A TREATISE OF FAITH WHERIN IS BRIEFELY AND PLANLY SHEWED A DIRECT WAY BY WHICH EVERY man may resolue and settle his minde in all doubtes questions or controuersies concerning matters of Faith Isa. 30. Haec est via ambulate in ea This is the way walke in it A. D. Permissu Superiorum 1605. A TABLE OR BRIEFE Summary of the whole Treatise Cap. 1. THat faith is absolutely necessary to saluation Cap. 2. That this faith is but one Cap. 3. That this one faith must be infallible Cap. 4. That this one infallible faith must be entire Cap. 5. That Almighty God hath prouided some sufficient meanes whereby all sorts of meÌ„ may at all times learne this one infallible and entire faith Cap. 6. What conditions or properties are requisite in this rule or meanes prouided by almighty God Cap. 7. That Scripture alone cannot bee this rule or meanes Cap. 8. That no naturall witte of man or humane learning either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise can bee this rule of faith Cap. 9. That priuate spirit cannot be this rule Cap. 10. That the doctrine or teaching of the true Church of Christ is the rule or meanes wherby al men must learne the true faith Cap. 11. That this true Church of Christ of which wee must learne the true faith is alwaies to continue without interruption vntill the worldes end Cap. 12. That this same Church must alwaies be visible Cap. 13. How we should discerne or know which company of men is this true visible Church of which wee must learne true faith Cap. 14. That those Notes or markes which heretikes assigne To wit true doctrine of faith and right vse of SacrameÌ„ts be not sufficient Cap. 15. That these foure Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica One Holy Catholique Apostolique be good markes whereby men may discerne which is the true Church Cap. 16. That these foure markes agree only to the Romane Church That is to say 〈◊〉 that company of men which agreeâ—â— in professioÌ„ of faith with the Church of Rome § 1. That the Romane Church onelyâ— One § 2. That the Romane Church onely is Holy § 3. That the Romane Church is onely Catholique § 4. That the Romane Church is onelie Apostolique Cap. 17. The conclusion of the whole discourse Viz. That the Romane Church is the onely true Church of Christ of which all men must learne the one infallible entire faith which is necessary to saluation And that the Protestants Congregation cannot be this true Church THE PREFACE BEing moued by some friendes to conferre with one of indifferent good iudgement and of no ill disposition of nature though very earnest in that religioÌ„ which he did professe I was desirous to doe my best endeuours to let him plainly see that the Catholique Romaine faith was the onely right For which purpose I did chose to let passe disputes about particular pointes and in generall to shewe First that it is necessary to admitte an infallible authority in the true Catholique church by reason whereof euery one is to learne of it onely which is the true faith of Christ. Secondly that those onely which professe the Romaine faith are the true Catholique church The which hauinge proued I did consequently conclude that the faith beleife which the authoritie of the Romaine church doth commend vnto vs ought without doubt to be holden for the true faith Vpon which pointes when he had heard my discourse he desired me for his better remembrance to sette downe in writtinge what I had said The which I had first thought to haue done briefely and to haue imparted it onely to him but by some other frieÌ„des it was wished that I should haÌ„dle the matter more at large they inteÌ„dinge as it seemed that it might not onely doe good to him but to others also that should haue need of it aswell as he Of which sorte of men standinge in this need as I could not consideringe their miserable case but take great pittie so I was easily moued especially at my friendes request to be willinge to doe my endeuour which might be for their reliefe succour and to take any course which might turne to their helpe and profit Now of all other courses which haue beene and might be vndertaken that which in my speach I did choose as most expedient for him with whome I did conferre seemed best also for me to prosequute in this my writinge for the benefit of him and others and this for foure reasons First because it is very briefe compendious and consequeÌ„tly such as euery one might haue leisure and should not be much weary to reade it Secondly because it standinge onely vpon few but most certaine conclusions and groundes is free from many cauils of the captions which more ample discourses are subiect vnto Thirdly because the matter handled in it is not very high nor hard but common easy plaine and such as may be vnderstoode of any who hauing but a reasonable witte or vnderstanding will carefully reade it as the importance of the matter requireth with iudgment deliberation which is chiefe with praier to God and a resolute good will to follow that which he shall finde to be right Fourthly because these few plaine pointes which are here sett downe include all other and whosoeuer shall by the help of Gods grace and the force of these or other reasons yeeld assent to the pointes proued in this discourse must by coÌ„sequence without farther disputing or difficultie yeeld to all particular pointes which the aforesaid church commeÌ„deth for pointes of faith and wil be moued to settle himselfe in the stedfast belefe of all For if he once admitte that there 〈…〉 Church or company of meÌ„ on earth infallibly taught by the holy gost what is the true faith in all pointes and that this church is by Gods appointemeÌ„t to teach all men in al matters of faith which is the infallible trueth and further that this Church which is thus taught and must teach vs is no other but that visible company which professeth the Romaine faith then he shall not neede to straine his wittes in studying or to wast wordes in wrangling about particuler pointes of controuersies or to vse any such trouble some and vncertaine meanes to finde out the trueth but may easely and most certainely be instructed in all by onely enquiring and finding out which all sortes of men may easely doe what is generally holden by the Church for truth in all particuler pointes whereof they doubt Of which pointes also If they be desirous they may haue sufficient authoritie and reason yeelded by the learned of the same Church though they should not so desire reason to be yeelded that without reason be giuen they would not beleeue at all or as grounding their faith vppon the reason giuen sith Christian beleife ought onely to be grounded vpoÌ„ the authority of God speakinge by the mouth of the church who ought to be beleeued in all matters without giuing
praedicabunt nisi mittantur How shall they beleeue him whom they haue not heard how shall they heare without a preacher how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent Therefore the true Church which only hath preachers truely sent of God must first be found out that by it we may heare and know which is the true faith Therefore of the two the true Church is rather a marke whereby we may know the true preaching and consequently the true doctrine of faith then contrary that as heretiques say the doctrine should be a marke whereby all men must know which is the true Church Thirdly true faith is included in the true Church and as it were enclosed in her belly as S. Austen saith vpon those words of the Psalme Errauerunt ab vtero â—â—quuâ—i sunt falsa In ventre ecclesiae saith he veritas manet quisquis ab hoc ventre separatus fuerit necesse est vt falsa loquatur Truth remaineth in the belly of the Church whosoeuer is seperated to wit by difference in doctrine froÌ„ this belly of the Church must needs speake false Therfore like as if a man had golde in his belly we must first find the man before we can come to see the golde it selfe so we must first by other markes find out the true Church which hath the gold of true faith hidden in her belly before we come to see the gold of true faith it selfe Sith especially we cannot see it vnlesse shee open her mouth and deliuer it vnto vs that we cannot being spiritually blind certainely know it to be true not counterfeite but by giuing credit to her testimony of it According as the same S. Austen saith Euangelio non crederem nisi me ecclesiae authoritas commoueret I should not beleeue the Gospell it selfe vnlesse I were moued by the authority of the Church For if we had not the testimony of the Church how should we haue bin infallibly sure that there were any Gospel at all or how should wee haue knowne that those bookes which beare title of the Gospell according to S. Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn Are true Canonicall Scripture rather then those bookes which are writen in the name of Nicodemus and S. Thomas bearing the same title or inscription of Gospell Fourthly if the true doctrine of faith in all particuler pointes must bee fore knowne as a marke whereby to know the true Church then contrary to that which hath bin proued the authority of the Church should not be a necessarie meanes whereby men must come to the knowledge of the true faith For if before wee come to know which is the true Church we must by other meanes haue knowne which is the true faith what neede then is there for getting true faith already had to seeke or bring in the authority of the same Church Fiftly If before we giue absolute and vndoubted credit to the true Church we must examine and iudge whether euery particuler point of doctrine which it holdeth be the truth with authority to accept that only which we like or which seemeth in our conceipt right and conformable to Scripture to reiect whatsoeuer wee mislike or which in our priuate iudgement seemeth not so right and coÌ„formable then we make our selues examiners and Iudges ouer the Church consequently we preferre our liking or disliking our iudgement and censure of the interpretation sense of Scripture before the iudgement and censure of the Church of God But it is absurd both in reason and religion to preferre the iudgment of any priuate man be he neuer so witty and learned or neuer so strongly perswaded in his owne mind that he is taught by the Spirit before the iudgement definitiue sentence of the Church of God the which is a company of men many of which both are alwaies haue bin vertuous wise and learned which is chiefe is such a company as according to the absolute and infallible promises of our Sauiour hath vndoubtedly the holy Spirit among them guiding them and teaching them all truth and not permitting them to erre as before hath beene proued But you may perhaps say