their Ministers shold dote so much as to acknowledge the true Church to be subiect vnto errour And yet M. Iohn Reynoldes once their chiefest Oxonian professour and M. VVhitaker their Prime as they account Reynoldes in his six conclusioÌ„s annexed to his confer conclu 2. him Cantabrigian light both attended with huge troupes of followers teach and diuulge that heathnisse and most barbarous fiction For Reynoldes fronteth his second conclusion thus The Militant Church may erre both in manners and doctrine then explicating this inscription I vndertake sayth he to shew it may erre in doctrine against the Papists who for a defense and shield of their errours hold forth this bugge to fright vs out of our wits The Church cannot erre After he openeth him selfe further and auoucheth that not only the flocke and people but the guiders and Pastours also c. yea the Bishops and Prelats representing the whole in a generall Councell may erre At length bringing either false or weake instances he soundeth for an vpshot this retreate VVherefore to make an end sith it is apparent by most cleere proofes that both the chosen and the called both the flockes and the Pastours both in seuerall Fulk in his answere to a counterfet Catholike p. 89. by themselues and assembled togeather in generall Councells may erre I am to conclude with the good liking I hope of such as loue the ttuth that the militant Church may erre in manners and doctrine Fulke The whole Church militant consisting of men who are lyers may erre altogeather as euery part therof Whitaker in like maÌ„ner affirmeth that the whole Church representatiue all Pastours D. VVhit contro 2. q. 4. c. 3. f. 282. 283. 284. Ibid. fol. 274. 271. generall Councells also may erre And some leaues before That whole coÌ„pany which is the Chucrh may erre in so much as if al that are in the world were asseÌ„bled togeather in one place yet the reason would hold I haue faythfully alleadged their words which if any go about to construe in a fauourable sense that their meaning is the whole Church may erre in rites obseruations or other matters of small moment but not in points of fayth necessary to saluation Reynoldes and Whitaker both plainely infring that fayned construction Reynoldes in auouching it may erre in manner and doctrine Whitaker Ecclesia adtempus etiam in fundamétis quibusdam errare potest expresly saying The Church for a tyme may also erre in certaine foundations or fundamentall points Againe Euery visible and particuler Church may erre and be ouer whelmed with errours and faile but those errours which destroy decâ—aue and ruine the Church be damnable and cannot stand with saluation therefore into such errors in his opinion the Church may fall Moreouer the very VVhitak contro 2. q. 5. c. 17. fol. 490. arguments they all bring inferre the same For VVhitaker argueth thus All Churches haue imbraced Ariamsme therefore all haue erred Likewise The vniuersall Church is compounded of particulers and that which appertayneth to euery member must needs VVhitak contr 2. q. 4. c. 3. fol. 282. also appertaine to the whole Therefore whereas all particuler Churches may it followeth of inuincible necessity that the vniuersal Church may erre Fulke insinuateth one but Reynoldes vseth both these arguments and instanceth in the Churches of Galatia of Corinth of Pergamus of Thyatira of Sardis and of Reynoldes in his secoÌ„d conclusion annexed to his confer fol. 628. 629. Ephesus that they all haue erred The Church of Ephesus sayth he was shaken first and crazed afterward quite ouerthrowne But these Churches did all particuler seuerally taken may erre in points fundamentall necessary to saluation Therfore if that which befalleth the particulers may befall to the whole the whole according to their reasoning may â—rre in points fundamentall necessary to saluation Such was Arianisme of which VVhitaker notwithstanding atâ—acheth all Churches The falshood of this assertion the vanity of their former sophisme I shall discouer in the end of this Controuersy Now I proue that the true militant Church vpon earth cannot generally imbrace or publiquely define any errour whatsoeuer neither great not little neither repugnant nor compatible with the rule of saluation 1. The first Argument I produce in proofe heerof is The first argument for the Churches infallibility gethered from the assistance of Christ direction of the holy ghost who so sweetely moue guide and inspire the hartes of the faythfull as they cannot be entangled or seduced with errour Our Sauiour promised his assistance saying Behold I am with you all dayes euen to the consumation of the world With you baptizing teaching Nations to obserue Matt. 28. v. 20. Ibidem Ioan. 14. v. 16. 17. Ioan. 16. v. 13. all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded He promised the concurrence direction of the holy ghost I will aske the Father he wilt giue you another paraclet that he may abide with you for euer the spirit of truth And when he the spirit of truth cometh he shall teach you all truth If all truth that for euer then no errour at any tyne in any article of neuer so small account Secondly S. Paul witnesseth God gaue some Apostles some prophets other some Euangelistes other some pastours Ephes 4. v. 11. 12. 13. 14. Doctours c. Behold heere fower thinges 1. Whome he appointed Apostles Prophets Euangelistes Pastours Doctours 2. To what function did he enioyne them To the consumation of Saintes to the worke of the ministery to the edifying of the body of Christ 3. how long was it to continue Vntill we meet all into the vnity of fayth and knowledge of the sonne of Other proofes that the true Church cannot erre God c. To what end was this That now we be not children wauering carried about with euery wind of doctrine in the wickednes of men in crastines to the circumuention of errour If this be the end and drift of God that we henceforth according to your owne translation be not childreÌ„ wauering carryed about with euery wind of doctrin how is God frustrated of his intent purpose our pastors spoyled of their grant priuiledg we of our assurance constancy in fayth If they may circumueÌ„t or inueagle as with enour Hence we receaue that warrant from Christ he that heareth you heareth me hâ— Luc. 10. v. 16. that despiseth you despiseth me but it were not all one to heare christ heare his priests to despise their doctrin despise his vnles they were infallibly inspired by God to deliuer in al thinges the same vndoubted truth which he did Some reply that this saying and one or two of the former was Cypr. l. 4. Epist Basil constit monast c. 23. spoken only to the Apostles But S. Cyprian S. Basil apply it to their successours With whome Fulke the Protestantes chiefe captaine agreeth
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
