the euill are constrayned to deliuer true things for they aâ—â— Fox actes monuments pag. 999. 464. 1401. 1436. 1286. The Puritans in their discouery in a sermon preached 1588. by Bancroft pag. 34. The Protestants Apology tract 3. sect 7. n. 68. not their owne things which they deliuer but Gods who hath placâ—â— the doctrine of verity in the chayer of vnity We want not heerin the suffrages of Protestants of Foxe himselfe and sundry of his Martyrs of M. Bancroft late Bishop of Canterbury the Puritans not forbearing to carpe and reprehend him for it and of others mentioned in the Protestantâ— Apology for the Roman Church which in euery Chapter so victoriously triumpheth ouer our Reformers innouation by the irrefragable testimonyes of Reformers themselues as M. Morton astonished with the euidence brought against him was suddainly beaten backe from his rash attempt which he neuer since had the hart to prosecute or any other presumeth to take pen in hand to answere that excellent and euer vnanswerable worke 7. The reasons which perswade the infallibility of the Church are sundry and they most forcible For what could moue any Infidell or Atheist to forsake his errours and come vnto the Church if that might also beguile him with errour what meanes had we to condemne an Heretike or disproue his errours if the Church might erre Diuers reasons which coÌ„uince the infallibility of the Church in disprouing of them How should we know where to rest whome to consult in doubts of fayth if the highest Iudges might iudge amisse What assurance haue we of our beliefe religion scripture sacraments of Christ himselfe and all other articles of fayth if the Church which teacheth them might erre in teaching The same inconueniences the same confusion would ensue supposing it If the Church could erre fayth it selfe all things els were vncertayne were limited not to erre only in fundamentall points necessary to saluation For then the vnconstant and wauering Christian might still cast as many doubtes whether the thinges defined where fundamentall or not Whether necessary or not necessary to saluation Then the people might call their Pastours doctrine and definition in question they might examine whether the arâ—â—cles deliuered be substantiall and such wherein their â—â—eachers be freed from errour or no Then new schisms â—â—d contentions would dayly breake forth all things â—ill remaine vncertaine 8. To prosecute a little further one of these reasons For â—t were too much to enlarge them all The tradition or â—estimony of our Church in deliuering the whole canon of scripturs vpon whose authority also most Protestants receaue it of what account do you make it If fallible the An argument vnanswerable fayth you gather from thence the Religion you ground thereon must likewise be fallible vncertayne and no way autenticall For the truth gleaned from the scripturs cannot be more sure then the Scriptures themselues from which it is gathered If infallible You grant what we require For the promises of God the assistance of the holy Ghost which warranteth the testimony of our Church to be of inuiolable authority in this point being generall and without restriction must warrant it also in The same promises of God which assure the Churches infallibility in one thing assure it in all all other traditions interpretations doctrines whatsoeuer and so you that forsake her sentence renounce her definitions renounce the Oracles of truth and decrees vndeceiuable or els shew what exception what limitation the holy Ghost hath made where he restrayned her priuiledge of infalibility to that particuler more then to other articles of our beliefe This is a Gordian knot which breake you may vnty you cannot For suppose you should reply as a Protestant once answered me that it appertayned vnto the prouidence of God to keep safe his holy writ and challenge it from corruption I would further inquire of you whether God hath greater care of the letter or sense of the inward kernell or outward rine of the bone or marrow of his word Of the marrow no doubt Then he preserued that more safe in the harts of his faythfull then the other in the rolles of paper and so as you take the barke and outward letter from the tradition of our Church much more ought you to borrow from her the true sense and sap and heauenly iuyce Finally to what end do Protestants striue so much ProtestaÌ„ts according to their owne groundes haue neither any fayth or religion for the Churches erring but only to depriue themselues therby of Church faith religion For wheras neither religion nor Church can staÌ„d without supernatural faith nor supernaturall faith be atteyned without infallible certeinty of the thinges beleeued if their preachers their Ministers their Church be not vndoubtedly fenced from all daunger of errour the articles they beleeue haue not that inerrable warrant which is necessary to faith Faith saith S. Bernard hath nothing ambiguous or doubtfull if it hath any thing ambiguous it cannot be faith Whereupon it is defined Heb. 11. v. 1. Aug. l. 13. de Trinit c. 10. tract 79. in loan Chrysost in bunc locuÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in explicat psal 115. Chrysost in hunc locuÌ„ Dyonil c. 7. de diuin nom by the Apostle to be the substance c. the argument of thinges not appearing that is a demonstration or conuiction by which our vnderstanding is acerteyned conuineed of the truth or as the greek importeth it is the basis grounde or foundation firme sure stedfast imoueable either of the hoped reuealed verities as S. Basil with S. Iohn Chrysostome indgeth or of them that hope beleeue fastning them in the truth the truth in them according to S. Denis S. Augustine from whence the comon schoole of diuines gather this principle that faith cannot be subiect to falsity no nor to any feare or suspition therof This infallible ground of assurance Protestants haue not beleeuing only vpon the credit of their Church which may beguile them Therefore howsoeuer they bragge of their all-sauing faith not any faith haue they or Church or religion at all August tract 7â— in loan Fidei non potest subesse falsum 9. Heer my aduersaryes cauill with vs that they haue as much fayth as we who rely vpon the definitions of our Popes and Prelates for they are men and euery man is a lyer as the scripture reporteth I answere our supreme Bishops are by nature men by infirmity subiect to lyes deceits yet as they are by faith Christians by inward vnction heyres of heauen so they are by Pastorall authority gouernors of the church officers of God organs of the holy ghost by whose perpetual assistaÌ„ce they caÌ„not erre they cannot in their publique decrees or generall assemblyes deliuer vnto the faithfull what is subiect to vncerteinty because that which they speake Christ speaketh in them that which they deliuer the spirit
CHAP. IX In which it is proued that no Sectary can be saued by beleeuing the chief heads of Religion IN the hartes of such as reuolte from truth there breedeth like a canker this cloaked Atheisme that it importeth little of what religion a man be of so he acknowledge one God receaue the Apostles Creed and beleeue to be saued by the merits of Christ An Atheisme I call it because it secretly tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of all Christian fayth due worship of God The gainsaying of any one article disposeth to a plaine Apostacy denyal of all articles of fayth For as the taking away of a few stones by little and little disposeth to the ruine of a stately building so the remouall or not admittance of some points of fayth most dangerously maketh way to the denyall of all after which manner I shall demonstrate by by how that he which gaynesayth the least article of fayth hath quite lost hiâ— fayth without which it is impossible to please God But first I will begin with some other arguments 2. According to this Atheistical opinion that euery one may be saued in his owne sect the Pelagians Nouatians Donatists Eutichians Monothelites and sundry other plagues of the Church who imbraced the Trinity Incarnation Passion of Christ c. might be put in some hope of future happynes which no Christian I thinke will now confesse Likewise those sectaryes who after the definition of the Church maintayned S. Cyprians and other holy Bishops errour of rebaptization consorted with Catholiks in all other points of beliefe notwithstanding for that alone they were accounted heretikes and so depriued of the benefit of life Of whome Vincen. Lirinensis Vincen. adu prof haeret nouit maketh this exclamation O admirable change of thinges the Authors of one and the same opinion are esteemed Catholiks and their followers are iudged Heretikes Because they without breach of peace before the decree of the Church these after with proud stubbornes presumed to defend it 3. The Quartdecimani who liued about the yeare 186. beleeued all the substantiall heades of faith They beleeued whatsoeuer was publiquely taught receaued in the primitiue Church but only one particuler thing as it should seeme of small importance concerning the celebration of Euseb l. 5. c. 22. Nicep l. 4. cap. 39. the Feast of Easter whether it should be celebrated on the fourteenth Moone then the fast of Lent cease vpon whatsoeuer day it fell or vpon a Sunday according to the generall custome of Christians And yet for this only point they are enrolled in the catalogue of heretikes excluded here from the banquet of the Church supper of the lambe hereafter For S. Austine in his booke of heresyes Aug. haer 29. Epiphan 50. Hier. dial aâ—â—er Lucifer c. 1. Haereticos quoscumque christianos non esse Tit. 3. v. 10. rehearsing them by another name sundry more among whom many beleeued all the forenamed principles of religion he notwithstanding coÌ„cludeth of them the like other heresys besides these may be any one of which whosoeuer shall hold cannot be a Christian catholik S. Ierome presupposeth this as a certeine ground Heretikes whatsoeuer cannot be Christians bargayneth with his colloquutor to speake of an heretique as of a gentile S. Paul chargeth vs to shun the company of euery heretique in what point soeuer he runneth astray saying A man that is an heretique after the first second admonition auoyde knowing that he that is such a one is subuerted sinneth being condemned by his owne iudgment And he casteth all Gal. 5. v. 20. 21. sectaryes with fornicatours murderers and drunkards out of the kingdome of heauen 4. Moreouer the Donatists disagreed from the Catholique Church in a matter not specifyed in the Creed no nor expresly mentioned as S. Augustine auoweth in holy writ This sayth he neither you nor I do read in expresse wordes Aug. l. de vnit Eccl. c. 19. Aug. l. 1. cont Cres c. 33. Lib. 11. de baptis con Donat. c. 4. l. 5. cap. â—4 And in another place Although no example of this matter be found in holy scriptures yet doe we follow in this the truth of the scriptures when we do that which is agreeable to the vniuersall Church commended vnto vs by the authority of the same scripture Likewise The Apostles haue commaunded nothing concerning this matter But the custome which was alleadged against S. Cyprian is to be thought to haue descended from their tradition as diuers other things haue done which the vniuersall Church doth obserue are therefore with great reason beleeued to haue beene commaunded by the Apostles although they be not written So that the Donatistes alteration was about aâ— vnwritten verity They inuocated one God as S. Augustine affirmeth with him they beleeued in the same Christ Augu. in explicatione psal 54. they had the same gospell sung the like psalmes c. they agreed which him in baptisme in keeping the feasts of martyrs in celebrating of Easter In these sayth he they were with me yet not altogether with me in schisme not with me The belief of the Trinity other chiefe articles auayled not the Donatists because they denyed som vnwritten traditioÌ„s in heresy not with me in many thinges with me in a sew not with me these few in which not with me the many could not help them in which they were with me Behold the Donatists could not be holpen they could not receaue any benefit or fruit from God by beleeuing the Trinity the mediatioÌ„ of Christ the Creed the sacramentes the rest because they dissented from the Church in some few traditions not recorded in scripture can our sectaryes looke to enioy the treasures of life denying both vnwritten traditions diuers other articles cleerely expressed in holy writ as I haue proued in the two former partes of this treatise 5. Besides although the beleefe in God in Christ in the articles of the Creed were sufficient to saluation yet this beleefe ought to be one the same in all the faithfull for truth is one vniforme and constant falshood â—arious discordant chaungable But diuers sectes diâ—ersly vnderstand these heades of religion Therefore they â—â—nnot all haue the true vniforme and sauing faith To instance in the dissention of ProtestaÌ„ts from vs. They beleeue that their God doth truly purpose determine and The Protestants beliefe in God is not the same with the true beliefe of Catholikâ— â—o operate vnto sinne yet as a righteous Iudge not as an euill â—â—tâ—ur We beleeue that our true God no way at all with no right intention can concurre thereunto They beleeue a dissembling God with a twofold will one reuealed and detesting the other secret intending sinne We teach that our God hath but one will which wholy disliketh â—â— hateth sinne They beleeue a God so weake or vnmerâ—â—full as there be some sinnes he will