that in Scripture we are willed not to beleeue euery spirit but to try spirits whether they bee of God or no and that therefore we must examine and try the spirit of the Church by looking into euery particuler point of doctrine which it teacheth I answere That in that place of Scripture it is not meant that it belongeth to euery particuler man to try all spirits but in generall the Scripture giueth the Church warning not to accept euery one that boasteth himselfe to haue the Spirit and willeth that they should trie those spirits not that euery simple or priuate man should take vpon him to trie them but that those of the Church to whom the office of trying spirits doth appertaine to wit the Doctors and Pastors which almighty God hath put in his Church of purpose Vt non circumferaâ—ur omni vento doctrinae that we may not be caried away with euery wind of doctrine and Vt non simus paruuli fluctuantes that we may not be litle ones wauering with euery blast of those that boast themselues to be singulerly taught by the Spirit So that this trying of spirits is only meant of those spirits of which men may well doubt whether they be of God or no theÌ„ also this trial beloÌ„geth to the Pastors of the Church But when it is certaine that the spirit is of God we neither need nor ought doubtfully to examine or presuÌ„ptuously to iudge of it but submitting obediently the iudgement of our owne sense and reason wee must beleeue the teaching of it in euery point Now it is most certaine that the Spirit of the true visible Church is of God as out of holie Scripture hath bin most euidently proued And therefore our only care should be to seeke out those markes by which all men may know which particuler coÌ„pany of meÌ„ is the true Church of Christ whose doctrine we neither need nor lawfully may examine and try in doubtfull manner but must obediently and vndoubtfully in all points beleeue as the only assured and infallible truth CHAP. XV. That these foure properties Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica that is to saie One Holy Catholique Apostolique are good markes by which men may know which is the true Church SITH our Sauiour Christ hath thought good to plant a visible Church vpon earth which he would haue to continue vntill the worlds end for this speciall inâ—ent and purpose that all men in all ages by meanes of it may learne the doctrine of the true faith the true worship of God the right vse of the Sacraments the holesome lawes of good life and generally all good thinges that appertaine to the glorie of God and the saluatioÌ„ of our soules wee haue not any reason to doubte but that the same our Sauiour for the exceeding loue which of his part
is absolutely infallible so also the creditt giueÌ„ to this worde which is our faith must needes be also most certaine and infallible Fides saieth S. Basille est eorum quae dicta sunt assentiens approbatio sine vlla haesitatione cum animi persuasione de eorum veritate quae Dei munere praedicata sunt Faith is a consenting approbation of those thinges which are saide an vndoubted perswasion of minde of the trueth of those thinges which are preached by the guift of God Fides saieth S. Chrysostome dici non potest nisi circa â—a quae non videntur amplius quam circa ea quae videtur certitudinem quis habeat It can not be called faith vnles one be more certaine of those things which are not seen then of those thinges which are seene The reason whereof the same S. Chrysostome declareth in an other place saying Superet sensum rationem nostram sermo ipsius Dei nam verbis eius fraudari non possumus sensus vero noster deceptu facillimus est Let Gods worde saieth he surmount our sense and reason for wee can not be deceiued by his wordes but our sense is most easely deceiued Sith therefore our faith is grounded on the word of God reuealed to vs by Iesus Christ our Lord speaking by the mouth of the Church as he saieth himselfe Qui vos audit me audit he that heareth you heareth me we ought to receaue the word of faith preached by the true Church not as the worde of maÌ„ but as it is truely the worde of God and consequently we must account it a thing most certaine and absolutely infallible CHAP. IIII. That this one infallible faith necessary to saluation must also bee entire THis one infallible faith without which we can not please God must also be entire whole souÌ„d in al points it is not sufficient to beleeue stedfastly some points misbeleeuing or not beleeued obstinately other some or any one The reasoÌ„ of this is because euery point of doctrin yea euery word that almighty God hath reuealed and by his Church propounded vnâ—o vs to be belieued must vnder paine of damnation be belieued as we may gather out of S. Marke where when our Sauiour had giuen chardge to his Disciples to preache the gospell to euery creature the which chardge he also gaue in S. Mathew sayinge docete omnes gentes c. docentes eos seruare omnia quâ—cumque mandaui vobis teach all nations c. teachinge theÌ„ to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you he pronounceth indefinitely Qui non crediderit condemnabitur he that shall not beleeue shall be coÌ„demned not excepting or distinguishing any one pointe of doctrine as needles to be belieued or which a man might at his pleasure misbelieue or doubt of without danger and this not without reason for not to belieue any one pointe whatsoeuer which God by reuealing it doth restifie to bee true and which by his Church he hath commanded vs to belieue must needes be damnable as being a notable iniurie to Gods veritie a great disobedieÌ„ce to his will But all pointes of faith are thus testified by God commaunded to be belieued otherwise they be not pointes of faith but of opinion or some other kinde of knowledge Therefore all pointes of faith must vnder paine of damnation be belieued beleiued I say either expresly and actually as learned men may doe or implicite and virtually as vnlearned Catholikes commonly doe who beleeuing expresly those articles which euery one is bound particulerly to know doe not in the rest obstinately doubt or hold some errour against the Church but haue a minde prepared to submitte themselues in all thinges to the authority of the Church which they are sure is taught directed by the spirit of God and doe in general hold for vndoubted truth whatsoeuer the Catholike or vniuersall Church doth beleeue Secondly that man which beleeuing some points should deny others cannot while he doth thus haue one the same faith which other Christians haue Sith hee doth not as Erenaeus requireth to thâ— vnity of faith belieue the points of faith in a like but in a different manner from other Christians That iâ— to say Neither doth hee beleeue all the pointes which they doe neither doth hee beleeue those points wherin he doth agree with them for the same reason that they doe that is to say He doth not beleeue those pointâ— which hee seemeth to beleeue precisely for that God hath reuealed them and by his Church propounded them for if heâ— did sith this reason is coÌ„mon to al point of faith he should assoone beleeue all 〈◊〉 any one He hath not therfore I say one and the same faith which other Christians haue who notwithstaÌ„ding haue the true faith And sith as S. Leo said nisi 〈◊〉 est fides non est If it bee not one faith it iâ— no faith at all It followeth that he thaâ— beleeueth not entirely al points of faith hath no faith at all and consequentlie sith one that hath no faith can no way be saued It is euident that he that beleeuing some articles doth obstinately deny others cannot be saued Thirdly to beleeue some pointes oâ— faith and to deny others or any one is heresie as to deny all is absolute Infidelitie But it is sure euen out of Scripture that Heretiques shall not bee saued no more then Infidels For as it is saide Qui non credit iam iudicatus est he that beleeueth not is already iudged so the Apostle Saint Paule reckoneth heresies among the works of the flesh of all which hee doth pronounce Qui talia agunt regnum Dei non consequentur Those which doe such like thinges shall not attaine the kingdome of God Fourthly I may confirme the same with the testimony of the auncient Fathers First of S. Athanasius in his creede which is commonly knowne and approued of all Quicunque saith he vult salvus esse ante omnia opus est vt teneat Catholicam fidem quam nisi quisque integram inuiolatamque Seruauerit absque dubio in aeternum peribit VVhosoeuer will bee saued before all things it is needfull that he hold the Catholike faith which vnlesse euery one doe keepe entire and vnuiolate without doubt hee shall perish euerlastingly Qui sunt in Sacris Litteris eruditi saith S. Basill ne â—nam quidem sillabam diuinorum dogmatuÌ„ prodi sinunt sed pro istius defensione si opus est nullâ—â— non mortis genus libenter amplectuntur Those that are well instructed in holy Writte doe not suffer one sillable of diuine doctrine to be betrayed or yeelded vp but for the defence thereof if neede bee doe willingly embrace any kinde of death Nihil periculosius saith Nazianzen his haereticis esse potest qui cum integrè per omnia decurrant vno tamen verbo quasi venem guttâ— veram illam ac simplicem fidem