of God deliuereth 2. Cor. 1â— v. â— Psal 8. â— Hier. l. â— comm in 6. â— ad Gal. Dâ—os eos esse manifestum est qui auteâ— Dij sunâ— tradunt Dei Euangelium non hominis In which respect S. Ierome doubteth not to call S. Peter S. Paul such as enioy their priuiledg after the phrase of scripture by the name of Gods thereupon maketh this illation But they that are Gods deliuer the Gospell of God not of man 10. Yet let vs view some other allegations which these erring and lying Ministers bring in to find the church guilty of errour Marry VVhitaker Reynoldes depose that which befalleth to one may befall to the whole but euery one in particuler may erre therefore the whole may erre which is a most false deposition plaine Sophisme arguing from each deuided member of the Church to the whole body ioyntly considered as if a cauiller should say This stone it self cannot be sufficient to raise a tower nor this nor that VVhitak contr 2 q. 4. c. 3. fol. 274. Reynoldes in his secoÌ„d conclusion fol. 628. as it is printed togeather with his conference nor any one a part Therefore a whole huge heap together cannot suffice It is a meere sophisticall kind of reasoning For we see that many do raise that which one or a few cannot Many forces of men vnited are able to draw that which no man in particuler can mooue A whole Army of souldiers vanquisheth a kingdom which on one the most valiaÌ„t captaine can annoy So the whole Church may preserue the truth vnspotted which no pâ—rticuler can doe Chiefly because the whole is guarded by Gods promise assisted by the holy Ghost the shield of her defence which deuided Churches want but the holy ghost saieth Whitaker and Fulke is also promised to euery one in particuler Christ prayed to sanctify euery one confirme him in D. VVhit contro 2. q. 4. c. 2. f. 168. Fulk in c. 16. Ioan. sect 5. in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 9. verity as he did for the whole for the laity aswell as for the Clergy for the people as much as for the Priestes It is true he prayed for all and each particuler promised the holy ghost to euery one but in a diuers manner according to euery ones seuerall state degree he praied for the Apostles and Bishops their Successours he assured theÌ„ the holy ghost as to parentes maisters shepheards of his fold to the laity euery one of the faithfull as to children schollers and sheep to be directed by them They haue the holy ghost 〈◊〉 their mouthes to teach preach instruct anâ— How the spirit of God in â—â—â—â—ised to the whole Church and how to 〈…〉 particular member VVhitak cont 2. q. â— c. ap 3. fol. â—8â— Seueruâ— l. 2. Theod. c. 19. Ream linguam non facis nisi rea mens VVitnes S. Athan. epist ad â—rancâ—s â—â—â—erne these in their hartes to obey beleeue keep vnity peace submission They his publique assistance for the publique function profit of the Church these his priuar direction for their owne priuate comfort particuler saluation Therefore as the Pastours Gouernours cannot erre in teaching defining or publiquely condemning false opinions so neither any one of the faithfull in beleeuing obeying or shunning those whom the Church hath censured Thus the whole and euery part securely trauayleth towardes the coast of heauen with the safe conduct of the holy ghost for the edificatioÌ„ complement and full perfection of the misticall body of Christ 11. Whitaker obiecteth againe that all Churches Arianized and consequently erred when the whole world aâ— S. Ierome reporteth groaned wondred to see â— selfe an Arian But S. Ierome by the figure Synecdoche vseth the whole for a great parte who were deceaued in the Councell of Arimine partly by the fraude of Valens the Arian Bishop partly by imbecillity of wit yet diuers of them materially only Wherefore seeing it is â—n Axiome in the law that the tongue it not made guilty but by the guilty mind they reteyning the true Catholique faith in their hartes formally also in open profession yeilded not properly to Arianisme but stil preserued the true state of the Church which was likewise at the same time inuiolably maynteyned in the West especially in those renowned Bishops and their flock S. Hilary S. Ambrose S. Eusebius of Verselles in Athanasius and others of Greece And that boysterous tempest continued but three yeares for then as S. Hierome relateth the beast dyed there succeeded Hier. dial aduer Lucifer a calme From the Church our aduersaryes flye to the Councells representing the Church and draw bills of enditement to conuict them of errour but their allegations are voyd and insufficient For such Councells as they meane were either vnlawfull conuenticles tumutuously assembled or if lawfully gathered not lawfully continued or not wholy approued or falsly accused or they erred only in some matter of fact not in any point of doctrine or article of beliefe 12. At least say they the old Church and Synagogue of the Iewes wholy erred when Aaron and the Two other obiections of aduersaries answered Exod. 3â— Mar. 14. whole multitude adored the golden Calfe and when Caiphaâ— the chiefe Bishop and whole Councell of Priestes adiuged Christ to death I answere that Aaron was not then inuested with the authority of high Priest but that office was imparted long after vnto him as appeareth out of the last of Exodus Then the Leuits neuer consented to that Idolatry nor Moyses in whome the supreme Priestly dignity still remayned To the second obiection I answere The infalibility of the Sinagogue when christ bad established his Church that the Councell of the Scribes Pharisces was tumultuously gathered not to interpret the law or teach the people but to pronounce sentence in a matter of fact against the Sonne of God or if they did erre in a chiefe point of faith it maketh nothing against vs for Christ had then planted his Church preached his doctrin Therfore the infallible assistance of the Holy Ghost was no longer tyed to the Synagogue Christ being present the head of his Church and hauing sufficiently promulgated his Ghospell 13. Therfore to draw to an end seeing the true Church neuer did or euer can stray from the truth as the Scriptures The Protestants Church cannot be the true Church of Iesus Christ by their own confessioÌ„ Fathers reasons conuince And seeing Protestants confesse that their Church may erre or goe astray for a tyme we must needs conclude that their Church is not the inerrable spouse of Iesus Christ but the harlot of Sathan the Temple of Baal the Stewes of an aduoutresse or if they now recant and yield vnto vs that the true Church cannot step awry in any one generally receaued point of beliefe it necessarily followeth that all their pretended reformations of her errours haue beene innouations
ought or should but what they shal infallibly do 4. Likewise wheresoeuer there is question of the law of the coÌ„mandement of ceremonies of Iustifications shew it them I meciatly Paral. 19. v. 10. after there is a distinction made betwene spirituall and ciuill affaires betwene spirituall and temporall authority Ananias the Priest your Bishop shable chief in these things Ioseph l. 2. cont Apion Philo l. 3. de vita Moysis Aelian var. hist l. 14. c. 34. Strabo Geor. l. 17. Cicero l. 2. de leg Euseb in Chron. Casar de bello Galli l. 6. Ioseph antiq lib. 14 c. 16. To the Church belong all the conditions necessary in a Iudge which perteine to God Moreouer Zabadias the sonne of Ismael who is the Prince of the house of Iuda shal be ouer those workes which apperteine to the kinges office And Iosephus witnesseth That the Priestes were appointed by Moyses to be ouerseers of all thinges iudges of controuersies and punishers of the condemned persons whereby it is euident that it belonged to them not only to decide Ciuill of which Philo also maketh mention but much more Ecclesiasticall matters touching the law the commaundement and iustifications neither was this only ordeyned by God amongst his chosen people the Iewes but by ingrafted perswasion of nature agreed vpon amongst all nations For Aelianus writeth that amongst the Aegiptians their priestes were Iudges determiners of all debates and that the most auncient of them had the chiefest voyce Strabo testifieth the like of the Aethiopians Cicero of the Romans of the Persians Eusebius Caesar of the Frenchmen that their Priestes called Druidae had the same authority Iosephus of the Athenians affirming that their Priestes were Iudges the chiefest among them gathered the suffrages of the rest 