Truth But when God by the Scriptures reuealed it vnto them they both preached it themselues commended it to posterity So that the thinges reuealed vnto them in Scripture was all the Our Ghospellers haue no certayne rule to know their reuelation froÌ„ Scripture to be true warrant they had to preach such Protestant articles as they now maynteyne contrary to the approued doctrin of the Church 25. But I inquire of M. Mason what reuelation it was they had from Scripture Was it the priuate interpretation they made thereof That is fallible and subiect to errour That reuelation euery heretique challengeth and with as much reason maynteyneth it as any Protestant doth his Was it as others pretend the publique voyce of God which spake in Scripture But this In the first part of the Antidote in the first second chapter is a meere collusion of words to beguile the simple For the voyce of God speaking in Scripture is nothing els but the very text of Scripture the wordes and sentences vttered in Scripture as I haue elsewhere often declared Was it their industry labour in conferring reading finding out the true sense of Scripture But this industry was also deceauable as I haue inuincibly demonstrated Our Ghospellers haue not the true Christian fayth concerning any article whatsoeuer in the first controuersy of my Antidote Therefore Protestantes could haue no reuelation from Scripture wherreby they might be infallibly certayn which is necessary to sayth of the truth they deliuered Yea although they should haue lighted vpon the true meaning of some essentiall article of beliefe yet that article so taught and belieued because they so interprete that place of Scripture was not any article of Christian fayth not that diuine fayth which we are commanded to imbrace but a meere humane verity a humane fayth The reason is In the 9. chapter of this third part because the thing belieued causeth not fayth but the infallible motiue for which we belieue it that motiue in Protestants is altogeather fallible as hath been elswhere more largely conuinced Therefore the reuealed truth Luther in expo Ep. ad Galat. cap. 1. folio 215. printed ad VVittemberge by Ioan. Luâ—â— 1954. which they belieue is also fallible 26. Besides Truth reuealed to Protestants in holy Scripture is not sufficient for their Legantine power vnles the legacy also or charge of preaching be coÌ„mitted vnto them It is not inough sayth Luther their chiefe Patriarch for a man to haue the word and purity of doctrine but also he must be assured of his calling not of his calling oÌ„ly to Prieststood by the shell as you tearme it of succession or ceremony of ordination but of his calling and commission giuen to preach and recommend vnto posterity the kernell of Luther ibidem folio 276. doctrine This Mission this vocation he must also haue and that from men or els although thou wert as Luther sayth wiser then Salomon wiser then Daniell if thou be not called more then hell beware thou cast not out a word And many leaues Ierom. 23. v. 21. after he protesteth of himselfe that although he could deliuer soules from errour and damnation by his holesome doctrine yet he ought to commit the matter to God and not to preach Ezech. 13. v. 6. vnlesse he be called by men For such as do otherwise he tearmeth them impostors miscarryed not with a good but a wicked spirit They are those of whome Ieremy and Ezechiell fore warned vs I sent not the Prophets and they ranne I spake not vnto them they prophesied They see vayne thinges and they diuine lyes saying our Lord sayth whereas our Lord sent them not 27. Therefore albeit we should suppose that these new Gospellers had as Mayster Mason insinuateth power from vs to preach truth which notwithstanding is most false yet when they beganne to preach other doctrine then was deliuered vnto them other then was put into their mouthes by their predecessours therein they lost their calling ranne of themselues preached of themselues not sent from God with extraordinary miracles nor yet from men with ordinary commission to publish that fayth For as he who hath authority Aâ— Ambassadourâ— who alter the legacy of their Prince are not therein to be tearmed his Ambassadours no more can ProtestaÌ„ts be sayd to be sent to alter the coÌ„mission of those that sent them Optatus l. 2. contra Parmen from his Kinge to deliuer an Embassage if he alter or change the Massage of his Prince he cannot therein be truly sayd to be his legate or Ambassadour especially if the King recall or countermaunde whatsoeuer he proposeth contrary to his minde No more can Protestant Ministers though rightly ordered and lawfully called maynteyne their calling or vocation to preach any other truth then such as was commended vnto them much lesse if our Bishops reuerse their commission contradict their doctrine labour by al meanes vtterly to suppresse it For who doubteth but that such as haue power to communicate haue power also to reuoke moderate and restreyne the authority which they giue And whosoeuer persisteth after the reuocation or whosoeuer altereth the tenour of his commission he runneth not sent he prophesieth that which our Lord neuer sayd nor any of his seruants deliuered vnto him he is therein as Optatus wittily iesteth at Victor the Donaeist A sonne without a Father a Nouice without an instructour disciple without a mayster follower without a predecessour prodigiously borne a preacher of himselfe teaching a lesson which he neuer learned of any before For to go backe and say with M. Mason that God by Scriptures reuealed it vnto him is no authenticall or sufficient calling because generally all heretiques boast of the like reuelation all pretend their Mission and calling by Scripture That the Donatistes the Circumcellians the Arians arrogated and had as good warrant God leaueth not Scripture to euery ones priuat exposition but to the interpretation only of his Church for the true meaning of Scripture as any Protestant hath for his exposition Wherefore to auoyd the confusion occasions of errour which might ensue of leauing the Scripture to the particuler interpretations of priuat men it pleaseth God to vnfold the true sense meaning of his will to the publike Pastours preachers of his Church to them he infallibly deliuereth the inheritance of truth of them only we must seeke it to them we are bound to repayre to haue it opened vnto vs from them alone we can haue our vocation to preach it Otherwise euery mad and fanaticall spirit might fondly deuise as Protestants doe what constructions what reuelations he list 28. This reason Iohn Caluin the chiefe Architect of M. Masons religion assigneth why God teacheth not eyther by himselfe or by Angells but by the voyce and Caluin in c. 59. Isa speach of men This order quoth he God hath setled in his Church that they may vaunt themselues in
vayne to be ready to obey him who reiect his Mynisters Therefore he commaundeth the word and doctrine to be required from the mouth of Prophets and Doctours who teach in his name and by his warrant least we foolishly hunt after new reuelations Yf this be so how durst your M. Caluin How durst our sectaryes deliuer a Gospell they neuer tooke from the mouth of any Prophet or Doctour Caluinus contra errores Serueti With what face doe they vaunt of obeying God when they disobey his Mynisters the interpreters of his will How shall we know that they who follow not the setled course prescribed by him doe not foolishly hunt after new reuelations Michael Seruetus forsooke that ordinary way he vsed the like pretense as M. Mason doth of reuelation froÌ„ Scripture the same Caluin inueighed agaynst him That like another Mahomet he rose a restorer of a new world with a new and vnknowne reuelation Is not this sayth he to make voyd the whole glory which Christ hath gotteÌ„ By thy own saying I coÌ„demne thee and thy fellowes o vngracious seruant For by the same argument thou o Caluin art like another Mahomet Caluin his followers come like Mahomet with new reuelations the English sectaryes progenitours like so many Mahomets who contrary to the publike truth receaued in the Church challenged another reuealed to them out of holy Scripture With whome I reason thus When Cranmer in England or any other beganne to vent their reformed Gospell eyther the same Gospell was preached by some lawfull Pastours in some partes of the world or not Yf it were not The Church of Protestants was no where extant the glory of Christs Church in their conceit was wholy extinguished If it were FroÌ„ those Pastours our sectaryes should haue deriued their succession To theÌ„ they ought to haue gone for their holy Orders 29. Or if the shell of ordinution from the Priestes of Tertullian in praes ca. 20. Antichrist was good inough for their Antichristian synagogue at least from them they ought to haue taken rraducem fidei semina doctrinae their letters patents and commission to preach From them they should haue gleaned the kernell of doctrine they should haue drawne from those pure Churches the line of fayth and seeds of doctrine as Tertullian anoucheth Aug. l. 5. de baps contra donatist cap. 26. which aduise S. Cyprian also giueth and S. Augustine much commendeth it saying That which he Cyprian admonisheth that we repayre to the conduite head that is to Apostolicall tradition and from thence direct the pipe to our tymes is an excellent The succession propagation of truth which heer we seeke cannot be learned out of Scripture 2. Pet. â— v. 16. thinge and without doubt to be obserued especially seeing in this mark of succession it is not the bare truth for which we inquire but the propagation traditioÌ„ reception coÌ„tinuance lineall descent of the truth how it hath been coÌ„ueyed by Pastour to Pastour in al succeeding ages how taught how belieued from the Apostles dayes euen vnto ours This cannot be learned out of Scripture because it followeth after the Scripture The succession of doctrine came after the Scriptures were written how shall it then be proued by the precedeÌ„t Scriptures which were in the Apostles time who endited them depraued and Athanasius ora 2. contra Arian peruerted by some to their owne perdition as S. Peter witnesseth and why may not such deprauatours much more be now How can the Scriptures beare witnes of the publication progresse true perseuerance of that Eos qui aliunde quaÌ„ a tota successione Cathedrae ecclesiastica originem fidei suae deducunt haereticos esse which fell out many yeares after their authours compilers were dead So that for the true doctrinal you must needs haue recourse to the true Pastoral succession which are inseparably chayned and linked togeather To leaue this way and endeauour eyther by Scriptures or by any other meanes to vphould the continuall descent propagation of fayth is an euident brand or note of heresy as S. Athanasius anoweth saying They are heretikes who de riue the origen of their fayth any where els then from the whole succession of the Ecclesiasticall chayre which he accounteth Aug tract 37. in Ioan there an excellent and an admirable way to fiâ—d out an hereticall sect And S. Augustine affirmeth That to be the Catholike fayth which comming from the doctrine of the Apostles is planted in vs by the line of succession S. Irenaeus also more auncient Irenaeus l. 4. cap. 45. then he sayth VVith whome the succession of Bishops from the Apostles tyme downeward remayned these are they who conserue our sayth doe expound the Scriptures vnto vs without danger 30. By this tyme thou perceauest courteous Reader the peruerse vnto ward course of Protestants who departed from the Pastours of the Church to the written word wheras they should haue repayred to her Pastours to haue learned without daunger the meaning of that word Thou perceauest the beggary or nullity rather of their prophane secular ministery which vndertaketh the care of sonles without any true election ordination succession or mission Thou perceauest how vainly they confide in their reuelations from Scripture who haue no certayne rule or publike warrant as Catholikes haue to knowe whether their reuelations proceed from God or no. Thou seest how they beare about them the earemarke of heretiks in deriuing their fayth from another Origene then the line of Apostolicall succession Thou seest how dangerously they vsurpe the functioÌ„ of Pastours who are wolfs robbers and soule-killers of the sheep so deadly bought with the bloud of Christ CHAP. XXI In which the Beginning Propagation Continuance of the true Fayth is proued to be a Note of the true Church and only to appertayne to the Roman Church which neuer altered the Faith it first receaued from the Apostles I SAY prophecying of the true Church and of the very place from whence Isay 2. v. 3. the preaching of the euangelical gospell should begin sayd The law shall come from Sion and the word of our Lord froÌ„ Act. 1. v. 8. IerusaleÌ„ Our Sauiour doth not only assigne the same beginning but foretelleth Luc. 24. v. 46. 47. the growth increase and continuance therof in these wordes You shal be witnesses vnto me in Ierusalem and in all Iury and Samaria and euen to the vtmost of the earth And Matth. 13. v. 37. 39. item 24. v. 14. It behooued pennance to be preached in his name and remission of sinns vnto all nations beginning at Ierusalem Then he auerreth that the seede of his word thus sowed in the field of the world shold increase and grow vntill the haruest That is vntill the last day vntill the consummation of all thinges Hence S Augustine Aug. de vnit Eccl. cap. 10. maketh this illation Let vs therefore holde the Church
The Guide of Faith OR A THIRD PART OF THE ANTIDOTE AGAINST THE PESTIFEROVS WRITINGS OF ALL ENGLISH SECTARIES And in particuler agaynst D. BILSON D. FVLKE D. REYNOLDES D. WHITAKER D. FIELD D. SPARKES D. WHITE and M. MASON the chiefe vpholders some of Protestancy and some of Puritanisme VVherein the Truth and perpetuall Visible Succession of the Catholique Roman Church is cleerly demonstrated By S. N. Doctour of Diuinity 1. Tim. 3. vers 15. The Church of the Liuing God the Pillar and Ground of Truth Permissu Superiorum M. DC XXI TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTY MOST DREAD AND GRACIOVS SOVERAIGNE I know not to whome I should more fitly present these Disputes in matters of Controuersy then to your Highnes who hath Learning to vnderstaÌ„d Wisedom to discerne and Authority to commaund that Faith and Religion be obserued in your Realme which is most conformable to the Scriptures and consonant to the doctrine of the Primitiue Church to which you haue beene pleased long since to submit your Royall Iudgment now of late most prudently forbidden those newfangled writers who spurning at the Testamentes of their Forefathers call the Beliefe of all Antiquity in question Therefore I haue heere laid open to your Princely View that vnspotted truth which the Lambe of God deliuered vpon earth which the Apostles preached and committed to writing which the Auncient Fathers in the first fiue hundred yeares sincerely taught and inuiolably manteyned as I proue not only by their owne irrefragable testimonies but by the confession also of the Aduerse Part which if your Gracious Clemency would giue vs leaue vnder your fauourable winges peaceably to enioy and freely to professe at least in secret without the offence of any it must needes oblige vs more fast to our dutifull Allegiance of which howsoeuer in our greatest extremities we shall neuer be wanting then all the lawes of Conformity Oathes of Fidelity or other Punishments can inforce For what more sure band then the tye of Conscience the obligatioÌ„ of Religion the seale of Fayth and promise we owe to God which being truly kept as our Catholike Profession strictly bindeth vs no daunger of Treason no fewell of Sedition no alienation of Minds from Prince or Countrey can be feared On the contrary side if those heauenly bandes be once violated by any in taking an Oath hurtfull to their conscience preiudiciall to their Religion what trust or security can be reposed in them what hope of fidelity in ciuill affayres who in matters diuine in the most weighty affayres of their Souls haue openly committed the deepest disloyalty Wisely was this obserued by Princes in former tymes When Hunnerike the King of the Vandalls had guilefully proposed an Victor Vticen lib. 3. de persec Vandal paulo post initium entrapping Oath to the Catholique Bishops of Africk those who refused to take it he presently banished from their Seas as enemyes to the Crowne Such as condescended to his will and bound themselues by oath to performe his desire he mistrusting their fidelity commaunded likewise to depart from their Churches and neuer to see them more because contrary to the law of God or commaundement of his Ghospell they presumed to sweare A subtile yet pernicious deuise More coÌ„mendable was the fact of Theodorike Nicepho l. 16. c. 35. Zonaras Cedrenus Theod. lect 2. collectan King of the Gothes Conquerour of Italy For when a fauourite of his very deare vnto him to be more endeared fell to Arianisme which the King imbraced he straight way commaunded him to be beheaded with this cause of condemnation pronounced agaynst him How should I look thou shouldest be true to me a man since thou hast not beene faythfull in thy promise to God Eusebius l. c. 12. de vi Const Zoâ—om l. 1. bist c. â— But most prudent and fittest for my purpose was that of Constantius Father to Constantine the Great Who to discouer the harts and affections of his Subiectes caused it to be promulgated to all of his Court at home Family abroad that free choice liberty was graunted theÌ„ either by sacrificing to the Idols to continue his Fauour enioy their woÌ„ted honours or spoyled of them to leaue his Pallace his friendship familiarity for euer HereupoÌ„ when his Nobles other of his retinue had parted theÌ„selues into two seuerall companies the one yielding the other renouÌ„cing to sacrifice the wise Prince sharply rebuked their timidity basenes who were ready to prostitute themselues tovile Idolatry for preseruing of their temporal dignityes exceedingly commended the Constancy noble Resolution of the others who rather chose to forsake their preferments theÌ„ their religioÌ„ The former he cassiered as Traitours to God and vnworthy his Imperial Seruice For how sayd A notable saying of of Constantius Father to Constantine the Great his fact ensuing as worthy he can they keep their fayth inuiolable to the Emperour of the earth who by so manifest a signe haue shewed theÌ„selues perfidious to the great Monarch of Heauen These therfore he reiected banished his Royal pallace Those who by such an apparent triall profession of Truth were fouÌ„d worthy of God he adopted into the number of his dearest most familiar friendes those he placed about him as GardiaÌ„s of his person those he more esteemed then Exchecquers ful of inestimable treasures affirming that they who had been so loyal vnto God would be most faythfull also and loyall vnto him O that your Princely WisdoÌ„ would imitate herin the Father whose soÌ„ne you worthily praise set before your Royall eyes as a president to behould in the supreme Gouernement of your Soueraigne Estate I would to God you would as you may securely make the like account of such coÌ„stant Recusants who vpon iust feare of offending God forbeare to yield in points of Faith to the lawes of meÌ„ I would their Dutifull Hearts were so well knowne vnto your Highnes as their cause deserueth Then with that famous Constantius you would might iustly esteeme theÌ„ as the true Friends of God Souldiers of Christ Treasures of your Kingdome Suppliants for safety surest Guards of your Crown and Scepter In whose persons I humbly prostrate my selfe at your Maiesties féete beseeching the diuine Maiesty so to prosper your earthly Raygne as after many happy yeares of peaceable gouernement you may passe from this Transitory to his Eternall Kingdome Your Maiesties most humble and deuoted Subiect S. N. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER I Haue often heard this principle recorded by Aristotle much celebrated amongst Deuines Quierrat ad pauca respicit He that erreth looketh into few thinges Which A principle of Aristotle notably verified in our moderne ProtestaÌ„ts learned axiome of so graue a Philosopher the temerity of Protestants teacheth to be true For they with partiall eye haue regard to few thinges when in matters of fayth abandoning al autenticall proofes and argumentes of credibility renouncing so many
