no giving vs to vnderstand that they onlie were true Catholikes and onlie to be communicated withall in holie rites who accorded with the church of Rome in faith and religion All this is so true and evident that M. Abbot cannot denie any one word of it Did he not then spitefully over-reach when hee said that I reported my authors falsly He hath no other shift then to saie that in those daies the church of Rome as the most famous and chief church was most fit to bee named in such a case But now the case is altered bicause the church of Rome is fallen from that eminent perfection and is it self now called into question This answere is nothing els then in plaine tearmes petere principium that is to giue that for the solution as a confessed truth which is the maine question is he so destitute of cōmon sence as to thinke that we will or ought to take that for currant coyne and good paiment which we hold for very refuse and drosse All the world knowes that we beleeve the church of Rome not to be changed in any one article of faith wherfore he ought not to returne to vs for a knowen truth that the church of Rome is changed yet the poore mans feeble forces being quite spent he is constrayned to giue the same vnreasonable answere againe againe for he maketh the same answer vnto the like testimony taken out of S. Hierom who demādeth of Ruffinus speaking of his faith which he calleth his faith Hieron Apol. 1. c. Ruff. Fidem suam quam vocat eamne qua Romana pollet Ecclesia an illam quae in Originis voluminibus continetur si Romanam responderit ergo Catholici sumus qui nihil de Originis errore transtulimus either that which the church of Rome professeth or that which is contayned in the books of Origen If he answere the Roman faith then are wee Catholikes c. which doth implie that it was all one with S. Hierom to saie the Roman faith and the true Catholike faith All which M. Abbot confesseth to be true and therby cleereth mee from that imputation of misreporting my authors Afterward he asketh what is here said of the Roman church that might not likewise haue bene said of any other church professing the true faith well let vs admitt that the same might haue been said of any other church vnder that conditiō that they had professed the true faith yet because the ancient Fathers were not so well assured of the perpetuall infallibilitie of any other church as they were of the church of Rome therfore they preferred the communion of the Roman Church before all other and therin ordinarilie made their instances And for that M. Abbot doth euer and anone come in with this answer that the church of Rome was then the true Church but now it is cleane changed and takes this to be as sharpe as the sword at Delphos and as fit to cut all knotts asonder that can not otherwise be loosed I will here set downe some reasons which did induce these holy Doctors and much more ought to persuade vs to beleeue that the church of Rome shall euer continue firme in the faith The ancients made no doubte but that Christes Church should continue to the worlds ende and retaine the same forme of government which he him self had established in it which most Protestants now are also come to confesse but as I haue before prooued the same most learned and blessed fathers both beleeued and taught the Bishops and Church of Rome to be as it were the rock and foundation of Christs church wherfore like as the house must needes fall to the grounde whose foundation faileth so the catholick church could not stand inuiolable to the later day if the Roman church which is the chiefest member support therof should perish It were needelesse to repeate here those sentences of the ancient Doctors once before produced in confirmation of this argument I wil be cōtent with one text of S. Austin that doth both directly crosse M. Abbots supposition and manifestly prooue this my assertion These be his wordes If the Pedegree of Bishops succeding one another be to be considered August epistola 165. Si enim ordo episcoporum sibi inuicem succedentium considerandus est quanto rectius vere salubriterab ipso Petro numeramus cui totius Ecclesiae figuram gerenti Dominus ait super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam how much more rightly and assuredly do we recken frō S. Peter him self vnto whom bearing the figure of the whole church our Lord said vpon this Rock I will build my church To Peter succeeded Linus c. Behold how fully S. Austin had 1200. yeares before hand confuted M. Abbots proposition M. Abbot saith that the fathers might as well haue alleaged their communion with any other church as with the church of Rome Not so saith S. Austin but if the successiō of Bishops be to be regarded as it is very highly to be esteemed and the cōmunion in faith and Religion with thē then that of the Bishops and church of Rome is more right and better assured then any other Obserue also the same reason giuē by that most renowmed Doctor which I before deliuered because vpon S. Peter who was the roote and stock of the Roman Pedegree as vpon a Rock Christ built his church against which the gates of Hell shall not preuaile wherfore in another place he is bold to tell the donatistes that the see or church of Rome is that rock against which the proud gates of hell shall not preuaile Againe doth not our
it be not the whole yet may very well denominate the whole And so it hath done by the consent of both friends and foes for as we tearme all of our religion Roman Catholikes so the protestantes do nickname them Papists or Romanistes both taking the name from Rome or the bishop of Rome wherfore it is manifest that that common hackney of the protestants doth not conclude the point that was in question which no man doubteth to be one of the fowlest faults that cā be in arguing I laid in a second exception against the second proposition of that argument which is But the Roman church is a particular church For that the Roman church may bee either taken precisely for the Diocese of Rome or more largly for the faithfull dispersed through the whole world that do imbrace the same faith which they of Rome do professe The Roman church so taken say I is no particular church but extends it self vnto the vtmost bounds of the whole Catholike church to which M. Abbot doth make answere in this section And in the begining confesseth verie strangley that hee is one of those Doctors that do not vnderstand this new found distinction Hee might perhaps haue said truly that hee liked it not but for a Doctor to say that hee could not reach to that which a meanewitted scholler would make no difficultie to conceiue cannot bee but a great disparagement either to his witt or to his will or to both About the first acception of the Roman church there is no manner of doubt And touching the 2. what difficutie is it to vnderstand all those to bee members of the Roman church who take the Bishop of Rome to bee their chief pastor and besides are in all articles of faith and forme of government vnited with the Roman Do not the protestāts themselues in euery countrie by nicknaming vs Romanists and Papists giue all men to vnderstand that they take all such to be members of the Roman church If then both in England France Germany and other countries by the testimonie aswell of protestants as Catholikes all they that in faith and religion agree with the church of Rome bee taken for members of the same church would any man master of his owne wits make any difficultie to grant that all such may be said to bee of the church of Rome And that therfore the church of Rome may bee taken to cōprehend all them of what nation soeuer they bee what warrant I can bring for this out of the ancient writers shal bee shorrly after shewed though this matter be in it self so sensible and almost palpable that hee must needs confesse himself to be little better then a verie blockhead that cannot vnderstand it yea M. Abbot presently after shewes himself to perceiue that well enough for better aduised he admits it for true and disputs against it in this manner Be it so that the church of Rome is vsually taken to signifie other churches submitting themselues to the church of Rome yet it doth not comprehend other churches that do not submit themselues to the same nor acknowledg her chiefty As the protestant churches in Europe and some schismaticall churches in Asia Ah sir you shew cleerly enough that you vnderstood before that distinction of mine why then did you that wrong to your owne reputation as to confesse your self to be one of those Doctors that could not conceiue it You meant then belike to make some simple foole beleeue that I to vphold my part was forced to coyne a new found distinctiō neuer heard of before but the wind being presently changed it is but an ordinary and vsuall distinstion and may bee answered in the manner that you haue endeuored to answere it To which I replie briefly and roundly that those churches which acknowledg not the