5. Moreouer all conditions necessarily required in a suprem Iudge confirme vnto the Church her soueraignty of iudgment for the Iudge must be able to heare vnderstand examine the matters in strife giue a cleere resolute sentence whereby he acquite the innocent and condemne the guilty these propertyes appertaine to the Prelates of the Church They and not the Scriptures nor the priuate spirit haue eares to heare skill to knowe She can heare examine determin debates meanes to examine a liuely intelligent voyce to pronounce such a sentence of approbation or condemnation as all may discerne on whose side it is giuen Againe the Iudge ought to be publique openly knowne that all who are desirous may haue accesse vnto him of infallible authority not only in himselfe but also in respect of vs that we may safely rely build the foundation of faith vppon him He ought to be autenticall warranted by God indewed with power that the humble may with awfull reuerence imbrace his decrees and the stubborne by due constraint punishment be forced to submit otherwise his tribunall were vn profitable iudgment She is publique known to all friuolous The Church is so conspicuous patent generally knowne as there are few Iewes or Turkes no Christians who are ignorant of it howbeit many are ignoraÌ„t of the holy scriptures Her sentence is certeine infallible She cannot be inueigled with errour nor She is infallible corrupted with giftes nor seduced with fauour because she is the faithfull spouse of Christ and piller of truth The scriptures although they be certeine in themselues yet in respect of vs they may be adulterated suborned changed misconstrued 6. The Church hath the seale of Gods warrant whereby we are bound to obey it bound to follow and imbrace her finall resolution If he will not heare the Church let him be to thee like the heathen publican yet we are no way tyed She is authenticall and warranted by God Matt. 18. v. 17. 1. Cor. 5. v. 3. 4. 5. to the written word any further then it is deliuered expounded vnto vs. The Church hath power to excomunicate suspend degrade enforce by her censures compell vs by her punishmentes to conformity and obedience as S. Paul did the incestuous Corinthian I indeed absent in body but present in spirit haue already iudged as presente him that hath so done in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ you being gathered together my spirit with the â—ertue of our Lord Iesus 2. Cor. vlt. v. 10. v. 2. Christ to deliuer such a one to Sathan By this and many other places it is plaine that the pastours of the Church haue a coactiue power of constrayning the rebellious to submit themselues vnto her triall definition which the Scriptures haue not 7. Many other proofes may be brought to strengthen this high tribunall of the Church For she is the mother She is the first Mistresse of our fayth which first begetteth vs which sealeth vs in baptisme with the character of Christians She teacheth vs the first elementes of our beliefe the articles of our Creed She spelleth vnto vs the meaning of Christ of Iesus of Sauiour of God the authour of grace of his Sacraments sacrifices faith and gospell which from the written worde without her instruction we could neuer learne To which purpose very true is that sayng of M. Hooker Hooker 2. booke of Eccle. poli fol. 118. The scripture could not teache vs the thinges which are of God vnles we did credit men who haue taught vs that the wordes of scripture doe signifie those thinges Therefore the men of the Church not the scripture are the first maisters of our faith Yea say you but after our first reformers did more copiously partake The Protestants idle euasion reiected the beames of lighte they found the scriptures peruerted not rightly expounded by such as had them before in custodye Is it so Were their expositions false and scriptures true Must we beleeue on their worde the canon of scriptures and learne of you the interpretation of them as though they who canonized them with authority in regard of vs could not open their meaning better then you or he who preserued by them the dead letter vncorrupted did not more diligently preserue the liuely sense and meaning inuiolable Can any guide vs more safely in the way of saluation in the pathe of Christ then such as teache vs there is a Christ meanes of saluation Egregiously S. Augustine reasoneth with the Aug. l. de vtil credeÌ„ c. 14. Manichees as we may now with Protestants VVhy should I not most diligently inquire amongst them what thing Christ commaunded by whose authority perswaded I haue now beleeued that Christ commaunded some thing VVilt thou better tell me what he sayed whome I would not thinke to haue beene at all or to be if I must Aug. com â— cont ep Manich. c. 5. beleeue because thou sâ—â—est is VVhat madnes is this Giue credit iâ— them that Christ is to be beleeued learne of vs what he said In Another place If thou doest holde thy selfe to the ghospell
Hier. q. ad Edibiam kingdome of Christ wherin such as refuse to liue are rebelles and traytours to God It is the house (b) Orig. in Iesu Naue hom 3. Cypr. de simplicitate Praelat Ambr. lib. de Salom. c. 5. of â—ahaâ— from whence whosoeuer departeth is guilty of his own death It is the (c) Ioan. 21. Luc. 5. Ambr ser 11. l. de Salom. c. 4. Concil Later c. 1. Vna est fidelium vniuersalis Ecclesia extra quaÌ„ nullus omnino saluatur Aug. tom 7. concione ad plebem de Emerita post medium Cypr. epist 62. ad â—omponium Iren. l. 3. aduer haeres c. 40. Ship of Peter out of which whosoeuer sayleth suffereth ship wracke Therfore the CouÌ„cell of Lateran hath truly and carefully defined There is one vniuersall Church of the faythfull out of which no man is saued This decree of that most holy and generall Councell the vniforme consent of the Fathers ratify and confirme a few with such as I haue alleadged shall speake for the rest S. Augustine Out of the Catholike Church a man may haue all things excepting saluation he may haue orders he may haue Sacraments he may sing Alleluia he may answere Amen he may haue the Ghospell he may haue and preach the fayth in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost but he can by no meanes obtayne saluation but in the Catholike Church S. Cyprian Neither can they writing of excommunicated persons liue without sith the house of God is one and no man can haue saluation but in the Church Irenaeus In the Church God hath appointed Apostles Prophets Doctours and the whole operation or ministery of the spirit of which they all are depriued who repaire not to the Church VVhere the Church is there is the spirit of God and where the spirit of God is there is the Church and all grace Then he interreth that such as do not partake of that spirit estranged from truth are iustly tumbled into euery errour Lactantius it is only the Catholike Lactant. l. 4 diuin instit cap. vlt. Church that hath the true worship and seruice of God this is the well spring of truth the dwelling place of fayth the temple of God into which whosoeuer entreth not and from which whosoeuer departeth is without all hope of life and eternall saluation Thus Lactantius With whom our chiefest aduersaries likewise accord Field confesseth one holy Catholike Church in which only the light of heauenly Field in his first booke of the Church c. 2. fol. 23. truth is to be sought where only grace mercy remission of sinnes and hope of eternall happynes are found And to maintaine this he citeth the aforesayd sentence of Lactantius 4. Caluin also speaking of the Church our Mother sayth There is no other entry into life vnles she conceaue vs in her Calu. l. 4. instit c. 1. §. 