c. he maketh this comment The holy virgin seemeth no lesse spitefully to restraine the power of God then before Zacharias did c. Neither ought wee to labour much to free her froÌ„ all vice I omit how he termeth many other Saintes Goblins or Night-ghostes shaddowes Butchers and beasts The filthines I haue already discouered is more then inough to iustifye our Maiesties prohibition Aegidius Hunnius in libro cui titulus inscribitur Caluinus iudaizans c. Illiricus in defens confess Aug. c. 7. Osian in Enchirid. cont Caluin c. 7. pag. 198. of such diuelish workes and to terrifie all Christians from reading of them which men of his owne sect if Protestantes combine in one secte haue already detested proscribed as full of Iudaisme Arianisme and other most execrable heresies whereof Aegidius Hunnius a Lutheran doctour and professour of diuinity in the vniuersity of Wittenberg hath printed a booke whose title beginneth thus Caluinus Iudaizans c. Caluin Iudaizing or playing the Iewe and Illiricus a prime sectary of their profession giueth testimony that Caluins liturgie is defiled not with one only sacriledge that it hath carried innumerable soules into eternall perdition Luke Osiander another Protestant confuting certaine assertions of the Caluinists calleth them a gulfe whirlepoole or hell of Caluinian doctrine Besides these Lutherans Castalio a Sacramentary Humfred de rat interpret l. 1. pag. 26. much commended by M. Doctour Humfrey so farre abhorreth the opinion of Caluin in feigning God to be the authour of sinne damnation in the reprobate as he distinguisheth that supposed God of Castal in l. ad Calu. de praedestin Caluin from the true God described in the scripture his wordes are these The false God that is the God which Caluin frameth to himself is slowe to mercy See the iudgment of Protestants coÌ„cerning Caluins holding God to be the Authour of sinne and daÌ„nation prone to anger who hath created the grâ—atest parte of the world to destruction and hath predestinate them not only to damnation but also to the cause of damnatioÌ„ Therefore he hath decreed from all eternity and he will haue it so he doth bring it to passe that they necessarily sinne so that neither theftes nor murders nor adulteries are comitted but by his constraint impulsion For he suggesteth vnto men euill dishonest affections not only by permission but effectually that is by drawing them to such affections doth harden them in such sorte that when they perpetrate euill they doe rather the worke of God then their owne he maketh the deuill a lier so that nowe not the deuill but the God of Caluin is the Father of lies But that God which the holy scriptures teach is altogeather contrary to this God of Caluin c. Imediatly after for the true God came to destroy the worke of that Caluinian God these two Gods as they are by nature contrary one to another so they beget and bring forth children of contrary dispositions to wit that God of Caluin children without mercy proud c. Hither to Castalio To whom I add the like censure of Stancarus a ProtestaÌ„t also of no smal fame who writing to Caluin saluteth him thus VVhat diuell Stancarus cont Calu. K. 4. Vide etiam lib. de Tri. K. 8. O Caluin hath seduced thee to speake with Arius against the sonne of God that thou mightst proclaime him to be depriued of his glory now to intreate to haue it giuen him as though he had not alwayes had it That Antichrist of the North whome thou doest impudently adore Melancthon the Grammarian hath done this At length he concludeth with this earnest admonitioÌ„ Beware O Christian Reader especially all you Ministers beware of the books of Caluin and principally in the articles of the Trinity Incarnation Mediatour the sacrament of Baptisme predestination For they containe wicked doctrine Arian blasphemyes In so much as the spirit or soule of burned Seruetus may seem according to the Platonists to haue entred into Caluin So he Whose caueat or serious admonition togeather with the prohibition of our Soueraigne censures of Gods Church will be a warning I hope to my dearest Countrymen to abhorre the writtings of that AriaÌ„ Seruetian Iudaicall Simonian Manichean Sectary whome Heauen and Earth God and Man Cathelikes and Protestants Lutherans and Sacramentaryes iustly condemne of such hatefull impietyes THE PROEME THE most sublime and weighty subiect of this present Discourse is of such importance as it is the principall ground on which dependeth the whole decision of all other debatable controuersies For the Church of God is as Epiphanius writeth the kinges high way by Epiphan haeres 85. which a man is sure to trauaile towardes the truth And Eusebius Emissenus The fayth of the Catholik church useb or Eucherius hom 2. de Symbolo is sayth he the light of our soule the gate of life the ground of euerlasting saluation whosoeuer forsaketh this doth follow his owne head as a most bad guide whosoeuer doth thinke that by his owne wit and vnderstanding he can attaine to the secrets of supernaturall misteryes he Origen ho. 8. in Liuit tract 29. 30. in Matth. hom 6. in Ezech. Iren. l. 3. c. 3 4. Augu. in psal 103. l. 7. cont Crescon c. 33. ep 118. Field in his epist dedicatory before his first booke doth iust like vnto him who without a foundation would build a house or letting passe the doore would enter by the roofe or like vnto him who in a dark night going without a lanterne doth with closed eyes cast himselfe headlong into a deep dungeon Origen Irenaeus S. Augustine inculcate the same In so much as M Field ingenuously auoucheth There is no part of heauenly knowledg more necessary then that which concerneth the Church For seeing the controuersies of Religion in our tyme are growne in number so many and in nature so intricate that few haue tyme and leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them what remayneth for men desirous of satisfaction in things of such consequence but diligently to search out which among all the societyes of men in the world is that blessed company of holynes that houshould of faith that spouse of Christ Church of the liuing God which is the pillar and ground â—f truth tâ—at so they may imbrace her communion folâ—ow her directions and rest in her iudgments I would to God al Protestants would yield to the aduise of this Protestant writer in seeking and adhering to the true Church which that they may the easier doe I addresse this Treatise vnto them wherein I will first lay open what the Church is and who are of it Then that it is one visible apparant neuer hidden or obscure That it cannot faile or erre That it is the mistresse of fayth or supreme iudge of all our spirituall debates That no saluation can be hoped out of it
Lastly that there be certaine markes wherby it may be infallibly known By all which I wil manifestly decipher the RomaÌ„ Church spread through the world to be the only house of God and hauen of saluation no conuenticle of Protestants no assembly of sectaryes whatsoeuer This controuersy I should haue laid in the beginning as the corner stone or marblestay of al other disputs yet because the aduersary complayned of the aduantage we tooke in ouerswaying him still with the power of the Church and that we declined to enter within the listes of holy Writ I omitted to oppresse him with her authority vntill in other mayne questions I had giuen him the foyle by the testimonyes of scripture God of his infinite mercy giue him grace to see his errours and acknowledge his fault least by swelling pride and stubborne Isa 6. v. 9. Marc. 4. v. 12. rebellion he be forsaken with them who seeing saw not nor hearing vnderstood the embassye of life deliuered vnto them CHAP. I. Wherein is examined what the Church is and who are of it TO begin with the Etimologie of the Churches name euer fearefull and fatall to Heretiks the latin word Ecclesia a Churth is deriued from the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to call or assemble together because the members of the Church are called by God from infidelity to faith from errour to truth from impurity vncleanes to sanctification holines Whereupon S. Paul writeth to some of them by this title 1. Cor. 2. v. 2. to the sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saincts and S. Peter He that called you out of darcknes to an admirable lighte The end of this happie calling is to enrich vs here with the blessinges 1. Pet. 2. v. 8. of Christ to reward vs hereafter with the sight of his countenance with the glory of his king dome Both which the foresaid Apostles liuely expresse S. 1 Pet. 3. v. 9. 1. Tim. 6. v. 23. Peter Vnto this you are called that you may by inheritance possesse a benediction S. Paul to Timothy Fighte the good combate of Faith apprehend eternall life wherein thou art called Not that all who repaire vnto the Church arriue vnto this immortall happines but that it is the intent purpose of God to sett vs in the way direct vs thereunto when by him 1. Cor 1. v. 8. we are called as Paul saieth into the societie of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. Wherupon a great question heer ariseth betwen Ambr. in coÌ„m in c. 2. 2. Tim. Aug libel de haeres haer 88. Aug ibid. haer 69. l. 3. contra Parm. c. 2. VVicklif apud walden tom 1. l. 2. c 8. 9. Husse art 1. 2. 3. 5. 6. vt habetur in Concil Constant sess 15. VVhitak contro 2. q. 1. c. 3. Fulke in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 10. VVhitak contro 2. q. 1. c. 3. VVhitak contr 2 q 3. c. 3. Ibid. q. 1. c. 3. 4. 5. 6. cap. 7. Quaest 5. pag. 301. q. 1. c. 10. q. 3. cap. 3. fol. â—12 213. q 1. c. 6. 7. vs our aduersaries First what maketh vs of this society of the sonne of God for seeing the maine army of this selected company is so great as it filleth the whole world is dispersed throughout all natioÌ„s is distinguished by diuers languages lawes rites customes the chiefe difficulty is what linketh combineth them together in the band or family of Christ 2. The Nouatians taught as S. Ambrose noteth that is was entire purity which made this conuinction affirming the pure only and entirely iuste to be of the Church Of which opinion the Pelagians also were who required hereunto the full complement absolute perfection of all kind of such vertues vnto which by their labour industry they presumed to atteyne Secondly the Donatistes craued not so much they indeed exacted grace iustice receauing only the good and iust into the fold of Christ and excluding all grieuous sinners yet not the weake and imperfect as the former did Thirdly VVickliffe Iohn Husse desired neither complete sanctity nor any dram of inward grace but the outward election and predestination of God auouching all the predestinate none els to appertaine to the true Church which is the body of Christ Of this triple generation of prodigious broodes VVhitaker with whome Fulke seemeth to agree begettethone hideous monster formed composed of them all together saying The Catholique Church consisteth not of any wicked and reprobate but only of the elect iust holy predestinate Yet if you beleeue his wordes he differeth from the first opinion because he taketh neither iust men as the Nouitians nor perfect as the Pelagians for such as haue not their faultes imperfections he dissenteth from the second because he excludeth none once iustified by true beliefe let theÌ„s all into neuer so detestable crimes He varieth from the third because he requireth internall faith in the predestinate before they can be admitted into the lappe of the Church And then he cunningly complyeth with theÌ„ all againe affirming no faultes or imperfections to be imputed to the holy regenerate nor any grieuous crimes to be hurtefull to the iust or make them loose their iustice all the faith full to be righteous and iust and none truly faithfull but only the electe Thus he plaieth fast and loose and vseth many iugling trickes which I shall most plainly discouer hereafter 3. Nowe I declare that not the perfecte iuste and elect only but that the wicked reprobate and much more the imperfect are lodged in the house of God as S. Augustine largely prooueth by maÌ„y parables of holy scripture Aug. l. 3. c. 2. 9. 12. 28. contra Petil. Dona. post collat c 4. 6. Matth. 3. 13. 15. 25. 2. Tim. 2. where Christ speaking of his Church resembleth it to the floore of our Lord in which there is wheate chaffe To the net cast into the sea in which there be good and euill fishes To the kingdome of heauen in which there are wise foolish virgins To the Field in which the cockle groweth with the good seed vntill the haruest that is the wicked reprobate are mingled with the iuste vntill the end of the worlde To a great house wherin there be some vessels of honour some of contumely The Church of the Thessalonians the Church of the Corinthiains S. Paul acknowledgeth to be 2. Thess 3. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Cor. 1. 1. Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 3. VVhitak con 2. q. 1. 2. Fulke in c. 22. Matth. sect 2. August tract 6. in Ioan. Cypri l. 4. ep 2. Hieron in dial cont Lucifer Fulg. l. de fide ad Petra c. 43. true Churches in which there were some not withstanding walking inordinately some puffed with pride some contentious some iniuries fraudes some such fornication as was not to be heard of amongst Gentills M. VVhitaker
