that pertaine to the Church THey that are partakers of the heauenly calling and sanctified by the profession of divine truth and the vse of the meanes of saluation are of very diuers sorts For there are some that professe the truth deliuered by Christ the Sonne of God but not wholly and entirely as Heretiques some that professe the whole sauing truth but not in vnity as Schismatickes some that professe the whole sauing truth in vnity but not in sincerity and singlenesse of a good and sanctified minde as Hypocrites and wicked men not outwardly divided from the people of GOD and some that professe the whole sauing truth in vnity and sincerity of a good and sanctified heart All these are partakers of the heauenly calling and sanctified by the profession of the truth and consequently are all in some degree and fort of that society of men whom GOD calleth out vnto himselfe and separateth from Infidels which is rightly named the Church These being the different rankes of men made partakers of the heauenly calling and sanctified by the profession of sauing truth there are diuers names by which they are expressed and distinguished one from another For as the name of the Church doth distinguish men that haue receiued the revelation of supernaturall truth from Infidels and the name of the Christian Church Christians from Iewes so the name of the Orthodoxe Church is applyed to distinguish right beleeuing Christians from Heretiques the name of the Catholicke Church men holding the Faith in vnity from Schismatiques the name of the invisible Church the Church of the first borne whose names are written in heauen the mysticall body of Christ and the like to distinguish the elect from all the rest so that many were of the Church which were not of the Christian Church as the Iewes before the cōming of Christ many of the Christian Church that are not of the Orthodoxe many of the Orthodoxe that are not of the Catholique and many of the Catholique that are not of the invisible and Church of the first borne whose names are written in heauen Thus then the Church hauing her being name from the calling of grace all they must needes bee of the Church whom the grace of God in any sort calleth out from the profane and wicked of the world to the participation of eternall happinesse by the excellent knowledge of divine supernaturall and revealed verity and vse of the good happy and pretious meanes of saluation but they onely perfectly and fully in respect of outward being which professe the whole trueth in vnity and they onely principally fully and absolutely are of the Church whom divine grace leadeth infallibly and indeclinably by these meanes to the certaine and vndoubted possession of wished blessednesse because in them onely grace manifesteth her greatest and most prevailing force without which efficacie of grace winning infallibly holding inseparably and leading indeclinably no man euer attained to saluation of which whoso is partaker shall vndoubtedly be saued In the benefites of this grace none but the elect and chosen of God whom he hath loued with an euerlasting loue haue any part of fellowship though others concurre with them in the vse of the same meanes of saluation and bee partakers with them of sundry inward motions inclining them to good When we say therefore that none but the elect of God are of the Church wee meane not that others are not at all nor in any sort of the Church but that they are not principally fully and absolutely and that they are not of that especiall number of them who partake and communicate in the most perfect worke force and effect of sauing grace CHAP 8. Of their meaning who say that the Elect onely are of the Church THis was the meaning of Wickliffe Husse and others who therefore define the Church to be the multitude of the Elect not for that they thinke them onely to pertaine to the Church and no others but because they onely pertaine vnto it principally fully effectually and finally and in them only is found that which the calling of grace whence the Church hath all her being intendeth to wit such a conversion to God as is joyned with finall perseverance whereof others failing and comming short they are onely in an inferiour and more imperfect sort said to be of the Church The elect and chosen of God are of two sorts some elect onely and not yet called some both elect and called Of the latter there is no question but they are the most principall parts of the Church of God Touching the former they are not actually of the Church but onely secundùm praescientiam praedestinationem in Gods prescience and predestination who hath purposed what they shall be and knoweth what they will be It is frivolous therefore that Bellarmine Stapleton and others of that faction alledge against vs that the elect before they are called are not of the Church For it is true if they speake of actuall admission into the fellowship of Gods people but false if they speake of the intent and purpose of Almighty God whereby they were chosen to be made his in this present world before the world it selfe was made Secundùm praescientiam saith Augustine multi etiam qui apertè foris sunt haeretici appellantnr multis bonis Catholicis meliores sunt In the prescience of God many that are apparantly without and named Heretiques are better then many and those good and right beleeuing Catholique Christians And in his tract vpon Iohn Secundùm praescientiam praedestinationem quam multae ovesforis quam multi lupi intus Quidest inquit quod dixi Quam multae oves foris quam multi luxuriantur casti futuri quam multi blasphemant Christum credituri in Christum hi oves sunt veruntamen modò alienam vocem audiunt alienos sequuntur Item quà m multi intus laudant blasphematuri Casti sunt fornicaturi stant casuri non sunt oves de praedestinatis enim loquimur According vnto Gods prescience and predestination how many sheepe are there without and wolues within what is it saith Augustine that I said How many sheepe are there without how many are there that now wallow in all impurity and filthines that hereafter shall be chast and vndefiled How many now doe blaspheme Christ which hereafter shall beleeue in Christ and these are sheepe yet for the present they heare the voyce of a stranger and follow strangers On the other side how many are there now within which presently praise God that hereafter will blaspheme him which now are chast that hereafter will become impure adulterers now stand that hereafter will fall and these are not sheepe for we speake of the predestinate It is true therefore that Wickliffe Husse Calvine and others doe teach that none but the elect doe pertaine to the Church in such sort as hath beene before expressed and that all the electare
tunc solum theologicè aliquid probari cum ex dictis probatur sacrae scripturae out of the common conceipt and apprehension of all men for all men doe thinke that then onely a thing is proued theologically when it is proued out of the sayings of holy Scripture and if wee distinguish theologicall conclusions from principles theologicall I affirme that all those verities that are not formally and in precise words contained in holy scripture but are necessarily deduced from things soe contained in it are conclusions theologicall whether they bee determined by the Church or not for the Church determineth that a proposition is to bee beleeued precisely because it seeth it is necessarily deduced from the words of holy Scripture but no other that is not so deduced is to be accounted a theologicall conclusion which is proued out of the sayings of Saint Augustine in his fourteenth booke de Trinitate cap. 1. where hee sayth hee doth not conceiue that all that that may bee knowne by man in humane things pertaineth to this science but those things onely whereby the most wholesome faith that leadeth to true happinesse is begotten nourished defended and strengthened but it is euident that euery such thing is either expressely and in precise tearmes contained in holie scripture or is deduced from things soe contained in it for otherwise the Scripture should not bee sufficient to our saluation and the defense of our faith which is contrary to Saint August 2 de doctrinâ Christianâ where hee sayth Quicquid homo extra didicerit si noxium est ibi damnatur si vtile ibi inuenitur that is whatsoeuer a man shall learne without and beside the scripture if it bee hurtfull it is there condemned if profitable it is there found Here wee haue a pregnant testimonie of a man of eminent place and great worth peremptorily resoluing for the sufficiencie of the Scripture and assuring vs that this was not his priuate conceipt but the generall opinion of all men in his time and be fore Scotus agreeth with Ariminensis his words are these Whatsoeuer pertaineth to the heauenly and supernaturall knowledge and is necessary to bee knowne of man in this life is sufficiently deliuered in the sacred Scriptures and in another place Sicut theologia beatorum habet terminum ita nostra ex voluntate Dei revelantis terminus autem praefixus â voluntate divinâ quantum ad revelationem generalem est eorum quae sunt in sacrâ scripturâ quia sicut habetur Apocalyp ultimo Qui apposuerit ad haec apponet ei Deus plagas quae apponuntur in libro isto igitur theologia nostra de facto non est nisi de his quae continentur in scripturâ de his quae possunt elici ex ipsis that is As the Theologie of those blessed ones that are in heauen hath a certaine bound without and beyond which it extendeth not it selfe so also that theologicall knowledge that wee haue hath bounds set vnto it by the will of God that revealeth divine and heauenly trueth vnto vs and the bound prefixed by the will of God who generally will reveale no more is within the compasse of such things as are found in the holy Scripture because as it is in the last of the Revelation whosoeuer shall adde vnto these things GOD shall adde vnto him the plagues that are added in this booke Ockam in his Dialogues saith There is one opinion that onely those verities are to bee esteemed Catholique and such as are necessarily to bee beleeued for the attaining of saluation which either expressely are deliuered in Scripture or by necessary consequence may bee inferred from things so expressed and that they that follow this opinion alleadge sundry authorities for proofe of the same as that of Augustine Ego solis scripturarum libris didici hunc timorem honoremque deferre ut earum nullum authorem in aliquo errasse firmissimè credam c. alios autem ita lego ut quantalibet sanctitate quantave doctrinâ polleant non ideo verum putem quia ita ipsi senserint sed quia per alios authores canonicos vel probabiles rationes quod à vero non aberrent mihi persuadere potuerunt I haue learned to giue this honour and reverence onely to the bookes of Scripture as that I should beleeue that none of the authors of them in ought haue erred c But others I so reade that how great soeuer their sanctitie and learning bee I doe not therefore thinke that to bee true which they haue written because it was their opinion but because they are able to perswade mee either by some other canonicall Authours or by probable reasons that they haue not erred from the trueth And in another place Quis nesciat sanctam scripturam canonicam tam veteris quà m noui testamenti certis terminis suis contineri eamque posterioribus omnibus Episcoporum libris praeponi ut de illâ omninò dubitari disceptari non possit vtrum verum vel utrum rectum sit quicquid in eâ scriptum esse constiterit Episcoporum autem literas quae post confirmatum canonem vel scriptae sunt vel scribuntur per sermonem fortè sapientiorem cuiuslibet in eà re peritioris per aliorum Episcoporum graviorem auctoritatem doctioremque prudentiam per concilia reprehendi licere si quid in iis forté à veritate est deviatum Who knowes not that the holy Canonicall Scripture as well of the Olde as the New Testament is contained within it's certaine bounds and that it is preferred before all the Bookes of Bishoppes that haue beene written since so that there may bee no doubt made nor dispute raised concerning it whether whatsoeuer is certainely knowne to bee registred in it bee true or right But that the letters of Bishoppes which either haue beene or are written since the confirmation of the Canon may bee reprehended if in any thing they haue strayed from the trueth both by the speech perchaunce wiser of some one better skilled in that matter and by the more graue authority more learned wisedome of other Bishops and by generall councells And Hierom Quod de Scripturis authoritatem non habet eâdem facilitate contemnitur quâ probatur That which hath not authority and confirmation from the Scriptures is with like facility rejected as it is vrged Others hee sheweth to bee of a contrary opinion but being pressed to giue instance of things necessarily beleeued and yet not contayned in the Scripture they giue no other but certaine matters of fact as that the Apostles composed the Symbol called the Apostles creed that Peter was at Rome things of that nature Ockam in this place deliuereth not his owne opinion but only reciteth the contrary opinions of other men but in another place inveighing against the Canonists going about to proue that it principally pertayneth to diuines to define determine what is catholicke
perpetually proper CHAP. 2. Of the divers kindes of notes whereby the true Church is discerned from other societies of men in the world THere are presently and were formerly but three maine differences of religion in the world Paganisme Iudaisme and Christianity Paganisme is and was that state of religion and diuine worship wherein men hauing no other light than that of nature and the vncertaine traditions of their erring fathers to guide them did and doe change the trueth of God into a lie and worship and serue the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed for ever Iudaisme is that state of religion wherein men imbrace the Law which God gaue to the children of Abraham and sonnes of Iacob reforming heathenish impietie teaching saluation to bee looked for through one whom God would send in the last dayes and exalt to bee Lord ouer all Christianitie is the religion of them that beleeue Iesus Christ to be that Sauiour promised to the Iewes and acknowledge him to bee the sonne of the liuing God They which hold this profession are called the Church of Christ neither is there any other society or company of men in the world that professe so to beleeue but they only If we take a view of this Church respectiuely considered seeking onely to difference and distinguish it from the society of Pagan Infidels the profession of Diuine supernaturall and revealed verities is so found in the Church that not amongst any of these and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respectiuely it is proper to the Church may serue as a note of difference distinguishing it from these profane and heathenish companies but from the Iewes it doeth not seuer it for it is common to it with them both holding the sacred profession of many heauenly and reuealed verities So that if we will distinguish Christians from Iewes we must finde out that which is so proper and peculiar to the companies and societies of Christians that it is not communicated to the Iewes Such is the profession of diuine verities reuealed in Christ whom onely these societies acknowledge to bee the sonne of God and Sauiour of the world But for that when neither heathenish superstition nor the Iewes perfidious impietie could any longer prevaile or resist against the knowledge and glory of Christ but that all the whole world went after him Sathan the enemie of mankinde stirred vp certaine turbulent wicked and godlesse men who professing themselues to bee Christians vnder the name of Christ brought in damnable doctrines of errour no lesse dangerously erring than did the Pagans and Iewes This profession of the faith of Christ though it distinguish the Christian Church from the Iewes and Pagans and is so farre proper vnto it that it is not found in any of them yet doth it not separate the multitude of right beleeuing Christians which is the sound part of the Christian Church and is named the Orthodoxe Church from seduced miscreants being common to both We must therefore further seeke out that which is so peculiarly found in the more speciall number of right beleeuing Christians that not in any other though shadowed vnder the generall name of Christianitie Such is the entire profession of diuine verities according to the rule of faith left by Christ and his first disciples and schollers the holy Apostles This entire profession of the trueth reuealed in Christ though it distinguish right beleeuers from Heretikes yet it is not proper to the happy number and blessed company of Catholike Christians because Schismatikes may and sometimes doe hold an entire profession of the trueth of God revealed in Christ. It remaineth therefore that wee seeke out those things that are so peculiarly found in the companies of right beleeuing and Catholike Christians that they may serue as notes of difference to distinguish them from all both Pagans Iewes Heretikes and Schismatikes These are of two sorts for either they are such as onely at sometemes and not perpetually or such as doe perpetually and euer seuer the true Church from all conuenticles of erring and seduced misereants Of the former sort was multitude largenesse of extent and the name of Catholike esteemed a note of the Church in the time of the Fathers The notes of the later sort that are inseparable perpetuall and absolutely proper and peculiar which perpetually distinguish the true Catholike Church from all other societies of men and professions of religions in the world are three First the entire profession of those supernaturall verities which God hath reuealed in Christ his sonne secondly the vse of such holy ceremonies sacraments as hee hath instituted and appointed to serue as prouocations to godlinesse preseruations from sinne memorialls of the benefits of Christ warrants for the greater securitie of our beleefe and markes of distinction to separate his owne from strangers thirdly an vnion or connexion of men in this profession and vse of these sacraments vnder lawfull pastours and guides appointed authorised sanctified to direct and leade them in the happy wayes of eternall saluation That these are notes of the Church it will easily appeare by consideration of all those conditions that are required in the nature of notes They are inseparable they are proper and they are essentiall and such things as giue being to the Church and therefore are in nature more cleare and evident and such as that from them the perfect knowledge of the Church may and must be deriued Notwithstanding for that our aduersaries take exception to them I will first examine their obiections and secondly proue that neither they nor any other that know what they write or speake can or doe assigne any other And because Bellarmine and Stapleton haue taken most paines in this Argument I will therefore propose the obiections I finde in them assuring my selfe that there are not any other of moment to be found in the writings of any other of that side CHAP. 3. Of Bellarmines reasons against the notes of the Church assigned by vs. BEllarmine his first obiection is By these notes we know not who are elect therefore by these we doe not certainely know which is the true Church The consequence of this reason we denie as being most fond and false He proveth it in this sort The Church according to the doctrine of the Protestants is onely the number of the elect and therefore if the elect be not knowen and discerned by these from the reprobate and castawayes the Church cannot bee knowen by them But the Antecedent of this argument is likewise false as appeareth by that which I haue formerly delivered touching the nature and being of the Church for we doe not say that the Church consisteth onely of the elect but principally intentionally and finally For otherwise it consisteth of all that partake in the outward calling of grace and enjoying of the meanes of saluation and so may be knowen by these notes For that society doubtlesse hath enioyeth the meanes of saluation
we should haue no greater certainty of things Diuine and revealed then such as humane meanes and causes can yeeld And so seeing wee can neuer bee so well perswaded of any man or multitude of men but that we may justly feare either they are deceiued or will deceiue if our faith depend vpon such grounds we cannot firmely vndoubtedly beleeue Nay it is consequent vpon this absurd opinion that the Children of the Church and they of the houshold of faith haue no infused or Diuine faith at all for that whatsoeuer is revealed by the God of truth is true the Heathens make no doubt but doubt whether any thing were so revealed and that any thing was so revealed if these men say true we haue no assurance but by humane meanes and causes But the absurdity hereof the same Canus out of Calvin doth very learnedly demonstrate reasoning in this sort If all they that haue beene our teachers nay if all the Angels in Heauen shall teach vs any other or contrary doctrine to that we haue receiued we must holde them accursed and not suffer our faith to bee shaken by them as the Apostle chargeth vs in the Epistle to the Galatians therefore our faith doth not rely vpon humane causes or grounds of assurance Ne mens nostra vacillet altius petenda quà m ab hominum vel ratione vel auctoritate scripturae authoritas Besides our faith and that of the Apostles and Prophets being the same it must needes haue the same object the same ground and stay to rest vpon in both but they builded themselues vpon the sure and vnmooueable rocke of Diuine truth and authority therefore we must doe so likewise If any man desire farther satisfaction herein let him reade Canus and Calvin to whom in these things Canus is much beholding Others therefore to avoide this absurdity run into that other before mentioned that we beleeue the things that are diuine by the meere and absolute command of our will not finding any sufficient motiues reasons of perswasion hereupon they define faith in this sort Fides est assensus firmus ineuideÌ„s that is faith is a firme certaine ful assent of the mind beleeuing those things the truth whereof no way appeareth vnto vs. For father explication and better clearing of this definition of faith they make two kindes of certainty for there is as they say certitudo evidentiae and certitudo adhaerentiae that is there is a certainty of evidence which is of those things the truth whereof appeareth vnto vs and another of adherence and firme cleauing to that the trueth whereof appeareth not vnto vs. This later they suppose to bee the certainty that is found in fayth and there vpon they hold that a man may beleeue a thing meerely because hee will without any motiues or reason of perswasion at all the contrary whereof when Picus Mirandula proposed among other his conclusions to bee disputed in Rome hee was charged with heresie for it But hee sufficiently cleared himselfe from all such imputation and improued their fantasie that so thinke by vnanswerable reasons which I haue thought good to lay downe in this place It is not sayth hee in the power of a man to thinke a thing to bee or not to bee meerely because hee will therefore much lesse firmely to beleeue it The trueth of the antecedent wee finde by experience and it evidently appeareth vnto vs because if a doubtfull proposition bee proposed concerning which the vnderstanding and minde of man resolueth nothing seeing no reason to leade to resolue one way or other the minde thus doubtfull cannot incline any way till there bee some inducement either of reason sight of the eye or testimony or authority of them wee are well conceipted of to settle our perswasion Secondly a man cannot assent to any thing or judge it to bee true vnlesse it so appeare vnto him but the sole acte of a mans will cannot make a thing to appeare and seeme true or false but either the euidence of the thing or the testimony and authority of some one of whose judgement he is well perswaded Thirdly though the action of vnderstanding quoad exercitium as to consider of a thing and thinke vpon it or to turne away such consideration from it depend on the will yet not quoad specificationem as to assent or dissent for these opposite and contrary kinds of the vnderstandings actions are from the contrary and different appearing of things vnto vs. Fourthly the sole command of the will cannot make a man to beleeue that which being demanded why hee beleeueth he giueth reasons and alledgeth inducements but so it is that in matters of our Christian faith we alledge sundry reasons mouing vs to beleeue as Christians doe as appeareth by the course of all Diuines who lay downe eight principall reasons moouing men to beleeue the Gospell namely the light of propheticall prediction the harmony and agreement of the Scriptures the diligence of them that receiued them carefully seeking to discerne betweene truth and errour the authority grauitie of the writers the reasonablenesse of the things written the vnreasonablenes of all contrary errours the stability of the Church and the miracles that haue beene done for the confirmation of the faith it professeth Fiftly if there be two whereof one beleeueth precisely because he will and another onely because hee will not beleeue refuseth to beleeue the same thing the acte of neither of these is more reasonable then the other being like vnto the will of a Tyrant that is not guided at all by reason but makes his owne liking the rule of his actions Now who is so impious to say The Christians that beleeue the Gospell haue no more reason to leade them so to doe then the Infidels that refuse to beleeue With Picus in the confutation of this senselesse conceipt wee may joyne Cardinall Cameracensis who farther sheweth that as a man cannot perswade himselfe of a thing meerely because hee will without any reason at all so hauing reason hee cannot perswade himselfe more strongly and assuredly of it then the reason hee hath will afforde for if hee doe it is so farre an vnreasonable acte like that of a Tyrant before mentioned Durandus likewise is of the same opinion Assentiri nullus potest nisi ei quod apparet verum igitur oportâ—…t quèd illud quòd creditur appareat rationi verum vel in se vel ratione mâ—…dij per quod assentitur si non in se sed tantùm ratione medij illud medium apparebit verum vel in se vel per aliud medium si non est processus in infinitum oportet quòd deueniatur ad primum quod apparet rationi esse verum in se secundum se That is No man can yeeld assent to any thing but that which appeareth to him to be true therefore whatsoeuer a man beleeueth must seeme and appeare vnto him to bee
assembled in Generall councels rely not vpon any speciall and immediate revelations may easily be proued by sundry good and effectuall reasons For first whensoeuer we hope to come to know any thing by speciall and immediate revelation from God wee vse not to betake our selues to study and meditation but to prayer onely and other good workes or at least principally to these Whence it is that Daniel when he hoped to obtaine of GOD the interpretation of Nebuchadnezars dreame by speciall and immediate revelation did not exhort his companions and consorts by study to search out the secret he desired to know but by prayer and supplication to seeke it of GOD. And after hee had found out the secret hee sought for hee saide O God of my Fathers I confesse vnto thee and praise thee because thou hast giuen mee wisedome and strength and hast shewed vnto me those things which we desired of thee and hast opened vnto vs the word of the King Whence also it is that Christ promising-his Apostles that hee would reveale vnto them what they should speake when they should bee brought before Kings and Rulers willeth them To take no care how or what to speake for that it should bee revealed vnto them in that houre what they should speake It is not you that speake saith our Sauiour but the spirit of my Father that speaketh in you When as therefore wee hope to learne any thing of GOD by immediate revelation wee must not apply our selues to study and meditation but to prayer But when men meete in Generall councels to determine any doubt or question they principally giue themselues to meditation study and search therefore they hope not to bee taught of GOD by immediate revelation Secondly when wee desire to haue things made knowne vnto vs by immediate revelation from GOD wee goe not to them that are most learned but to them that are most devout and religious whether they bee learned or vnlearned whether of the cleargy or the Laity whether men or women because for the most part GOD revealeth his secrets not to them that are wiser more learned but to them that are better more religious and devout according to that of our Sauiour r I giue thee thankes O Father LORD of Heauen and Earth because thou hast hidde these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto Babes And therefore the good King Iosias when hee desired by revelation to know the will of GOD touching the wordes of the volume that was found in the Temple hee sent Helkiah the High Priest to Huldah the Prophetesse and sought not concerning the wordes of the Law among the Priests whose lippes are to preserue knowledge and at whose mouth men ought to seeke the Law because though the Law bee to bee sought at the mouth of the Priest in all those things which may bee learned by study meditation search yet in those things that are to bee learned by revelation recourse must bee had to them that haue the spirit of prophecie if any such bee or else to them that are most holy and whose prayers are most acceptable vnto God Neither are men for satisfaction in these things rather to goe to the Priestes then to any Lay-man that is vtterly vnlearned But in councels men goe to them that are more learned and of better place in the church though they bee not the best and holyest men Therefore questions touching matters of faith are not determined in councels by immediate revelation If it be said that the Apostles and Elders in that first councell which is mentioned in the Actes relyed on the knowledge they had of the Scriptures and Trueth of GOD and did not wayte for a new immediate revelation and that therefore this kinde of reasoning will bring them within compasse of the same danger of erring that wee subiect their Successors vnto because they relye not vpon immediate revelation but search and study It will bee easily aunswered that though the Apostles and others assembled in that councell depended not vpon immediate revelation but the knowledge they had of the Scriptures and Trueth of GOD and thence inferred what was to be thought of the matter then in question yet were they not in danger of erring as their successours are because they relyed not on such imperfect knowledge as study meditatiō begets but such as divine revelatiō causeth to wit perfect absolute whēce they knew how to deriue the resolution of any doubt or question beeing specially assisted by the Spirit of Trueth Neither lette any man thinke that the Apostles assembled in this Councell were any way doubtfull what to resolue when they heard the matter proposed because there is mention made of great disputation in that meeting For as it may bee thought that questioning and disputing was among the Elders and Brethren and not among the Apostles the meanest of them being able to resolue a farre greater matter without any the least doubt or stay So that it is absurd that Melchior Canus from hence inferreth that the Decrees of this Councell wherein there was so great a dispute are not Canonicall Scripture any other wayes then the wordes of Pilate are because they are recorded by the Euangelists in the holy Scripture But to returne to the matter whence this obiection made vs digresse it is no way necessary to thinke that the Fathers are any otherwise directed by the Spirit of Trueth in Generall Councels then in Patriarchicall Nationall or Prouinciall Seeing Generall Councells consist of such as come with instructions from Prouinciall Nationall and Patriarchicall Synodes must follow the same in making Decrees as hath beene shewed before and consequently that they are not led to the finding out of the trueth in any speciall sort or manner beyond that generall influence that is required to the performance of euery good worke So that as God assisting Christian men in the Church onely in a generall sort to the performance of the workes of vertue there are euer some wel-doers and yet no particular man doth alwayes well and there is no degree or kinde of Morall vertue commanded in the Law but is attained by some one or other at one time or other one excelling in one thing and another in another yet no particular man or company of men hath all degrees and perfections of vertue as Hierome fitly noteth against the Pelagians so in like sort God assisting Christian men in the Church in seeking out the truth only in generall sort as in the performance of the actions of vertue not by immediate reuelation and inspiration as in the Apostles times there are euer some that hold and professe all necessary truth though no one man or company of men doe find the truth euer and in all thinges nor any assurance can be had of any particular men that they should alwayes hold all necessary truthes And therefore we may safely conclude that