chiefty of the church of Rome or do obstinatlie denie any other article of the christian faith professed by the same church be no Orthodox nor true churches at all but either hereticall or schismaticall congregations members onlie of the malignant church And therfore though the church of Rome do not comprehend them yet it doth neuertheles comprehend all Orthodox and Catholike churches That all those malignant churches and euerie member of them that either err in matter of faith defined or are by schisme deuided from the church of Rome be no true churches at all To omit diuerse other arguments because this is not a place to handle at large that question let these few testimonies suffice Saint Austin saith He that beleeueth any false thing of God or of anie part of the doctrine that appertains vnto the edification of faith Aug. l. quest in Math. q. 11. Si enim falsa de deo credit vel de aliqua parte doctrinae quae ad fidei pertinet aedificationem ita vt non quaerentis cunctatione tentatus sit sed inconcusse credentis nec omnino scientis opinione atque errore discordans Haereticus est foris est animo quamuis corporaliter intus videatur that not doubtingly with a mind to bee better enstructed but resolutely obstinately hee is an heretike and in soule out of the church though in body hee seeme to liue in it which elswhere he repeats coupling schismatiks and heretiks together and declaring both their congregations to bee no part of the Catholik church in these words we beleeue the holie church that surelie which is Catholike Idem de fide Simbolo ca 10. Credimus sanctam Ecclesiam vtique Catholicam nam haeretici schismatici congregationes suas Ecclesias vocant Sed Haeretici de deo falsa sentiendo ipsam fidem violant schismatici autem discissionibus iniqùis a fraterna Charitate dissiliunt quamuis ea credunt quae credimus Quapropter nec haereticus pertinet ad ecclesiam Catholicam quae diligit deum nec schismatitus quoniam diligit proximum for heretikes and schismatikes do call their congregations churches but heretikes beleeuing false things of God do breake their faith and schismatiks by wilfull diuisions do leape from brotherly charitie wherfore neither doth the heretike belong to the Catholike church bicause shee loues god nor the schismatike for that shee loues heir neighbor which doctrine he might haue drawen out of Saint Ciprian who vnder the name of the Novatians doth teach That heretikes be like vnto Apes who though they bee no men Ciprian epistola 73. ad Iubaianum Nouatianus simiarum more quae cum homines non sint homines tamen imitantur vult ecclesiae Catholicae auctoritatem sibi veritatem vindicare quando ipse in Ecclesia non sit imo c. yet do counterfeit men so heretikes albeit they bee out of the church yet do chalenge to themselues the truth and authority of the church with them accordeth Saint Hierom saying when you shall heare of any Christians that take not their name from Iesus Christ Hieron co lucif in fine
cited by himself was hee not then fowly mistaken to father such a strange vntruth vpon S. Augustin And on the other side is it not a prodigious impudent assertion to avouch that wee Catholiks do maintaine the Catholike church to be inclosed within the walls of Rome or confined in those quartiers as the Rogatists did their church to be concluded within the Coastes of Cartenna wheras we teach it to bee dispersed all the world ouer R. AB I Confesse I committed some oversight by vnderstanding that generally of the Donatists which belonged only to the Rogatists Let this be amended thus The Donatists did set vp a particular church all of them first in the south of Africa some afterward as the Rogatists at Cartenna in Mauritania And so haue the Papists done at Rome in Italy Against which M. Bishop giues two exceptions First that they do not hold the Catholike church to be inclosed within the wals of Rome as the Rogatists did theirs within Cartenna but do say that it was dispersed all the world ouer wheras the Rogatists congregation was holden to be confined within the bounds of Cartenna The first part of which answere on their behalf is false and the second part concerning the Rogatists is vayne for it is false that the Romish church is dispersed over all the world because the Greeke and Easterne churches disclaime subiection to the church of Rome and although the communion of the church of Rome be farr larger then that was of the Rogatists at Cartenna yet doth neither of them containe any more then a part And we cannot doubt but that the Rogatists would as wâ—llingly haue had the whole world to ioyne with their church as the Romans And so it was not by position of doctrine that their church was not of larger extent but forwant of better successe And the exprobration of the same mad fancy lieth vpon the church of Rome to wit that whosoeuer in the further parts of the world shal be desirous of salvation vnles hee come to Rome or into some place where hee may meete with a Popish priest he cannot be baptised or reconciled to God As touching the second exception though it bee not generally true that the Donatists placed the Catholike church at Cartenna yet it is not altogither vntrue because the Rogatists were a kind of Donatists albeit devided from them by schisme Againe although the Donatists did not place the Catholike church at Cartenna yet they designed the place therof to bee Africa for albeit they acknowledged the church by the Apostles preaching to haue been spred ouer all the world yet they held that it was perished in all other parts of the world and onlie remained with their part in Africa they did not exclude the rest of the world out of their communion so they would be of their opinion The foundation of their church was laid in Africa and from thence they would haue it dispersed all the world ouer In the same sort standeth the mattr with the Papists they tell vs that the other patriarchall seas are all either extinguished or fallen into Schisme and the Roman church only remayning whence all other churches of the world are to be reduced to the Pope They tell vs of strange wonders done amongst the Indians whither they know it vnlikly for vs to come to search out the truth but those nations pretended to be converted by them are either colonies of their owne or some Infidels forced to accept of Baptisme without religion or such as by wiles they haue surprised Thus is M. Bishop by avoyding to be a Donatist by putting the matter ouer to the Rogatists become both a Donatist and Rogatist by tying the seate of the Catholike church to one only particular place W. B. M. Abbot perceiuing well that hee had behaued himself exceeding drowsily in that comparison between the Donatists and Catholikes yet being as it seemeth over farr in loue with his owne conceit simple though it were would not so giue it ouer but to make vp the full measure of his folly will needs go forwards with it and endevoreth not only to iustify that which he had before written but doth also make some new additions If I could perswade my self that my time should bee fruitfully spent in answering him at leÌ„ght I would not desire greater advantage to be given mee to display and laie open to the view of the world his lacke of Iudgment lacke of learning and lâ—cke of honestie but considering that this coÌ„parison can be no great matter of edification to the Reader I hold it not worthy anie amplification but will abridg it as much as I may yet so that no substantiall point of it be left vnanswered M. Abbot not finding any poore meanes to vnderproppe his palpable absurdities is driven to confesse them in the very first branch and doth therfore post that over to the latter place and preposterously maketh answere before vnto the secoÌ„d part of the comparison which was that we Roman Catholiks do not tie the Catholike church to the City of Rome as the Rogatists did theirs to Cartenna For we hold that men may be baptised and saued in anie part of the world without repayring to the City of Rome or to the coastes adioyning neere thervnto wheras the Rogatists did hold that in what part soever of the world any persoÌ„ were coÌ„verted he must of necessity go vnto CarteÌ„na or therabouts to bee baptised and obtaine salvation To which M. Abbot replies that the former part on our behalf is false because our church is not spred ouer all the world and therfore saluation cannot bee gotten all the world ouer for that to obtaine salvation as he saith a popish priest must needs be fouÌ„d out This reply is not to the purpose For whether our church bee spred ouer all the world or no of which more shal be said presently yet it is certainly knowen to be in diuers great monarchies besids Italy in all which if any person be to be baptised or reconciled we send them not to Rome to receiue those sacraments but administer them in the place where the person is by the inspiration of God converted which is cleane contrarie to the doctrine of the Rogatists that exacted the personall repaire of all such convertites to Cartenna or to her confines which doth most cleerly ouerthrow M. Abbots answere Yet to bolster out his flaggy resemblance he addeth that it was not by position of doctrine that the Rogatists forced all convertits to come into that country but because they had not any Bishops of their sect els where which if they had had as no doubt they desired to haue then they who were touched with the preaching of the Gospell might haue been baptised by them in any other country where these godly prelats were To which I reioyne that had there been Rogatists all the world ouer as they desired to bee theÌ„ there had beeÌ„ no place for this braÌ„ch of the