elect reprobat mingled together the inuisible only is composed of the elect iust holy See you not how this very distinction Many absurdities ensue of deuising two churches choaketh it selfe how one member fightetâ— diuers wayes against the other For first separate the elecâ— from the society of the reprobat to frame your inuisible you destroy the visible Church leaue them conioyne with the reprobat to make your visible the inuisiblâ— fayleth Secondly you grant I weene that the elect as thâ—â— liue vpon earth mingled with the reprobat raise the visible as they are seuered by imagination concurre to blinâ— the fabrick of the inuisible church Therefore your inuisible is meerely imaginary fained chimericall tâ—â— visible only the true and reall Church the true misticall body of Christ which is exercised heere in the warfare of this life Thirdly this you crosse againe and say the visible Church is no true Church but only as it contayneth the inuisible that is the sacred number of the elect who make no society and consequently no Church Fourthly the elect by this meanes are in two Churches in the visible and in the inuisible whereas the reprobate only are in the visible yet because their reprobation is as hidden as the others election why should not these make an inuisible assembly as well as they Fiftly when the elect are separated to mak your inuisible who remayneth in the visible but a rable of reprobate a rout of infidels and shall they compose your visible Church Shal Christs visible body on earth be wholy compacted of the reproued vessels members of Sathan O intricate confusioÌ„ which confoundeth also me in rehearsing it O monstruous paradoxes which implyeth so many contradictions â—â—â—any absurdityes against which if I should cite the â—â—thorityes of the Fathers I should neuer make an end They all iointly praise magnify and extoll one visible and Catholike Church one and the same whose prerogatiue we belieue and fellowship must imbrace the same by whose preaching we must be born by whose spirit we liue S. Cyprian the glorious Bishop and Martyr Cypr. de vnit Eccl. sayth One Mother there is by the fecundity of her issue copious and fertile by her increase we are borne with her milke we are nourithed we are animated with her spirit The spouse of Christ cannot play the aduoutresse she is immuculate and vndefiled she knoweth one house she keepeth with chast bashfulnes the sanctity of one bed This Church preserueth vs in God this aduanceth to the kingdome the children she hath brought forth whosoeuer diuided from the Church cleaueth to the aduoutresse is separated from the promises of the Church 7. S. Augustine also often auerreth That the true Catholique Church conteyneth in it good and bad reprobate elect That the kingdom of Christ is but one one great citty one mountain comprehending the whole world The authority sayth he of the Catholike Church c. iâ— establiâ—hed vntill this day by the line of Bishops succeeding one another Aug. cont Faust l. 11. c. 2. and by the consent of so many people By which succession consent and power of miracles he testifieth that he is held in Catholica Ecclesia in the Catholik Church Then that the whole multitude of belieuers gathered togeather by miracles is the Catholike August cont epist Funda c. 3. 4. Aug. de vtil credendi c. 16. Church Therefore the Catholike Church is the same whose succession is visible propagation visible consent visible miracles visible multitude visible and which it selfe is also visible the same is the Catholike Church which we belieue and visible multitude to which we ought to linke in fellowship communion which appeareth so cleare in M. Fields sight howsoeuer those his former Coronels VVhitaker and Fulke were blinded with the contrary as he writeth thus VVe say that all they are of Field in his first booke of the Church c. 2. fol. 23. the Church that outwardly hold the fayth of Christ and that that society wherein the sincere outward profession of the truth of God is preserued is that true Church of God whose communion we must imbrace that happy mother in whose womb we are conceaued with whose milke we are nourished and to whose censures we must submit our selues After assigning diuers considerations of the Church some different conditions of her members he addeth Notwithstanding all which differences for that they all concurre in the same holy profession and vse of the same happy meanes of saluation they make one holy Catholike Church in which only the light of heauenly truth is to be sought So he flying the noueltye of his first Reformers and varying from them in a Field dissentethfroÌ„ Whitaker in apoint fundamental point fundamentall for what more substantiall variance then to differ about the Church we ought to belieue as an article of fayth About the Catholike Church in which the happy meanes of saluation are only to be found Whether that be visible or inuisible 8. Peraduenture some will excuse M. Whitaker that he meaneth not that the true Church should be wholy inuisible not seene to any but so latent scattered and compounded of so few as they can hardly be discerned amongst them selues much lesse to strangers enemyes VVhitak contr 2 q. 2. c. 1. But this excuse will not couer his fault For VVhitaker auoucheth that indeed but of the visible not of the Catholike Church he flatly protesteth the whole Catholike VVhitak ibidem q. 3. c. 1. fol. 178. Fulke in c. 5. Matth. sect 3. iâ— 2. Thess 2. sect 5. Sparkes in his answer to M. Iohn D. Albins pag. 54. 126. Church to be inuisible both militant triumphant The visible also sayth he may sometyme consist of a fâ—w and they scattered obscure vnknowne who hide themselues in corners Which although M. Field stoutly gainesayth as shal be declared yet because Fulke Sparkes and others vphold the same to vnderproppe the paper walles of their new founded Synagogue it will not be labour lost to conuince the falsity thereof CHAP. III. In which is declared that the true visible Church is apparently knowne and famous to the world against D. Whitaker D. Fulke and D. Sparkes THE first authours and beginners of ProtestaÌ„cy departing from the known band and vnity of Gods people vpon earth and not finding any predecessours or mantayners of their new hatched fictions to whome they should lincke and conioyne themselues in profession not finding any Countrey Prouince Citty Village Temple or Oratory who communicateth with them infayth seruice publique sacraments wretchedly imagined besides their Catholike and wholy inuisible Church another visible assembly of faythfull belieuers who are some so hidden as they are not knowne to D. VVhit contro 2. q. 3. cap. 1. f. 178. 179. VVhitak aduâ— Duâ— p. 274. D. Sparks in his answer to M. Io. d'Albin p 54. 126. Fulke in c. 5. Matt. sect 3. 2. Thess
pressed as they know not â—hat to say or whither to turne I appeale to the whole â—â—ditory whether this was not the summe of his reply â—â—d whether he did not heereupon abruptly end cease â— proceed any further with much disgust of the standers â— and small satisfaction to his owne fellow Ministers â—ho came to assist him Howbeit seeing both VVhitaker â— Reynolds distinguish in the same manner as Barbon hath â—â—one and often affirme that the Church may slide in to â—â—rours of probation not of damnation curable not inâ—â—rable I will a little further lay open the falsity of that â—istinction And first I would haue theÌ„ tell me what these â—urable errours be Grosse and fundamentall such as canâ—ot stand with the principles of faith or sleight and indifferent such as do not preiudice the integrity thereof â—â— such We need not for the attayning of saluation be cured of them we may without losse of Gods fauour heere or heereafter perseuere vnto death incurably in them In which case your new Ghospell was needles your outcryes slanderous your breach detestable in making so execrable a schisme diuision from vs for slender matters not necessary to saluation Grosse then and fundamental they be of which we shal be certainely healed before we dye therefore M. Whitaker affirmeth the Church may for a tyme erre in some foundations yet be safe or souÌ„d A crabbed saying for fayth must be entiere or els it is no fayth therefore if the beliefe of the Church be fayling in any one foundation it is no way sound but wholy erres in fayth as M. VVhitaker not many lines before directly auoucheth If any fundamentall point of doctrine be remoued the Church presently falleth A true speach howbeit most contrary and repugnant to the former And yet it is impossible for the Church euer to be ruined impossibly to perish or depart from God at any tyme or moment as hath beene disputed in the former Chapter Therfore impossible â—â— her to be ensnared in any substantiall or fundamental eâ—rour 5. Besides if curable errours be fundamentall whâ— be incurable What greater then fundamentall Or hâ—â— can any be counted incurable when there is none â— damnable which may not be cured by the salue of gracâ— When we dayly see that Arianisme Iudaisme Turcisâ—â— Apostacy Infidelity c. often cured with help from â—boue No errour there is which may not be cured by grace Are they incurable out of which the Church caâ— neuer be recouered But of this neuer Heretique as yâ—â— made question The Donatists who contended that thâ— whole Church crred and perished before their dayes saiâ— it reuiued againe and tooke life in them and so do all heretiks or sectaryes whosoeuer challenge a recouery of the decayed Church But what do I striue against meere fancyes All the arguments I haue heere proposed manifestly conclud that the true Church of Christ is neuer obnoxious to any errour at all little or great curable or incurable necessary or not necessary to saluation For she teacheth Why the Church can fall into no errour curable or incurable all truth the spirit and wordes of God are alwayes in her mouth She is a pure virgin and cannot be stayned with any spot of vnchast doctrine she is alwayes directed by the holy Ghost we are commanded by God alwayes to giue care vnto her But as we can be led into no offense smal nor grieuous materiall nor formal culpable nor inculpable into nothing dissonant or repugnant vnto truth by imbracing the direction or following ProtestaÌ„ts are eÌ„trapped in their own affertions holding the true Church may erre and yet themselus certain of truth the commandment of truth it self so we can tumble into no errour little or great curable or incurrable by following the direction or safe conduct of the Church And truely I wonder at this witch craft of Sathan how he should perswade our miserable sectaryes that they alone haue the purity of the Ghospell the certainty of the spirit the true reformed Church and yet to teach them withall that the true Church may erre For how can they be sure themselues do not erre in their fayth and in appeaching vs of so many superstitioÌ„s if their Church may erre How can their followers be sure they are taught â— truth if their teachers themselues confesse they may â— O drunken heresy O malicious blindnes art thou â—ereft of the light of reason and drowned in the pit of â—lful darknes as to produce no better witnesses for the â— of ours and rising of thy Church then such as may â—e such as may lye and beguile the people S. Augustine Aug. in psal 63. v. 7. â— braydeth the Iewes for labouring to disproue our Saâ—ours resurrection with sleeping watchmen And shall â—t I reuile our Lutheran or Caluinian strumpet for inâ—ing vs of sundry falshoodes by the verdict of errable â—inisters deceauable Reformers Who graunt they may â— blinded with curable errours Of such errours we acâ—se them in all points wherein they disagree from vs â—e proue them guilty by the word of God doome of anâ—â—quity and vniuersall Senate of all the faithfull who â—â—nnot erre Let them by the like Iury acquit themselues â—â—fense their doctrine with the like authority or els in â—â—ine do they bragge of verity or exclaime against our â—â—perstitious abuses Will they runne to the authority of Scripture But either they are infallibly assisted by the holy Ghost neuer to mistake or interprete it amisse and then their Church can neuer erre neither curably nor incurably which they deny or they may sometyme swarue from the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost they may fall into the curable errours of which we attach them and so are condemned by their owne mouthes for insufficient witnesses or accusers of vs. To go one Iren. l. 3. c. 4. 40. l. 1. c. 3. Hier. l. 3. adue Ruf. c. 8. in fine Cypr. epist 55. ad Cornel. Aug. de vnit Eccl. c. 28. 6. As the scripturs before mentioned so the ancient Fathers aboundantly testify the inerrable rule of the true Churches beliefe S. Irenaeus sayth The Apostles haue layd vp in the church as in a rich treasure all truth that he that will may from thence draw the water of life Likewise She keepeth with most sincere diligence the Apostles fayth and preaching In her sayth Saint Hierome is the rule or square of truth The Church sayth S. Cyprian neuer departeth from that which she once hath knowne S. Augustine Behould how after the same sort he addeth of the body which is the Church that he may not permit vs to erre neither in the bridegroome nor in the bride In another place he affirmeth Aug. tom 2. ep 166. fol. 290. that our heauenly Maister forewarneth vs to auoyd schismes In so much as he maketh the people secure of euill gouernourâ— least for them the chayer of holesome doctrine should be forsaken â— which euen
with the Apostle That neither fornicatours nor seruers of idolls nor aduowtrers c. shall possesse the kingdome of God So it is no presumption or defect in vs but zeale of Gods honour loue of soules so dearely purchased with the bloud of Christ to giue the same warning iudgment of those who run into schisme heresy or any sect whatsoeuer seeing they are reckoned by the mouth of the same Apostle in the number of such as are excluded heauen The workes of the flesh saith he are manifest fornication vncleanes c. seruing of idolls c. dissentions sectes c. which I foretell you as I haue fortold you that they which doe such thinges shall not obtayne the kingdome of God Marke them thâ—â— make dissensions and scandalls contrary to the doctrine which you haue learned and auoyd them for such doe not serue Christ our Lord. A man that is an heretike after the first and second admonition auoyd knowing that he that is such an one is subuerted and sinneth being condemned by his owne iudgment In which case it skilleth not with what heresy he be infected as S. Cyprian intimated to Antonianus curiously demanding to know the heresyes Cypr epist 502. which Nouatianus taught No matter quoth he what heresyes he hath or teacheth when he teacheth without that is out of the schoole of Gods holy Church In the same case his morall life modest carriage chastity prayer or almes deeds auayleth him nothing to the gayning of heauen as you may read in these wordes of Saint Augustine Let vs sayth he suppose a man to be chast continent not couetous not seruing Aug. l. 4. con Dona. c. 8. Constituaâ—us aliqueÌ„ c. idols ministring hospitality to the needy enemy to none not contentious patient quiet emulating none enuying none sober frugall but yet an heretike truly no man maketh doubt but for this alone that he is an heretike he shall not possesse the kingdome of God 16. My aduersaryes perehance will reply That they are not to be accounted Heretikes because they do not with contumacy defend any falshood nor stubbornely deny any knowne truth But I answere that they are not only heretiks who with pertinacy maintayne their peruerse and â—rased opinions but such as doubt wauer or call in question any matters of fayth such as willfully follow the heresy of others such as slouthfully deferre or fearefully put of the imbracing of truth when it is sufficiently opened and proposed vnto them Al these if not in the strict acception or outward bench of the Church yet in the inward Court and chancery of conscience are attainted for the crime of heresy and for such arraigned before the face of God Neuertheles let it be although it be very hard that some few may quit themselues from the imputation of that horrible cryme yet if they once commit any other mortall sinne into which they fall so often as Fulke auerreth That there is no man which liueth Fulke in c. 3. Apo. sect 2. after Baptisme but he committeth sinne worthy of death euery day they cannot receaue