grow vnto if it bee immutable For to dislike that which before we did not dislike or to dislike a thing more then formerly we did vpon farther better consideration argueth a mutability in the Wil so that if the Wil be immutable in those that are departed hence immediately vpon their dissolution as our Aduersaries think it is the fire of purgatory can no way helpe to the purging out of sin To these reasons they adde another takē frō the story or parable of the rich man Lazarus in the Gospell where Christ sheweth that the poore man Lazarus as soone as hee was dead was carryed by the Angels into Abrahams bosome that the rich mans soule as soone as hee was dead was found in the torments of hell By the bosome of Abraham expressing a most excellent estate in the blessed rest of such as are beloued of God and by hell and the torments thereof the vtter most condemnation and the euerlasting punishment of sinners and no way leauing any other place betweene these hauing temporall affliction and paine but making betweene them a great and vnpasseable gulfe separating the one from the other and establishing an extreame and immediate opposition betweene them then which what could bee more cleerely spoken against Purgatory for our opinion For if there be no middle place of temporall torment as the Authors of this Apologie say there is not if there be but two sorts of men the one expressed by the condition of the rich man the other of Lazarus and if the one of these goe immediately vpon death into a place of torment euerlasting the other into a place of rest and into the bosome of Abraham where is the Purgatory of Papists either in the name or in the thing in substance or in circumstance To these reasons for farther confirmation they adde two most excellent testimonies out of Gregory Nazianzen who vpon these wordes touching the Passeouer Wee shall carrie out nothing nor leaue nothing till the morning saith expresly and clearely that beyond or after this Night there is no purging calling the life of each man heere the Night and yeelding no purging to be after it and else-where hath these wordes I omitte to speake of the torments to which impunity doth deliuer men in the other world for they are such that it were better for a man to be chastised and purged heere then to be reserued and deliuered ouer to that punishment that is after this life when as there is a time of punishment but not of purgation so expressely defining that there is no purging after the departure out of this life and that there remaineth nothing but eternall punishment for such as must there be punished Elias Cretensis a learned Grecian writing vpon that place of Nazianzen where he saith Hee is a poore and a meane Pastour and not liked of other Pastors whether because hee defendeth the trueth or for what other cause he knoweth not but God knoweth and as the Apostle saith that day of reuelation and last fire shall clearely manifest it whereby all our workes are either iudged or purged hath these wordes The word iudged Gregory Nazianzen put for tried and purged for reuealed or manifested for that fire doth make the workes of iust men to shine and burneth vppe the workes of sinners and that I may speake plainly and simply manifesteth of what sort each mans workes are those thinges being taken away that in this world did hide them and suffered them not to appeare to be such as indeede they are For here oftentimes as well the workes of a vertuous man as of an euill man are hidde but there they are reuealed and made manifest therefore there judgement is passed vpon all that is all are tried and againe all thinges are purged that is manifested and not by any meanes according to the fooleries of those men who thinke that there shall be an end of punishment after a thousand yeares and that after they are purged men shall cease to bee punished Thus doth this worthy Bishoppe of Candie contradict the Papistes in their fancie of Purgatory and agree with the Authors of the Apologie In the writings of Armacanus I finde that one Athanasius a Grecian proposed sundry excellent reasons against the imagined Purgatory of the Latines which Armachanus goeth about to answere but indeede cannot answere the first is this It is no way iust that the Soule alone should bee punished for the sinnes of the whole man or that the body should haue part and fellowship in Sinne and glory after remission of Sinne and not in the punishment that purgeth out sinne The second is this It is more proper to God to reward good thinges then to punish euill So that if it were necessary that the soules of such as are truely penitent should after death goe into Purgatory punishments it were much more necessary that the soules of such as haue kept the commaundements of GOD all their life long and at last falling into sinne die in such an estate without repentance should goe first into a place of refreshing to receiue the rewardes of their well doings before they should be cast out into eternall punishments but this is not to be graunted by any meanes therefore much lesse the other Thirdly whereas some goe about to proue Purgatory by the custome of praying for the dead hee sheweth by an vnanswerable reason that if wee admitte Purgatory wee may not pray for the dead his reason is this Whosoeuer causeth another to bee afflicted doth it in one of these three sortes either onely out of vnreasonable passion and desire of tormenting and afflicting or for the vpholding of the course of iustice and the example and good of others as when murderers are put to death or thirdly in mercy for the good and benefite of him that is punished as the Physician afflict◅h the sicke patient And in this third sort it is that God is supposed to afflict soules in Purgatory As therefore the Physician and Surgeon delight not in afflicting their sicke patients but deale as tenderly with them as possibly they may due respect had to the recouering of their health and former estate so God will afflict no more then is precisely necessary for the purging out of sinne so that as it were vaine if not hurtfull to intreat the good and skilfull Physician tendering his patient and no way afflicting him more then is precisely necessary for the recouering of his health either wholly to withdraw his hand or to remitte any thing of that hee intends to doe for that if so hee should doe the patient could not recouer so in like sort it were not onely vaine but hurtfull for the soules of men departed to intreate GOD any way to lessen their afflictions which otherwise he would lay vpon them seeing hee intendeth to afflict them no more then is precisely necessary for the purging out of the impurity that is found in them and
or inducement to make vs beleeue things we know not but it must be the report of such an one as we know cannot be deceiued nor will not deceiue It must therefore be evident to euery one that firmely and without doubting beleeueth things not knowne vnto him vpon the report of another that he that reporteth them vnto him neither is deceiued nor can deceiue Whence it followeth necessarily that things are as he reporteth These things presupposed I demaund of this Treatiser whether he and his consorts assent to the Articles of the Christian Faith induced so to doe by the evidence of the things in thēselues or by the report of another That they assent not vnto thē induced so to do by the evidence of the things in thēselues they all professe but by the report of another I demand therefore who that other is whether God or man if man then haue they nothing but anhumane perswasion very weakly grounded wherein they may be deceiued for euery man is a lyar If God let them tel me whether it be evident in it self that God deliuereth these things vnto thē pronounceth them to be as they beleeue or not If not but beleeued only then as before by reasō of authority that either of God or man Not of God for it is not evident in it self that God deliuereth any thing vnto thē not of men for their report is not of such credit asthat we may certainly vndoubtedly stay vpon it seeing they may be deceiued deceiue other They answere therefore that it is no way evident vnto them in it selfe that God deliuereth the things they beleeue but that they perswade themselues hee deliuered such things vpōthe report of men but such men as are infallibly led into all truth See then if they doe not runne round in a circle finding no stay They beleeue the resurrection of the dead and the like things because God revealed it they beleeue that God revealed it because it is so contained in the Scripture and the Scripture because it is the Word of God and that it is the Word of God because the Church so delivereth and the Church because it is a multitude of men infallibly led into all truth and that there is a Church infallibly led into all truth because it is so contained in Scripture and the Scripture because it is the word of God and so round without euer finding any end Out of this circle they cannot get vnles they either groūd their Faith vpon the meere report of men as men humane probabilities or confesse that it is evident vnto them in it selfe that God speaketh in the Scripture and revealeth those things which they beleeue which if they doe it must bee in respect either of the manner matter there vttered or consequent effects In respect of the manner there being a certaine diuine vertue force and majesty in the very forme of the words of him that speaketh in the Scripture in respect of the matter which being suggested and proposed to vs findeth approbation of reason inlightned by the light of grace in respect of the consequent effects in that we finde a strange and wonderful change wrought in vs assuring vs the doctrine is of God that hath such effects which is that we say which they condemne in vs. The Treatiser would make vs beleeue that there are two opinions amongst them touching this point whereof the one is as he telleth vs that wee beleeue the Church because the Scripture teacheth vs that shee is to be beleeued the Scripture because the Church deliuereth it to vs to be the word of God And the other that by the assistance of God together with the concurrence of our naturall vnderstanding we produce an act of supernaturall Faith by which wee firmely beleeue the Articles of Christian Faith not for any humane inducements but for that they are revealed by Almighty God without seeking any further which if it be so it must be evident in it self to thē that follow this opiniō that God hath revealed deliuered the things they beleeue that by one of the 3 waies before mētioned thē they fal into our opiniō for if it be not evidēt to thē in it self that God speakes in the scriptures reveales the things they are to beleeue they must go further to be assured that he doth so speake and reueale the things that are to bee beleeued either to proofe of reason or authority For no man perswadeth himselfe of any thing but vpon some inducements Proofe of reason demonstratiue I thinke they will not seeke and probable inducements they may not rest in therefore they must proceede to some proofeby authority which can bee no other but that of the Church and then they ioyne with them that follow the other opinion and beleeue the articles of Christian faith conteyned in Scripture because God hath reuealed them and that God hath reuealed them because the Church telleth them so and the Church because the Scripture testifieth of it that it is led into all trueth which is a very grosse sophisticall circulation This the Treatiser did well perceiue and therefore to helpe the matter he distinguisheth the cause of beleeuing and the condition necessarily requisite that the cause may haue her working in shew making the Diuine Reuelation the reason or cause that we beleeue and the Churches proposing to vs the things to be beleeued a condition only and not a cause in sort as the fire alone is the cause of the burning of the wood but the putting of one of them to another is a necessary condition without which that cause can produce no such effect but this shift will not serue the turne For it is the fire onely that burneth the wood though it cannot burne vnlesse it be put vnto it so that in like sort if the comparison hold the Diuine Reuelation must of and by it selfe alone moue induce and incline vs to beleeue the things proposed by the Church as being euident vnto vs to be a Deuine Reuelation though without the Churches proposing we could take no notice of it Euen as in naturall knowledge it is the euidence of trueth appearing vnto vs originally found in the first principles and secondarily in the conclusions from thence deduced that is the sole and onely cause or reason of our assent to such principles and conclusions though without the helpe of some men of knowledge proposing them to vs and leading vs from the apprehension of one of them to another happily we should not at all attaine such knowledge But this euidence of the Diuine Reuelation in it selfe the Treatiser will not admit For it is no way euident in it selfe to him that God hath reuealed any of the things he beleeueth but the onely proofe besides humane motiues or reasons which are too weake to bee the ground of Fayth that he hath is the authority of the Church So that the Ministery of the Church is
that they are not beleiued by the Church or they shal be shewed him in those Epistles Wherfore let vs see what he hath more to say One of the Apostolicall Epistles he saith is lost namely that which Paul wrote to the Laodiceans in which there might be something necessarily to be beleeued that is not fouÌ„d in any other book of the New Testament Therefore it may be thought that there is some want imperfection in the books of the New Testament This truly is a very idle and and silly obiection for though there was a certaine Epistle to the Laodiceans carried about and read by some in auncient times yet as Hierome testifieth it was exploded by all and Chrysostome and Theodoret are of opinion that Paul neuer wrote any Epistle to the Laodiceans but that the Epistle hee speaketh of was written from Laodicea or by the Laodiceans to informe him of the state of things amongst themselues or amongst the Colossians by whom hee would haue it read And Cardinall Baronius himselfe approueth their opinion rather then the other That which he hath of my admitting traditions I will answere when I come to examine his next section §. 8. IN his next section he hath these words Barlow and Field two famous English Protestants admitte certaine Apostolicall traditions And farther hee addeth that I allow of certaine rules for the discerning of Apostolicke traditions from such as are not such Whereunto wee answere that wee admit sundry kindes of tradition and yet deny that any thing concerning fayth or the necessary direction and information of mens manners is to bee beleeued and receiued that is not written For we say nothing was deliuered by tradition but the bookes of Scripture thinges in some sort therein contayned and thence deduced and certaine dispensable obseruations not at all or hardly to be discerned from Ecclesiasticall constitutions Neither is it new or strange that wee should admit some kinds of traditions For Kemnitiuâ—… acknowledgeth all those kinds that I meÌ„tion which will no way help the Papists For the question between theÌ„ vs is not whether there be any traditions or not For it is most certaine that the bookes of Scripture are deliuered by tradition But it beeing â—…upposed that the holy men of God taught immediately by Christ his Sonne â—…ded certaine bookes to posterities and agreed on which those bookes are whâ—…her they containe all thinges necessary to bee knowne and practised by Christian â—…en for the attayning of euerlasting life and saluation Wee say they doe they deny it Yet will the Treatiser proue from hence contrary to my assertions that according to my owne grounds tradition is the very foundation of my faith For if Protestantes receiue the number names of the Authours and integrity of the parts of bookes divine and canonicall as deliuered by tradition as I say they doe and if without tradition wee cannot know such diuine bookes hee thinketh it consequent that tradition is the ground of our faith But indeede there is no such consequence as hee imagineth For it is one thing to require the tradition of the church as a necessary meaâ—…s whereby the bookes of Scripture may be deliuered vnto vs and made known another to make the same tradition the ground of our faith seeing in the judgment of the Treatiser himselfe euery thing is not the ground of our saith builded vpon Scripture without which we cannot know the Canonicall bookes of Scripture from such as are not of that ranke As it is euident in that he distinguisheth the groâ—…d of our faith reason of our beleeuing from the condition required to the producing of such an act of fayth denying the churches proposing of things to bee beleeued to be the ground of our faith and yet requiring it as a necessary condition without which ordinarily men cannot beleeue So that though we know the names of the writers of the books of holy Scripture by tradition and that there were no more bookes nor no more partes of bookes of this kinde left to posterities by the Apostles but such as the church deliuereth to vs yet it is not consequent that wee haue no other ground of our perswasion that the bookes deliuered to vs and the parts thereof are canonicall but tradition for the euidence of diuine power and majesty shewing it selfe in them more then in all humane compoÌ„sitions whatsoeuer proueth them to haue proceeded from the immediate inspiration of the holy Ghost breathing in them nothing but heauenly grace The words of holy Scripture sayth Picus Mirandula are rude and plaine but full of life and soule they haue their sting they pierce and enter in euen to the most secret spirit and strangely transforme him that with due respect readeth them and meditateth on them And besides there are sundry diuine and conuincing reasons that the summe of Christian doctrine contayned in these bookes is nothing else but heauenly truth and being without the compasse of that wee naturally vnderstand reuealed trueth So that the Treatiser doth greatly forget himselfe when hee pronounceth it to bee false that I say that the Scriptures winne credit of themselues and yeelde sufficient satisfaction to all men of their diuine truth This is the summe of all that hee hath of traditions For where hee saith I affirme that without the Creed of the Apostles wee cannot know the Scriptures to bee of God hee sheweth himselfe to care little whether that hee writeth bee true or false For I no where haue any such thing but where hee saith I affirme that Papists make traditions Ecclesiasticall equall with the written word of God and that this is one of my ordinary vntruths hee deserueth a sharper censure For if the Reader be pleased to peruse the place cited by him hee shall finde that I say no such thing nor any thing that the Pope himselfe can possibly dislike For deliuering the opinion of Papists touching traditions their diuerse kindes and the credit that is to bee giuen vnto them I shew that they make diuine traditions equall with the words precepts and doctrines of Christ left vnto vs in writing apostolicall with the written precepts of the Apostles and ecclesiasticall with the written precepts of the Pastours of the Church confessing that there is no reason why they should not so doe if they could proue any such vnwritten traditions Is this to say that Papists make Ecclesiasticall traditions equall with the written Word of God Is this one of my ordinary vntruthes or rather is not this a bewraying of an extraordinary impudency in him that so saith Surely I feare the Reader will haue a very ill conceipt of him vpon the discerning of this his bad dealing Yet hee goeth forward charging Mee that I make the baptisme of Infants to be an vnwritten tradition whereas yet he knoweth right well that howsoeuer I grant it may be named a tradition in that there is no expresse precept or
Schismatikes are they that breake the vnitie of the Church and refuse to submit themselues and yeeld obedience to their lawfull Pastours and guides though they retaine an entire profession of the trueth of God as did the Luciferians some others in the beginning of their Schisme though for the most part the better to justifie their Schismaticall departure from the rest of Gods people Schismatikes doe fall into some errour in matters of faith This is the first sort of them that depart and goe out from the Church of God and company of his people whose departure yet is not such but that notwithstanding their Schisme they are and remaine parts of the Church of God For whereas in the Church of God is found an entire profession of the sauing trueth of God order of holy Ministery Sacraments by vertue thereof administred and a blessed vnitie and fellowship of the people of God knit together in the bond of peace vnder the commaund of lawfull Pastours and guides set over them to direct them in the wayes of eternall happinesse Schismatikes notwithstanding their separation remaine still conioyned with the rest of Gods people in respect of the profession of the whole sauing trueth of God all outward actes of Religion and Diuine worship power of order and holy Sacraments which they by vertue thereof administer and so still are and remaine parts of the Church of God but as their communion and coniunction with the rest of Gods people is in some things onely and not absolutely in all wherein they haue and ought to haue fellowship so are they not fully and absolutely of the Church nor of that more speciall number of them that communicate intirely and absolutely in all things necessary in which sense they are rightly denied to be of the Church which I take to be their meaning that say they are not of the Church CHAP. 14. Of the second sort of them that voluntarily goe out from the people of God HEretikes are they that obstinately persist in error contrary to the Churches faith so that these doe not onely forsake the fellowship but the faith also and therefore of these there may be more question whether notwithstanding their hereticall division they still continue in any sort parts of the Church of God But this doubt in my opinion is easily resolued For in respect of the profession of sundry diuine verities which still they retaine in common with right beleeuers in respect of the power of order and degree of ministery which receiuing in the Church they carry out with them and sacraments which by vertue thereof they doe administer they still pertain to the Church But for that they hold not an entire full professiō of all such sauing trueths as to know and beleeue is necessary vnto saluation for that their Pastours and Priests though they haue power of order yet haue no power of jurisdiction neither can performe any acte thereof for that they retaine not the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace they are rightly denied to be of the Church not for that they are not in any sort of it but for that they are not fully and absolutely of it nor of that more speciall number of them which communicate in all things wherein Christians should This more speciall number of right beleeuing Christians is for distinction sake rightly named the Catholike Church because it consisteth of them only that without addition diminution alteration or innouation in matter of doctrine hold the common faith once deliuered to the Saints and without all particular or priuate diuision or faction retaine the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace To this purpose is it that Saint Augustine against the Donatists who therefore denied the baptisme of Heretikes to be true Baptisme and did vrge the necessity of rebaptizing them that were baptized by them for that they are out of the Church doth shew that all wicked ones feined Christians and false hearted hypocrites are secluded from the Church of God considered in her best and principall parts and in the highest degree of vnitie with Christ her mysticall head aswell as ◅retikes and Schismatikes As therefore all they that outwardly professe the trueth and hold the faith of Christ without schisme or heresie are of the Church and are within as the Scripture speaketh yet are not all ofthat more speciall number of them that are intrinsecus in occulto intus but in more generall sort So likewise Heretikes and Schismatikes though they be not of that speciall number of them that in vnity hold the entire profession of diuine trueth are of the Church generally considered and of the number of them that professe the trueth of God reuealed in Christ. And this surely Augustine most clearely deliuereth For when the Donatists did obiect that Heresie is an harlot and that if the baptisme of Heretikes bee good sonnes are borne to God of heresie and so of an harlot than which what can be more absurde impious his answere was that the conuenticles of Heretikes doe beare children vnto God not in that they are diuided but in that they still remaine conjoyned with the true and Catholike Church not in that they are Heretikes but in that they professe and practise that which Christians should and doe professe and practise It is not therefore to be so scornefully rejected by Bellarmine Stapleton and others of that faction that we affirme that both Heretikes and Schismatikes are in some sort though not fully perfectly and with hope of saluation of the Church seeing Augustine in the iust and honourable defence of the Churches cause against Heretikes did long since affirme the same not doubting to say that Heretikes remaine in such sort conioyned to the Church notwithstanding their Heresie that the true Church in the midst ofthem and in their assemblies by Baptisme ministred by them doth beare and bring forth children vnto God The not conceiuing whereof gaue occasion to Cyprian and the African Bishops of errour and afterwards to the Donatists of their heresie touching the rebaptization of them that were baptized by Heretikes For seeing there is but ◅e Lord one faith one Baptisme seeing God gaue the power of the keyes and the dispensation of his word and sacraments onely to his Church if Heretikes bee not of the Church they doe not baptise This their allegation they amplified and enlarged from the nature and condition of heresie and Heretickes and the high pretious and diuine qualitie force and working of the sacraments thereby endeauouring to shew that so excellent meanes pledges and assurances of our saluation cannot be giuen by the hands of men so farre estranged from God There is say they one faith one hope one Baptisme not among heretikes where there is no hope and a false faith where all things are done in lying false and deceiueable maner where he adiureth Sathan that is the vassall of Sathan and possessed of the diuell