4. wombe vnles she bring vs forth vnles she feed vs with her breastes finally vnles she keep vs vnder her custody and gouernance vntill such tyme as being vnclothed of mortall flesh we shall be like vnto Angells The reason heereof is the secret and vnchangeable will of God who sent his Sonne into the world to erect one Church one fayth one religion one house and chosen company to whom he bequeathed the keyes of paradise That only Church he purchased with his bloud that only he loued for that he deliuered himselfe to sanctify her cleansing Act. 20. v. 28. Ephes 5. v. 25. 26. her with the lauer of water in the word of life In that only Church he hath left as Irenaeus obserued his Pastors and Doctours In that his word and Sacraments in that the embassage of reconciliation benefite of remitting sinnes To that only Church he communicateth his spirit To one only Church doth God commit the keyes of heauen and benefit of reconciliation promiseth his assistance imparteth his grace vertue and spirituall endowements therefore whosoeuer is deuided or separated from that is wholy bereft of Gods celestiall comforts Most of the learned Protestants consent with vs That out of the Church there is no saluation yet this couert they seeke to saue themselues That they are of the Church either of the same with vs as some imagine or of a distinct by themselues as others vphold or at least that euery one is sufficiently in the Church of saluation as long as he beleeueth the Trinity Incarnation Passion and other principle mysteryes of fayth But that they haue no distinct Church planted by Christ watered by his Apostles and perpetually continued vntill their dayes which is necessary for the true Church I shall demonstrate heereafter in the eleuenth twelueth and thirtenth Chapters of this booke Now that they are not any part of the Roman Church nor all one with vs I manifestly conuince 5. Because they abhorre our sacrifice condemne our Fulke in c. 5. Ephes sect 3. In cap. 13. Apoc. sect 2. Fulk in c. 24. Luc. sect 4. 1. Ioan. 2. sect 9. VVhitak contr 2. q. 6. cap. 1. ibidem c. 3. Reynoldes in his fifth conclusion Fulke in c. 13. Apo. sect 2. in c. 5. ad Ephes sect 3. Rogers in his booke 39. articles of Protestancy Sacraments forbeare all participation with vs and we with them in fayth and religion we excommunicate cut them off from the communion of our Church which they also renounce as superstitious blasphemous and antichristian It is certaine sayth Fulke the Church of Rome cannot be the true Church of Christ Againe The whole religion of Popery is nothing but blasphemy against God and Christ and his Church For this cause he calleth it the whore of Babylon the seate of Antichrist the malignant and Antichristian Church of Rome VVhitaker disclaymeth from it with the like reproachfull termes and addeth That the Papists are Idolaters and their Church Idolatricall Besides he reckoneth vp eighteen fundamentall points by which it ouerthrouweth in his conceit the grounds of true religion M. Iohn Reynolds labouring to discouer the like entitleth his fift conclusioÌ„ after this manner The Roman Church not the Catholike Church nor a sound member of the Catholike Church Yea he Fulke Rogers and others recount togeather with those which VVhitaker nameth aboue foure and thirty articles in which the Roman Church hath damnably erred and in euery one shaken the fabrike razed the foundation as they blaspheme of true beliefe Therefore it is impossible any Protestant should thinke his religion the same with ours shall substantiall points impossible he should looke to be saued in the lappe of our Church which his râ—rest men and stoutest patrons so spitefully traduce and purposely detest as the most contagious heretical and idolatrical Church that euer was As impossible it is that euery sectary should hope for the blessinges of heauen in his own sect by imbracing only the principall grounds of religion as the ensuing Chapter shall further declare
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
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
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
58. Osiand ceÌ„t 13. l. 1. c. 4. pag. 329. condemned by Osiander another Protestant writer for approuing two Authors or Beginners of things one good another euill with the wicked Manichees for denying Baptisme denying matrimony denying the resurrection of the flesh as Antoninus likwise testifyeth with him To whome I adde the censure of Mayster Cooper the once intruded Bishop of winchester who recordeth of them Albigenses were heretikes which beganne by Toâ—â—use in France the yeare of our Lord 1207. which held the heresies of the Albanenses touching the soule Baptisme God and the generall Resurrection wherein they taught as he a little before meÌ„tioneth That the soule of man after his death was put into another body That Baptisme was of none efficacy That there were two Gods Anton. 4. Summ. ti 11. cap. 7. â—â—e good and another euill that of the good proceeded good thinges of the euill God euill things c. That the body should not eft soones rise â—â— the day of Iudgement These heresyes they renewed of the Albanenses They held moreouer sayth Cooper That it was Cooper in his dictionary the worde Albigenses â—â—t lawfull for Christian men to eate flesh 3. The VValdenses or poore men of Lyons were the â—â—me with the former but diuersly tearmed vpon diuers occasions 1. They admitted no Iudicious senteÌ„ce or corpoâ—all punishment of death to be lawfull because it is writâ—â—n Nolite iudicare do ye not iudge and non occides thou shalt At the word Albanenses â—â—â—ediatly before VVho where all one as some thinke with the Albigenses Alfonsus de Castro lib. 11. aduers bar verbo â—ccidâ—re Guido Antoninus de waldensibus â—ot kill 2. They allowed laymen women to consecrate the Sacrament and preach the word of God 3. Permitted Illyr in caâ— testium veritaâ—is pa. 731. 729. 747. 735. 755. Antonin p. 4 tit 1â— cap. 7. Fulke in c. 12. Apoc. sect 2. Luther de 10. praeceptis in explicatione 1. praecepti eodem Tom. in resolutionibus de indulgeÌ„t conclus 25. impres VVittebergaeanno Domini 1582. Mihi inquit-certissimuÌ„ est purgatoriumesse Clergy men to enioy no possessions or proprietyes 4. Condemned oathes Princes and Iudges as Illiricus a zealous Protestant witnesseth of them And lastly they contemned the Apostles Creed as Antoninus testifieth The Picards whome Fulke accouÌ„teth in the number of his faithfull are disclaymed by Luther as infaelices haeretici vnhappy heretiks And because their first Authour denyed Purgatory which Luther imbraced saying It is most certeyne to me that there is a Purgatory he inueigeth agaynst him after this manner Must we therfore belieue an heretike scarce borne 50. yeares ago contending the fayth of so many ages to haue beene false especially when he doth nothing els then that he sayth I belieue not and so proueth all his owne things and disproueth all ours Thus Luther exclaymed agaynst the Protestant Picardus for impugning Purgatory and with the same outcry pursueth him for disallowing many articles as strongly warranted by antiquity as that 3. Petrus Abaylardus banded himselfe as we reade in Saint Bernard with Arius and Nestorius concerning the Trinity and the person of Christ he indeauored by many reasons to proue that christ was not deliuered to death by the will of his Father Constantinus Coproniuus whome Illyricus mentioneth amongst his witnesses of truth agreeeth I confesse with protestants in breaking of images and disauowing their worship But he was otherwise such a damnable heretike and hellish Idolater as he denyed our Lady to be mother of God with the Caytife Nestorius He worshipped Venus and offred humane sacrifices vnto the Diuell as Suidas reporteth Wickliffe also their great Ber. epist 192. 