comparison which likeneth the Roman Catholikes to the Rogatists in that they bee both of them priuate and confined within the compasse of some particular places M. Abbot therfore full wisely goeth about to vphold his former resemblance by the quite ouerthrow of it for herein said he before stands the resemblance betwene the Papists and Rogatists that both of them do restraine the vniuersality of the Catholike church to one particular place or country And now confessing the Papists coÌ„munion and fellowship to be farre larger theÌ„ the Rogatists he flies to this silly shift that the Rogatists desire to haue their church as largly extended as the Romanists that is both of them all the world ouer So that the wind being come round about and sitting now in the cleane contrary corner the resemblance is to be turned the other way to wit that as the Roman church desireth to be spred all the world ouer so did the Rogatists But good Sir tell me I pray you is it sufficient to make a church Catholike to desire to be dilated all the world ouer Then without doubt not only Rogatists but all other sectaries too were also Catholiks for none of them suerly wanted that desire yet being bastard slips and destitute of that vertue which proceedeth by the trunck of true succession from the right roote they could neuer be generally receiued all the world ouer and therfore could not bee called Catholikes wheras the Roman church ingraffed by the Apostles in to the true Oliue Christ Iesus through the force of his blessed passion and by power of the holy Ghost hath not only desired to spred her branches into all nations but hath actually performed that her holy desire for truth is strong and doth prevaile wherfore it alone hath worthily archieued the name of Catholike which all other congregations haue in vaine gaped after and desired Obserue by the way M. Abbots grosse ignorance in two points of our doctrine the former when he imagineth vs to hold that no man can be baptised to saluation without hee meet with one of our priests wheras we teach the Baptisme even of Protestants be they men be they women to bee availeable to saluation The latter in that he affirmeth vs to hold the same of reconciliatioÌ„ we teaching that any person of discretion may by true contrition and repentance obtaine saluation albeit they cannot meete with any priest Let therfore these his assertions be scored vp for an after reckening Now to the second exception albeit the Rogatists were a Cantell or fragment broken out of the Donatists yet they by their division from them forsooke the name of Donatists and tooke their owne proper name of Rogatists and in that question of the true church were at open warr with the Donatists so that it was a grosse ouersight in M. Abbot to say the Donatists held the Catholike church to bee at Cartenna Because they esteemed no better of that church at Cartennna then of a den of theeues In like manner they of Cartenna reputed the Donatists for damned creatures wherfore albeit the Rogatists in some other matter wherin they did agree with the Donatists might haue passed vnder that generall name yet they could not in that point wherin they were at so great square It is then cleere that M. Abbots error therin cannot bee excused well if he hath hitherto behaued himself like one that being half a sleepe knew not well what he said yet now being awaked by his aduersary hee will no doubt spitt on his fingers and take better hold secundae enim cogitationes sunt prudentiores To it then Iollie Sir touch the Papists home and if you cannot force the Rogatists vpon them yet driue them at the least to be Donatists and you shall do somewhat That saith M. Abbot I will easely performe by this new framed resemblance like as the Donatists held the Catholike church to haue perished in all other countries and to haue remayned only with their part in Africa and desired that from thence it might be spred into all other nations Even so the papists tell vs that the churches in all the farr parts of the world haue failed that the patriarchall seas are all fallen away and only the Roman remayneth whence the rest are to be reduced to the obedience of the pope This loe seemes to be something True it is that the Donatists did in many things things counterfeit the true Catholiks and among the rest pretended as all other heretiks coÌ„monly do that their congregation was the only true reformed church and that the readie way to saluation was to enter into their society But this is so triviall and common aswell to the true Catholike as to all maner of disseÌ„bling coÌ„gregatioÌ„s that hee who delights to enlarge himself therin shall but loose his time abuse his reader and purchase to himself the reputation of a trifler yet let vs desceÌ„d to the particulars of this new coyned comparison and see whether it will abide the touch ar noe The Roman church and the Donatists did not agree in the first point of that resemblance for wheras the Donatists held the church to haue perished all the world ouer saving in some part of Africk the Roman Catholike doth not hold the true church to haue perished all the world over saving in Italy or in some parts of Europe but teacheth that it hath alwayes continued and even in this last hundreth yeeres to haue gained more both in the East and west Indies then it hath lost in these parts of the world Secondly it is not long sithence all the patriarchall seas did opeÌ„ly agree with the church of Rome to wit in the yeare of our Lord god 1439. as may be seen in the councell of Florence and by the profession of faith which Ioseph patriarch of Constantinople Concil florent sess 25. then and there made in these words whatsoeuer the Catholike church of our Lord Iesus Christ which is of old Rome doth beleeve and worship Ioseph miseratione diuina Constan Patriarcha Quoniam ad extremum vitae mea perueni idcirco pro meo munere dilectis filijs benignitate dei meam sententiam his literis palam facio Nam quae Iesu Christi catholica Apostolica Ecclesia Roma veteris sentiat ac celebrec omnia me quoque sentire credereque profiteor at ipsis plurimum acquiâ—sco Beatissimum autem Patrum Patrem ac Summum Pontificem Romaque veteris Papam domini nostri Iesu Christi vicarium esse concedo c. datum Florentiae 8. Iulij anno 1439. all the same do I confesse my self to beleeue and thinke and thervnto do yeeld my perfect consent And I do further confesse the most blessed father of fathers the chief Bishop and pope of Rome to bee the vicar of our lord Iesus Christ To these points of doctrine and to all other of the church of Rome did at the same time subscribe the legats and deputies of the other
churches saue the Roman do err as they say they maie how shall a man then in communicating with the Roman communicate with all other churches then must you needs saie that by communicating with that particular church of Rome you do become Catholike finally M. Bishop doth overthrow himself For if a man become a Catholike by communicating with the church of the whole world and by coÌ„municating with the church of Rome he doth communicate with the church of the whole world then communicating with the particular church of Rome the name of Catholike doth belong to him To be short if the Donatists could haue had their way they would not haue doubted to say asmuch of their church as M. Bishop doth hereof his to wit that men should bee called Catholiks by communicating with the African church not as it was contained within the bounds of Africa but for that in communicating with that church you did enter into communion with all other churches spred over all the world w. B. IN the forefront of this chapter M. Abbot ingraued this title The comparison betwixt the Donatists and Papists iustified And yet we see in the beginning of euery section an open confessioÌ„ of some fault made by himself in the same comparison I said the Donatists I should haue said the Rogatists c well though it cannot be denied but that this is a very simple kind of Iustification yet I am content it passe for some kind of satisfaction be it permitted to M. Abbot for a sory shift to flit vp and downe before from the Rogatists in Mauritania to the Donatists in Africa now back againe from the Donatists to the Rogatists who saith hee did