acknowledge these notes to be vncertaine This who so taketh a view of the places cited by him shall finde to be most false Calvine indeede saith that not the bare preaching of the trueth but the receiuing imbracing and professing of it is necessary to the being of the Church but touching the vncertainety of these notes he saith nothing That which hee obiecteth that wee make the Church to bee onely the number of the elect and that therefore it cannot bee knowen by these notes is answered in the refutation of Bellarmines first reason His third allegation is this There are many that doe truely pertaine to the Church to whom these notes agree not therefore they are no notes of the Church The Antecedent wee denie Hee prooueth it out of our owne doctrine Many not yet called pertaine to the Church but these notes agree not to such therefore there are many to whom these notes agree not which yet pertaine to the Church To the maior proposition we answere thus Of them that pertaine to the Church there are two sorts For some pertaine to it actually some potentially onely and according to the purpose of Gods will To both these these notes agree but in different sort and maner To them that are actually of the Church they actually agree For they doe presently make profession of the trueth of God and ioyne with the people in the vse of holy Sacraments appointed by him To them that potentially and according to the purpose of Gods will pertaine to the Church as doe all the elect not yet outwardly called these notes agree onely potentially and according to the purpose of Gods will for that in due time they shall come to the knowledge and profession of the trueth and vse of those happy meanes of saluation which others actually enioy His fourth obiection that the entire profession of the trueth agreeth to schismatikes is answered already being likewise obiected by Bellarmine Fiftly he reasoneth thus The trueth of heauenly doctrine and right vse of Sacraments are no notes of the Church because they doe not shew vs which is the Church We answere that they doe hee prooueth they doe not because the true Church is knowne of vs before wee can know any of these This we denie For we say a man must know which is true doctrine and what is the right vse of Sacraments before he can know which is the true Church This he thinketh impossible because wee seeke to learne the trueth of the Church and therefore wee must in the beginning of our enquirie knowe which is the true Church and where assuredly trueth is found or else our whole search and enquiry is doubtfull vncertaine and often without successe For the clearing of this doubt we must obserue that seeking is a motion of the mind desiring to knowe where a thing is or what it is Hee that desireth to know where a thing is either knoweth the place within compasse whereof he is sure it is or else his search is doubtfull vncertaine and often in vaine What a thing is we desire to know either by our owne discourse or by the instructions or directions of another Hee that seeketh after a thing desiring to know it by the directions of another either knoweth not particularly and certainely of whom to enquire with assurance that from him he shall receiue satisfaction and this kinde of search and enquirie is alwayes doubtfull and often without successe Or else he knoweth particularly of whom to enquire with assurance of resolution and satisfaction Now if we apply this which hath beene said to that which Stapleton alleadgeth we shall easily answere his obiection For when Infidels and men wholly ignorant of the trueth of God beginne first to seeke it they doe not knowe certainely where they may finde it and being left to themselues would often seeke in vaine as he saith but being directed by diuine providence and the helpe of others to the true Church which they know not and beeing taught by her they are established in the perswasion of the truth taught by her in such sort as they make no doubt of it and are farther resolued that that must needes be the Church of God and company of them whom he loueth where these truthes are in such sort knowne and taught as they find them to be there It is therefore vntrue that Stapleton saith that the Church is better and sooner knowen then the doctrine of it For the doctrine is in some sort knowen before we can know the Church that teacheth vs. For euen as a man wholly ignorant and knowing none of the precepts and principles of Geometrie cannot possibly know who is learned in that kind of knowledge but eitheir casually or by direction of others meeting with one excelling therein learneth of him then by that which he hath learned of him knoweth him to be a skilfull professour thereof and euer after resorts vnto him if in any thing he be doubtfull with assurance of satisfaction whose perfections when he began to learne he knew not but either casually mette with him or by the directions of others and not of his owne choise So we know not the Church what it is which it is nor how excellent it is till we haue learned some part of the doctrine it teacheth and are directed to it without any certainty of our owne knowledge but being once established in the certainty of the trueth of the things shee teacheth we thereby know her to be the Church of God beloued of him ledde into all truth by him and appointed a faithfull witnesse and skilfull mistresse of heauenly truth and then in all our doubts and vncertainties we ever after resort vnto her with full assurance of satisfaction and resolution Thus then wee see how both the Church sheweth vs the truth of heavenly doctrine and that againe the Church but in different sort the Church doctrinally proposing to vs what we must embrace and beleeue and the doctrine of the trueth beleeued and imbraced by vs really demonstrating to vs that to be the Church in which so pretious sauing truthes are taught and professed and that the first repaire and resort of Infidels to the Church proceedeth from the direction of others or some thing which they see that maketh them enquire farther after her but not from their owne knowledge of her infallibilitie and the pretious treasures â—…f heauenly trueth which she possesseth as Stapleton vainely fancieth In his sixt obiection first he saith Trueth of doctrine and right vse of sacraments are things without which the Church is not entire and full contrarie to Bellarmine who therefore excludeth them from being notes because they are separable the Church may be without them Secondly in the same place hee saith that these things doe depend of the Church flow from it and are in order of nature after the being of it not giuing being to it or concurring in the constitution of it therefore cannot be notes c but
the time of Tho Aquinas for he saith they did eat nothing in his time on their fasting daies till the 9th houre in which houre Christ gaue vp the ghost 14 they think it not lawfull to carry the Eucharist to them that are sicke 15 Touching marriage they haue these opinions 1 they think the state of marriage is not inferiour to virginity 2 they thinke if the son contract without consent of the father the father may voide the marriage so likewise the father of the wife 3 they think the bond of marriage is dissolued by adulterie that the parties separated may marry again 4 they permit not the father the son to marry with the mother the daughter nor 2 bretheren with 2 sisters 5 they dislike the marriage of widdowes of 60 yeares of age 6 they allow not the 4th marriage whereas Hierom saith non damno bigamos imò nec trigamos ac si dici potest octogamos that is I dare not condemne theÌ„ that marry the 2d 3d or 8th time 16 touching orders 1 they ordain children of 5 or 6 years of age deacons 2 no man is ordained a Priest or deacon amongst theÌ„ except he haue first contracted matrimony that with a virgin not with a widow or woman dishonoured but neither of these is permitted to marry a 2d wife 17 they think it vnlawfull to eat of things strangled or bloud 18 they judge it vnlawfull to fast Saturday or Sunday Lastly they teach that no man entreth into the kingdome of heauen vntill the generall judgement These Maronites are now said to bee joyned in Communion with the Church of Rome since the time of Clemens the eight but how far forth they haue changed either their opinions or their rites and ceremonies it doth not appeare These onely and the Indians of all the Christians of the Orient hold Communion with the Church of Rome Out of all that which hath beene said two things are obseruable First that by the mercifull goodnes of God all these different sortes of Christians though distracted and dissevered by reason of diuersity of ceremonies and outward obseruations different manner of deliuering certaine poynts of faith mistaking one another or variety in opinion touching things not fundamentall doe yet agree in one substance of faith and are so far forth orthodox that they retaine a sauing profession of all diuine verities absolutely necessary to saluation and are all members of the true Catholicke Church of Christ. The second that in all the principall controuersies touching matters of religion betweene the Papists and those of the reformed Churches they giue testimony of the trueth of that wee professe For first they all deny and impugne that supreame vniuersality of ecclesiasticall jurisdiction which the Bishop of Rome claimeth Secondly they thinke him subject to errour as all other Bishops are Thirdly they deny that hee hath any power to dispose the principalities and kingdomes of the world or depose kings Fourthly they acknowledge all our righteousnesse to be imperfect and that it is not safe to trust therevnto but to the meere mercy and goodnesse of God Fiftly they admit not the merit of congruence condignitie nor works of supererogation Sixtly they teach not the doctrine of satisfactions as the Romanists do 7 They beleeue not Purgatorie neither pray to deliuer men out of temporall punishments after this life 8 They reject the doctrine of the Romanists touching indulgences and pardons 9 They beleeue not there are seaven Sacraments 10 They omit many ceremonies in baptisme which the Roman Church vseth as spittle c. 11. They haue no priuate masses 12 They minister the communion in both kindes to all communicants 13 They beleeue not transubstantiation nor the new reall sacrificing of Christ. 14 They haue the diuine service in the vulgar tongue 15 Their priests are married and though they permit them not to marry a second wife without speciall dispensation yet if any doe they doe not voyde nor dissolue the marriage 16 They make no image of God 17 They haue no massie images but pictures onely 18 They thinke that properly God onely is to be invocated and howsoeuer they haue a kinde of invocation of Saints yet they thinke that God only heareth them and not the Saints CHAP. 2. Of the harsh and vnaduised censure of the Romanistes condemning all these Churches as Schismaticall and hereticall ALL these Churches societies of Christians in number many in extent large in multitudes of men and people huge and great in continuance most auncient in defence of the Christian faith constant and vndaunted though enduring the malice and force of cruell bloody potent enemies the Bishop of Rome with his adherents judgeth to be hereticks or at least Schismaticks consequently to haue no hope of eternall saluation for that it is on the perill of euerlasting damnation imposed vpon euery soule to bow do reuerence at the sight of his triple crowne to kisse his sacred feet to beleeue nothing more nor longer then his holinesse shall decree define And therefore the most part of the Christian world is plunged into hell abandoned into vtter darkenes reserued in chaines vnto the judgment of the last day euer since that schismaticall acte of the base ignoble contemptible Councel of 600 Bishops assembled at Chalcedon who forgetting themselues presumed to equall another B. to the peerelesse and incomparable Vicar of Christ his Vicegerent generall on earth in comparison of whose greatnesse all other Episcopall and Patriarchicall dignity regall or Imperiall maiestie is no more then the light of a candle at midday when the sunne shineth in strength But because wee haue not receiued the marke of this Antichrist and child of perdition in our foreheades nor sworne to take the foame of his impure mouth and froath of his words of blasphemie wherein hee extolleth himselfe aboue all that is named God for oracles and infallible certainty and the rule of our faith Let vs therefore see what that heresie schisme is that cutteth of from the company of right beleeuers in such sort that whosoever is convinced of it is thereby clearely without all hope of eternall life CHAP. 3. Of the nature of heresie of the diuerse kinds of things wherein men erre and what pertinacie it is that maketh an heritique HEresie is not every errour but errour in matter of faith nor every eâ—…ror in matter of faith For neither Iewes nor Pagans are said to bee heritickes though they erre most damnably in those things which every one that will be saued must beleeue and with all the malice fury and rage that can be imagined impugne the Christian faith and verity but it is the errour of such as by some kind of profession haue beene Christians so that only such as by profession being Christians depart from the trueth of Christian religion are named heritickes These are of two sorts For there are haeretici scientes and there are haeretici
which the Romanists now teach nor power of nature to doe the workes of the Lawe according to the substance of the things commanded though not according to the intention of the Law-giuer to loue God aboue all and to do actions morally good or not sinfull without concurrence of speciall grace nor election and reprobation depending on the foresight of some thing in vs positiue or priuatiue nor merit of congruence and condignity nor workes of supererogation nor counsels of perfection as they now teach nor iustification by perfection of inherent qualities nor vncertainty of grace nor seaven Sacraments properly so named nor locall presence nor Transubstantiation nor orall manducation of the body of Christ nor reall sacrificing of it for the quick the dead nor remission of sinnes after this life nor tormenting of the soules of men dying in the state of saluation in a part of hell hundred of yeares by divels in corporall fire out of which prayer should deliver them nor that the Saints heare our prayers know or are acquainted with our particular wants nor the grosse Idolatry in those times committed and intollerable abuses found in the number fashion and worship of their images nor their absolution as now they define it nor treasure of the Church growing out of the superfluitie of Saints merits not rewardable in themselues to be disposed by the Pope for supplie of other mens wants to release them out of Purgatorie by way of indulgence nor the infallibility of the Popes iudgment and plenitude of his power such and so great that he may depose Princes and dispose of their crownes and dignities and that whatsoeuer he doth he may not be brought into order or deposed by authority of the whole Christian world in a generall Councell These are the errours which wee condemne and our adversaries maintaine and defend these wee are well assured were not the doctrines of that Church wherein our Fathers liued and dyed though wee do not deny but they were taught by some in that Church All these we offer to proue to be errour in matter of our Christian faith and that seeing wee could no longer haue peace with our adversaries but by approuing these impieties wee had iust cause to divide our selues from them or to speake more properly to suffer our selues to be accursed anathematized and rejected by them rather than to subscribe to so many errours and heresies contrary to the Christian and Catholike verity CHAP. 8. Of the true Church which and where it was before Luthers time THus then it appeareth which wee thinke to haue beene the true Church of God before Luther or others of that sort were heard of in the world namely that wherein all our Fathers liued and died wherein none of the errours reproued by Luther ever found generall vniforme and full approbation in which all the abuses remoued by him were long before by all good men complained off and a reformation desired And therefore though wee accknowledge Wickliffe Husse Hierome of Prague and the like who with great magnanimity opposed them selues against the Tyranny of the See of Rome and the impiety of those who withheld the trueth of God in vnrighteousnesse who being named Christians serued Antichrist as Bernard complained of some in his time to haue beene the worthy servants of God and holy martyrs and confessours suffering in the cause of Christ against Antichrist yet doe wee not thinke that the Church of God was found onely in them or that there was no other appearance of succession of Church and ministerie as Stapleton and other of that faction falsely impute vnto vs. For wee most firmely beleeue all the Churches in the world wherein our Fathers liued and died to haue beene the true Churches of God in which vndoubtedly salvation was to be found and that they which taught embraced and beleeued those damnable errors which the Romanists now defend against vs were a faction only in the Churches as were they that denied the resurrection vrged circumcision and despised the Apostles of Christ in the Churches of Corinth and Galatia If any of our men deny these Churches to haue beene the true Churches of of God their meaning is limitted in respect of the prevailing faction that was in the Church and including them and all the wicked impieties by any of them defended in which sense their negatiue is to bee vnderstood For howsoever the Church which is not to be charged with the errours and faults of all that in the midst of her did amisse held a sauing profession of the trueth of God yet there were many and they carrying the greatest shew of the Church that erred damnably and held not a sauing profession of diuine trueth wherevpon Gerson sayth that before the councell of Constance the false opinions touching the power of the Pope did fret like a Canker preuailed so far that he would hardly haue escaped the note of heresie that had said but halfe so much as was defined in the Councell of Constance by the vniuersall consent of the whole Christian world Gregorius Ariminensis sheweth that touching the power of nature to doe things morrally good and to fulfill the law without concurrence of speciall grace touching the workes of infidels predestination reprobation and punishments of originall sinne the heresies of Pelagius were taught in the Church and that not by a few or contemptible men but so manie and of soe great place that he almost feared to follow the doctrine of the Fathers and oppose himselfe against them therein The same doth Gerson report concerning sundry lewd assertions preiudiciall to the states of Kings and Princes which the Councell of Constance could not bee induced to condemne by reason of a mighty faction that preuailed in it though many great ones much urged it and though they made no stay to condemne the positions of Wicklife and Hus seeming to derogate from the state of the Clergie though many of them might carry a good and Catholike sense if they might haue found a fauourable construction Whereupon he breaketh into a bitter complaint of the partialities and vnequall courses holden in the Church and protesteth that he hath no hope of a reformation by a councell things standing as they then did The like complaint did Contarenus make in our time that if any man did debase the nature of man deiect the pride of sinnefull flesh magnifie the riches of the grace of God and vrge the necessity of it hee was iudged a Lutheran and pronounced an Hereticke though they that gloried in the name of Catholikes were themselues Pelagian heretickes if not worse then Pelagians Alas saith Occam the time is come the blessed Apostle Saint Paule 2. Timoth. 4 prophecied of When men will not suffer wholesome doctrine but hauing their eares itching after their owne lustes get them a heape of Teachers turning their eares from the trueth and being giuen vnto fables This Prophecie is altogether fullfilled in our
satisfied in any thing vnder God And so generally and absolutely denie that the Image of God can bee lost or blotted out These make a difference betweene the Image of God thus restrained to the largnesse and and admirable perfection of the naturall faculties of the soule and the similitude or likenesse of God which appeareth in the qualities and vertues of it making him that possesseth them partaker of the diuine nature which they confesse to be lost Now this similitude is all one with the Image of God in the second consideration set down by Aquinas and therefore in this matter Caluin erreth not but writeth that which is consonant vnto the truth Touching the second part of this imputation it is true that Origen erred thinking hell to be nothing else but horror of conscience But he that looketh in the place in Caluin cited by the Iesuite shall see that he saith no such thing but the cleane contrary So that the Reader shall finde Bellarnne to be constant and stil like himselfe adding one calumniation to another CHAP. 25. Of the heresie of the Peputians making women Priests THe fourth Heresie imputed vnto vs by our adversaries is that of the Peputians who gaue women authoritie to intermeddle with the sacred ministerie of the Church That we doe so likewise they indeavour to proue by misreporting the words of Luther There are two things therefore which Luther saith in the place alleadged by them First that in absolution and remission of sinnes in the supposed Sacrament of Penance a Bishop or ordinary Presbyter may doe as much as the Pope himselfe which Alphonsus à Castro writing against Heresies confesseth to bee true The second that when and where no Presbyter can be found to performe this office a Lay man yea or a woman in this case of necessitie may absolue which our adversaries neede not to thinke so strange seeing themselues giue power to women to baptise in case of necessitie which I thinke is as much a ministeriall acte as to absolue the penitent in such sort as absolution is giuen in the Church of Rome And yet they would thinke themselues wronged if from hence it should bee inferred that they make women Priests and Bishoppes But Bellarmine reporteth the wordes of Luther as if hee should say absolutely that a woman or childe hath as much power and authority from God in these things as any Presbyter or Bishop wherein hee is like himselfe Absolution in the Primitiue Church was the reconciling and restoring of penitents to the peace of the Church and to the Communion of the Sacraments from which during the time of their penitencie they were excluded This in reason none could doe but they to whom the dispensation of the Sacraments was committed and who had power to deny the Sacraments The Popish absolution is supposed to bee a Sacramentall acte Sacramentally taking away sinne and making the party absolued partaker of the remission of it This is a false and erronious conceite LVTHER thinketh it to bee a comfortable pronouncing and assuring of good to the humble penitent and sorrowfull sinner which though ordinarily and ex officio the Minister bee to doe yet may any man doe it with like effect when none of that ranke is or can be present Thus when the matter is well examined it is meerely nothing that Bellarmine can proue against Luther But that which hee addeth touching our late dread Soueraigne ELIZABETH of famous memorie that shee was reported and taken as chiefe Bishop within her dominions of England c. is more then a Cardinall lye and might beseeme the father of lyes better then any meaner professour of that facultie For the Kings and Queenes of England neither doe nor haue power to doe any ministeriall act or act of sacred order as to preach administer Sacraments and the like But that power and authority which we ascribe vnto them is that they may by their princely right take notice of matters of Religion and the exercise of it in their kingdomes That they may and in duty stand bound to see that the true Religion bee professed and God rightly worshipped That God hath giuen them the sword to punish all offenders against the first or second Table yea though they be Priests or Bishops That neither the persons nor the goods of Churchmen are exempted from their power That they holde their Crownes immediatly from God and not from the Romish Antichrist That it was the Lucifer-like pride of Antichrist which appeared in times past in the Popes wheē they shamed not to say that the Kings of England were their villanes vassalls and slaues Thus then the fourth supposed heresie we are charged with proueth to be nothing but a diuelish slander of this shamelesse Iesuite Wee say therefore to silence this slanderer that we all most constantly hold the contrary of that he imputeth vnto vs And that wee thinke there is no more daungerous or presumptuous wicked boldnesse then for any man not called set a part and sanctified therevnto to intermeddle with any part of the sacred ministerie of the Church CHAP 26. Of the supposed heresie of Proclus and the Messalians touching concupiscence in the regenerate THe fift heresie which hee endevoureth to fasten vpon vs is he saith the heresie of Proclus of whom Epiphanius maketh mention But what was the heresie of Proclus Let Bellarmine tell vs for our learning It was sayth he that sin doth alwayes continue and liue in the Regenerate for that concupiscence is truely and properly sin which is not taken away by Baptisme but only allaied stilled and brought as it were into a kind of rest and sleepe by force thereof and the working of faith In this Bellarmine sheweth his intolerable either ignorance or impudence or both For Epiphanius in the place cited by him refuteth the heresie of Origen who denied the resurrection of the bodies of men as thinking such bodily substances which we see are continually subject to alteration here in this world not capable of immortality And that God did put these bodies vpon Adam and Eue after their sin at that time when he is said to haue made them coates of skinnes This Epiphanius refuteth shewing that God who only hath immortality made man though out of the earth yet by the immediate touch of his owne hands that he breathed into him the breath of life for that he meant he should be immortall that man had flesh and blood and a true bodily substance before his fall as is prooued by that of Adam concerning Eue This is now flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone that there was no euill found in the World such as death is in the beginning that man voluntarily sinned against God and therevpon God brought in death that euen as the Schoolemaster vseth correction not for any delight he hath in it but for that thereby he intendeth to bring his Schollers to forsake their negligent and disordered courses and to
not perfectly extinguished that though while they remaine in the state of iustification they ◅n not with full consent to the excluding of grace and subiecting of themselues to the guilt of condemnation yet there are many sinfull euils they runne into which subiect them to Gods displeasure for which hee will not faile to iudge them if they iudge not themselues For the weakening abolishing of these sinfull euils and the averting of that displeasure wherewith God is displeased with men for them the iustified doe pray vnto God which is to aske forgiuenesse of sins as in the Lords prayer is meant For the petition is vnderstood of the sinnes of the seruants of God and such as are in state of grace as Augustine teacheth Thus then the iustified man knoweth that the dominion of his sins is taken away and that the guilt of condemnation wherevnto they subiect such as are vnder the dominion of them is already remoued and therefore he doth not desire nor aske forgiuenesse of sinnes in this sort but the inherence of sin he acknowledgeth in himselfe notwithstanding his iustification which still subiecteth him to Gods displeasure punishments accompanying the same These things hee desireth to be remoued and in this sense asketh forgiuenesse of sins If it be replyed that the remission of the sins of the iustified is full and perfect and that therefore they that know themselues to be iustified cannot aske remission which they know they haue perfectly already Wee answere that the remission of the sins of the iustified is full and perfect not for that they are already freed actually from the inherence of sinne and the displeasure of God disliking it but because they haue full title vnto right in that mercy of God which as it hath already deliuered them from the dominion condemnation of sin so it will in the end wholly free them from the inherence of it and the displeasure of God disliking it His next allegation is more friuolous than the former The Anabaptists saith he do most certainly assuredly perswade themselues that they are accepted of God therefore they haue true faith according to the doctrine of the Protestants who define faith to be the assurance of the mercifull goodnes of God yet do the Protestants deny thē to be iustified vnlesse they forsake their errors and so by consequēt do say they haue true faith yet are not iustified which is to affirme that they are iust not iust To this we answere that there is as great difference betweene true confidence and assurance which only is to be named faith and that which is found in heretickes as betweene the ioy and gladnesse that is fantasticall and is found in men dreaming and that which is true and in men waking That quietnesse of minde either proceedeth from senselesse stupidity in men hauing cauterized consciences though there be iust cause of fearefull apprehensions or frō the not finding or hauing any matter of condemning remorse euen as some men are touched with no greefe nor afflicted with any smart or paine though no part be sound or well in them because they are in a dead senseles stupidity and others feele not paine because they are perfectly well It is not therefore every assured confidence that is faith but true confidence Neither is it to be doubted but that heretickes doe oftentimes confidently perswade themselues they please God and thinke they embrace true piety as men dreaming doe perswade themseles they inioy and possesse all things though they possesse nothing But as men waking knowe the things they apprehend are soe indeede as they apprehend them and not in fancie only as men sleeping are deluded so true Christians know the perswasion they haue of Gods goodnesse towards them groweth from due iust consideration not from deceivable fancie and imagination only as in heritickes it doth This point is excellently cleared by Alexander of Hales the first and greatest of all the Schoole-men whose reasons and proofes that true Christians may be assured they are in state of grace and acceptation with God Bellarmine cannot answere Thus wee haue seene the supposed absurd positions wherewith the Iesuite chargeth all Protestants in generall In the next place hee produceth such as are proper to the Lutherans and in the last place such as are peculiar to the Caluinistes For thus it pleaseth him to tearme vs by these names of faction and diuision whereas it is Antichrists pride that hath made all the breaches in the Christian world and would haue layd all wast if God had not preserued a remnant The errour wherewith he chargeth the Lutherans is that children when they are baptised haue faith hope and loue Is this an errour are they iustified sanctified and made the temple of the holy Ghost when they are baptized and haue they neither faith hope nor loue doth not iustification imply all these in it But they haue not the act of faith noe more they haue of reason haue they not therefore the faculty of reason This then is that which these men ◅each whom it pleaseth these Antichristian sectaries odiously to name Luthe◅ans namely that children when they are adopted and made the sonnes of God when they are iustified and sanctified are filled with the habites or po◅ntiall habilities of these vertues and that they haue the beginning roote and seede of faith hope and loue For the farther clearing of this obiection reade Kemnisius in his Examen of the Tridentine Councell The errour of the Caluinists touching absolute necessity and that God is the author of sinne is but the imagination of the Romanists as I haue already sufficiently shewed For Caluin and wee all detest both these absurdities CHAP. 45. Of the Paradoxes and grosse absurdities of Romish Religion THus then the Paradoxes and grosse absurdities which this Cardinall aduersarie of Gods true religion imputeth vnto vs are but the fancies of his owne idle braine But if wee should enter into the examination of the seuerall parts of their profession it were not harde really to convince them of the most senselesse follies that euer the world was acquainted with But because it would be tedious and vnseasonable in this generall controversie of the Church to enter into the particular handling of things more fitly reserved to their owne proper places I will onely touch some few things that may seeme to concerne the whole frame and fabricke of their Religion They all hold at this day that the infallibility of the Popes judgement is the rocke on which the Church is builded and that this is the difference betweene a Catholicke and an heretique that though both beleeue many divine and supernaturall truths yet they build not themselues vpon the same grounds of perswasion For the Catholicke builds himselfe vpon the sure ground of the infallibility of the Churches chiefe Pastours judgement but the Hereticke vpon other things yeelding him satisfaction concerning the trueth of that