188. M. SimoÌ„s vpon the Reuela pa. 142. giueth instance among o-others of this Abaylardus Illyr in Catal. testium pag. 836. 837. Suidas in lexico Melancton epist ad Frider. Mycon quae praefixa est veterum sententijs à se câ—llect de caena Domini Patron is discarded by Melancthon Luthers scholler because sayth he he foolishly confouÌ„deth the Ghospell with politik affaires He contendeth it vnlawfull for Priests to possesse any thing proper or as their own he will haue no Tithes payd but to Teachers Of which propositions Melancton deliuereth this censure Pernicious and sediditious 〈◊〉 is that VVicklifian superstition which forceth the Ministers of the Church to beggery 4. Secondly besides these heresies which they held anathematized both by Protestants and vs they maynteyned other articles of Faith conformable to our Catholike doctrine and disagreable from Protestants in points fundamentall For this cause Luther reiecteth the VValdenses or poore men of Lions as halting in the article of Luther in resolut ca. de Suerm Iustification the principall ground life and soule of Protestancy They erre quoth he in that they belieue not only â—ayth to iustify without workes but that it must be confirmed with Charity of imputatiue Iustice they know nothing Melancton recordeth of Wickliffe he vnderstood not a whit nor held the Iustice of faith MelanctoÌ„â— loco citat And why so because he belieued with vs Iustification and merit of workes He acknowledged also with vs the adoration of Relikes the worshipping of Images the behoofull patronage and intercession of Saints Which according to Caluin doth race the foundation of religion stoppe all way VVicklif de Euc. c. 9. in decal super primo maÌ„dato ca. 15. Item in ser de assump Mariae he sayth hiâ— videturmihi quodim-possbile est nos praemiari fine Mariae suffragio Cal. l. 1. instit cap. 20. Luther in coll Germ. cap. de Sacram altaris cap. de Antichristo Fox in Apocalip cap. 11. pag. 20â— VVhytaker cont â— q. 5. c. 27. fol. 489 Cal. l. 4. insti cap. â— entry to God Luther abandoneth the Hussites warneth his followers to forsake their communion because they say priuate Masses and because Iohn Husse departed not as he testifieth a fingers beadth from the Papacy Foxe also affirmeth of him that he taughr practised the same with vs the same which iâ— taught at Rome concerning transubstantiation Masse vowes of Chastity free wil predestination informed faith the cause of Iustification and merits of good workes Of Iouinian and Berengarius I might shew the like that they defended many Caâ—holike points of doctrine which ouerthrow the very Tower of Protestancy For if the Church presently falleth according to Whitaker Caluin and all learned Protestants and Catholikes also as soone as she teacheth any fundamentall errour how long hath the Protestants Church laine buryed in her owne ruines which hath imbraced so many and such essentiall blasphemies 5. Thirdly although these false supposed Protestants had all accorded in Protestants profession yet they could not haue beene sufficient to vnderproppe the Although the Waldenses wicklifistes and the rest had agreed in one beliefe yet they could not continue the neuer interrupted succesion of the ProtestaÌ„t fayth walles or vnite
impossible their Church should continue so many ages distinct from the Roman Papacy and no monument be left no steppes remayne no notice taken of it at least by the preuayling faction as they terme it of the Romane Church which diligently recorded the names and heresies of euery particuler person who at any tyme stood vp or defended any doctrine contrary to hers Yf the Romane faction tyrannyzed ouer them blotted out their names defaced their Sparke in his answere to M. Iohn d' Albins pag. 53. 54. workes razed their Churches burned their Records as Sparke fayneth some Chronicler or other some frend or enemy some Protestant or Catholike would haue registred those ransackinges or mentioned the vtter abolishments our Gouernours made of them Otherwise what warrant haue Protestants to belieue what euidence to shew they had such professours To belieue without ground in ciull matters is vnaduised lightnes in matters diuine rashnes inexcusable I proceed 6. Two other seeming answeres some of our late Reformers are wont to coyne First That seeing the Papacy Other euasions of our sectaryes reiected preserued the kernell of religion belieued the Trinity the Incarnation and passion of Christ c. their Protestant Church might be saued in it although it separated not it selfe in communion from her But this caÌ„not be For the Pelagians the Donatistes the Circumceâ—â—â—â— held these and many other grounds of true religion yet no maÌ„ could be saued participating with them nor with the Quartadecimani nor with any heretical Congregation although it disseÌ„ted from the true Church but in one heresy alone Therefore although the papacy imbraced the Fulke in c. 1â— A poc sect 2. forenamed principles of fayth yet beccuse it was defiled according to you not with one but sundry heresies which vndermined the castle of heauenly beliefe the maynteyners of Protestancy coulde not be members of the true Church abiding in the false they could not be vnited to God in the house of Belial partake with Christ in the seate of Antichrist as hath beene other where more largely discussed 7. Their second euasion is that ignorance might IgnoraÌ„ce cannot excuse our sectaries auncestors in coÌ„municating with vs if we danably erred free their confederates from the danger of damnation in coÌ„municating with our Church vntill the truth of their Ghospell was reuealed and our errours discouered vnto them But I answere that the plea of ignorance of matters necessary necessitate medij as the only meanes to atteyne saluation in iustification other articles of like tenour on which the summe of religion in Protestants opinion dependeth cannot be admitted in the Court of conscience before the tribunall of heauen For of such ignorance sentence is pronounced by the Apostle Yf any man know not he shall not be knowne And VVhosoeuer haue sinned without the law without the law shall perish Agayne albeit 1. Cor. 14. v. 38. Rom. 2. v. 12. the Church of God may for a tyme be inuincibly ignorant of some truth not necessary to saluation yet neuer of any necessary truth Wherefore if imputatiue iustice if only fayth without merite of workes and many such like protestant articles be necessary to be belieued the ignorance of them must needs cause al their auncestours to forfeit Field in his first booke c. 10. p. 19. eternall blisse especially sith Field therein subscribeth to the Apostle That no man can be saued vnlesse he make confession to saluation c. and by profession of truth make himselfe knowne 8. Besides as the Church cannot be ignorant of a necessary article much lesse can it generally professe any daÌ„nable errour any pernicious falshood as all latent Protestants openly did liuing in the Papacy and publikely professing as they account it our erroneous doctrine This the promise of Christ the assistaÌ„ce of the holy Ghost the protection of God would neuer permit his Church to doe 9. This were to frustrate the comming of Christ the price of the bloud his preaching of his Ghospell For why did he take such paynes to preach the truth if ignorance might excuse vs Why did he suffer death to abolish Matth. 28. Ephes 4. Ioan. 14. 