expound the word Catholike of perfection of faith which to haue been otherwise I haue shewed in the second section of this chapter well those honest Rogatists affirmed themselues only to bee true Catholiks and by consequence held none to be Catholikes but such as ioyned with them So did the Donatists in Africa The Papists do the like for their church therfore they resemble the Donatists And do not the protestants put in the same plea for their church therfore they be also Donatists And did not the old Arrians affirme and say asmuch in favour of their church were they also Donatists Is not this then a proper resemblance betwixt the Donatists and Papists that will agree vnto all kind of sects yea vnto the true Catholike church it self to which alone in deed it doth rightfully apperteine yet it is vsuall to all sectaries that take their errors for truth to qualify and grace their sect with the title of the true reformed church This resemblance then is so triviall that a man of any sharpnes of wit would haue been ashamed to haue framed it But if M. Abbots inventioÌ„ were dry and dull when he proposed that we shall now find it fluent and acute in reproving what I answered of the church of Rome to wit If the communion of the church of Rome passed not out of the wals of Rome then by communicating with the church of Rome wee should not become Catholiks But bicause it is farr otherwise with the church of Rome then it was with the church of Cartenna and that in communicating with the church of Rome we enter into the communion of the church dilated all the world ouer therfore wee become Catholiks in communicating with the church of Rome about which M. Abbot makes a foule fumbling but in fine cannot impeach it hee saith first it is contrary to that which I had before taught viz to communicate with the church of Rome was to become Catholike But this hee saw to be so simple that hee corrected it himself presently for I never said otherwise but by communicating with the Roman church wee became Catholiks And my reason alwaies was bicause the communion of the church of Rome did reach into all the coasts of the earth He giueth the second assaut against it by averring that therof it would ensue that one became Catholike now a dayes otherwise then of old bicause then it was sufficient to communicate wâ—â—h the church dispersed ouer all and now wee must communicate with the church of Rome to communicate with the church spred ouer all Is not this a high point and a very great subtiltie when one doth communicate with the church spred ouer all doth hee not euen then communicate with the church of Rome also that is the chief of them all Or was there any time since the Apostles dayes when there was no church of Rome that one might haue communicated with the church spred ouer all and yet not haue communicated with the church of Rome Yea did not they that wrote against the Donatists I meane S. Austin and Optatus make speciall instance in the communion of the church of Rome aswell as I do now to proue their societie with the whole Catholike church S. Austin saith of Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage who was principally oppugned by the Donatists that hee holding communion with the church of Rome as with the chiefest Apostolicall chaire needed not care for the conspiracy of the Donatists agâ—â—nst him And Optatus speaketh iust to the same sence that I do In the Bishop of Rome the whole world doth accord together with vs in one society of communion Note how in those old daies by coÌ„munion with the pope church of Rome the prelatâ— in Africa esteemed themselues to hold communion with the whole world M. Abbot puts forth a new case what if the church of the whole world do not hold communion with the church of Rome as it was when Arrianisme did ouerflowe the whole world Then at least by holding communion with Rome one held not communion with the church of the world M. Abbot is content to leaue the Donatists to dreame awhile and flieth for aduantage to the Arrians but they will helpe him no more then did the Donatistes For though their heresies infected many cities countries and drew many Bishops to their party yet M. Abbot I thinke can hardly name mee any one city of the world so wholy possessed with that Arrianisme that it had not at the same time many true beleeuers in it that would not ioyne in faith and religion with the said ArriaÌ„s but stuck close to the church of Rome and to all other true beleeuers The like we say of the Easterne churches when they fell into schisme and heresie that albeit the outward face of their congregations were schismaticall yet there remained alwaies in those countries as there do now in England very manie that did coÌ„stantly defend and embrace the Roman religion The Indians for the most part of late time were converted yet many millions of soules were wonne vnto Christian religion in the west and East Indies by good priests Franciscan Fryers and other religious men before any mission of Iesuits were sent into that heavenly haruest as the Indian storie doth testifie yea before their
not condeÌ„ne anie man for not beleeuing that which hee neuer heard of wherfore if in any coast of the world the Doctrine of Christ bee not sufficientlie published no man there shal bee condeÌ„ned for not beleeuing in him but for other mortall grieuous offeÌ„ces which they haue in their life time comitted against the light of reason law of nature If any amogst those infidels haue beeÌ„ so happie as not to haue committed any such mortall sinne Act. 10. which caÌ„not bee without the speciall aide of Gods grace if there bee any such I saie like the good Italian Captaine Cornelius meÌ„tioned in the acts of the Apostles hee shall find the like extraordinarie succour froÌ„ heaueÌ„ as to haue an Angell to teach him or at least to direct him to some Peter that maie throughly instruct him in the Christian faith Among Christians there can hardly bee found anie one I think so vngratiously bred that neuer heard of Christ because that is contained in the Creede that all Christians are taught even from their infancie and are bound to know so farr fourth as their capacitie and wit will giue them leaue which if they should neglect to learne after they come to yeares of discretion they are worthie to bee depriued of all benefits issuing and growing by Christ because they contemned somuch as to know him To that text of S. Paul that hee who cometh to God must know that hee is and that hee is a rewarder c. I answere first that the Apostle saith verie well that hee must know those two points but hee doth noth saie there that hee needs to know no more And elswhere in all his Epistles doth teach that ouer and besides that the faith in Iesus Christ is necessarie for all men wherfore this point must bee added to the rest I answere secondly that one cannot know particulary how God is a rewarder vnles hee know the incarnation of Iesus Christ because God will reward no man with life euerlasting but through the merits of Iesus Christ and for that hee is a member of Christ and for such good works which a man without faith in Christ and without aide of his grace caÌ„not performe Thus much of the first point Now to the second which is the principall question whether holding the right faith in Christ Iesus and beleeuing the other fundamentall articles which are conteyned in the Apostles creed one may bee condemned for not beleeuing any other article of the Christian faith For the plainer explication of the state of this question it is to bee vnderstood that many of the vnlearned and simpler sort maie bee ignorant of many matters appertaining to faith without daunger of damnation because by reason of their lacke of capacitie or for other necessarie occupatioÌ„s about getting of their poore livings they are not bound to know expresly much more then is deliuered in the Apostles Creed and what doth concerne the right vse of the sacraments which they themselues are obliged to receiue Nevertheles euerie Christian man and woman may verie well bee bound not to defend the misbeliefe of anie one article of faith after hee shal bee given to vnderstand that the Catholike church hath declared the same to be so There is a great difference betweene the dispositions of two such parties for it is one thing to bee ignorant what the church teacheth in such a case and another not to bee willing to beleeue it abeit hee knew well enough that the church commaundeth him so to beleeue In the former there is a ready good will to obey the truth assoone as due information shal bee given him and meere ignorance in the meane season hindreth his consent But in the other partie there is a loose libertie of believing what him listeth and an obstinate resolution not to beleeue and obey the church any further then they themselues shall thinke good These men I say albeit they beleeue aright in Iesus Christ touching his owne person and mediation and do not deny anie article of