hee beleeueth whatsoeuer the judgement of the Pope bee And yet the same men which thus teach doe say it is no matter of faith to acknowledge or not to acknowledge the infallibility of the Popes judgement and that a man may bee a true Catholicke that thinketh the Pope may erre These two assertions are directly contradictorie The first they embrace because they find the authoritie Papall to be the surest stay of all their false faith and Antichristian profession and the second they are forced vnto because they dare not condemne so many famous renowned and great Divines as haue beene of that opinion as Durandus Gerson Cameracensis Almaine Waldensis and innumerable moe By this their contradicting of themselues not yet knowing whereon to ground their faith it is evident they haue no faith at all Secondly if wee should graunt them to haue any faith yet will it bee found to be Sophisticall or meerely humane For the reason ground and cause of their perswasion touching things Divine is the testimony of the Church infallibly led into all truth and that there is a Church thus ledde into all trueth whose testimony is vndoubtedly certaine and true they beleeue because the Church telleth them so as if a man should beleeue the reports of such a man because he is wise faithfull and honest and beleeue him to be so onely because he saith so To avoide this Sophisticall circulation sundry of the Schoolemen doe freely confesse that the ground of their faith is nothing else but the multitude and consent of men nations and people agreeing in the profession of it and consequently that it is meerely an humane perswasion and that they haue no faith at all which alwayes stayeth it selfe vpon the certainty of the first trueth Thirdly they teach that mortall men are neuer bound to giue GOD thankes for the greatest benefite that is bestowed on them in this world Nay that to giue him thankes for it were grievous sinne This is most evident for the greatest benefite of all other is justification but for this no man may giue God thankes because no man knoweth whether hee hath receiued it or not nor can assure himselfe of it without intollerable and inexcusable presumption Nay some of these seducers are not ashamed to write that euery man is bound to doubt of it with so fearefull doubting as may cause trembling applying that place of the Apostle to that purpose Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling Now I thinke hee which should come to God and giue him thankes for that which whether hee hath receiued or not hee is so doubtfull that he trembleth for feare should but mocke God and mistake his owne meaning Fourthly they hold that Paul and so many more as knew certainely they were in state of justification did sinne damnably in saying the Lords Prayer and that they did as foolishly as if a man should come to God and aske of him the creation of the world which was made long agoe CHAP. 46. Of the efficacie of the Churches doctrine THus were it most easie for vs to shew in many other particulars that the course of their doctrine is full of palpable absurdities But let these few instances suffice and let vs passe from the sanctity of the Churches doctrine to that the Iesuite addeth touching the efficacy of it where he affirmeth two things the first that heretickes neuer conuert any from infidelity to the faith the second that the Church of Rome hath conuerted This which the Iesuite so confidently deliuereth is partly false and partly to no purpose at all For whereas hee sayth heretickes neuer convert any from infidelity to Christianity the conuersion of the Moscouites by the Greeke Church at that time when it was in his iudgment hereticall and schismaticall abundantly refuteth him besides some other examples that might be alleadged Touching the other part of his speech that the Church of Rome hath conuerted many nations to the faith it maketh nothing to the purpose For wee haue already shewed that wee doubt not but the Church in which the Bishop of Rome with more than Lucifer-like pride exalted himselfe was notwithstanding the true Church of God that it held a sauing profession of the trueth in Christ and by force thereof did conuert many from errour to the way of trueth yet was not the state of that Church such but that a damnable faction of wicked ones was found in the midst of it who being the vassals of that cursed Antichrist adulterated the trueth of God and brought his people into a miserable estate holding men in worse then Babylonical captiuity These men the Romanists succeed at this day For the clearing of this matter see that which I haue noted before to this purpose CHAP. 47 Of the Protestants pretended confession that the Romane Church is the true Church of God THe next note whereby Bellarmine endeuoureth to proue the Romish Synagogue to be the true Church of God is our owne confession Surely if he can proue that we confesse it to be the true Church he needeth not vse any other arguments Let vs see therefore how hee proueth that we confesse the Romane Church to be the true Church of God Luther sayth he clearely yeeldeth it Caluin and others in effect acknowledge the same This wee deny for neither Luther nor Calvin nor any of vs doe acknowledge that the Popish religion is true religion or the Romish faction the Orthodoxe Church of God It is true indeede that Luther writing against the Anabaptists doth affirme that the life of true Christianity was preserued in the middest of those Churches wherein the Pope did formerly tyrannize which thing we haue more fully cleared before But that any part of that doctrine the reformed Churches haue reiected was to be accounted the doctrine of the Church or that those wicked ones in whose steppes the Romanists at this day doe insist peruerting the strait wayes of God and adulterating his heauenly trueth were liuely members of the Church Luther did neuer so much as dreame That which is alleadged out of Caluin touching Bernard and other holy men liuing dying in the Romane Church is to no purpose For we neuer doubted but that the Churches wherein those holy men did liue and die were the true Churches of God and held the sauing profession of heavenly trueth though there were innumerable in the middest of them that adulterated the same to their endlesse perdition whose successours the Romanists are at this day There is therefore a great difference to be made betweene the Church wherein our Fathers formerly liued and that faction of the Popes adherents which at this day resist against the necessary reformation of the Churches of God and make that their faith and religion which in former times was but the priuate and vnresolued opinion of some certaine onely In former times a man might hold the generall doctrine of those Churches wherein our Fathers liued and be
saued though the assertions of some men were damnable Now it is cleane contrary touching the present state of the Romish Church For the generall maine doctrine agreed vpon in the Councel of Trent in sort as it is most commonly conceiued is damnable but there are no doubt some of a better spirit and haue in themselues particularly a better conceit of things than generally is holden Formerly the Church of Rome was the true Church but had in it an hereticall faction now the Church it selfe is hereticall some certaine onely are found in it in such degree of Orthodoxie as that we may well hope of their saluation Thus then this great obiection taken from our owne confession is easily answered CHAP. 48. Of Miracles confirming the Romane faith THe next note of the Church is Gods owne testimony which hee giueth of the trueth sanctity of the faith and profession it holdeth This doubtlesse is the most absolute excellent note of all other For that must needes bee the true Church which holdeth the true faith and profession and that the true profession which God that neither himselfe can be deceiued nor deceiue others doeth witnesse testifie to be so For who dare make any doubt whether that bee the true religion or that the true Church which the God of trueth witnesseth to be so Let vs see therefore how God doth testifie concerning the trueth of religion and the happy condition of them that professe it Surely this testification is of two sorts the one by the inward operation of his inlightening spirit satisfying our vnderstandings in those things which by natures light we could not discerne and filling our hearts with ioy and gladnesse such and so great as nothing within natures compasse can yeeld For by this so great happie and heauenly an alteration which wee finde in our selues vpon and together with this receiuing of this doctrine which the spirit of trueth doth teach vs hee doth most clearely witnesse vnto vs that it is heauenly indeede and such as we could not haue attained vnto but by diuine reuelation The other kind of testification is when being desired by them that teach and learne this doctrine to giue some outward testimonie that it is true he doth some such thing for the good of them that receiue it or hurt of such as refuse it as none but God can doe But because partly by reason of the manifold illusions wherewith Sathan can and often doth abuse men making it seem vnto them that those things are done which are not and partly because we doe not exactly know what may be done by the force of naturall causes we cannot infallibly know concerning any outward thing performed before our eyes that it is in deede immediately and miraculously wrought by Gods owne most sacred hands This kinde of testification is not matchable with the other Nay wee cannot be infallibly assured of any thing done that it is Gods owne worke and in deede a miracle vnlesse this assurance grow out of the former testification For we may justly feare some fraud till finding by the inward testimony of Gods spirit the trueth of that for proofe whereof this strange thing is done we are assured it is the immediate and peculiar worke of God This assurance the quality of the things done and the difference betweene the workes of Sathan which onely cause admiration and wonder and the miraculous workes of God that are full of gracious goodnes winning the hearts of such as see them will greatly strengthen To what purpose then will some man say serued all the miracles that were done by Christ and his blessed Apostles This doubt is easily cleared for whereas the things then taught were new strange and incredible to naturall men they would not at all haue listned vnto them made inquiry after them or search into them had not the strange workes that followed the publishers of them made them thinke the things credible that were accompanied with so strange attendants Now while they gaue heed to the things that were spoken the Word was mighty in operation and entred into them in such sort that they discerned it was Gods owne word and that the way of saluation which by it they were directed vnto Thus then we see that miracles are no sure notes of the trueth of Religion nor certaine marke to know the Church by vnlesse they bee strengthened by some other meanes not for that a miracle knowne to bee so is insufficient to testifie of the trueth of God but because it is not possible infallibly to know that the things which seeme vnto vs to be miracles be so in deede vnlesse being assured of the trueth of that for confirmation whereof they are wrought wee thereby bee perswaded they are of God All that hath beene hitherto said is confessed to be true by the best learned Divines of the Romane Church Yea Cardinall Caietan proceedeth so farre that he pronounceth it cannot bee certainely knowne that those miracles are true miracles which the Church admitteth and approueth in the canonizing of Saints seeing the trueth of them dependeth on mens report that may deceiue and be deceiued Thus hauing declared what the vse of miracles is and how farre they giue testimony of the trueth let vs see what our adversaries conclude from hence for themselues or against vs. They haue miracles for confirmation of their faith and Religion and we haue none therefore they hold the true faith and we are in errour For answere hereunto first we say that the trueth of Religion cannot infallibly and certainely be found out by miracles especially in these last times because as Gerson noteth in his booke De distinctione verarum falsarum visionum in this old age of the world in this last houre and time so neere Antichrist his revelation it is not to bee marvailed at if the world like a doating olde man bee abused by many illusions and fantasies most like to dreames Secondly wee say that howsoeuer it may bee some miracles were done by such good men as liued in the corrupt state of the Church in the dayes of our Fathers yet that is no proofe of those errours which the Romanists maintaine against vs. For wee peremptorily deny that euer any miracle was done by any in times past or in our times to confirme any of the things controuersed betweene them and vs. What credit is to be giuen to the reportes of their miracles they may easily conceiue in that in all the differences they haue had amongst themselues either in matters of opinion or of faction they haue had contrary visions reuelations and miracles to confirme the perswasion of either side as appeared in the differences touching Maries conception and in the times of the Anti-Popes Wherevpon Caietane writing to Pope Leo about the controuersie of Maries conception wisheth him not to suffer his iudgement to be swayed by shew of miracles and giueth many good reasons of the
tradition of the Iewes numbred only 22 Canonicall bookes of the old Testament as we do and in his Chronicle he sayth expressely that the bookes of the Macchabees are not in the canon Reade saith Cyrill of Hierusalem in his Catechisme the diuine Scriptures that is the 22 bookes of the old Testament and a litle after Reade therefore these 22 bookes but with the apocrypha haue nothing to doe meditate vpon the diuine Scriptures which wee confidently reade in the Church the holy Apostles the guides of truth who deliuered vnto vs these bookes were more wise and religious then thou art Seing therefore thou art but a sonne transgresse not the precepts of the Fathers Now these are the bookes which thou must reade and then numbreth all the bookes of the old Testament and omitteth all those that are controuersed sauing that hee addeth that of Baruch thinking it a part of Hieremies prophesies Of the same opinion is Epiphanius making no mention of any of the bookes reiected by vs as apocryphall but onely the booke of Wisdome and Iesus the sonne of Sirach which hee saith are profitable but not to be esteemed as the 22 bookes or 27 as some count them that were kept in the arke of the couenant which are the bookes by vs acknowledged to bee canonicall Amphilochius Bishoppe of Iconium writing to Seleucus hath these words I will reckon vnto thee all the bookes that proceeded from the holy Ghost and that thou mayest cleerely conceiue that which concernes this matter I wil first number vnto thee the bookes of the old Testament then he nameth the 5 bookes of Moses Iosua and the Iudges Ruth 4 bookes of the Kings 2 of the Chronicles 2 of Esdras Iob the Psalmes 3 of Solomon the proverbes Ecclesiastes Canticles 12 Prophets Hose Amos Micheas Ioel Abdias Ionas Naum Abacuch Sophonie Haâ—…ge Zacharias Malachias the 4 Prophets Esai Hieremie Ezekiel Daniel and concludeth that to these some adde Hester The reason why some doubted of Hester I haue elsewhere shewed out of Sixtus Senensis to haue been the Apocryphall additions to the booke I haue some where cited this booke as a part of Gregorie Nazianzens workes because some thinke it so to be and put it amongst his workes But Gregory hath deliuered his opinion clearely touching this matter though that booke happily be not his Bee conuersant saith hee day and night in the diuine oracles but least such bookes as are not of this sort deceiue thee for many erroneous bookes are inserted receiue the true and iust number of bookes that are diuine and then nameth all the bookes that wee admitte saue that hee omitteth the booke of Hester vpon the same reason that I noted out of Sixtus Senensis and when he hath named these he addeth those of the new testament and then pronounceth that whatsoeuer is not within this number is to bee accounted amongst bastard counterfeit bookes Origen expounding the first Psalme putteth downe a catalogue of the holy Scriptures of the old Testament writing thus in precise words as Eusebius telleth vs Wee must not be ignorant that the bookes of the old Testament as the Hebrewes doe deliuer are 22 which is the number of their letters and then nameth all the bookes admitted by vs and addeth that the bookes of Macchabees are without this number Athanasius agreeth with Origen writing in this sort All our Scripture that are Christians was giuen by divine inspiration neither hath this Scripture infinite bookes but a definite number and contayned in a certaine canon and these are the bookes of the old Testament Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomie Iosuáh Iudges Ruth the first and second of Kings accounted one booke the third fourth of Kings accounted one booke Chronicles first second accounted one booke Esdras the first second one booke the Psalmes of David 151. Proverbs of Salomon Ecclesiastes Canticles Iob 12 Prophets contayned in one volume Osee Amos Micheas Ioell Abdias Ionas Naum Ambacum Sophonias Aggaeus Zacharias Malachias 4 other Prophets Esai Hieremie Ezechiel Daniel the bookes therefore of the old Testament are 22 in number answerable to the Hebrew letters Beside these there are certaine other bookes of the old Testament that are not in the canon and these are read onely to the Catechumens or Novices Amongst these hee numbreth the Wisedome of Solomon the Wisedome of Iesus the sonne of Sirach Iudith Tobit but mentioneth not the bookes of Macchabees at all to these he addeth the booke of Hester accounting it Apocryphall being misperswaded of the whole by reason of those Apocryphall additions as before I noted out of Sixtus Senensis In the conclusion of his Synopsis he mentioneth together with the former foure bookes of Macchabees and the story of Susanna but sayth they are in the number of them that are contradicted The councell of Laodicea decreeth in this sort Let no bookes be read in the Church but the bookes of the old new Testament and then addeth these are the bookes of the old Testament that are to bee read Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomie Iosuah Iudges Ruth foure bookes of Kings 2 of Chronicles Esdras the booke of the Psalmes 150. the Proverbs of Solomon Ecclesiastes Canticles Iob Hester 12 Prophets Osee c Esay Hieremie Ezekiel Daniel The canons of this councell are confirmed by the sixt generall councell holden in Trullo To these we may adde Damascene who hauing numbred all those bookes and those onely as canonicall that wee doe addeth that the booke of Wisedome and of Iesus the son of Sirach are good bookes and containe good lessons of vertue but that they are not numbred in this account neither were layd vp in the arke Leontius advocatus Byzantinus sayth there are onely 22 bookes of the old Testament reckoneth all those and those onely that wee doe All these worthies that wee haue hitherto produced to testifie in this case are of the Greeke Church wherefore let vs passe to them of the Latine Hilary Bishop of Poictiers saith the law of the old testament is contained in 22 bookes according to the number of the Hebrew letters which are so disposed and put in order according to the tradition of the auncient that there are fiue bookes of Moses that Iosuah is the sixt the Iudges and Ruth the seaventh the first and second of Kings the eigth the third and fourth the ninth 2 of Chronicles the tenth Esdras the eleventh Psalmes 12 Solomons Proverbs Ecclesiastes Canticles 13 14 15 the 12 Prophets 16 Esay Hieremie with the Lamentations and epistle Daniell Ezechiel Iob Hester doe make vp the number of 22 bookes some haue thought good to adde Tobie and Iudith and so to make the bookes to bee 24 in number according to the number of the Greeke letters Ruffinus in the explanation of the Creed which is found amongst the works of Cyprian and so attributed to him setteth downe a Catalogue of those bookes
into the knowledge of all truth without any mixture of ignorance errour or danger of being deceiued Let vs come therefore to the second acception of the name of the Church as it comprehendeth onely all those beleeuers that are and haue beene since the Apostles time The whole Church taken in this sort may bee ignorant in sundry things which though they bee contained within the compasse of revealed truth yet are not of necessitie to be expressely knowne by all that will be saued but that the whole Church in this sort conceiued should erre in any thing of this nature it is impossible seeing errour which is an aberration declining or swaruing from the truth once deliuered necessarily implyeth a kinde of particularity and novelty Neither onely is the whole Church comprehending all the beleeuers that are and haue beene since the Apostles time freed from errour in matter of faith But wee thinke it impossible also that any errour whatsoeuer should be found in all the Pastors and guides of the Church thus generally taken Secondly though there may be some question whether any errour may be found in all them whose writings now remaine yet because they haue all written of nothing but that which is absolutely necessary to bee knowne for the attayning of euerlasting saluation and that was euer generally receiued it is not possible they should all be convinced of errour Thirdly though all whose writings remaine haue not written of a thing yet if all that mention it doe constantly consent in it and their consent be strengthened by vniuersall practise wee dare not charge them with errour Yea though their consent be not strengthened by such practise if it be concerning things expressed in the Word of trueth or by necessary and evident deduction to be demonstrated from thence we thinke no errour can be found in all them that speake of things of that nature if in euery age of the Church some be found to haue written of them But in things that cannot be clearely deduced from the rule of faith and word of diuine and heauenly trueth wee thinke it possible that all that haue written of such things might erre and be deceiued This matter is excellently handled by Pererius Augustinus Eugubinus Cornelius Iansenius Hieronymus ab Oleastro who hold it probable that Paradise doth not remaine in originall beauty notwithstanding the consent of all the auncient that haue written of that matter to the contrary Soe likewise Caietaine and Andradius professe they dare goe against the torrent of all the Doctours and dissent from them in the interpretation of some parts of Scripture Bellarmine blameth Pererius Eugubinus and the rest for that they durst imbrace an opinion contrary to the iudgment of antiquity yet doth hee not fasten vpon them any note of heresie or sauouring of heresie Touching the Church as it coÌ„prehendeth only the belieuers that now are presently liue in the world it is most certaine agreed vpon that in things necessary to be known belieued expressely and distinctly it neuer is ignorant much lesse doth erre Yea in things that are not absolutely necessary to be knowen belieued expressely distinctly we coÌ„stantly belieue that this Church can neuer erre nor doubt pertinaciously but that there shall euer be some found ready to imbrace the truth if it be manifested vnto them and such as shall not wholly neglect the search and inquiry after it as times and meanes giue leaue As therefore wee hold it impossible the Church should euer by Apostasie and missebeliefe wholly depart from God in prouing whereof Bellarmine confesseth his fellowes haue taken much needlesse paines seeing no man of our profession thinketh any such thing so we hold that it neuer falleth into any heresie so that he is as much to be blamed for idle needeles busying himselfe in prouing that the visible Church never falleth into heresie which we most willingly grant CHAP 3. Of the meaning of certaine speeches of Caluine touching the erring of the Church THat which he alleageth out of Caluine and others as if they supposed the true Church to be sometimes altogether inuisible and that the outward profession of the trueth doth sometimes wholly faile is to no purpose for they meane not that it is wholly inuisible at any time but that it is not alwayes to be esteemed by outward appearance that sometimes the state of things is such that the greatest in place of Ministery in the Church peruert all things that they that defend the truth make theÌ„selues a reproach To this purpose Occam hath diuerse excellent things out of Hierome and Vincentius Lirinensis sheweth that the poisoned doctrine of the Arians did infect not onely a part but almost the whole Church soe that almost all the Bishops of the Latine Church were misseled and fewe found to defend and maintaine the truth as beseemed them There are therefore foure things which Caluin sayth The first that the Church may not so farre presume of the assistance of the spirit of truth as that she may deuise newe articles of faith and without the certaine direction of the word of God proceede in the determination of doubts in matters of religion The second that she must not relie vpon traditions a pretended vnwritten word but must coÌ„tain her selfe within the compasse of that heauenly doctrine which is comprehended in the scripture The 3d that so containing her selfe she connot erre The 4th that we haue no assurance that Church shall alwaies so precisely follow the directions of the word of truth as that she shall neuer erre but soe farrefoorth only that she shall euer be free from all errour in things necessary to saluation and such things that men cannot be ignorant of to erre in without pertinacy or ouer-grosse and damnable negligence yea that shee is secured from erring in any thing with hereticall pertinacy This last part of Calvins speach it is that the Iesuite disliketh that he sayth The Church is not absolutely freed from errour but from some kinde of errour onely Yet Melchior Canus confesseth that sundry great Diuines seeme to be of this opinion as the Authour of the Interlineall glosse Thomas Aquinas Cardinall Turricremata and Alfonsus á Castro Yea Picus Mirandâ—…la in his theoremes is of the same opinion confirming it by the authority of Aquinas who thinketh that the Church may erre in Canonizing of Saints and proposing such to be honoured whom God rejecteth from his presence as vessels of his wrath Notwithstanding the Romanists at this day seeme to hold that the whole Church that presently is in the world cannot erre in any thing that either concerneth faith or manners which they endevour to proue by these reasons CHAP. 4. Of their reasons who thinke the present Church free from all errour in matters of faith FIrst for that it is the pillar and ground of trueth secondly for that it is guided by Christ her