the touchstone of the true Pastours of the Catholique Church who may say with S. Paul non ignoramus cogitationes Sathanae we are not ignorant of the cogitations of Sathan and who may also say with S. Iohn Nos ex Deo sumus qui nouit Deum audit nos qui non est ex Deo non audit nos In hoc cognoscimus spiritum veritatis spiritum erroris We are of God he that knoweth God heareth vs he that is not of God doth not heare vs. In this wee know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of errour Now if any will not admitte this manner of trying and discerning the spirit of truth from the spirit of errour but will trust their owne iudgement alone in this matter feare they may iustly nay rather they may be sure as Cassian saith that they shal worship in their thoughts the angell of darkenes for the Angell of light to their exceeding great harme And at least howsoeuer their priuate affection and selfe-loue encline them to thinke well of themselues of that spirite which they permitte to teach them those singuler points of new and strange doctrine yet sure it is that this their perswasion of the goodnes of their spirit is not infallible as the rule of faith must be sith diuers now adaies perswade themselues in the same maner to be taught by the holy Spirit yet one of them teaching against another it is not possible that all that thus perswade themselues should bee taught by this spirit sith this Spirit doth neuer teach coÌ„trary to it selfe And therefore some in this their perswasion must needes be deceaued And therfore who hauing no testimony of euideÌ„t miracle or some other vndoubted proof dare arrogantly affirme that he onely is not deceaued especially in such sorte as to condemne all other and to propose himselfe to himselfe others as the only sufficient rule of faith considering that others who presume perswade themselues altogither in like manner are in this their perswasion deceaued But suppose one could assure himselfe that he were taught by Gods Spirite immediately what is the true faith in all pointes in such sort that he could erre in none as it is not the manner of almighty God to teach men immediately by himselfe alone or by an Angell but rather as the Scripture telleth vs fides ex auditu Faith is bredde in vs by hearing and is to bee required ex ore Sacerdotis out of the mouth of the Priest and is to be learned of Pastors and Doctors whom God hath appointed in his Church of purpose to instruct vs and continue vs in the ancieÌ„t faith but suppose I say that one could assuredly perswade himselfe to be immediately taught of God what is the truth in all pointes How should hee without testimony of miracle glue assurance to others that hee is thus taught especiallie when hee teacheth quite contrary to the Catholike Church which by plaine promises and testimonies of Scripture vvee know to be taught of God Perhaps he will alledge that generall promise of Scripture Omnis qui petit accipit assuring them therby that euery one that prayeth for any thing receiueth it and that he hath earnestly prayed for the spirit therefore he must needes haue it But to this argument we may easily answere that this promise of our Sauiour is not so vniuersally to be vnderstood as though euery one that prayeth for a thing shall infallibly obtaine it without any condition at least in the manner of praying required of our part For we reade euen in Scripture petitis non accipitis eo quod male petatis You aske or pray and receiue not the thing requested because you aske amisse By which place wee learne that to obtaine any thing by prayer requireth a condition of praying wel or in such sorte as is fit the which condition doth as learned men obserue include many circumstances for fault of the due obseruance whereof it may and doth often happen that our prayer is not well made nor in such sort as is fit and is consequently frustrate of the efficacy which otherwise by the promise of our Sauiour it should haue had Now these circumstances being many and diuers of them very inward it is not very easie For any man to be absolutely sure that hee hath obserued them in such sort as is fit and therefore he cannot bee absolutely sure that his praier hath taken effect therefore it is no sufficient proofe whereby one may perswade others that hee hath the Spirit of God to say hee hath prayed for it especially coÌ„sidering that we may finde very many most contray in religion one to another who notwithstanding will say that they daily pray for the spirit and I doubt not but many of them in some sort yea earnestly after their manner doe pray for it yet sure it is that all these being thus contrary haue it not How shal we then be assured that this or that man who presuming vpon the assistance of this spiritt which he thinketh he hath obtained by prayer setteth a broache a singular and new inueÌ„ted doctrine how shall we be sure I say that such a maÌ„ hath the spiritt of God indeed Some will perchance saye that we may safely beleeue them because they preach nothing but pure Scripture while as for euery pointe of their doctrine they cite still sentences of Scripture But this answere will not serue First because for in the name of scripture they bring forth their false corrupt translations which do differ in some places euen in wordes from true scripture Secondly supposing that they did alwaies cite the true wordes of scripture yet they may easily applye them to a wronge sense or meaninge to witt to that which they falsely imagine being seduced by their own appetite or by their own former error to be the true sense For as S. Austen saieth Ad Imagines phantasmatum suorum carnalis anima conuertit omniâ— sacramenta verba librorum sanctorum a carnall and sensâ—all minde such as heretiques are not without sith heresie it selfe is accounted by S. Paule a worke of the flesh doth conuert or turne all the misteries and words of holy bookes vnto his owne imaginations phantasies Whereupon it commeth to passe that as the same S. Austen saith Omnes haeretici qui in authoritate Scripturas recipiunt ipsas sibi videntur sectari cumsuos sectentur errores All heretickes that receiue and admitte the authority of the Scriptures seeme to theÌ„selues to follow the only Scriptures wheÌ„ they follow their owne errours And as they may seeme to themselues to follow onely the Scriptures when they follow their owne errours so they may seeme especially to the simple people or to those who being seduced by them wholy build their beliefe vpon theÌ„ to preach nothing but pure Scripture wheÌ„ indeed they preach their owne erronious opinions coloured and painted with words of
Scripture as it is the manner of euerie sect maister to confirme his errour with words of Scripture yea the Diuell himselfe doth sometime for his purpose alledge words of Scripture Wherefore there is no reason wherby wee may bee assured that such men haue the Spirit of God but we may finde many reasons to conuince that they haue not this Spirit And to omitte for breuity sake the seeking out of any other euen the singularity or priuatenes of their spirit is sufficient not onely to moue vs to suspect it but also to condemne it and to assure vs that it cannot bee the Spirit of truth as is very well signified by S. Augustine who saith Veritas tua Domine nec mea est nec illius sed omnium quos ad eius communionem publicè vocas terribiliter admonens nos ne eam habere velimus priuatam ne priuemur ea Nam quisquis id quod tu ad fruendum omnibus proponis sibi propriè vendicat suum esse vult quod omnium est à communi propellitur ad sua id est à veritate ad mendacium Thy truth O Lord is neither proper to mee nor him but common to all whom thou dost publiquely call to the common partaking of its warning vs terribly to take heede that wee will not haue it priuate to our selfe least we be depriued of it For whosoeuer doth challenge that to himselfe priuately which thou dost propose publiquely to be enioyed of all and will haue that his owne which is common to all he is driuen from the common to this owne that is to say from the truth to a lie CHAP. X. That the doctrine and teaching of the true Church is the rule of faith THE fourth Conclusion is that this infallible rule which euery one ought to follow in all points of faith is the Doctrine and teaching of the true Church or coÌ„pany of the true faithfull of Christ. This I proue by this reason If our Sauiour Christ hath promised to any coÌ„panie of men the presence of himselfe and the assistance of his holy spiritt of purpose to instructe teach them all trueth giuing withall peculiar charge commission to them to teache all natioÌ„s and to preache to euery creature giuing also warrant to all that they may safely heare them giuing also commandement whereby he bindeth all to doe in all thinges according to their saying and threatning greatly those who will not heare and beleeue them then certainely the doctrine teaching of these men is in all pointes most true and infallible such as if the other conditions required in the rule of faith be not as they are not wanting may well be proposed to all sortes as an assured ground whereupoÌ„ they may safely build an infallible Christian faith For looke what our Sauiour Christ hath promised must needes be performed and whatsoeuer he warranteth or commandeth may safely without danger of errour be done nay must of necessity be done especially wheÌ„ he threatneth those and will not doe it and consequently if he haue promised to sende his holy spirit to teach any company of men all trueth it is not to be doubted but that he sendeth this his holy spirit and by it teacheth them all trueth sith the teaching of this spirit is vnfallible we are not to doubt but that this company is in all pointes infallâ—bly taught the trueth If also the same our Sauiour gaue warrant and commandement that they should teach vs that we should heare them and doe in all thinges according to their saying we may not likwise doubt but that they shall be able to teache all sortes of men in all pointes the infallible trueth and that all sortes of men may if they will learne of that company what in all pointes is the infallible trueth For otherwise by this generall commaundement of hearing them and doing according to their saying we should be bouÌ„de sometime to heare beleeue an vntruth and to doe that which were not vpright and good which without blasphemy to Christ his veritie goodnes can no way be thought But so it is that Christ our Sauiour hath in holy Scripture promised giuen commission warranted commaunded and threatened in manner aforesaide Therefore we can not doubt but that their is a certaine company the which is called the true Church of Christ which both is in all pointes of faith infallibly taught by the holy spirit and is likewise to teach all sortes of men in all pointes of faith what is the infallible trueth and therefore the teaching of this companie may well be assigned and proposed to all men as an vndoubted sufficient rule of faith The promise of our Sauiour Christ we haue first in the Gospell of S. Mathew ego â—obiscum sum omnibus diebus vsque ad coÌ„sumâ—ationem seculi I am with you al the daies vntill the ende of the world in which wordes is promised the continuall presence of Christ himselfe who is veritas the trueth it selfe with his Church not for a while then or for a while now but all the daies vntill the end of the world Secondly we haue an other promise in the gospell of S. Iohn Ego rogabo patrem alium paraclitum dabit vobis vt maneat vobiscum in aeterâ—um spiritum veritatis I will aske my father and he will giue you an other paraelite the spirit of trueth that he may remaine with you not only for 600. yeares but for euer And againe in the same S. Iohn to shew vs for what purpose he would haue his holy Spirite remaine among vs for euer he saith Paraclitus quaÌ„â—ittet pater in nomine mâ—o ille vos docebit omâ—â—a suggeret vobis omnia quaecunque dixero vobis the paraclite whom my Father will sende in my name shall teach you all things shal put you in mind of al things whatsoeuer I shall say vnto you And againe Cum venerit ille spiritus veritatis docebit vâ—s omneÌ„ veritateÌ„ WheÌ„ that spirit of truth shall come hee shall teach you all truth The charge and commission is plaine in S. Mathew cuntes docete omnes gentes Going teach all nations And in S. Marke euntes in mundum vniuersum praedicate Euangelium omni creaturae Going into the whole world preach the Gospell to euery creature The warrant we haue in S Luke Qui vos audit me audit Hee that heareth you heareth mee By which wordes appeareth plainely that our Sauiour Christ would haue vs to heare and giue credit to his Church no lesse then to himselfe The commandemeÌ„t is expressed in S. Mathew Super Cathedram MoysisederuÌ„t Scribae Pharisaei Omnia ergo quaecunque dixeriâ—t vobis seritate facite The Scribes Pharisies haue sitten vpon the chaire of Moses All things therfore whatsoeuer they shall say vnto you obserue and doe Out of which words we may gather that wee are bound in all pointes