the Apostles Creede at least as they vnderstand it yet do they dwell in the state of damnation and shall not bee saued vnles they repent This proposition I know will seeme ouer rigorous and terrible vnto many but being a matter of eternall saluation or damnation at least as I take it they must giue mee leaue that preferre the honour of Gods truth before the phansies of men and the care of their salvation before currying of false favour with them to aduertise them of it whiles they haue time to take heed to it requesting them to consider well of the reasons that I shall now deliuer vnto them in proofe of the same and then I trust in God they will also come to bee of my opinion therin The first may bee thus propounded If it were sufficient to saluation to beleeue in Christ and in the other articles of the Creede as they take them this great absurdity would ensue therof that all heretikes anciently condemned were vniustlie condemned might well notwithstanding their heresies and condemnation haue liued and died in the state of saluation which to imagine were to condemne all the Orthodox churches and ancient fathers of great impiety and extreame want of Christian Charity I will proue that absurd sequele by the enumeration of the most notorious Heretikes The Arrians for example did professe to beleeue in Christ so farre forth as is deliuered in the said Creede To wit that hee was the only sonne of his father borne of the virgin Mary and our Lord. They did indeed denie him to bee consubstantiall that is of the same substance with his father and coeternall but thervpon discoursed much like as some Protestants do now about Transubstantiation who professe Christs bodie to bee really present in the blessed SacrameÌ„t because Christs words do teach that plainly but they will not admitt of Transubstantiation in any case for that they find not that word set downe in the scriptures So thes Arrians did professe to beleeue Christ to bee the Saviour of the world to bee also the sonne of God trulie and really yet because there was no meÌ„tioÌ„ of Consubstantiall in the scriptures therfore they were content to beleeue so much as was in the scriptures but their tender coÌ„sciences forsooth would not suffer theÌ„ to adueÌ„ture one pace beyoÌ„d the express word of God Notwithstanding their faire pretence they were roundly condemned by the church in the first generall councell for most damnable Heretikes if vnder that pretext they refused to bâ—leeue that Christ Iesus was consubstantiall vnto his father and coeternall The Nestorians beleeued all that the Orthodox church taught of our saviour Christ Iesus and of all the other articles of faith saving that they held him to haue two distinct persoÌ„s aswell as hee had two differeÌ„t natures To wit the nature of man to haue had his owne person of man euen as the nature of God had the person of God The
the one shal bee the great Doctor of the church S. Augustin who as I haue once before shewed doth teach in formall tearmes that person to bee no member of the Catholike church who doth beleeue obstinatly anie falshood in matter of faith knowing it to bee such And the second shal bee Martin Luther whom albeit wee take for an Apostate Augustine frier yet the protestants esteeme him as a great man of God Hee for want of one article of beliefe condemneth all the Sacramentaries to the pitt of hell these bee his words It shall nothing profit the Sacramentaries to speake of spirituall eating nor to beleeue in the father the sonne Luther lib. quod verba Christi Stent and the holy Ghost so long as with blasphemous mouth they denie this article of faith which Christ hath proposed to vs by his owne holy mouth This is my bodie that shal bee giuen for you Behold no saluation to be possible if you deny but that one article of faith Among manie other causes why such misbeleeuers are esteemed worthy of so grievous punishments there bee two principall the first is that they will not beleeue God himself revealing his diuine misteries vnto vs The second because they will not giue credit to the church proposing vnto them the same truth All Divines hold that there is no matter of faith which is not reuealed vnto vs by God himself whether the same veritie had need to bee put downe in writing as the protestantes seeme to require or that it sufficeth to bee deliuered by word of mouth as we hold is a question betweene vs But wee all consent that what soeuer is propounded vnto vs to bee beleeued must needs bee first reuealed by God whence it followeth evidentlie that hee who denieth to beleeue any one article of faith is conuinced not to beleeue God himselfe in that point for hee it is principally that tendreth it vnto vs to bee beleeued wherfore he that refuseth to beleeue it is forced to this exigent that hee must needes confesse himself to bee perswaded either that God teacheth not the truth alwaies or els that wee are not bound to beleeue him in all things either of which is most irreligious and a very blasphemous crime For as S. Iames disputeth Hee that hath kept the whole law besides and doth offend but in one point therof is made guiltie of the whole Euen so hee that beleeueth God in all other articles yet in some one refuseth to beleeue him is made guiltie of the whole That is as S. Iames expoundeth it offendeth against the Maiesty and veritie of the law giuer not reputing him worthy of credit in all matters what soeuer But to thinke God not worthie to bee credited in anie one word or title that shall proceed out of his diuine mouth is in truth to make him no God at all For hee is no God that either will or can bee vntrue of his word Here the poore Christian trembling at this consequeÌ„ce will crye out that hee doth beleeue God in all things and God forbid that hee should once imagine him not worthy to bee credited in whatsoeuer it shall please his diuine maiesty to reueale But hee will say that hee knowes not that God hath reuealed this vnto him or at least is not well assured that he would haue him to beleeue it This I grant is the lesser faut of the two yet not in any sort tollerable For if it hath pleased his diuine bounty to reueale vnto vs for his owne honor and our instructioÌ„ such heauenly verities and misteries how can hee take it well at our hands that wee either will not vouchsafe to take notice of them or which is worse will not beleeue them to bee true They that will not beleeue are in the holie scriptures worthely called rebells because they band themselues against Gods truth according to that of Iob Rebelles fuerunt Lumini Iob. 24. v 13. they were rebells against the Light and therfore as Rebels and traitors must looke to bee punished The others that will not take the paines to learne according vnto the small measure of their capacity all such matters as appertaine to their owne estate calling must needs acknowledg their extreme vndutifull carelesnes in the highest matter that can bee and that which doth also most concerne them to wit in the onely necessary busines of their owne euerlasting either saluation or damnation And withall confesse that they are vnworthy to bee knowne of God their Soueraigne Lord and maker at the latter daie for that they neglected to know their dutie towards him whiles they liued here on earth Of them the Apostle hâ—th alreadie pronounced this sentence 1. Cor. 14 38 If any man know not to wit the things belonging to his dutie towards God hee shall not bee knowne of God but shal bee shut out of the gate of heauen And if they stand knocking there thinking to get in by their ouerlate importunity they shal bee answered as the foolish virgins were Math. 25 12. with a Nesciovos I know you not the force of this discourse in brief is whosoeuer refuseth to beleeue God in any one article by him reuealed shall not be saued but they that think to be saued in any religion refuse to beleeue some articles of faith reuealed by God ergo they caÌ„not be saued The secoÌ„d cause why wilfull refusers to beleeue any one arttcle of faith do incurre that heauie iudgment is for that they do offer great wrong vnto the true church of God his deerly beloued spouse and our spirituall mistresse and mother It is agreed on by men of all sides that the holie Catholike church is the temple of the holie Ghost the mysticall bodie of Christ and the piller fortresse of truth wherfore to offer her that affront and disgrace as not to giue credit to her testimony speaking specially vnto vs in the behalf of Christ 2. Cor. 5.20 pro Christo legatione fungimur for Christ wee are legates and in the name of the holy Ghost visum spiritui sancto nobis It hath seemed good to the holie Ghost and vs it not onlie to contemne her Actor 15. but to despise Iesus Christ also that hath ordained her to bee our instructer and directer to set naught by the holie ghost that speaketh vnto vs by her wee caÌ„not bee ignoraÌ„t what our Saviour hath said of the governors principall rulers of the church you shal bee witnesses to mee in IerusaleÌ„ in all Iury Samaria Act 1.8 vnto the vttermost coasts of the earth If Christ hath made choice of theÌ„ as of substaÌ„tiall honest meÌ„ sit to bee his witnesses do not wee offer him a great indignity if wee refuse to beleeue them namelie when wee know him to haue said of them Luc. 10.16 Hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee and hee that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee Yea