head and spouse and thirdly because it is led by the spirit of trueth These reasons will be found exceeding weake if we examine them Let vs therefore take a particular view of them First the Apostle say they calleth the Church the Pillar and ground of trueth therefore it cannot erre These wordes cannot proue that for confirmation whereof our aduersaries alleage them seeing hee speaketh in this place of a particular Church to wit the Church of the Ephesians in which hee left Timotheus when he departed from it Now that particular Churches may erre in matter of fayth and become hereticall our adversaries make no question That the Apostle speaketh of the Church of Ephesus and calleth it The pillar and ground of trueth it appeareth by all circumstances of the place These things haue I written sayth hee hoping to come shortly vnto thee but if I tarrie longer that thou mayest know how to behaue thy selfe in the house of God That house of God in which Paul left Timothie in which he directeth him how to behaue himselfe till hee come he calleth The Church of God and Pillar of truth that Timothie might bethinke him the better how to demeane himselfe in the government of it The Church of God is named the Pillar of trueth not as if the truth did depend on the Church or as if God could not otherwise man fest it than by her Ministery or that our fayth should be built on the authority of it or that we should thinke it absolutely free from all ignorance and errour but because it doth strongly hold and maintaine the sauing profession of the truth notwithstanding all the violence of wicked and cruell enemies as both the Ordinary glosse and that of Lyra doe interpret it and for that by instructions admonitions and comforts it strengtheneth stayeth and supporteth such as otherwise would fall as the Interlineall glosse seemeth to expresse it So then the Church is The pillar of trueth not because it is absolutely free from all errour or that our faith should be builded vpon the infallibility of it but because it alway retayneth a saving profession of heauenly trueth and by strength of reasons force of perswasions timelinesse of admonitions comforts of Sacraments and other meanes of sauing grace The powerfull force whereof the sonnes of God doe feele it strengtheneth and stayeth the weakenesse of all them that depend vpon it This is it that Calvine meaneth when hee sayth the Church is called The pillar of trueth because it firmely holdeth the profession of it and strengtheneth others by the knowledge of it Bellarmines cavill that if this were all the Church might more fitly be compared to a chest than a Pillar is not worth the answering for it doth not onely preserue the trueth as a hidden treasure but by publique profession notwithstanding all forces endeavouring to shake it publisheth it vnto the world stayeth the weakenesse of others by the knowledge of it in which respect it is fitly compared to a Pillar and not vnto an Arke or chest The second reason is much more weake than the former For thus they argue The Church is governed by Christ as by her head and spouse and by the spirit as by the soule and fountaine of her life therefore if shee erre her errour must be imputed vnto Christ and to the spirit of trueth This their consequence is blasphemous and impious For who knoweth not that particular men companies of men and Churches are governed by Christ as by their head and spouse by the spirit of trueth as being the fountaine of their spirituall life as the Churches of Corinth Galatia and the Churches mentioned in the Revelation of S. Iohn called golden Candle stickes in the midst whereof the Sonne of God did walke yet had they their dangerous and grievous errours and defaults for which they were blamed so that by the argument of our adversaries men may blame the spirit of trueth for their errours That which the Iesuite addeth that Christ the husband of the Church is bound to free it from all errour in matter of faith whence any great euill may ensue is as childish an argument as may be devised For if great and grievous euils may be found in the Church then notwithstanding this argument errours also Now that the Church is subject to great grieuous euils he that maketh any questiō seemeth to know nothing at all As therfore God giueth that grace whereby the children of the Church may avoyde great and grievous euils and neuer with-draweth the same but for punishment of former sinne and contempt of grace so he giueth the gracious meanes of illumination and neuer withdraweth the meanes of knowledge but when the contempt of the light of knowledge and the abusing of it procure the same So that the sinnes and errours of the children of the Church proceede from themselues and not from any defect or want of Christ the husband of the Church The third reason is he that heareth not the Church must bee holden for an Ethnike therefore it cannot erre But they should know that Christ speaketh in that place of the Sanedrim of the Iewes which whosoeuer refused to obey they held him as an Ethnicke Yet was not that great Councell of State among the Iewes free from danger of erring If these wordes of our Saviour be applyed to the Church as they are ordinarily by the Fathers they must be vnderstood by the censures of the Church which are not alwayes just and righteous as Augustine sheweth and not of her doctrinall determination But saith Bellarmine the Councels were wont to denounce Anathema to all that obey not their decrees therefore they thought they could not erre To this we answere that they denounce Anathema not because they thinke euery one that disobeyeth the decree of the Councell to bee accursed but because they are perswaded in particular that this is the eternall truth of God which they propose therefore they accurse them that obstinately shall resist as Paul willeth euery Christian man to Anathematize an Angell comming from Heauen if he shall teach him any other doctrine then he hath already learned yet is not euery particular Christian free from possibility of erring The other argument that because the Church is holy and her profession holy therefore shee cannot erre will proue as well that particular Churches cannot erre as the vniversall If they say the vniversall Church is holy and the profession of it holy in such adegree as freeth it from error it is petitio principii Their next argument is that if the Church be not free generally from erring but only from erring in things necessary to saluation many Catholike verities may be called in question doubted of for that there are many things that pertaine to faith which are not necessary to saluation This argument holdeth not for though the Church which comprehendeth onely the number of beleeuers that are at one time in the world may
seene him and talked with him they professed that they beleeved not for her saying any longer for themselues had heard him speake and did know that hee was the Saviour of the world indeed So men at the first beginne to beleeue moued so to doe by the authority of the Church but rest not in it but in the infallible assurance of diuine trueth Vpon the mistaking of this saying of S. Augustine and an erroneous conceit that our faith stayeth wholly vpon the authority and testimony of the Church hath growne that opinion that the authority of the Church is greater than the authority of the Scriptures CHAP. 10. Of the Papistes preferring the Churches authority before the Scripture TOuching which odious comparison I find some shew of difference amongst the Papistes but none indeede Some affirme that the authorities of the Church and of the Scripture being in divers kindes may in diverse sorts and respects either of them be sayd to be greater then the other to wit the one in nature of an euidence the other of a Iudge and that therefore the comparing of them in authority is vnfit and superfluous Others say that the Church is greater then Scriptures The Rhemists seeme to be of the first sort seeking to conceale that which indeede they thinke because they would not incurre the dislike and ill opinion of men naturally abhorring from so odious a comparison Yet in the same place they doe make the comparison and preferre the Church before the Scriptures 1. In respect of antiquity in that it was before them 2. In excellencie of nature in that the Church is the spouse of Christ the Temple of God the proper subject of God and his graces for which the Scriptures were and not the Church for the Scriptures 3. In power of judging of doubts and controversies the Church hauing judiciall power the Scripture not being capable of it 4. In euidence the definition of the Church being more cleare and evident then those of the Scriptures Stapleton sayth the comparison may be made and the Church preferred before the Scriptures foure wayes 1. So as if the Church might define contrary to the Scriptures as shee may contrary to the writings of particular men how great soeuer In this sense they of the Church of Rome make not the comparison neither doe we charge them with any such thing though Stapleton be pleased to say so of vs. 2. So as the Church may define though not contrary to yet beside the Scripture or written Word of God This comparison is not made properly touching the preheminence of one aboue another in authority but the extent of one beyond the other as Stapleton rightly noteth In this sense the Romanists make the Church greater in authority than the Scriptures that is the extent of the Churches authority larger than of the Scriptures to bring in their traditions but this wee deny and will in due place improue their errour herein Thirdly in the obedience they both challenge of vs where they all say that we are bound with as great affection of piety to obey and submit our selues vnto the determinations of the Church as of the Scriptures both being infallible of diuine and heauenly authority against which no man may resist and that it is a matter of faith so to thinke Yea some of them as Stapleton in the same place are not ashamed to say that wee are bound with greater certaintie of faith to subscribe vnto the determinations of the Church than of the Scriptures and that it is the authority of the Church that maketh vs accept embrace and beleeue the Scriptures Fourthly in the nature of the things themselues in which respect they preferre the Church before the Scriptures as being in it selfe more excellent then the Scriptures as the subject by which the spirit worketh is more excellent then the thing hee worketh by it CHAP. 11. Of the refutation of their errour who preferre the authority of the Church before the Scripture THat wee may the better discerne what is to bee resolued touching these two latter comparisons betweene the Church and the Scriptures wee must remember that which I haue before noted touching them both For first the name of the Church sometimes comprehendeth onely the beleeuers that now presently are liuing in the world Sometimes not onely these but all them also that haue beene since the Apostles times Sometimes all that are and haue beene since Christ appeared in the flesh If the comparison bee made betweene the Church consisting onely of the faithfull that now are and the Scripture wee absolutely deny the equality of their authority and say it is impiety to thinke that both may challenge an equall degree of obedience and faith to bee yeelded to them for it cannot bee proued that the Church thus taken is free from errour nay themselues with one consent confesse that generall Councels representing this Church may erre though not in matters of substance which they purposely meete to determine yet in other passages and in the reasons and motiues leading to such determinations and consequently the whole Church may erre in the same things the one in their opinion being no more infallible than the other Yea some of them feare not to pronounce that Popes and generall Councells may erre damnably and that the Church itselfe may erre in matters not fundamentall though without pertinacy as Picus in his theoremes and Waldensis who freeth only the vniuersall Church consisting of the faithfull that are and haue beene from errour and not the present Church as I shewed before We are so farre then from preferring the Church thus taken as Stapleton in the place aboue mentioned professeth he taketh it in authority before the Scripture that we thinke it impiety to imagine it to be equall That the authority of the Church maketh vs to beleeue with an humane and acquisite faith we deny not but that it maketh vs to beleeue with a diuine faith we deny as before If the comparison be made between the Church consisting of all the faithfull that haue bin since besides the Apostles writers of the holy Scriptures though we think the Church thus taken to be free from any error yet dare we not make it equall to the Scripture For that the Scripture is infallibly true as inspired immediatly frō the spirit of truth securing the writers of it from errour The Church not in respect of the condition of the men of whom it consisteth or the manner of the guiding of the spirit each particular man being subject vnto errour but in respect of the generality and vniversality of it in euery part whereof in every time no errour could possibly be found And for that whatsoeuer is vniuersally deliuered by it is thereby prooued to be from the Apostles of whose faith wee are secure Thus then the whole Church thus taken is subiect to the Scripture in all her parts and hath her infallibility from it and therefore in her
manner of hauing the truth is inferiour vnto it neither are we bound to receiue her doctrines as the sacred Scriptures Besides though the Church taken in this sort be free from errour yet not from ignorance of many things wherein we may be instructed by the scripture So that it is possible for a man to vnderstand the naturall literall sense of some parts of Scripture and from thence some things that were not in such sort knowne and deliuered by any that went before as Andradius and Caietanus do proue at large If the comparison be made betweene the Church consisting of all the belieuers that are and haue beene since Christ appeared in the flesh so including the Apostles and their blessed assistants the Euangelists we deny not but that the Church is of greater authority antiquity and excellencie than the Scripture of the new Testament as the witnesse is better then his testimonie and the Lawgiuer greater then the Lawes made by him as Stapleton alleageth But he is to proue the present Church greater in authority than the Scripture which hee vndertaketh but performeth not His reason that the Scripture was giuen for the good of the Church and that therefore the Church is better than the Scripture proueth not the thing intended For as the people are more excellent in degree of being and nature of things than the lawes that be made for their good yet are the lawes of more authority and must ouer-rule and direct the people so though the Scriptures being but significations declarations and manifestations of diuine truth be not better in degree of things than the Church yet in power of prescribing directing and ouer-ruling our faith they are incomparably greater That which the Rhemists adde to shew the greatnesse of the Church aboue the Scripture because the Church hath judiciall power to determine doubts and controuersies whereof as they suppose the Scripture is not capable I will examine in the next part when I come to speake of the power of judging which the Church hath This errour of the Romanists imagining the authority of the Church to bee greater than the Scripture all the best learned in the Church of Rome euer resisted as Waldensis Occam Gerson and sundry others CHAP. 12. Of their errour who thinke the Church may make new articles of faith VNto this errour is joyned and out of this hath growne another not vnlike that the Church may make new articles of faith which though Stapleton and some other of our time seeme to disclaime yet do they indeede fall into it For the better vnderstanding whereof we must obserue as Occam fitly noteth that an Article of faith is sometimes strictly taken onely for one of those diuine verities which are contained in the creede of the Apostles sometimes generally for any Catholike verity This question is not meant of articles of faith in the first sense but in the second and so the meaning of the question is whether the Church that now is may by her approbation make those assertions and propositions to be Catholike verities that were not before or those hereticall that were not A Catholike vetity is a diuine truth which euery Christian is bound to beleeue The things which Christian men are bound to beleeue are of two sorts and consequently there are two sorts of Catholike verities to wit some so neerely touching the matter of eternall saluation that a man cannot be saued vnlesse hee expressely knowe and beleeue them others farther remooued which if a man beleeue implicitè and in praeparatione animi it sufficeth These must bee beleeued expressely and distinctly if their coherence with or dependance on the former do appeare vnto vs so that the manifest deduction of them from the former will make them such as must be expressely beleeued Our aduersaries confesse that the approbation and determination of the Church cannot make that a truth which was not nor that a Diuine or Catholike truth that was not so before but they thinke that the Church by her bare and sole determination may make that verity to be in such sort Catholike that euery one vnderstanding of such determination must expressely beleeue it that was not so and in such degree Catholike before But wee thinke that it is not the authority of the Church but the cleare deduction from the things which we are bound expressely to beleeue that maketh things of that sort that they must be particularly and distinctly known beleeued that were not necessarily so to bee beleeued before and therefore before and without such determination men seeing cleerely the deduction of things of this nature from the former and refusing to beleeue them are condemned of hereticall pertinacy and men not seeing that deduction after the decree of a Councell hath passed vpon them may still doubt and refuse to beleeue without hereticall pertinacy We cannot therefore condemne the Grecians as heretickes as the Romanists doe because wee cannot perswade our selues of them generally that they see that which they deny touching the proceeding of the holy Ghost deduced from the indubitate principles of our Christian faith or that they impiously neglect the search of the trueth What is it then will some men say that the decree of a Councell doth effect Surely nothing else but the rejecting of such as are otherwise minded from the societies of those men and Churches with whom the decree of the Councell doth prevaile and with all wise men the more wary and fearefull pronouncing any thing of those matters concerning which so graue authority hath passed her sentence The Papists proceed further and thinke it hereticall pertinacie to gainsay the decrees of a Councell though they finde the reasons by which they of the Councell were mooued so to thinke and determine to bee too weake and not to conclude the thing intended as in the matter of Transubstantiation they thinke it heresie to gainesay the decrees of those Councels that haue defined it and yet many of them judge all the reasons alleaged to proue it too weake to proue it In deed if it were certaine as they suppose that a generall Councell could not erre this were a sufficient deduction These things are decreede in a generall Councell Therefore ture because it is consequent that that is true which is affirmed by him that cannot erre Thus wee see what it is to bee thought touching this question whether the Church may make new Articles of faith onely one thing must be added for the further clearing hereof The Papistes thinke that the Church may adde to the Canon of the Scripture bookes not yet admitted as the bookes of Hermas the Scholler of Paul intituled Pastor and the constitutions of Clement which if it should doe we were to receiue them with no lesse respect then the Epistle of Iames and other bookes of the New Testament This we thinke to be a most grosse heresie and contrrry to their owne principles who making the number
of Canonicall bookes a tradition must necessarily receiue it from a certaine and constant report of the ancient But hereof no more in this place because the exact handling of it pertaineth to another place to wit touching the Scriptures CHAP. 13 Of the Churches authority to iudge of the differences that arise touching matters of faith THus hauing spoken of the Churches assured possession of diuine truth and her office of teaching testifying and proposing the same the next thing that followeth is her authority to judge of the differences that may arise touching matters of the faith taught by her or any part thereof and more specially touching the interpretation of the Scriptures and word of God Iudgement is an acte of reason discerning whether a thing be or not and whether it be that it seemeth to be and is thought or said to be This judgment is of two sortes The first of definitiue and authenticall power The second of Recognition The judgement of authenticall power defining what is to bee thought of each thing and prescribing to mens consciences so to thinke is proper to God being originally found in the father who by his sonne as by the immediate and prime messenger and Angell of his secret Counsell and by the holy Ghost as the spirit of illumination maketh knowne vnto men what they must thinke and perswadeth them so to thinke So that the supreame judgement wherein the conscience of men doeth rest in the things of GOD is proper to GOD who onely by his spirit teacheth the conscience and giueth vnto it assurance of truth Neither is God the supreme Iudge onely inrespect of the godly who stay not till they resolue their perswasions into the certainty of his diuine testimony and vndoubted authority but also in respect of the wicked who in their erronious conceipts are judged by him and of whose sinister and vile courses he sitteth in judgement while he confoundeth their tongues diuideth them one from another maketh them crosse themselues and bringeth all they doe to nothing This judgement all are forced to stand vnto and this is that that maketh a finall end of all controversies according to that of Gamaliel If this thing be of God it will prosper and prevaile and wee inresisting it shall be found fighters against God if not it will come to naught Thus then the judgement of God the father as supreme the judgement of the sonne as the eternall word of God of the spirit as the fountaine of all illumination making vs discerne what is true is that in which wee finally rest The judgement or determination of the word of God is that wherein wee rest as the rule of our faith and the light of Diuine vnderstanding as that whereby we iudge of all things The judgement of Recognition is of three sorts For there is a judgement of discretion common to all Christian men a judgement of direction proper to the guides of the Church and a judgement of jurisdiction proper to them that are in cheife places of authority The first of these is nothing else but an acte of vnderstanding discerning whether things be or not and whether also they bee that which they seeme to bee The second endeuoureth to make others discerne likewise and the third by authority suppresseth all those that shall thinke and pronounce otherwise then they judge that haue the judgement of Iurisdiction Touching the judgement of Recognition wee acknowledge the judgement of the vniuersall Church comprehending the faithfull that are and haue beene to be infallible In the Church that comprehendeth onely the beleeuers that liue at one time in the world there is alwayes found a right judgement of discretion and right pronouncing of each thing necessary all neuer falling into damnable errour nor into any error pertinaciously but a right judgement of men by their power of jurisdiction mantayning the truth and suppressing errour is not alwayes found So that sometimes almost all may conspire agaâ—…nst the truth or consent to betray the sincerity of the Christian profession as they did in the Councells of Ariminium Seleucia in which case as Occam aptly obserueth out of Hierome men haue nothing left vnto them but with sorrowfull hearts to referre all vnto God If sayth Hierome iniquity prevaile in the Church which is the house of God if iustice be oppressed if the madnes of them that should teach guide others proceed so farre as to pervert all the straight wayes of God to receiue rewards to doe wrong to treade downe the poore in the gates and to refuse to heare their complaynts let good men in such times hold their peace let them not giue that which is holy vnto dogges let them not cast pearles before swine least they turne againe and trample them vnder â—…eete let them imitate Ieremie the Prophet who speaketh of himselfe in this sort I sate alone because I was full of bitternesse Euen so sayth Occam when heresies prevaile in the Christian world when truth is trampled vnder feete in the streetes and Prelates Princes being enemies to it endevour with all their power to destroy it when they shall condemne the doctrine of the Fathers molest disquiet and murder the true professours let good men in such times hold their peace keepe silence and be still let them not giue holy things to dogges nor cast pearles before swine least they turne and tread them vnder feete least they wrest and abuse the Scriptures to their owne perdition and the scandall of others but let them with the Prophet sit alone and complaine that their soules are full of bitter heavinesse CHAP. 14. Of the rule of the Churches judgment THus hauing set downe the diuerse kinds of iudgment which must determine and end all controuersies in matter of faith and religion it remaineth to shewe what is the rule of that iudgment whereby the Church discerneth betweene truth and falsehood the faith and heresie and to whom it properly pertaineth to interpret those things which touching this rule are doubtfull As the measure of each thing is that by vertue whereof wee know what it is and the quantity of it so the rule is that by application whereof wee know whether it be that which it should be and be so as it should be The rule of action is that whereby we know whether it be right and performed as it should be or not The rule of doctrine is that whereby wee know whether it be true or false The rule of our faith in generall whereby we know it to be true is the infinite excellencie of God who in eminent sort possesseth all those perfections which in the creatures are diuided and found in an inferiour sort in the full perfect vnion with whom and inioying of whom consisteth all happinesse For by this rule we know that the doctrine of faith which only professeth to bring vs backe to God to possesse and enioy him not as he is participated of vs but as he