forgiuenes out of the bosome of the Church There only are left the Sacraments of reconciliation the conduits of grace the salues for sinnes medecines for our soules which whosoeuer refuseth to participate is iustly depriued of all celestiall fauours not for his heresy but for other offences he hath incurred 17. Let no man therefore of what sect soeuer feed himselfe with the hopefull solace or expectation of blisse who hauing heard of the true Catholike fayth is negligent in searching finding it out or hauing found it out doth not sincerely imbrace and intirely belieue euery braunch and point thereof or belieuing euery point doth not also communicate in outward profession and participation of Sacraments with the members of that Church or communicating with them flying the society of all others doth not renew his life in sanctification and holynes in the pursuite of vertue and hatred of vice as the diuine precepts of God and lawes of his Church direct and teach him These be the steps of Iacobs ladder by which only we ascend to the mount of heauen and whosoeuer slippeth from any one of them slideth downe to the bottome of hell CHAP. X. Wherein is disproued the false Markes which Protestants alleadge to find out the Church Against D. Whitaker and M. White Bâ—CAVSE the true Church is the holy sanctuary of God and only port of saluation out of which none can escape the gulfes of sinne billowes of dissention and miserable shipwracke of eternall perdition therore all Sectaryes make to this harbour of rest all challenge to themselues as Lactantius noteth to be the true flocke of Christ The waspes sayth Tertullian make hony combes and the Marcionists Churches To Lact. l. 4. c. 10. which purpose they commonly describe that heauenly campe by such generall or hidden signes as euery one may pretend a like clay me vnto it Such is M. Whitakers Tertu l. 4. con Marc. and our Protestants fraud who delineate set it forth by these two markes By the sincere preaching of the word and lawfull administration of Sacraments And what Heretike is Cont. 2. q. 5. cap. 17. fol 489. there or euer hath beene who doth not vaunt of these The Anabaptists now a dayes the Brownists The Arians Nestorians giue out that they alone haue the true preaching of the word administration of Sacraments which they all proue by testimonyes of Scripture by conference of places and by the in ward motion as they are perswaded of the holy Ghost as good Recordes as any Protestant Minister can bring for the truth which VVhitak contr 2. q. 5. cap. 18. he preacheth yet if they be deceaued by false perswasion if they abuse the Scriptures as VVhitaker often answereth may not we iustly suspect the like abuse in him 2. Secondly the signe ought to be more knowne The signe ought to be more knowne to vs theÌ„ the thing it signeth and not only Natura notius then the thing signed because by discerning that I must come to the knowledge of this but the true preaching of the word is more secret and vnknowne then the Church it selfe Therefore it cannot be a marke to descry the Church vnto vs. And when VVhitaker replyeth That the purity of doctrine is more hidden to vs yet more knowne in it selfe or more knowne in the nature of the thing he rather fortifyeth then weakneth the force of my argument For that which must be a signe to vs to discouer the vnknowne Church must be more sensibly knowne and apparant to D. VVhit contro 2. q. 5. c. 18. f. 500. vs or els we may seeke long inough before it lead vs to the knowledg therof VVhitaker denyeth my consequence because to espy the Church Is not sayth he the knowledge of sense but of fayth it appertayneth not to the eye of the body but to the eye of the
mind that is to fayth What shall I call this treacherous VVhitak ibidem fol. 501. or foolish dealing to answere one thing wheÌ„ another is demanded we now dispute of the sensible markes to discouer the visible Church of such markes as may be seene and perceaued by sense and not of the act of fayth or thing belieued wholy in that respect inuisible and obscure because fayth according to the Apostles definition Is the argument of thinges not appearing Which Hebr. 11. v. 1. to confound with the precedent motiues inducing vs to accept these thinges as the misteryes of beliefe is knauish treachery or notorious folly For as the naturall reasons which the Philosopher alleadgeth to perswade the Atheist there is a God are not the thing he belieueth or obiect of his fayth but as it were the outward Ambassâ—dours he vseth to winne him to accept that first ground of beliefe so the visible signes which leade vs to the knowledge of the Church are not reuealed articles imbraced by fayth but the forerunning messengers which The outward markes which leade vs to the Church must be apparaot to sense propose vnto vs that article of belieue They appertaine to the eye of the body to the manifest feeling and touch of sense or els they could be no signes at all to giue notice vnto vs of a true visible and sensible Church 3. M. VVhite harpeth vpon another string but with as false a stroake as VVhitaker For he teacheth Faith is the cause of the Church and therefore more knowne then the Church it selfe c. as euery cause is more apparant to our vnderst anding and better knowne to our iudgment then the effect I graunt that faith is the cause of the Church but that causes are more apparant VVhite in his way to the church §. 26. fol. 112 113. VVhitak loc citat to vs imprisoned in a Cottage of earth wintered amongst the cloudes of sense then their effects is euidently false contradicted by VVhitaker disproued also by many experiences of the eclipse of the Moone of the ebbing and flowing of the sea of the Remora his hindering the course of a ship and of a thousand such naturall effectes whose causes are vnknowne from whence the knowledge of Philosophy had her first being For many learned men woundring at these and the like effects began to search out the hidden causes and reasons of theÌ„ And what Is Aristotle of another mind whome M. VVhite VVhite in the same place so boldly quoteth as countenancing his absurdity I am fully assured he hath not so much as any sillable sounding that way For he distinguisheth two kind of knowledges one in respect of vs the other in the nature of the Aristotle no where teacheth causes to be more knowne to vs then their effects as White falsifyeth him thing in it selfe that is the thing in the perfection of his owne nature is more intelligible although by reason of our imbecility we cannot reach vnto it Thus Aristotle in the very places obiected by VVhite only teacheth that causes are both before their effects and better knowne to wit in nature but not to vs not to our vnderstanding not to our iudgment as he wretchedly applyeth and abuseth his wordes whether of malice or of ignorance I will not iudge but although he had beene wholy vnacquainted and ignorant in Aristotle yet VVhitaker his maister who affirmeth the same and with the same distinction as Aristotle doth might haue taught him the truth if some euill humour had not possessed his hart 4. Thirdly the true preaching of the word and doctrine of saluation is the very being it selfe or essence of the Church it is the only thing we require in searching it out Wherefore to assigne that for a marke is to delude the seeker and to giue the substance as a figne of ProtestaÌ„tâ— markes meer collusions the thing required For example if a stranger should demand where the Mayor of the Citty or chiefest Magistrate lodgeth Were it not a mockery to say Where he dwelleth who hath the whole command of the towne or were the stranger any whit the neerer by this reply No more is any Protestant the neer of finding the Church by these her essentiall Markes which doe not openly appeare or shine in her forehead but are closely hidden in her secret bowells For so S. Augustine sayth That truth remayneth Aug. in psal 57. in the wombe or bosome of the Church as all essences are couched vnder the veyles of accidents by vs who borrow our knowledge from outward senses must needs be vnderstood before we vnderstand the natures themselues Therfore we must first repaire to the Church before we can find the truth inclosed therein 5. M. VVhite admitteth with S. Augustine that true faith is in closed in the bosome of the Church but as a VVhite in his way to the true Church §. 28. fol. 118. 119. light saith he in a watch tower as a candle standing in a lanterne which by it owne light can guid vs infallibly to the Church c. as the firmament is seene by the light of the sun though it self hold out the sun vnto vs These be his examples as farre wide from his purpose as he from sincerity in alleaging of them For the light manifesteth it self without the help of the tower the sun vseth not the working of the firmament to cast forth his beames They both doe naturally shine and giue light vnto vs the truth not so that cannot be seene vnles it be manifested opened by the Church Faith is Rom. 10. v. 17. Psal 118. v. 130. by hearing heard it cannot be without it be vttered vttered it must be by the Preachers of the Church the Preachers then are they that giue notice of the Truth Therefore the Royall Prophet doth not say that Gods truth of it self but that the declaration opening of his words illuminateth and giueth vnderstanding Againe By the light we discouer the parts of the tower by the sun the firmament quite coÌ„trary in our case for we arriue not first by beames of faith to take notice of our preachers but by our preachers we are instructed in all pointes of faith which order of proceeding is manifestly expressed by the Prophet Isay speaking Isa 2. v. 3. in the person of such as trauaile to learne the truth Come let vs go vp to the mount of our Lord to the house of the God of Iacob he will teach vs his wayes c. Loe they first knew the mount of the Church to which they ascended and knew it to be the mount of our Lord the house of the God of Iacob and then were taught and instructed in his lawes The spleÌ„dour of the Church guided them to the light of truth not her reuealed light to know the Church For this cause our Sauiour termed his Apostles their successors not the towers or houses only which hold bâ—
opening the window as VVhite imagineth deliuer vs this ligot but he termeth them the candles themselues lights of the world VVhite in the place before cited Matt. 5. v. 14. VVhite as before which guide enlighten vs in the heauenly path of true beleefe Wherefore if a light vpon a watch tower in the darcke night may according to White be the only marke whereby to find the tower the doctours Pastours of Christ which our Sauiour auoucheth to be his glorious lights shining in the darke night of this world must by Whites owne allusion be the only marks to find out the faith of Christ They to whome Cornelius to whome S. Paul called from heauen to whome all the ignorant are perpetuall sent by the voyce of God to learne the truth of his doctrine Act. 10. v 5. 6. Act. 9. v. 7. 17. way of his commaundements 6. Fourthly either the sincere preaching of the word in some particuler points is sufficient to descry the Church or it is necessary it be sincere in all pointes of faith both VVhitaker VVhite agree that it must be sincere in al fundameÌ„tal VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. cap. 17. VVhite in his way to the true Church §. points necessary to saluatioÌ„ because diuers heretical conuenticles haue the sincere preaching in some particulers either of Trinity Incarnation Passion or ResurectioÌ„ of Christ yet that sufficeth not therefore it ought to be sincere in all But how shall the ignorant be assured what Church it is which is pure in all these articles who doe not vnderstand the articles themselues neither which be fundamentall nor how many nor wherein the chief foundation of euery article consisteth as necessary to saluation How shall they for example be certeinly perswaded whether the Protestant sect syncerely teacheth the article of imputatiue iustice of originall sinne of predestination of many such in which diuerse learned men haue fowly erred strayed from the truth They I say who cannot examine these pointes by the analogie of holy writ or if they can are not able to iudge of the verity of such deep vnsearchable misteries what course shall they take beleeue their ministers who confesse they may deceaue them beleeue their priuat spirit who haue no meanes in this case to make triall of it whether it accord or disagree from the rule of faith M. Field hath set downe a prudent course which if his owne followers would now embrace we might ioyne handes Field in his epistle dedicatory before his first book tâ—gether concerning this point Seeing the coÌ„trouersies of religioÌ„ in our time are growne in number so many in nature so intricat that few haue time leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them what remayneth for men desirous of satisfaction in thinges of such consequence but diligently to search out which amongst Iren. l. 3. c. 3. 4. Lact. l. 4. diuin insti cap. vlt. Ambr. ep 32. ad Imper ValeÌ„t Aug. de vtilit credend c. 37. VVhite in his way to the church §. 26. fol. 119. Augu. in psal 57. all the societies of men in the world is that blessed company of holy ones that houshold of faith that spouse of Christ Church of the liuing God which is the pillar ground of truth that so they may embrace her communion follow her directions and rest in her iudgment Hither to he I might produce the words of S. Irenaeus Lactantius S. Ambrose and S. Augustine who exhorte vs also to repaire to the Catholique Church to beleeue her to set vp our rest in her and from her Maisters and teachers to learne the truth 7. But VVhite obiecteth the authority of the same S. Augustine seeming to teach the contrary when he sayeth By the face of truth I knâ—w Christ the truth it self By the face of truth I know the Church pertaker of the truth So he perfidiously translateth S. Austines words detorteth his meaning from the scope of his discourse For S. Augustine disputing against them who confined the Church within the borders of Africa proueth out of the holy Scriptures out of the word of God and authour of truth that it is vniuersally spread ouer all the earth After this he inferreth out of the mouth of truth not as he treacherously englisheth it by the face of truth I know Christ the truth it self out of the mouth of truth I know the White falsly traÌ„slateth S. Augustins wordes Church pertaker of the truth that is as by the cleere testimonyes of the word of God I know Christ the truth it self so by the like cleere testimonyes do I know the vniuersality of the thurch partaker of the truth which the donatistes denyed This one property of the Church he learned from the mouth of truth not the true Church it selfe from the pure preaching of the word in all necessary points of faith as White misconstrueth his meaning For S. Augustine expresly teacheth some few leaues after that Christ himself the foundation and ground of all consequently his Incarnation his death Passion cannot Christum ignoret necesse est qui Ecclesiam eius nescit in qua sola cognosi potest Aug. in psal 69. be known but by the Church It is necessary saith he he be ignorant of Christ who is ignorant of his Church in which only he may be knowne Therefore the notice of the Church leadeth vs to the knowledge of Christ and not e contra especially seeing we cannot rightly spell the words and tel the sense of scripture nor know that scriptures are nor vnderstand and beleeue what is signifyed by the name of Christ vnles we were first instructed by the Church 8. Lastly if before we come to the knowledge of the Church we must learne her faith why do wee after seeke to the Church when we haue already obteyned the treasure of truth for which we sought vnto her if before we geue credit to the Church we must examine her doctrine whether it be true or false if before we accept her interpretation of scripture we must try whether it agree with the sense and connexion of the self same scripture if after such collation and diligent conference we may lawfully renounce or follow the Church whereinsoeuer we deeme it sutable or disagreeable to the written word we must be examiners and iudges both of the Church and Scripture priuate men must censure publique vnlearned sheep controle their Pastours the â—reatest and a city confusion and absurdity that can be imagined VVhite in his way to the church §. 30. fol. 127. which yet is nothing the lesse by VVhites colouring of it and saying that They examine and iudge not by their owne priuate humours but by the publike word of God which in the Scripture speaketh Or as he sayth in another place By the spirit of God in the scripture because his spirit his publike Idem § 27 fol. 116. word speaking in the Scripture