without exception against any one of them for if I do beleeue her in one and not in another I am become such a chooser as the Latines following the Grecians call hereticus an heretike and do indeed shew that I do not assuredlie beleeue the church as Gods interpreter that cānot erre but onlie so farre forth as I thinke good And then it may bee asked mee why I do beleeue her at all if she do but now and then tell the truth for it may bee that then shee doth not say true when I do beleeue her To put vs out of all these doubts and difficulties the selected gouernours of the church the maisters of the world Christes hoy Apostles before they did depart to preach the Gospell to all nations set downe this for a most assured principle of the Christian faith I beleeue the holie Catholike church to teach all Christians that in those supernaturall misteries of the kingdome of heauen wee must not leane to the light of nature or trust to our owne Iudgments or follow the advise of everie one that will take vpon him to bee a maister but hold our selues preciselie to that which the holie Catholike church doth teach vs obeie her fullie and wholie in all things Out of the premises this argument may bee framed directly to our purpose No man can bee saued vnles hee follow the direction of the one holie Catholike church in all matters of faith but they that bee of opinion that euerie man may bee saued in his religion do not follow the direction of the Catholike church which doth teach all men to imbrace and follow one only faith and religion wherfore they that will not imbrace the said one only faith which the Catholike church teacheth cannot bee saued To make this more plaine and probable let vs in a word or two examine the speciall meanes that the protestants vse to attaine vnto the true vnderstanding of Gods word and therby vnto saluation where wee must obserue by the way that wee all agree in this that there is nothing to bee beleeued which is not by God reuealed vnto vs. The Protestants do hold all that to bee written either in the old or new Testament wherin wee dissent from them teaching all revealed verities not to bee written in the Bible but some of them to passe from father to sonne by word of mouth and by tradition Of which difference here I doe not dispute but wee all taking for our ground Gods owne and onely word revealed written or vnwritten do inquire how wee come to the true vnderstanding of it wee say by the explication and declaration of the Catholike church The Protestants approue not that meanes but vnder the colour of mans inuentions reiecting of it do either leane to their owne iudgment learning or follow the authoritie of their chiefe preachers or els runne to the revelation of the Spirit speaking inwardlie to their spirits Now if none of all these bee assured meanes to attaine vnto the true vnderstanding of Gods word then their faith that relieth principally theron cannot bee assured Some of them in great zeale simplicitie will say that they relie only on the word of God but good poore soules they know not well what they saie for the question being about the vnderstanding of the same word of God wee affirming the word to bee for vs they denying that and chalenging it to bee for them who shall iudge whether of our pretentions to the same word bee true they will conferre one texte with another so will wee and consider all circūstances too wee will repaire also to the originals haue respect vnto the Analogie of faith briefly wee will vse all humane diligēce pray also to God to assist vs supernaturally yet whē wee haue all done wee come to no agreemēt who shall thē agree vs If they would come with vs to the Catholike churches determination in some generall councell wee should quickly haue an end but they vpon one vaine pretext or other fly of and will finally follow no other then one of those three guids before named wherof the first which is their owne learning and Iudgment bee it neuer so great yet they maie mistake and fall into error Omnis enim homo mendax Rom. 3. For every man is subiect to bee deceiued specially when they bee in passion and striue to vphold and make good their owne conceites against others for then they do oftentimes run astray verie strangelie Secondly the Protestants that relie vpon the reputation and credit of their preachers how can they set vp their rest vpon them assuredlie for that first their masters being men may bee deceiued aswell as other men maie be and that they are in deed deceiued not only the Catholiks who are the farre greater and founder part of Christians do affirme but those also that they themselues hold for men of God do testify the same For example Martin Luther with his disciples repute Zuinglius Calvin and all the troupe of Sacramentaries to bee deceiuing masters and to erre damnablie in the matter of the blessed Sacrament On thother side the Sacramentarie protestants do all teach that Luther with all his followers erred as in many other points so principally in that matter of the reall presence which of these two to omit diuerse other their contradictions shall a poore protestant beleeue and follow both hee cannot because what the one affirmeth thother denieth and each of them saith that the other is deceiued Hee thē taking them both for true of their words must needs beleeue neither of them for that the one avoucheth the other to bee in error Hee maie leaning to his owne Iudgment and liking rather follow one of them then the other yet hee cannot do that without some feare of being deceiued himself because hee hath so many euen of his owne side to bee against him wherfore he can haue no faith at all in these points For faith is an assured perswasion of that to bee true which you do beleeue without anie doubt or feare of the contrarie Let vs now come to their last refuge and surest hold as some take it of the spirit which is indeed the most wauering and vncertaine guide of all the rest For doth not the Lutherans grosser spirit buzze into their braines that they haue found out the light of the Gospell yes I warrant you saies euery good Lutheran Not so saith the purer and nimblet spirit of the Calvinists it was but the dawning of the daie that appeared to M. Luther the light of the Gospell began then only to peepe vp but the bright beames therof brake not out till M Caluins doctrine glittered The more brisk spirite of the Brownists doth assure thē that the nooneday light of the same Gospell shineth onlie in their Horizon And what shall wee say to the Anabaptists who as they bee the most frantike of all other so they brag most of all of verie familiar
acquaintance with the same whispering spirit with which they are so haunted that they haue almost hourely new illuminations and strange revelations See I pray you into what endles dissentions this doctrine of the spirit doth lead her folowers It being then most manifest that there is such variety and so great contradiction in the way of the private spirit everie man that hath a care of his salvation will I hope take heed therof and not suffer himself to bee abused therby Hee was inspired by the true spirit of God that gaue vs this faire warning 1. Iob. 4.1 My deerest beleeue not euerie spirit but prove the spirits if they hee of God because manie falâ—e prophets are gone into the world which deceiue many And Satan that trudgeth about so busily seeking whom hee maie deuoure finding so many readie to listen to the cursed councell of his wicked spirit transformeth himself often into an Angell of light that hee may the better beguile them that giue eare to such secret whisperings wherfore they that desire not to bee misled must follow Saint Iohns counsell try the spirits whether they bee of God or no. Ibidem If the priuate spirit do not agree with the publike spirit that conducteth the Catholike church in all trueth bee well assured that it is an erring spirit sent by Satan to deceiue you and to leade you into errour To recollect this point in briefe If no man may relie either vpon his owne learning or spirit not may safely trust anie priuate teacher or preacher then the protestants best meanes to obtaine salvation be very vncertaine and consequentlie they that wil bee assured never to erre in anie one article of faith must not relie vpon them but imbrace wholie and fully the doctrine of the Catholike Roman church and hold themselues close and fast thervnto Math. 16 That church is built vpon a rocke that alwaies hath and euer shall stand firme without flitting or tottering too and fro and