to do according to the doctrine of the Prelates of the Catholike Church yea although it should happen that their liues were not laudable but bad For although our Sauiour in this place doth only in expresse wordes make mention of the chaire of Moses in which the Priests of the old Law did sit yet he is to be vnderstood to speake also of the chaire of S. Peter his owne Vicegerent in which the Priestes of the new Law doe succeed And this à fâ—rtiori because we haue greater reason to thinke that our Sauiour inteÌ„ded in his doctrine to giue rules to the Priests and people of his new Law which was presently to begin and to continue till the worldes end then only to giue documents to those of the old Law considering he knew that it should so shortly cease Wherefore the ancient fathers do vnderstand that place to bee meant of the Priestes of the new Law and namely S. Augustine who saith thus In illum ordinem Episcoporum qui ducitur ab ipso petro ad Anastasium qui nunc in eadem Cathedra sedet etiamsi quisquam traditor per illatempora subrepsâ—sset nihil praeiudicaret Ecclesie innocentibus Christianis quibus prouidens Dominus ait de praepositis malis quae dicunt facite quae faciunt facere nolite Into that order of Bishoppes which is deriued from S. Peter himself vnto Anastasius who now sitteth vpoÌ„ the same chair although some traytor had crept in in those times he should nothing hurt the Church and the innocent Christians for whome our Lord prouiding saith of euill Prelates what they say do what they do do not The threates we may gather First out of S. Luke when our Sauiour faith Qui vos spernit me spernit Hee that despiseth you despiseth me Signifying that look what sinne it were not to heare but to despise our Sauiour Christ himselfe that wee should account it the same to despise not to giue eare and credit to the Catholike Church Insinuating therby that the like punishment is to be expected for the saide contempte Secondly in S. Mathew the same our Sauiour expressely saith Si Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi sicut Ethnicus publicanus If he wil not heare the Church let him be to thee like an Ethnicke and a Publican Finally in S. Marke after hee had giuen charge coÌ„mission to preach the Gospell to euery creature hee pronounceth this threate to those that will not beleeue saying Qui non crediderit condemnabitur hee that will not beleeue shall be condemned Thus you see our Sauiour Christ hath promised to his Church the continuall presence of himselfe and of his holy Spirit to teach that coÌ„pany all truth Wherof followeth that it is infallibly taught al truth Moreouer hee hath giuen charge and commission to that Church to teach vs and hath warranted and commanded vs in all pointes to heare and do according to the saying of this Church which proueth that it appertaineth to this Church to instruct vs in all pointes of faith and that we ought to learne of it in all matters of religion what is the fallible truth consequently that the doctrine of this Church is the rule of faith Worthily therefore doth S. Paule call this Church columnam firmamentum veritatis The pillar and ground of truth Worthily also saith S Austen Scripturarum à nobis tenetur veritas cum id facimus quod vniuersae placet Ecclesiae quam earundem scripturarum commendat authoritas vt quoniam scriptura sancta fallere non potest quisquis falli â—etuit huius obscuritate questionis ecclesiam de illa consulat quam sine vlla ambiguitate scriptura sancta demonstrat The truth of the Scriptures is holden of vs when wee doe that which pleaseth the vniuersall or whole Church the which is commended by the authority of the Scriptures themselues that because the holy Scripture cannot deceiue whosoeuer feareth to bee deceiued with the obscurity of this question let him require the iudgement of the church which without any ambiguity the holy Scripture doth demonstrate by which wordes hee sheweth plainely that the sentence of the Church is of infallible and vndoubted truth that the way not to bee deceiued in an obscure question is to aske and follow the iudgement of the Church Wherefore worthily also do we all say Credo Ecclesiam CatholicaÌ„ I beleeue the Catholike Church worthily also may I conclude that neither Scripture alone nor naturall witte and learning nor priuate spirit nor any other thing but onely the teaching of the true Church of Christ is that ordinarie meanes which Almighty God hath prouided whereby all men may learne that one infallible entire faith which I proued to be necessary to saluation CHAP. XI That the Church whose doctrine must bee to vs the rule of faith must alwaies continue without interruption from Christ his time till the worldes end COnsidering what had bene proued in the former Chapter about the infallible authorite of the doctrine of the true Church I hope no Christian will denie but that so longe as this Church doth continew we haue of it a sure pillar and a firme foundation whereupon we may safely build our beleefe For either a maÌ„ must denie that euer our Sauior did make any such promise gaue such charge and commission left any such warrant sett forth such a commaundement or thundred out any such threates as before is rehearsed which were to denie the scriptures which scriptures are generally receiued by all Christians no otherwise theÌ„ as they are the vndoubted worde of God or els he must wrest the interpretation thereof both from that which the wordes of themselues naturally yeeld also from the common sense and vnderstanding either of al or the most learned and almost of the vnlearned also of the whole Christian world or els he shal be forced to confesse that which not I but S. Paule hath saied ecclesia est columna firmamentum veritatis the Church is the pillar and ground of trueth Onely it may perchaunce seeme to some of those that doe at this day oppose themselues against the authoritie of the Church that this was true for S. Paules time and perhaps for some 3.4.5 or 6. hundred yeares after but not to be presumed vpon in latter times and namely when Luther began his reformation as they tearme it or now a dayes Against these men I set downe this assertion The true Church of Christ which the forenamed testimonies of Scripture do commend was and is to continew without interruption till the worldes end This I proue First out of the very wordes of those promises which I cited out of S. Mathew S. Iohn For how can Christ our Sauiour or his holy Spirit be with his Church in such sort as there is promised to witt till the worldes end and for euer and especially as is saied in S. Matthew omnibus diebus
is the true Church we must haue speciall regard to assigne those things which in some matters may be apparant to all sortes of men sith all sortes of men had neede to seeke out and according to their capacitie discerne which is the true Church we must also assigne those thinges which agree to no other companie but that which is the true Church to th' intent that a man shall see all those thinges which be assigned as marks to agree to any companie he may streightwaies conclude that company to bee the true Church as on the contrarie side if he perceiue either all or any one of them to be wanting in any company he may be sure that that company is not the true Church CHAP. XIIII That those markes of the Church which Haeretiques assigne be not good markes OVT of that which in the former chapter I briefely noted about the nature of a good marke we may easily gather that those markes which some Haeretiques assigne to wit the true doctrine of faith and the right vse of the Sacraments are no good markes by which all sortes of men may come to knowe which is the true Church but are meanes as Haeretiques vse them to cast a myste ouer the whole matter when as they know that they can most easily conuert all the Sacramentes and holy wordes of Scripture Ad imagines phantasmatum suorum vnto their owne imaginations and phantasticall opinions as out of S. Austen we may gather that the manner of Haeretiques is especially when the authoritie of the Church which should correct those deprauations and false expositions is not first by other markes knowen and admitted The doctrine of faith therefore I say and the right vse of Sacramentes be not good marks whereby men may discerne which is the true Church This I proue First for that by the true doctrine of faith which they assigne for a marke of the Church either they meane true doctrine in some pointes onely or in all True doctrine in some pointes onely is no good marke because the Haeretiques teache the trueth in some pointes This therfore being not proper to the Church but agreeing rather to Haeretiques can bee no good marke of the true Church because it wanteth the first condition of a marke which is to be proper agreeing onely to the thing whereof it is a marke True doctrine also in all pointes although it be proper if we ioyne to it the right vse of Sacramentes with obedience to lawfull pastours agree onely to the true Church yet it is no good marke because it faileth in the second condition which is required in a good marke that is to say it is not apparant or easy to be knoweÌ„ of al those who should seeke out the true Church As I may easily proue because to know which coÌ„panie teacheth the trueth in all pointes requireth first learning wherby one may vnderstand the tearmes and state of the question or controuersie besides iudgement to discusse and weigh prudeÌ„tly the worth and sufficiency of the authorities and reasons of both partes that vpoÌ„ this pondering of reasons he may prudently conclude which is the better part Moreouer one had neede to haue a supernaturall light of Gods grace and the assistaÌ„ce of his Spirit whereby he may discerne see those thinges which be aboue all naturall rules and reasons Ad haec quis idoneus Who can saye that himselfe is sufficiently