16. all errours if his people haue beene so long ouer whelmed with them How doth he raygne for euer in the Kingdome of his Church if that for these many ages hath been subiect to Sathan Did not he promise that when he should be exalted he would draw all thinges vnto him Did not he promise to cooperat with his Pastours baptizing teaching to the consummation of the world that neither they might erre nor we be carried away with the Tertullia de Praes c. 28. vayne blastes of errour Was not the holy Ghost sent to teach all truth and that for euer Did not God forewarne vs that the preachers of the new Testament should neuer be silent from praysing his name enioying his spirit and deliuering his wordes from generation to generation euerlastingly without interruption Vpon these assurances Tertullian deemed it so great a blasphemy that the whole Church of God should be spotted with errours as he thus Tertul. ib. cap. â—9 prouoketh ValeÌ„tinus the heretik Age nunc c. Go to now haâ—e all Churches erred c. hath the holy Ghost had regarde to no one to leade it vnto truth sent for that end by Christ demaunded for that end of the Father that he might be the Doctour of truth Forsooth the Steward of God the vicar of Christ hath neglected his office permitting the Churches otherwise to vnderstand otherwise to belieue tâ—en he by his Apostle preached A little after he scoffeth at him and others in this sort The truth expected some Marcionistes and Valentinians Lutherans and Caluinistes to be infranchised by them In the meane tyme the Gospell hath beene wrongfully preached wrongfully belieued so many thousand of thousands wrongfully Christned so many workes of faith wrongfully administred so many miracles so many gifts wrongfully imployed so many priesthoods so many offices wrongfully executed in fine so many Martyrdomes wrongfully crowned Yf Tertullian thought â—t a caluÌ„niation so infamous to affirme this of the Church for a little more then a hundred yeares space how monstrous is the report of our Reformers who venture to attach it of superstition ignorance idolatry during the long tract of a thousand yeares 10. Lastly although ignoraÌ„ce may now then excuse the not belieuing of some particuler mysteryes yet the ignorant who otherwise incurre the displeasure of God can neuer gayne his fauour or recouer felicity vnlesse they be pardoned their sinnes and become members of the true Church Out of the Church no pleading for pardon no excuse can be heard to put a sinner in hope of saluation Otherwise the Iewes the Turkes the Pagans al such as haue been misled by heretikes might pleade this excuse But the hiddeÌ„ ProtestaÌ„ts who lurked in the Papacy were not members of the Church They made not the true Church where
tract Theologica much lesse to be graced from heauen or published to the world as a myrrour to imitate nay their chiefest Patriarches first authours Luther Caluin Beza c. haue byn blasted with ignominy partly for incestuous partly for sodomiticall partly for adulterous all for their riotous voluptuous and scandalous liues and of their progeny Luther in cap. 5. ad Galat. Caluin testifyeth VVhereas so many thousands greedily as it seemed gaue their names to the Gospell how few I beseech you haue retired from their vices Yea what other hath the greatest part pretended then that casting of the yoake of superstition they might more freely run into Luther in postill sup Euang. doÌ„ primae Aduentus Reynolds de Eccles Rom. idol l. 1. cap. 2. Eras Ep. ad Vult dissolution wantones Luther accordeth with him affirming of his brattes That they are seauen tymes morse vndeâ— the name of ChristiaÌ„liberty then they were vnder the Pope Liâ—kwise Men are now more reuengefull couetous licentious then they were euer before in the Papacy Therfore Erasmus whome Mayster Reynoldes commendeth as a man well deseruing of the Church of God wisely sayd of the Lutheran doctrine Bring me oâ—â— whome this Gospell hath of a glutton made sober of fierce milde of couetous liberall of an ill speaker well spoken of an vnchast shamefast I can shew them many who are made worse then they were The like was as prudeÌ„tly obserued by the Earle of Salisbury Lord A wise obseruation of the Lord Cecill late Earle of Salisbury Treasurer lately deceased who was wont as I haue been very credibly informed often to admire and say VVhat iâ— the cause that if any Catholike or Papist be conuerted to vs. he becomeâ—â— alwayes more deboyst and dissolute then before and yet if any of our Ministers repayre to them they are so changed in behauiour as we caâ— take no exception agaynst their liues The reason hereof I hauâ— assigned before and shall confirme by and by with the testimony of Sir Eduin Sandes howbeit the aduersary obiecteth That much deboystnes and misdemeanure â—s noted also amongst vs whereunto I intreate him to receaue this answere from Saint Augustine Now I admonâ—â—h Aug. l. â— de moribus Eccl. cap. 34. you of this point that you surcease to speake euill of the Catholique Church blaming the manners of men whome the also condemneth and whome she as euill laboureth dayly to amend The conuersation of Christ and his diuine preaching was most efficacious and heauenly yet it could not preuayle to mollify the hart of a tray tours Iudas So although our lawes and precepts be in euery respect most holy yet they cannot hinder and extirpate all kind of iniquity 10. Neuerthelesse there is a fourefold difference betweene the wicked of our side and those of the Reformers Note a fowerfold disparity betweene the naughty Catholikes and euill Protestants For the naughtines of our men wholy springeth eyther from their owne euill dispositions or infirmity of nature and no way from the prauity and largenesse of our doctrine as it partly doth in the profession of sectaryes 2. Compare number to number and quality of persons in like degree togeather ours are incomparably fewer and lesse enormous then theirs as the yearely recordes of Assises Sessions confronted with those of ancient tymes do report 3. Our disordered persons are Sir Edwin Sands in his relat sect 48. more narrowly sought out and bound to satisfy more exactly then their malefactours 4. We haue farre better helpes to reclayme them and stayes to keep them in the way of godlines then protestants haue Witnes Sir Edwin 2. Pet. 8. vers 19. Matt. 7. v. 13. vers Sands saying Let the Protestants looke with the eye of charity vpon them of the Papacy as well as of seuerity and they shall find some excellent orders of gouernement some singuler helps for the increase of godlines and deuotion for the conquering of sinne for the profiting in vertue Contrarywise in themselues looking with a more single 14. 2. Pet. 2. vers 10. Rom. 13. v. 1. 1. Pe. 2. v. 11 2. Pet. 2. v. 12. 13. Iude v. 4. 