is in himselfe and maketh vs already to beginne to tast the sweetnesse of so great and happy an vnion is not only true but Diuine and Heauenly such as nature could not teach vs but is to be learned onely of God himselfe It being presupposed in the generalily that the doctrine of the Christian faith is of God and containeth nothing but heauenly truth in the next place we are to inquire by what rule wee are to iudge of particular things contained within the compasse of it This rule is first the summary comprehension of such principall articles of this diuine knowledge as are the principles whence all other things are concluded and inferred These are contained in the creed of the Apostles Secondly all such things as every Christian is bound expressely to beleeue by the light direction whereof he iudgeth of other things which are not absolutely necessary soe particularly to be knowne These are rightly sayd to bee the rule of our faith because the principles of euery science are the rule whereby wee iudge of the truth of all things as being better and more generally knowne then any other thing and the cause of knowing them Thirdly the Analogie due proportion and correspondence that one thing in this diuiue knowledge hath with another soe that men cannot erre in one of them without erring in another nor rightly vnderstand one but they must likewise rightly conceiue the rest Fourthly whatsoeuer bookes were deliuered vnto vs as written by them to whom the first and immediate reuelation of diuine truth was made Fiftly whatsoeuer hath been deliuered by all the Saints with one consent which haue left their iudgment and opinion in writing Sixtly whatsoeuer the most famous haue constantly and vniformely delivered as a matter of faith no man contradicting though many other Ecclesiasticall writers be silent and say nothing of it Seuenthly that which the most and most famous in euery age constantly deliuered as matter of faith and as receiued of them that went before them in such sort that the contradictors and gainsayers wâ—…re in their beginnings noted for singularity nouelty and diuision and afterwards in processe of time if they persisted in such contradiction charged with heresie These three latter rules of our faith we admit not because they are equall with the former originally in themselues containe the direction of our faith but because nothing can be deliuered with such and so full consent of the people of God as in them is expressed but it must needes bee from those first Authors and founders of our Christian profession The Romanists adde vnto these the decrees of Councels and determinations of Popes making these also to bee the rules of faith but because we haue no proofe of their infallibility we number them not with the rest Thus then we see how many things in seuerall degrees and sorts are said to be rules of our faith The infinite excellency of God as that whereby the truth of the heauenly doctrine is proued The articles of faith and other verities euer expressely knowne in the Church as the first principles are the canon by which we judge of conclusions from thence inferred The Scripture as containing in it all that doctrine of faith which Christ the Sonne of GOD deliuered The vniforâ—…e practice and consenting judgement of them that went before vs as a 〈◊〉 and vndoubted explication of the things contayned in the Scripture The Scripture saith Vincentius Lirinensis is full and sufficient to all purposes but because of the manifold turnings of heretiques it is necessary that the line of Propheticall and Apostolicall interpretation be drawnâ—…â—…owne and directed vnto vs according to the rule of Ecclesiasticall and Catholique sense So then we doe not so make the Scripture the rule of our faith but that other things in their kinde are rules likewise in such sort that it is not safe without respect had vnto them to judge of things by the Scripture alone For without the first rule we cannot know the Scripture to be of God Without the second and third we haue no forme of Christian doctrine by the direction whereof to judge of particular doubts and questions without the other rules wee cannot know the authors and number of the Bookes of Scripture nor the meaning of the things therein written For who shal be able to vnderstand them but hee that is settledin these things which the Apostles presupposed in their deliuery of the Scripture We doe not therefore so make the Scripture the rule of our faith as to neglect the other nor so admit the other as to detract any thing from the plenitude of the Scripture in which all things are contained that must bee beleeued CHAP. 15. Of the challenge of Papists against the rule of Scripture charging it with obscurity and imperfection THis rule our adversaries least esteeme of charging it with obscurity and imperfection and thereupon rely vpon humane interpretations and vncertaine traditions Touching their first challenge made against this rule of the scripture as being obscure and darke and so not fit to giue direction to our faith vnlesse it borrow light from some thing else wee aunswere there is no question but there are manifold difficulties in the scripture proceeding partly from the high and excellent nature of the things therein contained which are without the compasse of naturall vnderstanding and so are wholly hidden from naturall men and not knowne of them that are spirituall without much trauaile and studious meditation partly out of the ignorance of tongues and of the nature of such things by the coÌ„parison whereof the matters of divine knowledge are manifested vnto vs. But the difference betweene their opinion and ours concerning this difficultie is first in that they thinke the scripture so obscure and hard to be vnderstood that Heretiques may wrest and abuse it at their pleasures and no man be able to convince their folly by the evidence of the Scripture it selfe Secondly in that they thinke that wee cannot by any helpes bee assured out of the Scripture it selfe and the nature of the things therein contayned that that is the true meaning of it which wee thinke to be but that we rest in it onely for the authority of the Church But wee say that men not neglecting that light of direction which the Church yeeldeth nor other helpes and meanes may be assured out of the nature of the things themselues the conference of places the knowledge of tongues and the sutable correspondence that one part of diuine truth hath with another that they haue found out the true meaning of it and so be able to convince the adversaries and gainesayers CHAP. 16. Of the interpretation of Scripture and to whom it pertayneth TOuching this poynt there are two questions vsually proposed the one to whom the interpretation of the Scripture pertaineth the other by what rules and meanes men may finde out tâ—…e true meaning of it Tâ—…ching the first our Adversaries jangle
the diuine Scripture but because hee thought there is no literall true sense of them but mysticall onely so ouerthrowing the trueth of the sacred history of the booke of God And the fault of many others in former times was that following him too much they neglected the literall sense and ouer-curiously sought out allegories and mysticall senses whereas yet the literall sense alone hath force and power to establish trueth and improue error And this doubtlesse is the first and chiefest vse and necessity of following the literall sense Another is for that being the foundation of the mysticall if wee finde it not out wee may runne into many errours The Manichees out of those wordes of the Psalmist where hee sayth that God hath made a Tabernacle for the Sunne in heaven out of which it commeth in the morning as a Bridegroome out of his chamber to shew the brightnesse of his countenance to the sonnes of men reading Posuit tabernaculum suum in sole God placed his Tabernacle or appointed and made himselfe a Tabernacle in the Sunne inferred that Christ ascended into the highest heauens without our flesh leauing his body behind him within the compasse of the globe of the Sunne so that his flesh is to be adored in the Sunne as in a Tabernacle wherein it resteth and remayneth Now as their course is not to bee excused which follow the mysticall sense onely neglect the literall so they are no lesse faulty that follow the literall sense onely and doe not at all consider the mysteries of spirituall vnderstanding and information of Christian and godly conversation which in the word of God doe offer themselues vnto them For they make the Scriptures especially of the old testament where so many things of outward observation ceremonie and purification were prescribed vnsauorie and to seeme lesse diuine than the lawes and prescriptions of the Gentiles as the Athenians Lacedaemonians and other and the manifold histories of former times to serue little to edification Betweene both these extreames a meane is to be kept that neither the one nor the other be neglected so that we must neither be like them that reiecting the literall exposition seeke out fond and childish Allegories and so ouerthrow the trueth of the diuine historie as Origen did or neglect the knowledge of it publishing their owne idle and ridiculous conceits as if they were the great hidden mysteries of the Christian faith and religion nor like those which rest in the bare and naked wordes and syllables without collecting from thence such instructions as are fit The former sayth Sixtus Senensis are to know that howsoeuer they imagine the literall exposition of the Scripture to bee easie obvious and triuiall yet it is indeed the hardest of all other Whereupon both Hierome and Augustine confesse that at first to decline the obscurities and difficulties of the text of Scripture they followed mysticall senses as being more easie but afterward when they grew in age so in ripenesse of iudgment they sought out the other which is literall Thus we see the difference betweene the literall and mysticall sense of Scripture and how and in what sort the one is the ground of the other Which that wee misconceiue not nor take one for another wee must remember that by the literall sense of Scripture wee vnderstand not that onely which the words doe properly afford but which they primarily affoord according to the intention of him that vseth them and the construction of them that heare them The mysticall sense opposite hereunto is that which is not primarily intended by him that speaketh words hauing such mysticall sense All the allegories therefore parables and Aenigmaticall speaches which are vsed in Scripture not being verified either in the intention of the speaker or construction of the hearer in sort as the words properly import but as signifying things resembled by the things they properly import doe literally signifie that which by comparison of such things they make vs vnderstand Here it is not out of place to obserue the difference betweene a proverbe parable allegory and aenigmaticall speech or riddle A proverbe is a sententious saying much in vse and famous for the most part somewhat obscure by metaphoricall wordes expressing something to vs and alluding to something not distinctly expressed Though sometimes any famous and common saying bee named a Proverbe A Parable is when one thing is compared and resembled to another so Christ compared the kingdome of Heauen to leauen to a graine of mustard seede to ten virgins to a net cast into the sea Though sometimes the similitude of a thing and not any such speach wherein comparison is made betweene one thing and another is named a Parable Abraham recepit filium suum in parabola that is Abraham receiued his son from such an estate as was most like to the state of the dead An allegorie is when he that speaketh intendeth to signifie and insinuate some other thing than his words in their primary vse and signification doe import Behold saith Christ the sower went out to sow c. A Riddle or Aenigmaticall speach is an obscure allegorie The trees went forth to anoint them a King and againe Out of the eater came meate out of the strong came sweetnesse The Scripture is full of these Allegories Parables Proverbiall and Aenigmaticall speaches GOD in teaching vs taking that course he knoweth fittest for vs and making vs vnderstand things heauenly and invisible by those that are earthly and visible And as God doth thus speake vnto vs in parables Allegories and Riddles so did he shew the Prophets of old in dreames and visions the things that are heauenly by those that are earthly and the things that are invisible by those that are visible as in the Revelation Saint Iohn saw seuen golden Candlesticks and one like the Sonne of man walking in the middest of them There is none of these Aenigmaticall Allegoricall or Parabolicall speaches nor none of these visions but either by some things knowne to them to whom they were proposed or by speciall explication added to them or per novi facti exhibitionem by seeming the thing performed that was so obscurely shadowed onely may bee vnderstood From these without these helpes of vnderstanding wee can conclude nothing that is doubtfull An example of vnderstanding Aenigmaticall and hard speaches by force of some things knowne vnto vs giuing light vnto them is the riddle of Samson Out of the eater came meate c. which sny one knowing that out of a Lyon hee had taken hony would vnderstand but another could not By explication added as the mysterie of the seuen starres and seuen golden Candlestickes is expounded to Iohn that saw the vision of them By evidence of the thing exhibited and performed Destroy this Temple sayth Christ and in three dayes I will build it and raise it vp againe The disciples after they saw him
pollution of originall sin and if perhaps any did sometimes vse any forme or rite it was rather a matter of priuate voluntary deuotion than of necessitie For whereas parents stand bound by the generall law of God and nature with all thankefull acknowledgment to receiue their children as a great and speciall benefit from God this their faith pietie and thankefullnesse joyned with desire of and prayer for their Good prosperous and happy estate was accepted and found fauour with God on the behalfe of their children Whereupon Gregory pronounceth that the faith of the parents was of the same force with them of the old time that the Baptisme of water is with vs. And whereas Augustine sayth it is not likely that the people of God before the institution of Circumcision had noe Sacrament wherewith to present their children to GOD though the Scripture haue not expressed it it is not to bee vnderstood sayth Andradius of any outward ceremonies necessary for the sanctification of those Infants but of any rite offering them to GOD whether mentall onely or outwardly object to the eye and sense That which Andradius addeth that it could not be knowne but by tradition onely that the faith of the parents was in stead of circumcision before circumcision was instituted and after the institution of it to them that might not lawfully or could not possibly be circumcised is frivolous for men knew it concluded it out of the generall and common rules of reason and equity Touching the state of the people of God since the comming of Christ our adversaries make no doubt but they can easily proue that the writings which the Church that now is hath are defectiue and imperfect This they endeauour to proue First because the Scriptures of the New Testament were written vpon particular occasions offered and not of purpose to containe a perfect rule of faith Secondly because they were written by the Apostles and other Apostolique men out of their owne motions and not by commandement from Christ the Sonne of GOD. But vnto both these Arguments alleadged by our Adversaries we answere that they containe matter of very grosse errour For first who seeth not plainly that the Evangelistes writing the historie of Christs life and death Saint Luke in the booke of the Acts of the Apostles describing the comming of the Holy Ghost the admirable gifts of grace powred vpon the Apostles and the Churches established and ordered by them and the blessed Apostle Saint Iohn writing the Revelations which hee saw concerning the future state of things to the end of the world meant to deliuer a perfect summe of Christian doctrine and direction of Christian faith It is true indeed that the Epistles of the Apostles directed to the Christian Churches that then were were occasionally written yet so as by the providence of God all such things as the Church beleeueth not being found in the other parts of Scripture purposely writtē are most clearely at large deliuered in these Epistles Secondly touching the other part of their Argument which they bring to convince the Scripture of imperfection because they that wrote it had no commaundement to write wee thinke it needeth no refutation for the absurditie of it is evident and cleare of it selfe For who knoweth not that the Scriptures are not of any priuate motion but that the holy men of God were moued impelled and carried by the spirit of truth to the performance of this worke doing nothing without the instinct of the Spirit which was vnto them a Commandement The imperfection defect supposed to be foundin the Scripture our adversaries endeavour to supply by addition of traditions The name of Tradition sometimes signifieth euery Christian doctrine deliuered frō one to another either by liuely voyce only or by writing as Exod. 17. Scribe hoc ob monumentum in libro trade in auribus Iosuae Write this for a remembrance in a Booke and deliuer it in the eares of Iosuah Act. 6. 14. The written Law of Moses is called a Tradition Audivimus eum dicentem quoniam Iesus destruet locum istum mutabit traditiones quas tradidit nobis Moses We heard him say that Iesus shall destroy this place and change the traditions which Moses deliuered vnto vs. Sometimes the name of tradition signifieth that which is deliuered by liuely voyce onely and not written That which I receiued of the Lord saith the Apostle that I deliuered vnto you In this question by tradition we vnderstand such parts of Christian doctrine or discipline as were not written by them by whom they were first deliuered For thus our Adversaries vnderstand Traditions which they diuide into divers kindes First in respect of the Authors so making them of three sorts Divine Apostolicall Ecclesiasticall Secondly in respect of the matter they concerne in which respect they make them to be of tvvo sorts for either they cōcerne matters of faith or matters of manners and these latter againe either temporall or perpetuall vniuersall or particular All these in their seuerall kindes they make equall with the wordes precepts and doctrines of Christ the Apostles Pastors of the Church left vnto vs in writing Neither is there any reason why they should not so doe if they could proue any such vnwritten verities For it is not the writing that giueth things their authoritie but the worth credite of him that deliuereth them though but by word and liuely voyce onely The only doubt is whether there be any such vnwritten traditions or not Much contention there hath beene about Traditions some vrging the necessity of them and other rejecting them For the clearing whereof we must obserue that though we reiect the vncertaine and vaine traditions of the Papists yet wee reiect not all For first wee receiue the number and names of the authors of bookes Diuine Canonicall as deliuered by tradition This tradition we admitte for that though the bookes of Scripture haue not their authority from the Approbation of the Church but winne credite of themselues and yeeld sufficient satisfaction to all men of their Diuine truth whence wee judge the Church that receiueth them to bee led by the spirit of God yet the number Authors and integrity of the parts of these bookes wee receiue as deliuered by tradition The second kinde of tradition which wee admitte is that summarie comprehension of the cheefe heads of Christian doctrine contayned in the Creed of the Apostles which was deliuered to the Church as a rule of her faith For though euery part thereof be contayned in the Scripture yet the orderly connexion distinct explication of these principall articles gathered into an Epitome wherein are implyed and whence are inferred all conclusions theologicall is rightly named a tradition The 3d is that forme of Christian doctrine and explication of the seuerall parts thereof which the first Christians receiuing of the same Apostles that deliuered to them the Scriptures commended
to posterities This may rightly be named a tradition not as if we were to beleeue any thing without the warrant and authority of the Scripture but for that wee neede a plaine and distinct explication of many things which are somewhat obscurely contayned in the Scripture which being explicated the Scriptures which otherwise we should not so easily haue vnderstood yeeld vs satisfaction that they are so indeede as the Church deliuereth them vnto vs. The fourth kind of tradition is the continued practise of such things as neither are contayned in the Scripture expressely nor the examples of such practise expressely there deliuered though the grounds reasons and causes of the necessity of such practise be there contayned and the benefit or good that followeth of it Of this sort is the Baptisme of Infantes which is therefore named a tradition because it is not expressely deliuered in Scripture That the Apostles did baptize infants nor any expresse precept there found that they should so doe Yet is not this so receiued by bare and naked tradition but that wee find the Scripture to deliuer vnto vs the grounds of it The fift kind of traditions comprehendeth such observations as in particular are not commanded in Scripture nor the necessity of them from thence concluded though in generall without limitation of times and other circumstances such things be there commanded Of this sort many thinke the observation of the lent fast to be the fast of the fourth and the sixt dayes of the weeke and some other That the Apostles deliuered by liuely voyce many obseruations dispensable and alterable according to the circumstances of times and persons we make no question Onely this we say that they are confounded with Ecclesiasticall traditions so that which they are doth hardly appeare and that they doe not necessarily binde posterities The custome of standing at prayer on the Lords day and betweene Easter and Whitsontinde was generally receiued as deliuered by Apostolique tradition and when some beganne to breake it is was confirmed by the Councell of Nice yet is it not thought necessary to be obserued in our time Out of this which hath beene sayd wee may easily resolue what is to bee thought touching traditions For first the Canon of scripture being admitted as deliuered by Tradition though the diuine truth of it be in it selfe cleare and euident vnto vs not depending of the Churches authority there is noe matter of faith deliuered by bare and onely tradition as the Romanists seeme to Imagine Yea this is so cleare that therein they contrary themselues indeauouring to proue by scripture the same things they pretend to hold by tradition as wee shall finde if wee run through the things questioned betweene them and vs. The onely cleare instance they seeme to giue is touching the perpetuall virginity of Mary which they say cannot be proued by scripture and yet is necessary to be beleeued But they should know that this is no point of Christian faith That shee was a Virgin before in and after the birth of Christ wee are bound to beleeue as an article of our faith and so much is deliuered in scripture and in the Apostles Creede but that shee continued so euer after is a seemely truth deliuered vnto vs by the Church of God fitting the sanctity of the blessed Virgin and the honour due to soe sanctified a vessell of Christs incarnation as her body was and soe is de pietate but not de necessitate fidei as the Schoole-men vse to speake Neither was Heluidius condemned of Heresie for the deniall hereof but because pertinaciously hee vrged the deniall of it vpon misconstruction of scripture as if the deniall of it had beene a matter of faith Touching this Allegation of our Aduersaries concerning Maries perpetuall Virginity wee must know that howsoeuer they pretend to hold it onely by tradition yet the Fathers that defend it against Heluidius endeauour to proue it by the Scripture Their instance of Childrens Baptisme is most apparantly against themselues for they confesse it may be proued by scripture Bellarmine proueth it by three reasons taken from the scripture The first is from the proportion betweene Baptisme and Circumcision the Circumcision of Children then and the Baptisme of them now This argument he saith as they propose it cannot be auoyded The second from these two places Iohn 3. Except a man be borne a new of water and of the spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of Heauen And that other Suffer little children to come vnto mee for vnto such belongeth the Kingdome of Heauen This Argument he sayth is strong effectuall and pregnant to proue the necessity of the Baptisme of Infants The third is taken from the Baptizing of whole families by the Apostles in which by all likelihood there were infants Surely in this point of traditions our aduersaries bewray their great folly inconstancie making it euident to the whole world they know not what they say Bellarmine sayth that many things touching the matter and forme of sacraments are holden by tradition as not being contained in scripture and yet in the particulars there is nothing defined in the Church of Rome touching these things which he indeauoureth not to proue by scripture Some alleage for proofe of tradition the consubstantiality of the sonne of God with the Father and the proceeding of the holy Ghost from them both Others constantly affirme that these things are proued by scripture Some of them say Pugatory is holden by tradition others thinke it may bee proued by scripture g Melchior Canus endeauouring to proue the necessity of traditions produceth sundry things as not written as inuocation of Saints worshipping of images the Priests consecrating and partaking in both parts of the sacrament That ordination and confirmation are to bee conferred and giuen but onely once which when hee hath alleaged hee dareth not say the scripture doth not deliuer them for feare of gainesaying the truth in some of them and his owne fellowes in other And therefore hee sayth These things perhaps the scripture hath not deliuered For Bellarmine thinketh the Scripture doeth strongly proue the Invocation and worship of Saints and Angels and who is so impudent to deny that the Ministers of the Church are bound by the commaundement of Christ contayned in the Scripture to consecrate and participate in both parts of the Sacrament That confirmation and ordination once conferred are not to be reiterated may be concluded out of the nature of them described vnto vs in the Scripture So that for matters of faith wee may conclude according to the judgement of the best and most learned of our adversaries themselues that there is nothing to be beleeued which is not either expressely contayned in Scripture or at least by necessary consequence from thence and other things evident in the light of nature or in the matter of fact to bee concluded That there were many speeches and diuine sayings of our
of God beene long abused and the Church in greevous errour And elswhere againe he sayth the Church hath not certainely resolued that it is Canonicall and that it yeeldeth no certaine cleare and indubitate proofe in matters of faith Driedo denyeth it to be canonicall saith Cyprian Ambrose and others of the Fathers cited the Booke of Baruch as also the third and fourth of Esdras not as Canonicall but as containing matter of good instruction not contrary but consonant to the faith The additions of the booke of Hester Sixtus absolutely rejecteth as vaine and foolish contrary to the judgements of the Papists yet admitteth the additions to Daniel These also Driedo rejecteth notwithstanding the decree of the Tridentine Councell as the author of the booke De mirabilibus Scripturae did long before calling the story of Bell and the Dragon a fable Melchior Canus professeth he dareth not pronounce it hereticall to deny any or all of the controversed bookes of the Old Testament and yet confidently pronounceth it hereticall to deny any of the bookes of the New Testament which were sometimes doubted of so that it seemeth a man may dissent from a generall Councell and not be an Hereticke and that the Councell of Trent proceeded not vpon so good grounds of reason in approouing the one as the other contrary to their judgment who say we may as well doubt of the Bookes of the New Testament whereof some doubted in former times as of these of the Olde But it is easie to shew their errour who so thinke and to confirme the opinion of Canus that there is not so great reason why we should doubt of the one as the other For first the Bookes of the New Testament were neuer doubted of but by some few in comparison of them that receiued and approued them the most and most renowned for piety learning and right judgement euer receiuing them For to begin with those of which there hath beene most doubt The Epistle to the Hebrewes and the booke of the Revelation of S Iohn Hierome witnesseth that they neuer wanted the approbation of the worthiest and greatest parts of Gods Church Illud sayth he nostris dicendum est hanc epistolam quae inscribitur ad Hebraeos non solum ab Ecclesiis Orientis sed ab omnibus retrò Ecclesiasticis scriptoribus quasi Pauli Epistolam suscipi licèt eam plerique vel Barnabae vel Clementis arbitrentur esse c. Let our men know that the Epistle to the Hebrewes is not onely receiued and approued by all the Churches of the East that now presently are but by all Ecclesiasticall writers of the Greeke Churches that haue beene heretofore as the Epistle of Paul though many thinke it rather to haue beene written by Barnabas or Clemens and that it skilleth not who wrote it seeing it was written by an Authour approued in the Church ofGod and is dayly read in the same If the custome of the Latines receiue it not among the Canonicall Scriptures no more doe the Greeke Churches admit the Revelation of Saint Iohn and yet we following the authority of the Auncient receiue them both Secondly the Churches of the Gentiles to which the Bookes of the New Testament were deliuered were in parts of the world farre remote one from another and did not immediatly all of them receiue all the parts of these diuine bookes from the Authors of them but from those particular Churches to which they were specially directed or in the middest whereof the writers of them remained at the time of the writing of them And therefore it is not to bee marvailed at if being deliuered and transmitted from one to another some receiued them sooner and some later But the Bookes of the Olde Testament were deliuered to one nationall Church only and yet these now controversed were neuer receiued by it Thirdly these Bookes of the New Testament whereof some informer times did doubt were written in the Apostles times whom GOD honoured with the first immediate and vndoubted revelation of Divine trueth these after the succession of the Prophets were ceased Fourthly the bookes of the Olde Testament now controversed were not written in the Hebrew but in Greeke by such of the Iewes as were of the dispersion and therefore neuer receiued by the Hebrewes nor counted amongst the sacred Bookes of the Canon which they diuided into the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes to which Christ giueth testimony in the Gospell Lastly the reason mouing some to doubt of the bookes of the new Testament was the vncertainty of the names of the authors or something mistaken misconstrued or not understood in the bookes which in time was cleared and they afterward generally receiued But the Apochryphall bookes of the old Testament were rejected as being written when there was no more vndoubted succession of Prophets by the whole Church of the Hebrewes and euer after by the best and worthiest guides of the Christian Churches That the bookes of the newe Testament called in question by some were doubted of vpon such weake reasons as hath beene sayd will easily appeare The Epistle to the Hebrewes was therefore doubted of by some because the difference and diuersity of the style made them thinke it not to be Pauls whose name it carried and by others because the author of it seemed to them to fauour the errour of the Nouatians in denying the reconciliation of such as fall after baptisme The second Epistle of Peter some doubted of because of the diuersity of the style which Hierome rejecteth The Epistle of Iames because of the vncertainty of the author it being doubtfull which Iames was the author of it The Epistle of Iude because the author of it alleageth the authoritie of an Apochryphall booke of Enoch as they imagined The second and third of Iohn because they are sayd to haue beene written by Iohn the elder some denyed to bee the Epistles of Iohn the Apostle ascribing them to another Iohn The Reuelation was doubted of first because of the doubtfullnesse of the Title of Iohn the Diuine secondly because of the difficultie and obscuritie of the words of this Prophecie or Reuelation and lastly because the author of this booke seemeth to fauour the heresie of the Millenaries But the Latine Church receiued this booke as Canonicall as also the best and most learned of the Greekes as Dionysius Alexandrinus though hee deny it to haue beene written by Iohn the Euangelist Epiphanius condemneth the Alogi as heretickes because they denie the Gospell and Reuelation of Saint Iohn Tertullian reckoneth it among the errours of Cerdon that hee rejected the bookes of the Actes and the Reuelation and writing against Marcion hee sheweth that hee also did denie the same booke Irenaeus sayth this Reuelation was manifested vnto Iohn and seene of him but a little before his time Iustinus Martyr doth attribute this booke to Iohn and doth account it a