furnished with these helpes who can bee infallibly sure that he hath all these in such sorte as is requisite for obtaineing by his own industrie true vnfallible faith in all points surely at least the vnlearned must needes confesse that in diuers mysteries they doe not so much as vnderstand the tearmes and state of the question and much lesse are they able to examine sufficiently the worth of euery reason neither are all such as can perswade themselues that they are singularly inlightened and immediately taught of Gods Spirite neither if they did thus perswade themselues could they be vnfallibly sure that in this their perswasion they were not deceiued sith it is certaine that some of them that most strongely perswade themselues to be thus taught are in this their perswasion deceiued neither can the vnlearned sufficiently know the truth in euery particuler point by giuing credit to some one or other learned man or any companie of the learned vnles that company bee first knowen to be of the true Church coÌ„sequently to be guided in their teaching by the holy Ghost as I proued before So that it is most hard or rather vnpossible for a maÌ„ and especially for an vnlearned man in all pointes liquidam à tot erroribus discernere veritatem to discerne the plaine truth from so many errours as S. Austen saith It is also most hard for a man of himself to iudge which vse of SacrameÌ„ts is right if he be not first taught by the Church sith this is a principall point of the true doctrine of faith which is as I sayde very hard or rather vnpossible to be perfitely knowen by a mans owne selfe But to know first which company is the true Church and then by giuing credit to it to learne which is the true faith which vse of Sacraments is right there are not so many things required nor any great difficultie as shal be declared For the Church is that direct way which Isaias speaketh of when hee saith Haec erit vobis directa vta ita vt stulti non errent per eam This shal be to you a direct waye so that euen fooles to wit simple vnlearned men may not erre in it Secondly I proue the same because when we seeke for the true Church we seeke it principally for this end that by it as by a necessary infallible meanes we may heare and learne of it the true faith in all pointes which otherwise in it selfe is hidden obscure and vnknowen to vs according to that of S. Paule Animalis homo non percipit â—a quae sunt Spiritus Dei the sensuall man doth not perceiue those thinges which are of the Spirit of God For sith none by the onely power of naturall wit which in vnderstaÌ„ding vseth the help of outward senses can obtaine the supernaturall knowledge of diuine mysteries which we belieue by our faith neither doth the Spirit of God who as the principall cause infuseth this guift of faith into our soules ordinarily instruct any man in the knowledge of true faith immediately by himselfe alone or by an Angell sent from heaueÌ„ we must needes if we will haue true faith seeke first for that which it pleaseth almighty God to vse as the ordinary instrument and as a necessary meanes by which men may learne true faith the which is no other but the preaching and teaching of the true Church according to that saying of S. Paule Quomodo credent ei quem non audierint quomodo audient sine praedicante quomodo
without exception or respect of persons he beareth to al maÌ„kind hath ordained some marks or notes by which all sortes and consequently euen simple men may sufficieÌ„tly discerne which company among many which challenge to themselues the title of the true Church is indeede the true Church For sith hee would haue euery one to heare and learne thinges necessary to saluation only of the true Church we must needes thinke his wisedome and goodnes to haue marked this his Church with such manifest signes properties that all men may easily know it and discerne it from others whome he knew would take vpoÌ„ them though falsly the title and profession of the true Church This seemeth to haue beene expressely foretold by the Prophete Isaias when he saieth Scietur in gentibus semen eorum germen eorum in medio populorum Omnes qui viderint â—os cognoscent illos quia isti sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus Their seed shall be knowen in the nations their ofspring in the middest of people all that shall see them shall know them because these are that seed which our Lord hath blessed Which is as much as if he should say that the Church shall haue such manifest markes that it shal be easy for euery one to know them to be the true Church Some of these markes are set downe by S. Austen who calleth them bandes or chaines which doe hold a faithfull man in the Catholique Church although for the slownes of his wit or for some other cause he doth not euidently see the truth of the doctrine in it selfe Of these markes diuers authours haue written at large I for breuitie sake haue chosen out onely these foure Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica One Holy Catholique Apostolique because I hope these will be sufficient and because I finde these eâ—pecially set forth in Scriptures commeÌ„â—ed by Councels and generally admitâ—ed of all sortes both Catholiques and Protestantes as now I am to declare First for the generall admittance of these properties of the true Church I need no other proofe but that both Catholiques and Protestantes allow of the Nicene Constantinopolitane Creed whereâ—n we profes to beleeue the true Church â—he which Church is there described with these onely foure properties which before I named as though by those onely euery man might sufficiently know that Church which in euery pointe they are bound to beleeue Now if besides this proofe out of the generally receiued Councels some precise man would haue â—eproue these properties to agree to the true Church out of the Scripture it selfe this also I may easily doe The true Church is signified to be One by those wordes of the Canticle Vna est 〈◊〉 mea if we will beleeue the exposition of S. Cyprian and S. Austen Also we may gather the same out of those wordes of our Sauiour in which he calleth his Church vnum ouile one sheepfold Also by those places of S. Paul where he tearmeth the Church vnum corpus one body Moreouer Christ our Sauiour praying for his Church did specially intreate without doubt obtained vt omnes vnum sint that all the membres therof should be one thing to wit that at the least they should al professe one and the same faith all partake of one and the same baptisme and other Sacramentes all liue vnder one and the same Lord in due subordination subiection to that vniforme and orderly gouernement of lawfull pastours ordained appointed in the Church by him The true Church of Christ therefore is one Contrary the conuenticles of Heretiques are destitute of this marke of vnitie according as Tertullian affirmeth saying Denique penitus inspectae Haereses omnes in multis deprehenduntur cum auctoribus suis dissentientes Finally all Heresies if they be well looked into are found to differ in many thinges from their first founders And the reason of this disagreemeÌ„t amoÌ„g Heretiques the same Tertullian assigneth very well in the same place saying Variant inter se Haeretici dum vnusquisque pro suâ— arbitrio modulatur quod accepit quemadmodum 〈◊〉 pro arbitrio composuit ille qui tradidit Heretiques do differ in pointes of doctrine â—mong themselues while as euery one taâ—eth vpon him to fashion the faith which he receiued according to his owne liking 〈◊〉 fancie like as he that first deliuered it â—nto them did inuent it according to his owne will and pleasure The true Church is also proued to bee â—â—ly by that of S. Paule Templum Dei sanctum est quod estis vos The temple of God is holy which temple you are By which place notwithstanding S. Paule did not â—eane to signifie that euery one of this companie was holy For a litle after in the same Epistle hee saith to the same coÌ„panie Omnino auditur inter vos fornicatio â—â—lis fornicatio qualis nec inter gentes There is plainely heard fornication among you and such fornication as the like is not among the heathen He doth not therfore I say meane that euery one of the Church is holy but that the whole company is to be tearmed holy because the profession thereof doth of it selfe wholy tend to holines the doctrine being such as withdraweth from all vice and instructeth and moueth men to vertue the Sacraments also do not only signifie but in the vertue which they haue from Christ his Passion they also worke in vs as instrumentall causes true inward sanctitie Wherfore although euery one that is in the Church be not holy yet no doubt alwaies some are the which their holines it pleaseth almighty God to testifie and make knowne sometime by miracle and ordinarily he vseth to make it apparant enough by the light of their vertuous actions which at all times in many members of the true Church doe so shine before men that by it men are moued to glorify God and sometimes to imitate in their owne life that which in others they admire And whatsoeuer member of the Church faileth from this holines of life it is euident that the faulte is only in himselfe who liueth not according to the prescript of his profession nor vseth in due sort those meanes which it hath of the holy Sacraments which as I said before are effectual instruments of sanctification Contrariwise no sect of Heretiques is truely holy neither was there euer any person that did inuent or obstinately adhere vnto any sect of heresie which â—ad in him true saÌ„ctity And no merueile Because the very profession and doctrine it selfe of euery heresie is opposite to the very rootes of true sanctity the which rootes be true Christian faith and humilitie For how can he be truely holy and iust who being possessed with the spirit of heresy must needs be depriued of true faith without which the iust man cannot liue according to that saying of S. Paule Iustus ex fide viuit Or how can he be holy that doth