1. Pet. 2. v. 3. vers 18. Rom. 6. v. 11. and lesse indulgent eye they shall find there is no such absolute perfection in their doctrine reformation So he This is the cause of the loosenes of their and strictenes of our professours Wherfore if we should examine by this marke of holines who are the liuely members of Christ we or you it is euideÌ„t that you are the false Prophets promising liberty and we the true preachers exhorting to piety You the guides of Sathan shewing the broad way which leadeth to perdition and we the watchmen of the holy Ghost demonstrating the narrow gate which openeth the life You the lying Maysters which walke after the flesh in concupiscence of vncleanes and contemne dominion And we the humble subiects who obedient to higher powers striue to refraine from carnall desires which warre agaynst the soule You the vnreasonable men c. coninquinations and spots flowing in delicacies and transferring the grace of our God into riotousnes and we the reasonable hostes victimes and sacrifices offered vnto God mortified certes in the flesh but quickned in spirit dead to sinne but a liue to God in Christ Iesus our Lord. CHAP. XVII In which Sanctity or Holines is another way explayned to be a badge of the true Church THIS word Sanctum holy besides the former significations as it is deriued froÌ„ the verbe Sancio sancis betokeneth that What Sanctum deriued from the verbe Sancio doth import which is firmely ratifyed consecrated and established That which is stable vnchangeable sacred and inuiolable So lawes are tearmed holy Temples holy Kinges Ambassadours Priestes and Bishops holy sacred persons they ought to be fenced agaynst all force and violence Thus true religion is holy and inuiolable not to be altered or changed not be vanquished or subdued by any assaultes whatsoeuer but to preuayle vanquish and ouercome all such as fight agaynst it and grow alwayes more mighty by their encounters For as the Esquire of King Darius affirmed Truth abideth and groweth stronge for euer and liueth and preuayleth for euer and euer Edras 3. c. 4. vers 38. So the true Church her beliefe stil flourisheth and waxeth great and as Iustinian in the ciuil law discourseth Nothing iâ— lesse subiect to decay then true Religion But of false and Iusti l. Int. claras l. de suÌ„ma TriÌ„ Sap. 4. v. 3. 4. Matth. 15. vers 13. new deuised sects the holy Ghost deliuereth by the mouth of Salomon Bastard plantes shall not take deepe roote nor lay sure foundation and if in the boughes for a tyme they shall springe beinge weakely set they shal be moued of the winde and by the vehemency of the blastes they shal be extirpated And our Sauiour Christ All planting that my heauenly
consent and agreement by which the members of the same Church though of diuers nations languages customes dispositions yet are all vnited in the same fayth lawes sacrifice religion They are all carefull as Saint Paul exhorteth to keep the vnity of the spirit in the band of peace To be of one accord and one iudgemet For which cause Christ earnestly prayed and vsed many other effectuall meanes he ordeyned vs all to one end and goale of felicity You are called in one hope of your vocation He taught vs to acknowledge as Saint Paul writeth in the â—ame place one Lord one fayth one Baptisme one God and Father of Eph. 4. v. 3. Phil. 2. v. 2. Ioan. 17. v. 11. Eph. 4. v. 4. v. 5. 1. Cor. 10. v. 17. 18. all He nourisheth vs with one bread his owne sacred flesh He incorporateth vs in one body He guideth vs with one and the same spirit and that all thinges might be orderly disposed he submitteth vs in his absence to the obedieâ—ce of one head his vice gereÌ„t vpon earth by which the pâ—erogatiue of vnity is principally maynteyned and â—â—â—refore Saint Augustine termeth the sea of his residence Câ—â—hedram vnitatis the Chayre of vnity And Saint Cyprian Aug. ep 166. CypriaÌ„ ep 73. Optat. l. 2. con Parm. Iero. con Iouin cont Lucif Leo ep 84. Bernard l. 3. ad Eug. Irae l. 1. c. 3. 〈◊〉 Peter vpon whome our Lord built his Church he instituted and â—â—wed the beginning of vnity The like hath Optatus rhe like S. â—â—rome and Saint Leo. 3. By the assistance of Gods holy spirit and â—y the subordination of the people Priestes Pastours Bishops to this supreme head the Pope of Rome which Saint Bernard resembleth to the subordination of the Angells Archangells Cherubims and Scraphims to Almighty God there is preserued in the vniuersall Church spread ouer all the world that admirable peace and perfect argrement as if it dwelled to vse Saint Irenaeus words â—â— one house enioyed one soule and one hart she preacheth teacheth and deliuereth the thinges shee belieueth so conformably as if she spake with one mouth For sayth he Although there be different languages yet the vertue of traditioÌ„ is one the same Neyther do those Churches which are founded in Germany belieue otherwise or otherwise deliuer Nor those that are amongst the Hiberians nor those that are in the East nor those that are in Aegypt nor such as are in Libya nor such as are planted in the midest of the earth But as the sunne that workemanship of God is one and the same in the vniuersall world so the light the preaching of truth euery where shineth and enlighteneth all who will come to the knowledge therof 4. This conformaty of doctrine which Irenaeus marked in the vniuersall Church of his tyme where can we now discouer but amongst the Professours of the Roman fayth Goe into Asia Goe into Africa sayle into India passe into Iaponia compasse the East and returne into Al Catho like professours are vnius Labij of the same speach or language the West and you shall behold all Countryes all prouinces all Cittyes euery professor of our Religion vnius Labij of one language of one hart and soule in Sacraments sacrifice and all Articles of fayth The reason is because they all as I â—outhed aboue submit themselues to the iudgement of one soueraygne and supreme head who guided by Gods spirit infallibly gouerneth and vnâ—â—â—th the whole body From whome if any dissent he is seuâ—red and cut of from the rest of the members 5. Amongst Protestants no such thinge nothing but schismes iarres and mutuall discordes such as Saâ—â—t Aug. l. 18. de ciuitat Dei ca. 41 Iraen l. 1. Tertull. de praes Hil. l. 7. de Tri. ChrysostoÌ„ Hom. 20. operis impersect in Matth. Parkes agaynst VVillets Limbomastix Augustine discouered amongst the heathen Philosophers â— such as Irenaeus Tertullian S. Hilary and S. Chrysostom amongst auncient heretikes For example trauayle into these ouâ— Sectaryes dominions one fayth shall you find in one Countrey another in another one in Saxony another in Germany another in England This at Geneua that at Zuricke c. What shall I speake of Citties and countries examine the fauorites of any particuler sect no agreemeÌ„â— amongst them no towne no village no man perseuereth long in the same beliefe But they often change and vary from themselues coyning as Saint Hilary reporteth of the Arians yearely and monethly faythes Euery man sayth M. Parkes maketh Religion the handmaid of his affections VVe may say now that there are so many faithes as willes and so many doctrines as manners of men whiles eyther we write them as we list or vnderstand Beza ep 1. and Andr. Dud. repeateth his wordes M VVilliam Reynolds in his preface before his refutation of M. VVhitaker reprehen Cauils them as we please in so much that many are brought to their wits ends not knowing what to do Which Duditius an emineÌ„t Protestant in the fight of Beza obiecteth agaynst his own brethren which Maister VVilliam Reynolds our Catholike writer notably declareth in the changes and alterations of our English gospellers in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth and I might further specify in many particulers since the raygne of our gracious King Iames. 6. For in her dayes the reall presence was * VVhitaker cont 2. q. 5. c. 7. pag. 89. Reynoldes in his fifth cont folio 657. Sparks in his answere to M. Iohn de Albins fol. 235. See these wordes of the Bishop of Ely allowed by Casaub in his aforesayd answ to Car. Peron â—â— 16. Causab pag. 33. In the conf at Hâ—mp court Reynolds in his 4. coâ—lus Field in his â— book c. 10. 11. Field in his third booke of the Church c. 22. fol. 118. Illiricus in clauo Scripturae de varia c. tract 6. dupl iustit instific Field in the place before cited impugned as implying contradiction and destroying the humane nature of Christ Now it is allowed as nothing impossible VVe agree with you sayth the Bishop of Ely concerning the obiect all the strife is aboue the manner c. we belieue the presence we belieue I say the true presence as well as you c. Then yearely shrift or auricular confession was an antichristian and popish bondage a butchery of mens consciences now the Fathers who ordeyned it had their reasons why they thought that such manner of confession would further the easier atteyning to saluâ—â—tion Then to pray for the dead that their soules might thereby be reliued was new fantasticall and superstitiâ—us popery Now to desire of God rest for their soules was an aunâ—â—ent custome and is referred by his Maiesty to the head of thinges proâ—â—able or lawfull Then when a woman was head a woman might lawfully baptize and Christen infants Now the midwifes christing is vnallowable and of no force at all Then the holy Catholike Church which we belieue