so long as sinne remaineth the guilt of punishment remaineth he must be euerlastingly punished if he suffer the punishment due to his euerlasting sinne and consequently that he cannot so suffer the punishments due to his actuall sinnes as hauing satisfied the vvrath and justice of God to free himselfe from the same If it be said that by grace he may cease from sinning and so suffer the punishment due to sin so ceasing and not eternall it vvill be replyed that God giueth not his grace to any till his justice be first satisfied and a reconciliation procured for hee giueth it to his friends not to his enemies Touching the second thing that vvas to be done for mans deliuerance vvhich vvas the making vp of the breach made vpon the nature of man the freeing him from the impuritie of inherent sinne that so the punishment due to sinne past being felt and suffered he might be reconciled to God it could not bee performed by any meere creature vvhatsoeuer For as all fell in Adam the roote and beginning of naturall being vvho receiued the treasures of righteousnesse and holinesse for himselfe and those that by propagation vvere to come of him so their restauration could not bee vvrought but by him that should be the roote fountaine and beginning of supernaturall and spirituall being in whom the whole nature of mankind should be found in a more eminent sort then it was in Adam as indeed it was in the second Adam of whose fulnesse we all receiue grace for grace And this surely was the reason why it was no injustice in God to lay vpon him the punishments due to our sinnes and why his sufferings doe free vs from the same It is no way just that one man hauing no speciall communion with another should suffer punishment for another mans fault but the whole nature of man being found in him in a more eminent sort then either in Adam or any one of them that came of him he hauing vndertaken to free deliuer it it was just right he should feele the miseries it was subiect vnto that being felt and sustained by him in such sort as was sufficient to satisfie diuine justice they should not be imposed or laid on vs. Hereupon some haue said that Christ was made sin not by acting or cōtracting sin for so to say were horrible blasphemy but by taking on him the guilt of all mens sinnes which yet is wisely to be vnderstood lest we run into errour For whereas the guilt of sin implieth two things a worthines to be punished a destination vnto punishment the former implieth demerite naturall or personall in him that is so worthy to bee punished this could not be in Christ the other which is obligatio ad poenam a being subject vnto punishment may grow from some cōmunion with him or them that are worthy to be punished And in this sense some say Christ took the guilt of our sins not by acting or contracting sin but by communion with sinners though not in sin yet in that nature which in them is sinfull guilty as those good men that are parts of a sinfull City are justly subject to the punishments due to that City not in that they haue fellowship with it in euill but in that they are parts of it being euill as the son of a traitor is justly subject to the grievous punishment of forfeiting the inheritance that should haue descended vpon him from his father though hee no way concurred with him in his treason in respect of his nearenesse cōmunion with him of whom he is as it were a part Wherupon all Divines resolue that men altogether innocent yet liuing as parts of the societies of wicked men are justly subiect to those temporal punishments those societies are worthy of that the reason why one man cannot bee subject to those spirituall punishments which others deserue is for that in respect of the spirit inward man they haue no such derivation frō dependance on or cōmuniō with others as in respect of the outward man they haue Wherefore to conclude this point we may safely resolue that no other could satisfie diuine justice and suffer the punishments due to sinne in such sort as to free vs from the same but Christ the Sonne of God in whom our nature by personall vnion was found in an excellent sort and that it was right and just that hauing taken our nature vpon him vndertaken to free and deliuer the same hee should suffer endure whatsoeuer punishments it was subject vnto For the illustration of this point the learned obserue that when God created Adam he gaue him all excellent precious vertues as Truth to instruct him Iustice to direct him Mercy to preserue him and Peace to delight him with all pleasing correspondence but that when he fell away forgate all the good which God had done for him these vertues left their lower dwellings and speedily returned backe to him that gaue them making report what was fallen out on earth and earnestly mouing the Almighty concerning this his wretched and forlorne creature yet in very different sort and maner For Iustice pleaded for the condemnation of sinfull man and called for the punishment hee had worthily deserued and Truth required the performance of that which God had threatned but Mercy intreated for miserable man made out of the dust of the earth seduced by Satan and beguiled with the shewes of seeming good Peace no lesse carefully sought to pacifie the wrath of the displeased God and to reconcile the Creature to the Creator When God had heard the contrary pleas and desires of these most excellent Orators and there was no other meanes to giue them all satisfaction it was resolued on in the high Councell of the blessed Trinity that one of those sacred Persons should become man that by taking to him the nature of man he might partake in his miseries and be subject to his punishments and by conjoyning his diuine nature and perfection with the same might fill it with all grace and heavenly excellencie Thus were the desires of these so contrary Petitioners satisfied for man was punished as Gods Iustice vrged that was performed which God had threatned as Truth required the offender was pittied as Mercy intreated and God man reconciled as Peace desired and so was fulfilled that of the Psalmist Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousnesse and Peace haue kissed each other Wherefore now let vs proceede to see which of the Persons of the blessed Trinity was thought fittest to be sent into the world to performe this worke Not the Father for being of none he could not be sent Not the holy Ghost for though he proceede yet he is not the first proceeding Person and therefore whereas a double mission was necessary the one to reconcile the other to giue gifts to reconciled friends the first proceeding Person was fittest for the first
but that his meaning was to meete certaine abuses whereby the Churches of his Kingdome had beene greeued impouerished and oppressed all discipline of men liuing retyred and in cloysters vtterly ouerthrowne Lastly that God hauing exalted his Church by meanes of the Empire in the head citty of the world it should not be by any meanes that the Church in the head citty of the world should ouerthrow the state of the Empire that the matter began with painting that it proceeded from painting to writing that the writing now begins to be vrged as good authority but that he wil not suffer it nor indure it so to be being resolued first to loose his crowne before hee giue any consent to the abasing of the crowne of the Empire in such sort and therefore requireth the paintings to be raced out and the writings to be recalled that such monuments of enmity between the Kingdome the Priest-hood may not remaine hereupon they beseech the Pope by new letters to mollifie that which was too hard and to sweeten that which was too sowre in the former This so wise iust and reasonable an answer of the Germaine Bishops preuailed so farre with the Pope that he sent other Legates of a milder spirit better temper to the Emperour with new letters wherein he sought to qualifie whatsoeuer was offensiue in the former for touching that he wrote of the benefit the Emperour had receiued of him which so highly displeased the Emperor supposing that he meant that hee had receiued the Imperiall crowne as a meere fauor or good turne from him hee answered that howsoeuer the word Benefit be taken in another sence sometimes yet hee vsed it in that signification which it hath by Originall institution and first imposition So that the word Benefit being compounded of two simple words bene and factum signifieth a good fact or a thing well done and in this sence his setting of the crowne vpon the Emperors head might be called a benefit not as being a meere fauour or good turne but for that it was well and honourably done of him to set the Ensigne of Imperiall maiesty and power vpon the head of him to whom such power pertained and so were things at that time pacified by the good indeauor of the Cardinals and by this mild letter of the Pope But afterwards they brake out againe Whereupon the Pope wrote in this sort to the Emperor Adrian the Bishop seruant of the seruants of God to Fredericke the Romane Emperor greeting and Apostolical blessing The diuine law as it promiseth long life to them that honour their parents so doth it pronounce the sentence of death against them that curse father or mother For wee are taught by the voyce of truth that whosoeuer exalteth himselfe shall be brought low Wherefore sonne beloued in the Lord wee do not a little maruaile that you seeme not to giue so much reuerence to blessed Peter and to the holy Church of Rome as you ought to do For in your letters written to vs you put your name before ours Wherein you incurre the note of insolency that I say not arrogācy What shall I say of the fealty you promised and sware to blessed Peter how doe you obserue it when you require of them who are Gods and the sonnes of the most High to wit Bishops the doing of homage vnto you and exact fealty of them inclosing their sacred hands in your hands and manifestly opposing your selfe against vs shut not onely the doores of the Churches but the gates of the Cities of your kingdome also against our Cardinals sent as Legates vnto you from our owne side Repent repent therefore we advise thee of vs thou receiuedst thy consecration and therefore take heed lest affecting things denyed vnto thee thou lose that which is yeelded to thee To this letter of the Pope the worthy Emperour answered in this sort Fredericke by the grace of God Emperour of Romans to Adrian Bishop of the Catholick Church wishing vnto him a firme adhering and cleauing to all those things which Iesus began to do speak The law of Iustice giueth to euery one that which is his own Neither do wee offend in this behalfe for we derogate nothing frō our parents but giue vnto them in this our Imperiall state all due honour to wit to those our Noble progenitors frō whom we receiued the dignity of our kingdome and our Crowne and not frō the Pope Had Sylvester Bishop of Rome any thing pertaining to Royall state and dignity in the time of Constantine was not liberty restored to the Church and peace by his meanes And hath not your Popedome receiued all such royall dignities as it now enjoyeth from Princes And why then is it so much disliked that when wee write vnto the Bishop of Rome by ancient right and after the old manner we put our name before his and according vnto the rule of Iustice permit him writing vnto vs to doe the like Turne ouer the Histories and Monuments of Antiquity and if you haue not yet obserued it you shall there finde that which we avouch and why should wee not require homage and the performance of other duties due from subiects to Princes of them who are Gods by adoption and yet thinke it no disparagement to hold things pertaining to our Royall state especially seeing hee who was authour and beginner both of your dignity and ours who neuer receiued any thing of any mortall King but gaue all good things vnto all paide tribute vnto Caesar for himselfe and Peter and gaue you an example to doe the like either therefore let them put frō them the things they hold of vs or if they thinke it behoouefull to retaine and keepe them still let them yeeld vnto GOD the things that are GODS and to Caesar the things that are Caesars The doores of our Churches and the gates of our Cities are shut against your Cardinals because wee finde them not to bee Preachers but men desirous of a prey not Confirmers of peace but polling companions to get money not such as come to repaire the breaches of the world but greedily and insatiably to gather golde But whensoeuer wee shall see them such as the Church requireth them to bee men bringing peace enlightning their Country assisting the cause of those of meane degree in equity and right they shall want nothing that is necessary for them To conclude When you thus contend about things little pertaining to Religion and striue with secular persons about titles of honour you seeme to haue forgotten that humilitie which is the keeper of all vertues and that meeknesse that should bee in you Let your Father-hood therefore take heede lest while you moue questions about things vnworthy to be stood vpon you scandalize them who with attentiue eare listen to the wordes of your mouth wait for your speaches as for the latter raine Wee are forced thus to write vnto you because wee see the
not onely a condition but a cause of that perswasion of fayth which they haue yea the authority of the Church is the formall cause of all that faith seduced Papists haue And therefore the distinction of a cause and condition helpeth them not It is true indeed that the Ministerie of the Church proposing to men thinges to bee beleeued is onely a condition requisite to the producing of a supernaturall act of fayth in respect of them that haue some other thing to perswade them that that is true which the Church proposeth besides the authority of the Church but in respect of such as haue no other proofe of the trueth thereof it is a formall cause Now this is the condition of all Papists For let them tell Mee whether they beleeue the Scripture to be the Word of God without any motiue at all or not and if they doe not as it is most certaine they doe not whether besides such as are humane they haue any other then the authority of the Church if they haue not as doubtlesse they haue not they make the authority of the Church the formall cause of their faith and fall into that sophisticall circulation they are charged with For they beleeue the articles of religion because reuealed and that they were reuealed because it is so contayned in the Scripture and the Scripture because it is the Word of God that it is the Word of God because the Church telleth them it is and the Church because it is guided by the spirit and that it is so guided because it is so contayned in the Scripture this is such a maze as no wise man will willingly enter into and yet the Treatiser commendeth the treading of these intricate pathes and telleth vs that two causes may bee causes one of another That the cause may bee proued by the effect and the effect by the cause and that such a kinde of argumentation is not a circulation but a demonstratiue regresse that two causes may be causes either of other in diuerse respects we make no question For the end of each thing as it is desired setteth the efficient cause a worke and the efficient causeth the same to bee actually enjoyed Likewise we doubt not but that the cause may be proued by the effect and the effect by the cause in a demonstratiue regresse For the effect as better known vnto vs then the cause may make vs know the cause and the cause being found out by vs may make vs more perfitly and in a better sort to knowe the effect then before not onely that and what it is but why it is also So the death of little infants proueth them sinners and their being sinners proueth them mortall The bignesse of the footstep in the dust or sand sheweth the bignesse of his foote that made that impression And the bignesse of his foote will shew how bigge the impression is that he maketh but this maketh nothing for the justifying of the Romish circulations For heere the effect being knowne in a sort in itselfe maketh vs know the cause and the cause being found out and knowne maketh vs more perfectly to knowe the effect then at first wee did but the case is otherwise with the Papists for with them the Scripture which in it selfe hath no credit with them but such onely as it is to receiue from the Church giueth the Church credit and the Church which hath no credit but such as it is to receiue from the Scripture giueth the Scripture credit by her testimony And they endeauour to proue the infallibility of the Churches judgment out of the Scripture and the trueth of the Scripture out of the determination and judgement of the Church Much like as if when question is made touching the quality condition of two men vtterly vnknowne a man to commend them to such as doubt of them should bring no other testimony of their good and honest disposition but the testimony of each of them of the other It is true then which I haue said that to a man admitting the Old Testament and doubting of the New a man may vrge the authority of the Old and to a man doubting of the Old and admitting the New the authority of the New but to him that doubteth of both a man must alledge neither of them but must bring some other authority or proofe so likewise to him that admitteth the Scripture and doubteth of the Church a man may vrge the authority of the Scripture but to him that doubteth of both as all doe when they begin to beleeue a man must alledge some other proofe or else hee shall cause him to runne round in a Circle for euer and neuer to finde any way out Wherefore to conclude this poynt let our Aduersaries know that wee admitte and require humane motiues and inducements and amongst them a good opinion of them that teach vs as preparing fitting vs to fayth Secondly that wee require a supernaturall ayde light and habit for the producing of an act of faith Thirdly that we require some diuine motiue inducement Fourthly that this cannot be the authority of the Church seeing the authority of the Church is one of the things wee are to bee induced to beleeue Fiftly that wee require the ministery of the Church as a propounder of all heauenly trueth though her authority can be no proofe in generall of all such truth Sixtly that the Church though not as it includeth onely the beleeuers that are in the world at one time yet as it comprehendeth all that are or haue beene is an infallible propounder of heauenly truth and so acknowledged to bee by such as are assured of the trueth of the doctrine of Christianity in generall Seauenthly that the authority of this Church is a sufficient proofe of the trueth of particular things proposed by her to such as already are by other diuine motiues assured of her infallibility §. 7. FRom the authority of the Scripture which he would faine make to bee wholy dependant on the Church the Treatiser passeth to the fulnesse and sufficiency of it seeking amongst other his discourses to weaken those proofes which are brought by Mee for confirmation thereof Affirming that though I make shew as if it were a plaine matter that the Euangelists in their Gospels Saint Luke in the Actes of the Apostles and Saint Iohn in the Apocalyps meant to deliuer a perfect summe of Christian doctrine and direction of faith yet I bring no reason of any moment to proue it Whereas yet in the place cited by him I haue these wordes contayning in them as I suppose a strong proofe of the thing questioned Who seeth not that the Evangelists writing the history of CHRISTS life and death St Luke in the booke of the Acts of the Apostles describing the comming of the Holy Ghost the admirable gifts and graces powred vpon the Apostles and the churches founded and ordered by them and Saint Iohn writing the Revelations
example of it in Scripture yet I affirme that it is no vnwritten tradition in that the grounds reasons and causes of the necessity of it are there contained the benefites that follow it Neither doth the place alledged by him out of Augustine proue the contrary the words of Augustine as commonly we reade them are these the custome of the Church in baptizing infants which is not to be despised or lightly regarded were not to be beleeued were it not an Apostolique tradition But whosoeuer shall consider the place will soone perceiue that Augustines meaning is that the custome of the Church in baptizing Infants which he saith is not to be despised or lightly regarded is to be beleeued to be no other but an Apostolical tradition not that it were not to be beleeued if it were not an Apostolicall tradition howsoeuer as it seemeth esset in stead of esse is crept into the text For it is something harsh to say the custome of the Church in baptizing infants is not to be beleeued vnlesse it were an Apostolicall Tradition Seeing such a custome might be beleeued though it were not an Apostolicall Tradition And besides the drift of Augustine in that place is to vrge the necessitie of this custome and to haue it beleeued to be Apostolicall and not to weaken it as if it had no support but bare tradition which can neither stand with the opinion of Augustine the truth of the thing it selfe nor the iudgement and resolution of our Adversaries themselues who thinke that the Baptisme of Infants may be proued vnanswerably out of Scripture in that CHRIST saith the Kingdome of Heauen belongeth to litle children and yet pronounceth that except a man bee borne a new of water of the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Wherein yet they contradict themselues as they doe likewise in some other things which they produce as instances of vnwritten traditions and yet goe about to proue them by Scripture Neither will the Treatisers evasion serue the turne that they goe not about to proue any thing necessarily out of Scripture that they pretend to be holden by vnwritten tradition but probably only for we know they bring Paedobaptisme as an instance of vnwritten traditions and yet say it may bee vnavoydably proued out of Scripture as they propose the testimonies of it The like may be said of the consubstantiality of the Sonne of God with the Father and the proceeding of the Holy Ghost from them both brought by them as instances of vnwritten verities and yet prooued as strongly by them out of Scripture as any other point of Faith For if they shall say an Heretique will not yeeld himselfe convinced by such proofes it will bee answered that no more he will by any other in any other point nor by the tradition of the Church neither which yet I suppose they will not make to be a weake proofe in that respect §. 9. THe next exception taken against Me is that I haue not well said that a man may still doubt and refuse to beleeue a thing defined in a Generall Councell without Hereticall pertinacie and that Generall Councels may erre in matters of greatest consequence What I haue written I will make good against the Treatiser For it is not so strange a thing as he would make vs beleeue to thinke that Generall Councels may erre that a man may doubt of things defined in thē without heretical pertinacie seeing not onely our Diuines generally so thinke but sundry of the best learned in the Romane Church informer times were of the same opinion as I haue else-where shewed at large Neither were it hard to answere the authorities hee bringeth to prooue that Generall Councels cannot erre if a man would insist vpon the particular examination of them But this may suffice in a generalitie that the Fathers produced by him blame and condemne in particular the calling of things in question that had beene determined in the Councell of Nice and some other of that sort and not generallie the doubting of any thing determined in any Councell how disorderly soeuer it proceeded In the second Councell of Ephesus there wanted not a sufficient number of worthy Bishops yet because hee that tooke on him the Presidentship vsed not accustomed moderation neither permitted each man freely to deliuer his opinion it was not accepted nor the Decrees of it receiued From the not erring of Councels the Treatiser passeth to the question concerning the Churches authority in making new Articles of faith and seeketh to cleare the Romane Church from the imputation of challēging any such authority by my confession my words alleadged by him to this purpose are these Our aduersaries confesse that the approbation and determination of the Church cannot make that a truth which was not nor that a Diuine or Catholique truth that was not so before But the good man hath vsed this poore sentence of mine as Hanun vsed the messengers of Dauid whose garments he cut off in the middle a wrong afterwards seuerely and yet most iustly reuenged by Dauid For it followeth in the same sentence that Papists do thinke that the Church by her sole and bare determination may make that veritie to be in such sort Catholique that euery one must expressely beleeue it that was not soe and in such degree Catholique before Whereby it appeareth that they attribute a power to the Church in a sort to make new Articles of faith in that shee may make things formerly beleeued onely implicite to bee necessary to bee expressely beleeued not by euidence of proofe or apparant deduction from thinges expressely beleeued but by her bare and sole authority which not onely wee but sundry right learned godly and wise in the middest of the Church of Rome euer denied Wherefore let vs passe from this imagined aduantage to consider the rest of his exceptions §. 10. IN my third booke and first Chapter speaking of the Patriarche of Constantinople I haue these words In the second generall Councell holden at Constantinople he was preferred before the other Patriarches of Alexandria and Antioch and set in degree of honour next vnto the Bishoppe of Rome in the great Councell of Chalcedon hee was made equall with him and to haue all equall rights priuiledges and prerogatiues because hee was Bishoppe of new Rome as the other was of old Hereupon the Treatiser breaketh out into these wordes I cannot doe otherwise but maruaile that a man of his place and learning doth not blush to committe such a notorious vntrueth to the Print and view of the world For not to speake of the falshood of the first part of his affirmation because it is in some sort impertinent that which hee saith of the Councell of Chalcedon is most vntrue repugnant to all antiquity and not onely contrary to all proceedings and the history of the sayd Councell but also to the wordes of the Canon by him alleaged