〈◊〉 nor place And first for time it is eâ—â—dent because true doctrine was first â—â—eached and beleeued as the good seede â—as first sowen in the fielde afterward 〈◊〉 cockle that is false doctrine was ouer â—â—wed S. Paule did for three yeares space â—â—ith the Ephesians the true doctrine of â—â—ith and had coÌ„uersed among them like 〈◊〉 lambe seruiens Domino cum omni humilitaâ—â— seruing our Lord with all humility but â—fter his departure he saide he knew that â—â—â—enous wolues would enter in among â—â—em not sparing the flocke and that eueÌ„ 〈◊〉 of their owne companie there would 〈◊〉 viri loquentes peruersa vt abducant disciâ—â—is post se men speaking peruerse things â—â—at they may leade away disciples after â—â—emselues And as this happened at â—â—â—esus so doubtles in all other places â—here there hath beene any alteration of Christian doctrine first the true faith was â—anted by some Apostle or Apostolique â—an and afterward the contrarie was â—â—ought in by some speaking peruerse things therby leading away disciples after theÌ„selues So that it is certaine that no Heresie is so ancient as the true faith neither is any one of them of so long continuance for the time to come as S. Paule signifieth when hauing described Heretiques of the latter daies he addeth Sed vltra non proficient insipientia enim eorum manifesta erit omnibus but they shall prosper no further for their follie shal be manifest to all The same doth S. Austen aptly expresse expounding those wordes of the Psalme Ad nihilum deuenient tanquam aqua decurrens Non vos terreant sratres saieth he quidam fluuij qui dicuntur torrentes hyemalibus aquis implentur nolite timere post paululum transit decurrit aqua ad tempus perstrepit moâ— cessabit diu stare non possunt Multae Haerese iam emortuae sunt c. My brethren let not certaine floodes called landebrookes terrifie you they are filled with winter waters feare them not after a while the water doth passe runne downe for a time it maketh a noise but it will cease by and by those floodes can not stand long Many Heresies are now alreadie dead c. Now if we will haue respect of place it is certaine that no Heresie is by processe of time to spread it selfe absolutely ouer the whole world as I haue proued that the true Church shall doe and the reason hereof may bee assigned because as Saint Austen saieth diu stare non possunt they can not continue so long as were needefull to gett them so vniuersally spred ouer the whole world especially considering that as S. Paule saieth when they haue continued a while Insipientia earum manifesta fit omnibus their folishenes is made manifest to all and so no meruaile si vltra non proficiant if they prosper not nor make no further progresse Neither ordinarily in any one age is Heresie so vniuersall in place as the true Catholique religioÌ„ but for the most part it is contained in one or two couÌ„tries as it were in a corner of the world So that of heretiques we may well say as S. Austen doth that they are those which say Ecce hic est Christus ecce illic Beholde Christ is here beholde he is there that is to say the true doctrine of Christ is only truely preached in this countrie or that country of which kind of people our Sauiour giueth vs warning and biddeth vs saying nolite credere beleeue them not We may well say also of these as the same S. Austen doth Quaecunque congregatio cuiuslibet Haeresis in angulis sedet concubina est non matrona Whatsoeuer congregation of what Heresie soeuer sitteth in corners that is to say is but in few prouinces in the rest of the Christian world either is not at all or at least is not manifestly knowen to be is a concubine not a matrone to wit it is not the spouse of Christ nor the lawfull mother of the children of God Wherefore sith there is this difference betwixt heresie and true Christian religion that as the same S. Austen saith Singulae Haereses in multis geÌ„tibus vbi Ecclesia est non inueniuntur Ecclesia autem quae vbique est etiam vbi illae sunt inuenitur Heresies are not found in many nations where the Church is but the Church which is euery where is found in those natioÌ„s where Heresies are This difference I say being betwixt Heresie and the true religion we need not doubt but that to be Catholique or vniuersally receiued in the Christian world especially at all times is a note of the truth And that therefore the companie which professeth the faith which at all times and in a sort in all places hath bin receiued of Christians is vndoubtedly the true Church of Christ. Lastly the true Church is also Apostolique that is to say such as hath her foundation from the Apostles according to â—hat saying of the Apostle S. Paule Non estis hospites aduenae sed estis ciues sanctorum domestici Dei superaedificati supra fundameÌ„tâ—m Apostolorum Prophetarum ipso summo â—â—gulari lapide Christo Iesu. You are not straungers and forreiners but you are citizens of the saincts and the domesticals of God built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes Iesus Christ himselfe being the highest corner stone This we may gather out of that which is alreadie saide For if the apostles were they which were appointed by our Sauior to be vnder him the fouÌ„ders of his Church which by their preaching beganne at Ierusalem and from thence by them and those that receiued auctority from them tanquam viâ—is crescendo vbique diffusa est as Saint Austen speaketh like a vine by growing was spred abroad euery where being thus first planted and spred abroad was afterwards by the ministerie of lawfully succeeding pastours and doctors continued without interruption till now and shal be also so continued till the worldes end there is no doubt but that this companie descending thus lineally from the Apostles depending of them as their lawfull progenitours and being built vpon them as after Christ himselfe vpoÌ„ principall foundations may well bee called Apostolique that is to saye such as deriue their pedegree from no other authour or founder latter then the Apostles themselues All this doth Tertullian briefely but pithely comprehend in this short senteÌ„ce Apostoli apud vnam-quamque ciuitatem ecclesias condiderunt ab his autem ciuitatibus seu ecclesijs ab Apostolis constitutis traducem fidei semina doctrinae caeterae exinde ecclesiae mutuatae sunt quotidie mutuantur vt ecclesiae fiant ac per hoc ipsae Apostolicae deputabuntur vt soboles Apostolicarum ecclesiarum The Apostles to wit either immediately by themselues or by meanes of others founded Churches at euery Citty from which cities or Churches being thus founded by the Apostles other
continued against it as in all heresies that haue spronge vp of new we can doe If there could not a little ceremonie be added to the Masse but that it was set downe in history when and by whom how could the whole substance of the Masse which consisteth in consecration oblation and consumption of the sacred Hoast be newly inuented and no mention made when or by whom or that euer there was any such new inuention at all If also historiographers were not afraide to note personall and priuate vices of the Popes themselues which they might well think Popes would not willingly haue made open to the world why should they haue feared to haue recorded any alteration in religion Which if it had beene had beene a thing done publikely in the view of the whole world or if there were any feare or flattery which might tye the tongues and pennes of those that liued neare hand that they durst not or would not mention such a matter yet doubtlesse others which liued in places further off should not haue had those causes and consequently would not haue kept secret such an open and important a thing as this If lastly the histories which make mention of these priuate vices of Popes and other Christian Princes could not onely first come out but also continue without touch till these latter times what reason can any haue to doubte or dreame but that the like would haue beene set out about the alteration of religion if it had happened and that if any such history reporting any true accident of alteration or change of religion had come out it should partly by Gods prouidence partly by humane diligence haue bin preserued till these our daies especially cōsidering that such records had beene so requisite for discerning the ancient vnchanged true Christian religion from vpstart nouelty which must needes bee false So that we may well conclude that if Christian religion had since the Apostles time altered in Rome it would haue bin recorded in histories as other things and especially such notable alterations are recorded and those histories would haue beene preserued till this day as other Christian monuments haue beene preserued euen in time of persecution yea euen then when the persecutors made particuler enquiry for Christian bookes to burne or consume them But in those auncient histories there is no mention made of any such alteration of religion in Rome Wherefore it followeth that there was no such alteration or change at all No such alteration being made it is euident that the same faith and religion which was in Saint Paules time hath alwaies continued is there now That which was there then was the true faith and religion as appeareth by that high commendation which Saint Paule hath left written of it Therefore that which is there now must needes bee the onely true holy and Catholique faith and that company which professeth it must needes bee the Onely true Holy and Catholique Church Neither can I see what answere can with any probability be forged against this reason For to say that the errours of the Church of Rome crept in by little and little and so for the littlenes of the thing or for the negligence of the Pastors were not espied is an Idle fiction already refuted For first those matters which the Protestantes call errours in the Romane Church be not so little matters but that lesse euen in the like kinde are ordinarily recorded in stories Nay some of them are in the Protestants conceipts consequently if men of olde time had beene Protestants they would haue beene also in their conceipts as grosse superstition as Paganisme it selfe namely to adore Christ our Sauiour as being really and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament the which Sacrament Protestants hold to be really and substantially but a bare peece of bread Also the Protestants account the vse of the Images to be Idolatry and say very ignorantly or maliciously that wee adore stockes and stones as the Panims did The which thinges could not so haue crept in by little and little but they must needes be espied Neither could the Pastours of the Church at any time be so simple and ignorant so sleepy and negligent but they must needes haue seene and seeing must needes in some sort haue resisted as before I haue said For to imagine all the Pastours of any one age to haue beene in such a deepe Lethargicall and deadlie sleepe that they could not onely not perceiue when the enemy should ouer sow Cockle in the harts of some but also when this Cockle of false beliefe should grow to outward action and especially to publike practise the which could not be but most apparant to imagine I say all the Pastors to be so simple and sleepy not then to marke or not to resist is rather the dreame of a proud man in his sleepe who is apte to thinke all men fooles beside