which peruerted as they falsly auouch the very foundations themselues of Christian religioÌ„ They answere that the stiffe professours and maynteyners of Popery were not the true Church but a daungerous and wicked saction tyrannyzing ouer mens consciences A disease a contagion outwardly cleaning to the Church or breeding as a gangrene within and corrupting the pure doctrine but by a little and little vnder which faction notwithstanding and even in the midest thereof the true Church continued In which manner say they the Church was in the papacy but the papacy was not the Church 2. This is their last most deceiptful mask by which they thinke to duske mens eyes and amaze their wittes with disguised wordes when they cannot satisfy their Aug. l. de bapt cont Donat. ca. 6. 7. consciences with any substantiall answere for although the contagion of the papacy by little and little corrupted the pure doctrine yet it came to be deadly and damnable according to them in diuers points for many yeares ago Whereupon I dispute although not altogeather with the same wordes yet with the same force of reason as Saint Augustine doth agaynst the Donatistes When that contagion or the Roman errours came to be deadly eyther they contaminated the Church or did not contaminate it Choose which of these you will say they contaminated An vnauoydable dilemma coÌ„cluding agaynst Protestants it that is defiled it with such hereticall and blasphemous doctrine as could not stand with the being thereof the Church hath perished as Saint Augustine inferreth Christs promise hath fayled there was no meanes left for you to be propagated or new borne in Christ no meanes of catechizing or instructing you Say they defiled not the Church neyther could they haue defiled you by remayning in it why then did you separate your selues from August in same place it Why erected you an Altar agaynst the Altar of the world Why with the sacriledge of most haynous schisme presumed you to diuide the vnity of the Church How cometh it to passe that whilest by shunning the small faultes Aug. ibid. which your selues do faygne you runne into the sacriledge of schisme more grieuous then all other faultes For is not this sacrilegious and schismaticall diuision to preach new doctrine to minister Field in his third book of the Church ca. 6. 7. fol. 72. 73. 74. 75. new Sacraments and not to participate with your mother Church in fayth and communion 3. Both Mayster Field and White make answere that the errours of the Roman Church defiled not the whole but some part of Christs mystical body as a canker which corrupteth not the whole but some part of mans flesh after which manner they call it a faction a disease VVhite in his way to the true Chu §. 45. § 50. In his defence of the same chap. 44. pag. 420. The Protestants caÌ„not say they communicated with the Papacy which infected the papacy but not the Church and so pretend that they haue separated themselues from the coÌ„tagious faction not from the true Church But they still walke in mystes out of which we must leade them with this second dilemma Eyther the true Church whose Society our Protestants challenge did so continue with the papacy as it participated with it in sacrifice and Sacraments in publike faith and open communion Or did not participate but made a Church by it selfe mynistring Sacraments and preaching the word apart from the Papists If it participated with that preuayling faction they were contaminated with their heresies defiled with their errours and so the papacy was not only a contagion outwardly cleaning to the Church or infecting it in part but inwardly canckering and corrupting the whole all â—ere made partakers of her disease who openly admitted and professed her doctrine 4. Agayne if the Protestant Church communicated with the Papacy and submitted her selfe to the tyranny of her faction at least for feare and in outward shew howsoeuer they belieued aright in their inward harts they were all eyther hypocrites or base dissemblers all open idolaters and deniers of Christ they were all depriued Luc. 9. v. 26. Rom. 10. vers 10. of the meanes of saluation For he that shal be ashamed of me and of my wordes him the Son of man shal be ashamed of when he shall come in his maiesty And with the hart we belieue to iustice with the mouth confession is made to saluation Which as I haue already confirmed by the testimony of Caluin so now I Field l. 1. c. 10 fo 1â— strengthen with the authority of M. Field Seeing sayth he the Church is the multitude of them that shal be saued and no man can be saued vnlesse he make confession vnto saluation for Faith hid in the hart and concealed doth not suffice It cannot be but they that are of the true Church must by the profession of the truth make themselues knowne in such sort that by their profession practise they may be discerned from other men So he 5. Moreouer if the true Church of the elect did communicat with the Papacy in preaching of the word and administration of Sacraments from Saint Gregory the great till Luthers dayes for almost a thousand yeares space eyther the Papacy it selfe was the true Church or Christ had all that while no true Church no spouse vpon earth because the true Church cannot possible be without the true preaching of the word and administration of Sacraments which are euen in our aduersaryes opinion the essentiall markes and properties of the Church and where they cease the Church according to them must perish Whitak in his answere to the third reason of M. Campian and decay VVe ascribe quoth Whitaker those properties to the Church which comprise the true nature of the Church whose presence make a Church and their absence marre or destroy a Church Wherefore sith no other truth was preached in the Papacy then the Roman Catholike fayth eyther that was true or no other true fayth was openly professed vpon earth On the other side if our aduersaryes do answere They caÌ„not answere they communicated not with the papacy that they communicated not in fayth and Sacraments with the Papacy but made a separate Church by themselues distinct from it in which the true word was preached and Sacraments mynistred Then that pure Protestant Church needed not the reformation of ProtestaÌ„ts from that Luther should haue learned his faith to that he and followers should haue ioyned themselues Then if they challenge such a Church they are engaged to name the persons who maynteyned their doctrine the people who imbraced it the tymes and places in which it was ProtestaÌ„ts vrged to shew their temples councels and countryes conuerted by them taught they must shew vs what Temples they built what Councells they gathered what bookes they wrote what heretikes they condemned what Countryes they haue conuerted and instructed in the fayth For it is
Father hath not planted shal be rooted vp 2. By this marke you shall see that the profession of our new gospellers is a bastardly slippe and the Romane Foure notes or branches of stability by which the RomaÌ„ Church is proued to be the true Church of Christ Fayth the only stable and vnconquerable truth First if you consider how this Roman fayth alone hath beene euer impugned by all kind of aduersaryes yet still remayned victorious Secondly how by it selfe it maynteyned her right agaynst them all without any forrayne helpe or succour Thirdly how it hath alwayes orderly proceeded by subduing them as a Queene or Empresse by absolute authority and iuridicall power Fourthly how in these encounters it hath neuer altered or changed her fayth neuer relented or yealded to her enemyes in any point little or great but hath still florished and preuayled agaynst them 3. Euery one of these notes are prerogatiues of The Roman Church shewed to be true because that alone is impugned by al false and hereticall conuenticles the true Church For all vices and errours though contrary in themselues agree in this that they are opposite vnto vertue opposite vnto truth So all sectes and heresies though neuer so repugnant one from the other yet all ioyne to make open warre agaynst the true fayth and Church of God The Sadduceans Pharisies Herodians were at deadly foe amongst themselues notwithstanding they made league and linked togeather in persecuting of Christ Thus the Roman Church only no other hath beene euer pursued by all the rebellious sects that euer were Agaynst her the Simonians Cerinthians Micolaits Eutichians Nacedonians in former tymes Agaynst her the Anabaptistes Brownistes Lutherans Caluinists Armenians Gomotistes and all Protestants bid battayle now a dayes Agaynst her the Turkes Iewes Pagans Polititians and Atheistes pitch their tents Against her the heathenish and other wicked Emperours haue bent their forces Dioclesian Valens Iulian Constantius Leo Isaurus Constantinus Copronymus Fredericus c Against her all the powers of hell and might of Sathan hath opposed yet could neuer preuayle She is therefore the house of God built vpon a rocke on Matt. 7. v. 24. 25. which the rayne fell the flouds came the windes blew but cold not ouerthrow it She is the Campe of Israell assaulted by all her bordering enemies yet neuer vanquished by any The 2. Reg. 7. throne of Salomon established for euer The Kingdome of Christ often impugned yet victoriously triumphing Aug. inps 47. The Roman Church the vncoÌ„querable truth because it resisteth ouercommeth by it self without help of others ouer all the Kingdomes of the earth 4. Secondly the Roman Church hath thus defended her selfe and gotten the victory without the association or confederacy of any Church She by her selfe vnder the protection of God hath stoutly atchieued these wonderfull conquests She by her owne men by the Bishops Prelates and other secular and religious persons of her owne profession hath maynteyned her Catholike Orthodoxall fayth with patience agaynst the stormes of persecutours with reasons agaynst the subtility of Philosophers with Scriptures against heretikes with prophecies agaynst the Iewes with prescriptions agaynst the Turkes with Christian prudence agaynst the Macihuelians with naturall arguments agaynst the Atheists Pagans with miracles agaynst the weake with consent fame and authority agaynst the proude and haughty Agaynst these and all others our Church alone hath in all ages euer since Christ his tyme with vnmatcheable wisdome and power vncontrolable vpholden the right and glory of her cause by helpes taken out of her owne armory with weapons of her owne Whereas her aduersaryes haue still ayded one another still called vpon forayne Sect aryes and false Churches are forced to borrow help one from the other succours to support backe them as our sectaries now implore the ayde of sundry heretiks to make some mâ—ster or shew of pretended Gospellers to encounter with vs not vnlike to Cataline the rebell who associated himselfe with all the dissolute ruffianlike vicious and forlorne refuse of what kind soeuer they were to warre agaynst his Countrey For so our English ProtestaÌ„ts linke in communion first with their fellow Puritans whome one of their owne brethren tearmeth Apostolikes Aerians Tull. orat 1. 2. 3. in Catal. Ormer dia. 1. Pepuzians Petrobusians Florinians Cerinthians Nazarens Beguardines Ebionites Catabaptides Catharists Iouianistes c. Then both Puritans and Protestants band with the Lutherans Caluinists Hussites Wickelifists Albigenses As heretiks begge men so likewise munition from forrenners VVhitak in resp ad Sand. Col. l 4. iust c. 9. §. 8. Fulk in his confutation of Purgatory Beza epist Theo. 81. VVhitg in his def Hooker in his preface to his eccl pol. pa. 24. 25. 26. 27. The Bish Confer at Hampt Court Picards with other such monsters more hideous and mishapen in profession then ill fauoured in names With them they ioyne frendship to fill vp the number of their mutinous and disloyall Army 5. Neither is it inough for theÌ„ to beg the supply of forrayne souldiers but their weapons also they steale froÌ„ others For when the Protestant would annoy the Puritan he putteth on the armour of our doctours Councells ordinances and prescriptions When he defendeth his quarrell agaynst Catholikes he flyeth to the secret ambushes and retrayts of Puritans he relieth wholy on their hidden spirit by it he will trye the sayings of Fathers and decrees of Councells By that Whitaker cassieereth a full senate of Fathers Caluin examineth general CouÌ„cells Fulke maketh hauocke of all antiquity Farre otherwise doth Beza with the Trinitaryes Mayster Whitgift with Cartwright Maister Hooker Doctour Couell and the Protestant Bishops in their coÌ„ference with Puritans disprouing them by our principles of tradition Besides from vs they borow their Scriptures their lawes their constitutions their ecclesiasticall gouernement and hierarchy of their Clergy With these rags of popery as both their and our enemyes seeke to disgrace them with these stollen feathers they are wont to glory like the Horatian daw In so much as some of their owne Protestants complaine of the present Ministry and Church of England That their Pontificall wherby they consecrate Bishops make ministers and deacons is nothing else but a thinge word for word drawn out Admo to the Parlia of the Popes Pontificall 6. Besides as they embezell from vs all that is laudable orderly or good amongst them so their dregges of Aug. l. de bar cap. 53. Guido Carmelit in su Coal l. de histor Hussi Syn. Constann sess 8. Lat. l. ad BereÌ„g Nicep in hist eccles l. 16. ca. 27. Bucching in eccl hist Prat. ver Nouatiani Ierem. lib. contra Virgilan Euthimius in Panopl par 2. tit 21. Theod. l. 4. haer fab Dam. l. de cent haer Iero. in lib. ad Vigil Ioui Ionas Aureliaâ—ensis apud SaÌ„d l. 7. de de visi mo Irae l. 1. c. 20. Epiph haer 64 Theod. l. 4. haer