it Thirdly whatsoeuer the most famous in euery age haue constantly delivered as matter of faith receiued from them that went before them in such sort that the gain-sayers were in their beginnings noted for singularity nouelty and diuision and in processe of time if they persisted in such contradiction charged with heresie which is as much as any Papist doth say And then insteed of shewing that I attribute not soe much to the Fathers as I should do or as Papists doe hee turneth himselfe to shew that such consent of Fathers as I speake of is no sure direction for the finding out of the trueth Soe ouer-throwing all that which his owne Diuines haue deliuered touching this point But yet that he may seeme to say something to the purpose he goeth about to proue that I bereaue the Fathers almost of all authority First in that I reiect their testimonies touching all other matters but onely certaine principall and substantiall points Secondly in that I require such a generall consent as can hardly be found touching such principall points Thirdly in that I make the whole Church subiect to error For answere vnto these Allegations I say The first is a shamelesse vntruth For I do not limitte or restraine the consent of the Fathers to certaine principall or substantiall points as hee mis-reporteth Mee but make the same to bee a direction in all thinges that may be cleerely deduced from the rule of faith and word of diuine and heauenly trueth answerably to that of Vincentius Lyrinensis that the consent of holy Fathers is with great studie and care to be sought out and followed by vs not in all petite questions that may bee moued concerning the Diuine law but onely or at the least specially in thinges pertaining to the rule of Faith with whom Pererius agreeth To the second I say that I require no other consent of Fathers then Vincentius Lyrinensis doth who will haue vs onely to followe that doctrine of the Fathers as certaine which all with one consent haue holden written and taught that haue written of such thinges Neither doth this worthy Treatiser admitte any other consent then I require for in this same chapter hee hath these wordes They will obiect that euery one of the Fathers was subiect to errour I confesse it but yet God according to his promise as I haue aboue declared was so to direct and gouerne them that they should not all erre This consent of the Fathers wee make to be a Rule of direction but yet not so generally and absolutely as if truth could not at any time be found out without it but so that wee must not neglect the knowledge of it nor goe against it when wee know it Neither is it necessary for the knowledge hereof as the Treatiser obiecteth to read ouer all the Fathers for the constant concurrence of the principall in all ages without noted contradiction doth suffice to assure vs of such consent The third allegation is partly vntrue and partly inconsequent it is vntrue in that hee sayth I thinke all the Pastours of the present Church may erre in matters of greatest momeÌ„t It is incoÌ„sequeÌ„t because though the whole preseÌ„t Church may erre in some things not pertaining to the rule of faith and Generall Councels in matters of greatest consequence yet it followeth not that the Fathers of all times and places may be thought to haue erred seeing this succession of Fathers is of greater authority then the company of Pastors that now are Neither is it consequent that if error may possesse the greatest part or almost all the present Church that it may bee Catholike also and so found euery where and euer The former Vincentius Lyrinensis yeeldeth to bee possible but disclaimeth the latter and therefore prescribeth that if error creepe into one part of the Church wee should looke vnto other that if it endeauour to staine and defile all we should looke vp higher vnto antiquity and that if some haue erred amongst the Auncient we should looke what all not noâ—…d for singularity did teach §. 2. WHerefore let vs proceed to that which followeth in the next place first hee reporteth what I haue written touching the ground of that perswasion which we haue of the trueth of thinges contayned in Scripture and then taketh exceptions to it In the report first he sayth that I make the principall cause of our beleefe of thinges contained in the bookes of holy Scripture to be the habit or light of faith Secondly that besides the habit or light of faith I require reasons or motiues by force whereof the spirit of God may settle the mind of a man in the perswasion of the trueth of things contained in Scripture that might otherwise be doubted of Thirdly that I make this motiue or reason in some things to bee the evidence of the things themselues in the light of grace in other not so evident vnto vs the authority of God himselfe whom we doe most certainely discerne to speake in the word of Faith preached vnto vs. These things I confesse are deliuered by Mee and rightly collected by him out of that which I haue written Yet doth hee wrong some other of the same iudgment with Me touching this point in that he saith vntruly they reject all supernaturall habits so goeth about to make a difference betweene them and Mee in this respect whereas in truth and in deede there is none But what is that the good man doth or can dislike in this my discourse First hee vndertaketh to proue that neither the evidence of the things contained in Scriptures in themselues presupposing the light of grace nor the authoritie of God himselfe discerned to speake can be sufficient motiues whereby the spirit of God may settle vs in the perswasioÌ„ of the truth of such things as are therein coÌ„tained Whereas yet I think if he were asked what the motiues are by force whereof the spirit doth effect this work if these be not he would not easily giue any answer but how doth he demoÌ„strate the insufficiencie of these motiues Surely very weakly insufficiently For first thus he reasoneth against them if these motiues were of sufficiencie euery one enlightned by the light of grace should by vertue of them bee perswaded of the Heauenly Trueth of all such things as are contained in the books of God which is a very bad inference For by the like kinde of reasoning it may bee prooued that the evidence of things in the light of nature is not the motiue or inducement that causeth our perswasion touching such things as are knowne in naturall knowledge because all that haue the light of naturall reason are not rightly perswaded concerning all such things which no wise man will allow So that as it is not to be imputed to the defect of evidence in the things that are to be knowne in naturall knowledge which should settle the perswasion that all men are not rightly perswaded of
thē but to the defect of the light of naturall reasō foūd in thē or the want of due consideratiō right proceeding in the searching out of such things as are so to be known so likewise it is not to be imputed to the want of evidence of the truth of the things or at least of Gods speaking in the word of Heauenly Truth that all men beleeue not all the bookes that are diuine canonical the things contained in thē but to thedefect of spirituall light in thē that should discerne such things or the want of due cōsideratiō right proceeding in the searching out of such things Secondly he laboureth to proue that none of the articles of faith or things beleeued by vs are evident vnto vs in the light offaith whereas yet notwithstanding Hugo de sancto Victore sayth expresly that in some the light of diuine reason causeth approbation of that they beleeue that in other the purity of the heart conscience causeth a fore-tasting of those things which hereafter more fully shall be enioyed And Alexander of Ales pronounceth that the things apprehended by vs in diuine knowledge are more certainly discerned by such as are spirituall in the certainty of experience in the certainty which is in respect of affection by way of spirituall taste feeling then any thing is discerned in the light of naturall vnderstanding according to that of the Prophet How sweet are thy wordes O Lord vnto my mouth they are sweeter then the hony and the hony combe Wherefore that wee may the more distinctly conceiue these things wee must obserue that there are some things which though without revelation we could not know yet after they are revealed are evident vnto vs in the light of grace As first that the defects euils that are found in the nature of man the blindnes of his vnderstanding the way wardnes of his affections and perverse inclination of his will were not from the beginning that hauing beene in all the sonnes of men the first parents of mankind fell from their originall primitiue estate and that seeing these euils are found in all euen in litle infants new borne the propagation of them is naturall and not by imitation Secondly that the very inclinations of our hearts beeing naturally euill in this corrupt state of nature nothing can change them to good but GOD by a speciall worke aboue and beyond the course of Nature which therefore may rightly be named grace Other thinges there are which are discerned by spirituall taste and feeling as the remission of sinnes the joy and exultation of heart that is there found where God is present in grace And a third sort of thinges there are which being not discerned to bee true eyther of these two wayes are beleeued notwithstanding because deliuered vnto vs by God whom wee discerne to speake in the word of heavenly trueth So that the two former sortes of thinges are euident in themselues to them that are spirituall the latter in respect of that Medium by force whereof they are beleeued which is Diuine authority deliuering them vnto vs which thing Hugo de Sancto Victore excellently expresseth Credit fides saith he quod non vidit non vidit quod credit vidit tamen aliquid per quod admonita est excitata credere quod non vidit Deus sic ab initio notitiam sui ab homine temperauit vt sicut nunquam quid esset totum poterat comprehendi sic quod esset nunquam prorsus posset ignorari Oportuit vt proderet se occultum Deus ne totus celaretur propsus nesciretur rursum ad aliquid proditum se agnitum occultaret ne totus manifestaretur vt aliquid esset quod cor hominis enutriret cognitum rursus aliquid quod absconditum prouocaret That is Faith beleeveth that it neuer saw and it neuer saw that which it doth beleeue yet it saw something by which it was admonished and stirred vppe to beleeue that which it saw not God from the beginning did so temper the revealing of himselfe to bee knowne of men that as it could never bee wholly comprehended what he was so it might neuer be altogether vnknowne that he was It was fitte therefore that God should manifest himselfe formerly hid that hee might not bee wholly hidden and no knowledge had of him and againe that having in some sort reuealed and made himselfe knowne hee should so hide himselfe as not wholly to bee manifested that there might bee something which being knowne might nourish the heart of man and againe something which being hid might prouoke and stirre men vp to a desire of attayning some farther thing These things it seemeth the Treatiser thought not of and therefore denyeth that there is any motiue sufficient to make a man beleeue the articles of the fayth setting aside the meane supernaturall by which they are propounded and therevpon asketh Mee what maketh Me beleeue the articles of the Trinity the two distinct natures in Christ in the Vnity of the same person and the resurrection of the dead Wherevnto I answere that the thing that moueth mee so to beleeue is the authority of the Scripture which is the Word of God and that I beleeue it to bee the Word of God because I doe most certainely discerne him to speake in the same and a certaine diuine force and Majesty to present it selfe vnto Mee though the prophane Treatiser professeth hee knoweth not what that authority and Majesty of God is which is discerned in the sacred Scriptures nor how wee discerne it which is not to bee marvayled at seeing blind men cannot discerne the difference of colours but that there is something more then humane discernable in the Scripture all deuout and religious men will acknowledge with vs. Beleeue Mee sayth Picus Mirandula there lyeth hidde in the Scripture a secret vertue strangely altering and changing them that in due sort are conversant in the same So that the reason that all doe not discerne the Majesty of God in all bookes that are diuine and that some doubt of such as other admitte is not because such a diuine power is not discernable in them but because there is some defect in the parties not discerning the same To the former most weake reasons brought to proue the insufficiency of those inducements or reasons by which wee thinke the Spirit of GOD setleth vs in a perswasion of the truth of thinges contayned in the Scripture First hee addeth an vntruth to witte that I deny those parts of Scripture which rehearse matters of fact to bee knowne to be divine by the authority of God himselfe discerned to speake in the Word of faith And secondly an objection that men cannot know the Scripture to be diuine by discerning the Majesty of God speaking in them vnlesse they reade or heare euery part of them read ouer which is very hard to bee
done by euery one Wherevnto we answere according to their owne groundes that those partes of divine and canonicall Scripture which particularly wee haue not read or considered are onely implicitè and vertually beleeued of vs as likewise the thinges that are contayned in them neither should this seeme strange to the Romanists for they thinke it pertayneth to the faith of each Christian man to beleeue all the bookes of holy Scripture to bee vndoubtedly true and indited by the Spirit of God Yet are there many amongst them that neyther know how many nor which these bookes are but beleeue them vertually onely as it appertayneth to the fayth to beleeue that Iesus Mary Ioseph fledde into Aegypt and that Paul mediated for the reconciling of Onesimus to Philemon but it is sufficient for men that neuer read or considered these particulars to beleeue them vertually Thirdly he chargeth vs with contrariety in our sayings in that we make the Scripture to bee the ground and rule of our fayth and yet make the light of faith a meane whereby we come to the knowledge of Scripture because as hee thinketh the Scripture cannot bee a rule of our fayth vnlesse it bee certainely knowne to bee diuine before we beleeue But the good man should knowe that the Scripture may bee the rule of our fayth directing vs touching such particular things as wee are to beleeue though it be not knowne to bee diuine before we beleeue For first God giueth vs the eyes of fayth and openeth our vnderstandings that wee may see and discerne in generall heauenly trueth to bee contayned in Scripture then it becommeth a rule of direction in all particular poynts of faith Fourthly he imputeth to vs that wee relie vpon illuminations and inspirations in the things wee beleeue as if wee beleeued them without any other proofe or demonstration vpon bare imagined inspirations whereas wee beleeue nothing without such proofes and motiues as all men may take notice of and yet knowe right well that none doe make right vse thereof but such as haue their vnderstandings enlightned So that his reasoning against the certainty of this illumination is idle seeing we doe not make illumination or inspiration the ground of our perswasion touching things to be beleeved but a disposition of the mind making vs capable of the apprehension of thinges that are diuine and heauenly This illumination is in some more and in some lesse but in all the chosen seruants of God such as sufficeth for the discerning of all sauing trueth necessary to bee knowne of each man according to his estate and condition Fiftly besides idle repetition of thinges going before to which hee referreth himself and some vntruths mingled with the same First he chargeth Me that I am contrary to my selfe in deliuering the opinions of Papists The first supposed contradiction is in that I affirme that it is the ordinary opinion of Papists that the articles of faith are beleeued because God reuealeth them and yet say in another place that they make the authority of the Church the rule of our fayth and reason why we beleeue The second in that I charge the Papistes in one place that they giue authority to the Church to make new articles of faith and in another place free them from the same This latter supposed contrariety I shewed before to bee none at all but in the Treatisers imagination onely and touching the first if hee were a man of any common vnderstanding or knew what contrariety is hee vvould not charge Mee with any such thing For it is true that all Papists thinke the articles of faith are to be beleeued because reuealed but they thinke also that wee knowe not that they are reuealed but beleeue so onely and that not by reason of any diuine reuelation testimony or authority but because the Church so telleth vs and wee haue many humane inducements mouing vs so to perswade our selues So that they make the authority of the Church and humane inducements the last and finall reason of beleeuing whatsoeuer they beleeue This the Treatiser knew well enough and therefore hee requireth Mee to shew how I know that God reuealeth the things beleeued by Christians If I will not fall into the same fault for which I blame them Whereunto I answere that I know the Scriptures to bee inspired of God by the diuine force and majesty that sheweth it selfe in them in which sence I say the bookes of Scripture win credit of themselues and yeeld sufficient satisfaction to all men of their diuine truth For as the colour in each thing maketh it visible and to be seene so the diuine power vertue that sheweth it selfe in the Scripture maketh vs to beleeue that it is of God But the Treatiser will not thus leaue Mee but still goeth on adding one vniust imputation to another For whereas we say only the Scriptures are not discerned to be diuine and inspired of God vnlesse we be inlightned by grace and not that they are proued to bee diuine by the certaintie of that illumination he maketh vs whether we wil or not to proue the Scriptures by our inspirations and that we are inspired by the Scriptures whereas we proue neither the one nor the other of these things in any such sort For touching the Scripture I haue sufficiently shewed before how we know it to be diuine and for the other the Treatiser should know that we doe not proue by Scripture that we are divinely inlightned and inspired but that as naturall reason hath a direct act whereby she apprehendeth things without a reflexed act whereby taking a view of the former direct acts she findeth out her selfe so the light of Faith first discouereth Heauenly verities in the Scripture such as naturall reason could neuer find out then by reflexion findeth it selfe to be of another nature kind then that rationall vnderstanding that was before Wherefore let vs goe forward Did not mine eyes see and my hands handle the palpable absurdities of this Treatiser I would not beleeue any mans report that one so voide of all sense reason as he euery way sheweth himselfe to be should be permitted to write For whereas I bring a most cleare sentence out of Augustine to proue that howsoeuer the authoritie of the Church serue as an introduction to bring vs to the spirituall discerning of diuine things yet men rest not in it hee answereth that Augustine in the chapter cited by Me affirmeth onely that because all men are not capable at first to vnderstād the sincere wisdome truth taught in the church God hath ordained in it a motiue which may first moue them to seeke it to wit the authority of the Church which partly through miracles partly through multitudes is of force to moue which no way taketh any thing from but rather addeth strength to my proofes for if these motiues be necessary onely at the first before men bee purged made pure in
reason wee can discerne no such thinges as in this heauenly doctrine are manifested to vs. Thirdly the reuelation that is now being mediate and depending on a former it must of necessity be graunted that there was a first and immediate reuelation of the things that are beleeued Fourthly that that immediate reuelation was without mixture of error there being no imperfection found in any of Gods immediate workings Fifthly that whatsoeuer bookes they wrote to whom that immediate reuelation of heauenly truth was graunted are diuine without mixture of error and Canonicall Sixtly that all such books as are recommended to vs by the consenting testimony of all Christians not noted for singularity nouelty or heresie as written by those who first learned the doctrine of heauenly truth from God himselfe must be acknowledged to haue bin written by them Which perswasion is confirmed in that when wee reade and meditate vpon the bookes soe commended to vs wee finde a maiesty vertue and power appearing in them more then in all humane compositions captiuating vs to the the obedience of faith and making vs to receiue them as vndoubtedly diuine These are the grounds which wee build vpon Wherefore let the Reader judge whether the Treatiser had any cause to write as hee doth that hee cannot sufficiently maruel that I or any man of iudgement or learning should runne these courses and impugne their doctrine concerning these points as absurd which indeede is most prudent and diuine and yet fall into most grosse absurdities and inconueniences How prudent and diuine their doctrine is touching the ground of their faith I haue shewed before making it most cleare that if they did shew no more prudence in any thing else their part would soone bee ouerthrowne But touching the absurdities into which hee supposeth wee runne they will bee found to bee none at all For as I haue shewed at large wee ground our faith in generall vppon the euidence of heauenly trueth and the authority of Almighty God whom wee discerne to speake in the holy Scriptures and yet in such sort listen to the Church as a Mistresse of heauenly truth in all particular points that wee do not broach any new and strange doctrine vnheard of in the Church nor impugne any thing that was alwaies constantly deliuered and receiued in the same Soe that it is vntrue that the Treatiser sayth that I reiect all generall authority and leaue euery man to follow his owne priuate conceipt hee returneth therefore to proue that supposing wee know the letter of Scripture yet haue wee no certaine rule to finde out the sence of it and mustereth some obiections to this purpose which I haue sufficiently answered already in the defence of the rules proposed by mee and impugned by him Neyther is it soe strange as hee would make it that we confesse euery one though neuer so much enlightned to bee subiect to errour and yet each of vs assureth himselfe hee doth not erre from the Christian verity one hauing no more assurance of not erring then another For is it not soe that in respect of things that may bee knowne by the light of naturall reason each one confesseth himselfe to be subiect to error and yet euery one assureth himselfe he doth not erre in sundry particular things Wherefore hee leaueth this point and proceedeth to another where he bewrayeth the weaknesse of his braine labouring seriously to proue that he who buildeth his faith vppon the English Parliament cannot firmely and vndoubtedly beleeue nor haue any true fath because I say wee can neuer be so well perswaded of any man or multitude of men but that we may iustly feare they are deceiued or will deceiue Truly it had beene well that hee had applyed himselfe to some other thing rather then booke-making vnlesse hee had any greater facility and felicity in it then he hath for who was euer so senselesse as to build his Faith vpon the English Parliament or why doth the Treatiser thus fight with his owne shadow But haply he will be better towards the end §. 6. IN the last place speaking of the supposed divisions and dissentions amongst Protestants he sayth some amongst vs are so bolde as to deny that there is any great or materiall dissention in our Churches that I amongst others write that it so fell out by the happy providence of God when there was a reformation made that there was no materiall or essentiall difference amongst them that were actors in it but such as vpon equall scanning will bee found rather to consist in the diuers manner of expressing one thing to be but verball vpon mistaking through the hasty and inconsiderate humours of some men then any thing else And that further I adde that I dare confidently pronounce that after due and full examination of each others meaning there shall be no difference found touching the matter of the Sacrament the vbiquitary presence or the like betweene the Churches reformed by Luthers ministery in Germany and other places and those whom some mens malice called Sacramentaries that none of the differences betweene Melancthon and Illyricus except about certaine ceremonies were reall that Hosiander held no priuate opinion touching iustification howsoeuer his strange manner of speaking gaue occasion to many so to thinke and conceiue and that this shall be iustified against the proudest Papist of them all this my assertion he saith all the world knoweth to be vntrue and endeavoureth to proue it to be so First by mine owne sayings else-where and then by some other proofes By mine owne sayings in that I complaine of vnhappie divisions in the Christian world and of infinite distractions of mens mindes not knowing in so great varietie of opinions what to thinke or to whom to ioyne themselues that the controversies of Religion in our time are growne in number so many in nature so intricate that few haue time leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them But this proofe will be found too weake For there are many very materiall divisions in the Christian world infinitely distracting the mindes of men as those of the Greekes Latines those of the Romish Faction such as embrace the reformed Religion and the controversies that are betweene these are in number many and in nature intricate in respect whereof my complaint might bee most iust though neuer any one Protestant had opened his mouth against an other And besides supposing my complaint of diuisions in the Christian World to reach to the breaches that are haue beene amongst the Professours of the Reformed Religion nothing can bee inferred from thence contrary to any thing that I haue written touching the agreeing of these men in iudgement opinion For there may bee great breaches betweene such men as are of one iudgement opinion vpon mistaking one another therefore Gregory Nazianzene in his Oration made in the praise of Athanasius sheweth that the whole world in a
and so much to be desired yet if they cannot bee had the truth may be found out by other meanes yea haue not the Fathers in factious times complained that they neuer saw good end of any councell and yet were resolued in matters of the faith and able to settle others also CHAP. 7. IN this chapter wherein he indeauoureth to shew that traditions are of equall authoritie with Scripture and yet proue the Romane Religion he hath these wordes The dignity and authority of vnwritten and Apostolicall traditions being lawfully proued was euer esteemed such that M. Wootton affirmeth out of all question we are bound to keep them and telleth that M. Perkins was of the same minde This is an ill beginning for whereas he should proue that the Apostles deliuered some matters of faith by bare tradition without writing hee bringeth forth some that say if it could be proued that any thing was so deliuered it were to bee receiued with no lesse regard then if it had beene written which is as if a man should vndertake to proue out of Paules Epistles that the Angels in Heauen and the Apostles of CHRIST are to bee anathematized and accursed because hee saith If wee or an Angell from heauen preach any other doctrine then that yee haue receiued holde him accursed Wherefore to helpe the matter and to make some shew at the least whereas wee say If any thing could bee proued to haue beene deliuered by the Apostles by tradition it were no lesse to be esteemed then things of the same nature written by them hee citeth our words as if we confessed there were certaine vnwritten Apostolicall traditions which were euer esteemed equall with the Scripture but not before they were proued to bee such D. Field saith he speaketh of such traditions in these words There is no reason but these should be equall with Scripture for it is not the writing that giueth these things their authoritie but the worth and credite of him that deliuereth thē though but by word and liuely voice onely In this allegation he wrongeth me no lesse then in other before for these are not my words as he vntruely affirmeth against his owne knowledge but speaking of the diuerse kindes of vnwritten traditions imagined by the Papists I say All these in their seuerall kindes they make equal with the words precepts doctrines of Christ the Apostles and Pastors of the Church left vnto vs in writing neither is there any reason why they should not doe so if they could proue any such vnwritten verities for it is not the writing that giueth things their authoritie but the worth and credite of him that deliuereth them The onely doubt is whether there be any such traditions or not Is this to acknowledge that there are vnwritten traditions of equall authoritie with the Scriptures If one of his fellowes should tell him if he were Pope he could not erre would he inferre his fellow were so mad to thinke he could not erre that doth nothing else but erre and mistake all that he citeth But he saith I adde that the perpetuall virginity of our Lady was a tradition only receiued by such authority so do other Protestants that both they I acknowledge Heluidius was condemned of heresie iustly for denyall thereof which could not be except to deny the doctrine of true traditions were to deny the word of God in their iudgements This is an other notable and shamelesse falsification For I neither say the perpetuall virginity of our Lady was a tradition nor that Heluidius was condemned and that iustly for the deniall thereof but my wordes are The Canon of Scripture being admitted as deliuered by tradition though the Diuine trueth of it bee in it selfe cleare not depending of the Churches authority there is no matter of Faith deliuered by bare and onely tradition as the Romanists imagine The onely cleare instance they seeme to giue is touching the perpetuall virginity of Mary which they say cannot be proued by Scripture and yet is necessary to bee beleeued But they should knowe that this is no poynt of Christian faith That shee was a virgine before in and after the birth of Christ wee are bound to beleeue as an article of our faith and so much is deliuered in Scripture and in the Apostles Creede but that shee continued so euer after is a seemely trueth fitting the sanctitie of the blessed virgine and is de pietate but not de necessitate fidei Neither was Heluidius condemned of heresie for the deniall hereof but by such as thought it might bee proued out of Scripture or by such as detested and condemned his madnesse and desperate singularity in pertinaciously vrging the deniall of it vpon mis-construction of Scripture as if the deniall of it had beene a matter of faith And surely whatsoeuer this man thinke to the contrary Melchior Canus is of opinion that the perpetuall virginity of Marie the mother of our Lord is not beleeued onely or principally as deliuered by tradition but that the very consideration of the respect that was due to so sanctified a vessell of the incarnation of the Sonne of God as was her body would make vs perswade our selues shee neuer knew man after she was so much honoured as to be the mother of God This consideration no doubt moued the Fathers to be of this opinion rather then any tradition In the next place hee setteth downe my discourse and diuision of traditions approued by Protestants in the twentieth chapter of my fourth booke of the Church leaving out diuerse thinges in setting downe the same for his most aduantage as the Reader will easily perceiue if hee peruse the place But to what purpose hee produceth this discourse diuision of mine I know not For first if he thinke that I now yeeld more vnto thē in the matter of traditions thē our Diuines heretofore haue done as he seemeth to doe in that he saith though vntruly that I preuent and confute the vsuall objections of Protestants about the doctrine of traditions he is greatly deceiued For Chemnitius in his Examen of the Tridentine Councell admitteth all those kinds of traditions which I haue deliuered I will set down his discourse in his own words that the reader may see he saith fully as much as I haue done Primum genus traditionum est quòd Apostoli tradiderunt doctrinam viuâ voce sed illa postea in scriptura literis consignata est Secundum genus traditionum est quòd Libri Scripturae sacrae non interrupt â serie temporum sicut Augustinus loquitur certa connexionis successione ab Ecclesia custoditi fideliter ad posteros transmissi nobisque quasi per manus traditi sunt Tertium genus traditionum constituimus illud de quo loquuntur Irenaeus lib. 3. Tertullianus de Praescript Recitant autem quid sit illud quod ex traditione probant sunt illi ipsi articuli fidei