himselfe then a iudiciall conceipte of a waking man of any vnderstanding who ought to thinke of things past either according to the verity recorded in stories or when this faileth by comparing the likelihood of that which hee thinketh was done by men of that time with that which most men of their quality would do in like case Finally if these were so and that the Church did by this meanes for so long space in such important matters vniuersally erre neglexerit Officium Spiritus Sanctus as Tertullian speaketh refuting the like cauill of heretiques the holy Ghost should haue neglected his office which is as I haue proued before out of Scripture not to permit the vniuersall Church to fall into errour but to suggest vnto it all things that Christ said vnto it and to teach it all truth §. IIII. That the Romane Church onely is Apostolique FOurthly I finde that the Protestants Church is not Apostolique Because they can not deriue the Pedegree of their preachers lineally without interruption from the Apostles but are forced to acknowledge some other as Luther or Caluin or some such for their first founders in this their new faith from whome they may perhaps shew some succession of the preachers of their faith but they can neuer shew that Luther or Caluin themselues wsto liued within this hundred yeares did either lawfully succeede or was lawfully sent to teach this new faith by any Apostolique Bishop or Pastour Nay Luther himselfe doth not onely confesse but also bragge that he was the first preacher of this new found faith Christum à nobis primo vulgatum audemns gloriari saieth hee we darre boast that Christ was first published by vs. For which his glorious boasting me thinkes hee deserueth well that title which Optatus giueth vnto Victor the first Bishop of the Donatists to wit to be called filius sine patre Discipulus sine magistro a sonne without a father a disciple without a maister On the cōtrary side the Romane Church can shew a lineall succession of their Bishops
without interruption euen from the Apostle Saint Peter vnto Clement the eight the Bishop of Rome which liueth at this daie The which succession from the Apostles which we haue and the Protestants want the ancient fathers did much esteeme and vsed it as an argument partly co confound the Heretiques partly to confirme themselues in the vnitie of the Catholique Church So doth Irenaeus who saith Traditionem ab Apostolis annunciatam hominibus fidem per successiones episcoporum peruenientem vsque ad nos indicantes confundimus omnes illos qui quoquo modo vel per sui placentiam malam vel per vanam gloriam vel per caecitatem malam sententiam praeterquà m oportet colligunt Shewing the tradition from the Apostles and the faith coÌ„ming vnto vs by succession of Bishops we confounde all them who any way through euill coÌ„placence of themselues or vaine glorie or through peruerse opinion doe collect and coÌ„clude otherwise then they ought So also doth Saint Austen who saith Tenet me in Ecclesia Catholica â—b ipsa Sede Petri Apostoli cui pascendas oues suas Dominus commendauit vsque ad praesenâ—â—â— Episcopum successio Sacerdotum The succession of Priests from the very seate of Peter the Apostle to whome our Lord commended his sheepe to be fedde vntill this present Bishop doth hold me in the Catholique Church See the same Saint Austen Epist. 150. Optatus l. 2. cont Parmen Saint Epiphan Haer. 275. Saint Cyprian l. 1. epist. 6. S. Athanas. Orat. 2. contra Arrianos who pronounceth them to be Heretiques qui â—â—unde quà m à tota successione Cathedrae Ecclesiasticae origineÌ„ fidei suae deducunt who deriue the beginning of their faith from any other ground then from the whole succession of Ecclesiasticall chaire And this saith he is eximium admirabile argumentum ad haereticam sectam explorandam an excellent and admirable argument wherby we may espie out and discerne an hereticall sect The which argument these Fathers would neuer haue vrged and extolled so much if they had not thought that this succession was an vndoubted good marke of the Church and that with this lawfull vninterrupted Apostolicall succession of Doctors and Pastors the true Apostolique faith and doctrine was alwaies conioyned The which to be conioyned we may easily proue out of Saint Paule himselfe who saith Dedit Pastores Doctores ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerij in aedificationem Corporis Christi donec occurramus omnes in vnitatem fidei agnitionis Filij Dei in virum perfectum in mensuram aetatis plenitudinis Christi Signifying that Christ our Sauiour hath appointed these outward functions of Pastors and Doctors in the Church to continue vntill the worlds end for the edification and perfection thereof and especially for this purpose vt non simus paruuli fluctuantes circumferamur omni vento doctrinae that we may not be little ones wauering and carried about with euery winde of doctrine Wherefore that this ordinance and appointment of Pastours and Doctors in the Church made by our Sauiour Christ may not bee frustrate of the effect intended by him wee must needes say that he hath decreed so to assist and direct these Pastours in teaching the doctrine of faith that the people their flocke may alwaies by their meanes bee preserued from wauering in the ancient faith and from being carried about with euery wind of new doctrine The which cannot be vnlesse with succession of Pastors be alwaies conioyned succession in true doctrine at least in such sort that all the Pastors cannot at any time vniuersally erre or faile to teach the ancient Apostolique faith For if they should thus vniuersally erre then all the people who doe and ought like sheepe follow the voice of their Pastour should also generally erre so the whole Church which according to Saint Gregorie Nazianzene consisteth of sheepe and Pastors should contrary to diuers promises of our Sauiour vniuersally erre So that we may be sure that the Ordinary Pastors shall neuer be so forsaken of the promised Spirit of truth that all shall generally erre and teach errors in faith or that there shall not be at all times some sufficient company of lawfull succeeding Pastors adhering to the succession of S. Peter who was by our Sauiour appointed chiefe Pastor of whom we may learne the truth and by whom we may alwaies be confirmed and continued in the true ancient faith and preserued from being carried about with the winde of vpstart errour The which being so it followeth that the true Apostolique doctrine is inseperably conioyned with the succession of lawfull Pastors especically of the Apostolique sea of Rome Wherefore we may against all Heretiques of our time as the auncient Fathers did against Heretikes of their time vrge this argument of succession especially of the Apostolicall succession of the Bishoppes of Rome We may say to them as Saint Augustine saith to the Donatistes Numerare Sacerdotes ab ipsa sede Petri in illâ— ordine Patrum quis cui successit videte Number the Priestes from the seate it selfe of Peter and in that Order or rowe of Fathers see which succeeded which Wee may say with Irenaeus Hac ordinatione et successione Episcoporum traditio Apostolorum ad nos peruenit est plenissima ostensio vnam eandem fidem esse quae ab Apostolis vsque nunc confirmata est By this orderly succession of Bishoppes the tradition of the Apostles hath come vnto vs and it is a most full demonstration that the faith which from the Apostles is confirmed euen vntill now is one and the same We may tell them with Tertullian Nos communicaâ—us cum ecclesijs Apostolicis quod nulla aduersa doctrina facit hoc est testimonium veritatis We doe communicate with the Apostolique Churches which no contrarie doctrine doth and this is a testimony of the truth CHAP. XVII The Conclusion of the whole discourse NOVV to make an end considering all this which I haue said and proued to wit that there is but one infallible entire faith the which is necessary to saluation to all sorts of men the which faith euery one must learne by some knowen infallible and vniuersall rule accomodate to the capacity of euery one the which rule cannot be any other but the doctrine and teaching of the true Church the which Church is alwaies to continue visible vntill the worlds end and is to bee knowen by these foure markes Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica One Holy Catholique Apostolique the which markes agree only to the Roman Church that is to say to that company which doth communicate and agree in profession of faith with the Church of Rome whereupon followeth that this Church or company is the onely true Church of which euery one must learne that faith which is necessary to saluatioÌ„ CoÌ„sidering I say al this I would demand of the ProtestaÌ„ts how
they can perswade thēselues to haue that faith which is necessarie to saluation sith they will not admitt the authoritie and doctrine of this Church of which onely they ought to learne this faith or how they can as some of them doe challenge to themselues the title of the true Church sith their companie hath neuer one of the foure markes which by common consent of all must needes be acknowledged for the true markes of the Church how can their congregation be the true Church which neither is One because it hath no meanes to keepe vnitie nor Holy because neither was there euer any man of it which by miracle or any other euident testimony can be proued to haue beene truely holy neither is their doctrine such as those that must purely obserue it do without faile thereby become holy nor Catholique because it teacheth not all truths that haue beene held by the vniuersal Church in former times but denieth many of them neither is it spred ouer all the Christian world but being deuided into diuers sectes euery particular secte is contained in some corner of the world neither hath it beene in all times euer since Christ but sproung vp of late the first founder being Martin Luther an Apostata a man after his Apostasie from his professed religious order knowen both by his writings wordes deedes manner of death to haue beene a notable ill liuer nor Apostolique because the preachers thereof can not deriue their Pedegree lineally without interruption from any Apostle but are forced to beginne their line if they will haue any from Luther Caluin or some latter How can they then bragge that they haue the true holy Catholique and Aphstolique faith sith this is not found in any companie that differeth in doctrine from the onely true holy Catholique and Apostolique Church For if it be true which Saint Austen faith that in ventre Ecclesiae veritas manet the truth remaineth in the bellie of the Church it is impossible that those who are