to the presumption Seneca ep 118. or opinion of all men and it is with vs a great argument of truth that it hath beene liked of all Pliny likewise in his panegyticall oration to Traian hath recorded this notable sentence Better are all belieued then each particular all Plinius in pa. ad Traianump 125. Melius oÌ„nibus quaÌ„ singulis creditur singuli oÌ„nes decipere decipi possuÌ„t nemo omnes â—eminem oÌ„nes fefellerunt Aug. lib. l. 22. de ciui Dei cap. 8. magnum est ipse prodigium qui mundo credente non credit Great rashnes in Protestants to belieue one man agaynst al men Luther Pres l. de abrog missa priuata And the like he hath tom 4 annot breuis Item tom 5. in Gala. particular men may deceaue and be deceaued No man hath deceaued all men all men haue not deceaued any man Whereupon S. Augustine despiseth him as a strange and monstruous wonder who the world belieuing belieueth not Strange people then not to speake more hardly of them strange people are the Protestants of our age who will not belieue the articles of our fayth which all the Christian world excepting their little handfull constantly beleeueth and for this thousand yeares by their owne confession haue vnuariably perseuered in the same beliefe 8. Yf all men neuer beguiled any and yet if each particular maÌ„ may beguile be beguiled how can Protestants belieue aright who credited one Luther for there was not any other of his Religion when he first beganne agaynst all the world One man that might deceaue them agaynst al men that could not deceaue them With this opposition of al men Luther at the first was so much troubled as he testifyeth of himselfe How often did my treÌ„bling hart pant within me and reprehending me obiect against me that most stronge argument Art thou only wise Doe so many worldes erre VVere so many agesignorant VVhat if you thou errest Fulke in c. 5 Math. sect 3. 2. ad Thessa 2. sect 4. 5. VVhitak contro 2. q. 2. ca. 2. 3. cap. 3. q. 5. cap. 3. Field in his 2. book c. 8. and drawest so many into errour to be damned with thee euerlastingly So Luther with the same singularity of themselues generall contradictioÌ„ of others his followers were much daunted at the beginning But since hauing somewhat increased their number they eyther answere that truth doth not consist in multitude and largenes of extent or that they haue many others besides themselues of their fayth and religion dispersed throughout the world who although they be hidden from the eyes of men are notwithstanding well known to God or to the Fathers who often inculcat the large dominion of Christs flock they reply that the Church did perspicuously flourish Aug l. de vtil cred con Ep. Fund l. 1. contra lul l. 3. con Crescon c. 66. l. item 4. cap. 53. euery where was visibly spread thoughout all nations in Saint Augustines Saint Ierome and Optatus dayes but afterward it fayled at least froÌ„ being manifest publikely known These are the common shiftes of M. Fulke M. Whitaker and M. Field our moderne Protestants and these were the trickes of auncient heretikes including the former arguments 9. To the first therefore I answere that not euery multitude but an holy learned famous Matth. 8. longe continued and vnited multitude of all nations in supernaturall pointes of fayth this is an euident Apoca. 7. token of the true Church as Saint Augustine vrgeth Aug. loco citato l. 2. cont aduers leg Prophet c. vltimo agaynst the Donatistes Manichees and other heretikes VVho pretended that truth was often among a few and that it was the fault of many to erre This was the obiection of Cresconius the Grammarian agaynst whome he proueth by the many who shall come from the east and west and repose with Abraham in the Kingdome of heauen By that great and innumerable multitude which Saint Iohn describeth of all nations tribes people and tongues standing before the throne that multitude is no hinderance to truth and yet he often affirmeth That to vaunt and glory in paucity of followers is the the property of heretikes and a signe of falshood 10. Their second euasion that they haue many hidden ghospellers in all Countryes knowne to God is Augustine libro de ouibus cap. 10. ridiculous and absurd as Saint Augustine tearmeth it to humansense For how shall we belieue they haue any such vnlesse they be seene and mentioned by some men Or how should their Vniuersality be a marke of the true Church if they be not knowen nor marked by any Then Saint Augustine declareth that the vniuersall Church of which the Scriptures speake is apparantly seene and knowne to the world Reade his explication vpon that verse of the Psaâ—mist Be exalted aboue the heauens O God and thy glory vpon all the earth O hereticall madnes sayth Psal 56. Aug. tom 8. in ps 56. he that which thou seest not thou belieuest with me that which thou seest thou denâ—est thou belieuest with me Christ exalted aboue all the heauens which we do not see and thou deniest his glory vpon all the earth which we do see Marke these wordes which we do see Therefore the splendour of the Church is visible and Aug. libro vnitate Ec. cap. 8. conspicuous euery where In another place From whence quoth he is his glory vpon all the earth but because his Church is ouer all the earth Immediatly after he presseth his aduersaryes VVVhy do you preach Christ exalted aboue the heauens and doe not communicate with his glory vpon all the earth Whereupon it followeth that if our Ghospellers had any such latent Protestants in other Countryes as they fayne who agreed with them in their beliefe yet that were not inough to make their Church vniuersall vnlesse they had some other communication or society togeather because for want of this alone Saint Augustine excludeth Petilian al other Donatistes froÌ„ being members of the Church First of him he sayth I obiect vnto thee the cryme of schisme Aug. libro 2. contra Fetil c. 16. which thou wilt deny but I will instantly proue it For thou doest not communicate with all nations Then he cassiereth the rest and bindeth Catholikes in the vnity of the Church saying VVe holde the inheritance of Christ they holde it not For they do not communicate with the whole worlde they do not communicate with the vniuersality redeemed by the bloud of our Lord we are secure of his inheritance 11. Their last retrayte vsed by Mayster Field and often iterated by M. Whitker That the Church in Field in his 2. booke of the Church chapter 8. VVhitak contro 2. q. 2 cap 2. Ibidem q. 3. cap. 1. q. 5. cap 4 5 Saint Augustines and the rest of those Fathers dayes was in her growth Now in her declining Then flourishing in all partes
of the world Since retired to some few particuler and vnknown coastes Since perished out of view of all nations is heretofore resuted at large in the fourth chapter of this treatise And Saint Augustine detesteth it as a rash temerarious false and abhominable deuise He thinketh it strange to be spoken of and asketh what inuader Christ suffered to robbe him of his goods Of the whole world the price of his bloud Besides the places of Scripture by which S. Aug. tomo 8 in psal 101. conci 2. Augustine demonstrateth the Kingdome of Christ to be euery where extended to replenish the whole face of the earth to possesse all the endes of the world are not prophesies only of S. Augustines of Optatus of Saint Ieromes age they specify not their dayes any more then ours but they are indeterminably Aug. Exp. 2. in psal 21. written by the holy Ghost for all times ages Therefore they are as truly verified now as then as iustly vrged by vs agaynst Protestants as by them agaynst Luciferians or Donatistes And the exceptions taken by their aduersaries are the same which are now pursued by ours 12. Let me pose you M. Whitaker Doth he not deserue as great a curse who shall now deny the Passion and Resurrection of Christ as any heretike should doe in gaynsaying it in Saint Augustines tymes And yet S. Augustine maketh a like comparison between those mysteryes Aug. Ep. 48. and this of the Churches vniuersality As sayth he he shal be anathema which preacheth that Christ neyther suffered nor rose agayne because we learne by the Ghospell that it behoued Christ to suffer and to rise againe the third day So he shall also be anathema whosoeuer preacheth the Church to be elswhere then in the communion of all nations because by the selfe same gospell we learne in the words next following And pennance to be preached in his name and remission of sinnes thoughout all nations Wherfore as the former textes of Scripturre touching his death and resurrection so these concerning the amplitude of his Church are generally verifyed of all times and ages 13. But Doctour Whitaker obiecteth that there VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. c. 6. was a tyme at the beginning when the Church was not vniuersal I answere that as there is a tyme when a child new borne cannot actually laugh or exercise the function of man yet is then a true man and hath the power or faculty of laughing So the Church in her infancy was not actually dilated and propagated ouer all countryes yet it was then planted to be vniuersall and had the property of vniuersality belonging to it Because Christ at the first erecting of it sayd Teach ye all nations Going Matt. viti v. 19. Marc. 56. vers 15. Act. 1. v. 8. into the whole world preach the gospell to all creatures You shal be witnesses vnto one in Ierusalem and in all Iury and Samaria and euen to the vtmost of the earth Therefore although not the actuall extension yet the prerogatiue of Vniuersality apperteyned to the Church from the beginning and after that she should once obteyne her vniuersall and actuall propagation the diuine oracles often witnesse it should so continue vnto the end of the world As hath beene shewed both here in the fourth chapter of this third part Howbeit Mayster Whitaker ceaseth not to wrangle For because he cannot challenge the right of the thinge he picketh a quarrell at the etimology of the name Catholike he will not haue it to signify vniuersality of place but only of the truth saying That Church is VVhitak contro 2. q. 5. c. 2. q. 6. c. 2. Eulke in c. 24. Luc. sect 4. in name and deed Catholike which Catholikely and truly teacheth all the points of religion whatsoeuer ought to be learned and belieued of a Christian man The same is also auerred by Doctour Fulke 14. But how can it thus be a note of the true Church The true doctrine in all dogmaticall poyntes as I haue heretofore declared is more obscure and hidden then the Church It is the inward substance or dowry of the Church It cannot possibly be discerned especially by the vnlearned nor consequently guide them to the knowledge of the Church It is constantly challenged by all heretikes whatsoeuer Aske the Arian the Pelagian the Gnosticke the Anabaptist c. Euery one of them whosoeuer else will tell you that he alone hath the vniuersall truth and it would be a bootlesse labour to goe about by that marke taken in that sense to perswade him the contrary Yet into this labyrinth other heretikes of former tymes haue craftily retired For Vincentius the Rogatian would haue the word Catholike to Aug. Ep. 48. ad Vincentium Rogatian import the like integrity of fayth and vniuersall keeping of the commandements whome S. Augustine refelleth in this manner Thou seemest to haue found out a witty deuise when thou doest interprete the name Catholike not of the communion of all the world but of the obseruation of all the diuine precepts al the Sacramēts which deuise of his new burnished now Aug. de vt credendi c. 7. by our aduersaries he vtterly reiecteth immediatly after alleadgeth the sentence before cited with this preamble whatsoeuer crooked trains any mā weaueth against the simplicity of whatsoeuer he casteth of wily falshood euen as he shal be ana thema who preacheth that Christ hath not suffered nor risen So he that shall Aug. in ps 18. expo 2. deny the Church to be in the communion of the world Because both are learned out of the same Ghospell Besides Saint Augustine flatly distinguisheth this not of vniuersality or amplitude Fulke in c. 24. Lu. sect 2. in 2. ad Thess 2. sectione 5. VVhitak contro 2. from the verity of the Church in all mysteries of faith saying The Church is one as algraunt if you regard the whole worlde more stored with multitude and as they that know affirme more syncere in truth then all the rest but of the truth it is another question Loe M. Whitaker how you confound questions affect obscurities lurke in holes that you maynteyne a part in faction who might hold all in peace concord Abbot in his answere to M. D. Bishop Ep. to the King pag 15. 15. The last obiection repeated by M. Fulke Mayster Whitaker and Rhetorically dilated by M. Robert Abbot against our restraining the Citty of God vnto the Sea of Rome hath beene often answered by our men That we take not the Roman Church for the particuler diocesse which belonges to Rome but for the latitude of all people and countryes who consort with the Pope in Sacramentes fayth and communion acknowledging him for Christes vicar vpon earth And thus the Roman Church hath beene euer accounted all one with the Catholike and vniuersall Church For Saint Ambrose writeth of his Brother Satyrus desyring in pilgrimage Ambrosius in serm de ob
bastard Church into an adulterous Church Wherefore the only thinge I am to proue is that the Roman church neuer ceased to be the true church of Iesus christ or which is all one that it neuer altered her religion neuer changed in any essentiall point from the purity of fayth which the Apostles togeather with their bloud to speak with Tertullian powred into it Which I first demonstrate TertulliaÌ„ in praes contra haer with this common argument often heretofore insinuated 4. The diuin prouideÌ„ce hath preserued inuiolably the truth of his Gospel in the persoÌ„ of succession inuisible descent of Bishops Priestes and preachers in some place or other for he hath appoynted a perpetuall generation of Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastours Doctours to continue in his Church vntill we meete all into the vnity Ephes 4. v. 13. of sayth and knowledge of the Sonne of God that is vntill the last day The finall end or cause was that now we be not children wauering and carryed about with euery winde of doctrine So that Ibidem v. 14. as an orderly ranke of Pastours and preachers was still to remayne euen so the linke of heauenly truth is perpetually chayned thereunto by the holy Ghost in so much as the gates of hell and all the might of Satan shall neuer separate them but no other row of succeeding Pastours can be named besides those of the Roman Church or such as descending from them in all partes of the world haue likewise agreed with them in fayth and doctrine therefore they are the Doctours and Pastours which our Lord hath appointed to abide in his Church vnto the worke of the ministery vnto the edifying of the body of Christ vntill Ephes 4. v. 12. we all meet in the vnity of fayth 5. Secondly that Church which once was the chast and vndefiled spouse of Christ can neuer cease to be his Three only wayes can a true Church fayle by Schisme heresy or apostacy Schisma est recessus vel diuisio ab vnitate ecclesiae spouse or loose the integrity of sauing fayth vnlesse it be diuorced from him by schisme heresy or apostacy Schisme commeth from the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is defined a departure or diuision from the vnity of the Church by which the band and communion held with a former Church is broken and cut off Heresy as it is now generally taken is a willfull election and firme adhesion to some priuate and singular opinion or rather errour coÌ„trary to the generall approued doctrine of the Church and it is deriued from the Greeke verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth to chuse or voluntarily to preferre one thinge before another Apostacy is a defection or reuolte A description of heresy from God in such manner as it renounceth his faith casteth of the very name and title of a Christian by imbracing Iudaisme Turcisme or Paganisme But the RomaÌ„ Church which once syncerely professed the faith Of Apostacy of Christ neuer deuided it selfe by Schisme from the body of other faythfull Christians It neuer brake the communion or went forth froÌ„ the society of any elder Church The Roman Church neuer failed any of thes waies Not by Schisme Or if it did tell vs whose company it left From whom it went forth And where was the true Church which the Roman forsooke The Grecians and other schismaticall Churches haue separated themselues from her but she neuer went out or reuolted from any Likewise the RomaÌ„ Church hath at no tyme by voluntary election made choyce of any singular or new opinion disagreable to the common receaued doctrine of the Christian world Nor by heresy It hath cleaned in no age to priuate articles or propositions of fayth which were not at the same tyme generally maynteyned in the Church of Christ For who did euer Nor yet by Apostacy taxe the Roman Church of nouelty or innouation in this kinde What true Church did euer disclayme from this singularity or hereticall pertinacy in the Roman Church Did it betwitch all nations in a moment with detestable heresy And was no man left to discouer the M. Nappâ—r vpoÌ„ the reuelation p. 66. and 68. item p. 43. 