Christ praied Luc. 22. for her governors faith that it should never faile Ioh. 16. The holie Ghost is alwaies with her to teach her all truth And in verie common sense when a controuersie riseth about any point in faith is it not much more probable that all the learned assembling together out of all coasts and countries of Christendome to conferre thervpon should boult out the truth of that question better then some few passionate and discontented men that oppose themselues against all the rest Thus verily stands the case betweene the Protestants and vs. for when Martin Luther Iohn Calvin and others discontented men and none of the best marke ranne out of our church and cried out that therein were manie errors taught and many foule abuses maintained a generall councell was called the best learned of all Christian countries were assembled to heare and determine those controuersies The ringleaders of the new Gospell were most courteously invited thither to shew what moved them to make that alteration but their consciences telling them that they were not able to iustifie their bad cause before so many learned men they durst not appeare in the councell wee then haue very great reason to follow the iudgment of the whole corps of Christendome but small probability haue the protestants to preferre the passionate opinions of a few malecontents flying from true triall before the calme and mature acts and definitions of all the rest that were ready to haue performed it God send them grace to see it in tyme least as they haue wilfully followed them in their errors so they bee not here after against their wills forced to folow them to eternall punishment I haue staid the longer to declare the commoditie and necessitie of submitting our vnderstaÌ„ding vnto the censure of the Catholike church because without that bee ioyned to Gods word to certifie vs both which is the word of God and what is the true sense and meaning thereof wee can haue no true faith at all for the declaration of the church is necessarilie required as a condition without which our faith cannot ordinarilie bee assured of that which it is to beleeue whervpon that great light of the world S. Austin was not ashamed to saie Evangelio non crederem August co Episâ— fundameÌ„tre 5. nisi me moveret Ecclâ—siae Catholicae authoritas I for my part would not beleeue the Gospell vnles the authoritie of the Catholike church did moue mee thervnto whence it is easie to gather that they who do not take their direction from the said church as all they do not who think euery Christian may be saued in his own religion haue no assurance in their faith and coÌ„sequently no true faith at all wherfore they cannot bee saued which I do thus confirme for the Apostle teacheth that Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo Hebr. 11.6 It is impossible to please God without faith which must needs bee vnderstood of the true faith because God is the God of truth and hateth all that is false but the true faith is but one onlie and of the same nature in all men which the said Apostle doth confirme when hee writeth that there is but one Lord one faith Ephes 4.5 one Baptisme but they that make account to bee saued in their owne religion bee not ordinarilie nor cannot bee all of one faith for one faith cannot teach vs to beleeue two coÌ„tradictory propositions to bee true by the same faith one may beleeue more and another lesse according to the measure of faith that it hath pleased God to bestow vpon them but one cannot beleeue cleane contrary to the other As for example That Saints are to bee praied vnto and that they are not to bee praied vnto That wee may praie for the dead and that wee may not praïe for the dead For one of those propositions must needs bee false wherfore they that beleeue men may bee saued in both these opinions haue no true faith at all because true faith cannot beleeue that which is false and one of these two must needs bee false This may bee yet further confirmed for that those men who thinke one may bee saued in any religion do want the aforesaid true and onlie meanes of vnitie and agreement in one faith for they rely not vpon the explication of the Catholike church which is the only way to hold all men in one faith no more then if they had neuer heard of that article of our Creede I beleeue the holâ—e Catholike church but take as it hath been before declared for their guides in matter of faith either their owne Iudgment skill or spirit or the advise of some of their friends which are much more like to leade them into a hundreth diverse opinions then to reduce them to vnity in faith and religion wherfore it is evident that the vniforme faith of the bodie of Christendome which alone is the true saving faith cannot dwell in one house with that
tenet ab ipsa sede Petri Apostoli cui pascendas ones suas dontinus commendauit vsque ad praesentem Episcopatum successio Sacerdotum The successioÌ„ of Bishops from the seat of S. Peter even to this present Bishop doth hold mee in the bosome of the Catholike church Are not these words plaine enough to expound the other Let vs repose our selues in the bosom of that church which by succession of Bishops from the Apostolike sea to wit of S. Peter hath obtayned the top of authoritie Compare the bosome with the bosome the succession of Bishops of the one with the other and they will easily lead vs to take the chaire of S. Peter to be the exposition of the Apostolike sea This is so sensible that M. Abbot himself after hee had a litle wrangled against it comes to admitt of it how litle care then had he of his owne honesty that before charged mee with dishonest falsifying of those words of S. Austin and yet in the end is forced to take them euen so as I did And that you may in him behold the picture of one that will neuer yeeld to any truth that wee say be it neuer so apparant He admitting that wee ought to repose our selues in the bosome of that sea Apostolike wherin S. Peter sate yet hee saies that it doth not heerby follow that we ought rather to repose our selues in the bosome of the church of Rome theÌ„ in the church of Antioch where Peter sate aswell as hee did at Rome and where there had been Bishops succeediÌ„g him vntill that time how now good sir had you leifer send your reader to Antioch to relie on some schismatik vnder the Turk then to Rome But this is a meere cavill for though S. Peter was for a season Bishop of Antioch and of some other cities also which he first converted to the Christian faith vntill he had provided them of some others Yet he finally making choice of the city of Rome for his residence and dying there coÌ„secrating that place to God by the shedding of his blood for the Christian faith The Bishops of Rome and not of Antioch haue by consent of all antiquity been ever taken for S. Peters successors I haue before produced sufficient testimonie for this matter so that it were needles heere againe to repeat the same when it will serve for this turne to proue that S. Austin of whose words wee now treat tooke the Bishops of Rome for S. Peters successors and never the Bishop of Antioch Let M. Abbot if hee can giue meâ— therof one instance but because I know hee cannot doe that I will giue him some to the contrary S. Austin taught the church of Rome to be S. Peters chaire Aug. co literas Peril l. 2. ca. 51. and the Bishops of Rome his successors in these words what hath the church of Rome done to thee in which S. Peter sate and now sitteth Anastasius who was then Bishop of Rome Againe Idem epist 1â—5 where he expresly enquireth after S. Peters Successors and by name affirmeth Linus Bishop of Rome to haue been his successor and consequently all other Bishops of Rome to his owne time He doth in like manner declare Rome to bee S. Peters chaire and the Bishops of Rome his successors In the Psalme hee made against the part of Donate In Psal co partem don and writing against the Donatists fundamentall Epistle Finally in the tenth question of the old and new testament Con. Epist fundamenti cap. 4. to omit many other places of his workes out of the which the same may bee evidently deduced well it being manifest by the verdict of S. Austin that wee must repose our selues in the bosome of the sea Apostolike and further that the same sea is the church of Rome M. Abbot will now surely at the length to his owne eternall rest repose himself in the same holy bosome of the church of Rome beware of that in any case He hath yet bethought himself of another sorie shift Let saies hee M. Bishop take those words as he will yet there is nothing therin concerning the church of Rome but that as the principall church and specially in the westerne parts it serued most conveniently for instance of the succession But as for the height and top of authoritie there spoken of it belongeth to the Catholike or vniuersall church And meere impudency it is by those or any other words of Austin to chalenge to that church any superiority