disioined by difference of beleefe from that companie which is knowen to bee the true Church should haue the true faith For true faith as before hath bene proued is but one wherefore hee that differreth in beleefe from them which haue the true faith either he must haue a false faith or no faith at all Againe one can not haue true faith vnles he first heare it according to the ordinarie rule of Saint Paule saying Fides ex auditu faith cōmeth of hearing but how can one heare true doctrine of faith sine praedicante without one to preach truely vnto him how shold one preach truely at least in all points nisi mittatur vnles he be sent and consequently assisted by the Spiritt of God now how should wee know that Luther or Caluin or any other that will leape out of the Church and leaue that company wherein is vndoubted succession and by succession lawfull missiō or sending from God how should we I say know that these men teaching a new and contrary doctrine were indeede sent of God Nay certainely wee may be most sure that they were not sent of God For sith Almightie God hath by his Sonne planted a Church vpon earth which Church hee would haue alwaies continue vntill the worldes end hath placed in it a visible succession of lawful ordinary pastours whom hee will with the assistance of himselfe and his holy Spirit so guide that they shall neuer vniuersally faile to teach the true faith and to preserue the people from errours wee are not now to expect any to bee sent from God to instruct the people but such onely as come in this ordinary manner by lawfull succession order and calling according as Saint Paule saith Nec quisquā sumit sibi honorem sed qui vocatur à Deo tanquam Aaron Neither doth any man take to himselfe the honour but hee that is called of God as Aaron was to wit visibly and with peculiar consecration as we read in Leuiticus cap. 8. to which accordeth that which wee read 2. Paralipp cap. 26. where Azarias said to king Ozias Non est tui officij Ozia vt adoleas incensum Domino sed Sacerdotum hoc est filiorum Aaron qui consecrati sunt ad huiusmodi ministerium egredere de Sanctuario c. It is not thy office O Ozias to offer incense to our Lord but it is the office of Priests to witte of the sonnes of Aaron who are consecrated to this function or ministerie goe out of the Sanctuarie Which bidding when Ozias contēned would not obey he was presently stricken with a leprosie and then being terrified feeling the punishment inflicted by our Lord he hastened away as in the same place is declared By which places we may learne that it doth not belong to any one to doe priestly functions as to offer incēse or sacrifice to God or take vpon thē the auctoritie to preach and instruct the people but onely to Priests called visibly and cōsecrated for this peculiar purpose as Aaron and his children were For though the Priesthood of the Pastors of the new law be not Aaronicall yet it agreeth with the Priesthood of Aaron according to Saint Paule his saying in the foresaid place in this that those that come to it must not take the honour of themselues but must be called vnto it of God as Aaron was to wit visibly by peculiar cōsecration In which ordinary manner whosoeuer commeth he may be truely called Pastor ovium a Pastor of Christs flocke because intrat per ostium he entereth in by the doore to wit by Christ himselfe who first visibly called consecrated and sent immediatelie the Apostles and the Apostles by authority receaued from him did visiblie by imposition of handes call consecrate and send others and those in like manner others from time to time without interruption vntill these present men who now are Priestes of the Catholique Romane Church These therefore enter in by Christ who is the doore and therefore these be true Pastours and whosoeuer entereth not thus in at the doore but cōmeth in another way our Sauiour telleth vs how we should account of him when he saith Qui non intrat per ostium in ouile ouium sed ascendit aliunde ille fur est latro he that entreth not in by the doore into the sheep-fold but ascēdeth by some other way he is a theefe a robber who commeth not to feede the sheepe but to steale kill and destroy them So that we haue not I say to expect any to be sent of God to feed vs with the food of true doctrine of faith but such only as come in this ordinary maner as it is certaine that Luther Caluin when they left their former profession and tooke vpon them to preach this new faith did not come visibly called cōsecrated sent for this purpose by any lawful authority according to the ordinary manner or
thinke that you are vnwise who pretending to trauaile toward the happy kingdome of heauen and to goe to that glorious citty the heauenly Ierusalem will leaue the beaten street in which al those haue walked that euer heretofore weÌ„t thither who by miracles sometimes as it were by letters sent from thence haue giuen testimony to vs that remaine behinde that they are safelie arriued there You I say are vnwise that will leaue this way and will aduenture the liues not onely of your bodies but of your soules in a path found out of late by your selues neuer â—racked before in which whosoeuer haue yet gone God knoweth what is become of them sith we neuer had letter of miracle or any other euident token or euer heard any word froÌ„ theÌ„ to assure vs that they safely passed that way me thinkes I may account you most vnwise men that will aduenture such a pretious Iewell as your soule is to bee transported by such an vncertaine and dangerous waie I must needes thinke that sith there is but one right waie and that the way of the Catholique Church is a sure and approued safe waie you are very vnaduised who with the aduenture of the irreparable losse of your dearest and peerlesse treasure your soule will leaue this safe and secure way to seeke out a new vncertaine and perillous waie I must needes thinke sith the Catholique Româ—ne Church is as I haue proued the light of the world the rule of faith the pillar and sure ground of truth that you leauing it leaue the light and therefore walke in darkenesse forsaking it forsake the direct path of true faith and therefore are misse-led in the myst of incredulitie into the wildernes of misbeleefe finally that you hauing thus lost the sure ground of truth doe fall into the mierie ditcâ—â—e of many absurdities and must needes be drowned in the pitt of innumerable errours and erring thus from the waie the veritie and the life which iâ— Christ Iesus residing according to his promise in the Catholique Church must needes vnles you will which I hartely wishe returne to the vnitie of the same Church incurre your owne perdition death and damnatioÌ„ of body and soule from which sweet Iesus deliuer you and vs all to the honour and perpetuall praise of his holy name AMEN Laus Deo Heb 11. Ser. 38. de Tempore (a) Ro. 2. Galat. 3. Ephes. 2. (b) CoÌ„c Milea Can. 4. Concil Trid. sess 6. c. 7.8 Iren. l. 5. cap. 29. Chrysost. Hom. 32. in Ioan. Sermone de Fide Char. Cirill Alex. in Ioan. lib. 4. 1. Cor. 14 Ephes. 4. Ser. 4. in Natiu Dom. In cap. 4. ad Eph. Lib. 1. c. 3 Rom. 10. Ser. de Fidei confessione Hom. 12. in epist ad Hebraeos Hom. 83. in Matth. (a) Luc. 10. (b) 1. Thes. 2. Mar. c. 16. Math. 28. Ioan. 3. In the Greeke text aires es Gal. 5. Athanas. in Simb Teste theodoreto lib. 4. eccles histor c. 1â— Gregor Nazianz. tract de Fide 1. Tim. 2. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Tim. 4. 2. Pet. 3. Aug. lib. de Sp. lib. c. 33. Prosper lit 2. de vocat gent. cap. 23.25.28 D. Ambros Ser. 8. in Psal. 118. Iren. l. 4. cap. 71. Lib. de vtil credendi 1. Cor. 2. Lib. de vtilitate credendi cap. 4. Ibidem Aug. l. 5. de bapt donat cap. 23. Basil. lib. de Sp. cap. 29. Epiph. haer 61. Rom. 3. 1. Cor. 2. Ibidem Ibidem Gal. 1. 2. Cor. 11 2. Iohn 4. 2. Cor. 2. 1. Iohn 4. Collat. 61. c. 11. Rom. 10. Mal. 5. Matth. 7 Iacobi 4. Lib. 3. de bapt donatist cap. 19. Ep. 222. Tract 18. in Ioanes Matth. 4. Lib. 12. Confess cap. 25. Mat. c. 28 Ioan. 14. Ioan. 14. Ioan. 16. Math. 28 Mar. 16. Luc. 10. Math. 23. Epist. 165. Luc. 10. Math. 18. Mar. 16. 1. Tim. 3. Lib. 1. Crescon cap. 33. 1. Tim. 3. Matth. cap. 28. Math. 16 Psal. 47. Dan. 2. Luc. 1. In Psalm 101. Conc. 2. Ibidem Isâ— â— 61 Luc. 4. Isa. 61. Math. 5. â— Tim. 2. Math. 10. Luc. 9. Rom. 10. Math. 18. Oratione de moderat in disput habenda Matth. 7. Isa. 60. Math. 20. Math. 3. Math. 23. Math. 13. Math. 25. â— Cor. 5. Hom. 30. in math Lib. de Vnitate Ecclesiae Lib. 4. in cap. 6. Isa. Lib. 3. ep parm cap. 4. Tract 2. in epist. Ioan. Lib. ep parm cap. 7. Lib. de prescript Taller bigger Tall. Tall. Lib. 3. de bapt donat cap. 19. Lib. 3. Faust. cap. 13. Isa. c. 35. 1. Cor. 2. Rom. 10. In Ps. 53. Lib. Ep. Fund cap. 5. 1. Ioh. 4. Eph. 4 Isa. c. 61. Lib. Ep. Fund cap 4. The first marke Vna proued out of Scripture Cant c. 6 Cypr. l. de vnitate Ecclesiae Aug. l. 6. in Ioan. Ioh. c. 1â— Rom 12. 1. Cor. 10 Ioh. 17. Lib. de Prescript Ibidem The second marke Sancta 1. Cor. 3. 1. Cor. 5. Hebr. 10. Mat. 18. 1. Pet. 2. Luc. 10. Iac. 4. The third marke Catholica Isa. c. 59. Psal. 21. Psal. 71. Ibidem Aug in Psal. 71. Luc. 24. Aug. 1. de Vtilitate Ecclesiae Act. c. 1. Collos. 1. Mat. 13. Mat. 24. Act. 20. Ibidem 2. Tim. 3. Aug. in Psal. 57. 2. Tim. 3. Aug. l. de Vnitate Ecclesiae cap. 3. Mat. 24. Aug. l. 4. de Simb cap. 10. Aug. l. de Vnitate Ecclesiae cap. 3. Ephes. 2. Act. 1. Act. 2. Aug. l. de Pastor cap. 8. Lib. de prescript Lib. de prescript Lib. 2. Iouin S. Hier. in cap. 4 ad Ephes. Math. 16. Luc. 22. Chrysost. lib. 2. de Sacerdotio S. Leo Ser. 2. de anniuers assumpt suae ad Pontif. Ioan. 21. (a) Luke 10. Mat. 23. Mat. 16. Ioh. 16. Cypr. lib. 4. Epist. 9 Lib. 1. Epist. 3. In postilla super Euang dom primae aduentus Conc. 4. super cap. 21. Luc. Mat. 7. Cant. 1. â— Cor. 13 â— Tim. 1. Eccles. â— Prou. â—â— See Staphil in absoluâ— respons Cochlae in actis Lutheri Aâ— 152â— Bolseâ— iâ— vita Caluin c. 13 Luther lib. de capt Bab. Philip in Apol. art 5 27. 1. Ioh. 5. Mat. 11. Philip. cap. 2. See the History of Saint Bede lib. 1. cap. 23. Rom. 1. In ration redditis acadaem â—a 7. Hollinshead in the description of Britany fol. 11. Gall. 1. Lib. de Prescript Ioh. 14. Ioh. 16. Epist. ad Argent an Dom. 1525. Lib. parm Lib. 3. c. 3 Et Epist. Fundamenti c. 4. Athanas. orat 2. Arrian Ephes. 4. Ibidem Orat. de moderatione in disput habendo Ioh. 2â— Aug. in Psa. cont partem Donati Irenaeus lib. 3. c. 3. Lib. de Prescript See Prateolus verbo Lutherani In Ps. 53. Rom. 10. Heb. c. 5. â— Paral. cap. 26. Ioh. 10. Ibidem 1. Tim. 4. Ioh. 10. Ioh. 10. Ioh. â—5 Mat. 23. Gal. 1. 2. contra Iulian. Epist. 2. In Praef. Li. de abrog Missae priuaâ—â—â— ad fratâ—es Aug. Ordin in caenoo Wittenberg