63. MelancthoÌ„ in locis postremo editis Beza confess general c. 7. sect 12. Humfrey Iesuitis 2. part pag. 6â—4 VVhitak contro 2. q. 4 fol. 144. Fulke in his answer to a counterfeit Catholik pag. 36. infection It can not be Much lesse did it depart from Christ by the crime of Apostacy which necessarily presupposeth a departure from the true Church and a reuolte from the openly professed fayth with the renouncing of Christianity and falling to infidelity Wherefore seeing by no other meanes a Church once true can possibly decay the Roman Church which by neyther of these wayes hath strayed from the truth perseuereth still the Church of Christ vnstained in her fayth 6. Thirdly if the Roman Church euer fayled I aske when By whome Vnder what Pope or Emperour it first beganne to play the aduoutresse Mayster Napper maynteyneth that it did first degenerate about 300. and thirteene yeares after Christ by the meanes of Pope Siluester Melancton about the foure hundred twenty by the vsurpation of Zosimus Beza about the foure hundred and forty by the arrogancy of Leo. Doctour Humfrey about the fiue hundred ninty seaueÌ„ by Gregory the great whom he tearmeth the first Pope and leader of the Popish daunce Why taker and Fulke about the sixe hundred and sixe by Boniface the third his successours For Whitaker affirmeth All that followed Gregory to be true Antichrists Many other dissentions there be amongst them Because the CeÌ„turistes sometymes say that it beganne to be corrupted in Cent. c. 4. col 71. 79. 80. 81. c. Cent. 2. c. 4. col 55. Cent. 1. cap. 10. col 571. c. 584. and. c. 4. col 54. Et conuenientia testimonia non erant Marc. 14. Daniel 13. the three hundred sometymes in the two hundred yeare after Christ Other while they ascend higher and find corruptions euen in the Apostles dayes But as the disagreement of the two wicked Iudges in accusing Susanna one affirming she committed adultery vnder one tree another vnder another was a most apparant testimony in the iudgement of all people of her vnstayned chastity their inueterate malice So if another Daniell would now determine our cause this variance of our aduersaryes in appeaching the Roman Church one auonching she reuolted from Christ and fell into her spiritual adultery vnder one Pope Another vnder another One in the tyme of Siluester Another of Leo A third of Gregory c. must needes be an euident token of her vnchanged fayth and their new forged slaunders For why doe you dreame Mayster Napper that in the dayes of Saint Napper vpon the reuelation p. 66. Siluester and by his default the Roman Church decayed Because sayth
approued miracles historyes prescriptions so many infallible traditions testimonyes of truth they betake theÌ„selues to the Scriptures alone to the maine Ocean of Propheticall and Apostolical writings without carde to direct them or pilot to guide them in that sea of difficulties They looke into few thinges when rowing there they passe ouer innumerable euident texts which make against them and take hold of some one which carryeth a little shew and semblance of countenauncing their fancyes For example they once read in S. Matthew The Lord thy God shalt thou adore and Matt. c. 4. v. 10. him only shalt thou serue And without further consideration of what homage he speaketh they peremptorily condemne all religious worship and adoration of Angells of Saints of their tombes reliques so often intimated in other places They once read in S. Iohn It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing and thereupon they depriue their owne soules of the inestimable profit of Christs viuificall Ioan. 6. v. 63. and reall flesh in the sacrament of the Altar notwithstanding it be constantly auouched by the Apostle by S. Iohn all the rest of the Euangelists They once read That Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes That he paid for vs a full and perfect ransom 1. Ioan. 2. v. 2. and they deny all Canonicall or voluntary satisfactions all workes of pennance or expiations of sinne to which the Holy Ghost very often most earnestlâ— exhorteth vs. The like vnaduised and precipitate rashnes I might note in all other articles in which they swarue from vs but it shall be inough to specify it further in their chiefest article of iustification Hosius l. 1. de haeresibus nostri temporis citatur apud Prateolum verb. lustificatorij Gen. â—5 ad Rom. 4. Rom. 5. v. 19. wherein they are so headlong as no sooner do they find any one word sounding to their purpose but they obstinatly cleaue sticke fast vnto it For one Protestant readeth as Hosius diligently pursueth this matter Abraham belieued and it was reputed vnto him for iustice And thence he gathereth his imputatiue iustice by only faith Another readeth we are iustified by his blood he inferreth that the pretious bloud of Christe is our iustice Another readeth As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so also by the obedience of one many shall be made iust he faineth Christs obedience to be the garment of our iustice Another readeth he rose for our iustification and he Rom. 4. v. 25. accounteth Christs resurrection our heauenly vesture Another readeth The holy Ghost shall argue the world of iustice because I goe vnto my Father and he Ioan. 16. v. 8. 9. straight way affirmeth Christs passage to his Father to be our robe of righteousnes Thus they deuise aboue Prateolus in elencho verbo lustificatorij twenty seuerall opinions of that one substantiall point of Iustification alone Againe they looke into few thinges not only in adhering but chiefly in expounding such particuler passages as they first light vpon for neglecting the publique spirit voyce of God which speaketh in his Church neglecting the generall tribunall and consistory of the world they hearken only to the outward letter and to the priuate spirit which resideth in themselues by them only they interprete and by them only they will be tryed whether their interpretatioÌ„ be good or no. As if a theefe accused of felony would deliuer his owne tale as he frameth it ProtestaÌ„ts are fitly compared to the guilty person who admitteth no triall but his owne and admit no examination of witnesses no tryall of iury or sentence of iudge no former presidents or decisions of like case but his owne information voyce of his Soueraigne diuulged in his law which he maketh to sound as himselfe liketh best were not this to stop his eares against all testimonies but his owne to refuse all triall or iudgment which he himselfe being guilty doth not pronounce and yet such is our aduersaryes dealing They expound Scripturs as their secret spirit in wardly perswadeth them and they will trye their spirit by no other touchstone then by the publique word of God interpreted by themselues We appeale to the iudgment of the present Catholik Church they contemne her sentence we ascend to our Ancestours that haue gone before vs they cut off at one clappe the vsage practise and prescription of a thousand yeares space we repaire to the Doctors Fathers of the primitiue Church to the generall Councels and their authenticall decrees to the very sentences of Scripture explayned by them they regard them not any further then they agree in their opinion with the word of God At last we sommon them to their owne Court we presse them with the authority of Protestant writers they answere they were men they might erre no man is bound D. VVhit defens tractat 3. c. 7. to follow them any further then they follow the truth And so these new Reformers will iudge alone what is truth and who are followers and imbracers of it The common shift of Protestants in answering their own writers alleadged against theÌ„ They looke into few things when challenging at least in outward shew one or two they despise all other Sacraments of God ancient ceremonyes of the Church When pleading for fayth alone they gayne say the valew of workes and supernaturall dignity of infinite vertues When scandalized at the licentiousnes of some dissolute liuers in the Catholik Church they admire not the heriocall acts and resplendent sanctity of so many zealous Prelates deuout Priestes Religious Friers Monkes Nunnes and whole armies of Saints which flourish therein When dismayed with the faygned impossibility of keeping Gods Commandements they lift not vp their eyes to his Euangelicall Counsels and workes of supererogation When dazeled with the Sunne of Christs glorious morits they see not the beames of light and aboundant merits he deriueth vnto vs. They see not the efficacy of his sacraments the dowryes of his grace the full indulgence and remission of our sinnes the inherent beauty and splendour of iustice by which he garnisheth vpon earth the soules of his seruants They looke into few thinges in perusing the ancient Fathers When reading in S. Augustine for example That he is a miracle who seeketh for miracles August l. 22. de c uit Dei cap. 8. to belieue they conclude thereupon that all miracles haue ceased not weighing the occasion of S. Augustines wordes not attending to the miracles which in the same Chapter he mentioneth to haue beene S. Ciprian serm de lapsis post medium S. Gregor Nazian in laudem Cypriani Demonum profligationem morborum dâ—pulsionem futuram rerum praescientiam quae quidem omniuÌ„ vel â—ineres ipsi Cypriani modò fides adsit efficiunt Vide etiam illum in funere patris Chrysost l. cont Gentiles Quotidiana â— Martiribus miracula eduntur Hieron
the Protestants and Puritans in England of whome M. Ormerod witnesseth Puritans differ from Protestants in thinges fundamentall and substantiall Puritans doe not agree with Protestants in all matters of fayth So the Arminians dissente from the Orme dia. 2. Gomoristes in the law Countryes The Caluinistes of Geneua from the Lutherans of Saxony The Lutherans of Saxony from the Zuinglians of Tygurum They from the Aug. tom 7. de vnit eccl cap. 3. Osiandrines of Prussia the Osiandrines from the Anabaptistes of Westphalia c. as hath beene partly vnfolded in the first note of vnity 3. Therefore as Saint Augustine disputed agaynst diuers heretikes of his age Yf the holy Scriptures designe the Church in Africa only c. the Donatistes alone counteyne the Church Yf in a few Mores of the prouince of Cesarea we must repayre to the Regatistes c. If in the Easterne people only Amongst the Arians Macedonians and Eunonians c. the Church is to be sought After the like manner if the Caluinistes haue the truth to Geneua a few Cantons in France we must all resort Yf the Protestants to England if the Zuinglians to Tigurum if the rigide Lutherans to Saxony if the soft to Wittemberge Lipsia and Magdeburge c. For all these being so opposit cannot enioy the right fayth or if they could they be but parts of the world small tractes of the earth farre lesse then Africa farre lesse then the East to which the Church of God as Saint Augustine discourseth could not be confined For he goeth forward in the alleadged place Aug. lo ci But if the Church of Christ by diuine and most certayne testimonies of canonicall Scriptures be described in all nations whatsoeuer they shall Aug. tom 4. q. euang l. 1. q. 38. bringe or from whencesoeuer they shall write it who say behold here is Christ behold there Let vs listen rather if we be his sheepe to the voyce of our pastour saying doe you not belieeue because his Church quoth he shal manifestly shine like a lightning frō the east to the west that is ouer all the world 4. Now if the Kingdome of the Messias be the greatest and largest amongst all that professe the name of Christ if it be the sole and vniuersall Kingdome of all nations and if this be the thinge signified by the name Catholike not only that title which M. Abbot alloweth vs but the thinge also entitled the thinge betokened thereby the prerogatiue of Vniuersality appertayneth to vs. Fo◠we farre exceede the Protestants and all other sectaries of our dayes in multitude of people in variety of nations in troupes of followers in dignity of patrons in society of Princes who linke themselues to the body of our Church In so much as I may vrge M. Abbot as Saint Pacian did Sympronian Number if you can our Catholike flockes Abbot in his answ to D. Bishops epist to the King pag. 16. and 17. Paciā ep 3. ad Symp. sub finem Count vpon your fingers the swarmes of our people not those now which are dispersed throughout the world aboundant in all countryes but those brother Sympronian which dwell with you in the allied prouinces in the neighbour cittyes Contemplate how many of ours thou alone beholdest with how many of our people thou alone meetest Art thou not swallowed vp by vs as the eue droppings by great fountaynes as by the Ocean little bubles of water are consumed 5. Yf we should now compare Roman Catholikes with Protestants euen in these regions of Europe the same might we auouch of their paucity in respect of vs. Catholiks are in all countryes wher protestants raygne openly knowne But if we should passe out of Europe what townes or villages what Chappell 's or Oratoryes can they reckon vp in Asia Africa America c. how many Indians Ethiophians Iaponians How many of their sect can they name in China in Brasilia in Magellanica Not any one no publike Church haue they or Chappell out of Europe of any other then such as traffike in these parts Notwithstanding as we abound with many of our religion in all those remote Protestāts not hard of in a hundred Kingdomes where Catholikes flourish and forrayne Countries where the name of Protestants is vnknowne So in all the Prouinces in euery corner which sectaryes in habite we want not those who openly defend and professe our fayth We haue them in Germany low Countryes England and the Cantons of France To which purpose Saint Augustine speaking of sundry heresies and of the Church very fitly sayth They in many nations where this is are not found but this which is euery where there where they are is also found Aug. de vn eccles c. 3. 6. The first reason why God would haue his Church so vniuersall was to manifest his loue to all creatures that all people might partake of the riches of his Isay 54. v. 5. mercy That all might receaue the happy tidinges of their redemption and meanes of saluation And that he who was God of Israel might now as I say prophesied be God Prou. 14. vers 28. of all the earth The second reason was for the honour of the Son of God for the glory of his name for the reward of his merits To which effect S. Austine applyeth that saying Iero. dialo aduer Lucifer of Salomon In the multitude of people the dignity of the King and in the fewnes of people the ignominy of the Prince Therefore Saint Ierome accounteth it a great ignominy to Christ to haue the Empires of his Church the trophies of his Crosse Optat. l. ◠cōtra Par. as he tearmeth them restrayned to corners And Optatus blameth Parmenian for the like Yf so at your pleasure you barre vp the Church in a narrow roome if you withdraw all nations where Psal 2. is that which the sonne of God hath merited VVhere is that which his Father willingly bestowed vpon him saying I will giue thee Gentills forthy inheritance endes of the earth thy possession VVhy do you violate such a promise that the latitude of Kingdomes should be shut vp by you as it were in a prison How labour you to resist so great piety what meane you to make warre agaynst the merits of our Sauiour Permit the Sonne to enioy his legacies Permit the Father to fullfill his promises VVhy place you bounds why appoint you limits 7. The third and last reason is for the perswasion and stay of the faythfull For what greater motiue of credibility can we haue then the authority of so many and so learned men the fame celebrity consent of all nations This S. Augustine often proposeth as a weighty Aug vtil credendi c. 14. 17. argument which first induced and after strengthened him in our Catholike fayth Others by the very light of nature esteemed it also as a thinge most worthy of credite Seneca sayd VVe are wont to attribute much