in goverment ouer other churches when as wee see both Austin and the rest of the Bishops of Africa did with one consent vtterly disclaime the same Turtull co ValeÌ„t c. 2. vinci possunt suaderi non possunt O how true is that ancient saying of Turtullian heretikes may be overcome but they will neuer be perswaded to yeeld and acknowledge it M. Abbot granting that S. Austin hauing first resolued vs to repose our selues in the bosome of the sea Apostolike that is to embrace what that church should teach vs and wholy rely vpon her definitions Secondly that the church of Rome was that sea Apostolike which had obtayned the top of authority heretikes in vaine barking round about it yet presently as if he had wholy forgotten that which stood before his eies ot els not caring what hee said to avoid a dumbe blanck he falleth to his old byas and flieth back to that which he said in the beginning albeit it had been so often before confuted That forsooth the church of Rome is only the principall church and fittest to bee taken for instance in succession in westerne churches but it hath not saith hee any superiority in goverment when as S. Austin plainly teacheth that wee must repose our selues in that churches bosome and set vp our rest vpon her decrees that is be sure to ioyne in faith and religion with the Bishops of the same and that bicause that church hath obtayned the top of Authority and highest degree in goverment M. Abbot confessing the former part of the sentence to belong to the church of Rome hath left himself no shadow of reason to dismember from it that which S. Austin doth so expresly ioyne and linke with it Heare once againe his words shall we doubt to repose our selues in the bosome of that church which ever by the confession of mankind c hath obtayned the top of authority heretikes barking round about it Do you not see even by the cleere words of S. Austin that he must confesse himself not to be a member of mankind that will deny that church which he there spoke of to haue the top of authority what then shall become of M. Abbot that granteth the church there spoken of to be the church of Rome yet will not confesse it to haue that top of authoritie Either he must be rased out of the number of men or at the least be ranked in the rew of those hereticall men that did so vainly
barke against that so apparant truth which the sound corps of all true beleeving men do most constantly and gloriously confesse I hauing before shewed at large how neither S. Austin nor the African Bishops did deny anie one branch of the Bishop of Romes primacy no not so much as forbid their owne Bishops to appeale vnto the court of Rome And did otherwise in sundry sorts declare their dutifull obedience vnto the same sea of Rome M. Abbots inference out of his owne mistaking and error is wholy disappointed To conclude then this paragraff it doth remaine most assured and cleere that our blessed Saviour made S. Peter and his successors that rock vpon which he built his church therby giving them supreme power and authority to govern his whole church not for any limited nunber of yeares but for so long as his church should continue a church that is to the worlds end for against it the gats of hell shall never prevaile Secondly it is as certen that the Bishops of Rome be in that charge of government ouer all the church S. Peters lawfull successors with whom therfore whosoeuer ioyneth in matter of faith and religion shall never be deceiued nor fall in to schisme and against whoÌ„ whosoeuer barketh and opposeth himself hee not only barketh and laboreth in vaine as S. Austin speaketh but if he do obstinatly persever therin he therby to vse Optatus words before rehearsed becometh both a sinner and a schismatike From which most hainous crimes our sweet Saviour of his infinit mercie and goodnes deliuer all my most deere frinds and best beloued countrymen THE SVMME OF THE third paragraff or section W. B. ALBEIT the church of Rome strictly taken doth comprehend those Christians only that dwell within the citie and Diocese of Rome yet it is vsed by men of both sides to designe the faithfull of all countries that in religion do fully agree with the same and that specially because they do acknowledg the Bishop of Rome to bee vnder Christ the supreme governor therof As in times past the Roman Empire did not containe the territory of Rome alone or countrie of Italy but all lands and nations that professed obedience to the Emperor of Rome And like as in the primitiue church the title Catholike was added to Christian to distinguish true Christians from heretikes Even so now a daies when heretiks are growne so audacious as to arrogate vnto themselues the name of Catholiks though their religion bee nothing lesse theÌ„ Catholike the word RomaÌ„ is ioyned to Catholike to separate true Catholikes from counterfeit the Roman Catholike signifying those Catholiks that in faith and religion do perfectly agree with the church of Rome R. AB I Do confesse my self to bee one of those Doctors that know not this new found distinction of the Roman church to witt that it may bee taken either for the Diocesse of Rome or for all churches that in faith fully agree with the Roman M. Bishop can bring neither scripture nor any ancient writer for the warrant of it Secondly it being admitted that the churche of Rome may be taken for all churches agreing in faith with it yet it remaineth still a particular church bicause there be many other churches in Europe and Asia that do not agree with it in faith nor acknowledg her chiefty ouer their churches For example the churches of Luther Caluin and such like in Europe and certain other schismaticall churches in other parts of the world And as in the time of the Roman Empire there were many other kingdomes in the world so now besids the Roman church there be many other churches Moreouer the fathers haue told vs of the Latin and Greeke of the East and west churches Pighius Eccl. Hier. l 6. c. 3. but neuer specifie the Roman to signifie the whole church And Pighius asketh who did euer by the Roman church vnderstand the vniuersall church Albeit the Bishops of Rome wrote themselues Bishops of the Catholike church Yet they meant of that part of the Catholike church which was in Rome when the Catholike french man doth say we bee of the Catholike Roman church wee vnderstand them therby to take part with the church of Rome but the church of Rome is that of Rome only and is factiously called the Catholike church which is the whole and the Roman put to it is a tearme of diminution and abridgeth the whole to a part To them therfoee may be applied that of Optatus against the Donatists you would haue your selues Optat. l. 2. con Po rin only to be the whole who are not in all the whole And if in ancient times when there were so manie heresies it was thought a sufficient distinction to ioyne Catholike to Christian why is it not sufficient now a â—â—ies It is the Inuention of Antichrist and his badge to chalenge to himself and his only to bee the whole Catholike church That name Roman is a name of sect and schisme This is the summe of all which M. Abbot saith in this paragraff or section W. B. IN this section is discouered a second falacy of that false argument which they so often vse No particuler church can be the Catholike church but the Roman is a particuler church Ergo it cannot bee the Catholike church In the precedent section I haue laid open the manifold faults of this their argument shewing first the conclusion if it were granted not to bee to the purpose for the point in question was not whether the Roman church were the whole Catholike church or no but whether the word Roman in stile might bee couched with the Catholike church that is whether one might sensybly and trulie saie and write The Catholike Roman church they say yea we say no to make good their assertion they a vouch the church of Rome not to be the whole church we answere that the proof is not to the purpose albeit that were true for though it were not the whole church yet it might be called by the name of the whole not onely because euery part of that kind may be called by the name of the whole but also for that it is such a part as shall neuer be seperated from the whole and consequently as in existence it is alwaies close coupled with the whole so may it very well in stile be interlaced with it Secondly I affirmed that taking the church of Rome for a part yet it being the most eminent part it might very iustly giue name to the whole according to that axiome approued by all the learned A parte principaliore denominatur totum the whole is named after some principall part the whole land of Israël was called Iury of the principall tribe therof Iuda And our own country wherin dwelt both Saxons and Vites aswell as English men was named England when one of the English attained to the monarchy in like maner the church of Rome being the head of the rest as before I haue prooued though