was the whole company of Gods elest c. which is hidden and inuisible Now it is the visible society wherein the syncere outward profession of the truth of God is preserued Then all workes of man performed in grace were so stayned with sinne as they could not deserue any reward at the handes of God Now a distinctioÌ„ is found of two Courtes The one of exact triall the other of new obedience in which God sitting giueth commaundement of workes of righteousnes and duly rewardeth them When we are iustified sayth Field God requireth of vs a new obedience iudgeth vs according to it crowneth vs for it Diuers other articles I might recount in which our aduersaryes pressed by Catholikes haue slidden out of the path which their predecessours haue trodden But of their variances more hereafter 7. This inconstancy disagreement of theirs proceedeth not from that they come single into the field to encounter with vs wel secoÌ„ded by our friends as a worthy knight of the Protestants religioÌ„ wold once haue excused the matter to me but it ariseth as another writer of their Sir Edwin Sands in his relatioÌ„ own beareth witnes for want of some one Patriarch or more to haue a common superintendance and care of their Church for correspondency and vnity For want of some ordinary way to assemble a generall Councell of their part the only hope remayning euer to asswage their contentions From want of due subordination that the CypriaÌ„ l. 1. Ephes 3. ad Cornel. Priest of God as Saint Cyprian teacheth is not obeyed nor one Priest in the Church for the tyme nor one Iudge in liew of Christ is had in minde From want of one supreme certeyne and infallible rule of deciding debates which fall out amonge them For although the scriptures vpon which they seeme to rely be as Whitaker vrgeth constant sure and inflexiblâ— in themselues yet they imbracing their owne constructions VVhitak cont 1. cont 2 q. 5. cap. 8. pa. 407. and interpretations of them what meruayle though they be shaken with as many winds of contrary doctrins as there be seuerall humours and affections of men Whilst euery one as Tertullian noteth doth forme and fashion that which he receaueth according as of his owne minde he deuised it Whilest nouices haue liberty to controle their superiours scholers sayth Irenaeus may boast and glory to be reformers of their Tertull. in praes adu haer 42. Iren. l. c. 5. 8. maysters For as the forenamed Tertullian pithily discourseth The same is lawfull to the Valentinians which was lawfull to Valentinus to the Marcionists which to Marcion to the Caluinistes which to Caluin of their owne to frame or reforme their fayth Because euery one may challenge the same spirit the same gift of interpreting as his forerunner did This pretense Tertull. in the same place is often alleadged by euery Puritan and Protestant who varieth from the opinion of his first authour or beginner Luther for example and his chiefe disciples are VVhitak coÌ„t Durae pag. 28. VVhitak cont Sand. pag. 92. VVhitgift defens tra c. 7. p. 20. in my opinion ib. pag. 291. cited agaynst Whitaker He answereth VVhat is that to me I care not what they misliked And Whitgift of Caluin sayth I am not so wholy addicted vnto him that I will contemne other mens iudgements c. VVhen as in my opinion they come neerer to the true meaning and sense of Scripture then he doth Others he reiecteth saying They were men and therfore though otherwise very watch full yet such as slept sometyme Thus with shew of modesty if they can if not The spirit of God say they is not tyed to any man but breatheth where he lists and therefore he that imagineth he is carryed with this gale hath sufficient warrant to ruffle in Scripture and expound it as his owne priuate perswasion seemeth to leade him FroÌ„ hence spring such flouds of dissentions as I may verify of Protestants that which a diligent historiographer noted in the Turkes only changing the wordes Touching the law The Alcoran Septeme cast 20 Mahomet himselfe there is that discord and difference amongst them as if a hundred of them be asked what they hold in these pointes not onâ— will answere to the minde of another Examen when you will yâ—ur Mynisters apart or conferre their workes and wriâ—â—ngs one with another you shall not need any further â—â—oofe You shall see no two in the world consorting toâ—â—ather in all essentiall pointes of fayth if I say they be â—el sifted by interrogatories on euery point examined â— part 8. But two thinges are here opposed by our aduersaryes The one agaynst our vnity The other in excuse of their diuisions Against vs Field obiecteth the vnity agreemeÌ„t of the Armenians Aethiopians Christians of Field in his 2. booke c. 7. pag. 54. VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. cap. 8. Muscouia Russia Whitaker the accord coÌ„spiratioÌ„ of â—he wicked in euill of Pirates in Piracy of Rebells in rebellioÌ„ Therfore vnity say they is no signe of truth I answere not any vnity or accord in some one point whatsoeuer maketh this marke for all heretiks agree in rebelling gaynst truth many may accord in some one schisme or heresy as they whome M. Field rehearseth do Likewise a small number of desperate fellowes vpon a set plot in some one or two designements in hope of gayne or preferment may as Whitaker vrgeth for a short time combine togeather But without any such hope league or coÌ„bination for innumerable millions so far dispersed in so darke obscure manifold mysteryes of fayth to the preiudice of their estates losse of their liues so many ages so vniformly to agree notwithstanding such alienations of mynds diuersity of factions by people Prince notwithstanding so many other strifes and debates so many Ioseph Hal in his book intitled the Feace of Rome Read of this S. Aug. l. â—8 de ciuit Dei ca. 41. Field in his 3. booke c. 4â— â—nd in app 1. part fol. 23. 24. VVhite in his way to the Church §. 33. VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. chaunges alterations reuolutions of common wealths notwithstanding such alteration variety of opinions which M. Ioseph Hall heapeth togeather in matters indifferent or then not defined for in all the great and idle muster he maketh not one essentiall variance doth he meÌ„tion that euer was amongst the Professors of our Church This I say is an euident and irreprouable token of some diuine and heauenly spirit in breathing guiding vniting the harts of Roman Catholikes 9. In excuse of their diuisions Field White Whitaker reply that they are likewise but verball vpon mistaking not materiall or essential not in substantiall or fundamental points And Field most hypocritically addeth I dare confidently pronounâ—â— that after ful and due examination of each others meaning there shaâ—â— no difference found touching the matter of the